Egg Muffins and Grain-Free Choc. Chip Blondies

Whew!  Whirlwind weekend for us!  Because we had so much going on I feel like I barely got to spend any time with S.  She is really walking up a storm and much more comfortable on two feet.  Still crawling quite a bit but it's clear she prefers standing to sitting.

Since we are still on two naps I did have some spare time yesterday to try a few things I'd had in mind.  If you're familiar with Kalyn's Kitchen you've no doubt seen her Egg Muffins.  She is big into the South Beach Diet so she created egg muffins as a quick, easy, make-ahead breakfast or snack.  It is so simple that no recipe is needed.  I sprayed a muffin pan with non-stick spray and then sprinkled some colby jack and sliced green onions into each cup.  In a large bowl I cracked 12 eggs and then mixed in 2 tsp of seasoned salt, use whatever brand you like.  Mix the eggs up really well or else you'll have gross streaks of egg white in the muffins.  Pour egg mixture into each cup about 3/4 of the way and bake at 375 for about 35 minutes.  Mine puffed up considerably, but then fell when I took them out of the oven.  They aren't that pretty but they are delish, and make a great lunch for S too.  I let them cool for a bit before putting them in a ziploc bag.  Take a peek at Kalyn's website and check out all her variations.  You can put any veg/meat/cheese you like in them!  Bacon, tomatoes, cheddar, broccoli, whatev!  Herbs would be great too.

Edited:  I've now been making egg muffins once a week for a few months and have some new input.  First- get yourself some silicone muffin cups, makes clean-up much easier.  Second, I no longer crack a bunch of eggs into a bowl and mix everything up.  I just put whatever add-ins (cheese, green onions, mushrooms, bacon etc) into the little silicone cup, which is inside the muffin tin, and then crack an egg into the cup.  Way easier, and more fun to eat I think.  Sprinkle some S&P over the top and bake. 

I think we all go through different phases of what we're in the mood for.  For awhile, I couldn't get enough of the raw bites with dates and walnuts.  Thinking about it now, ew.  Then it was freezer fudge.  Then coconut flour breads.  Now I'm on to blondies.  These came out AWESOME!


Grain-Free Blondies
1 3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (you know me and cinnamon!)
1 egg
1/4 cup oil (grapeseed, coconut, melted vegan butter etc)
35 drops of Vanilla Creme Stevia
1/4 cup nutmilk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk) and perhaps another tbsp or two depending on how wet your mixture is
1/2 to 3/4 cup choc. chips (or chopped walnuts, dried fruit, whatever!)

Preheat oven to 350 and line an 8x8 with parchment.  Mix flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda together.  In a separate bowl, beat egg and add in oil, nutmilk, and stevia.  This does not make a sweet blondie so if you want it really sweet add a bit more stevia.  Pour wet over dry and incorporate, then adding in choc. chips or nuts.  I used semi-sweet choc chips from TJ's and I realize this makes the recipe not totally sugar-free.  If you wanted to make it totally sugar free then use nuts, or leave out the choc. chips altogether.  If you realllllllllllly want some chocolate, I'll post my suggestion below.  Once the mixture is well-combined, pour into your 8x8 and spread out evenly.  Bake 35 minutes or so or until the top is starting to turn golden.  You want to underbake these a bit so they stay chewy!

So- I have given this a lot of thought.  After scouring the internet and g-stores and coming up empty-handed, I have a few chocolate options for those of us who want to stay 100% sugar free.  The first option of course would be to just chop up some unsweetened baking chocolate.  There is also malitol-sweetened choc bars at TJ's that aren't bad, but they do have a somewhat grainy consistency.  If you don't have any of those- try this.  Melt two squares of baking chocolate in the microwave with some cream, milk, or coconut milk.  Add in your sugar substitute slowly and to taste, depending on how sweet you want it.  This will create a quasi-ganache.  After you've baked the blondie, you can pour the ganache over the top so they'll have a chocolate coating.  Or you could cut up into individual bars and dip the whole thing in the ganache!  Not bad right?  I have made this ganache a few times and it's pretty good- just beware that it will be slightly gritty as nothing dissolves in chocolate quite like sugar.

