GAPS Strawberry Short Cake

Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits 

2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup butter

4 Tbsp honey, divided

1/4 cup yogurt

1 egg whisked

Heat the oven to 310.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the almond flour and soda in a large bowl, add the butter in pieces and mix until it resembles coarse meal.  Add the honey, yogurt and egg. Stir until dough forms.

Separate the dough into 6 equal balls and form into 3 inch rounds 3/4 inch thick.

Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 min.

Remove from the oven and cool.

I used coconut whip cream and organic frozen strawberries.  I thawed the strawberries and added about a tsp of honey at a time until I liked how they tasted.  I gave them a quick whirl in the blender.

There are several web sites that tell you how to do coconut whip cream, it's really easy and delicious!

GAPS Cranberry Muffins

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these muffins....

Cranberry Muffins

3 Cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups cranberries

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

3 eggs

Heat the oven to 325. Line a muffin tin with large baking cups

Combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Combine the cranberries, vanilla, honey, and eggs in another bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

Evenly fill each baking cup with the batter.

Bake for 18-20 min.

GAPS Blueberry Muffins

Acelia is the muffin maker around here!

She does a great job whipping these up...

Blueberry Muffins

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup water (If frozen use 2 Tbls.)

2 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

3 eggs

Heat the oven to 325. Line a muffin tin with large baking cups.

In a small saucepan, simmer the blueberries with with the water until the berries release their juice and the mixture has thickened slightly. Let cool.

Combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

Evenly fill each baking cup with the batter.

Bake for 25-30 min.

GAPS Crepes

One of the dishes I miss on this diet is the crepes and berries we used to have for breakfast!

I found this in my Recipes For Healthy Living book and modified it a bit!

Crepes

3 extra large eggs

1/2 cup egg whites

2 Tbsp water

Butter

Honey

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Fresh or frozen fruit (If you use frozen make sure you take out the berries so they can thaw.  I place mine on an oven safe plate and put it in the oven on the lowest setting so they can thaw and warm.)

Before you get started with the crepe mixture, put 1/4 of butter and 1/4 cup of honey, and vanilla  in a sauce pan and warm on the stove over low, then shut it off.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and whisk together with the egg whites and water

Grease an 8 inch non-stick omelette pan and place over med. heat. (I used a cast iron skillet)

Pour 1/4 cup of batter in the pan and give it a swirl to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Cook until the egg sets on top.

Flip the crepe over and briefly cook on the second side

When cooked remove and roll, and place on a plate.

Add fruit

Top with Honey/butter mixture

So here is my modification to the recipe......

1. I mixed up the honey/butter/vanilla mixture to go on top of the crepes!

2.  I added just a drop or two of this vanilla bean paste, or you can add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract to the batter.  It makes all the difference in the world!!

GAPS Rainbow Stew

Rainbow Stew

2 lbs. stewing beef cubed

5 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

1 large purple onion, coarsely chopped

One 28 oz can diced tomatoes (we can't have store canned so I used the ones I canned)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 zucchinis, coarsely chopped

Put the beef, carrots, onion, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme in a large pot, and add enough water to cover the contents.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour with the lid ajar.

Add the squash and simmer for 30 more minutes

Add the zucchini and simmer with the lid off until the zucchini start to look translucent and the stew is thick (15-20 minutes)

Coffee!!!

I started reading a new blog!

The Wellness Mama

I LOVE COFFEE!!! So when I read here that there is a healthy way to drink it, I jumped up and made a cup!!

I like mine hot.....

David likes his cold!

I have to mention that when you are on the GAPS diet, they recommend that if you are going to drink  coffee, make it very weak. 

GAPS Sweet and Spicy Squash Soup

The weather has been frigid to say the very least!! Last night we had 35 below zero with the wind chills.  They animals did ok.  The horses had their blankets, the piglets had their heat lamp and a pile of hay, the cows gathered in one stall and laid down next to each other, and the chickens needed some extra shavings and some warm water to get them going.  It's rough on the animals in this weather and I hate it! On to the soup......

David and I are plugging away on our GAPS diet and doing very well so far......Scott and CC have joined us and now we all eat the same! 

Sweet and Spicy Squash Soup

1 and 1/2 butternut squash, cut lengthwise

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

6 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

4 cups of water (or organic chicken broth)

3 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 375

Place the three squash halves cut-side down in a casserole dish

Pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the dish

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the squash pieces feel a bit soft when you press down on them.

Remove the squash pieces from the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the seeds.

Scoop out the cooked squash and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add the squash, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, cinnamon, and water, and simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat with the lid of the pot ajar. Stir occasionally.

Remove the lid from the pot and cook for 8 to 10 more minutes

Add the honey and mix well.

Cool for 10 minutes

Puree until smooth

Reheat and serve.

Note:  I never added the honey to ours.  It would have resulted in the whole batch of soup going down the drain!! The squash was so sweet to begin with.  I would recommend that you taste your soup before you add the honey!!

Valentines Day!!!

For Christmas this year, CC and I each opened a small box from Scott.....

I cried when I saw a ticket to see Tony Bennett in Boston on Valentines Day!!

I'm so excited and counting down the days!