Moist Gluten Free Yellow Cake

This post is from my other blog Stefanie's This and That. I think you will enjoy it.

I recently made this cake for my sister's birthday. Neither of us have been eating gluten or sugary foods. I wanted to make her something special to celebrate her birthday so I came up with this and some cream puffs. I will post the recipe for those soon. You can use regular sugar and increase the amount used but this was more than sweet enough with the frosting on it. If I were to make it again I would use powdered birch xylitol and make my own powdered sugar with it to make my frosting. Either that or do a blend of my own powdered xylitol sugar and the corn-free powdered sugar to help reduce the actual sugar in the frosting. It was DELICIOUS don't get me wrong, it was just more sugar than we want to have or are used to. The texture of the cake was great. Our husbands loved it and were surprised it was gluten free. This is definitely what I will be using for our cakes unless I make a sourdough cake using fermented spelt. Not everyone can do sourdough so this is a great option for those who can not tolerate any gluten whatsoever. It is very moist. You'll love it.

Moist Gluten Free Yellow Cake

1 3/4 cup GF Pantry All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 packets Wholesome Organic Stevia
2/3 cup birch xylitol or sugar of choice
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup vanilla hemp milk or milk of choice
2 egg whites, beaten until stiff peaks form
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour three 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pans (one 9x 13 cake pan can be used). Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, stevia, xlyitol, and coconut sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, vanilla, milk, and 3 eggs. Add mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium high with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Now fold in the egg whites. Divide the batter evenly between the three loaf pans. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes until done. Cakes should be golden and edges should pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. If using a 9x13 pan baking time will need to be adjusted some.

Butter Cream Frosting

2 sticks salted butter softened
3 3/4 cup or 1 pkg of Wholesome Organic Powdered Sugar (it's corn-free)
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tbsp vanilla hemp milk

The natural sugar has some clumping and you may want to sift it if you are fussy about texture. I didn't bother but it's up to you. In a medium to large bowl, combine the butter and the sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Then add the vanilla and the hemp milk and blend on medium speed until smooth. Store unused frosting in the refrigerator. Refrigerated frosting will become very stiff. Simply allow to come to room temperature before using. Add a little hemp milk if it needs to be thinned.

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Spelt Tips

I just wanted to share a some helpful tips I've learned about using spelt flour. If you can keep these things in mind when baking with spelt, I believe you will have good results.

 

•     Do not over knead or add too much flour
•     Spelt dough is softer and stickier than wheat
•     When converting wheat recipes to spelt, reduce the liquids by 10%
•     Don't over rise. Do not allow to double as with wheat. Volume should only increase by 1 1/2 times.
•     If you cut slashes in the dough, do it before it rises or you may deflate the dough.

A free PDF with helpful information on how to bake with spelt. It has conversion charts that can be helpful and save you some time. http://bake-with-spelt.com/

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Sourdough Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the first cookies I've had made with gluten containing flour in ages. They were very good. I'm not so sure that whole wheat sourdough agrees with me 100%. I know I can't have wheat if it's not fermented sourdough. I will be posting more recipes soon that are either spelt or rye flour. My spelt starter that I made from scratch is doing great. It should just continue to get better as time goes on. I will attempt some bread with it tomorrow. Tonight I made sourdough mocha cake and vanilla cupcakes with spelt flour. I will post those recipes over the next couple days. Until then, here is a recipe for yummy chocolate chip cookies. I forgot to weigh the sugar but I think that isn't something you can mess up too bad by using cups instead of grams.

Sourdough Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
280g starter, whole wheat
250g organic whole wheat flour
220g butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup birch xylitol
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
5 oz  Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips If you like more chocolate, use the whole bag
1/2 cup nuts or seeds of choice - optional

Mix starter, butter, and flour. It will be stiff. Cover and leave at room temperature 8 to 10 hours or overnight.

Sourdough mixture after fermenting overnight.

Texture inside of sourdough after fermenting overnight.

After fermentation, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar, xylitol, sea salt, baking soda. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add this mixture to the sourdough and mix until combined. Add chips and nuts.

Adding egg mixture to sourdough.

Cookie dough mixed and ready to bake.

 Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until light golden brown. Allow to set 1 to 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Makes 22- 24 large cookies.

Raw dough ready to bake.

Baked cookies ready to eat!

