Raspberry Vanilla Muffins

1 cup milk [I used almond milk]

1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour [I used gluten free mix]

3/4 cups sugar [I used turbinado sugar]

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1 /2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, or spray with non-stick spray. In a small pan on the stove, heat the milk, butter and vanilla until the butter melts. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in the milk mixture and eggs. Mix together lightly. Add raspberries and gently mix until all the ingredients have come together. Bake muffins until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 18 minutes. Let muffins sit in the pan for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

This recipe is from www.harwoodpodcast.com. This is one of Cindy's recipes, who I got the gluten free mix from.

These were some of the best muffins I've ever had! It is recommended to sift powdered sugar on top after the muffins are done and serve with butter. I didn't do that and they were still delicious. I will definitely make these again... very soon!!!

Gluten Free Flour

These flour mixtures can be interchanged with any muffin or cookie recipe that calls for all purpose flour. The mix can be substituted straight across one part to one part:

Muffin Mix:

1 cup sweet rice flour

3/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca flour

Cookie Mix:

1 3/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

These recipes are thanks to Cindy's Nothin' but Muffins and The Cookie Jar podcasts. You can access her recipes at www.harwoodpodcast.com.

Laundry Soap

1/2 cup soap flakes
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup washing soda
1/4 cup borax
1 clean 16 oz plastic container with lid

To make soap flakes, lightly grate a bar of pure soap, such as Ivory, on a coarse kitchen grater. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Store in the sealed plastic container. Use about 1/2 cup of the mixture with each load of laundry.

*I found borax and washing soda at Walmart.

This recipe is also from Homemade by Readers Digest

Toothpaste and Mouthwash

Toothpaste
3 tablespoons baking soda
water
10 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil

In a small bowl, mix the baking soda with just enough water to make a paste. Add the trea tree and peppermint essential oils. Use paste to brush your teeth and tongue. Cover the remaining paste and use within a few days (I actually used it for about a week by keeping it in an airtight container).

the essential oils can be purchased at any health food store or online.

*I have used this toothpaste for about three weeks now, the initial flavor takes a little getting used to, but my teeth have been cleaner and whiter than when I used the expensive health food tea tree toothpaste and Sensodyne.

Mouthwash
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
10 drops peppermint, wintergreen or spearmint essential oil
1 1/2 cups water

In a clean jar with a tight-fitting cap, mix all ingredients and shake well. Store covered and shake well before using.
Again- these recipes are from the book titled Homemade by Reader's Digest

Soothing Tea for Heartburn

This really gets rid of heartburn!

1 cup water
1 tsp greated licorice root
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger root
1 tsp dried chamomile flowers

In a small pan, bring the water to a boil. Add the licorice and ginger. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add chamomile. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain off solids and drink tea.


This effective home remedy is from the book
Homemade by Readers Digest
If interested, you can purchase the book from Amazon.com for about $12.

Black Bean Burgers

1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I omitted)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
4 hamburger rolls

In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped, add the beans, cilantro, parsley, egg and pepper flakes. Pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl and mix with bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I added about 1/4-1/2 tsp of each). Form into patties and fry in a small amount of oil over medium heat approx 4 minutes per side, until cooked and brown. Top as you desire and serve on hamburger rolls. (I formed the leftovers into patties and froze them for future meals. The second time I made this recipe I used pinto beans because I had no black beans, I liked them better than the black bean burgers!)

Spelt Cherry Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups white spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cherries ( I substituted craisins)
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300F. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well. Stir in the cherries and chocolate chips. Drop cookie dough from a cookie scoop onto a parchment covered baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes.

Spelt Bread for the Bread Machine

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 c warm water
2 T honey
2 T oil
1 t salt
3 1/2 c spelt flour

Run on 58 minute express cycle. Tastes great topped with a little butter and drizzle of honey!!

6/10/13

Directions without a bread machine:
put water and yeast in a bowl, allow a few minutes for the yeast to activate.
add honey, oil and salt (If you prefer to be sugar-free, use 1 T of stevia in place of the honey, you may need a little extra flour to make up for the liquid to dry exchange).  Mix on low about 30 seconds.
slowly add spelt flour.  Once combined, mix on medium for about 3 minutes. until combined and smooth.

