What a gorgeous winter afternoon, the whole day was a delicious treat actually! Isn't it amazing how a 40 degree day in winter has me cracking open the windows to usher out stale air, the girls are outdoors without jackets, and everything feels so warm? Now, take the same day, but insert it into July... not quite so pretty! However, after many, many days of below freezing weather, and several feet of snow, the weather today was a treat that we all enjoyed! In fact as I write Riley is still sledding down our ice sheet of a driveway... :)
Inside, my two oldest girls sit at the table with two of their cousins enjoying a rousing game of quadruple solitaire. This was once commonplace, a weekly, often bi-weekly occurence. For many years both I and my sister homeschooled our kids. To keep our sanity we would switch off kids each week, usually for a sleepover, and enjoy hours of solitude in an otherwise noisy life. It was a lovely agreement we had, but the one constant about life is that it changes. My life went in one direction, my sister's in another. Her kids went to school, mine did not. It means far, far fewer "playdates", and while this could be construed as 'negative' I choose not to see it that way. "It is what it is" is an expression I use with way too much frequency I'm sure, but when 5 little words some it all up... why use more? I'm just glad that when they do come together they easily and comfortably fall back into their places, as if no time had passed. And the game plays on...
Mmmm, almost time to sign off, I just took a blueberry pie out of the oven and the smell is signaling my stomach that it is time to eat! I promised everyone a pie, and the consensus was for blueberry, so I wasn't about to argue. Sugar free, gluten free, vegan, organic blueberry pie. Sounds like it couldn't possibly be any good, right? And yet, it is delish. Healthy never has to mean plain, boring or tasteless, I make sure of that! I'm going to share the recipe for all of you out there looking for a scrumptious new recipe. Not to be redundant, but all of the following ingredients are organic! :)
Inside, my two oldest girls sit at the table with two of their cousins enjoying a rousing game of quadruple solitaire. This was once commonplace, a weekly, often bi-weekly occurence. For many years both I and my sister homeschooled our kids. To keep our sanity we would switch off kids each week, usually for a sleepover, and enjoy hours of solitude in an otherwise noisy life. It was a lovely agreement we had, but the one constant about life is that it changes. My life went in one direction, my sister's in another. Her kids went to school, mine did not. It means far, far fewer "playdates", and while this could be construed as 'negative' I choose not to see it that way. "It is what it is" is an expression I use with way too much frequency I'm sure, but when 5 little words some it all up... why use more? I'm just glad that when they do come together they easily and comfortably fall back into their places, as if no time had passed. And the game plays on...
Mmmm, almost time to sign off, I just took a blueberry pie out of the oven and the smell is signaling my stomach that it is time to eat! I promised everyone a pie, and the consensus was for blueberry, so I wasn't about to argue. Sugar free, gluten free, vegan, organic blueberry pie. Sounds like it couldn't possibly be any good, right? And yet, it is delish. Healthy never has to mean plain, boring or tasteless, I make sure of that! I'm going to share the recipe for all of you out there looking for a scrumptious new recipe. Not to be redundant, but all of the following ingredients are organic! :)
Pie Crust
1/3 cup ground flaxseed (1/3 cup = 1/2 cup when ground, which is what the recipe calls for)
1 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup millet flour
3/4 cup unrefined, extra virgin coconut oil
3 tbsp water
1/2 cup flaxseed gel
Flaxseed gel is my egg replacement, it works beautifully. Simply grind 1/3 cup flaxseed in a coffee grinder and add to a blender with 2 cups of water. Blend on high for 2 minutes and it will become a gel-like consistency. 1/4 cup flax gel is equal to 1 egg. Will store in the fridge for several days, I've even used it safely after a week.
Combine all the dry ingredients, melt coconut oil (which is solid at room temp) and add to dry ingredients along with the water and flax gel. Split dough in half, and roll flat on a sheet of waxed paper. This part is a little tricky, but with practice it becomes easier. The dough will stick to the waxed paper long enough to flip it and get it into the pie pan to line the bottom. Peel the paper carefully away from the crust. If there are any holes, they are easy enough to repair with little bits of dough. Roll the other half flat and leave until the blueberries have been added.
Pie Filling
5 cups blueberries
3 tbsp millet flour
2 tsp stevia dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1/2 cup flaxseed gel
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix all of the above ingredients together and add to the pie pan already lined with pie crust. Carefully cover the blueberries with the top crust. Don't worry if it isn't the prettiest pie, it tastes good enough to make up for that!
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake another 45 minutes or so. May need another couple of minutes if the crust isn't brown yet. Serve warm or chilled, whatever your preference.
1/3 cup ground flaxseed (1/3 cup = 1/2 cup when ground, which is what the recipe calls for)
1 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup millet flour
3/4 cup unrefined, extra virgin coconut oil
3 tbsp water
1/2 cup flaxseed gel
Flaxseed gel is my egg replacement, it works beautifully. Simply grind 1/3 cup flaxseed in a coffee grinder and add to a blender with 2 cups of water. Blend on high for 2 minutes and it will become a gel-like consistency. 1/4 cup flax gel is equal to 1 egg. Will store in the fridge for several days, I've even used it safely after a week.
Combine all the dry ingredients, melt coconut oil (which is solid at room temp) and add to dry ingredients along with the water and flax gel. Split dough in half, and roll flat on a sheet of waxed paper. This part is a little tricky, but with practice it becomes easier. The dough will stick to the waxed paper long enough to flip it and get it into the pie pan to line the bottom. Peel the paper carefully away from the crust. If there are any holes, they are easy enough to repair with little bits of dough. Roll the other half flat and leave until the blueberries have been added.
Pie Filling
5 cups blueberries
3 tbsp millet flour
2 tsp stevia dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1/2 cup flaxseed gel
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix all of the above ingredients together and add to the pie pan already lined with pie crust. Carefully cover the blueberries with the top crust. Don't worry if it isn't the prettiest pie, it tastes good enough to make up for that!
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and bake another 45 minutes or so. May need another couple of minutes if the crust isn't brown yet. Serve warm or chilled, whatever your preference.
Well, that'll do it for today. In case you were wondering, the music is still blasting in the kitchen, kids are still singing along, and solitaire is in its 4th, 5th or maybe 6th round...