There is so much information about gluten and the damage that it can inflict on those who are gluten intolerant, allergic or who suffer from celiac disease that a real fact of the matter goes unnoticed; “Dwarf Wheat”

Einkorn wheat, the original grass eaten by our ancestors, has been genetically modified.

Norman Borlaug is credited with feeding the world with the super hardy hybrid, however, in it’s wake has been left a host of ills.

Even if you do not suffer from any number of gluten maladies you may be putting on weight, especially belly fat, experiencing mental fog and fatigue and suffering mild headaches.

Simply feeling bloated after eating wheat products was enough for me to investigate further and come up with a few solutions.

Giving up baked goods is not easy for me or for my family.

I like my girls to eat home made foods as much as possible but the idea of re-tooling my kitchen with gluten-free products seemed over whelming.

It turns out that it is not as difficult as I was making it out to be.

I took one of our favorite recipes, banana bread with walnuts and chocolate chips and adapted it to a wheatless recipe.

Ingredients

3-5 really ripe bananas
2/3 cup of coconut oil
2/3 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
2 1/3 cup coconut flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

opptional

finely chopped walnuts to taste
chocolate chips to taste

I used a cup of quinoa flour but next time I won’t. The flavor was a bit strong, almost bitter, so I’ll use only coconut flour next time.

Also, the batter was a bit dry and thick, however, you can see by the photos that it baked with a nice crust and was quite moist, actually.

Adding more coconut oil or another banana should remedy any dryness.

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and “flour” 2 loaf pans

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl

Pour into loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes

I am going to try this recipe again and attempt to make it vegan.

I would also like to eliminate the sugar adding applesauce or prune puree……I’ll keep you posted!

This certainly didn’t cook like the original recipe containing wheat, however, neither was it dense nor crumbly.

It didn’t rise much but it was still very good.

It has a nice crispy crust and only a mild coconut flavor…

…offset by the chocolate chips, I’m sure.

My daughter took one bite and said, “this is different”.

By the next bite she said, “I’m already used to it”

It didn’t take long for the girls to get on board.

It is not my intention to cook something that is simply gluten-free but healthy and nutritionally beneficial, as well.

Coconut oil is so good for you and I am finding ways to include in my diet everyday.

Coconut flour is high in fiber and contains protein for cell growth.

By turning our favorite family recipes into natural health boosters I hope to keep them smiling and satisfied for years to come.

Halloween is a great holiday if you’re into trying new recipes. Everyone is familiar with pumpkin pie, but here are all kinds of pumpkin recipes out there. If you visit your local grocery store, you’re bound to see some Halloween treats made with pumpkin being promoted, and the brochure printing operations are busy this time of year putting together promotional materials for various recipes.

That said, the traditional pumpkin pie is an old favorite that everyone loves, so you can’t go wrong making it. You can always experiment by altering your favorite recipe, but sometimes it’s great to go back to old standards. Just keep working on perfecting what you already love!

It’s not really bread.

It’s dough from my favorite pizza place spread with veggies and cheese and egg.

I happened to have these items in the fridge.

I sauteed the spinach and mushrooms with some crushed garlic and olive oil.

While the bread is raising let the sautee mixture cool and whisk together two eggs; reserve 2 TBSPN to brush on the loaf after you roll it.

Spread the mixture evenly being sure to go all the way to the ends.

Roll the loaf and cover with the egg wash.

Some of the mixture may seep out, try to contain it.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until deep goden brown.

I tried to get photos of the finished product but this was devoured in minutes.

It is great for kids lunches, a travel meal or anytime you want a filling, satisfying treat; hot or cold.

Warm this up sliced in the oven like toast and the edges get crispy. Just delicious!

Summertime around here has meant a huge flurry of activity.

The hot and steamy weather hasn’t slowed us down much but appetites tend more toward light and flavorful rather than rich and filling.

And the schedules are all over the place! From sport activities to musical gigs, weekend getaways and family gatherings I find that preparing and serving nutritious meals is more challanging than ever.

Especially when I am not there to supervise everything!

Well, I’ve learned to “let go” and create easy, ready to prepare and assemble food for my family; even the picky ones.

I have been in the habit of keeping a big container of cooked brown rice in the fridge.

I also will sautee corn with cilantro and onions and keep that around.

In addition, I’ll chop green onion and fresh cilantro and keep that in the fridge, also.

There are always cans of organic vegetarian beans or refried beans in the panty.

I also make sure to keep stocked up on ripe avocados and limes.

By having these ingredients handy eating on the fly is healthy and quick.

Even the little ones can do it; even the chronically lazy!

We also like to garnish with fresh salsa and a tangy homemade yogurt or sour cream.

This meal and it’s many variations has become a summertime staple that everyone can enjoy and customize to their own preference.

Burrito style for those who are always running late and eating on the way or pizza stlye with a little Manchego cheese for weekend movie night.

So, don’t get frustrated get creative!

These budget friendly meals are flexible. Use what you have around and get fancy when the budget allows.

They are built in to be nutritious so you just can’t go wrong!

With only healthy options even the least culinary inclined among you can’t help but choose something delicious and nutritious while you enjoy a little fun in the sun!

I remember growing up in my European immigrant family with great food.

Some from Italy and some from Eastern Europe but all of it driven by the freshest ingredients and much of it, meatless.

My grandmas and aunts always had their own gardens and were “putting up” or canning something at any given time.

For me summertime always means tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches.

These were not gourmet growing up.

They were just any bread with mayo, fresh tomato and “crunchy” salt on top.

I spruced these up a little by grilling artisan whole grain bread with olive oil to give crunch and texture to the bread and I’ve also added big fleshy leaves of basil for that peppery edge that basil can give.

Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise is my favorite with this sandwich.

Even a few slices of avocado would be delish!

Get creative and keep it meatless. The possibilities are endless for a tasty, light and nutritious meal that says, “Summertime” in every bight!