Millet Almond Oat Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are a necessity in my house! However when you have special dietary needs, it can be difficult to find a chocolate chip cookie that satisfies. Since going gluten free, I've tried a few different chocolate chip cookie recipes and not all of them worked. In fact, the first recipe I tried was so disappointing that I nearly cried! This recipe is one I will make again. It is sweet enough to be yummy, but is low in sugars. Plus, my little niece who can't have milk or eggs can also enjoy them! Replace the honey with agave syrup or another plant-based sweetener and this recipe is vegan!

Millet Almond Oat Cookies: (original recipe here)
Mix together the following ingredients in a bowl and let them sit for a minute or two so the flax meal can become squishy.
2 TB warm water
1 tsp flax meal
2 TB oil
4 TB honey

In a separate bowl mix together:
1/4 tsp ginger powder
pinch of salt
2 TB sugar
1/2 C ground oats (gluten free)
1/4 C millet flour
1/4 C almond flour

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then stir in:
1/3 C chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)

Spoon into greased cookie sheet and smooth dough into flattened cookie shaped patties (cookies will not noticeably change shape). Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. Cookies should be lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool before eating.

These cookies hold together really well, which can be a problem with some gluten free cookies. No problems here! They are great in lunches and I've taken them on hikes and they don't turn into crumbs!

I made a large batch earlier this week and froze them because sometimes during the summer I want a treat, but I don't want to turn on the oven. These cookies thaw out very nicely!

Note: I made my own oat and millet flour using a food processor which doesn't make a perfectly smooth flour (but is much less expensive!). I personally like the texture of these, however for a smoother cookie texture, you may want to use finer milled flours.

Strawberry Crisp in a Mug

I absolutely love strawberries! I'm really lucky because I am the only one under my roof that likes them. Crazy, right? I'm not going to complain, though, because that means I get to eat them all myself! This recipe I came up with is perfect for my situation because it makes a serving for one person.

It takes only a few minutes to prepare, so anytime I have a craving for something warm and delicious using one of my favorite fruits, I know what to make! With a spoonful of ice cream or whipped cream, this makes a tasty dessert. However, I couldn't resist making this for my breakfast this morning. Why not? Oatmeal and strawberries are healthy ingredients!

Strawberry Crisp in a Mug
Stir together, pour into a microwave safe mug or ramekin, and set aside:
1 cup chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tb sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ginger powder
dash of cinnamon

Mix together and pour into mug on top of strawberry mixture:
1/3 cup gluten free oats
2 Tb almond flour
1 Tb sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tb oil or melted butter

Microwave for approximately 2 minutes or until strawberry mixture gets nice and bubbly. Let cool for several minutes to help the juices set up (and avoid burning your mouth!). You may want to set your mug on a plate or saucer while microwaving to catch any juices that may bubble over. Using a mug with taller sides also helps. If you are apposed to using a microwave, I'm sure this can be used with a toaster oven as well. Feel free to modify to your personal preferences.

Tissue Pom Pom Garland

Looks like the snow here may finally be gone for good and I've been enjoying some beautiful sunny weather. It really puts me in the mood for creating things. After making several beautiful bouquets of tissue paper blossoms to decorate my home with, I still had a lot of tissue paper left in some very lovely Spring colors. With some brainstorming, I came up with the simple idea of the tissue pom pom garland. I'd made large tissue pom poms for parties before, but after this project, I've decided I love the little pom poms even more! They're just so cute! Plus, it was a great way to use up left over scraps of tissue paper.

As the photo tutorial shows, cut your tissue paper into rectangles with 4-6 layers of each size. Experiment with different sizes to make the most of your tissue paper; You'll end up with a variety of different pom poms which looks much more fun than when they're all the same size. Fold the layers accordion-style. Using scissors, cut the edges to add some fun shape to your pom poms. Try different cuts for different looks. Pointed, rounded, zig-zag, etc. Secure a twist tie in the center, then begin to gently unfold each layer. Once each layer is unfolded, carefully fluff and shape your pom pom. Repeat until you have a number of pom poms. Arrange them in whichever order you want them to go in, then string them onto twine, or a thin cord.

I think it looks fun and cheery draped across my front window, but the possibilities extend beyond that! These would be great for decorating parties, draped around Christmas trees, hung down a wall for a photo backdrop... Oooh! I'm so going to do that! I hope I don't go over board with this, but how can I not be excited when something is this simple and this cute?

By the way, don't be surprised if, when you are done, your craft area looks like this:

I am not neat when I'm creating, so afterwards my house was like a New Year's Eve party with confetti strewn all over! I was sweeping these pieces up for days after! If I was smart, I might have made these pom poms first and then used the random scraps when making the tissue paper blossoms, but oh well. Maybe next time I'll remember.

Happy creating!

Cayuga Ducks

 Introducing the newest additions to our home: cute fluffy ducklings!

Cayuga ducks get their name from Cayuga Lake in New York state where they were first made popular. They are listed as threatened by the American Livestock Conservancy and considered a sustainable heritage duck breed. Adult ducks are a beautiful black with an iridescent green sheen to their feathers.

