Taco Pie

My husband battled with me over the name of this recipe. He calls it a "fancy burger with fries," while I call it a "taco pie." I can see his point. The potatoes on the bottom are like fries, while the meat and condiments are rolled into one filling on top. But the spices are what give it that taco-like flavor for me. And I like to add black olives and guacamole to mine—very taco-like. In the end I had to go for calling it a taco pie, because I couldn't bring myself to call it fancy :-) Even if it is just a burger and fries in a different format, is it really fancy? Haha, I don't think so. But isn't it sweet that my husband thinks it's fancy?

Taco Pie

Brown 1 pound of organic (preferably) grass-fed beef or 1 pound of organic ground chicken

Drain the fat and set aside.

Saute about 10 minutes:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Add onion and garlic to the meat.

Add:

1/2 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes

1 tsp Herbamare

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp fresh chopped basil

1/3 cup Bob's almond flour

2 tbsp tapioca flour (arrowroot would probably work also)

3 whisked eggs

Combine.

Line a greased pie dish with potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick, and seasoned with Herbamare. Overlap them slightly.

Pour meat mixture over potatoes and spread evenly.

Cover (I use and upside down stainless cookie sheet) and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Optional: Remove lid after 20 minutes, top with Daiya dairy-free mozzarella and continue baking uncovered for the rest of the time.

♥, Kelly

Getting Ready for Little B

When I posted my 6 months photo I said that I would tell you how we are "preparing" for the new baby next time. I have to use quotes when I say "preparing" because we aren't doing much at all to get ready for little B. The biggest purchase we made was this car seat, which you will notice isn't an infant-only car seat. It's good from 5 to 65 pounds. It doesn't come out of the car and snap into a stroller. When we take the baby out, we will be using a Sleepy Wrap to carry the baby.

I found what must be the least desirable color of this particular car seat and it was only $125. I admit, I wanted the blue one, but when I saw it was $40 more, I couldn't do it. Grey it is :-)

Before Zoe was born we bought a townhouse and turned one of the two bedrooms into a nursery. I painted a mural on the walls, picked out curtains, and bought a pretty white crib with adorable bedding. After Zoe was born she immediately slept with us :-) We used the crib to hold the clean laundry before putting it away ...Or did we ever actually put the laundry away? :-) Anyway, so much for the nursery!

When Ashley was born we moved again. This time we had four bedrooms. I'll never forget my in-laws coming to visit us there for the first time, and seeing Zoe and Ashley both in the bedroom with Andy and I. "You don't need four bedrooms, Kelly!" my mother-in-law said with a big laugh, "You only need one!" And she was right :-)

Zoe was 5 and Ashley was 3 when we moved to Colorado, and they began sleeping together, in one bed, in their own room. They still do. It's great.

Like Zoe and Ashley we will be co-sleeping with the baby on the way. So we don't need a nursery, or a crib, or crib bedding, or any of that.

My friends have already begun giving me their old baby clothes (keep 'em comin' girls!), so that's taken care of. I'll be nursing again, so no bottles or formula needed. We still have some gDiapers that Ashley used to wear, as well as some hemp prefolds , but I'll probably get more of both of those. And that's about it. I can't think of anything else :-)

I could tell you to read The Attachment Parenting Book or The Continuum Concept and maybe you would or maybe you wouldn't. But to be honest with you, I haven't read either of them myself (they would only be preaching to the choir). I had never heard of "attachment parenting" until I moved to Colorado. Where I came from they had a little something called the "Ferber method." (If you could see my face right now, you would see me rolling my eyes.) No way. I held my babies all the time, nursed when they wanted, and slept with them in my bed. Everybody was happy and got what they wanted :-)

♥, Kelly

Ivan Day's Ice Cream

You might think that a review of Ice Cream by Ivan Day is an inappropriate choice for this blog, considering we don't eat cow's milk. However, much of the book is devoted to the history of dairy-free flavored ices. And although we might not eat it now, nearly all of us grew up with ice cream.

This new book by Shire Publications tells the story of frozen treats in Britain. At 64 pages with numerous color photos Ice Cream briskly explains production, extraordinary early flavors, vendor carts & trucks, advertising, and the changing ways in which these treats were enjoyed in British society. Introduced in the 17th century iced treats were a preserve of the wealthy. For hundreds of years ices and ice cream were the exclusive craft of personal chefs. In the 19th century small family businesses made them available to ordinary people, and by the 20th century large corporations controlled the market.

