Category: Recipes

Gluten-Free, Oat + Almond Maple Pumpkin Bread

October 6, 2020 2 Comments

Pumpkin is such a perfect pairing for gluten-free baking. Often, GF flours tend to be very dry and tasteless. However, pumpkin add moisture and gives breads, muffins, and cakes a “normal” texture. I used a combination of Oat Flour (which is JUST ground whole oats) and Almond Flour (JUST almond meal). Many gluten-free flours use gums and starches. These are helpful for mimicking the binding quality of gluten, but I found unnecessary for this type of sweet bread. The less-processed and closer-to-whole-food my diet can be, the better I feel. This bread isn’t overly sweet, but I put chocolate on EVERYTHING…. so there was no exception here. I didn’t add them into the batter, but simply sprinkled sugar-free chocolate chips on top! Scrumptious! Shop this recipe: I also get a lot of my baking staples from THRIVE MARKET. New to Thrive Market? It is an online marketplace for healthy foods, home products, clean beauty, pet supplies, and more. Low Prices and great discounts on top brands like EPIC, Primal Kitchen, Siete, and Wild Planet. I shop my pantry essentials regularly from Thrive Market to save money. Some of my favorites include: Coconut Oil, Collagen Peptides, Maple Syrup, Cashew Butter, and Sardines. Join today and save 25% on your first order!!

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Upgraded Cowboy Cookies: My Ultimate High Country Companion

September 26, 2020 1 Comment

Cowboy cookies are very nostalgic for me. The chewy, soft texture and marriage of oatmeal, chocolate, and salty crunch make up the perfect cookie. They take me back to the days of wrangling and ranching as a crew girl at Deer Valley Ranch. I mean, I had the coolest summer job during college. I wish I could go back to those days! I got to spend the summer months in beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado on a DUDE RANCH. People have crazy ideas about what a dude ranch is (Thanks, movies). In reality, I describe it best as a weeklong summer camp for families. We had a program that ran Saturday to Saturday; families would show up for scheduled activities like hiking, horseback riding, and fly fishing. All meals were on a set schedule and nightly entertainment included Monday Square Dance, Wednesday Night Hayrides, and Thursday Western Show. Being on staff was a whole new perspective. Summer staff was around 30 college-aged boys and girls–many of whom are still my close friends today. Us crew girls would cook, clean, babysit, and wait tables. Wranglers would manage the stables, horses, and lead guest rides. It was hard work, and a lot of play. One of the most anticipated activities of the week was Wednesday’s Lunch Cookout. We’d pack up and head out to an aspen-lined meadow where we’d grill out and play a *competitive* family softball game. On the menu: Burgers, Beans, Watermelon, and COWBOY COOKIES! Did I mention these cookies were the size of your face? It always amazed me that they stayed so soft and chewy; and even though they were the size of frisbees, they didn’t break! These are cookies of legend. We so looked forward to Wednesdays for the promise of a cowboy cookie. I later learned a ranch secret. If you take a hike on Thursday, the kitchen girls pack a leftover cowboy cookie in your lunch! I can’t describe how good these cookies taste at the mid-point of a high elevation trek. WOW. Here’s what happened: now I crave a cowboy cookie EVERY TIME I go on a high country hike with my packed lunch. Hiking and cowboy cookies just go together. My family is coming to visit for a fall getaway! We’ve got a spectacular hike planned to Grizzly Lake (hint: my favorite spot in all of Colorado). You know what that means… I needed a batch of cowboy cookies! Here’s the original DVR Recipe for Cowboy Cookies. In the years since Deer Valley, I’ve become more conscious of ingredients and inflammatory foods. The traditional recipe doesn’t make me feel my best (and that’s something I do want while hiking). I made a few tweaks to decrease the sugar, swapped out the flour, and upgraded the mix-ins. Aha! I still get my cookie fix in the high country and know that I’m fueling myself with a better-for-me treat. Here are my changes (Shhhhh! Don’t tell Sue!): In place of white sugar, I used unrefined coconut sugar. In place of brown sugar, I used golden monk fruit. I decreased the amount of both sugars and added a bit of unsweetened coconut flakes (which give natural sweetness). Instead of white flour, I used Cup4Cup Gluten Free flour. It’s my favorite mix for baking because you truly can replace white flour 1-1 in recipes (and no one will notice!) I kept the oatmeal, but instead of Quick Oats, I used Whole Grain Toasted Oats. Lastly, I toasted the pecans before adding to the mix (worth the extra step) and I used my favorite stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips. I’m eager to have my family test out this recipe and see if they notice my sneaky upgrades. Heh-heh. SHOP THIS RECIPE:

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Dairy-Free Vanilla Saffron Creamer

