The leaves are changing colors in the mountains, the nights are getting cooler....it must be time for pumpkins! As October approaches there's a few things that you just can't help but notice. 1) Halloween costumes and decorations have taken over every store. (Seriously? Pretty soon they're going to start pushing Halloween right after the 4th of July!)  2) Everyone starts craving warm comfort food like bread and soup, and 3) pumpkins are finding they're way onto front porches and into our dinner and dessert dishes.Speaking of dessert, my mom makes the best pumpkin squares. Every fall she busts out a can of pumpkin puree and whips up this yummy dessert. We already know how good pumpkin is for you with those antioxidants and vitamins found in dark orange fruits and vegetables. Since my mission in the kitchen is to create gluten free food that also has no refined sugar, and will overall be something healthy to fuel my family, I had to make a few changes to mom's original.I wanted a similar look, feel, and taste that I love about mom's pumpkin squares, just without the flour and sugar. This grain free version is dairy free, gluten free, and Paleo. After a little time in the oven these pumpkin squares come out soft, spongy, and won't dry out easily like so many other gluten free desserts.

I am forever in pursuit of easy, tasty, and healthy gluten free baked goods. My obsession is partly because I love bread, but mostly it's because of my daughter with an autoimmune disease. Following a gluten free diet may suddenly make enjoying baked goods seem like a long lost dream, or at the very least, way too complicated to bother with. Instead of using a cup of one kind of flour, now it takes a handful of different "flours" ranging from rice, to tapioca, to beans!

Fall is on it's way, apples are coming into season, and everyone is craving some warm comfort food that reminds them of home. At least I am. It can be frustrating though, attempting to indulge in some reminiscent baked goods when more recent food allergies have kind of put a halt on "bread". Well this bread is gluten free with no refined sugar. Instead I made my own bean flour blend and used coconut sugar, no sugar added apple sauce, and real maple syrup to make this delicious treat. Yummy!

"What the heck is Kefir? Cultured what? Fermented vegetables? I've made homemade yogurt, but what's all this other stuff?"Those may or may not have been my exact thoughts when I first heard about these strange terms. After some research, trial and error, and a little taste testing, this topic suddenly has my undivided attention.Still don't know what I'm talking about?I'm talking about bacteria. (dun dun dun!) Don't panic, these microorganisms are the good guys. For a long time western culture has had it out for bacteria in any form - antibiotics when you get the sniffles and antimicrobials in the form of hand sanitizer and cleaners. But, just like cholesterol can be divided into good (LDL) and bad (HDL), so can bacteria.The thing is, our gut needs the good kind of bacteria, called bifidobacteria and/or lactobacilli. And chances are you've already had some cultured microorganisms...yogurt anyone? Ongoing research shows that these kinds of beneficial bacteria support a healthy digestive system, boosts the immune system, and greatly improves the health of the whole body. This is even more important for those with gastrointestinal diseases. I have first hand knowledge from before my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease and we went gluten free that when the gut is not working properly, overall health and well-being goes down the toilet. Seriously, happy intestines make a happy and healthy person.If you'd like to read more about healthy bacteria, here's a great article.Ok, so what's this about kefir, cultures, and fermentation?These are all methods for consuming (in a yummy way) the good bacteria our bodies need to enjoy optimal health. Basically, you're making your own probiotics. Fermented vegetables recipe and how-to coming soon!Kefir is traditionally a creamy milk-based drink that has been cultured at room temperature, while yogurt is cultured at a temperature around 110 F and has a thicker consistency. Depending on whether you have a yogurt maker or not, you can make this overnight breakfast bowl with coconut kefir instead of coconut yogurt.I cultured mine in a yogurt maker instead of at room temperature. Details, details. Call it whatever you want. It's a dairy free, superfood, that's great in this simple breakfast.

  I made these last night in celebration of the last week before the kids go back to school! Maybe it's a little more of a celebration for me and just sympathy sweets for the kids. Either way, they are chewy and yummy and so easy to make. Years ago Alex's grandma showed me how to take a couple eggs, a cup of peanut butter and a cup of sugar and make it into simple little peanut butter cookies. They are so good, but you have to make them really little so they don't fall apart and there's a lot of sugar. So I decided to take her classic recipe and alter it just enough to make it healthier, yet just as simple and good. The trick is replacing the whole eggs with whipped egg whites and the refined white sugar with a less refined sweetener like coconut sugar or honey.   * Okay, so actually there are 4 ingredients if you count the chocolate chips, but you get the idea. 

  "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must...undergo the fatigue of supporting it."    - Thomas Paine

  Fresh peaches are showing up at farmers' markets and grocery stores everywhere now that summer is well underway. I love the smell and taste of a perfectly ripe peach. Mmmm, there is just something about them that requires you to relax.  I love to sink my teeth in and let the juice run down my chin, but there are lots of other delicious ways to serve and enjoy all those summer peaches too....Peach Meringue and Maple Vinegar Glazed Nectarines (or peaches) are some of my favorites for a quick dessert. Making it Paleo (gluten free, grain free, sugar free) eliminates the worry about whether you'll be able to shimmy into your swimsuit after eating it.