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Sunny Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

This is a variation of the 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread I already posted. I personally like this one better. The flavor is more mild and the tartness of the wheat is mellowed by the molasses and the sunflower seeds. I called this bread Sunny Whole Wheat because of the use of sunflower seeds and honey in the bread. It's nice to have a a couple slices of this in the morning for breakfast. Enjoy!

 


Sunny Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
182 g starter
378g whole wheat flour
210g water, warm but not hot
57g butter, melted and cooled
20g blackstrap molasses
40g organic honey
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
65g organic raw sunflower seeds, chopped in a food processor

In a large bowl mix the starter and water. Stir in the honey, butter, sunflower seeds and sea salt. Mix in the flour until well combined. The dough should be a somewhat shaggy dough. Cover and allow the dough to rest 20 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. I often knead the dough directly in the bowl.

Cover and allow the dough to ferment 3 hours. Do two stretch and folds; one every 1 1/2 hours. After three hours the dough should be just about doubled. Turn dough onto a floured surface and gently deflate the dough and shape the dough into a loaf. Place in a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise for 4 to 6 hours or until the dough has risen 1 inch above the rim of the pan.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Bread will be golden and the interior temperature should be 205F or higher. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. *Optional: Rub butter on the crust when it comes out of the oven to soften the crust, give it extra flavor and enhance the appearance.

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100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

This recipe makes a basic whole wheat bread that is good for sandwiches. It could be modified to make breads other than loaf style. I think the combination of wheat and honey along with the sourdough make it quite a bit more sour than other breads. Some of my family liked it but for myself and my father, it was a bit sour. I have never been a fan of 100% whole wheat anyhow so that probably is a factor. If you like 100% whole wheat you should enjoy this bread.

 

100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
182 g starter
378g whole wheat flour
210g water, warm but not hot
57g butter, melted and cooled
50g organic honey
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

In a large bowl mix the starter and water. Stir in the honey, butter, and sea salt. Mix in the flour until well combined. The dough should be a somewhat shaggy dough. Cover and allow the dough to rest 20 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. I often knead the dough directly in the bowl.

Cover and allow the dough to ferment 3 hours. Do two stretch and folds; one every 1 1/2 hours. After three hours the dough should be just about doubled. Turn dough onto a floured surface and gently deflate the dough and shape the dough into a loaf. Place in a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise for 4 to 6 hours or until the dough has risen 1 inch above the rim of the pan.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Bread will be golden and the interior temperature should be 205F or higher. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. *Optional: Rub butter on the crust when it comes out of the oven to soften the crust, give it extra flavor and enhance the appearance.

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Ancient Grains

A post from my previous blog sourdough365.com

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

I plan to do a post or two about history of natural leavening and ancient grains and the benefits of both. In the meantime, I did come across a couple of videos that I would like to share. The first is a short clip about the ancient grain Einkorn and a project to re-establish this nutritious grain. Einkorn is almost twice as high in minerals than modern wheat and makes a richly flavored, more digestible bread. It is being grown at the University of Massachusetts Amherst experimental farm in Deerfield to help prevent the extinction of this delicious and nutritious grain inherited from the ancient world.



The second is a webinar on the ancient grains Einkorn, Emmer and Spelt. It covers their origins and attributes, current and potential uses and markets, and what we know so far about how to grow them. This webinar is for those interested in specialty grains, including farmers, consumers, bakers, chefs, millers, and other grain processors.

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Grains: Then and Now

A post from my previous blog sourdough365.com

Monday, January 28, 2013

There are a growing number of people today that are wheat intolerant and being diagnosed with celiac disease. Doesn't it seem strange that this is suddenly becoming a problem when throughout history bread was eaten by everyone with no issues? There were no gluten-free bakeries and gluten-free blogs which are everywhere today.

What happened to make people unable to eat wheat and grains containing gluten? Some might tell you that it's genetics to blame. They're right but they mean family genetics, I believe it's genetics of the grains which have been altered. Modern genetic modification is just "improved" from what genetic scientist have done in the past because they have greater control on the outcome of the genetic manipulation. In the past breeding methods were not precise and could not control which genes were changed. The reason for this breeding that changed ancient wheat from nutritious life building food into indigestible, nutrient lacking junk, is so that they could produce higher yields of grain that were more tolerant, easier to grow, and resistant to various issues. With all this breeding, they messed with the genes removing, adding and changing genes until the "ideal" grain for wheat production and growing was not ideal for human reproduction and growing. What's it all about? Greed. Plain and simple. While I haven't read the whole book, "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, I did read a section that has some good information on just what has been done to modern grain to make it unfit for human consumption.