May 2, 2019 No Comments

I enjoy a rich cup of black coffee, especially at a local Denver or Richmond roaster. However, I’ve gotten into the habit of adding a spot of cream when I make my first morning cup at home. There’s something so divine: a gentle swirl to soften it up and add a touch of flavor. True, organic, grass-fed, heavy cream is a treat, and a little goes a long way.  When I went dairy-free, finding a replacement for my heavy cream was tough. The store-bought creamers tend to be laden with additives (even the organic ones). Sugar, gums, preservatives, emulsifiers…all things I wasn’t willing to add to my daily diet.  Finally, I settled on coconut milk as my base creamer. It adds the same depth and fullness as dairy. To mimic that hint-of-flavor and sweetness that a store-bought creamer has, I came up with this recipe. I make a full batch at the beginning of the week, and then add a spot to each cup.  Want to make your life EVEN simpler? I sometimes freeze this into ice cubes. Then, I pop out an ice cube and add a single serving right into my mug. (Note: it will cool down your coffee juuuust enough. But, if you’re into piping hot coffee, melt the creamer cube in the microwave just before pouring coffee)  This would also pair well with a fragrant black tea! (…looking at you, Watson…) The vanilla and saffron is decadent! However, there are a lot of options. This recipe also works very well with just vanilla. Or vanilla and cinnamon. For sweetness, try adding a tablespoon of maple syrup or honey or a few drops of liquid stevia.  The ingredients of this Canned Organic Coconut Milk are great. I get my coconut milk from Thrive Market. Click Here to save on your first order!

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One-Pot Cast-Iron Camp Meal

April 20, 2018 No Comments

I am so, so happy to live here in Colorado. One of my favorite activities is camping. I can decide on a Friday afternoon that I want to spend the weekend in the mountains- and by dark I will be sitting by a fire stargazing. That’s a major reason I moved to Denver in the first place. I want the ease of adventuring…. which means spontaneous weekend getaways that may have previously taken months of planning. I got in some early spring camping this year. April is still quite cold and unpredictable, but I was set on getting out there! I took the gamble, and endured some mighty winds and woke up to snow on the ground outside the tent. Luckily, my gear stood up to the test and I stayed warm and snuggly inside my sleeping bag (of course, going outside to pee was daunting….).  With some practice, I’ve gotten my camping list down to being able to throw together gear and provisions to make it through a couple days. Beyond the usual camp gear, the food essentials are: S’mores ingredients, Coffee, Beer, and my go-to One-Pot meal.  On day two of ‘camp life’ it is so satisfying to tuck into a warm, savory, filling stew.I learned this cast-iron dutch oven technique from a handsome outdoorsy man. The trick is evenly lit charcoal that gets very hot. Allow it all to light and come to an even temperature, then place the cast iron on the coals and cover the lid with extra brickettes to distribute the heat. Simmer for a few hours, enjoy the occasional waft of spice, kick back, enjoy a beer or two while waiting….ahhh the good life. BE CAREFUL while eating this meal, because it is VERY DELICIOUS.   My go-to one-pot meal for camping and enjoying by the fire. I prep ingredients before, so all I have to do is take them from the cooler, throw together and let it simmer. Sooooo warming and satisfying. 

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Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

March 24, 2018 2 Comments

We’ve made it to spring! I am so looking forward to the coming week as my Mom, little brother and sister will be visiting Colorado during Spring Break. Hooray!! I am spending the weekend prepping for their visit- cleaning the house, getting the guest room ready, etc. And of course, one most important task: bake muffins. Anyone who is lucky to know Momma D knows how seriously she takes her routines. Rising early, bible study, coffee, baking bread..and on with the day. EVERY DAY when 5pm rolls around…it is time for her “Five-o-clock Muffin and Coffee”. Somedays, it is tea. Sometimes, it is a cupcake. Nonetheless- she takes a break to sit down and enjoy a moment for herself. When I visit home it is a treat to go to the freezer and see what varieties of muffins she has cooked up. Pull one out, heat it up, and mmmmm! I am stocking my freezer for the week with one of her all-time favorite kind: The Morning Glory Muffin. Now, I had to do some research into what exactly a morning glory muffin is… Let me tell you. Morning Glory Muffins first appeared in the 1970s in Nantucket, New England. A baker at Morning Glory Cafe created the recipe, which has since been adapted and reimagined. Her original recipe included crushed pineapple, carrots, apples, raisins, coconut, and pecans. My version of the classic uses coconut flour and carrots- a great pair for balancing the moisture. I sweetened them up using only bananas, and then mixed in dried golden raisins and cranberries and chopped pecans and walnuts. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo- and scrumptious!  

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