What did you guys make over the weekend?  I'd love to take a peek!  Put links in the comments so we can all look!  XoXoGFG

A Post on Supplements

Today's post doesn't have a recipe because honestly, last night's dinner wasn't that great- it wasn't inedible or anything but just not anything worth writing home about.  I made tilapia that was way too spicy for MKG and S and a meh salad.  It happens.  My post today is about supplements/vitamins.  There seem to be two distinct camps.  The "I get all my vitamins from my varied diet" and then the folks who feel they could always use a little more.  It doesn't help that there really are no clearcut daily amounts that we should all be getting.  We know the bare minimums we should get to avoid different illnesses and deficiencies (iron for anemia, vitamin c for scurvy, etc) but what are optimal amounts of each vitamin?  To make it even more confusing, most likely we all need differing amounts depending on genetics, where we live, what health issues we have, and so on. 

I have started taking quite a lot of vitamins.  I've always taken a multi or pre-natal and one or two others for good measure- but in efforts to help increase my insulin sensitivity and get my hormones on track, I've added a bunch of new supplements to the mix and I can't help wondering if it's doing anything at all.  It's only been a month or so- but it's a lot of pills everyday and it can make me a little naush, especially on an empty stomach, and then of course it's an addtional expense too. 

Right now I'm taking cinnamon, chromium, biotin, manganese, vitamin D3, magnesium, plus a multi, something called DCI, and now metformin.  That's a lot!  Plus my daily protein shakes.  Ironically, many times I find myself wishing for a protein pill too, to make it easier to get enough in everyday.  Do you "believe" in supplements?  If so, what do you take, and do you feel like it does anything? 

It's hard to say if any of these are helping to increase my insulin sensitivity.  I don't keep track of my blood glucose levels so I'd just be guessing.  Hormonally nothing really feels any different either- except that I feel like my temperature has maybe gone up a little bit.  Normally I'm always cold, but lately I've been feeling much warmer and sometimes even too hot.  I have noticed my nails are also quite a bit stronger, probably from the biotin.  Other than that- nothing to report.  Honestly, if anything, I am feeling super crampy lately which I'm not thrilled about. 

I know that in a perfect world we'd all get adequate nutrition and the right mix of vitamins and minerals from our colorful, varied, non GMO, macrobiotic, locally-grown and all organic diet.  Obviously that is not the case for the vast majority of us.  And I have to wonder, could you even stomach all that food you'd really need to eat?  Myself personally, I just don't think my appetite is big enough for all that food!  I am still struggling with trying to get more protein. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on vitamins and supplements!  Let me know what you think!  XoXoGFG

Apricot Walnut Almond Flour Cookies, and, ummm, how to handle meddling loved ones?

It's a bit of a buzz kill when Yom Kippur falls on a weekend.  It's a very solemn holy-day and kind of sucks the fun out of whatever day/s it happens to fall on.  Sooooooo being on Friday night/Saturday day makes for a less than stellar weekend.  Anyhow- as usual we made the most of it and it turned out to be a lovely and productive weekend.  I got a couple gifts for some upcoming showers and we had a blast at S's little friend's 2nd Birthday Party!  The party was at My Gym which is a great place where babies/tots can run around and go absolutely berserk playing on slides, jungle gyms, swings, whatever.   We had a couple great walks outside, although at this point, and I feel crazy for saying it, I would not mind if it was a teensy bit cooler out.  It's October after all!  85 degrees still?  Really? 

Point of the story- yes, we got tons done so I had some time to spare today during naptime to experiment with some cookies.  I had ordered a couple items from iherb, including some Vanilla Creme stevia drops and was psyched to try it out.  I'm so glad I did!

