Gluten-FREE Apple Crumb Pie

I was just going to post this recipe, simple and delicious as it is.  But I wanted to add a little bit on waxed paper, as I recommend utilizing it for the crust of this scrumptious pie.  I highly recommend switching over to an all natural waxed paper.  You can look up various brands online to learn more.  All natural waxed paper is made 100% petroleum-free.  They also use an unbleached paper, meaning that paper went thru much less chemical contact before it reached your food.  They get the waxy finish from all natural soybean wax.  And it's safe for our planet, too, as it is non-toxic and biodegradable, which is wonderful.  We use our waxed paper in place of plastic baggies for packing our lunches and storing foods in the fridge.  So that's my note.  Give it a try.  Now on to today's dessert recipe...

Gluten-FREE Apple Crumb Pie

adapted from Cooking With Coconut Flour (an amazing cookbook everyone should own)

Crust:

1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted twice

1/2 cup almond meal (chop raw almonds in food processor until the consistency of flour)

2 free-range eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp raw honey (optional)

1/4 cup organic unsalted butter, melted

1/4 tsp sea salt

Filling:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup xylitol

1/4 tsp liquid stevia

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder

1/4 tsp almond extract

Crumb Topping:

3/4 cup chopped raw almonds

1/4 cup raw brown sugar (OMIT IF ADVANCED PLAN)

2 Tbsp organic butter, melted

1.)  CRUST   Sift the coconut flour twice and set it aside.  Beat the eggs slightly, then thoroughly mix all the remaining crust ingredients into the eggs.  Add the coconut flour last and mix it in well to form the dough.   Kneed the dough with your hands for about 1 minute.

2.)  Roll the pie dough out between 2 sheets of waxed paper to ensure minimal breakage.  Coconut flour is very tricky to work with, so I highly recommend this step.  If needed, tape the waxed paper down to secure your work surface.  Roll the dough into a ball then place between the waxed paper sheets.  Press down with your hands until about 6 inches in diameter.  Use your rolling pin to flatten to about 1/8 inch thickness.

3.)  Moving the dough to the pie shell is the trickiest part.  I recommend slipping a thin, flat object such as a pizza paddle, cookie sheet or piece of cardboard under the bottom layer of waxed paper.  Untape the waxed paper, discard the top sheet, and carefully lift the cookie sheet and dough off the counter and into the fridge for a couple minutes to firm up.  Remove.  Using both hands, gently but quickly flip the dough over and on top of your pie pan.  Shape the dough into the pan, removing the waxed paper.  You did it!!  It will be so worth the extra sifting, taping and shaping to taste this yummy, nutty gluten-free flour!

4.)  TOPPING    In a medium bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork.  Set aside.

5.)  FILLING   In a large saucepan over Medium heat, cook apples in 1/2 c water with lid on until slightly softened (around 10 mins).  Add agave nectar, stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt.  Mix arrowroot with 1/4 cup of cold water and stir into mixture to thicken.  Cook thru until apples are tender.  Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.  Fill pie crust with mixture.

6.)  Spread topping over the pie and bake at 375 degrees F for about 18 minutes.  I recommend using a pie crust ring or trimming the pie shell with aluminum foil to prevent the pie crust edges from burning (remove at last 5 minutes of cooking).  Watch that the nut topping does not burn, too.  If it starts to get dark, tent the pie with aluminum foil to disperse heat on the almonds.

Healing Cuisine's Homemade Ketchup

Use organic ingredients to make this home made ketchup with no sodium, no sugar, and no chemicals.  Perfect for the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans!

Healing Cuisine's Homemade Ketchup
Makes 4 Cups

4 pounds organic tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp Bragg apple cider vinegar

1. Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, apple juice, and cayenne pepper in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil.  Tie off the bay leaf, cloves, celery seed and peppercorns in cheesecloth.  Add to the pot and continue to boil, stirring often until the mixture has reduced by half.

2. Remove the spice bag and stir in the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.  Continue to boil for 10 more minutes, then remove from the heat.  Pour into a glass container(s) and cool (puree in food processor if desired).  Cover with a lid and refrigerate until using.  Use or freeze within 1-2 weeks. 

We just made this and we divided it into two glass containers.  One for the fridge, one for the freezer.  We'll grab the frozen ketchup as needed and will have plenty for months and months!  This recipe makes about 4 cups of ketchup.