So what do we do? We try to eat organic true ancient grains or heritage (heirloom) grains. Wheats prior to 1950 are best since newer grains have been hybridized. It was after this time that people started to develop digestive issues and allergies to modern wheat.

What are true ancient grains? Many companies these days are labeling their products as "ancient grains". This can include quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, sorghum, and millet. Quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat are not even grains. This is not to say that they aren't nutritious or have benefits but Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt are true ancient grains. They are versatile as whole grains and as flour. They are high in protein and nutrient content, rich in flavor, and are lower in gluten than wheat, which many people with gluten sensitivities are able to eat.

Where do we find these grains? You can find them through many sources. I have several sites listed under the resources page. It's best to buy it as local as possible to make shipping costs reasonable. I found for myself, being in New England, that Cayuga Pure Organics has decent prices and reasonable shipping. I recently purchased spelt and rye flour from them. The company Jovial sells Emmer flour and pastas from Italy which you can buy on their website or Amazon. Jovial's website has good information and recipes that you may find helpful.

How grains are made into bread determines a lot too. If you use modern quick rise methods with commercial yeast, the bread is less digestible, less nutrients are absorbed, more likely to spike sugar levels. Also, the isolated strains of yeast in the commercial yeast are allowed to multiply unchecked by beneficial bacteria found in natural leavened bread (sourdough/fermented bread). In natural leavened bread you have both beneficial yeast and bacteria keeping harmful strains of yeast and bacteria from growing, as well as, breaking down the gluten and phytic acid, basically predigesting the grain. This makes the nutrients available for absorption and does not create sugar spikes like traditional modern fast rising breads. I will do another post about leavening but for now here is a little information about Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt and Rye.

Einkorn

•     Einkorn is the oldest of the ancient grains.
•     It differs from modern wheat which is a hybrid of many grasses and grains.
•     Doesn't spike blood sugar.
•     Very flavorful.
•     Suitable for baked products and good for leaven bread.
•     High in minerals by low in metals like cadmium, which is a benefit.
•     High in protein, lutein, and Vitamin E.
•     Higher lipid content that bread wheat. Almost double in some cases which might be why it has more flavor.
•     Has same allergenic proteins as other wheats but may be lower in gliadins that cause allergic responses in celiacs.
•     Many people with gluten sensitivity have reported they are able to digest Einkorn. (no studies to prove or disprove at this time)

Emmer

•     Emmer is the second oldest of the ancient grains.
•     Was a staple of the ancient Egyptians.
•     Has been grown for thousands of years in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy.
•     Known as Farro in Italy.
•     In Ethiopia it is recommended for new mothers and children because it is so high in nutrition.
•     In India it is recommended for diabetics because of it's lower glycemic index.
•     Starches tend to be slower in digestibility which helps with blood sugar.
•     High in minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
•     Higher in phytic acid.
•     Gluten levels vary from very low to higher than bread wheat but are usually lower. This makes results for bread making vary.
•     Breads made with Emmer are more dense and have a lower level of gluten.
•     Missing some gliadin proteins which may or may not be beneficial to those with celiacs.
•     Often confused with spelt which is what some people call farro. Real Farro and Emmer are the same thing but it is not spelt.
•     Makes great pasta. 

 
Spelt

•     Spelt is the third oldest of the ancient grains.
•     Has less gluten and similar protein composition to bread wheat.
•     Protein may be higher thand bread wheat but lower in fiber.
•     Spelt has less phytic acid than bread wheat which is good for digestion and nutrient absorption.
•     Higher in some minerals such as Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Selinium, Copper, Potassium and a good source of B vitamins.
•     Spelt is common in the US and has had a long presence in Pennsylvania and NY.
•     Some people with gluten sensitivity find they can digest spelt.

Rye is another old grain, cultivated around 400 B.C., that is well tolerated by many who are gluten intolerant even though it does contain gluten. Breads made with rye flour are more dense. Again, how it is prepared makes a difference. Natural leavening with a slow rise to ferment the dough is the way to make your bread easier to digest and more nutritious. Rye bread is a rich hearty bread with many health benefits if it is made from organic whole rye, which is rich in nutrients. Traditional rye bread and pumpernickel are the most common breads made with rye flour. You can find different variations of rye bread like Russian Rye, German Rye, etc. Most of the commercially grown rye comes from Russia, Poland, Canada, China and Denmark. I did buy some locally though from Cayuga Pure Organics in NY.

