Dairy free Egg free Corn free nothing but gooey goodness Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

So, I've been working on this recipe for a while. It's getting pretty close now. Since making a basic glaze for cinnamon rolls was proving, well, not very tasty, I decided maybe caramel was the way to go. The big problem? Caramel has dairy and corn as it's main ingredients. The big challenge was to change that AND still have it taste like caramel. These have gone over pretty good! : ) Since today is like -25 cinnamon rolls seem like the way to go, so I made some promises to people to post this so they could spend the day covered in sugar and yeast too! Special thanks to my friend Christy for coming up with the basic roll recipe that I've used -- it was the perfect base!

Jessica's Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

2 c water

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c olive oil

1 tsp salt

6 c flour

2 T yeast

Additional olive oil (a couple tablespoons...)

about 1/2 c sugar and 3-4 T cinnamon

Halved pecans if desired

Combine 4 c flour and yeast in large bowl (or kitchen aid bowl). In large microwave safe bowl add water, sugar, oil and salt. Microwave until sugar is dissolved and water is warm (I use the "finger test" -- if you can keep your finger in the water 10 sec, it's the right temp. If you can't, it needs to cool.) Add to flour and mix well until completely combined. Add remaining flour and mix to form a soft dough (dough should clean sides of bowl -- if it is too sticky add a 1/2 c more flour). Oil bowl with a little olive oil and let rise, covered, in warm place (I heat the oven on the lowest temp and then turn it off and put it in there) til double -- 30-45 min. Meanwhile, make caramel.

Caramel (I've started doubling it and like it a lot more!)

1/4 c coconut oil

1 T rice syrup (or corn syrup or other sugar syrup -- I'll post one I found, but haven't tried yet)

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1 T coconut cream (I skim the top thick layer off of regular canned coconut milk)

Bring to a boil. Boil about 1 min. Remove from heat. Pour into a 12x18, greased pan or 2 9x13 greased pans.

Roll dough out into a rectangle, roughly 18x20ish. (This is what happens when I make stuff up...). Brush with olive oil (you don't want it dripping, just a coating). Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (if you want, normal people mix the cinnamon and sugar together first...I literally have never measured this part. I just use the "sprinkle" side of my cinnamon jar and put a layer, than sprinkle a generous layer of sugar on top of that. I'm guessing on the amounts I've given. Feel free to add more or less as needed! Roll up jellyroll style. Cut into roughly 1 inch thick discs and set into caramel in pan. (for pecan caramel rolls, sprinkle in pecans before setting dough in). Preheat oven to 375. Let rise in warm place until roughly doubled in size. Bake at 375 for 20 min or until just beginning to turn golden brown (to keep them soft, do not let them get crispy brown). Remove from oven and immediately invert over a cookie sheet to let all the caramel goodness ooze down the sides. Try not to eat them in the first 5 minutes -- you'll burn your fingers. Highly recommend adding a cup of coffee while you wait for them to cool enough to eat...

Now, I have played around with other oils in the caramel, but eh...the coconut oil is, a)way healthier and b)adds a flavor that makes people really confused when you tell them there is no butter...I think the most common question is "how do you get them so buttery then?". Same with the coconut cream. Regular cream would obviously work (if you can have dairy...). I would imagine 1 T of any milk would work, though not quite as rich of a taste. I plan on making these myself today, so I'll add a picture later on...I think I'll play around with making some wheat free too.

If you don't have rice syrup, you could substitute 100% maple syrup, agave nectar or the sugar syrup below...

2 c sugar

3/4 c water

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Bring to boil and cook to softball stage. Cool -- stores at room temp up to 2 months.

Back to the basics...

It's that time of year again. Resolutions, lists of things to do better. Mine is simple. Just get serious about keeping up with the ideas I already have tried to implement. For example, things just work better if I have a menu. I don't like to plan by day. It works better for me to plan 10 days worth of meals and have everything I need sitting here. That way if I wake up and don't feel like making homemade pizzas, dumping a chicken in the crock-pot is still an option. And, it really helps the grocery bill too! So...here is my 10 day meal plan. My goal is to try 1 new recipe each rotation. That should help me remember to post here once in a while too! And...wow! Lots to post now that we've gone public with the whole adoption thing! I've been keeping a diary of things as we've gone and I'd love to share some of those thoughts with you!

But back to food! Yummmmmm. Foooooooood. Sorry. I like food.

