Gluten free Brownie Bars

Not from scratch but a quick mix when your in a hurry of course we all know homemade is the BEST!!

1 box (19 oz) Betty Crocker® Gluten Free chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
1 egg
Brownie
1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker® Gluten Free brownie mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, stir cookie ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto bottom of pan.
3. In another medium bowl, stir brownie ingredients until well blended. Drop batter by tablespoonsfuls evenly between mounds of cookie dough.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cookie portion is golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For 24 bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

Peppermint Patties

1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/2 tsp peppermint oil
1/2 to 1 cup of dark choclate 65% or greater
1/4 cup agave nectar


You combine the oils and the agave- you need to place the mixture in the freezer a few minutes to firm it up enough to able to roll into balls. Place balls on waxed paper and flatten into patties.
Melt chocolate- and dip patties into chocolate using a fork . Place on wax paper to harden chocolate back up.

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

2 lbs of ground meat (combo of any sausage, beef, turkey, chicken)
4 Large green Peppers
1 Large onion
2 carrots
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 head cauliflower
6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 T dry oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the tops off the bell peppers -discard- scoop out seeds and wash throughly.
Grate onion, carrots, and cauliflower in food processor or chop by hand.
In a large bowl combine meat, chopped veggies, oregano and tomato paste.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff peppers with meat/veggie mix. Place in crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
I haven't tried this one yet but plan on trying it tomorrow. I will be omitting the cauliflower and cooking it on high for half the time. Stay tuned for results.

Simple Almond Bread

Gluten Free Simple Bread
2½ cups almond flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add honey and vinegar
Stir wet ingredients into dry
Scoop batter into a well greased 6.5 x 4 inch loaf pan
Bake at 300° for 45-55 minutes on bottom rack of oven; until a knife comes out clean
Cool and serve

I used Bob's Red Mill almond flour from Publix. I also found myself with only 2 eggs so I used 2 eggs plus 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed. It baked rather nicely and had a nice nutty flavor. It does very well the day after toasted and spread with pecan butter. :)

Grain Free

One word you need to remember when you think of grains is Mycotoxin or POISON.
The following documentation is from one of my favorite sites: www.knowthecause.com
It is very well documented that fungi are parasites of man. They should not be inside the human body, but they have several portals of entry, including the skin, the lungs and even the food we eat! Certain fungi make a poisonous substance known as a “mycotoxin.” Mycotoxins are involved in human diseases, including but not limited to liver cancer. Avoidance is imperative, but once mycotoxin producing fungi are inside the human body, your doctor may offer a two fold approach to eliminating them; killing them with prescriptive or natural antifungals and starving them, but cutting off their primary food supply. Fungi, like many people, crave carbohydrates! That may be why so many people manifest with so many symptoms and diseases, yet doctors cannot accurately diagnose them. A fungal disease may be diagnosed as chronic sinusitis or high cholesterol, yet few physicians understand the fungus link to those health problems. Prescriptive medications control them, but never address the cause. Know that fungi must have carbohydrates in order to thrive inside your body. Perhaps starving fungus would reverse the symptoms that contribute to so many health problems we Americans suffer from!

I myself, after consuming grains, have suffered from an array of symptoms from asthma like symptoms: not being able to catch my breath, skin conditions, digestive problems, and frequent sinus and bronchial infections. I have been off all grains except rice for about 8 yrs. I have not been affected with any of the above symptoms since. I have recently added potatoes and rice to the list I will eat sparingly , as these too can feed fungus.
Did you know that the leading food for toxic contamination is CORN followed closely by WHEAT? Of course it is the cheapest food that we can buy and is in absolutely everything. No wonder we are such a sick nation. As my loving husband likes to remind me "would you rather spend our money at the Grocery store at the doctor's office"? .
I choose the grocery store! I love cooking and cook all our meals - I like knowing I am in control of what foods go into our bodies and I like being able to adapt old favorites into grain free/gluten free variations.

Nut Butters

Nut butters are good for you and cholesterol free, full of vitamins & minerals, essential fatty acids and no trans fats. Simply delicious and quick to make. With so many children and adults allergic to peanut butter, nut butters are a great way to make that favorite PB&J just another way. I made pecan butter the other day and I have to say it turned out surprisingly good. You can use walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews. So simple....
Heres' the recipe -I used pecans but you can substitute your favorite nut. One note is I always wash my pecans first- I put a large pan/bowl in sink that my colander will fit down inside of- I guess you could just use the sink w/ a stopper in it to keep the water from draining out. I fill colander with nuts, cover with warm water and then add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar-must use apple cider vinegar because it had antifungal properties. Some believe that peanuts are such a problem because they are highly susceptible to fungal growth which wreaks havoc in the body and is not destroyed by the high heat of cooking. Of course some farmers use a mixture of MSG (which alot of people are allergic to) to spray on peanut crops while they are growing. Anyways let the pecans soak for about 15-20 minutes and then drain and cover with cold water and let sit for about 10 minutes rinse until water runs clear. Remove nuts spread on paper towels to dry. You can freeze the nuts in ziploc bags in freezer.

Toast Pecans, you can use whatever amount you wish depending on whether you want to make a lot or a little. I used 1 cup. Spread one layer deep on a baking dish and place in oven (on bottom rack) 350 for about 20 minutes. Time varies depending on oven. They burn quickly. They should be slightly browned and crisp.

Tip-They get crispier as they cool. Also I have seen where you can just use raw Pecans not toasted but I have got to say did not like the taste-sorry.

Place pecans in food processor (I have a little mini food processor- big one on wish list). Add about 1 tablespoon of oil- I used coconut oil. You may need to add more depending on what consistency you like and the oils in different nuts vary. Chopped, blend, puree whatever you want to call it until buttery. You may have to stop and scrap down sides every once and awhile. Put in airtight container and place in fridge. It will thicken up as it gets cold too. Can use right away. I do not have a clue how long it will last cause' it doesn't last around here.