One of the most fascinating aspects of flavored ice treat history is their presentation. Stately banquets of the 19th century featured elaborate edible ice centerpieces in the form of fruits, flowers, even trompe l'oiel meat shapes. They were formed in elaborate pewter molds. The ice itself was imported from Norway and far away North America, and stored in underground pits! Many of the original molds have survived to this day, which were used to recreate several ice centerpieces shown in this book.



The book's conclusion touches on a modern day return to high-quality ice creams, but I was disappointed that no mention was made of popular non-cow-dairy varieties. Today American health food stores are full of ice creams made from goat milk, hemp milk, and coconut milk. Maybe these are uncommon in the UK, but for a short time this year Brits had an even more extraordinary alternative. Human milk ice cream was sold in a Covent Garden restaurant from February until March when the authorities halted its sale for safety tests.

Zoe and Ashley love their mom's ice cream, and they got a real kick from hearing about how people used to make and eat it.

—Andrew

Stellar Strawberry Rhubarb Pie & my 6 months photo

People often ask me how I have time to come up with so many new recipes. The answer is simple. This is just the way we eat. Every day. I make most of our meals at home, from scratch, and I photograph the best ones for you :-) Sometimes I make the same thing three days in a row, to make sure it's perfect before I share it, but that's all there is to it.

Yesterday I went to our local health food store with the girls and as I was browsing the frozen aisle I saw rhubarb. Hmm... rhubarb. We haven't had strawberry rhubarb pie since going gluten-free... six years ago! Haha! So I bought two packages (and now I have to go back to stock up on more!).

I was feeling very impatient about waiting for the frozen rhubarb and the frozen strawberries to defrost. Also I was researching recipes online and seeing that they all called for OVER a cup of sugar. Oh, boy. You know I never use more than half a cup of sweetener.

Then I got this idea. It was one of my best ideas ever. I thought, "Rather than defrost the strawberries and rhubarb, I'll put them in a pot with coconut sugar and heat them up. Then I'll scoop out the hot strawberries and rhubarb and reduce the sugar and juice, like a simple syrup. It will get really sweet and thick. This could work."

So I did. To thicken it I added agar powder and a little arrowroot to the syrup at the end. I can't even tell you how excited I am about how it came out. You are going to love this easy recipe :-)

Stellar Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Crust:

Pre-bake this crust for only 5 minutes. Set aside.

Note: I've been making this crust without the baking powder, and it's been turning out fine.

Filling:

Add to medium size pot:

About 2.5 cups frozen rhubarb

About 2.5 cups frozen strawberries

Note: Do not defrost them. We're going to use their liquids and coconut sugar to make a syrup.

1/2 cup coconut sugar (which is low glycemic index)

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp vanilla liquid stevia

1.5 tsp cinnamon

Bring to simmer over medium heat.

Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, strain the strawberries and rhubarb from the liquids and add them to a bowl.

Note: You may need to pour the strawberries and rhubarb through the strainer again (over the pot) to get as much of the liquids in the pot as possible.

Simmer the liquids for another 10 minutes.

At the end of the 10 minutes, whisk 2 teaspoons agar powder into the bubbling liquids.

Turn off the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons arrowroot (tapioca flour would probably work also).

Add the thickened syrup to the strawberries and rhubarb in the bowl (they should still be hot so the agar doesn't start to harden).

Add the filling to the partially baked crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for another 7 minutes only.

Let cool on the counter for half an hour, chill in the freezer for half an hour more, then serve.

(It's meant to be room temperature—the freezer just speeds up the process :-)

Top with coconut cream (the solids at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk) or dairy-free vanilla ice cream.

photos by Zoe B

On a completely different topic, I'm six months pregnant now—woohoo! In keeping with our lifestyle I'm having a natural home birth. Those of you who are foreign to the idea of home birth—Don't panic! :-) There are two excellent hospitals just minutes away if I need one. We are planning to have the baby at home though, in the water. Home births are extremely common where we live. Two of my closest friends here have had three babies (each) at home. My midwife has been a midwife for almost 30 years, and I adore her. She's bringing another midwife (it's common to have at least two midwifes present), and one of my best friends, who is almost a midwife herself, will also be here. The baby and I are going to be pampered with love and attention :-)

This birth, like this pregnancy, is going to be awesome, but I wanted to read about pregnancy and birth to get even more inspired. I started with a book on the Bradley Method, and I liked it, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. So then I read an Ina May book. I think Ina May is the most famous midwife in the world, and that book was a nice read too. But I still wanted something more, so now I'm reading A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth, by Deepak Chopra, David Simon and Vicki Abrams. I'm loving this book so far. It's exactly what I was craving.

