About Me

My name is Denise and I have an autoimmune condition of the thyroid called Hashimoto's Disease. This diagnosis brings a different set of challenges for each patient although most of us have to make major changes in our diet. Until recently, my diet was high in gluten, dairy, soy and corn. In fact, I didn't even know the names of 75% of the items in the fresh food isle! That's been the biggest obstacle on my quest to wellness. It is the reason I started this blog; to find and share recipes without those inflammatory ingredients. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! If you have a favorite recipe of your own to share, please drop me a note via email or through my facebook page. Thanks for checking out the blog -- I look forward to hearing from you!


Monday, November 10, 2014

Butternut Cranberry Bake

Wow --- this is delicious!  And it has "holiday dish" written all over it... it smells great, tastes great and it's easy to make.  Seriously, you should bake this for your next holiday meal.  I made it exactly like the original recipe that I found on Pinterest; no modifications necessary. And I used the pure maple syrup like I mentioned in my last blog post.  My husband is not much of a cranberry fan and even he agreed that it tastes awesome! 

From "The Gracious Pantry" Blog by Tiffany McCauley
1 lb. (454 g) chopped/cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 large apple, peeled and cored
1/2 lb. (227 g) bag fresh cranberries
1 tbsp. olive oil (or coconut oil in liquid state)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 scant tsp. ground clove

 Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a 1 gallon-sized ziploc bag or a large container with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Shake well to coat everything in spices and maple syrup.
3. Pour out into baking dish (Mine was 9×13) and bake at 350 F. for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
4. Note that if you have a smaller, deeper baking dish that this will take longer in the oven. The bigger and more shallow the dish is, the quicker this will cook. (I do not recommend a cookie sheet due to the cranberries)
5. Add salt to taste after cooking if needed.

 Here's the link to the recipe on Tiffany's blog:  
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-holiday-butternut-cranberry-bake/

 I used a bag of prepared butternut squash chunks from the whole foods store, honeycrisp apples, fresh cranberries and pure maple syrup along with the other ingredients.  My husband cooked it on the outdoor grill in an uncovered baking dish. We served it with a pork roast and the kids loved it!  It's so nice to find something with so much flavor that is Hashimoto's friendly :-)

 "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
Psalm 34:8
Posted by at