Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chai Bread with Cranberries

A vegan pumpkin chai bread recipe.

Thank you, Dear Readers for all your pre-Thanksgiving comment love. I'm paying attention. I am. In fact, I've had so many requests for a gluten-free pumpkin bread recipe that I'm sharing another baking success this week. Yup. Two goodies in one week. I usually balance my baking (sweet) and cooking (savory) posts a tad more fifty-fifty- especially when I am trying to lose those last five (stubborn!) pounds and all- but I couldn't ignore your requests for a Thanksgiving pumpkin bread, now could I?

See how I sacrifice for you, my Darlings? Developing, baking and taste testing Cinnamon Apple Muffins, Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pecan Cookies, Pumpkin Raisin Cake, Pumpkin Waffles... Oy, the sacrifice. The pressure!

The 2008 Winter Holiday Frenzy has begun. Maybe for the sake of my sanity (now don't laugh about my alleged sanity, please) I'll put off trying to lose these last five pounds till 2009.

It'll be here before you know it.

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Monday Morning Crêpes

That’s right, I said Monday morning crêpes. Not Saturday, not Sunday, MONDAY.
Who could have ever imagined that you could experience such luxury and indulgence on a weekday? Well, this recipe convinced me it’s possible.
I haven’t made pancakes in years, mainly because they are sort of “pointless”. I don’t often eat anything that is void of nutritional value, and unfortunately, pancakes fall into that category. But since discovering this little recipe using spelt flour, and no sugar, I think I will proclaim Monday morning as healthy crêpe day and live a little.

What is Spelt?
Spelt is an ancient grain with a deep, nutty flavour that has experienced an increase in popularity in North America. It is native to Iran and southeastern Europe with a heritage thought to extend back 7,000 years. Spelt was one of the first grains to be used to make bread, and its use is mentioned in the Bible.
Spelt is a distant cousin to wheat, and while it can be used in many of the same ways as wheat-such as bread and pasta, it does not seem to cause sensitivities in most people who are intolerant of wheat (however, it does contain gluten). In addition to spelt flour, spelt is also available in its hulled, whole grain form (often referred to as spelt berries), which can be prepared and enjoyed like rice. So cool!

Nutrition of Spelt
Spelt features a host of different nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamin B2, a very good source of manganese, and a good source of niacin, thiamin, and copper. This particular combination of nutrients provided by spelt may make it a particularly helpful food for persons with migraine headache, atherosclerosis, or diabetes.

Where can I buy Spelt?
You can buy spelt flour at your local health food store, but many grocery stores are carrying it now. Here in Denmark, it seems to be more available than wheat because it is grown in greater quantities.
Choosing a type of spelt flour will depend on what you’re using it for. Whole grain spelt flour is very nutty tasting and quite rough, while white spelt flour is very similar (but not as bad) to its white wheat counterpart that I so fervently condemn. However, there is a little friend in between called “light spelt”, which only has some of the bran removed, making it more ideal for recipes such as this one, that requires a lighter texture.


Monday Morning Crepes
Ingredients
2 organic eggs
1 cup milk (dairy, soy, rice, or almond)
½ cup water
2 tsp. melted butter or olive oil
1 1/3 cup light spelt flour (or whole wheat)
1 tsp. Honey
Pinch of salt

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients with a wire whisk, and let sit for five minutes.
2. Pour a small amount of batter into a very lightly buttered (or non-stick) frying pan, over medium heat, tilting the pan to spread the batter as thinly as possible. Flip when golden and fry the other side for one more minute.
3. Serve rolled up with your choice of filling: fresh or frozen berries, maple syrup, apple sauce or apple butter, yogurt, jam, honey, sliced fruits.
Makes 8 large, thin crêpes.

Now, I am cheating a little bit. I actually made the crêpe batter on Sunday (sorry), but the good news is that it keeps for at least 2 days, covered in the fridge. The fat will separate making it look a little suspect, but all it takes is a quick whisk to revive its soft, smooth texture. Oh my.
If you want to make your life really easy, whip up a batch on the weekend and save it for the next couple days. You won’t believe your Monday.

info resource: http://www.worldshealthiestfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=143#descr

Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Cinnamon apple goodness- gluten-free.

A classic fall favorite- the pairing of apples and cinnamon. Stir them together in a muffin batter and you have a sweet and cozy breakfast treat that is not only heart warming and soul satisfying but super easy to wrap and freeze. That is, if you don't eat every single morsel first. These little gems would be a fabulous side nosh for Thanksgiving brunch- or a casual supper of Curried Butternut Soup.

It's a gray flannel sky kind of day here in the high desert. Chilly and damp. Steve is watching The Great Escape as I nibble on a warm apple muffin. It's been a historic week. I am still re-viewing on-line videos of our President-Elect with gratitude and awe, thankful that hope, grace and smarts prevailed despite the ugly drumbeat of fear, fueled by prejudice and the age old tactic of scapegoating and button-pushing, appealing, of course, to the lower instincts of our reptilian past. The old and rusty paradigm is giving birth to the new on a collective level. And I feel it in my bones and in the air that I breathe.

I am grateful. Hopeful. And eager to greet change.

