The Spunky Coconut Podcast: episode 6 : Kelly talks with Ricki

Ricki has a great deal for 2 ebooks for $10.95 HERE until the new year!

See Ricki's full bio HERE.

Ricki is doing My Sweet Victory detox in March with Andrea Nakayama for people to learn to cut the sugar out of their lives.

She is also speaking at Nourished Food Bloggers Conference in April.

Also, I said I would link to Biocidin, which I mentioned in this podcast. That link is HERE.

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Listen to Episode 6 in a new window.

If you enjoy the podcast please leave a review on iTunes.

—card by my honey, the book designer.

Merry Christmas!

♥, Kelly

Pumpkin Bread (gluten-free, grain-free, low glycemic index)

The other day my mother-in-law called asking if I had a pumpkin bread recipe. "Do you have a pumpkin bread recipe?" Andy asked me, holding the phone. "I think so. I don't know. Do I?" I said. "Can she use the pumpkin muffin recipe for bread?" they asked me. "I don't think that would work, but I don't know. ...maybe." I fumbled.

Then I looked on my site, and I couldn't find a pumpkin bread. It's possible that it's on there, buried in the archives and hiding from me... Anyway, I decided to make (a new?) one. It was really simple. I just based it on my popular banana bread recipe. If only I had made two loaves, because we've already eaten almost the whole loaf as I type... :-)

Pumpkin Bread

(gluten-free, grain-free, low glycemic index)

Add to bowl:

1 cup pumpkin puree
4 room temp eggs (cold eggs will harden the coconut oil)

1/3 cup coconut sugar (which is low glycemic index)
3 tbs liquified coconut oil, ghee, or Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1/4 to 1/2 tsp vanilla liquid stevia, depending on how sweet you like it
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

Beat with electric mixer.

Line the bottom of the loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper, then grease the walls where the paper doesn't cover.

Scoop batter into the loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Makes one loaf.

Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends! I'd love to hear what you're making to eat for Hanukkah if you would like to tell me in the comments :-)

♥, Kelly

Other questions? See my FAQ page here.

Mint Chocolate Biscotti (gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free)

As promised, here are the substitutions to the biscotti that I mentioned I was going to try. Above is my piece, sitting beside my morning decaf chai. I'm still torn though. I really can't choose a favorite biscotti flavor. I love them all :-)

Mint Chocolate Biscotti

(gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free)

Add to a small bowl:

1/4 cup applesauce with no added sugar

1/8 - 1/4 tsp vanilla liquid stevia (depending on how sweet you want them)

1 tbsp white chia seed meal (I grind my seeds in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet)

-you may be able to substitute an egg for the applesauce and chia, but I haven't tested it myself

1/4 tsp mint extract

Mix with electric mixer.

In a separate bowl combine:

1 and 1/2 cups almond meal (I use Bob's)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tbsp tapioca flour

2 tbsp coconut sugar (which is low glycemic index)

1/2 tsp baking soda

Combine the dry and wet ingredients with an electric mixer until the batter gets all sticky.

Scoop your dough onto unbleached parchment paper.

Flour the top and shape the dough into about an eight by three inch log.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely (about an hour).

Using a serrated knife, cut the log into slices on the diagonal.

The thinner you slice the biscotti the crunchier it will be. (I prefer mine pretty crunchy.)

Lay the cut pieces on unbleached parchment paper.

Bake at 250 degrees for about 15 minutes on each cut side, or to desired brownness.

Let cool.

Store on a plate, lightly covered with a clean dry kitchen towel.

♥, Kelly

Other questions? See my FAQ page here.

Almond & Nutmeg Biscotti (gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free)

I didn't think much about biscotti since going gluten-free many moons ago. That is until I became friends with Elana , and she let me taste her amazing biscotti. I think she had three different kinds she was working on. They were all phenomenal.

Then the other night after dinner Andy and I got to craving some biscotti. Of course it was late in the evening, and we were short on ingredients. So I decided to create my own version of biscotti using what I had on hand. I'm so glad I did, because we have enjoyed two batches since then, and I have more biscotti baking in sight.

I put a tiny bit of almond extract in the first batch I made. Yum. Then I thought it might be festive to add some nutmeg (I don't know about you, but I've been putting nutmeg in everything lately :-). Also yum.

I've had biscotti with hot chocolate and chai so far, but I think biscotti with eggnog is going to be next. Mmm...

Almond & Nutmeg Biscotti

(gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free)

Add to a small bowl:

1/4 cup applesauce with no added sugar

1/8 - 1/4 tsp vanilla liquid stevia (depending on how sweet you want them)

1 tbsp white chia seed meal (I grind my seeds in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet)

-you may be able to substitute an egg for the applesauce and chia, but I haven't tested it myself

Mix with electric mixer.

In a separate bowl combine:

1 and 3/4 cups almond meal (I use Bob's)

2 tbsp tapioca flour

2 tbsp coconut sugar (which is low glycemic index)

1/2 tsp baking soda

Add whatever flavorings you choose to the correct bowl.

I used 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg - which I whisked into the bowl of dry ingredients.

