My Health Journey, A GIVEAWAY, & Something To Laugh At

Hello hello and happy new year!

It might not be legal to say that half way into January, but the year is still new so I wish you a happy one.

Health seems to be at the forefront of most our minds after we may or may not have over-indulged over the holidays.  To kick off 2015 here on Riddlelove, I wanted to share one of my favorite easy-grab foods.  We have been enjoying goodies from the Bearded Brothers since the golden days of summer.  As I share on my health journey video below, I'm a huge advocate for cooking from scratch, but there are those days that take unexpected turns and it's nice to have an emergency supply of grab-able food in the pantry.  I adore these bars because they are 100% clean.  I couldn't have made them more healthy, so there's no bad feelings while stuffing our hungry faces with them.  You flash the words "raw," "gluten-free," and "paleo" at me with the slogan, "Bros Before GMOs," I pretty much order in bulk before I know what's happening.  It makes it all the more easier to click that order button when your first one is 15% off after subscribing with them and free shipping over $75.

I've tried all their flavors (several times) and have many favorites, but my top three are Outrageous Orange Kale, Radical Raspberry Lemon, and Bodacious Blueberry Vanilla.  My kids' faves are Mega Maca Chocolate and Colossal Coconut Mango.  I'm so happy to partner with the Bearded Brothers to offer you a whole case where you can sample two of each flavor!  Go on and enter below!

Today is packed with healthy goodness.  On top of this nifty giveaway, here's a video (complete with some embarrassing childhood photos) of my health journey, and how I went from being chronically fatigued to full of energy, and everything in between.

But wait!  There's more!  If you missed it on YouTube, here is my uninspiring pep(less) talk for 2015 from earlier this month.

And just in case you're bored, another new year's resolution of mine is to laugh more, so I started a new YouTube where I make fun of myself, basically.  I find that it's easy for us homeschoolers to take things overly seriously; most of the time unintentionally.  It's a lot of work to homeschool!  Add the feeling of anti-homeschoolers' hot breath bellowing over our lesson plans and it can get really hard to laugh.  I have found myself pulling away from potentially explosive situations in our homeschool just enough to imagine it as a reality TV show and have to laugh, which is the inspiration behind these YouTubes.

Back to the giveaway!  Continental US residents only, I'm afraid, though you can order yourself a box from anywhere.  A winner will be chosen from random.org once the contest has ended and will be notified via email.  Come back to this post to see who the luck winner is.  There are so many ways to get several entries, so go for it!

***  Congrats to Heather Simpson who won the bars!***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Healthy, Simple, & Festive Snacks, Lunches, & Treats for Wintertime

    

Fun food traditions don't have to be laden with toxic refined sugars and flours.  The kids and I are starting new wintertime culinary rituals that are fun and full of memory-making potential.  They've already made me promise that we do all of the following for winters to come.  Several of these were Pinterest finds, so I'll provide the link to each of those and a little note of how our experience turned out.

 My mom introduced us to these black olive penguins a couple years ago and have become a  wintertime staple ever since. My older kids (ages 10 and 12) help cut the carrots and our 6 and 9-year-olds can do the rest.  The 2-year-old more than happily helps eat them.  We give him a couple cream cheese balls and olives to play around with while the rest of us assemble them.

 We even roast chestnuts on a, well, closed oven.  We found a bag at Trader Joe's and have received them in our produce box before we started growing our own veggies.  We loved how they looked like little presents after roasting them.  Simply preheat your oven to 350º, cut a big "x" on the flat side of each one (I highly suggest adults do this part; it's tricky), and roast for 35-40 minutes.  Unwrap the chestnut presents while still very warm, but not too hot to burn little hands, and enjoy a warming, buttery treat.  Martha has some pretty yummy recipes for them if you have any leftover.

 This simple grape-and-cheese Christmas tree with a celery trunk (and little sprigs of thyme as pretty little dividers) was an easy and tasty snack that the kids put together themselves.

 We used our old hummus flower idea to make a Christmas star with hummus (here's a simple recipe) and heirloom carrots of different colors.  If you haven't grown your own, Trader Joe's has bags of them available.

 The most challenging snack were these snowmen.  The one I made with our 6-year-old fell apart, but our crafty 9-year-old pretty much mastered it.  There might have been some tears shed from disappointed little eyes after snowmen cracked and crumbled, but I think we might try them again next year.