It's all good.


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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Cookies Recipe

 Pumpkin cookies- gluten-free.

I'm glad I baked cookies. Your intrepid gluten-free goddess, you see, is a tad under the weather. Well. In all honesty, maybe more than a tad. I blame the shopping cart I gripped and steered in Espanola searching for a butch new spatula-spoon that might actually survive gluten-free batter instead of snapping in half. I've got a nasty bug.

My defenses may have been a little vulnerable from all the pre-election anxiety coursing through my hyper-vigilant little body. Stress equals not-so-good, so they tell me. But now I can exhale. The epic campaign is over. America chose hope and changed the paradigm of its racial roots forever. So, Sweetcakes. Smile.

Have a cookie to celebrate.

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Namaste: नमस्ते

The 30-Day Yoga Challenge is complete! Congratulations to everyone who participated! Even if you only did yoga for a few days in a row, that is a start and you should be very proud of yourself.

For me, this was a very eye-opening experience. Not because I found Nirvana or discovered that I can twist myself into a neat little pretzel, but because I realized how difficult it really is just to shift gears for five minutes a day to anything other than the emergency that life often becomes.

And that is okay.

At the beginning of October I thought: “this will be too easy”, but by the time I reached mid-month and began packing to move overseas, going to one too many parties, last minute errands, airport hassles etc. I couldn’t possibly find the time. Yoga quickly became a last priority, and that just made me feel guilty and inadequate. What does that say about me? I’m not sure, and I don’t think it’s useful to analyze it. I do know that creating any sort of obligation made the endeavor less appealing, like required reading in school. Yuck. Next time, perhaps I should leave all expectations at the temple door and accept that I am just a person with choices to make, all of them divine, whether or not I hit the mat every single day.

I was happy to gets lots of feedback from a variety people who participated in the yoga challenge. The following are some comments from just a few of them:


Sienna, Age 5 (pictured above)
Q - Why do you like yoga so much?
Because you learn lots of poses. And the teacher taught us where yoga came from...India. And that the Indian dress is called a sari - but you have to do your yoga wearing Indian pants.
Q - What’s your favorite position in yoga?
Lotus- full not half.

Laura, Age 18
I did the yoga challenge more than once! Hah. I actually did it quite a lot...not everyday because I definitely did fall pray not as much to the "I’m too busy" but rather "I’m too hung over" hah. But ya, I thoroughly enjoyed the sun salutation…the name itself was enough to attract me. The poses were very effective and after a few times, where I was still attempting to remember the poses, it helped me to reach quite a calm state of mind. It was a lovely 10-minute break in my day that helped me to focus as well as feel as though I was being active. Thanks for giving me an excuse to find balance ;)

Sheila, Age 56
Overall, I found it great. I must admit though, that I was not always in a "yoga state of mind". This is hard to accomplish while doing the sun salutations and watching a brand new episode of Desperate Housewives all at the same time. The benefits I have found are 1) starting the routine which I hope to continue 2) overall more nimble in all movements, less awkward. 3) Definite improvement in arm strength...wrist all the way up to upper arms which is what I need. 3) More conscious use of breath although this is still a weak spot for me.

At the conclusion of a yoga practice, it is customary to bring both hands to your heart, bow and say: “Namaste” (na ma-STAY). This is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “I bow to you” (nama = bow; "as" means I; "te" means you). This gesture represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within all of us, located in the heart, or heart chakra. By bringing your hands together at your heart, closing your eyes, and lowering your head, your spirit acknowledges the spirit of another. It may seem a little silly, but I find that even this simple gesture can remind me of everything beyond the room where I sit, and the body I am inside.

Thanks for your participation and support this month! I hope you enjoyed the 30-Day Yoga Challenge and continue your practice.
Namaste.

Gluten-Free Beef and Mushroom Rice Casserole

Tasty beef and rice casserole with cranberries, mushrooms and olives.

Here's a cozy autumn casserole recipe with crumbled beef (or turkey), mushrooms, black olives and tart cranberries. Vegetarians can change out the meat with cooked black beans or white kidney beans.

The recipe is an improv, so the measurements are close approximations, but most of you readers are creative cooks who do your own thing and toss together your own improvisations, anyway, right? You're my kind of people. 

You can handle it.

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Sparky Picks 5 Winners

Sparky has chosen! But first- my heartfelt thanks. Big appreciation with warm and fuzzy gratitude to everyone who commented on the Whole Foods Budget Recipe Challenge and helped pick the winning recipe- my Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas. Muchas gracias to all my readers, too- your ongoing support, feedback and encouragement is invaluable to me. Without you? I'd be cooking in the dark. And talking to myself.

Here are the five winners- chosen at random- of a Whole Foods $25 Gift Card:

Vidalia P
milhan
Laura (eatcraftlive)
Courtney (blogger profile 02368500891285543351)
~m (Michelle)

Congratulations to the five winners! Please e-mail me for instructions on receiving your Whole Foods Gift Card (note- you will receive an automated Karina's Kitchen response first; a personal e-mail from me will follow). Thank you!

Happy November 1st- and for those of you on Daylight Savings, don't forget to turn your clocks back tonight!