Refined Sugar Free Brown Sugar

Well hello there! I just made a DELICIOUS batch of Gluten/Dairy/Refined Sugar/Corn free Chocolate Chip cookies!

I am so excited about this! I will post about it shortly, but first, I want to tell you all about how to make HOMEMADE Brown Sugar!

Today I used Palm Sugar. Palm Sugar is low on the glycemic index, which means it won't raise your blood sugar as fast as refined white sugar.

And, Plantation Brand Black Strap Molasses. Black Strap Molasses is AN EXCELLENT source of Iron!

All you need to make your own Brown sugar is this:

LIGHT BROWN SUGAR:
1 Cup Palm Sugar
1 1/2 TBSP Black Strap Molasses

Mix together in a bowl with a fork until it is completely coated, then add to your recipes that call for it! If you aren't going to use all that you made, you can put the remainder in to an air tight container in your pantry, or in your refrigerator.

DARK BROWN SUGAR:
1 Cup Palm Sugar
1/4 Cup Black Strap Molasses

The instructions for mixing are the same as already mentioned.

Good luck, and ENJOY!

Chocolat

Say it like the Frenchies. It sounds better.

I have been experimenting with making Chocolate to break apart and add to recipes that call for chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. I have not been able to find any chocolate that isn't sweetened with refined sugar or cane sugar. Cane sugar is high on the glycemic index and so I stay away from it. That goes for Honey too. I do allow a little honey in to my diet every once in a while, but definitely not on a regular basis. If I can help it, I use other sweeteners.

So I purchased some UNSWEETENED 100% CHOCOLATE at Target a few days ago, and have been trying it out a little at a time. Today I made Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks.

Today I used 2 oz of Chocolate, (two of the 1 oz squares shown above)...

3 tsp of RAW ORGANIC Agave Nectar (35 on the glycemic index)...

And 2 tsp of Organic NON-HYDROGENATED Palm Shortening.

 These three ingredients make something very delicious...

Start by melting the chocolate in a double boiler, or (if you are like me) two small pots in place of a double boiler. (To do this, fill the larger of the two pots with about an inch or two of water. Put it on Low/Medium heat, and then place the smaller of the two pots in the larger pot, making sure not to get any water in the smaller pot as this will ruin all your hard work! Bring the water to a boil and let simmer). Add your chocolate to the smaller pot and stir constantly.

Melt the chocolate thoroughly, and then add the shortening and the agave nectar. Continue to stir constantly. The chocolate will turn in to a truffle-like/batter texture. It will pull away from the sides of the pot.

(I know it looks a little... unappetizing, but trust me, it will be awesome!)

When it does this, you can transfer it to a piece of wax paper large enough to fold it in half, and then squish it either with your fingers or a rolling pin. Try to get it no thinner than 1/4 of an inch.

Now you can transfer it to the freezer and store it for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Pull it out of the freezer and break in to small pieces/chunks.

After this step, I just put all the pieces in to a plastic bag and put it in the fridge.


Now you can take the pieces out as needed. I like to use chunks instead of chips in cookie recipes. Maybe that will be the next thing I bake.

So, here is the ingredient list:

For every 2 oz of UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, you need:

3 tsp of RAW ORGANIC Agave Nectar
2 tsp Palm Shortening


I hope you have as much fun making this as I did, and as much fun eating it as my son and I did!

Enjoy!

I want to make a clarification...

This blog is:

100% Gluten Free
100% Dairy Free
100% Soy Free
100% Refined Sugar Free

It is sometimes:
Egg Free
Corn Free
Peanut Free
...But not always...

For baked goods, such as Brownies and Cupcakes, you CAN use 1/4 Cup Applesauce to replace each EGG. Or, you can use 1 TBSP Flax seed meal + 3 TBSP WARM water for each egg. I think for cookies, flax can sometimes give a nice texture and flavor. I also have heard, but never used, ENER G Egg Replacers are good also to substitute eggs in baked goods.

As for Corn Free things, I would stay away from MASA and corn flours (obviously, right?) and Corn Starch, and use the Corn Free Baking Powder Recipe in place of regular Baking Powder which often uses Corn Starch. I would recommend checking labels thoroughly if you are allergic to Corn.

Peanuts, well, I only use them occasionally, and I will always notate in the posts if the recipe contains peanuts. Usually any recipe I do with peanuts, they will be optional anyway.


I am gluten free because I have all the symptoms of Celiac, though I have never been diagnosed. My son got sick right before his 2nd birthday, and going gluten and dairy free his symptoms went away almost immediately. I was diagnosed around the same time with fibromyalgia, (at 28 years old) and decided to go gluten free to make it easier for my son to adjust. After going gluten free for 2 months, my fibromyalgia was completely gone, and it hasn't returned.