Apricot Walnut Almond Flour Cookies (Grain-Free, Vegan, Sugar-Free)
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup apricots, chopped
1/4 cup oil (coconut, grapeseed, whatev)
1/4 cup almond milk or other nut milk
25 drops vanilla creme stevia
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and stir well.  Add in coconut, apricot, and walnut.  In separate bowl, combine oil, stevia drops, vinegar, and nut milk.  Add wet to dry and incorporate well.  Roll into 1 inch balls (or bigger if you like, these make teensy little cookies which I happen to prefer, but make whatever size you want!) and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  I baked mine for 20 minutes- which I know seems crazy long for tiny cookies.  I have a theory that my convection oven, while it does cook/brown very evenly, actually takes longer than a regular oven.  So check them at 10 minutes and see what you think.  These cookies are not very sweet at all.  Tasting the batter, I was a little worried- so I rolled the dough in a mixture of Stevia in the Raw and cinnamon, they looked pretty too.  They don't really need it- but I'm aware that not everyone in the world likes their sweets unsweetened like I do.  Once again this is a good base recipe that can be adapted to whatever you have on hand- dried cherries and almonds, chocolate chips and peanuts- whatev!

We had some other yummy eats this weekend- balsamic marinated steak and some sliced avo on Friday, chicken fajita salads tonight- but honestly nothing that you'd actually need a recipe for.  Super simple, super fast, and big flavors. 

***The rest of this post is really long- and probably too personal, annoying, redundant, and self-absorbed.  So be warned!***  S is growing up so fast.  Her vocabulary is expanding so quickly, it's staggering.  She is such an opinionated, strong, outgoing and FUN little girl.  It is extraordinary watching her become a child instead of a baby.  I know this kind of talk is nauseating to anyone other than myself so I'll get to the point.  I want to do the best job I possibly can raising her.  I want to be not just a good mom, an ok mom, but an awesome mom.  And not by someone else's account- I don't care what anyone thinks or what the other moms say when I'm not around.  But I want S one day to say, or just think even, that she has a great mom.  I want to be the best mom in the world, for her.  And it starts now.  Of course it started already- but when they're newborns and little infants, it's like- feed them keep them warm and clean and for gods sake try to keep the purple crying to a minimum.  But now- it's a whole different ballgame.  She watches everything I do and wants me to watch everything she does.  She notices everything.  She remembers everything.  She is learning at light speed. 