Rye

•     Low glycemic index makes it a good grain for those with diabetes.
•     Good source of fiber and tryptophan.
•     Rich in nutrients such a magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and B vitamins.
•     Contains lignan phytonutrients.
•     You can read about the health benefits of rye here.

*Disclaimer: The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.

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History and Benefits of Sourdough

This post is from my previous blog Sourdough365.com:

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Before I get to the benefits of natural leavening and the drawbacks of using fast rising commercial yeast, I'd like to share a little bit of the history of natural leavening or what we call sourdough starters.

So, where did the name "sourdough" come from? The name for natural leaven starter became popular with the U.S. California and Alaska Gold Rush. The natural leaven starter that created sour dough was precious since there were no bakeries for Westerners or those in the Alaskan Frontier. Miners carried their sourdough starter with them everywhere and even slept with it on cold nights to keep it warm. They were very careful to keep it healthy and going because if the starter went bad or was lost it was not easy to replace and took time to make a new one.  Because the miners carried their sourdough everywhere with them, experienced miners became known as "Sourdoughs".

Where did the process of natural leavening begin? It is believed that 3,000 to 5,000 years ago the Egyptians discovered wild yeast by accident and developed a similar method to sourdough for leavening breads. Grains were usually soaked or fermented before baking with them or eating them as porridge or what have you. Natural leavening was used into the 1800s. In the late 1860's Louis Pasteur identified yeast as a living organism and that it was what made leavening and alcoholic fermentation. It wasn't long until yeast strains were isolated and Charles and Maximilian Fleischmann produced and sold cakes of compressed yeast. By the early 1900s factory produced baker's yeast was readily available and most bread baking was done with the isolated yeast strains.

Many people today use commercial yeast to make their sourdough starters but that is not true sourdough. True sourdough starters are made simply with water and flour. The natural existing wild yeast on the grains is already there just waiting to be found. I'm not being a sourdough snob by saying that real sourdough is not made with commercial yeast. Natural leavening is made of several strains each of beneficial bacteria and yeast. The beneficial bacteria helps control the type of yeasts and how many are in the dough and the yeast do the same with the bacteria. They work together through fermentation of the dough, to break down natural toxins in the grains and make the nutrients more available and easier to digest. For example phytic acid, which is a natural preservative that protects the grain, inhibits the absorption of the minerals in the grain and can cause digestive issues. The natural enzyme inhibitors and proteins that are hard to digest cause allergies and many other diseases. Gluten is made up of several different proteins and the bacteria helps to break them down. Breads that use large amounts of yeast to produce loaves in a very short time, do not allow the dough to ferment for several hours, so there is very little chance for natural bacteria to destroy the harmful elements in the dough.

With commercial yeast, there is also the problem of the yeast being allowed to multiply without the bacteria to keep them under control. According to an article written by Jacques de Langre, the issue with commercial yeast is that it is an isolated strain that is a "mushroom-type" microorganism with a very rapid reproduction cycle. One gram of compressed yeast contains several trillions of yeast cells. Dough containing only 1% commercial yeast can double the amount of cells in 6 hours at 80 F. If the fermentation is allowed to continue, the cells would multiply to produce 150,000,000 cells per cubic centimeter no matter how little the amount of yeast used to begin with. You end up with destructive cells that, according to the research of Dr. Warbourg, M.D., are an exact duplicate of human cancer cells. Makes you think twice about using commercial yeast doesn't it? Combine that along with all the chemical additives, synthetic vitamins they "enhance" the breads with, hybridized grains, the digestibility issues, and you have the answer to why you should take the time to make your own natural leavened/fermented bread or find someone who sells it. If you buy your sourdough bread or a starter from someone else, make sure they do not use commercial yeast in the process at any point. It should be 100% wild yeast only. It is also best if you can use the organic ancient or older grains that have not been hybridized. If you buy your bread from someone, ask what type of grains they use and where they come from. Many people who have trouble with grains due to gluten or other issues, find that they can better tolerate the ancient grains, especially if they are naturally leavened. You may want to experiment with different combinations. For best results the dough should be allowed to ferment for at least 8 to 12 hours, though as little as six may be ok for some. Some people see even better results if they allow fermentation up to 72 hours. This would require you to place the fermenting dough in the refrigerator to slow the process and allow the bacteria to further break down the irritants in the grains. See my article "Grains: Then and Now" for more information about ancient grains.

