Wellness
Gluten Free Berry Coffee Cake
We had our leadership celebration brunch today and this gluten free berry coffee cake was a hit!!! I adapted the recipe I found on mygluten-freekitchen website and added a little extra cinnamon for fun. Once again I used the “Mama’s Almond Blend” Gluten free flour2 cups good quality gluten-free flour blend*
1 tsp. xanthan gum (omit if your flour contains xanthan already)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
2 cups fresh or frozen berries
TOPPING
1/3 cup gluten-free flour
3 Tbsp. salted butter, softened
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp finely chopped almonds
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9″ deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
COFFEE CAKE:
1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt until blended.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream together the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla.
3. Alternately add in the buttermilk and the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. Mix only enough to blend together, don’t over-mix. Batter will be very thick.
4. Spread batter into a greased 9″ cake pan or pie plate.
5. Place the berries one at a time over the surface of the cake batter, gently pushing down into the batter.
TOPPING:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, and sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is crumbly and butter pieces are pea-sized or smaller. Stir in cinnamon and finely chopped almonds.
2. Sprinkle topping over the batter as evenly as possible.
3. Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Serve …
Healthy Snacks, Healthy Habits
Summer is right around the corner, and NOW is the time to make some small changes in your health that can yield BIG results!
A great way to support healthy habits is to make filling and nourishing snack choices between meals, or when you are on the go. The Growing Weisser girls ALWAYS have a snack or two (or 10) in their purses or diaper bags for the kids and mama!
Healthy snacking is a great way to boost metabolism, curb hunger, nourish the body, and manage blood sugar. A healthy snack is a balanced snack – one that provides protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Keeping pre-made or grab-and-go snacks around will help you make a simple, healthy choice when hunger strikes.
Here are some more of our FAVORITES!
4 favorite grab-and-go snacks for grown-ups (and kids)
Peanut Butter Super Powerballs
Rachel’s Favorite Protein Balls pick your favorite protein powder and the possibilities are endless!!
What are you snacking on?!
…
Fruit and Nut Healthy Snack Bars
Fruit and Nut Healthy Snack Bars will be your new go-to snack for on-the-go nutrition. Packed full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods, this bar will be a new family favorite. They are easy to make and they freeze easily. Have fun adding other dried fruits and nuts that you like for a variety of flavors. You can substitute apple sauce or pumpkin puree for the banana. I love having an easy snack to reach for in the mid-afternoon that will curb my sweet-tooth and give me a quick dose of high energy food. For so many of us that over extended in many ways during the holidays (excessive lack of sleep, overindulgence in activities and over eating) , this healthy snack bar is a great option. Bake up a batch and enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coconut flour (nonfat dried milk can be used)
1/4 cup ground flax seed meal
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 ripe banana, peeled mashed (unsweetened applesauce can replace banana)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine the oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, apricots, pecans, raisins, cranberries, coconut flour, flax seed meal, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. In a separate bowl combine the syrup, eggs, mashed banana, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add dry ingredients from food processor to wet mixture in the bowl and stir until combined. Transfer the mixture to the pan and press down. Bake 20-25 minutes until the mixture is golden brown and firm to the …
Read MoreGrateful for Gathering
Women love to GATHER!!! We gather for play groups for our children. We gather for coffee to catch up with friends. We gather to hike or exercise together. We gather for counsel, encouragement, advice and support from women who have walked the road before us-in dating, courtship, marriage child-rearing, caring for aging parents….the list is endless. We find every and any excuse to gather because together we are stronger.
I am so grateful for my women friends. Those who lead me and challenge me to be the best version of myself. I am grateful for those who trust me enough to follow when I invite them into my life and share my passions. As I grow in my relationships with other women I have confidence to do brave things. I have strength to go out of my comfort zone. I have courage to love those difficult people in my life that cause me stress and anxiety. When my girl friends are cheering for me in my balcony and praying for me, I can do the hard but RIGHT things, I can love without limits, I can accept the hard stuff in my life.
So this week I am grateful for GATHERING!!!
Tonight we had a gathering of women from our church. We have a new campus and have a desire for building community. We shared a meal together and we were encouraged to answer a few questions that helped us get to know one another better. We will continue this tradition throughout this next year, once a month, to help get our women connected, have a place to belong and learn how we can serve one another in our church, serve our family and make an impact in our community.
I offered to bring a crock pot of soup to …
Read MoreApple Butter
One of my favorite things to do in the Fall is go to Apple Hill and pick or buy apples. When I get my favorite apples home, I love to make apple butter. This has been my tradition for many years. I have a special buddy that I usually cook with but this year she is out of town and I have a new kitchen. So I decide to do some canning to get a jump on our Christmas gifts.
Ingredients
1 gallon apple cider (I use Trader Joe’s unfiltered natural apple juice)
4 quarts apples (about 7-8 pounds)
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons allspice
I double or triple this recipe…..Start by brining apple cider to a boil in a very large pot. Turn to simmer and cook down for about 1-2 hours. Place all canning jars in dishwasher and wash on light wash setting so they will be dry within the 1-2 hours while apple butter is cooking. Place tops in a large bowl and cover with boiling water close to the time you begin to ladle apple butter into jars.
Cut and core apples. (No need to remove skin because it cooks down but feel free if you prefer)
Chop apples in Cuisinart.
Add apples to large pan by batches. Continue to stir and simmer apple juice/apple mixture as you cut, core and chop all the apples. Keep on a low setting so apples begin to break down as they cook. Stir constantly so the apple compote does not stick to bottom of pan.
Mix sugar and spices in a separate bowl. When apples are glossy and mixture looks like applesauce, add the sugar and spices. Stir constantly on low heat so all the sugar dissolves. 
