Wonderful Wednesday - Filled Cupcakes

 

I don't know about your family but my boys long for things they see others eating. Cameron has been asking since before we were gluten free if I would make filled cupcakes. So, yesterday while he was in school I decided to try to make some. I was almost late picking him up from school but when he leaned why he was so excited to try one. The cupcake recipe is based off of this one from Elena's Pantry but I used what I had on hand.

Chocolate Filled Cupcakes
What you need for cupcakes:

1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1/4 cup dairy free butter substitute
1/3 cup sugar

What you need for the filling:
MimiCream Healthy Top
1 tsp vanilla
powder sugar to taste

What you need for the chocolate top:
1/4 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
1 tsp coconut cream

Directions:
Put the Healthy Top into the fridge and a metal mixing bowl into the freezer. Mix together the dry ingredients until combined. Add in the eggs, butter substitute and sugar mixing after each addition. Line 6 muffin tins with liners and add the batter to them. Bake at 350 degrees for 19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and making filling.

Remove the mixing bowl out of the freezer and the Healthy Top from the fridge. Add the Healthy Top to the mixing bowl and whip on high speed till thick. Add the vanilla and powder sugar if desired and whip till combined.

When the cupcakes are cooled take a sharp knife and hallow out the center leaving a plug for the middle. I ran my knife around in a circle and then at an angle to pop the middle out. Fill each cupcake with 1 tsp to 1 1/2 tsp of the healthy top filling and add saved cupcake piece back into the middle. When all six are filled combine the chocolate chips and coconut cream in a small dish. Melt in the microwave 15 seconds at a time till melted and smooth. Frost each cupcake with the chocolate making sure the filling does not show. Add a few spoonfuls of the Healthy Top mixture to a zip top bag and clip the corner off to make a pastry bag. Pipe the swirl design onto the top of each cupcake. You can practice on wax paper before you pipe the cupcakes. Enjoy!

I think these would be a hit at school!

Misc. Monday - Grapes

When I made the butterflies for the school snack I was unsure how many grapes I would need to fill the bags. Needless to say I had more grapes than I needed and after Caden sat on them I needed to use them up. We decided to can them as I only buy US grapes and in the winter they can be hard to find. I'm even going to see if I can use canned grapes in 24 hour salad. They are super easy to do and when I can't find US grapes this winter we will still be eating grapes!

Canning grapes
What you need:

Ripe grapes (2lbs per quart)
light or medium syrup*
pint or half pint jars

Directions:
Ladle a 1/4 cup syrup into half pints or 1/2 cup syrup into pints. Fill with grapes leaving 1/2 inch head space. Finish filling with syrup, remove air bubbles, clean rims and place caps on. The grapes process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. 


*Syrup
Light syrup is 2 1/4 cups sugar to 5 1/4 cups of water
Medium syrup is 3 1/4 cups sugar to 5 cups of water

Directions: Combine sugar and water together in an appropriate size pot and heat until sugar is dissolved.

Fast Friday - Butterfly Snack Bag

 I thought that this had posted on Friday but I guess that it didn't. So here it is a bit late. Sorry!

I had a hard decision to make on what to bring for the first full day of school snack for Cameron's class. I wanted something fun, healthy and I wanted Cameron to have the same snack as everyone else on the first day of school. Plus I figured if I brought in a healthy snack it would set the bar for all the other parents who are bringing in snack this week and next. I looked all across the internet and while there were many cute ideas, but only one I had time for. Cameron came home from school and said that it was a hit and the empty butterfly bags came home from school with each student.

Butterfly Snack Bags
What you need:
snack size zip top bags
pipe cleaners
assorted fruits and veggies

Directions:
Fill half of one snack bag with desired treat. Fold pipe cleaner in half and bunch up the pipe cleaner and twist to make a butterfly shape. Fill the other half of the bag with another treat. It really is as simple as that!

So cute!

Wonderful Wednesday - First Day of School

Today was a big day in our house. My oldest son Cameron started school today! Being a mom to a child with food allergies makes it hard to let go. I get a big nervous about sending him to an environment where there is all his allergens present on a daily basis. Deep breath. I'm sure we will get through this and his teacher has been great with working with me to make sure he is safe. He's really excited about going to school and I'm not about to squash his excitement with my worry. While we don't have lunch at school this year I am always looking for lunch ideas. I have put together a list of gluten free lunches for both you and me.

Angela at Angela's Kitchen has a great series about filling your freezer in four weeks. I love her lunch ideas and they can be found here.

Gluten Freeville has a list of 100 ideas for lunch which can be found here.

Wise Bread has ideas and recipes for 20 gluten lunches here.

What is your easy go to lunch during the school year? 

Misc. Monday - Turkey Dog Food

I have been missing for a few days as I have been fighting a RSD flare. We took it easy this weekend a just did a small batch of dog food. We love having it already done on busy nights and setting back jars for this winter.

Turkey Dog Food
What you need:
6 lbs ground turkey
4 lbs mixed veggies
5 to 6 cups of water

Directions:
Mix together the turkey, veggies and water together in a large bowl. (I do not cook the turkey before hand.) Fill the half pints to the bottom ring, about half an inch, wipe clean and top with lids.
Process 10lbs for 75 minutes
Yield 38 1/2 pints

Yes, I turned labeling jars into writing practice.