I am still struggling with how to handle her nutrition.  Sugar is a no-brainer.  I do not give her anything with added sugars, period.  Fruit is probably her favorite thing in the world besides Elmo and that's fine with me.  No sweets or junk food or candy- nada.  Obviously this will eventually no longer be something I can control- but hopefully by then we'll have taught her that it's best to avoid sugars.  Will it work like that?  Who knows.  But I can do my best in the here and now.  What I have more trouble with is how to limit empty and nutritionally void carbs.  I just don't want her to have empty starches and refined garbage.  How do I regulate this and how do I communicate it effectively?  And once I decide, how do I explain it to the army of meddlers?  It's not like I can say, she has an allergy to crap.  I do not want her to have empty, refined, overly processed, starchy junk.  I need a more effective way to communicate this though, and I DO NOT want to have to argue with people about it.  Suggestions?  The only thing I can come up with is "I've spoken with S's doctor about her nutrition and we agreed that this is best for her.." or something like that.  I wouldn't be lying either- we did discuss it.  Saturday night- at break-the-fast dinner- I did not want her eating a bagel.  Please- do not get me started on the terribleness that is a bagel.  Besides a baked potato, I'm not sure there is a worse glucose bomb out there.  Table sugar would be better than a bagel.  Anywho- NO BAGEL for S.  Not now not ever.  Do you know what would happen if I ate a bagel?  Well- I'd probably get into a wreck from the drunken haze of high blood sugar, and then faint afterwards once my blood sugar plummeted to 45.   But MIL wanted to give her a bagel- or some blintz, etc etc.  So I said- S is not eating wheat.  I realize, to most Americans who are on the Standard American Diet (SAD) or common wisdom diet (CW, depending on what other blogs you read haha) that saying you don't eat wheat sounds ludicrous, unnecessary, and perhaps even dangerous.  But what am I going to do?  I am not going to be some grain-free evangelist trying to convert people to my line of thought.  I don't care!  Eat what you want- no judgement from me.  I am no one to judge anyone on anything.  I just don't care to to explain to people what my choices are.  It's just not what I'm into.  I'd rather keep my choices to myself (or whoever's interested!).  I don't expect anyone to care about my personal choices and I don't want to bore anyone with that kind of thing.  If they're interested- great.  If not- no big deal.  So anyways- when I said no wheat- of course I was met with a WHY?  I didn't know what to say.  Again- what is there to say?  That I believe grains are unnecessary?  That I believe we are not evolved to digest the amount of grain that the SAD suggests?  Seriously?  I'm not going to get into all that.  I don't care to- and I think in most cases, the person to whom you are speaking cares even less.  So I said- "because I said so," and was immediately annoyed, irritated, and flustered by my totally half-assed response.  Ugh.  I have GOT to do better than that.  This issue is divisive.  It's scary, and huge.  What do you do- when the some of the biggest crops in the world, the most farmed, most subsidized, and profitable commodities, are on your do-not-eat list?  Wheat-corn-soy-sugar.  How do you explain, when asked, WHY that is your choice, without getting into an argument, without having to go into lengthy detail, without coming off like a judgmental, condescending hippie? 

Whew- that was intense.  Sorry in advance for anyone I might have offended- just because this is my personal choice doesn't mean it's any better than anyone else's.  What is right for me is not going to be right for everyone else.  XoXoGFG

Liebster Blog Award!

So exciting!  GFG received the Liebster Blog award from Mrs. Ed's Research and Recipes blog!  The Liebster award goes to blogs with 200 followers or less and means "dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome," in German.  I am really honored that anyone at all takes the time to read my ramblings and even more so to get this fun award.  The best part is- you pay it forward!  Now I choose 5 blogs that I also feel should receive this award :)

Diary of a Nutritionist:  Lauren is a 20-something nutritionist navigating the world of healthy eating incorporating vegan, raw, whole, clean, and unprocessed foods.  She has an interesting perspective as she also prepares many meals for her family, who are not necessarily raw/vegan.  I like to read all kinds of different blogs, not only GF blogs, and I love Lauren's emphasis on fresh produce and fun, easy meals.

What Katie Did:  Katie is another fun blogger in her twenties who enjoys GF cooking, getting outdoors, photography, and all manner of healthy living.  She was also nice enough to tag my blog awhile back.  I think it's so important that bloggers focus not just on recipes, but what it means to lead a whole, clean, FUN, and fulfilling life.  Life is not ticking things off on a to-do list or constantly analyzing your diet.  It's about choosing nourishing foods AND activities that fuel your mind and body so that you can get the most out of every second.  And Katie is a great example of that.

What You're Missing KC:  Switching gears big time- my next blog is Sharmin's What You're Missing KC!  I am proud of my adopted home, Kansas City, and I am a big proponent of the burgeoning foodie community here.  I may not be able to actually eat a lot of what Sharmin talks about, but that isn't the point.  The point is that local cuisine here is going through something of a renaissance and I love that people are just as excited about as I am!  Sharmin is doing great things for the community (and we hope to lean on her once Kansas City Restaurant Week 2012 rolls around!) so big thumbs up to you Sharmin!

Paleo Parents:  This mom and dad team have undergone major transformations, including together losing over 200 pounds on the paleo diet!  They have successfully transitioned their whole family (3 young boys!) to a paleo lifestyle and make it look fun, appetizing, and accessible.

