GAPS Birthday Cake

Buddy turned five this week! I made him a GAPS Diet legal birthday cake and it was delish!

I made the Coconut Flour Orange Cake from this recipe. or here (you can leave out the baking powder) And then I frosted it with the Marshmallow Fluff recipe from here.   This was really good! I doubled the cake recipe to make a two layer cake. I would recommend taking the cake out of the pan before putting the orange juice over it (if you plan on serving it from another dish). I also used four egg whites instead of one in the Marshmallow Fluff, but the same amount of maple syrup called for. Frost this right before serving because the egg whites deflate as it sits. I think the maple syrup contributed to that. Even when it melted on the left over pieces it was delicious but it was ugly left over.

I use the coconut flour from Wilderness Family Naturals. You can buy it here or here. The Bob's Red Mill coconut flour is denser than the one I like to use. Just keep in mind that every company's coconut flour is a little different in consistency and that will determine the texture of your finished product. I like to make coconut flour pancakes with Bob's Red Mill coconut flour. But it makes more crumbly, dry bread. I will share my Coconut Flour Pancake Recipe and Coconut Flour Read Recipes soon. I use the Wilderness Family Naturals Coconut Flour for bread.

Blessings,
Edie

Cinnamon Almond Flour Cookies

I made these the other night with Buddy and they were YUMMY!. Considering I haven't had a cookie in about three months, I think anything that tastes close to a real cookie would be amazing to me at the moment. Be warned though, they are so good  you won't want to eat just one. But because of the oil and almond meal they are really filling. I got this recipe from Nourished and Nurtured.

"1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (you could use extra virgin coconut oil too)

5 Tb honey

1 Tb vanilla extract, preferably organic

2 1/2 cups almond flour, preferably from crispy almonds

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt 

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  

Turn off heat, and stir in the honey and vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well.

Drop by Tablespoon onto a stoneware or greased sheet pan.  

Don't flatten them as they will spread well on their own during baking. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 7-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. 

Allow the cookies to cool before moving them."

I used salted butter the first time I made these.  

If you use salted butter leave out the salt listed in the recipe.  

Baking Soda is not legal on GAPS Diet.  

I haven't tried it without the baking soda, it may still work. 

I will post an update when I do.

I think these would be good with raisins mixed in and some extra cinnamon.

Gradually going GAPS

I have been researching and praying since January about putting our little guy on the GAPS Diet. I found out about it from a friend and read up on it online. The first places I went to were here and here. But after initially reading what it would take, I shrugged it off. This diet looked way too complicated and expensive. So we kept on doing what we were doing diet wise.

As this year has progressed I can see that Buddy was not doing as well as he had been; and I suspected that he was started to react to the foods he was eating regularly. Hubby and I talked about it, and agreed that we should have him retested. We agreed that if he tested positive for things he had previously tested negative for, then we would consider putting him on the GAPS Diet. Well, life happened. Buddy had to have ear surgery and then a long recovery. He wasn't off of antihistamines for a long enough period for us to get another round of testing done.... until recently. He got retested this month and the results were as we expected. He is now reacting to the food he regularly eats such as apples, bananas, corn, pork, beef etc. These same foods that a year and a half ago were NOT allergen foods, but now they are.


The GAPS diet we will gradually be moving Buddy on to is short for the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet. It was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride a Neurologist and Nutritionist. She successfully treated her son for autism using this diet and he is now off the autism spectrum.

The premise of the diet is that many physical and psychological problems are often rooted in an imbalanced intestinal system. In regards to our situation- the food allergies are actually a manifestation of a leaky gut. Using the GAPS Diet protocol we believe that it could be possible for Buddy's intestinal system to heal and thus his allergies would gradually disappear. There are many testimonials of people who have gone on the diet and found great changes occur in their physical and mental health.

This diet is complicated and can be expensive, but I have been praying for direction. I asked the Lord IF He wanted us to take this next course of action; then I would need provision for the resources (both financially and food wise) and resources for learning how to once again cook and feed my little guy a whole new way. And that has been provided.

So I am now learning how to cook grain free, among other things. I have learned how to make kefir, sauerkraut, and bone broths. There is allot to learn and I intend on doing it gradually. As I find new recipes and things change, I will share my discoveries here or here. All of this in the hopes that what we are discovering will help or encourage someone else on their path as well.

Blessings,
Edie

Gluten Free Crepes

I have eaten these allot recently, now that I have gone grain free again for myself. You can fill these with anything you like. I usually eat them for breakfast stuffed with stevia sweetened cream cheese and fresh berries. You can fill them with anything you like making them sweet or savory.

1 Large egg
2 Tbsp Heavy cream or allowed milk
3 Tbsp Tapioca Flour
pinch of salt

In a medium bowl  combine egg, cream/milk and salt. Whisk with a whisk until fluffy and then add in tapioca flour. Whisk again until smooth.

