America's Test Kitchen Gluten Free Pizza Crust

For a few years now, David has had to eat gluten-free, so most of our dinners are gluten-free to accommodate that. I also feel so much better if I avoid gluten. We've tried many recipes and this is delicious. ATK does have their own GF flour blend you can make, but I often just do a higher ratio of brown rice flour and white rice flour with a smaller ratio of potato starch and tapioca starch. The psyllium husk in this recipe takes the place of xantham gum. I bought whole husk and grind it in a handheld coffee grinder. 

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

Image Source

Elderberry syrup helps to prevent (and shorten the duration of) colds and flus. It also is just really great for your immune system, so it has helped me get over a sore throat and the stomach flu as well.

I looked at a couple recipes to create this one. Store the elderberry syrup in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Elderberry Syrup Recipe Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried elderberries
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 tsp dry (not powder) ginger root
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp whole cloves
• 1/2 cup, raw honey

Elderberry Syrup Method

1. Add all ingredients except for the honey into a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to medium.
3. Continue simmering for 30-45 minutes until the liquid is reduced to half.
4. Before the liquid cools, strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
5. Allow the liquid to cool to about 118F (to preserve the enzymes in the raw honey), and gently combine the warm reduced berry liquid with the raw honey.
6. Store in a jar in the fridge for a few weeks. For longer storage, freeze into ice cube trays to defrost for later use.

Standard dose is 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp for kids and 1/2 Tbsp to 1 Tbsp for adults. If the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.


Original recipes & recommended dosage from here and here. 

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each), chopped
• 24 oz chicken broth
• 15 oz green enchilada sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) navy beans, drained, divided
• 4 corn tortillas, cut up, coated in coconut oil and baked at 400 degrees for 10 minutes (save for top)

Directions

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion in oil for 10 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the chicken, chicken broth, green enchilada sauce, cumin, oregano; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low. With a potato masher, mash one can of beans until smooth. Add to saucepan. Add remaining beans to saucepan. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until heated throughly.
• Top each serving with toasted corn tortillas if desired. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Source for original recipe

Pumpkin Cookies - two versions

Pumpkin Cookies

1 1/2 cups soft white winter wheat
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 dashes of cloves
2 dashes of ginger
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar (combo of rapadura & evaporated cane juice sugar)
1 3/4 cup pumpkin (1 can)
2 TBSP coconut oil melted
1 TBSP butter melted

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Combine all ingredients, bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Source for original recipe and image 

Pumpkin Carrot Applesauce Cookies 

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oatmeal

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

heaping ½ tsp nutmeg

heaping ½ tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin

1 cup applesauce

1 cup shredded carrots

¼ cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp vanilla

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

makes 48 cookies

Healthy, No Bake Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP Peanut Butter

2 TBSP butter

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup rapadura
2 cups QUICK cooking oats
1 cup brown puff rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, peanut butter, honey and rapadura together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook (at a gentle boil) for 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. Spray clean hands with cooking spray and press firmly to get it to come together. Cool on a countertop to room temperature until cool. About 1 hour. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Source for original recipe and image 

Ultimate Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped
2/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (or sesame seeds)
1/4 cup rapadura
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp water 
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup craisins or raisins 

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 1 (or 2) sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins or craisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Source for original recipe & image

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup rapadura
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 soft white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and egg in a bowl.
Stir in 2 1/4 cups flour, baking soda, salt. You want dough to be very stiff, may need to add another 1/4 cup of flour)
Stir in chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough until firm
Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Original Recipe Source