Wonderful Wednesday - Campers Doughnuts

This is a post that I am very excited to share with you. When Angela from Angela's Kitchen and I started talking about the Gluten Free Camping Series I knew I had to make doughnuts. Camper doughnuts are a staple for most camping trips and I have fond memories of making them as a child. The basic gluten filled campers doughnuts are simple and use canned biscuit dough, which is then fried in oil. Since there is no pre-made gluten and dairy free biscuit dough I had to figure out from scratch.
Before we start a few notes on cooking with oil over an open fire.
1. Have a tight fitting lid close by.
2. Don't wear lose clothing and have your hair pulled back.
3. Make sure you have everything you need before you start.

Make doughnut shape with wet hands.

Long tongs are key for flipping over the campfire.

Blueberry Lemon Campers Doughnuts
What you need:
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit & Baking Mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs oil
1 cup dairy free milk with 4 Tbs lemon juice (let sit 5 minutes)
2 tsp orange extract
1/4 cup mashed blueberries
1 cup whole blueberries
Bowl of water to dip your hand in.

Directions:
Combine the baking mix and sugar together and make sure to break any lumps up. Add the egg, oil, orange extract, milk and mashed blueberries to the baking mix and stir to combine. Gently fold in the remaining blueberries.
For frying in oil
Heat 2 or 3 inches of oil in a large dutch oven either over a fire or camping stove. Test the oil to see if it is hot enough by dropping in a small ball of dough. You want the dough to float in the oil and sizzle not sink to the bottom. Fry till golden brown on either side using a fork or wood skewer to flip. Remove from oil when golden brown and set on a plate with paper towels to drain. You can also place them in a bag with either powder sugar or cinnamon and sugar and shake to cover.
You can also leave out the blueberries and make lemon doughnuts that turn out just as good as the blueberry ones.
If you don't want to fry the doughnuts you can bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes turning the doughnut pan half way through.

They are even yummy baked!

Misc. Monday - Ice Cream Cones!!

I teased you all a while back with a picture of a homemade ice cream cone that is gluten and dairy free. After much work and tweaking I am ready to share it with you. These cones are crunchy even the next morning and have such a light flavor you can't tell that they are gluten free. My neighbors who are not gluten free ask for them if I make dairy free ice cream and they are so good I was doing a happy dance last night. It was the first ice cream cone I had eaten in over a year since going gluten free and I was in heaven eating it last night. My kids loved waking up and finding them filled with fruit for breakfast and still just as crisp as they were when I made them.

Gluten and Dairy Free Ice Cream Cones
What you need:

1/3 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose flour  
1/3 cup Bob's Red Mill Hazelnut flour
4 T butter or butter substitute melted
1 tsp Almond extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:

You can leave them flat too!

Sift together the all purpose flour, hazelnut flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Make a hole in the middle and add the butter, eggs and almond extract. Mix to combine. Preheat your waffle cone maker (I have this one) according to the directions. Place a tablespoon to a tablespoon and a half in the middle of the waffle cone maker and close the lid. Cook the waffles for one minute or until they are lightly brown. I have a pair of salad tongs that are flat which I use to pick up the edge of the waffle cone. Use the provided cone and roll the waffle cone into a cone shape using the table or counter to help. When cooled store in an air tight bag and take as much air as possible out of the bag. You can then serve them with ice cream, fruit or make them into camping cones. What are you going to try first?

Fast Friday - Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Yesterday was my dad's birthday and his favorite cake is chocolate angel food cake. I did lots of internet searching and found this one from Lynn's Recipe Adventures. It turned out great except for the mistake I made. I assumed that the measuring spoon in the sugar container was a 1/4 cup but it was a 1/3 cup. So mine had a bit more sugar in it that it was suppose to but I couldn't tell the difference. I made dairy free chocolate whipped cream to go with it and it was a hit!

Dairy Free Chocolate "Whipped Cream"
What you need:
1 16oz Healthy Top by MimicCreme
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon coco powder
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Chill the box of Healthy Top for 1/2 an hour before starting. Empty the box of Healthy Top into the bowl of a stand mixer and add vanilla extract. Sift together the coco powder and powder sugar and add to the bowl. Using the whisk attachment beat mixture till soft peaks form. This will take several minutes on high speed. Refrigerate until cake is cool. Frost the cake with the chocolate whipped cream. 

And now for the winner of the canning book! It is number 13 Shannon!! Congrats! Contact me to the e-mail address under the contact me tab with your full name, address and phone number and the book will be on the way!

Wonderful Wednesday - Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce

This past weekend while we were busy canning corn and soup, we also had tomato sauce going. How? In the slow cooker of course. I'm not one for standing over the stove for hours stirring a pot while it reduces down. I look for short cuts and the slow cooker is the key to this one.




Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce
What you need:
4 lbs tomatoes
1 medium zucchini
2 bell peppers
1 medium onion
1 bunch basil (top part of one plant)
3 cloves garlic

Directions:
Cube the tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and onions in large pieces and place in slow cooker. Rough chop the garlic and add it to the slow cooker as well. Place the basil on top and cover with the lid. Cook on high overnight. The next morning run it through a food mill and place back into the slow cooker. Leave the lid half off and cook on low until your desired thickness is reached. When the thickness is reached taste and add salt, pepper and other spices as desired. I took some and made pizza sauce and left the rest as pasta sauce. When it was cooked down mine filled 2 pints. You can keep them in the fridge or hot water bath them for 35 minutes.

Don't forget there is still a few days to enter the giveaway! You can enter it here!