Sourdough bread for blood sugar control? Research was done on overweight older adults. They gave them sourdough bread for breakfast and a second time after lunch. Those who ate the sourdough bread saw the least amount of blood sugar and insulin response. Before making dietary changes, always consult with your doctor.

Natural leavened/sourdough bread keeps well since it retains it's moisture unlike breads made with commercial yeast that dry out quickly and need refrigeration. Sourdough bread is best stored at room temperature, wrapped in a tea towel, and placed in a bread box. It freezes well too. If frozen when it is fresh, once it is thawed and reheated, it tastes just as fresh as the day it was frozen. Allow the bread to completely cool before slicing it and then double bag the bread in freezer bags, getting out as much air as possible. Label it and pop it in the freezer.

Some Sourdough Benefits

•     Predigest starches
•     Lowers insulin and blood sugar response, no sugar spikes
•     Makes bread digestible and nutrients more available
•     Breaks down harmful elements in the grains like phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that can cause digestive issues, allergies, inability to absorb nutrients in grains
•     Breaks down gluten allowing some people with gluten sensitivity eat bread
•     Lactic acid acts as a natural preservative retarding mold growth, resulting in longer lasting bread

Below is a video I found on Youtube about Sourdough Miners. It has some nice pictures put to the music. Thought you might enjoy it.



*Disclaimer: The content of this blog is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.

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Sparkling Pomegranate Zinger

We don't drink soda in our home and primarily drink water. However, every now and then it is nice to have something a little different. This recipe is one I made up for Thanksgiving but it is great anytime of the year. My husband thought it tasted somewhat like a fine wine. I don't know how true that is, since I have never cared for wine. I suppose it might have a wine cooler taste. This recipe does not contain any alcohol but if you were so inclined, you could adjust it nicely. You can make this recipe full strength, as I have below, or you can make it more of a flavored sparkling water by doubling the amount of sparkling mineral water. That is a good way to make it go twice as far and save a little money. You can use club soda for this but if you do, make sure that it does not have any added sugar or corn syrup. I actually found one in the store that had corn syrup. Also it's simply filtered water it could have chlorine and/or fluoride which can be dangerous. Google it if you're interested. Mercola has good articles.  So, that is just something to be aware of.  This recipe can be made sugar-free, other than existing sugar in the fruit juice, by using stevia and birch xylitol. Enjoy!

Sparkling Pomegranate Zinger
1 medium to large lemon, juiced
12 oz pomegranate juice
12 drops lemon stevia
2  to 3 tsp xylitol or sugar or 3 to 4 packets of stevia
25 oz sparkling mineral water, chilled

In a pitcher or jar, combine the lemon juice, pomegranate juice, lemon stevia drops, and sweetener. Stir or shake to combine and dissolve the sweetener. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Right before serving add the chilled sparkling mineral water and give it a gentle stir or brief shake to combine. Pour and serve immediately. Makes approximately 4 servings of  9.5 oz  to 10 oz each.

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Natural Sugar-Free Homemade Lemonade

I have this posted on my other blog Stefanie's This and That but am switching all my recipes to this blog. So here it is.

Since the weather is warming up I thought it would be a good idea to share my simple homemade sugar-free lemonade. It's not made with artificial sweeteners that are so bad for you like sweet & low, splenda and others like them. If you are not familiar with the dangers of those sweeteners and others like them, I would suggest you do some research. Dr. Mercola has some excellent articles and there is a documentary called Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World that you should google and see if you can find a copy to watch.  

Anyhow, we drink a lot of water in our home but it is nice to have something a little different now and then. It's especially nice on hot summer days to have a cold glass of fresh lemonade. Since I don't do artificial sweeteners or load it with sugar, I use stevia extract and it tastes just as good and is much healthier for you. Besides tasting great, lemon juice is an electrolyte and has many health benefits, which you can read about here. Four tablespoons of lemon juice contains vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and amino acids. For a complete in-depth nutrient analysis click here.

