Sweetened condensed milk nondairy

In my quest to make some of my favorite Christmas cookies I needed to first make sweetened condensed milk that was dairy free. I looked at lots and lots of recipes and I came up with a mix of the ones I like the most.

Dairy free Sweetened condensed milk
3 cups of milk substitute (I used Flax)
1/2 and 2Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix your milk and sugar together in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Heat on Medium to Medium-Low heat stirring constantly until it is reduced to one cup. This will take a good hour or so. It will be thinner than you think it should be. I over reduced mine and then had to add milk back to it. After it is reduced and off the heat add vanilla and salt to reduced milk. Store in fridge. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yep, I told you I had been thinking about pumpkin lately so here is another one. The original recipe came from Gluten Freely.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free yellow cake mix
1/2 cup nuts (I used walnuts but pecans would be good too)
1/2 cup butter substitute
2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese substitute (I use Tofutti) softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 T pumpkin pie spice
2 T milk substitute (I either use Flax or Coconut)
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350
Mix together cake mix and chopped nuts. Cut in butter substitute into flour mix until it is crumbly. Set 1 cup aside to use later. Press remaining mixture in 9x13 and bake 10 minutes.
In large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. Pour over work crust and sprinkle top with crust mix set aside.
Bake about 35 minutes or until the middle is set (mine took a bit longer)
Cool 30 minutes and put in refrigerator for about 2 hours until well cooled.
Store in fridge.

Pumpkin Muffins

I have had pumpkin on the brain the past few weeks and this is what I came up with. It is a bit dense but it has a great texture and taste.

Pumpkin Muffins
3 cups gluten free flour mix
2 t cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
1 t cloves
1/4 t ginger
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
4 medium eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350
Mix dry together and set aside. Mix wet and combine with the dry. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and then move to rack to finish cooling.

Pumpkin cinnamon rolls

I follow Once a Month Mom and when they came out with their gluten and dairy free menu I was thrilled to see gluten and dairy free pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I had everything I needed on hand and so I set out to make a treat that I had not had in a long time. You can view the original recipe here but I did make a few changes from it. This is the way I did mine.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

• 1/3 cup warmed unsweetened gluten and dairy free milk substitute (I used Flax milk)
• 4 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour, finely ground
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 3/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons gluten and dairy free margarine (I used Best Life)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Icing:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 tablespoons gluten and dairy free margarine (Again I used Best Life)
• 5 cups gluten free powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put yeast in warm milk substitute and sugar.  Set aside until foamy.  Stir in olive oil, vanilla extract and first amount of pumpkin puree.
In bowl of your mixer, mix together brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Gradually combine yeast mixture into dry ingredients until a very sticky elastic dough is formed, scraping down sides as necessary.
Turn dough ball out onto a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap that has been taped to your countertop. With well oiled hands pat dough out into a rectangle.

Use the oiled plastic wrap to help roll the dough.

Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Gently spread the first amount of softened margarine in an even layer on top of dough, and then sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar mixture.
Using the plastic wrap to help, carefully roll the dough.  Slice the rolls and carefully place them into the 8″” greased round pan(s) indicated, leaving about an inch between each roll.  Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for about 45 min.

I use a thin wire that I cut cake with to cut cinnamon rolls.

To make pumpkin icing, cream together the pumpkin puree and second measurement of margarine.  Slowly incorporate powdered sugar until icing becomes stiff and spreadable, using more or less depending on your preference.
When rolls have risen, bake for 30 minutes in a preheated 350 F degree oven.  Cool.  Frost with icing. 

I use less sugar than the original recipe but I like the more pumpkin taste that it gave.

They were so yummy and smelled so good we at them all before I got a picture. I was so surprised at how easy they were to make and next time I will make a double or triple batch.

Big C turned 5

When I asked Big C what he wanted for his birthday cake I knew the answer would be Mario. So I set out to make a Mario cake that would live up to his expectations now. I made the cherry cake  and set to work making Super Mario backgrounds.
I set with my computer freeze framing youtube video of Super Mario Brothers and went to work.

I think that it turned out great and all the kids were thrilled at the party!

Slow cooker tomato sauce

So I decided I should do something with the baby bath tub half full of ripe tomatoes and I did not treasure the thought of having a pot going all day. Thus the idea of the slow cooker came into play. I washed, cut and seeded (well my mom did, my hand can't do that) about 2 to 3 dozen tomatoes of all shapes and sizes and put them in my large slow cooker. To them I added around a 1/4 cup olive oil and 6 to 8 cloves of garlic cut in half. A pinch of sugar, salt and pepper and it was in for the night on low covered in the slow cooker. The next morning I cracked the lid and turned it to high for a few hours. The cooked tomatoes and juice then went through the blender and had a good 1/2 cup of basil added. If you don't want the skins in you could run it through a food mill. Serve over you favorite gluten free pasta or freeze for later.

