Flowers and I go Way Back

I had the opportunity to grow up on a sprawling farm in Campbell County which automatically made/makes me a country gal!

Excitement would build when early spring came; it meant the beginning of outdoor adventure! Granted, I disliked aspects of farm life like feeding calves before the break of dawn and fearing I would encounter a skunk. I would mentally envision the tomato bath and horrendous smell that would follow me all the way to school. Thankfully, this fear never became reality though I did spy one of those black and white critters early one morning. Continue reading “Flowers and I go Way Back”

Refreshing Nondairy Peanut Butter Ice Cream

If you’re learning to adapt to a nondairy lifestyle, you’ll appreciate this recipe. If you’re dealing with a nut allergy, I’m sorry. This recipe would need some tweaking to make it suitable but it could be done. 🙂 Continue reading “Refreshing Nondairy Peanut Butter Ice Cream”

A Season of Suffering; Surrounded by People who Care

It seems almost like yesterday that I was being wheeled down long hospital corridors desperately trying to hold back the tears that were pushing their way to the surface. In that moment it didn’t matter that I was a grown woman who had just turned 26. I felt like a kid who was having a big bad dream; I needed my mom and dad to tell me it was going to be okay. Continue reading “A Season of Suffering; Surrounded by People who Care”

Healthy Homemade Ketchup

My mom is the canning queen. She has an exorbitant amount of patience and tried and true methods for canning. I still have much to learn and have been very grateful for her willingness to help me.  (I was the one who always said canning isn’t an absolute to be a Mennonite!) Though it certainly isn’t, I’m realizing it is handy to have canned items on hand. The best part is that I know what ingredients were put into the jar! My mom and I tried our hand at homemade ketchup the other day. I was pleased considering I haven’t had ketchup for a long time. (I haven’t been able to find ketchup that is corn free.)

Continue reading “Healthy Homemade Ketchup”

Staple Peanut Butter Cookies with 3 Simple Ingredients

Initially, when I had to remove gluten from my diet; I was thrilled to find a delicious peanut butter cookie that I could enjoy. Later, eggs no longer were an option, so I thought I’d likely not be able to make these simple treats again. However, I’ve started using an egg substitute and decided to try it with these peanut butter cookies. The results were tasty though slightly crumbly!

Continue reading “Staple Peanut Butter Cookies with 3 Simple Ingredients”

An Analogy from Receiving

A sudden, intense feeling of nausea swept over me and my vision began to blur. I realized I was nearly fainting, and tried to position myself in a way that would bring relief. The next moments seemed like forever as I waited for possible blackness to come.

Continue reading “An Analogy from Receiving”

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Banana Muffins

I recently tried these muffins and was pleased with the results. They actually looked like a normal muffin and have a wonderful flavor!

Banana Muffins

  • 2 C. brown rice blend (1 1/3 C. brown rice flour & 2/3 C. tapioca starch/flour)
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (Featherweight is corn free.)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • *2 eggs, beaten (I used egg substitute- 1 tsp. baking powder & 1/4 C. water)
  • 1 C. sugar
  • 1/2 C.  oil
  • 2 1/2 C. mashed, ripe bananas
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl mash bananas; add beaten eggs, oil and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir just till combined.

*If you are using egg substitute mentioned, mix the water and baking powder together last and simply fold in your batter. This will help the muffins be lighter.

Bake at 350 in lined muffin pans. Bake for 15-20 min or till toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Enjoy! The texture is a bit different from regular banana bread; however, the taste is much the same and delicious. These are best fresh from the oven. If you make a batch to freeze, simply warm them before serving.

Allergen Friendly Brownies that are Worth Eating!

I was pleased to find this brownie recipe to fix my chocolate cravings.

Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Brownies (Gluten & Dairy free)

  • 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 C. oil
  • 1/3 C. milk (dairy free)
  • 1/2 C. maple syrup
  • 1/4 C. sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 C. oat flour
  • 1/3 C. oats
  • 1/4 C. cocoa powder

Cream Peanut butter with oil, maple syrup, sugar and egg. Add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together and add to wet ingredients. Mix till combined. Bake in a greased 8×8 pan for 20 min. (Don’t under-bake these or they’ll be rather gooey!)

*This recipe has options! You could easily substitute the peanut butter and use another nut butter. Use an oil that is safe for you. I used  1/2 tsp. baking powder with 2 Tbsp. of water for my egg. A sugar substitute would be fine to use instead of the regular sugar or just increase the maple syrup. Additionally, if oats are a problem don’t be afraid to try an alternate flour that you can have. It may take some tweaking but after all that’s often how allergy cooking goes! Enjoy.

Hearty Bone Broth Soup

I’m hopeful that the title, “Bone Broth” doesn’t disinterest you from trying this fabulous, versatile broth base.  Not only is it the secret to delicious soups; it’s also nutritious and helpful for building your immunity! (Not a bad idea during these cold wintry days.)

Bone Broth 

  • A cooked chicken carcass, or any assortment of cooked chicken, or turkey bones (I use the skin as well.)
  • Water
  • 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • Onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks of celery cut into sticks
  • 3 Carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
  • Several bay leaves
  • Salt
  • Desired spices: garlic, oregano, parsley, etc.

Place the bones in the bottom of a large crock-pot. Top with your veggies, bay leaves and spices. Fill crock-pot with water. Cook on low for at least 20 hours. (I like to cook it a few hours longer to give it a richer flavor.) Strain broth and store in Mason jars in the coldest part of your fridge. Use the broth as a base for soups.

Chicken Veggie Soup is one of my favorites:

  • 1 quart of bone broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 potatoes, diced
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. parsley

Bring broth and veggies to a boil. Cook till tender. Add cooked chicken and parsley. Return soup to a gentle boil. Serve.

*Feel free to add other veggies to this soup, or omit the potatoes and make chicken noodle soup with your favorite pasta. I love how versatile soups are. You can simply use what you have on hand and also make it suitable for your dietary needs.

*If you are blessed with beef and are able to eat it, you could do the same with roast/steak bones to create your own tasty beef broth.