Happy Healthy Halloween!

Halloween is a favorite holiday for many of us because it is filled with fun activities and good times with family and friends. With lots of pumpkins, costumes, scares, and sweets, it is hard not to have a great time. I enjoy all these things about Halloween but I especially enjoy the pumpkin carving and pumpkin seed roasting. This year my hubby and I went with the island theme, to match our new surroundings, and the end product was very satisfying!

Check them out =) Cute huh?

Next time you carve your pumpkin, don't forget to save the seeds and enjoy the most nutritious treat of Halloween. It is so quick and easy to make, just follow these simple steps:

Gluten-Free Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
- Scoop out all the seeds from the pumpkin and separate from the stringy flesh.
- Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
- Spread seeds evenly on a large flat pan covered with parchment paper.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, granulated garlic, and paprika.
- Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
- Turn and mix the seeds after fifteen minutes to ensure even roasting on each side.

You will absolutely enjoy these crunchy tasty treats!

 - Pumpkin seeds are packed with protein, omega 3 healthy fats, and fiber.

- They are rich in magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc.

- They also aid in clearing the digestive tract of harmful bacteria and pathogens and can soothe nausea and digestive discomfort.

For those of us with celiac disease and gluten-intolerance, Halloween candy is just not a safe option to enjoy without risking exposure to gluten followed by another painful bathroom ordeal. Last year I ate candy that claimed to be gluten-free but my gut reaction told a different story. So stay safe this year and splurge on these tasty homemade Halloween treats anyone would love!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Use organic ingredients and hormone-free butter and eggs.

• 3 cups GF oats (Bob's Red Mill is a good brand)
• 1 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice (aka: sucanet, an unrefined sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 2 sticks melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup raw honey (choose locally made)
• 1 TBS Molasses
• 2 teaspoons GF and corn syrup free vanilla extract
• 1 package chocolate chip cookies (Enjoy Life Brand is gluten, soy, nut, and dairy free)

 Optional additions and variations if you do not have any nut allergies:

- 1 cup pure peanut butter, preferably organic, or
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Bake the cookies for about 15-20 minutes.

To make sure they do not fall apart when eating you can refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Happy Halloween!



Check out our costumes, this year Angel went for hysterical and I went for crafty.

Hint: Look at the Do

Can you guess who Angel is this year?

Rocky Balboa presents: Clubber Lang! "I pity the fool"

I made my Sea Turtle Costume from cardboard and fabric scraps. 

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Live Love Local

The great thing about our new community is there is an abundance of local farmers who get together at our neighborhood park and sell fresh produce every week. I stopped by yesterday to see what yummy goods I could find for our next meal and for my husband's sweet tooth and I happily came across a variety of local produce. I picked out some fresh kale for dinner, Okinawan sweet potatoes for a future pie just waiting to be made,  green onions for our weekend egg skillet, and the biggest sweetest smelling lemons I have ever seen! Growing up. my siblings and I had some awesome lemon trees in our yard that we used to make fresh lemonade, now I am going to use these lemons to make one of my husbands favorite treats: Lemon Meringue Pie.

If you get a craving for something delicious and nutritious, find your closest farmers market and go explore the goods, pick out the freshest produce you can find, and whip up a meal or tasty treat. Trust me, you can see, smell, and taste the difference. Not only does fresh local produce taste better, it contains far more nutrients (because it is allowed to ripen on the tree), and it boosts your immune system allowing for optimal health and wellness.

If you are interested in trying my gluten-free lemon meringue pie recipe, find some fresh lemons, fresh local eggs, and hormone-free butter and milk. These ingredients make up a big part of the pie. Luckily, lemons grow in many places and you can find local, hormone free milk and eggs even in the supermarket.  The key to a delicious and nutritious wholesome pie is the fresh foods and whole, unrefined ingredients.

Local Lemon Meringue Pie

GF Crust
This recipe should make enough for 2 pie crusts, you can refrigerate one for another time or double the filling recipe and make 2 pies. 
Pre-heat oven to 325

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup Wholesome Sweeteners sucanet (aka: unrefined evaporated cane juice)
• 1/2 teas. sea salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (use organic or hormone-free)

- Grease a glass pie pan with butter.
- In a large bowl, combine and mix thoroughly all the dry ingredients.
- Cut cold butter into small cubes and knead into dry ingredients until well incorporated into a smooth dough.
- With your hands, press the dough evenly into the pan and up the sides.
- Bake the dough on the bottom rack for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. 
- Cool the dough as you make the filling and leave the oven on to bake the filling.

GF Pie Filling

• 1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners powdered sugar *gluten-free and unrefined
•  3 Tbs. tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup almond  milk (or local hormone-free milk)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 Tbs. butter

- On the stove top, in a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, tapioca flour, lemon zest, almond milk, and lemon juice.
- Bring to boil over medium heat and stir constantly until it thickens into a gel like mixture.
- Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until smooth and then add the eggs into the saucepan with lemon gel mixture.
- Cook over medium heat, add the butter, and stir constantly until fully combined.
- Remove from heat and cover while making the meringue topping. 
*I use Wholesome Sweeteners brand for many of my baking ingredients because of their gluten-free and unrefined products. Be careful of conventional powdered sugar because it is not always gluten-free due to the addition of refined wheat flour.

GF Meringue Topping

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup Wholesome sweeteners powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

- Beat the egg whites and cream of tarter until soft peaks form.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract and keep beating until the filling is light and fluffy.

*When I didn't have an electric mixer, I just used some good ol' arm strength to get the meringue to form. It took quite some time, sweat, and endurance but if you have the willpower then go for it. If you already have an electric mixer it will take you way less time and leave you without the sore arms.


Finally
- I realized there are many steps to this, but it is well worth it!
- Add the lemon mixture to the pie then add the merengue on top
- Bake for 20 minutues until the merengue is a beautiful light golden brown color.
- Cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

After all that LOVE you just put into making this, you and the lucky people you decide to share with will taste it in every bite!

Today is Aloha Friday, and our awesome little town gathers together for a fun festival where locals sell beautiful art, play live music, and eat. I can't wait to share my pie tonight!







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