Leek & Potato Soup

This is a delicious soup that we do on our "vacation" days, the days we bend the rules a little on what we eat.  We usually take a vacation meal once or twice a month, sometimes more if we're dealing with hectic times.  So keep in mind that a main ingredient in this soup is potatoes, and potatoes are not included on the basic or advanced Maximized Living Nutrition Plans for this reason:

Potatoes are a high-starch carbohydrate with high Glycemic Index (GI) values.  Carbohydrate means "carbon plus water" (citing the Dictionary).  While carbohydrates are an essential nutrient for brain fuel and health, keep in mind the type of carbs you are taking in.  Potatoes contain glucose, the simplest carbohydrate which turns to sugar extremely fast in the body.  All other vegetables in general contain much less glucose creating a relatively slower glycemic spike during and after the meal.  So while practicing the Maximized Living Nutrition Plan, whether basic or advanced, you want to steer clear of potatoes due to their high-starch, high glucose content.  New white potatoes (which you can use in this recipe) are better choices, with sweet potatoes being best of all.  Potatoes are a fat-free healthy food that provide useful amounts of vitamin C, potassium and fiber.  Their high GI value can be reduced by eating them with other low-GI foods as part of the same meal.

Leek & Potato Soup
Makes About 4 Servings

10 small red new potatoes
5 cups organic, sodium free chicken broth
2 leeks, chopped and rinsed
3 Tbsp coconut oil
2 cups unsweetened organic almond milk
6 cloves garlic, smashed
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

1.) Place potatoes into a large saucepan with water to cover.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender.  Meanwhile, saute leeks in coconut oil until translucent.

2.) When potatoes are done, skin them while they are still hot and cut them into bite sized pieces (skinning is optional).  Place potatoes into a stock pot with chicken broth, smashed garlic cloves and leeks.  Season with sea salt and pepper.

3.) Cook over Medium heat until simmering.  Stir in almond milk and return to simmer until thickened slightly.  Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Search Bar Down

Wanted to let you know that my search function is not working properly.  I've been working all morning on trying to figure out why, but nothing has worked yet.  Now we're heading out for a wedding and I probably won't get back to fixing this feature until later this week.  Sorry for the inconvenience!  Check out the Labels section in the right hand column of the Homepage to help you find the recipes you need.  I'll let you know what it's fixed and the site is fully searchable again!  Happy cooking!

Kombucha Tea Flavorings

It's been a few months now, and many batches of Kombucha later, I have compiled a list of our favorites.  Word of advice: we add these ingredients during the 2nd fermentation stage (after the SCOBY is removed and the tea is re-bottled and sealed for its second week of sitting out at room temperature).  [TIP:  For added kombucha fiz/carbonation, add a pinch of sugar or 1/4 tsp raw honey to the jar(s) for the 2nd fermentation stage.  This will further feed the yeast in the tea creating a more bubbly end product.  It's really a matter of personal preference.  A word of caution on the fizz factor…when storing your bottled kombucha at room temperature, please store your bottles in a cabinet or box or some other safe place in the event a bottle cracks or explodes.  I have heard horror stories about explosive bottles shooting glass shards and the sticky mess all over the room..]

We prefer to drink our Kombucha cold, with the exception of the last flavor on this list, so try refrigerating the finished product before taking your first taste and making an impression.  If you try any of these recipes, please let me know how you liked them!  And if you have any other interesting flavorings of your own, please pass along!  We are always excited to try a new experiment! :)


TO 3QUARTS OF KOMBUCHA TEA ADD:

Cranberry Ginger:  1/4c unsweetened dried cranberries and 2 tsp fresh ginger chunks

Strawberry:  1/4 c strawberry jam, 7 fresh/frozen strawberries, OR 5 dried strawberries

Blueberry:  1/4 c blueberry jam, 1/3 c fresh/frozen blueberries, OR 1/4 c dried blueberries

Strawberry-Banana:  1/4 c strawberry jam + 1/2 of a fresh banana

Lemon-Ginger:  the zest of half a lemon (in strips) + 2 tsp fresh ginger chunks

Triple Berry (black berries, strawberries, thimbleberries):  1/3 c total of mixed berries

Raspberry:  1/4 c raspberry jam OR 1/3 c fresh/frozen raspberries

Grape (from a friend's back yard):  3/4 c organic concord grapes

Lemon-Lime:  [use a traditional zester to create threadlike strips of peel]  1/4 c lemon peel + 1/3 c lime peel

Apricot:  1/2 c organic unsweetened apricot juice OR 1/3 c dried apricots

Peppermint:  2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves (slightly crushed)

Cherry:  1/4 c dried cherries OR 1/3 c pitted fresh cherries

Coffee: coffee has similar flavinoids and tannins to tea;  use a dark organic roast: 3-5 Tbsp of coffee per gallon (4 quarts) of water you use plus your usual sugar; I recommend tying off the ground coffee in a coffee filter with cooking twine and adding to the boiling water on the stove, like a homemade tea bag -- makes for easier clean up and less straining.  Pour your cooled coffee/sugar mix into your bowl with the starter.  Add the SCOBY and let ferment.  Coffee Kombucha will take about twice as long to ferment, so be prepared (2 weeks instead of 1).  We make it along side a normal batch of tea Kombucha so we don't run out.  It is well worth the wait!  And don't worry if the Mother has dark spots on it  --  it took us a while to realize that they're just coffee stains.  Give it its second fermentation stage like normal, adding a pinch of sugar for that week to help it along.  It packs a different energy jolt than traditional tea Kombucha!  I think you will enjoy!  :)

Every Day Is Earth Day! How Do YOU Say Thank You?

