Signs of Spring

photo of my flowers taken by my dear friend Jennifer Yandle

Michael sent me flours (ha... how a baker thinks!) flowers this week. The rosy pink and crisp white colors made me smile. I feel blessed and happy.

But not just because of the flowers. So much has happened in my life in the past year. I never really wrote a "goals" post for 2012, because honestly life is different. Life is happier. More at ease.

Happier not because of book deals, weight loss (I think overall I only lost around 2 pounds last year... I've gained back much of what I lost), or the lovely pendant my husband bought me for Valentine's Day.

Happier because I'm learning to be comfortable in my own skin. I'm learning to accept my flaws and change what I can in my own way with my own sense of timing.

I didn't write goals not because I don't have them, or want them... but because my goals are more loving and less concrete. I want to continue my journey of health, I want to continue to strengthen my spiritual life and emotional health. Physical health will come, but I've learned that right now focusing on my emotional and mental health has become a primary goal.

And I like who I have become. I'm not ashamed to admit that I like my size 20 khakis or my 2x teal tunic shirt with pleats. They fit me well and they fit my personality. I like that.

I think one of the biggest pieces of becoming healthy has been to start loving the person I already am. Right now. Yes, I want to become healthier physically... but for me, I was so focused on loving and wanting the person that MIGHT become "me" one day, that I had a really hard time accepting the "me" of now.

So here I am. In the midst of an extremely busy time. I have ten days to finish my book and turn it in. Ten days to edit all of my chapters, write a few more, write an introduction. Yet, while this would normally be a time of immense stress and frustration, I feel incredibly at ease. This is truly a sign of growth and change for me. I will finish this book well! I know that. (I'm not sure I could have said that 6 months ago!) Though it may be a few long nights and a more than a few cups of coffee, I will finish this race. And I will have learned to not only love myself more but how to deal with immense stress a little bit better. And that is progress.

A mantra that I wrote from a post earlier last year still rings true for me today: I am breathing, I am blessed, and I am strong!

My dear friend Cheryl sent me a poem earlier this week and I wanted to share it. I can truly relate to the themes in this poem and how for me, while the grip is often tight, change can happen -- slowly, but surely.

Open Hand
by: Gordon Yaswen

When your hand releases
a tool carried long,
you unclench it gradual,
...or it hurts.
Eyes used to dark
need time to take light,
and many-miled feet 
are un-booted slow.
When at length you unshoulder
from your back a burden,
you straighten by degrees;
and for the war-weary,
battles aren't over
when safety is reached.


I see better now
why I stall my growth,
as I heal, each inch;
why steps seen before
I only now take.
to go forward
I must also stop;
I can't depart the darkness
all at once.
To un-stoop, squint, clench;
open heart, hands, eyes;
I can slowly step,
tho seldom leap.


But, after all,
journeys so worth taking
are worth taking slow.

            

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Beef Madras

Beef Madras

A great British favourite – this curry is full of spice with melt in the mouth beef!

Serves 4 small portions, 2 large

Prep time:   20 minutes

Cooking time: 105 minutes

Ingredients

1 cinnamon stick, 2.5cm

10 green cardamom pods

8 cloves

10 black peppercorns

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

6 dried Kashmiri chillies, seeds shaken out

2½ tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 pinch of salt

500g/17 ½ oz diced beef/stewing steak

2.5 cm fresh root ginger, peeled

7 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tomatoes

4 whole green chillies, pierced

To serve

4 tbsp single cream

1 handful fresh coriander, chopped

Basmati rice or Indian breads

Method

1.  Place the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cumin and Kashmiri chillies into a spice grinder or pestle & mortar, grind until you have a fine powder.

2.  Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook on a gentle heat until softened.  Stir in the ground spices with the turmeric, garam masala, salt and a splash of water.  Cook for 1 minute.