I made another batch and used 1/4 tsp almond extract - which I mixed in with the applesauce.

Both flavors were good, and I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite.

Next time I think I might try substituting cocoa powder for about 1/4 cup of the almond flour, and adding some mint extract. I'll let you know how it goes... :-)

Combine the dry and wet ingredients with an electric mixer until the batter gets all sticky.

Scoop your dough onto unbleached parchment paper.

Flour the top and shape the dough into about an eight by three inch log.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until it's slightly golden.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely (about an hour).

Using a serrated knife, cut the log into slices on the diagonal.

The thinner you slice the biscotti the crunchier it will be. (I prefer mine pretty crunchy so I'm going to slice it thinner next time.)

Lay the cut pieces on unbleached parchment paper.

Bake at 250 degrees for about 15 minutes on each cut side, or to desired brownness.

Let cool.

Store on a plate, lightly covered with a clean dry kitchen towel.

♥, Kelly

Other questions? See my FAQ page here.

Butternut Mac-n-Cheese (dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free option)

Mac-n-cheese is something we ate on holidays, as well as throughout the year when I was growing up. This butternut mac-n-cheese is based on my butternut lasagna, which we love, and is not only vegetarian, but vegan as well. If you don't want to use butternut, I think it would also work with pumpkin, but I haven't tried it yet myself.

Butternut Mac-n-Cheese

dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free option

Add to blender or food processor:

2 packed cups of cooked butternut (I cook whole butternut in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour. No need to cut or poke them. Remove the skin and seeds after they've cooled.)

1 can of full-fat coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen because it is the richest)

2 tbsp Earth Balance Butter Spread (I use soy-free)

1 tsp Herbamare

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Puree well.

Boil one bag (12 ounces) Tinkyada noodles for 8 minutes to partially cook them.

Strain the noodles, and put them back in the pot.

Stir in the sauce.

Add the noodles and sauce to your baking dish.

Tear 2 brown rice tortillas into pieces and add them to the blender or food processor.

Puree until very fine.

Add 1 tsp of Earth Balance.

Puree again.

Sprinkle the crumbs over the top.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Optional: For grain-free use zucchini noodles:

You will need at least three large zucchini.

(I used my julienne slicer that Elana told me about)

Steam the zucchini before adding the sauce.

The zucchini will shrink down a lot, so you will probably only need half of the sauce.

Add zucchini coated in sauce to your baking dish.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Other questions? See my FAQ page here.
♥, Kelly

P.S. For the holidays, take 10% off my cookbooks when you buy them through my eStore. Use the code: APYTME6C

The Spunky Coconut Podcast: episode 5 : Kelly talks more with Lexie

Kelly and Lexie, author of Lexie's Kitchen, talk about recipe development, biomedical treatments, the holidays, and more:


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If you enjoy the podcast please leave a review on iTunes.

Peanut Butter Pie with a Double Chocolate Crust! Home for the Holidays ...Gluten-Free Style

My dear friend Shirley from Gluten Free Easily has lined up this incredible event, Home For the Holidays ...Gluten Free Style featuring 25 bloggers and over 100 prizes!

I'm participating in this event in place of Our Spunky Holiday, but please feel free to share your favorite gluten-free holiday recipes too. Just grab this badge on the left and post it on your site when sharing your favorite gluten-free holiday recipe there. Please link back to this event in your text and via the badge.

There are three big prizes at the end of this event!

3rd prize: Caveman Cookies —value of $89
2nd prize: Shopping Spree at Free From Gluten —value of $150
GRAND PRIZE: a phenomenal VITAMIX blender !!!

To enter to win these three prizes leave a comment every day (on each of the blogs presenting in the event). The more you enter the more chances you have to win. The three prizes above will be announced on Gluten Free Easily on Christmas.

To see what prizes I'm giving away, scroll down to the bottom :-) And don't forget to check out Elana's post from yesterday and tomorrow see what Ricki cooks up!

I have fond memories of going to get the Christmas tree—I can still picture the place we went—then coming home and decorating it. And in my family growing up, watching movies was something we did a lot of. One of our favorites was Home Alone, which came out when I was 12 years old (in 1990). Remember this song in that movie?...



I don't know if I loved this song before that movie or because of that movie, but either way, hearing it always makes me happy :-) And my little kids love this YouTube video (above)—it's really cute.

Since living in Colorado, and since changing our diets, we've been creating new family traditions, inspired by my Danish heritage. (How Danish does blond little Ashley look? :-) I've recreated recipes like: Gingerbread Cookies, Kerstins Almond Squares, Coconut Dreams, and Thumbprint Cookies.

This year I thought I would go back to something we ate a lot of growing up. Pie. We ate lots of pie, usually chocolate. That's why pie says home and comfort to me. I decided to make a pie that some of you have mentioned missing since removing dairy from your diets: Peanut butter pie.

As you may know, peanut butter pie is usually made with cream cheese and whipped cream. Dairy-free peanut butter pie is usually made with tofu. I used coconut milk, and chia seed meal to hold it together, and boost this dessert with tons of nutrition. Since we don't eat peanuts, I substituted SunButter. If you prefer peanut butter I think that would work just fine in this recipe.