 Homemade hot (or warm) chocolate is too simple not to make!  It's taste is far superior than powdered mixes, not to mention it's way healthier.  We rotate between Perfectly Frothy Raw Hot Cocoa and this Mexican Hot Chocolate.  When I'm really in a need for extreme chocolate, we pull out the Dairy-Free Sipping Chocolate Recipe.

 Need a little something more than chocolate to sip?  Indulge in this super-quick Egg(less) Nog.  It's a favorite.

 These Grain-Free Coconut Lace Cookies don't last long around here.  Buttery+thin+crispy= cantstopwontstop.

 Originally, I was shooting for a Paleo Peppermint Patty kinda thing, but I actually prefer these Paleo Bon Bons without the peppermint.

    I love recipes that are naturally grain-free without having to tweak anything.  These Gluten-Free Chocolate Cloud Cakes are a real show-stopper and simply delicious.

Happy festive, healthy kitchens, friends! xo

Grain-Free German Apple Pancakes Recipe with Paleo Options

As the mornings grow colder, I find myself wanting to tuck into something warm after waking up.  The smoothies get moved to snacks, and breakfasts that come out of the oven are welcomed once again.  I don't want to spend a whole bunch of time on breakfast; it's a busy part of the day over here.  This new favorite tastes and looks like it should've taken a lot more time to make than it actually does.  The key, my friends, is the right kind of tools.  If your household likes apples and you don't already have what my kids call "The Amazing Apple Machine," please, for the love of everything good and pure, invest in one.  I don't know about you, but I can't peel, core, and slice an apple in ten seconds by hand.  For this recipe, I whiz the apples through the "machine" and slice the spiraled apples in half.  The slices are the perfect thinness to naturally cook just enough during the process of baking the pancake, so there's no need to pan-fry them ahead of time.  You'll see what I mean in the recipe, but first, one more note.  If you don't have to be paleo, please choose the buttermilk option over almond milk.  Also, pretty please use butter instead of coconut oil.  The paleo version totally works, but the flavor of good, organic dairy from grass-fed cows...  I swoon.

NOTE:  If you happen to stumble upon a recipe that calls for coconut flour such as this one, you must only use coconut flour.  Coconut flour is very different than any other of it's kind and cannot be substituted cup-for-cup with any other flour.  You also cannot substitute coconut flour for any other kind of flour in a recipe or else you will end up with some sort of nasty.  Moral of the story:  Coconut flour recipes are for coconut flour only, and keep it out of any non-coconut flour recipes.  Thank you. Carry on.

Grain-Free German Apple Pancakes with Paleo Options
Serves 8, prep time: 10 minutes, bake time: 15-20 min.

• 1/3 cup butter (or coconut oil), for the pan
• 1 cup buttermilk (or almond milk)
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons more butter, for the batter
• 1 tablespoon grade grade B maple syrup or honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (find a gluten-free recipe here)
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 big or 3 small apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (see pictures above)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 425º.  Put 1/3 cup butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a 9x13 pan and place in oven while it heats up to allow butter to melt.
2. Blend buttermilk, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, syrup or honey, vanilla, coconut flour, and soda in a blender until smooth.  
3. Slice apples as seen above.  Mix cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.  Add apple slices and toss to coat.
4. Remove hot pan or skillet from the oven once the butter is melted.  Arrange apple slices evenly  on the pan.  Sprinkle any residual spices over the apples.  Pour batter over the apples and place pan or skillet back into the oven.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the pancake is set.  Cut into slices and serve hot with a dollop of butter and grade B maple syrup.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

Crispy Lemon Ginger Waffles ~ A Paleo Recipe

It's true, it's been months since any new posts.  I haven't stopped thinking about sharing life here in this space, but in order to keep priorities in alignment (family first!), the blog has suffered.  Often times, good choices are hard choices.  I miss being here and hope to pick up a regular writing routine so very soon (after we have established our home school for the upcoming year!  More on that soon).  In the meantime, I give you this recipe as a peace offering.  This is no ordinary waffle.  Crispy, airy, flavorful yet not overwhelming...  This is our current favorite waffle of all time, and it just happens to be paleo.  I will be doubling this recipe in the future because they were inhaled before everyone was satisfied.  I might just make another batch for lunch, who knows?  All I know is that I can't stop thinking about them.