Place a 10 inch  non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When pan is hot pour 1/2 the mixture in the center of the pan and swirl the pan to create a thin layer of batter over the entire bottom of the pan. Cook until top side looks no longer wet. Flip crepe and cook for another minute. Take out of pan and fill with desired filling. Roll and serve warm. These cook fast, so have your filling ready before you start cooking the crepes.

You can use a larger pan and make larger crepes, but I find that the larger the pan the harder the crepe is to flip. I think a 10 inch pan is the most manageable pan size.

Makes 2 or 3 crepes. This recipe doubles nicely.

Coming next- Homemade Allergen Free Breakfast Sausage

Gluten Free Popovers

I found this recipe in my LifeChange Cookbook. I have made this recipe numerous times with dairy in it. I made them for the second time today dairy free. You can make them either way. If you make them with almond milk they will not puff as much but will still be delicious. In the picture above they are shown with a dollop of butter and a drizzle of honey. These are great as a bread with a roast and gravy, as a carb with breakfast with fruit, honey & butter (if you do dairy). They can also be topped with Diary Free Pudding or Dairy Free Custard (recipes to come). There are dozens of creative ways to use them!

Popovers (Gluten Free Version with Dairy)
(Makes 24 popovers)

2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter two 12 cup muffin tins. In a medium bowl (I use a four cup glass measuring cup) beats eggs. Then add cream, and beat with a whisk to combine. Add tapioca flour and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Place empty buttered muffins tins in oven for 30 seconds (NO MORE). Remove hot tins and pour in batter 1/4 inch in each muffin cup. Place back in oven and bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Don't Peek and open your oven door while baking! I turn on the light and look through the glass to check mine. Remove from tins and serve immediately.

Store leftovers in a ziploc bag  and reheat to crisp in a 325 degree oven for 2 or 3 minutes.

Popovers (Gluten Free Dairy Free)

(Makes 24 popovers)

2 eggs

1 cup almond milk

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease two 12 cup muffin tins. In a medium bowl (I use a four cup glass measuring cup) whisk eggs. Then add cream, and beat with a whisk to combine. Add tapioca flour and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Place empty buttered muffins tins in oven for 30 seconds (NO MORE). Remove hot tins and pour in batter 1/4 inch in each muffin cup. Place back in oven and bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Don't Peek and open your oven door while baking! Remove from tins and serve immediately. When using almond milk the popovers do not puff quite as much. They may be a little chewy on the bottom but still very tasty. 

Store leftovers in a ziploc bag  and reheat to crisp in a 325 degree oven for 2 or 3 minutes

Oatmeal Cookie Granola

I have been playing around more with my granola recipe and fell upon this combination. It tasted like crumbled oatmeal cookie! Yum!

3 cups gluten free rolled oats (I buy mine here in bulk.)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1/8 cup golden flax seeds
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large pinch of salt
(I also threw in a scoop of rice protein powder when I mixed the dry ingredients for extra protein.)

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add in wet ingredients-
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup oil of choice (I like coconut oil or safflower oil. Choose a neutral oil.)
1 tsp vanilla (I buy alcohol free here)



Pour out onto large jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with a lip. Bake at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes. Stir after the first 15 minutes. Stir again 15 more minutes later. Then after that check your mix about ever 5-7 minutes. Watch that it does not cook too fast on the edges. (I mix mine from the edges in so that the middle gets toward the edges and the edges get pushed into the middle.) Ready when it is golden brown.

Pull out and let cool completely before storing in an air tight container. Mix in 1/2 cup or more of raisins before storing. (We didn't wait and just ate ours warm with almond milk over it...mmmmm!)


Makes about 9 half cup servings.

Homemade Granola

We love granola in our house but buying gluten free granola is a challenge. So here is my basic recipe. The beauty of making granola is that there is no wrong way to do it. You can add whatever you like within certain ratios and viola! personalized to your taste.

3 cups gluten free rolled oats (I buy mine here in bulk.)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1/8 cup golden flax seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large pinch of salt

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add in wet ingredients-
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup oil of choice (I like coconut oil or safflower oil. Choose a neutral oil.)
1 tsp vanilla (I buy alcohol free here)

Mix wet with dry ingredients and spread out onto large cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir after fifteen minute intervals.  Take out of oven and let cool on cooling rack. At this point add any dried fruit you desire. I add 1/2 cup of raisins. I don't like my raisins baked with the granola, I think they get a weird off taste to them. Let mixture cool completely and store in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Makes 9 servings (1/2 cup size).

You can add whatever kind of raw unsalted nuts you like and whatever dried fruits you choose. You can also exchange the maple syrup for honey or another sweetener like rice syrup if you like. I plan to try out some other derivations in the future and I can post my results later.