Earth Day is about appreciating our planet and giving back.  I understand the goal of the marketed Earth Day is to make us concious about the pollution and situation our planet is in, but every year I can't help but want to scream out "What if we made these changes, dedicated this much time back to our Earth all year round!?  Come on people, green your LIFE!!"  So in honor of this special day, I wanted to share some resources for you to check out that will help you not only green your diet, but your entire lifestyle as well!

After going thru the books and blogs I've read or follow, I realized there are so many "green" resources out there.  After reading various resource books already, I've noticed most of these guidance books have the same information written a dozen different ways.  I want to send you to a great "Green Bible" if you will, something that will cover all the basic information for those of you who are newer to green living.

Dave and I were recently involved in a local expo called Restore.  The leading holistic healers and organic businesses from the Twin Cities were asked to be a part of Restore, and Revolution Wellness Center was asked to join that ranking again this year.  SO Dave and I headed out to the Depot to save more lives in our community.  At Restore, I came across the book "Gorgeously Green" by Sophie Uliano.  I actually ended up winning it in a door prize drawing, and was so excited to win!  We were getting ready to order it online the next week, so it was a blessing to win it and save a few bucks.  I've since been devouring the pages of Gorgeously Green and think it's just wonderful!  What I love most is Sophie's way of taking you through the "8 steps of going green."  It's not about sacrifice and suffering.  It's about living a cleaner healthier live for YOU, your family and our Earth.  Sophie will guide you thru the 8 steps and also walk you thru alternative products and different ways to live your life but still feel satisfied and happy.  I love it and highly recommend you order a copy for yourself!  Her website is also a fabulous resource -- find passwords throughout the book to access different areas of the site that will further help you make green lifestyle changes.  Gorgeously Green will help you eliminate toxins from every area of your life, even if you've already started to make changes.  Sophie has great tips many people don't think of on their own!  Can't say enough about this book, check it out!!

Here are some great online sources that I follow on a regular basis.  You never know what these amazing people are going to post on.  It's a great idea to start a blog roll specifically dedicated to Green, Natural Living so you can constantly get new tips.  If you don't have a blog of your own, you can still share your own Green ideas by posting comments on blogs like these ones.  Hundreds of people will read your comments -- you just might impact one or many more lives!

Nature Moms  I absolutely love and enjoy reading Tiffany's experiences taking her family into the eco-friendly lifestyle.  She also shares many of my same values (no-vaccines family, raw foods, gluten free, sustainable eating habits, holistic healing/no medications, etc), so that really appeals to me.  She is still missing the chiropractic puzzle piece to healing, but I trust in time that will happen.  Check her amazing blog for so many Green, natural mom , food and cleaning tips!  Outstanding!

Organic Mania  This blog is dedicated to making sense of healthy, green living.  These ladies do the research for you on making organic purchases, because let's face it..if you are going organic, there is a lot of time involoved researching the products and making sure the products are truly pure.  I love their saving money tips, too, because let's face it..going green can be expensive at times!

Tree Hugger  Such a cool place to get green information on just about any topic imaginable.  They won the 2010 Best of Green Award of Excellence.  You have to at least visit this site once and perouse, see if you find something you like.  I imagine you will be back.. :)


Take Action!  These are some places you can go to voice your opion and speak out 

Natural Resources Defense Council

Food and Water Watch

Green Peace

In what ways have you said Thank You to Earth today?  All year round?  If it's new to you, take it one day at a time.  Make a list of changes you want to make over the next few months or year.  Introduce a new change each week.  Taking baby steps is key to not feeling overwhelmed with change.

Happy Earth Day!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

This combination may seem a little strange, but the banana provides the taste, the avocado adds texture, and the cacao nibs add the chocolaty flavor for this rich dessert!

Raw Chocolate Pudding
Makes 2-3 Servings

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk
1/4 cup 73+% dark chocolate shavings
2 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Place all ingredients into a blender.  Cover, and puree until smooth.  Divide into small containers, and store in the refrigerator 1 hour until set.