Spray loaf pan or baking sheet with coconut oil spray, or grease with coconut oil.  shape as desired on baking sheet {rolls, knots, etc.) or shape and place in loaf pan.  cover with a damp cloth and let rise for approximately 30-45 minutes.  Bake in 350 oven.  approx.. 30 minutes for loaf, 10-20 minutes for rolls.  The bread will be browned and sound hollow when rapped.

Milkless, Eggless Cake

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Boil the above ingredients for 3 minutes. Cool. Stir in:

1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 T warm water
2 1/4 cup twice sifted whole spelt flour, 2nd time sift with 1/2 tsp baking powder

Bake in an 8" square pan or 10" skillet in a 350 oven for 35 minutes.

Cream of Celery Soup

I got this out of my Vitamix cookbook and have made it several times. I always have some in the refrigerator so I can just heat up a bowl!

2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable)
1/2 small onion, peeled
4 cups (480g) celery, chopped
1/3 cup (45g) parsnips, scrubbed and chopped
1 small potato, scrubbed, baked (I omitted)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/8 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup half&half, heavy cream or milk (I used sour cream once and greek yogurt another time)

Place all ingredients except the half&half in the vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Select Variable 1, turn the machine on , quickly increase the speed to variable 10 and then to high. Blend for 6-7 minutes until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid. reduce speed to variable 4 and remove the lid plug. Add half&half through the lid plug and blend an additional 15 seconds.

If you don't have a vitamix, you can probably use a regular blender to blend the ingredients and then cook on the stovetop to heat through. I would probably blend again at the end to make sure the soup is well blended. This is soooo good and has fantastic flavor!!

Lemon Bars

Prep Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Makes: 9 medium or 16 small bars

2 cups all-purpose flour (scoop into cup and level off)*
1/2 cup powdered sugar*
3/4 cup butter, softened*
4 beaten eggs
2 cups granulated sugar*
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup all-purpose flour*
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F.  Put flour and powdered sugar in Kitchen Aid bowl (or sift together into a bowl).  Mix on medium with wire whisk attachment.  Add butter and mix until it looks like cornmeal (or cut in unsoftened butter with pastry blender).  Press into square baking pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, beat together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest.  Measure flour and baking powder into small bowl and use a whisk to combine.  Stir into egg mixture.  Carefully pour over baked crust.  Bake for about 25 minutes longer.  Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.  Cool and cut into bars.

*I made this using spelt flour in place of all-purpose flour.  I also used raw sugar instead of powdered or granulated sugar.  In the Magic Bullet or a food processor or blender, blend raw sugar until powdery, then measure.  I did this for the crust and lemon batter. I also used unsalted butter.  The raw sugar makes the bars brown, but they tasted almost exactly like the lemon bars that I usually make! Yum!

White Artichoke Heart Pizza

I made this at Christmas and winged it with the recipe. Hopefully I remember what I did correctly!

to make pizza crust put 2 tsp active dry yeast and 2 cups lukewarm water in a medium sized bowl for about 5 minutes so the yeast can activate. Stir in enough spelt flour to make a dough that can be handled. Knead for about 3 minutes. Roll dough and put in a pizza pan lightly coated with oil.

for the pizza sauce, use approximately 1 cup sour cream and 1 tbsp of artichoke heart oil marinade. mix together and spread over dough. sprinkle with mozzerella cheese and top with chopped artichoke hearts chopped onion and chopped black olives. Bake at 375 until done, approx 25 minutes.

Artichoke and Leek Quiche

I made this for lunch and it got rave reviews from me and my family!

1 pie crust (you can use storebought or your favorite homemade recipe)
{I substituted spelt flour and butter for the all-purpose flour and shortening}
1 cup cooked rice or 1 cup chopped, cooked red potatoes
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts , drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped leeks
1 cup cooked chicken (optional, I put on half the quiche for the meat-eaters)
1 tbsp rosemary
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Press the pie crust into a 10" pie or tart pan, building up the crust on the sides of the pan. Evenly sprinkle the rice or potatoes, artichoke hearts, leeks, chicken, rosemary and cheese on top of the crust. In a blender or medium bowl mix the eggs, milk, and pepper until combined. Pour evenly over the ingredients in the pan. Bake at 350 approximately 45 minutes. Check at 30 minutes and continue to cook until done in the center.