As far as "preparing" for the baby's arrival, I'll save that for next time. I don't want to write you a novel here today :-)

♥, Kelly

PS I wanted to remind you about the gluten-free expo (coming up in just over a week!), which I'm attending, in case you missed that post. Click here to get the info on that.

Our Spunky Holiday Round-Up!

First I want to give a big thank you to everyone who participated in this, the first holiday round-up here at Our Spunky Holiday! You guys have definitely helped so many (including myself!) in gathering recipes for Easter or Passover! I can't wait to see what you make for the next Our Spunky Holiday, the 4th of July!

To kick things off we have Pound Cake with Nutella, from Jenn.




Above is a Cherry Almond Tart, by Debbie, from the eBook Fun With Gluten-Free Low-Glycemic Food

(Debbie is sharing this recipe here, since it isn't available online)

Gluten-Free Crust

Ingredients:
2 Tblsps. Unsalted Ghee or cold-pressed virgin Coconut Oil, for vegans
¼ tsp. Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt
1 tsp. Kuzu or Arrowroot Powder for firmer crust
¼ c Amaranth or Coconut flour
¾ c Almond Meal/flour, finely ground – you may buy or grind your own in blender

For Nut-Sensitive People: Instead of nut meals, use 1 cup Amaranth or Coconut Flour or combination, and use extra oil; ¼ cup or more if needed to stick together.

1. Melt Unsalted Ghee or Coconut Oil on low heat in pie pan, if you want to wash fewer pans.

2. Mix in Almond Meal, Salt and Kuzu, if you use it, right in pie pan.
Important: mix until mixture clumps together, so the Oil spreads evenly and will press well into pan and stay more fim.

3. Press into pie pan.


Filling Ingredients:

20 oz. frozen organic Sweet Black Cherries
¼ to ½ cup of Raisin Sauce or unsweetened organic Cherry or Apple Juice
1 Tbsp. Agar-Agar (no starch choice), 1 Tbsp. Kuzu (also a good choice, more alkaline) or 1 Tbsp. Arrowroot
I tsp. organic Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1/8 tsp. Celtic or Krystal Salt
1/8 tsp. Stevia
½ tsp. Unsalted Ghee or Coconut Oil
½ cup slivered or ground Almonds

1. Thaw and drain liquid from Cherries. Drain well, into easy-pour container; then gently press Cherries in sieve to release most of the Juice without crushing the Cherries to much. Pour liquid into 1 cup measuring container.

2. Add Raisin Sauce, Cherry or Apple Juice to make up one cup of liquid total with the Juice from frozen, drained Cherries.

3. Pour liquid into Saucepan, then add Agar-Agar, Kuzu more alkaline) or Arrowroot and follow directions for whichever thickener you use. (Heat and stir until bubbling and thickened, stirring constantly, but continue to boil for four minutes if using Agar Agar.)

3. Add Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract, Salt, Stevia, and Unsalted Ghee or Coconut Oil.

4. Blend above mixture with Cherries and pour into crust of your choice.

5. Top with slivered or ground organic Almonds and bake at 350 degrees for fifteen to twenty minutes or until Almonds slightly browned. Cool and refrigerate to make more firm; then later serve at room temperature in winter, cooled in summer.