3.  Add the beef and fully coat with the spices, cook until browned all over.

4.  In a small food processor blend the ginger, garlic, tomatoes with a splash of water until you have a smooth puree.  Add the mixture and green chillies to the beef, bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until all the sauce has almost been absorbed into the beef.

5.  Pour in enough water to cover the beef curry, bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until the beef is tender, around 1 ¼ hours.

6.  Uncover and simmer until you have a thick sauce, season to taste.  Serve the curry with a drizzle of cream, a sprinkling of fresh coriander, basmati rice or Indian breads, enjoy!

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The Grain/Dairy Free B-Day Smash Cake!

Photo by the Urban Poser







Recently, I was commissioned to make a grain/dairy/sugar free birthday 'smash' cake for the most beautiful little girl on the planet! Call me superficial, but I believe that beautiful little girls deserve beautiful little cakes. Ok, if I'm totally honest, I think EVERYONE deserves beautiful cakes!


But making a grain/dairy/sugar free cake that looks fabulous

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My Favorite Waffles

Make these waffles in any type of waffle maker. 

Thick Belgian-style or thinner shaped waffles, like

my heart shaped waffle maker...they are all good. 

Serve with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar

 or warmed maple syrup....or both.

 Mix up the batter and let rest. 

 Spray and preheat a waffle iron.

Pour 1/3 C batter into the center. 

Close and bake until golden.

Keep waffles warm in the oven, along with your 

plates while you bake the rest.

One of the things I love about waffles is that 

unlike pancakes they freeze beautifully.

I always make the full recipe.

Then I can just pop them in the toaster oven to

reheat and enjoy again.

My Favorite Waffles

2 C flour

2 T sugar

1 T baking powder

1/4 t salt

Whisk together in a large bowl. 

~~~~~~~~~~

2 egg yolks

1-3/4 C milk

6 T butter, melted

Whisk together in another bowl, 

then combine with the flour mixture.

~~~~~~~~~

2 beaten egg whites

Fold into the combined batter. 

Let stand 20-30 minutes.

Pour 1/3 C batter in the center of sprayed and 

preheated waffle iron. Close lid and bake until

 golden, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove and keep warm on a plate in the oven, 

along with your plates while you make the

 rest. Freeze any leftover waffles and use 

a toaster oven to reheat again.

(tip: If you are in a hurry and do not want

to separate the eggs, you can just beat 

the whole eggs until frothy and proceed) 

Makes 10 waffles.

Enjoy!

Links: Designs By Gollum

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Spaghetti Puttanesca

Spaghetti Puttanesca

This is a wonderfully tasty quick and easy mid-week meal. Chilli, Capers, Anchovies, Olives and Tomatoes - what a perfect combination!

Serves 4

Prep time:   5 -10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped

1 small red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped

6-8 anchovies from a jar, drained & finely chopped

115g/4 oz black olives, pitted & halved

2 tbsp capers, drained

400g/14 oz tin of chopped tomatoes

To serve

450g/1lb dried spaghetti, cooked as per packet instructions

Freshly grated parmesan

Fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1.  Place the oil in a large frying pan and heat, add the garlic and chilli and gently cook for 2 minutes.  Add the anchovies, olives, capers and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

2.  Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and toss until fully coated.

3.  Serve with a sprinkling of parsley and parmesan, enjoy!

Cooks Tips

·         Try adding some raw peeled prawns to the sauce 5 minutes before serving.

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Open Your Heart: Partner Yoga With Your Kids

Open your hearts this Valentines Day! Try these heart opening asanas with your kids or even that special someone. Don't worry if you can't do them perfectly...the real heart opener is the time spent with your loved ones.

