Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Gluten Free Graham Crackers made with oats

So I found this recipe a few weeks ago and thought, hmm how can I make these gluten free?  I miss Graham Crackers! Ya'll they turned out awesome, give it a try if you want something yummy to snack on, they are great on their own or covered in hazelnut chocolate butter....just saying :) They also freeze really well and are super easy slice and bake cookies to have on hand.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup gluten free oat flour (I just grind up oats in the coffee grinder (used only for making flours and spices) for this but you can also buy them) 
  • 1½ cups all gluten free flour mix
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup butter, chilled & cubed
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • optional: 1 tablespoon chia or flax seed (I used chia and it gave them a nice crunch)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a food processor or mixer combine the first 6 ingredients. (If using chia or flax seed add here.)
  3. Add cubed and chilled butter to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.
  4. Add honey, water and vanilla and continue to mix until it all combines.
  5. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. (I found it easier to roll the dough w/o a sheet on top of the dough.)
  6. Roll dough out until ¼ inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes. Combine the dough scraps and roll out again to cut more shapes.
  7. Place cookies on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Cool and serve.
NOTES
To Freeze: After step 6, roll the dough into 2 tube shapes about the width of a 2-3 inch circle (or you can slice out some for now and then roll up the leftovers into one tube), wrap in wax paper and then place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready to bake, let defrost a little, slice into 1/4 inch circles and then follow steps 7-8.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

The Latest Blogging for Books review; The New Indian Slow Cooker

While I really wanted to love The New Indian Slow Cooker: Recipes for Curries, Dals, Chutneys, Masalas, Biryani, and More by Neela Paniz, I find the recipes to be too complicated for true slow cooking in the crockpot.  I do love the recipes and flavors but know that I will not have the time to make them that often.  That being said, it will be my turn to book when I want to spend sometime in the kitchen making something special!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

2014 discoveries and inspirations

So I made a few fun "discoveries" the end of the year last year and I wanted to share them with my friends and family!

1. Ya'll I have to admit that I have fallen in love with oils!  My family has stayed healthier, recovered quicker and I have avoided many common pregnancy issues (aches and pains, sleep issues)! If you want to know more please contact me, I love to share them and stay tuned because I know I will be sharing recipes and stories about them this year and you can get your own through me, use the contact me info on the side.


2. I am reading a book called  Parenting with Grace by Dr. Gregory & Lisa Popcak’s.  I am so inspired to change things up, end the yelling and renew my relationships with my kids this year.  I also want to check out their marriage book soon!  Following up on the book I also found a free online magazine called Tender Tidings that has inspired me even more (http://intentionalcatholicparenting.com/?page_id=72).

3. Another book I got a lot out of in the last few months is The Power of a Praying Wife by O'Martian.  It gently guides you through 30 days worth of prayers for your husband and I have 5 or 6 that I now try to pray at least once a week if not daily.  Its nice to have a reminder of the things we all need to pray fro each other.

4. Of course I also discovered and fell in love with Jamberry Nails last year.  I haven't really talked about them here on the blog but I have so enjoyed selling them during online parties, actually having a few in home parties (let me know if you are local and want to host one!!!), and having nice looking nails in my house full of men!  Check them out anytime at www.kimewalt.jamberrynails.net 




5. Since moving to CO I have been attending ENDOW Women's study courses at our local church.  I've done their Letter to Women and am almost done with Setting the World Ablaze: St. Catherine of Siena.  I have gotten so much out of both and totally recommend bringing the studies to your church. (http://endowgroups.org/)

What inspired you last year? Stay tuned for my resolutions and new plans for staying on track in 2015 :)