Mine is light because I used red, yellow, purple and black tomatoes in my mix.

Gluten free cherry cake

So I've been gone for a bit but be ready for a bunch while I play catch up. Cameron wanted a cherry cake for his birthday so I set out to make a cherry cake that everyone would enjoy.

Cherry Cake

Combine and mix well:

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil (I used vegetable)

1 tsp almond extract

Add to that 10 ounces of cherry jelly (I found a great one that had no sugar added, it was all fruit juice)

In another bowl mix

2 cups Gluten-Free Pantry All-Purpose flour (I like the mix)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Combine the dry with the wet and add in 2 cups of grated zucchini*

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil what pans you are using.

Bake cupcakes 20-25 min

Round cake pans 30-40 depending on the size but you want a toothpick to come out clean.

Turn out on wire rack after 10 minutes to finish cooling.

*If you are using frozen zucchini as I did (my local farmers market had a great deal) add all the liquid that come out when thawed. It will make the batter look really thin but it bakes fine.

I had started on the cake before I realized I had not taken a picture.

graham crackers

I have to say that I am thrilled with big C's school in the fact that they did not eat the tents they made in class on Wednesday because he could not have them. They were however having s'mores Friday and if I could bring some graham crackers so he could eat the same. Now, if you have ever tried store bough crackers you know the the similarities between them and regular crackers ends with the shape. Thus I started the quest to find a graham cracker that I would eat and so would the kids. I found this one from Living Without and wow are they amazing. I used guar gum instead of xanthan gum and a 1/2 tsp more vanilla and Earth's Best baking sticks instead of butter.  I couldn't keep the boys out of them!

2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour mix (see below)
½ cup packed brown sugar
1¾ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons honey or agave
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Mix together gluten-free flour mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.
2. Using your fingertips, work butter into dry ingredients.
3. Stir in 3 tablespoons cold water, honey and vanilla. If dough is too dry, add a little more cold water, a teaspoon at a time.
4. Gather dough into a soft ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper.
6. Cut two zip lock bags (gallon size) down each parallel side so that each opens out into one long sheet. Roll a piece of dough between the two sheets to about ⅛-inch thickness, depending on how thick you like your graham crackers. Cut into 2 x 3-inch pieces and prick lightly all over with a fork. Remove top zip lock sheet. Take remaining sheet with dough on it and turn it over. Lay it flat, rolled dough side down, onto prepared pan.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. If cookies spread and bake together, re-cut while still warm and loosen them. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to cooling rack.

Gluten-Free Flour Blend

MAKES 4 ¾ cups

1 cup sorghum or chickpea flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup potato starch, corn starch or arrowroot
½ cup amaranth, millet, quinoa or oat flour
½ cup fine brown rice flour
¾ cup sweet rice flour
Mix ingredients together until well blended. Keep refrigerated until used.

Giving up a dream

So I have been slowly working towards my teaching degree through on-line classes but I have come to realize that because of my RSD that this will have to be some dream I let go. I have had the RSD in my right arm for over a year now and it has not improved much to my dismay. I know it could be worse but it still makes it hard to quit on something that I have worked so hard for. I guess that I will just have to see what the future holds for me and take it all with a grain of salt.

Perfect treat

I have found the perfect treat for all those trick or treat's that will be coming you way with allergies. They are Florida's Natural au'some nuggets variety pack and not only are they gluten free and dairy free but they are also nut free, food coloring free and made with sixty six percent fruit. On top of all that they taste great. I got a box of eighty pouches for around ten dollars at my local Toys R Us. Added bonus is that they are made in the US. Check out their website for more info on their products. Au'some

D's party

I am lucky to have a great brother in law who has a birthday the day before little C. We threw him a small party with friends and family and I made for him my chocolate cup cakes. The first thing you need to realize is that 1.) D does not eat cake. 2.) these were gluten free and dairy free cup cakes and no food coloring 3.) no one knew.  I call that success. The boys also loved the fact that we had Star Wars party favors and that they could eat what everyone else could. It was a great party all around.

 They toppers are light sabers and rings off of Amazon. They made for really cute tops and they were fun to play with.

little C is 2!

Hard to believe that my baby is two already. We had a small party for him and he wanted a Thomas the train party again. This is the third or fourth thomas party that I have done but my first being gluten and dairy free. I made the cake, it is chocolate and used store bought icing since I have not found one that I like yet. It is all natural food coloring except the water, but no one was eating that. The rocks are also naturally colored but do have milk in them so I made sure little C did not eat any of them.

 The first part is the roundhouse which is yellow, green with a blue gray roof.

This part is also cake and there are cows back there much to his delight.