Blonde Brownies

Yes, they really are gluten and dairy free treats!  My niece made these for Thanksgiving and they were delicious!  I should know because I ate three or four... yummy!  She said she found the recipe on a blog called Chocolate Covered Katie.  Don't you love that name?!  It's a healthy dessert blog.  I tweaked the ingredients a bit to make it a little more hashimoto's friendly.  Here's the website: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com. 

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 cup quick oats (or certified-gf quick oats)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar (may substitute organic honey)
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

"Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a good food processor (not a blender). Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pan (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.) Cook at 350F for around 35-40 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. (Some commenters have had success with a blender, but I did not. Try that at your own risk, and know the results will be better in a high-quality food processor such as a Cuisinart.)"  ~ Katie

I know you will appreciate something new and tasty -- and chocolate!  I did.  Enjoy!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Phil 4:13

Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes & Apples

I've been eating healthy for 10 months now.  I no longer crave gluten or dairy but I do crave new textures and flavors.  I made a happy discovery recently when I realized that I could transfer a vegetable from my "bad food" list to my "good food" list -- sweet potatoes!  I just can't smother them with butter and brown sugar any more :-)  

Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber which helps the body maintain a healthy digestive tract and regulates digestion.  It's also an antioxidant powerhouse -- rich in Vitamin A. And for my celiac friends, it's a gluten-free food option. Keep in mind however that if this vegetable produces an inflammatory response in your diet, then you should avoid it. To learn more about which foods you should eliminate in your diet, go to http://www.thyroidpharmacist.com.

Ingredients: 

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

4 sweet apples, peeled and diced

3-4 tablespoons coconut butter

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 cup pure maple syrup

Clean, peel and chop the sweet potatoes and apples; place them in the crock pot. Combine the cinnamon and nutmeg with melted coconut butter and blend into the apples and sweet potatoes until they are all covered.  Drizzle the maple syrup over the top of it.  Cook on high for 3 hours.  

Tip:  Chose a sweet apple like Pink Lady, Fuji or Honeycrisp for the best flavor.  

"His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable.  This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."  Song of Solomon 5:16

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

Pure Maple Syrup

I've found a lot of healthy recipes lately that called for maple syrup as a sweetener.  So I checked out the nutritional label on the most commonly stocked brands.  You know what I found... lots of consonant & vowel combinations that no one can recognize or pronounce (a.k.a. chemicals).  Did you know that most name brand syrups don't even contain maple syrup?  How ironic is that?! They're "maple flavored." Joke's on us, right? Here are the ingredients listed on one of those common pancake syrups: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt, cellulose gum, molasses, natural and artificial flavors, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium hexametaphosphate, citric acid, caramel color, polysorbate 60.   

Well today we went to the Farmer's Market and they were selling "pure" maple syrup; a single ingredient on the label -- maple syrup.   I'm going to try some new recipes this week with my Maple Syrup Lady pure syrup. I'll let you know how they turn out. Hopefully they will not cause an inflammatory response and I'll be sharing something tasty and delicious with you!   Here's the link to their website:

http://www.themaplesyruplady.com







By the way, your local whole food store will probably have pure maple syrup in stock. 

"Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel."  
Proverbs 20:17