10 days:

1. Grilled Rosemary Lamb chops with roasted root veggies and potatoes

2. Turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, brown sugar glazed carrots and cranberries

3. Spicy Lentil and Sausage soup with bread

4. Burgers with homemade fries, baked beans and vegies

5. Fish, potato chips and fruit smoothies (that's our standard 'fast' meal for Wednesday nights to get to church on time!)

6. Chili

7. Lentils and Rice with caramelized onions and onion tomato salad (thanks to Yasso for introducing us to this Lebanese meal!)

8. Homemade Pizza and fruit

9. Pot Roast with Potatoes and carrots

10. Coconut shrimp with roasted red potatoes and pineapple

Now the way this works, some of these dishes, such as the lentil soup, use broth. We have to have homemade broth as Isaac is allergic to celery -- it's in every store bought kind! So, for example, if I make pot roast before I plan on making the soup, I know I'll have the broth sitting there. ANY time I make a roast or turkey or chicken, I always make broth so I have it on hand. I know it's not "technically" how you should make it, but I just throw all the bones and bits and pieces that aren't worth using for leftovers into the crock-pot with some onions and pieces of carrots and slow cook it all day. I just freeze mine in 2 c amounts to use whenever.

We also eat lots of leftovers. I know that there will leftover lentils and rice, leftover chili, turkey, etc. So, 10 meals is really more like 12, plus a few lunches as well.

Tonight is Pot Roast -- the super simple kind. I sprinkle mine with garlic and a generous amount of black pepper and sear it in olive oil on all sides, then toss it in the crock-pot all day with onions and potatoes and carrots. Easy, easy, easy and one of the few ways my boys will eat carrots and white potatoes and actually like them!

Yesterday was coconut shrimp -- I make it simple for the boys. I toss a handful of coconut in the food processor and break it down a little, then toss the shrimp with it, garlic salt and red pepper flakes, then fry it in coconut oil. Kind of a short cut version, but it works. Sometimes we eat with rice. This time I had lots of potatoes that were on their last legs, so I threw red potatoes cut up in chunks in with olive oil, rosemary and sea salt and roasted them at 500 for about 40 min. Chopped up a pineapple and dinner on the table in less than half an hour so we could make to church on time!

Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup

So, apparently it's been a while since I remembered to write! The last time we were at one of favorite restaurant's (Carrabbas), I had a fantastic Spicy lentil soup. I loved it so much I made a mental note of the basic ingredients. It took a while, but I'm finally getting around to playing with it. This was the first attempt and, while not perfect, it was pretty darn good. As an added bonus, the house smelled incredible! Serve with crusty Italian bread.

Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup

1 package Italian sausage (hot if you like spice! I prefer Jennie-O Hot Italian turkey sausage links)
4 pieces bacon (slice into small bits with scissors before cooking)
1 c finely chopped onion (about 2 small)
4 carrots, finely chopped or shredded
1 t. minced garlic
5 c chicken broth
5-7 c water
1 lb dry lentils
2 T. vinegar
2 tsp. basil
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Add bacon and onions in bottom of large pot. Fry over med. heat until onions begin to soften. Add carrots. If sausage is in casing, remove from casing and add. Chop into small pieces as it cooks. Cover and cook 5-10 min, until sausage begins to brown. Add chicken broth, lentils and spices. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours. Add water as needed to desired thickness.

I'm baaaaaack

Ok, so remember how I said I've started a blog like 8 times and then lost it because I never used it and forgot which site I made it on -- yes, I really can be THAT brilliant -- no one should be surprised that I randomly appear and disappear. Knowing that someone periodically looks at these is a bit of a help in the kick my rear in gear department!
That being said, we're getting ready for a MAJOR adventure. We don't know exactly when yet. Or any of the details. But we do know that God has laid something on our hearts for years now and "suddenly" gave us specifics. When He gives you a specific task, it's best to say yes right off the bat. It you don't, well, things get uncomfortable. I've witnessed people say no before. They aren't among the most content people I know. And if you say no long enough, you risk becoming hardened against the Holy Spirit's voice. So, we are saying a big, loud "Yes!". Being who we are, we made this decision in code on a trip down to Denver recently. In code, because we still haven't told our kids -- which is why I can't tell YOU yet! HA! We began to make a pros and cons list (yes, we are nerds...), and realized within minutes that all our "cons" were these tiny, insignificant, temporal inconveniences, while our "pros" (besides a quickly growing belief that God himself was speaking to us...small thing...) were things that make an eternal difference. It's scary. It's a momentous decision. There are so many ifs and buts and details that only God can work out and that's a scary and exciting place to be. Scary, because we know it's out of our control. Exciting, because we fully expect and look forward to seeing God move in the coming weeks, months and year.
Now, I hate roller coasters. I don't enjoy feeling my stomach turn inside out. And I don't really understand how anyone else can. But, I imagine this is a bit like a roller coaster -- if you like them, of course. You're in the car and buckled in, so you've made the choice to get on board. Now you're balancing on that first peak, edging toward that drop off where things are going to get a little fast and crazy. And you know more peaks and dips like that are coming. Maybe even a loop dee loop thingy. But you're on the car and you trust it will stay on the track and when you hit that last high spot, you'll enjoy the ride down for all it's worth. That's where we are. In the car, buckled in, first hurdle past and we're working our way up that very first climb. In the words of the Little Einsteins (yes, sometimes they have sound life advice...did you not know that?), "Hold on tight, 'cause here we GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Allergy friendly brownies