Crispy Lemon Ginger Waffles (Paleo)

Prep time: 10 minutes, cook time: 15 minutes to cook entire batch; makes 8 waffles

• 1 cup milk of choice
• 1/3 whole lemon (rind included)
• 1/2 knob of fresh ginger
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 3/4 cup arrowroot powder (hazelnut or cashew flour will also work.  coconut flour WON'T)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter if you're not totally paleo like me)

1. Preheat waffle iron and grease with ghee if needed.
2. Place all ingredients in high-speed blender like the Vita-Mix and blend thoroughly.  Open lid and give it a stir, looking for any chunks, blend again if any chunks are found.  Batter is ready when completely smooth.
3. Pour about 1/2 cup batter into waffle iron to make each waffle.  Serve hot.  Optional garnishes are maple syrup, pear slices, and a sprinkling of organic cinnamon.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

Super Quick, Raw Beet & Fennel Salad (GAPS, Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly)

Enjoy the garden's first offerings of spring/early summer with this salad.  The cleansing, cancer-fighting, folic acid-rich beets and the iron-packed yet soothing-to-the-stomach fennel make a wonderful partnership in power-boosting your health.  The flavors also pair wonderfully together.  This recipe can be made without a food processor, but it will take longer.  

Quick Raw Beet & Fennel Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes; serves 6-8

• 1 large shallot
• 2 bunches beets
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (this balsamic raspberry vinegar is really good in the recipe)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1. Peel beets & shallots.  Use the mincing blade on the food processor to dice shallot.  Remove mincing blade and replace with grating attachment.  Grate beets and fennel.
2. Scoop processed shallots beets, and fennel into a serving bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well to incorporate.  Serve and enjoy!

 ~ Browse more riddlelove recipes here. ~

Lemon Vanilla Bean Breakfast Cookies ~ A Paleo, Gluten-Free Recipe

Our littlest baby started sleeping through the night at seven weeks old.  I felt human!  This baby stuff is a piece of cake when you get enough sleep.  I was ready to take over the world!  Until teething, mental, and physical growth spurts hit and I never slept again.

I allow myself to sleep in (for as long as the baby sleeps) every Saturday morning.  This is only possible if breakfast is prepared ahead of time and the older children can satisfy their "starving" bellies themselves.  Enter the breakfast cookie.  I mean, who doesn't want to eat a cookie for breakfast?  Or anytime, for that matter?  These truly can be enjoyed at any hour of the day, thanks to each wholesome ingredient.

Paleo Lemon Vanilla Bean Breakfast Cookies
Prep time: 15 min; bake time; 15 min; makes 20 cookies (leftovers freeze well)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (do not melt first)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• zest from 1 lemon
• juice from 1 lemon
• beans from 1 vanilla pod (slit pod open and scrape beans out with a spoon, or squeezed out like toothpaste if it's been used to make vanilla extract)

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Measure and pour coconut and almond flours into mixing bowl.  Turn mixer to low and continue to add the rest of the ingredients until fully mixed.
2. Form cookies by taking about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, rolling them in a ball with your hands, and gently pressing them down to about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Bake on a cookie sheet (greased or lined with parchment paper) for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheet before removing.  Serve immediately, store in air-tight, lidded container on the counter for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to several months.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Simple Winter Squash Soup ~ A Recipe

Do you have some winter squashes sitting around that need a home?  I found one.  But first, let's take a look at winter squashes.  Several years back when I first heard of them, my city-girl self thought winter squash meant you plant them in the wintertime.  Yep.  I had a large learning curve ahead.  I came to discover that you plant them in the summertime.  Winter squashes got their name because they can be stored all through the winter. The hard skin makes this possible.  Here are some winter squashes you can use in this recipe:

You can also use spaghetti, kabocha, amber cup... any squash with a hard skin

Simple Winter Squash Soup

Prep time: 15 min; bake time: 30 min; serves 6-8

• 2 small or one large winter squash (any pictured above, equalling a total of around 4 cups cooked squash)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup cream or coconut milk (full fat)
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• extra cream to drizzle on top (if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Slice ends off squash, then slice down the middle and spoon out all seeds and membranes. Place in a large pan, open side-down, with about a cup of water in it.  Bake squash for about 30 minutes, or until scoopable.
2. While squash bakes, heat olive oil over medium heat in soup pot.  Saute onions for about 5-10 minutes or until soft.  Add chicken stock, thyme, garlic, salt, and nutmeg.  Simmer while you wait for the squash to finish baking.
3. Once squash is done baking and it's cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop it into the soup pot.  Add cream or coconut milk, stir, and heat through.  
4. Use an immersion blender for a pureed soup or potato masher if you prefer it chunky until it reaches desired consistency.  Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle some more cream or coconut milk on top if desired, and grind some fresh pepper to sprinkle on top.  Serve and enjoy!