Vagablonding:  Switching gears again, to travel, my other passion.  Ariel is a young budget traveler from the Pacific Northwest who has documented her world travels with awesome photography.   She navigates the world on practically pennies a day, which reminds me so much of my experiences backpacking.  These days world travel isn't really on my radar, but a girl can dream right?

If you were tagged and would like to participate, here's what you do:

1. Mention who tagged you.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to others.

Thanks for reading, XoXo GFG!

15 Min Tomato Basil Soup

Wasting food is NOT allowed in the GFG household- so when I had half a can of diced tomatoes left over from my Spinach Chana Masala, I knew I had to do something with them.  I hadn't used any basil and my little plant had tons of new leaves, so what better than some super simple Tomato Basil Soup?

Tomato Basil Soup
1 tbsp EVOO
14 ounces of diced tomatoes
half onion, chopped
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
S&P to taste
big handful of fresh basil

Saute onion for a few minutes until starting to brown, then add in garlic and cook for another minute.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.  Add in red pepper flakes and saute for another minute or so, then pour in chicken broth and milk.  If you'd rather use cream, go ahead and use it, or leave it out all together.  Stir to incorporate, then adding in tomatoes.  Cook down for five minutes, seasoning if necessary.  Blend using a handheld mixer or pour into blender, throwing in as much basil as you like.  Blend to your preferred consistency and serve!  Yum! 

S is going to be in a fashion show tonight!  The show is benefiting an awesome local cause, Back in the Swing, which helps women get "back in the swing" of life after breast cancer.  It's a phenomenal cause that helps women with medical care, diet and exercise, counseling, you name it.  I'll put up vids when we get them, but I can't wait!  October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so do your self-exams and encourage your moms, sisters, cousins, friends, and anyone else you know to do the same!  Early detection is the best weapon in the fight against breast cancer.  XoXoGFG

Easy Spinach Chana Masala, and 2-minute chocolate candies

My absolute fave dinners are ones that can A)be whipped up using only pantry/freezer ingredients and B)one pot/pan meals!  If you want a quick, easy meal that meets both of the above requirements, you've got to try this!

Easy Vegan Spinach Chana Masala
2 tsp EVOO
1 box frozen spinach (about 10 ounces, although I actually used a 16 ounce bag) thawed and drained
1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes
half onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp garam masala
S&P to taste

Saute onions until they are starting to brown, seasoning with a bit of kosher salt to help release their moisture.  Add in garlic and saute a moment more until fragrant.  Pour in tomatoes and juice, then adding in spices.  I did not have any coriander, so simply used a bit more of all the other spices.  Cook for a few minutes until sauce comes together.  At this point, add in drained chickpeas and cook for a few more minutes, finally adding in thawed spinach.  You'll want to taste everything and see if it needs more spices.  The whole dish only takes about 15 min. from start to finish.  It's so easy and super delish.  So S could eat it more easily, I blended some up in the cuisi for her and she ate every bite. Makes about 4 servings.

Did you ever have only unsweetened baking chocolate in the house and had a craving for a few bites, but aren't too keen on plain unsweetened chocolate?  Try this- melt a square of bakers chocolate in the microwave with two tablespoons of milk.  It only needs about 30 seconds, followed by some stirring.  Add in a packet of stevia and continue mixing.  With a teaspoon, drop small spoonfuls of chocolate onto a parchment lined baking sheet and stick in the fridge.  A few hours later you'll have yummy chocolate candies with no artificial sugars!  They aren't very pretty- but who cares?!

Big week for S.  She has started saying her name, and now she says it constantly and for no reason, which cracks me up.  Also, my little pumpkin has officially started walking!  She has been taking steps for awhile already, but this is actual honest to god walking!  She is still crawling, I don't think she quite understands what she's capable of yet, but my little peanut can walk!  Yay!  It is so incredible watching her develop and learn more about her world.  Her favorite show is Super Why and the kid can't get enough of it.  I know TV is the devil I'm a horrible parent I'm rotting her brain etc etc.  But it's actually a pretty great show and very educational.  Do you let your kids watch TV or am I truly the worst mom?

