Rice Crispy Treats, dairy free

Happy Saturday to you! Here's a simple, kid-friendly recipe, perfect for lazy weekends, or even for a quick treat in the middle of the week :)

These rice crispy treats were adapted from this post. Here, I used juice-sweetened dried blueberries, mainly because I've been wanting to try them (they are expensive, though!). You can eat these plain, or substitute the dried fruit of your choice.

Fruit & "Granola" Nut Cereal

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook:

"Pecan chips + almond slivers + banana & strawberry slices + almond milk + cinnamon + coconut sugar = an amazing breakfast cereal!" I have to agree :)

An inspiring miracle story...and a recipe

"The practice of giving thanks...this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see" (One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp, p. 135).

We've been discussing this at my church..."practicing the presence of God"....Keeping our eyes open to His presence in our everyday lives. I like what is said here: it's not about changing what we see, but how we see it. Looking for joy, even in the pain, tears, and heartache--looking for God. Knowing that He is for me, and feels my pain, sees my tears, and still speaks His kind words and brings healing...even if it's different that I thought it would look like.

Nutmeg Blondies

Continuing to learn about cooking by ratios...If you are new to cooking with ratios, check out my summary in this post. Each month, a group of GF bloggers join forces to create their own unique baked goods using the ratios of one ingredient to another--the collaboration of these forces in the blogsphere is known as the Gluten Free Ratio Rally.

Blueberry Quinoa Cereal

This post reflects two of the things in life that I enjoy a lot right now:
1) Breakfast
2) Quinoa
I could easily have breakfast foods for dinner (and often do!). Quinoa is a relatively new discovery for me, and I love that it's so versatile (here is a recipe I tried for a Greek cuisine-inspired salad).
Here is a sweet breakfast/snack option, which is similar to oatmeal. It's super quick and easy. And the blueberries make it all purple, which is fun!

Something I never thought I'd say....

I like kale chips.

Before this month, I had never eaten kale. My mom (the adventurous-eater type) told me she wanted to try to make kale chips, and she knew that I would help her eat them. So we tried them.

Mystery Ingredient Recipes, Part 2

I love this coffee cake! I honestly never thought that I'd ever eat a coffee cake like this post-Gluten Free. And this was a definite success, even with my non-GF friends!! That makes me smile :) And the mystery ingredient? White beans.

Southwestern Chicken Taquitos

 These yummy chicken taquitos are adapted from this recipe from Chef in Training. My sister and I have made these several times within the past couple of weeks. We added chopped spinach and black beans, which were very nice additions! I also used cooked turkey meat from the deli this time.

Thankful

Let me introduce you to a book that, personally, I think everyone should read.
But that's just my 2 cents ;)
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
I'd heard from several people that this was a good book, but really had no idea what it was about, except that one friend told me, "It's about being thankful." I could always use help in that department. And honestly, half the reason I bought it was because of the pretty picture on the front...and it was on sale :)
It was well worth it.

Mystery ingredient recipes, part 1

This post is in honor of my mom :)
Since I'm getting my wisdom teeth out this weekend, I'm planning on living on applesauce, fruit smoothies, and scrambled eggs for the next few days. Oh, and mashed cauliflower, of course :)

Nutella, refined sugar free. Enough said. :)

OK, I know I said I'd do vegetables for the next couple of posts, but I couldn't resist posting this chocolate recipe...it's that sweet tooth, I tell you! ;)

This chocolate hazelnut spread comes from Amy Green's cookbook at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. The first time I heard about Nutella, it was from a teenager friend who had just returned from a vacation trip in Australia.

"Might I have a bit of earth?"

"Might I," quavered Mary, "might I have a bit of earth?"
..."Earth!" he repeated. "What do you mean?"
"To plant seeds in--to make things grow--to see them come alive," Mary faltered...Mr. Craven got up and began to walk slowly across the room.

"Southwestern" Crepes, and the Gluten Free Ratio Rally

It is once again time for this month's Gluten Free Ratio Rally! The challenge: Crepes. I've already been playing around some with crepes, here, in preparation for this challenge. At first I had no idea what I wanted to try, but I'm very proud of the final result.

Roasted Asparagus

Veggies are soon coming into season, and I'd like to share some of my favorites in the coming posts...

Even if you're not a huge vegetable fan, you should try these; they're not just your normal raw carrots with ranch! Veggies can taste good! :)

Spring Has Sprung!

I don't know about you, but in my area, spring is officially peaking it's head around the corner, and I am ready for it! My spring wreath has gone up on my front door (I've unofficially nominated March 1st as the "start" of spring for me). I am so enjoying the feel of the warm sun, and hear the birds singing...it makes me happy :)

Sesame Crackers

These crackers are adapted from Elana's Pantry....They are good with hummus or chicken salad.

Pure Perfection.

When I tasted this, I said, "Oh..."
And there doesn't seem to be anything else that needs to be said.
This lemon curd is perfect.

Date & Pecan Nibbles

I'm not sure what these are actually called, but my younger sister went through a season where she practically lived off of these...So I decided to add this post to my blog in her honor :)

Not just any old salad....

If you're one of those people who tends to take your own lunch to work, I'm here to help you out! One of the common things for me to pack in a container for my lunch is a salad. But this doesn't have to be a boring salad, as long as you keep a few ingredients stocked in your fridge.

A new option for breakfast

As part of my experimenting with different GF grains, I read about amaranth from Shawna Ahern's Gluten Free Girl. (For more about amaranth, click here) When I read about making this grain into a popped cereal, once again I was curious--I had to try it.