I don't use bottled lemon juice. It has preservatives and who knows what. I buy fresh lemons when I can find them at a good price. Then just simply wash them, juice them, and pour the juice into ice cube trays and freeze. Then when they are frozen, just pop them out and store them in a freezer bag. Doing this allows us to have a quick glass of lemonade anytime we want. Although, when at all possible, it is best to use fresh squeezed lemon juice and drink it right away for the most benefits.


Sugar-Free Homemade Lemonade

For 1 Serving:
1 cube of frozen lemon juice or 2 Tbsp of fresh juice
10 oz. cold filtered water
3 drops of lemon stevia
1/2  packet to 1 whole packet of stevia powder

Mix all the ingredients in a glass. The lemon juice cube will melt fairly quickly. Give it another stir and it is ready to drink.

For 6 servings:
6 cubes frozen lemon juice or 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
7 1/2 cups cold filtered water
18 drops of lemon stevia
3 to 6 packets of stevia powder

Mix all the ingredients in a large 72 oz. pitcher. The lemon juice cubes will melt fairly quickly. Give it another stir and it is ready to drink.

Notes: You can also freeze limes and do a lemon-limeade blend as well. 

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Grammy's Kielbasa Casserole

This dish was a favorite growing up. I can remember being so excited when my mom would make it. The recipe below is a spin off my mom's old recipe which she got from my Grammy. I don't think she would mind that I made a few changes. For the kielbasa it is best to use one that does not contain nitrates or nitrites. You can find turkey or pork at Trader Joe's. If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, then more than likely a major health food store like Whole Foods would carry a nitrate and nitrite free kielbasa. This can also be made with sliced rutabagas in place of the potatoes if potatoes are restricted from your diet. I love rutabagas. They can be used in any recipe that calls for potatoes. They are very good for you and have antifungal properties. A great option for those fighting candida.

Grammy's Kielbasa Casserole

10 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups milk
3 Tbsp flour (rice flour for gluten-free)
3 Tbsp butter
12 to 14 oz kielbasa, sliced 1/4" thick and halved
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 3 quart 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. Line the bottom of the casserole dish with a layer of potatoes. Top that layer with half the onion and half the kielbasa. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the next layer with potatoes and then follow with the second half of the onion, kielbasa and 2/3 cup cheese. Finish with the final layer being the remaining potatoes and sprinkled with 2/3 cup of cheese. Set aside. See pictures below.

In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk the flour and butter over medium heat for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue to whisk the milk while adding the sea salt, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Once the milk thickens some, remove from the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese to melt and pour evenly over the casserole. Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. Serves 8. Serve with a side of cooked broccoli.

Below are layering photos.

 

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Sourdough Spelt Mocha Cake

This is a recipe I had posted on my Sourdough 365 blog which I am moving over to this site. I hope you will enjoy.

I decided to make a chocolate cake with spelt flour and ended up making a mocha cake. It's delicious, especially when it's still warm. I think it's a bit of a mixture between cake and brownie. We all really like it and this will definitely be one I continue to make whenever we want a chocolate cake. I had made one about a week ago that was a very light tall cake. I didn't write it down as I was just simply trying to use up some starter and threw stuff in the bowl until it looked right. I am hoping to recreate that again but write down measurements this time. Until then here is a terrific mocha cake chocolate lovers are sure to enjoy.

I mixed my arrowroot cocoa mixture ahead of time and had it in a sealed container. You could make several up ahead of time so that they are ready to use whenver you decide you want to make a cake. It's a lot like having dry cake mix on hand. It would make a nice gift if you want to give it along with a mason jar with starter in it.

Also below you will find a recipe for butter cream frosting that I colored with beetroot powder for a dye-free option. You cannot taste the beetroot powder at all and it makes a lovely pink color. I just used a few supplement capsules but you can also buy loose powder if you plan to use it for multiple purposes. It's claimed to be good for lowering blood pressure and for cleansing your liver. You can get it loose here. www.bulkherbstore.com

  

Sourdough Spelt Mocha Cake

112g starter, spelt
215g spelt flour
83g arrowroot flour
60g raw cocoa powder, organic
114g milk, room temperature
168g coffee, cooled
114g birch xylitol or sugar
96g coconut sugar
330g butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs

Instructions:

Dissolve the starter in the milk. Mix in the spelt flour and allow to ferment 8 to 10 hours.