Greek Inspired Roast Chicken with Cauli Rice

Chicken gets pretty boring if you don't switch up your flavor profiles- and as much as I like to use powerful spices in cooking, especially with chicken, even that can get tired if you're always doing the same thing.  I was looking through an old Real Simple for inspiration for yet another chicken recipe and came across a souvlaki recipe with tzatziki.  I love chicken souvlaki so decided to make my own interpretation.

Having a whole chicken to use, and no indoor grill- I was stoked to use the convection oven.  I had never used the convect feature for a whole roast chicken and had heard they come out so much juicier and more evenly browned.  Yay! Another win for my convection!

Greek Herb Roasted Chicken 
1 whole chicken, marinated in red wine vinegar, lemon juice, S&P, rosemary, and oregano for a few hours. (I cut out the backbone and butterfly it, roasting it on a cooling rack over a tin foil lined baking sheet to catch all the grease.)
1 tbsp EVOO
additional S&P to season the skin
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Arrange your butterflied chicken on the rack and make sure legs are both facing outwards and wings are tucked under for more uniform cooking.  Slather EVOO over skin then sprinkle with salt and pepper (I used sea salt) and rosemary, oregano, and garlic.  I roasted mine for 50 minutes in a 425 degree oven.  Make sure to let it rest for at least an extra 10 minutes!  Serve with TJ's tzatziki!  So delish!  I contemplated making my own but reading the ingredients on the store-bought version, I didn't see any reason to.  The ingredients seemed natural and fairly unprocessed.  I served this with plain slices of cucumber, and cauliflower rice.

Cauli rice is a super popular recipe on all the food blogs.  I was happy with it's couscousy texture and it was super easy to prepare.  And no steaming or boiling either!

Cauli Rice
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 med onion
1 tbsp EVOO
S&P to taste

Cut cauli up into large chunks and place in bowl of food processor.  Pulse until it looks like small grains of couscous.  In a large saute pan, brown onion in EVOO and season to taste.  After onion is nice and brown (maybe 7 min) add cauliflower.  By now you've noticed I rarely cook with garlic, I really cannot stand it, but feel free to add at this point.  Stir cauli regularly and cook until starting to brown.  This took another 7 minutes or so.  Since S was going to be eating this, I didn't add anything spicy.  But some red pepper flakes would be awesome if you aren't concerned with spiciness.  This makes quite a lot of cauli rice.  We all ate large portions and had more to spare.  Perfect for babies too.

Are you an NY Times reader?  If not- you must check out the Food & Drink Issue of the Times Magazine.  It is amazing.  It has fun interactive features and answers some very interesting questions.  Play around with it.  There's an even a separate link to stress-free dinner party recipes.  I really applaud the NY Times' effort to familiarize more people with the business of agriculture, and the sad state of food policy in the U.S.  Rather than being completely downtrodden and pessimistic however, they encourage readers to become their own food advocates and seek out locally sourced, non GMO and organic foods.  The more we buy from these sources, the more available higher quality food becomes.  One person really can make a difference.  And for gods sake, start reading food labels and ingredient lists!  Don't just look at the calories, look at what you're actually eating!  Is sugar the first ingredient? DON'T EAT IT!  Are there ingredients that aren't actually food?  DON'T EAT IT!

I could go on and on but I won't- just read the piece instead, and enjoy!  I'm contemplating sharing a non-GFG pancake recipe- I feel like it wouldn't be appropriate to post it since it's mainly oatmeal- but S eats oatmeal for breakfast most days and I wanted to switch things up a little.  It wasn't quite what I was imagining, so perhaps once I perfect it I'll put it up.  Have an awesome day, XoXoGFG