I've been trying to find a decent brownie recipe. I've tried tweaking my favorite recipe with no success -- particularly when trying to make them dairy, egg, corn, soy and wheat free! Essentially the only part we can actually have is the baking cocoa. Doesn't make for very exciting dessert!

My sister emailed me this recipe that she found online. It was pretty close to being just right, so I made some little changes and here's the result! Don't tell anyone, but, for brownies, these are very nearly a health food.

The secret ingredient here is a vegetable -- zucchini. I've found part of the secret of using it in cakes and not having the "vegetable" aftertaste is to shred it pretty finely. A hand shredder will work in a pinch, but if you have a food processor with a shred attachment, you'll get the best, most consistent results. These I added a handful of dark chocolate chips to as well -- we're allergic to the soy, but when the rest of the brownie was allergy free, that tiny amount is well-tolerated. Coincedentally, if you're worried that you'll taste the zucchini, these made it through the company picnic and a meeting without anyone guessing they contained vegetables. Well, maybe not "made it through". It was more of a clean dishes came home type of scenario! And they also passed the ultimate vegetable detetectors -- the 5, 6 and 9 year old...

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 c olive oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 c flour

1 c baking cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 packed c. shredded zucchini

optional:

1c chopped nuts and/or 1 c dark chocolate chips

Powdered sugar for dusting (since we're allergic to the corn in powdered sugar, I simply blend a little white sugar with a tiny drop of tapioca starch until it was powdered and used that for dusting)

Combine oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add to oil mixture. Add zucchini and mix. Turn into an oiled 9x13. Bake 25-30 min. at 350 or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool. Best after cooled and set for at least a few hours.

To make these wheat free, I subbed out the flour for 1/2 c almond meal/flour and 1 c of a gluten free flour mix I had on hand. Next time I will also cut the sugar down to 1 c -- something with the more delicate taste of the wheat free flour made these much sweeter with no wheat.

Did you know brownies are best the day after and at room temperature? Apparently that's the actual "how to serve a brownie" directions. The flavors meld when they have a chance to set. These are no exception -- the flavor is deeper and the texture is more of a dense brownie after setting overnight.

Since this is zucchini season, this is the perfect cure for too much squash and too little sugar. Turn it chocolate, I say!

Baked Beans Recipe

Since we're going into prime BBQ season (I know that should be summer, but for some reason it usually falls in the fall (get it? FALLS in the FALL? I know, pathetic attempt at humor.) for us. So, one of the first recipes I set out to recreate after we discovered all our allergies was baked beans. I've always been really, really picky about baked beans. I like them sweet, sometimes a little spicy. Coincidentally, EVERY mainstream brand contains corn or soy or both. On top of that, 2 of our boys are allergic to tomatoes, so that effectively cuts our choices down, to well, none.
My favorite brand growing up was Bush's Baked beans, so I used that general flavor as the mark to shoot for. After wading through hundreds of baked bean recipes online, I took several that looked close, combined them and voila! One baked bean recipe that everyone can eat and no one complains about. We have a standard put beans on low in the morning in the crock pot and let them go all day, then spend the next week eating them habit going on now. Beans are amazingly good for you. And, did I mention, cheap? Usually we use a combination of several types, and usually don't hit the same combo twice. The most common is probably pinto and great white northerns. Sometimes kidneys make it in there too. There's not really a rhyme or reason why. Pintos because you can buy them in ginormous bags at Sams Club and great white northerns because a lot of baked bean recipes have them and once we tried them, we loved them. Now, I usually double this so we can have leftovers. I've found I can cheat and make them up fast if needed, but the flavors are best if they have time to slow cook, so if at all possible go for the crock pot method. We also have played with adding a little spice and changing them around a little, so I'll add those variations as well.