I am dairy free because I've dealt with lactose intolerance my whole life, and I just don't like dealing with the way my body feels after I eat dairy. It also makes it easier for my son when mommy has the same restrictions as him.

I am Soy free by choice. Soy contains phyto-estrogens which, in sensitive people, (such as myself) can affect hormone regulation. I also just think that most products containing soy have been so processed to taste a certain way, that it has strayed away from "nutrition" and veered instead toward "food product." I try to eat as much whole food as possible, and so I have cut Soy out of my diet completely.

I am Refined Sugar free because I have family history on both parents sides of Diabetes. I also have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome which is often caused to Insulin Resistance problems. I was tested for this, and I do have Insulin Resistance. Because of this, I try to eat low glycemic foods, and that means that refined sugars are a big no-no. I am battling infertility issues, and so I am eliminating foods that I feel could be a problem or a hindrance to this battle. So, I am refined sugar free, and I really am having a much easier time with this decision than I thought I would.

I want this blog to be about finding balance and figuring out ways to enjoy allergy free diets without feeling deprived.

I hope it helps.

Much love,
Susan

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

Have you had the chance to check out Silvana Nardone's cook book, Cooking for Isaiah? It is SO good! I still have to adapt the recipes to my sugar free lifestyle, but it is definitely worth purchasing! It is filled with Gluten free and Dairy free recipes that look amazing.

I decided to try her gluten free flour blend, to substitute in regular recipes for the All purpose gluten-filled flours.

I am so excited by the outcome. As you can see from the pictures, the texture is very much the same as regular flour, and the smell, is pretty close too. I can't wait to try it!

6 Cups White rice flour (super fine rice flour)
3 Cups Tapioca flour/starch (She recommends Shiloh Farms flour for this for it's mild taste)
1 1/2 Cups Potato STARCH (it is not the same as Potato FLOUR)
1 Tbsp Mineral rich Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Xanthan Gum (Or Guar Gum for the vegans out there)

Whisk together very well, and pour in to the container of your choice for storage.


**This recipe is Silvana Nardone's, and not mine. I take no credit for it. I highly recommend buying her book. It is completely worth the money!


Enjoy!

Hot Cocoa A Go Go

After making the cashew milk earlier today, I decided to try making a dairy and sugar free hot cocoa for my 3 year old. I played around with it until it tasted right to me. (I like dark, bitter chocolate, so keep in mind my recipe is for a more dark chocolate, less sweet cocoa).

What I used:

1 Cup Cashew milk
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 tsp Pure Vanilla
10 drops Capella's Flavor Drops (Hazelnut)

This is enough to make one cup of hot cocoa.

You can blend this in a Vitamix for 2 minutes and it will warm up nicely, however today I used the stove top. Just add the ingredients over a low/med heat and stir until it is as warm as you like it. Pour it in to a mug and enjoy. It creates a creamy, rich, flavor. I love it.

For a sweeter cocoa, you can add more agave nectar until you have the taste you like. As I said, I like mine to taste more like dark chocolate.

Enjoy!

Cashew Milk

Today I made Cashew milk for the first time. It was easy, and it is delicious. The best part of it all is that it is dairy free.

**I blanched the cashews overnight. All that that means is I soaked them in water. I used RAW cashew pieces. You can use whole cashews, but I prefer to pay less for the same outcome. I put the cashews in a tupperware container, and filled it with enough water to completely cover the cashews. Then I covered the dish and put it in the refrigerator.

This morning, I took them out, strained them, and measured 1 cup, and put them in to my Vitamix. Then I added about 3 1/2 cups of water, 2 Tbsp of Agave Nectar, and about a Tablespoon of Pure Vanilla. (I get mine at Costco for about $6.95, and it's GLUTEN FREE). I mix it on the highest speed for about 2 minutes, and then pour it in to the containers that I have chosen. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

You can substitute dairy with Cashew milk for any recipe that calls for cow's milk. It's awesome, and it has a really mild taste.

**Blanching nuts is important, because nuts are coated with enzyme inhibitors, which don't allow your body to break them down as well. If you want to get the most nutrition from your cashews, I suggest not skipping this step. Plus, it softens the cashews so much that you don't have to strain the milk after you blend it. Just pour and enjoy.

Corn Free Baking Powder

For those with allergies to corn, here is a recipe for Corn free Baking Powder...

1 part BAKING SODA
2 parts CREAM OF TARTAR
2 parts ARROWROOT STARCH (or Tapioca Starch, or Potato Starch)

Hope that helps!

Enjoy!