My little girls and I love how this pie came out (after many many tries :-). I hope you do too!

Peanut Butter Pie
gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, peanut-free optional

Double Chocolate Crust:

Add to food processor:

about 1.5 ounces of dark (dairy-free) chocolate —I used half of a Chocolove 70%

1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

6 pitted dates (soak them first if they are very dry)

Puree till a ball forms.

Press the crust into a 7 inch springform pan —a glass pie dish would probably also work, but I haven't tested it myself.

Filling:

Add to food processor:

1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread, liquified —I use soy-free

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

—you could probably use 1/2 cup of Earth Balance and no coconut oil (for a really buttery taste) or 1/2 cup coconut oil and no Earth Balance (if you don't tolerate Earth Balance), but I've only tested it with 1/4 cup of each.

1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk —I use Thai Kitchen because it's the richest

2/3 cup SunButter —peanut butter would probably work also

1/2 cup white chia seed meal (I grind my seeds in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet) —black chia seeds would work too, but would change the color of the pie

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

Puree about two minutes.

Pour over crust.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

It's great cold or room temperature, but the color will change over time. So it's prettiest the first day you remove it from the fridge.

Optional: Shave chocolate over the top for presentation.

And now I'm so excited to be giving away two of my favorite cookbooks by my good friend, Elana of Elana's Pantry.

I'm giving away:

Two signed copies of Elana's cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
And one signed copy of her second cookbook, Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour

To enter to win leave a comment telling me what food says home and comfort to you. This giveaway will close Monday, December 12, at 12 noon my time.

This giveaway is now closed.

Shirley at Gluten Free Easily will announce my winners next week. Thank you so much for putting all of this together Shirley!

Other questions? See my FAQ page here.
♥, Kelly

Gift Ideas #3: Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, dairy-free

This recipe makes six of these cute mini jars. I had trouble tying the bows, so I secured the ribbon to the back of the lid with a dap of hot glue—worked perfectly. I'm including recipe cards for you like I did with the granola. Since these jars are so much smaller I made the cards smaller too. I decorated mine with some retro paper (thanks Marcie!), but a holiday stamp would also be precious.

You can download and print this card (the file is 8.5 inches wide to fit your printer paper)

For the recipe click here.

Other questions? See my FAQ page here.
♥, Kelly

P.S. For the holidays, take 10% off my cookbooks when you buy them through my eStore. Use the code: APYTME6C

The Spunky Coconut Podcast: episode 4 : Amy and Kelly

Kelly talks with Amy Green of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free about coconut flour, A Gluten-Free Holiday, the Nourished Food Blogger Conference, pregnancy, and other chit-chat.

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Listen to Episode 4 in a new window.

If you enjoy the podcast please leave a review on iTunes.

Coconut article I mentioned in the podcast.

Gift Ideas #2: Homemade cookies

Who doesn't love getting homemade cookies? :-) The girls and I baked some gingerbread cookies, and got this cute jar at the Ace Hardware store in our town. You can also buy it on Amazon. I tied the jar with an orange ribbon and some glittery leaves from the craft store. They also have inexpensive gift boxes at the craft store that would work too, lined with some paper.

I love using non-traditional colors in my house year round, and especially for Christmas, like this orange ribbon (above). Orange is my favorite color, and I pepper it around my house. It's in my area rug, pillows, tablecloth, Le Creuset, drawer knobs, oven mitts, and more.

Here are some of the orange decor photos on Pinterest that have been inspiring me lately:

I love this dining room.

And this one too.

This tree got me thinking about drying orange slices.

Then I started searching for "dried oranges decor" and found this great garland.

And this awesome wreath.

So I Googled "how to dry oranges" and found these instructions.

I'm definitely going to dry oranges slices now. If I get some good photos after we decorate with them, I'll share them with you :-)


Other questions? See my FAQ page here.
♥, Kelly

P.S. For the holidays, take 10% off my cookbooks when you buy them through my eStore. Use the code: APYTME6C

Eggnog, dairy-free, refined-sugar free

I was inspired to make homemade dairy-free eggnog by Sunny at And Love it Too. (Make sure you check out her great tips for separating eggs!) You may prefer Sunny's recipe, which has less coconut milk and more sweetness, but I thought I would share my version also.

Eggnog, dairy-free, refined-sugar free

Blend:

8 egg yolks

1 can of full-fat Thai Kitchen coconut milk

Pour into a mixing bowl and set aside.

Add to a medium/large sized pot:

3 cups unsweetened Tempt hemp milk

1 cans of full-fat Thai Kitchen coconut milk

1/2 cup coconut sugar, which is low glycemic index

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice

Bring to simmer.

Slowly ladle a little of the hot liquids into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.

After you have whisked in about a cup of the hot liquids, transfer the yolk mixture to the pot.

Whisk while simmering for about three minutes.

Remove from heat and serve or refrigerate for later.

Hungry for an egg-free nog? :-) Check out Elana's recipe. .

Other questions? See my FAQ page here.
♥, Kelly

P.S. For the holidays, take 10% off my cookbooks when you buy them through my eStore. Use the code: APYTME6C