Jessica's Baked Beans
1 1/2 pounds of dried beans, soaked/cooked until tender
1/2 lb bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 c brown sugar, loosely packed
1/3 c molasses
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste

to reach desired consistency:
gluten free flour (rice flour, tapioca flour (I like that the best), etc.)
up to 2 c water

Fast method: I use my kitchen shears to cut the bacon into small pieces. Fry in the bottom of a large pot with the finely chopped onions (why bother dirtying more than you need to?). Add remaining ingredients and cook until heated and bubbling. Add water and flour as needed to reach desired consistency of sauce.
Slow cook method (this brings out the flavors better than the fast method): Fry onions and bacon and add to soaked beans in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Usually I add about a cup water. Cook 6-8 hours, adding water and flour at the end to reach desired consistency.
Note: Since every gluten free flour requires a different amount, I just add it slowly by the tablespoon and let it cook for a few minutes before adding more. If gluten isn't an issue, I'm sure regular flour could be used as well. The consistency is completely arbitrary. The kids and I like them thick, so we can use potato chips to scoop them up. Bryan prefers his thinner and I usually could get away with not adding any thickening agent. And watch reheating them -- they invariably soak up moisture and almost always need extra water added upon reheating.

Variations:
A little kick: Add a can or two of chopped green chilies, depending on your family's taste.
A different sweet: Sub out 1/4 c of the brown sugar for an 1/8 c maple syrup or honey.
A different kick: I find the pepper crusted bacon is a great way to spice them up. The kids don't like them as much, but Bryan and I do!
A little more bacon: I originally started with a ratio of 1 lb bacon per 1 1/2 lbs beans. I found you can cut the bacon (and hence, the fat) in half pretty easily. BUT, if you want a stronger bacon flavor, up to a pound, or down to a 1/4 lb works well.
Sausage: In a pinch I used some breakfast sausage instead of bacon -- just like 4 links. A little different flavor, but everyone liked it.

We eat these weekly -- with brats, burgers, BBQ sandwiches, you name it. Bryan's also invented a green chili and lemon bean recipe that we quite like. I'll have to have him actually show me what he puts in it...

Hummus Wrap Recipe

So, I randomly created a recipe I'm a little obsessed with. My brothers had some bacon that needed to be used up the other day. I also had a little hummus floating around. Just for fun, I threw the two together in an almost homemade flour tortilla with some fresh tomatoes, avocado slices and spinach and finished it off with a little goat cheese. Yes, I know that sounds strange. But it has a unique taste that I loved! Today I was out of hummus (I used a dry mix last time in an effort to clear my cabinets. Not bad, but it had that "dried and reconstituted" flavor.) This is the fresh recipe I made instead:

Hummus
1 can low sodium garbanzo beans (save fluid)
the juice of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt
pinch of red pepper flakes

Just toss it into a food processor and blend until creamy. Add reserved fluid as needed to desired consistency.

Yep, it's that easy. Now, traditionally hummus has tahini in it. I'm not a huge fan, and, on top of it, it's hard to come by here in this tiny town, so I just skip it.
Oh, a side note, if I haven't mentioned it before, the tortillas I use are La Flor. Here you can buy them at the grocery store (only one, Smiths, carries them). They are uncooked, usually near the deli meats in the refrigerated section. For us, we love them because they a) taste like homemade without the hassle and b) only have like 4 ingredients so they are very allergy friendly. We're totally hooked on them now!
Here's the "actual" recipe I created:

Bacon Hummus Wrap

1 flour tortilla, pan warmed
2 strips bacon, cooked (I put mine between 2 sheets of paper towel and microwave for about 1:30. The paper towel soaks up the fat and the strips are perfectly flat for sandwiches!)
3 tomato slices
3 avocado slices
Handful fresh spinach
About 1/4 c hummus (more or less to taste)
Sprinkle goat cheese

Toss it all in the tortilla and enjoy! And speaking of hummus, I should share the garbanzo bean Greek salad recipe sometime...

But, the boys are upstairs taking an un-nap right now. In other words I sent them up for nap time and they went. But now, from the wild giggling I'm hearing, I think it turned into a dog pile. As a side note, why does everything boys do turn into a dog pile? I mean seriously. I just don't think girls are walking along, see another girl on the ground and feel the instinctual need to jump on her. Boys however, do feel this need. I have witnessed this. A lot. The 3 boys are dog piled on the floor and the baby just walks over and throws himself on the top of the heap. Why? Why is this fun to the male species? I have the strangest urge to try it for myself...maybe us girls are missing something...