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Gluten Free, Dye Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe

(Hello, my friends! Valentine's Day is tomorrow and I wanted to re-post one of my favorite recipes from GLG! It deserves a little more attention than it initially received in 2008 (wow, 4 years ago!), especially on Valentine's Day! This is a gluten free and DYE-free red velvet cake... it's just as delicious as the dye filled version and it's been a hit with my co-workers today! I hope you'll enjoy it this February. I've also included new notes in at the end of this recipe to make it a bit simpler, along with now being dairy free. I promise you'll love this easy, classic cake! -- Carrie) 

A few weeks ago my co-worker Jennifer was telling me about a brownie that her husband brought home. He picked up the brownie at a bakery near his work and it was called a "Red Velvet Brownie." The brownie itself was chocolate, but it was laced with red velvet cake squares swirled throughout the batter and topped with cream cheese icing. I was drooling.

Jennifer and I searched and searched for a recipe that might be similar to this brownie. We gave up. I couldn't find one that mimicked the brownie she had.

In 2009 I made mini-red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day. I thought these cupcakes were okay, yet I hated using all of the food coloring required for the recipe. SO, I decided to look for different red velvet cake options!

I finally read several recipes that gave a possible alternative to food coloring. These recipes stated that *originally* red wine vinegar or red beet juice was added to the standard buttermilk , cocoa, and baking soda recipe and a chemical reaction occurred during baking which gave the cake a reddish hue. Not food coloring red... just a reddish overtone.

That was good enough for me.

I converted the recipe to be gluten free, lower fat, and lower sugar and gave it a try.

It was worth the try. I LOVE this cake. It's light, yet decadent. Stays moist and fluffy, and has every bit of that delicious red velvet flavor of it's "food-coloring laden" predecessors.

I will post better pictures of this cake this weekend because I'm going to make it again for a dinner we are having.

I've included a halved recipe in the printable PDF in case you would only like to make one layer, as I did originally. It makes a lovely single layer cake. I think this would be perfect for tea parties!

Gluten Free. Food-Coloring Free. Soy Free. Lower fat. Lower sugar. Red Velvet Cake.

I do recommend using a high quality cocoa powder that is NOT dutch processed for this cake.




Gluten Free, Dye Free Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, soy, and dyes
(Printer-friendly version)

Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup melted butter -or- canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder (NOT dutch processed)
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar -OR- 2 tablespoons red beet juice

Dry Ingredients
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour -or- sweet rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans. (I lined my pan with parchment paper and then spritzed it with non-stick cooking spray.) Mix melted butter with applesauce, water, and cocoa powder. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl or your mixer, beat eggs. Add vanilla, buttermilk, baking soda, red wine vinegar -or- beet juice. Add butter/cocoa mixture to egg mixture. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Batter will be thin and a very light brown. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.


UPDATED RECIPE NOTES:

• DAIRY FREE/CASEIN FREE: Use coconut oil for the butter called for and in place of the buttermilk use 1 cup full-fat coconut milk + 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• STARCH SUBSTITUTES: Since I no longer use tapioca flour/starch OR cornstarch, I simply used 1 cup of arrowroot starch in place of the cornstarch & tapioca flour called for. 
• WET ING/DRY ING: When I made this cake yesterday instead of adding the cocoa & baking soda to the wet ingredients, I simply added them to the dry ingredients instead... it worked fine! 
• DAIRY FREE ICING: Pillsbury frostings are gluten free and dairy free. I used plain vanilla Pillsbury frosting for these. For a homemade dairy free icing, try this recipe: http://www.godairyfree.org/Recipes/Dairy-Free-Desserts/Butter-Cream-Frosting-Vegan-Gluten-Free.html (use the dairy-free milk of your choice, you don't have to use soy milk.) 
• CUPCAKES: I made 24 cupcakes from this full recipe last night. Baked at 350 for about 17 minutes. 

Cream Cheese Icing from Allrecipes.com, submitted by Janni

Whole Recipe
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 Recipe (I used this to frost a single layer red velvet cake)
4 oz. cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl mix together cream cheese and butter, until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla and gradually add confectioners' sugar. Frost as desired on cake and store leftovers in fridge.

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