Pop Tarts, by Kate

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, by Elana

Raspberry & Coconut Cream Tart, by Ashlie

Salted Cajeta Chocolates, by Nancy

Wafer-Thin Cashew Butter Cookies, by Annie

Sweet Potato Casserole, by Lisa

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, by Tessa

Nona's Chocolate Easter Eggs, by Stacy

Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies, by Marinka

Raw Easter Cream Eggs, by Nicole

Pistachio Ma'moul, by Rachel

Banana Leaf Tamales, by Claudia

Strawberry Ice Box Tart, by Eryn

Easter Sweet Rolls, by Gigi

Coconut Bites, by Angela

Chocolate-Dipped Oven-Roasted Banana Chips, by Gina

Easter Chocolate Nest Cupcakes, by Kayla

Strawberry Shortcake, by Kim

Grain-Free Easter Egg Cake Pops, by AndreAnna

Bunny Cake, by Maria

Apple Cinnamon Muffins, by Mrs. R

Vegan & Gluten-Free Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote, by Alta

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Easter Ovoids, by Ricki

Sweet Coconut Biscuits, by Iris

Vegan Chocolate Ganache, by Alea

Citrus & Olive Oil Pound Cake, by Jeanine

Cinnamon Rolls & Vegan Frosting, by Katie

Chocolate/Carob Coconut Nest and...

Dairy-Free Easter Fudge, by Adrienne

Citrus Kale Salad, by Alena

Caramelized Carrot Licorice Root Soup, by Lexie

Grain-Free Vegan Chocolate Fruit Tart, by Valerie

Dark Chocolate Walnut Bliss Bars and...

Frozen Orange Kisses, by Shirley

Strawberries & Cream Shortcake Video, by Lillian

Mock Peanut Butter Cups and...

Banana Chocolate Cream Pie, by me

Have a great Easter or Passover everyone!

♥, Kelly

PS I had close to 40 entries for this, so if I accidentally left you out, please email me again and I'll add you to the round-up!

Banana Chocolate Cream Pie - Oh my! dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free

I have been craving a pie with a pudding-like filling. The other night I looked at three ripe bananas in the fridge, and the light-bulb went on. I quickly began assembling my ingredients: Dates, bananas, raw cacao powder, vanilla, nuts for the crust. Zoe became very interested. "What are you doing, Mommy?!" she asked. "I'm going to make a banana chocolate cream pie. Want to help?" I said. "YES!" she answered.

We got out the food processor and blitzed some walnuts to add to the crust. I don't know why, but I think the walnuts make this crust taste a little more like a graham cracker crust. Maybe it's just me ;-)

Zoe gets such a kick out of using the food processor. But then, after we finished the crust and put it in the oven, we couldn't get the food processor to work for the filling. The machine was "on," but it just wouldn't go. ...Oh, no. Try and try, and still it wouldn't work. Hmm...

So we threw the filling ingredients into the Blendtec instead. "I don't know if the blender can do this," I warned Zoe. And guess what? It did. It even pureed the dates (which were soft-ish, but not soaked first) like you wouldn't believe. "Yea!" we shouted in support of the blender, bouncing up and down and cheering the blender on.

We waited for the crust to cool before adding the filling, then put it in the freezer, and licked the spoonula and the blender dry.

Next my husband came up from his office, and we broke the bad news to him. "The food processor is broken." Zoe said sadly. "Gone." I added dramatically. He looked at it, and saw that we had put part of the lid on backwards. After turning it around, it worked perfectly fine. "Oops!" I laughed.

A couple hours later, we had such a lovely banana chocolate cream pie—oh my! Haha. We covered the remaining pie back up, and put it in the fridge. (I was only cheating with the freezer to get it to set up more quickly. It's meant to go in the fridge.)

I hope you and your loved ones have as much fun making and eating this pie as we did :-) I think it would be excellent for Easter or Passover, so I'm going to add it to Our Spunky Holiday!

Banana Chocolate Cream Pie—Oh my!

Crust:

This crust is the same one I always use, and have posted before. The only change we made was to substitute some walnut meal that we pureed in the food processor. You could use the original recipe (almond meal flour) if you prefer.

Add to bowl:

3 tbsp flax seed meal OR 1.5 tbsp Chia Seed meal

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp applesauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 drops vanilla liquid stevia

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

Mix with electric mixer.

Add:

1 cup walnut meal flour (walnuts that have been pureed in the
food processor) OR almond meal flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)

Mix again.

Roll out the dough.

See: Video on how to roll out and transfer this dough. Or simply pour the pie crust mixture into the dish and press it into place with your hands.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for about 12 to 14 minutes.

Allow the crust to cool.

Filling:

Add to food processor or blender:

8 pitted dates (soak first to soften if they are very dry)

3 ripe peeled bananas

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder OR cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

Puree till creamy and smooth.

Add to cooled crust. Freeze for a couple of hours (if you want it to set up quickly), then store in the fridge.

♥, Kelly