Zucchini Bread!!!
It looks like a lot of ingredients, but if you’re patient, the end result is pretty good really good!
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
- 3/4 cups almond meal
- 1/4 cup sorghum flour
- 1/4 cup teff flour
- 1/4 cup corn flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 (heaping) tsp guar gum
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup zucchini puree
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup agave
- 3 cups grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease two bread pans. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients. Add to dry ingredients, and stir well to mix. Gently fold in zucchini and pecans. Pour half of the batter into one bread pan.
And then have fun by adding the ingredients below to the remaining batter for triple chocolate zucchini bread!
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1/4 cup coconut
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup gfcf chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs
Bake for about 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.
***The original recipe, which I got here, called for 1 1/2 cups of oat flour. Because I didn’t have any gluten-free oat flour, I substituted the sorghum flour, almond meal, teff flour, and corn flour. I also added tapioca flour.
You really should check out the original recipe and compare the changes. I am finding that in baking and cooking, most recipes are pretty flexible.
New Pancake Recipe and Verses and Benjamin
If you can imagine, I have found a new pancake recipe that I love. It is super simple, and extra delicious. This one is courtesy Bob’s Red Mill.
- 2 cups Teff flour (an Ethiopian, gluten-free grain!!)
- 4 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 T vegetable oil
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add liquid ingredients and whisk. Cook on a griddle over medium heat. (Because there are no eggs, they cook quite quickly on each side)
Tonight, I added coconut and flax meal, and we topped ours with strawberries and our pure maple syrup/agave mix. The kids loved them.
Now, about those verses. Psalm 139:14 says,
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
And Philippians 1:6 says,
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
The first is factual. We ARE fearfully and wonderfully made. It doesn’t say that we might be. It says that we are. The second verse is a promise. He WILL carry on the good work he has started in us.
So, why recipes (gluten-free!), verses, and Benjamin? Because we have recently found that Benjamin is gluten-intolerant (and probably possibly dairy or casein intolerant). And because God’s word promises that Benjamin is fearfully and wonderfully made. Even with a simple protein intolerance. And God’s word also promises that He will carry on a good work in Benjamin’s life. He will carry it on to completion, even in the midst of a crazy-strict new diet. Even in the midst of a world filled with gluten and casein! (I also think this means he will carry on a good work through Jarid, Kaiya, and myself!!!)
Someday, I may write about our journey to that discovery. For now, suffice it to say that this a brand new boy. No lie.
We covet your prayers as we take on a new giant.
Feel free to comment or email me if you are interested in hearing more or have questions. There will definitely be more to come on this particular issue.
Yummiest Whole Grain Waffles
If you missed my heathiest pancakes, click here.
These are absolutely the best waffles ever. I make them at least every week and a half. Pretty sure I’m going to have to get a new waffle maker soon. *hint hint*
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour (adds fiber!!)
- 2/3 cup oats
- squeeze of agave nectar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- dash of salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup oil (olive, grapeseed, avocado, etc…)
- **optional ingredients: unsweetened coconut, pecans or walnuts, and flax meal or wheat germ
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk eggs lightly, then add milk and liquid oil. Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil (I usually stick the entire jar in the oven, which I set to “broil”). Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then add the coconut oil. Do not overmix. Make waffles!!!!
As with the pancakes, instead of regular syrup, we use half agave nectar and half pure maple syrup. Trust me…the result is SOOOO much better. I do try to add pecans and flax meal every time. Omega-3’s baby! And since Benjamin isn’t big on pecans, it’s a great way to hide them. The kids LOVE them.
Hope you enjoy!
Do you know the muffin man?
Funny story.
I made muffins for breakfast before church last Sunday. They are, by the way, the world’s yummiest healthy muffins ever. So, as we were heading out the door, I grabbed a few muffins for the road and set them on the trunk while we got the kiddos buckled. Of course, Benjamin spotted them immediately and begged to have one more. I only vaguely remembered this until yesterday. We were eating a few for a snack and Jarid said to him, “Do you know the muffin man?” (the muffin man, the muffin man…..la la la)
Benjamin’s response? “Yeah, he puts cookies on our Honda!!”
Okay, I thought it was funny.
Anyway, without further adieu, the muffin recipe:
Sweet Potato Muffins
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 3 cups pureed sweet potatoes* (I used one yam and one sweet potato!)
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
- 3/4 cup raw agave syrup (or honey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups gluten-free flour blend** (I actually used rice flour, coconut flour, and whole wheat flour)
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup raisins (optional)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In blender container, whisk together flax seed meal and water. Let sit for a few minutes. Add sweet potatoes, grapeseed oil, agave syrup, spices, and vanilla extract. Blend well, until smooth.
In medium sized mixing bowl, put flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fluff with fork. Add nuts and raisins.
Add blender ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Fill greased muffin tin or muffin paper liners three-fourths full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer muffins to cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container.
*If using homemade pureed sweet potatoes, let excess water drip out through a cheesecloth, until the puree is very thick.
**Gluten-free flours are: Amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, cornmeal, teff, millet, quinoa, sorghum, and tapioca.
Thanks to Wardeh at Such Treasures for this recipe!