We are excited about them because of the qualities that make them an excellent backyard duck. They are known as very active foragers that love to eat snails, slugs, and other insects (My garden is going to love that!). They are known for their calm and docile temperament and can become quite tame if consistently handled. They are characteristically much quieter than some of the other duck breeds, such as the Pekin. They are one of the hardiest domestic ducks and can tolerate harsh winter conditions. And they also lay a decent amount of eggs, which are black and progressively get lighter through the season until they are white. Cool!

Strawberry Lemon Shortcake in a Mug

 My little brother dropped by for an afternoon visit the other day. I wanted something quick and easy to make for him. He does not need to be gluten free, but I wanted his opinion on one of my latest creations. I knew he'd be honest if it was awful, but I also knew he was going to love it! He liked it so much, that he's been begging me for the recipe ever since.  So, my dear brother, this post is especially for you! Enjoy!

I found the inspiration for this recipe here, but I added a few modifications and I think it's even better! This is the perfect treat for two. It can be easily whipped up when you have an unexpected guest; it takes practically no time at all to make! Enjoy it with a friend over a cup of tea or while playing your favorite game. lemon essential oil kicks the flavor up a notch. Try it; you won't be disappointed!

Making the Shortcake:
3/4 cup almond flour
2 TBL sugar
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 TBL lemon juice
2 TBL melted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2-3 drops pure lemon essential oil

In a medium bowl, whisk almond flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add lemon juice, butter, egg, and lemon essential oil. Stir until well combined. Divide mixture between two microwave-safe mugs and microwave separately for 1 minute & 30 seconds (cooking time may vary with microwave types). Remove from microwave, gently remove cake from mug if desired (you can also eat it right out of the mug!). Top with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. If you don't have or don't want to use a microwave, you might try this in a toaster oven. Feel free to modify it to your personal preferences.

Making the Strawberry Sauce:
4-5 large strawberries chopped (and thawed if using frozen berries)
Sprinkling of sugar (use more or less depending on how sweet you want it)
1 small drop pure lemon essential oil.
Mix together until sugar is dissolved completely. Serve over shortcake.

 Linked up with these awesome blogs here:

Flaunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring

Happy Hour Friday at Happy Hour Crafts

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Do Something Crafty at See Vanessa Craft
Sunday Link Party at Suburbs Mama 
Sundays at Silver Pennies
Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do 
Feature Friday at Blissful and Domestic
  Gluten Free Fridays at Vegetarian Mama
Allergy Free Wednesdays at Tessa the Domestic Diva
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free
Gluten Free Wednesdays at The Gluten Free Homemaker

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Spring is officially here, but at my house there's still snow on the ground. I wanted a warm cozy treat that would somehow seem more spring like, so I decided to try out a recipe I found for strawberry shortcake muffins. They turned out really well and made a perfect addition to a warm cup of herbal tea.

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins (original recipe here):

2 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats (I used gluten free of course!)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups strawberries diced and patted dry (I used frozen and they turned out great)
Optional: 1/2 cup diced strawberries to place on top of muffins
Optional: 1 tsp lemon juice

Place all ingredients into a food processor (except strawberries!) and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl and gently blend in strawberries. Divide mixture into muffin tins, top with optional diced berries if desired (It looks really cute this way!).

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Learn how to make these pretty tissue paper spring blossoms HERE.

Tissue Paper Spring Blossoms

Spring is almost here! One of the things I love about spring are the flowers. There is nothing quite so amazing to me than driving past an orchard of cherry trees in bloom, or seeing the Forsythia in my yard covered in cheery yellow blossoms. Bringing flowers indoors is a great way to bring a fresh new look to your decor, but unfortunately fresh cut spring branches don't keep for long. Plus, they tend to drop petals all over... For a cute alternative, try this easy to make version using scraps of tissue paper and twigs.

What you'll need:
Tissue paper (crepe paper streamers work great too!)
Twigs
Glue (I used regular school glue)
Scissors

Using the scissors, cut the tissue paper into small squares (circles work great too!). Don't make them all the same size. It will look more natural if they gradually get smaller towards the top of the branch. Pinch the center of the tissue paper square and scrunch the edges together to form a gathered flower-like shape.

With a dab of glue at the base of each flower, attach them to the twig. Gradually decrease the size of the flower as you work your way to the top.

After the glue is dry and the flowers are secure, gently fluff the bottom flowers so they are opened up a little. Leave a few of the smallest flowers at the top scrunched closed to give the effect of buds that are not fully opened yet.

I got my twigs from my backyard, but you can commonly find twigs and branches at craft stores or florist shops. Tissue paper and crepe paper are easy to find in most stores with gift wrap or party supplies. Some of the tissue paper I used was left over from a party so it was a little crinkled, but it doesn't make any difference for this project. You'll be crinkling it anyway!

Find out how to make these delicious Strawberry Shortcake muffins HERE