Turn off …
Apple Cake-Wellness style
This apple cake is moist and full of flavor. You can make it gluten free and it is full of fiber, so as far as a healthy dessert recipe goes, this is a keeper. Since I chop all the apples in a food processor with the peel on and I also chopped the nuts and raisins together in the food processor, it is a quick and easy dessert to make and take to parties.
Ingredients
2 cups flour (you can use gluten free flour here without changing the taste or texture)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ cups walnuts
1 cup raisins
5-6 large tart apples (4 cups when chopped)
½ cup oil (I use coconut oil)
1 cup sugar (you can use honey, coconut sugar or brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Chop walnuts and set aside. Peel, core and chop apples. You can chop the walnuts and apples in a food processor. (I actually do not peel the apples before I chop them in the food processor)
Cream the oil and sugar. add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Fold in the apples, nuts and raisins. The batter will be very stiff. Turn into a well greased 9×13 pan or a bunt pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven. Bake 45 minutes for the 9×13 pan and 50 minutes for the bunt pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
Pumpkin Ginger Scones
The sights, sounds and smells of Fall are in the air and the mornings are cooler. School has been in session for weeks now and hopefully the kids have settled into a routine that allows for a healthy breakfast.
But if you still find yourself running around in the morning with many days that they need a grab-n-go breakfast or a pick-me-up-snack midmorning, these Pumpkin Ginger Spice Scones are packed full of nutritious deliciousness. Make up a batch and they will be gobbled up in a day or two. You can easily double the batch and freeze some.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour (plus additional ½ cup flour when kneading dough)
1 cup old fashioned oats
¼ cup hemp seed
¼ cup oat bran
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
2 Tablespoons ground flax meal (I leave this out because Flax seed bothers my stomach)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup crystallized ginger chopped fine
½ cup cold butter
¼ cup undenatured whey pumpkin protein powder (you can substitute vanilla)
5 Tablespoons honey
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 cup plain greek yogurt
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add chopped crystallized ginger to dry ingredients. Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients with ginger until resembles small meal. In a small bowl, mix honey, pumpkin puree and yogurt. Fold wet ingredients into dry in the large bowl. Only stir until dry ingredients are moist so scones stay light and fluffy. Roll dough out into a large rectangle 1 inch thick on a floured board and cut into scone sized squares, triangles or circles. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Yields 25 small scones or 12 large …
Pumpkin Harvest Hummus
This Pumpkin Harvest Hummus is absolutely the perfect snack to have on hand to take to a “Fall Festival-Harvest Party” or to have on hand when friends stop by. Serve with carrots, cucumber slices or any other of your favorite raw vegetables. We also love to steam broccoli and cauliflower for dipping. Put out a bowlful and serve with pita chips when friends come by. I made some for a party last week and it received rave reviews so I thought I would share it with you.
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons Tahini
2-3 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅓ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons water (if needed to thin as you blend)
Put all ingredients into a Vitamix or blender and mix until pureed to the consistency of hummus. Use a bit of water to thin it out if you think it is too thick. Pour into an airtight container and chill until ready to use. Serve with carrots, cucumbers, pita chips or pita bread. It also makes a great spread for your pita pocket veggie or turkey sandwich (with a bit of cranberry sauce, lettuce and tomato).
- 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ teaspoon cayenne (ground
Greek Style Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs
As summer comes to a close and families are back into the school routine…the weather shifts to Indian Summer…just in time for Labor Day. The best thing to do on Labor Day weekend is….have a BBQ! So that’s what we did. In honor of the end of summer and to initiate our new kitchen, we had three of our most favorite couples over for an evening of love, laughter and delicious food.
GREEK CHICKEN VEGETABLE KEBABS
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup olive oil for marinade plus 2 TBS for veggies
4 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic pressed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 medium sized zucchini
2 peppers (green, red or orange)
1 large red onion
Tzadziki
1 medium cucumber
1 tsp salt
1 cup Greek plain yogurt
1 clove garlic pressed
2 TBS lemon juice
12 TBS chopped parsley
4 TBS chopped fresh dill or more if desired
For the Kebabs
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and spices.
Cut chicken into 1-1 ½ inch cubes.
In a gallon ziplock bag, place the chicken cubes and pour the marinade over it and seal and shake until all the chicken is coated. Leave in refrigerator between 45 minutes and 2 hours but NO LONGER or the chicken will start to change texture because of the acidic nature of the marinade.
Cut the zucchini into ¾ inch slices,, cut the peppers into 1 ¼ inch cubes and cut the onions into 1 ¼ inch wedges. Place in another ziplock bag and add olive oil. Season lightly with salt.
When ready to skewer the meat (if using …
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
We are rejoicing today because after a 9 month and 1 week wait….our KITCHEN IS FINALLY FINISHED!!! I spent the entire afternoon baking in preparation for a baby shower for our 10th grandchild. My heart is bursting with joy to be the blessed Gammie that I am. Children are a gift from the Lord and grandchildren are a double blessing. Watching my girls be moms to their children is one of the most amazing aspects of my life. I am so proud of the job they are doing. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world but it has the biggest payback when you see your own children passionately focusing on passing on many of the intentional things you taught them about love and servant leadership. We love to celebrate new birth and this weekend we will be celebrating Baby Boy Banihashemi due to arrive at the end of October. His mom and big sister Sophie will be here for the weekend along with cousin Garrett and his mommy.
Here is the finished kitchen……
So today I tried out my new ovens by baking a new recipe called Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies.
Ingredients
2 ½ cups old fashioned oats (gluten free if necessary)
¾ cups flour (gluten free if necessary)
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓ teaspoon cloves
12 teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup almond milk
¼ cup maple syrup
1 egg (make flax egg out of 1 TBS flax meal and 2 ½ TBS water, mix well and let sit a few min)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup grated carrots
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Combine wet …