I'm sharing this on Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Healthy Cookie Dough Balls ~ A Raw, Gluten-Free, GAPS & Paleo Recipe

Picnics, park days, camping, work, school, home, road trips...  these little treats beckon you beneath their lidded containers with their siren call of the cookie dough.  Come and partake.  We are doughy and sweet and healthy.  Who can deny the power of cookie dough?  Once you slap a good-for-you label on them (because they really are), all hindrances fade away and you are left with happiness and sticky hands.

We make a batch of these delicious, protein-packed bites every week.  My kids don't even like almond butter, but I buy it in bulk because they adore these treats.  I know there are millions of cookie dough bite recipes out there, but frankly I'm tired of trying to remember how I make mine, so on the blog they go.  Other recipes are so cute and tiny.  We mow through them before the sun sets.  This recipe lasts us a whopping two days.  The superfood that is the chia seed not only absorbs the moisture and holds them together brilliantly, they also impart a yummy taste that reminds us of halva, one of our favorite desserts.  If you have never heard of halva, I shed a tear for you and for the sake of your well-being, will post a recipe for it soon.  In the meantime, do the world a favor and make a batch of cookie dough bites.  They will make you happy and in turn the world will be a better place.  It's for mankind, really.

Healthy Cookie Dough Balls
Prep time: 15 minutes, makes 24 balls

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup chia seeds (if the whole seeds bother you and get stuck in your teeth/braces, simply give them a whirl through a coffee grinder and use the fresh chia seed meal)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs

1. Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor.  Process until well-combined (about 1 minute).
2. Add chocolate chips to the processor and pulse until mixed in (about 5 seconds.  You can distribute the chips more evenly while making the balls).
3. Form dough into 1-inch-thick balls.  Store in a lidded container in the fridge.

I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday.

Sweet Potato Pie ~ A Gluten-Free Recipe with GAPS & Paleo Options

Sweet potato pie is a huge part of holiday feasts in some circles.  In others, it's never even made an appearance, which is a travesty.  Let's change this, for the sake of humanity and historic preservation.  This yummy dessert has been brought out of ovens with gloved hands since before these States were Untied. Sweet potato pie made it's debut in the 16th century and has been enjoyed ever since.  

This gluten-free rendition of it is a modified version of Paula Deen's filling and Elana's crust.  It worked out really well.  I wasn't planning on posting about it or more pictures would have been taken (and better ones at that), but I don't want to forget this compilation and all the tweaks made, so please forgive the lack of quality and quantity when it comes to the photographs.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie

Prep time: 30 minutes, bake time: 2 hours (divided), 8-10 servings

For the crust:

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 1 egg

For the filling:

• 2 cups sweet potatoes (or yams), about 2
• 1 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter or 8 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (learn how to make your own here)
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup milk (dairy or coconut)

For the topping:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup honey or grade B maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Peel sweet potatoes, cut them into fourths, and place in pot.  Fill with water just to cover sweet potatoes.  Cover and bring to a boil, boiling for 15-25 minutes, or until the pieces are very soft.
2. While the sweet potatoes boil, assemble crust by placing all crust ingredients in the food processor and run it until the dough forms a ball.  Press dough into a 9-inch pie pan.
3. Place all filling ingredients into the mixer and mix until well-combined.  Pour filling into the prepared crust.  If you have any leftover filling, simply grease a glass dish of your choice (bread, another pie dish, or in some ramekins) and bake along with the pie.  Then you'll have some yummy custard.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a clean knife pierced in the middle of the pie comes out.  Cool completely on a cooling rack.
4. To make the meringue topping, whip egg whites in your mixer with a whisk attachment until peeks form.  As it continues to whip, slowly pour in maple syrup.  Using a spatula. spread topping over the pie, making sure you can't see any of the filling underneath.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the topping's peeks are lightly brown.  Allow to cool and serve slightly warm or completely cool.

I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday.

Peppermint Bonbons ~ A GAPS, Paleo, & Raw Dessert Recipe

Christmas time, as happy and joyous as it is, can also be a daunting season for those on a restrictive diet.  Everywhere you turn, there's a platter of sugar cookies and fudge.  Constantly denying oneself these treats wares on a body, so this month I'm focusing on creating beautiful, delicious desserts that you could easily see on any "normal" holiday dessert table.  It's a happy thing when everyone at the party can indulge without destroying their bodies.