Hello summer! Time for something cold and sweet! Let's skip the sugar-laden, artificially colored, ingredients-I-can't-pronounce kind of treats and eat something that makes you feel as good as it tastes. Gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, delicious Orange Creamsicles!  The best thing about these yummy treats isn't just that they taste amazing...well, yes it is...okay, one of the best things is that this recipe is versatile! You can pour it into Popsicle molds or if you have an ice cream maker you can turn it into Dairy Free Orange Sherbet Ice Cream!

  Okay I have to admit this "bread" may be more closely related to a brownie, but it's a gluten free, dairy free, grain free, refined sugar free, delicious bread/brownie something!

  I got a message from one of my very best friends that she would be in town in the morning. It's been almost 2 years since the last time I'd seen her and I was excited to catch up and let's face it, anytime I can have an adult conversation it's like Christmas. So last night before bed I made these sweet gluten free applesauce muffins with buckwheat, brown rice, and oatmeal flour. Hardy enough to fill my kiddos up before school and less mess for me to clean up on an already busy morning. They turned out so yummy and were all eaten in less than 10 minutes! 

    These peanut butter cookies are simple, healthy, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and packed with protein! 

That's kind of a mouthful to say, but that's okay since you'll probably kind of have a mouthful of these clean eating, gluten free, healthy, homemade treats! These are perfect for a cinco de Mayo party, a simple dessert at a barbecue, or just as a healthy alternative to the sugar and food coloring Popsicle for the kids this summer. 

  Mother's day is coming! If it was me (hint hint) I'd love to get spoiled on mother's day by just being able to relax! Maybe in a lawn chair out in the sun, a glass of lemon water (with a straw), a big floppy sun hat, a good book, and a yummy treat just for me. Just saying.

  Busy days with sports, science fair projects, springtime to-dos, and everyday must-dos call for chowder in a crockpot. Tonight I made my savory (and according to my friend Nicole, even better the next day) Chickpea Chowder. The problem, was that I had nothing to dunk and soak up all that yumminess. I used to make THE best focaccia bread from scratch that was perfect with a dish like this. So I had to come up with something dunk-worthy that was equally as savory on it's own.

  You knew it was coming...I mentioned an upcoming birthday and I made homemade Greek yogurt. What else is there to do but make some gluten free carrot cupcakes with homemade Greek yogurt frosting?! These little guys are going to be perfect for a certain little girl's birthday tea party and would also be a great Easter dessert - you know, cause the Easter bunny loves carrots ;)

Okay, this may be revealing some of my secrets, but if you've recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, have a gluten intolerance, or just want to change up the grains in your life, then knowledge and know-how are your best friends. When my daughter was first diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder I was so worried about messing up that I just didn't make anything unless I used a gluten free mix. It didn't take me long to realize that more often than not this method was way too expensive, the ingredients were crazy fattening and unhealthy (despite being gluten free), and a lot of the time it just didn't taste good...at all! So I started experimenting and yes, messing up. The result, however, has been that now I can make up my own recipes that are gluten free, healthy, and taste super yummy! 

 I made the mistake of buying nutella recently. Mistake, you ask? Oh, don't worry it's gluten free, that's not the problem. The problem is when I come into the kitchen to find my kids with spoonfuls of nutella that they're licking clean, with more of it all over their faces, suggesting this isn't their first spoonful. And no, they won't admit how many spoonfuls they've snuck in the last 20 minutes while I was putting the baby down for a nap. They "forgot".I really can't get too mad at them since I may have been caught doing the same thing just the other day! There are worse things than nutella covered faces, but if they - and by they I mean WE - are going to eat cocoa flavored nut butters by the spoonful it might as well be without tons of sugar, emulsifiers, and artificial flavors. So I made us some {homemade} walnut cocoa butter!I chose walnuts because that's what I had, but I'm sure it could work with most other nuts: cashew, hazelnut, almond, etc. All you need is a good heavy duty blender or food processor. You could also use already made nut butters like almond butter and just whip it together with the remaining ingredients. There are some health food grocery stores where you can grind your own fresh nut butter. Otherwise, use  organic walnuts and enjoy a gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, all-natural, healthy treat! If you want some more how-to advice on making nut butter here's a great post from Beth at Tasty Yummies.P.S. It's so yummy spread on top of my Paleo Chocolate Chip cookies. I was fresh out of chocolate chips so I just replaced the coconut flour with the walnut cocoa butter for a Paleo chocolate cookie! And then topped it with a little more...just for good measure.

So I've been doing a lot of experimenting with gluten free flour blends and trying to come up with one that doesn't require any xanthan gum. So far I've experienced fail and epic fail! But, out of those failures I've learned what doesn't work and have come up with this very yummy gluten free flour blend that I used to make this hardy flaxseed bread. I think there's a life lesson hidden in there somewhere. This bread's nice and sturdy and may even replace my old gluten free sandwich bread as my new sandwich bread recipe!