Mix together arrowroot, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, xylitol, and coconut sugar. Set aside. - See more at: http://www.sourdough365.com/search/label/Spelt#sthash.AxKkkRjN.dpuf

Before fermentation.

After 10 hours fermentation.

Eight to ten hours later, preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x 13 cake pan and set aside.

Mix together arrowroot, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, xylitol, and coconut sugar. Set aside. 

Mix together melted butter, coffee, eggs, and vanilla. Add the butter mixture to the sourdough and mix well. Add the arrowroot mixture and beat on low until combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into the greased and floured cake pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until done. Edges should pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Dye-free Pink Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup or 2 sticks butter, softened
6 beetroot capsules, emptied (roughly = 2 1/2 to 3 tsp or enough until you get the shade you want)
2 Tbsp whole milk
16 oz organic wholesome powder sugar, sifted
3 tsp vanilla extract

Use an electric mixer to blend together the butter, milk, vanilla, and beetroot powder. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix in on low speed. Once combined, increase the speed to medium and beat for a minute or two until smooth. If you don't use it right away and refrigerate it, it will become solid. Simply place at room temperature and allow to soften before using. You can also add a little milk if it is too thick. Enjoy! 

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Homemade Rice Crispy Treats

One of the things I really miss since cutting out corn syrup, is rice crispy treats. Many people make them with marshmallows but we always made them with Fluff. Mmmm yummy. However, both have corn and we don't do corn anymore.

I messed around with making my own marshmallows and had some success. When I was making them, I realized, if I wanted to make rice crispy treats, the easiest way is to make a smaller batch of marshmallows and turn them in to rice crispy treats at the last part of the marshmallow making stage. I will post a recipe with pictures for marshmallows soon. I used a natural sugar for these and that is why they have a darker natural color. They still taste like marshmallow. You can make them with whatever sugar you would like. Rice syrup would work too but you might need to adjust the recipe a little in regards to the water added. You can also do a reduced sugar version by using half or more birch xylitol. I tried it and it was great. Just be aware that xylitol is poisonous to dogs and doesn't take much to kill them. I would think you could even do completely sugar free using just the xylitol, just be careful not to let it burn in the candy stage. I have made all xylitol mints in the past, so I don't see why it shouldn't work.

Note: You can add 1/4 to 1/3 cup rice syrup to the sugar and water mixture. I didn't for these but have in my marshmallow recipe. Either way they come out good. It's up to you. Below is my recipe for natural homemade rice crispy treats. I've included lots of pictures so you can see what it will look like through the various stages.



Homemade Natural Rice Crispy Treats

6 to 6 1/2 cups Organic Rice Crispy Cereal
1 cup natural sugar or a mix of sugar and birch xylitol
1/4 cup rice syrup, optional (I didn't use it )
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp beef gelatin (if you are vegan I would think you could sub with agar agar)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Butter a 13x9 pan and set it aside. Measure out your rice crispy cereal and set aside. Melt the butter and set it aside. In a large bowl, add the gelatin and 1/3 cup water. Set aside.

In a heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. As soon as the sugar mixture comes to a boil, cover and allow to boil for 2 minutes. Uncover and continue to boil, stirring, until temperature reaches between 140F and 150F. I allow it to go to 150F. Be very careful as this is very sticky and will burn you if you get it on you. Do NOT allow children to help.

As soon as the sugar mixture has reach the desired temperature, slowly add down the side of the bowl with the gelatin, beating on medium speed with an electric mixer. Be very careful as it is very hot. Bring the speed up to high and beat until thick and somewhat fluffy. See the pictures and further instructions below.

The exposure is off on the one above. It's really the color of the one below. But note how thick it is on the beater.

Now you can see how it has lightened in color and become very thick. If you continue beating, it will become too thick to beat and work with. At this point, you want to work quickly. Add the melted butter and vanilla. Beat until well blended but don't over do it. Then add the rice crispy cereal mix well and press into a buttered 13X9 baking pan. See pictures below.

Above is what it will look like when ready for the rice crispy cereal to be added. Below you can see I used waxed paper to help press it firmly into the pan. Leave the paper on and place the rice crispy treats in the fridge to set up at least a couple hours. You can store at room temperature in an air tight container, but we like ours in the fridge so they stay nice and firm. It's just a matter of taste. Enjoy!

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