Peppermint Bonbons {Gluten-Free, Paleo, GAPS-Friendly, Raw}
Prep time: 30 minutes, makes about 24 bonbons

For the filling:

• 1 jar coconut cream concentrate (16 oz)
• 2/3 cup raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon mint extract

For the shell:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon raw honey or grade B maple syrup

1. Scoop coconut cream concentrate out into saucepan with all the ingredients and melt over low heat until everything is thoroughly combined.  Shape mixture into balls that are about the amount of 1 tablespoon.  Place them in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate shell.
2. Put all shell ingredients in a saucepan over very low heat and stir until it's liquified and smooth.  Pour in a small bowl (I used a ramekin).  Dip each bonbon in the shell, then dip them again for a second coat.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  They will hold their shape for several hours outside of the fridge.

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Chocolate-Drizzled Pumpkin Muffins ~ A Recipe

Muffins are my favorite go-to for this time of year.  It's cold enough to bake, they're quick to make, they are a yummy breakfast and are also great for snacks and with lunches, and they freeze well.  Since we make a double batch of them each week, I need to change up the ingredients a bit so they don't all end up being almost identical.  Adding a little chocolate drizzle definitely makes them feel like a special treat.  If you'd prefer to opt out of the drizzle, no big dizzle.  They're still the bomb-schnizzle.  Yo.

Grain-Free, Chocolate-Drizzled Pumpkin Muffins

Prep time: 10 min, bake time: 20 min, makes 2 dozen muffins

For the batter:

• 1 cup milk (dairy or coconut)
• 1 cup puréed pumpkin (here's how to make your own)
• 2/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 7 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

For the drizzle:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease or line 18 muffin tins.  Put all batter ingredients in blender and blend on high for 45-60 seconds.  You might need to use the agitator to make sure everything mixes well.  Pour batter into muffin tins about 2/3 the way up.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until not jiggly. 
2. As the muffins cool, mix chocolate chips and coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over warm muffins.  Enjoy!

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

How to Make Apple Chips ~ A Recipe

By way of friends with trees and really good finds on organic, local apples, we ended up with a bushel and a half of Granny Smith's this year.  Boy, were we thankful and excited!  Then we realized just how much effort it takes to preserve 65 pounds of apples.  We made several batches of late harvest crisp, apple pies, and slow cooker spiced applesauce, but we still had twenty pounds of apples on our hands.

By the way?  Processing 65 pounds of apples wouldn't have been possible without our shiny new toy: what the children call The Amazing Apple Machine.

Before I go on about how amazing this apple machine is, I really wished we had invested in the kind with the clamp base and not the suction one.  The suction looses it's grip fairly easily which is especially frustrating for little helpers.  It didn't deter them too much, though.

This amazing apple machine peels, cores, and slices an apple in five seconds flat.  How have I lived without one for so long?  I might have been able to campaign for prop 37 with all that extra time.  Then it would have passed and the world would have been a better place, but because I wasted all that time peeling, chopping, and coring without an amazing machine, GMOs are still not going to be labeled and it's all my fault.  Wait.  What?  Sorry.  Getting back to apples now.  I really am going to show you how to make those chips.  Readysetgo.

We were able to process ten pounds of apples at a time.  It filled the 9-tray dehydrator (don't worry, you can make these in the oven too.  We'll get to that soon) and a 1-gallon glass jar where they were stored once they were done.

Apple Chips

Prep time: 30 minutes, bake/dehydrate time: about 8-12 hours, fills a 1-gallon jar

• 10 pounds apples (Granny Smiths work well)
• juice from 3 lemons

1. Pour 1/3 of the lemon juice in a large bowl.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples, one at a time, and cut in half (see below).  Honestly, to get the slices thin enough, you need an apple peeler/corer/slicer.  I mean, you can slice them manually if your knife is sharp and your apples are firm, but it will take you forever.  The slices need to be about 1/4 inch thin.
3. Gently stir the apple slices around in the bowl to coat with lemon juice after each apple has been processed.  The juice keeps the apples from turning brown.  When you are half way through your bag of apples, pour another 1/3 portion of the lemon juice over the slices and gently toss.  When all apples have been sliced, sprinkle the last of the lemon juice over the apples.
4. Lay the apples out on your dehydrator trays or on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Be sure they are in a single layer (see below).  If using a dehydrator, set to 105º and dehydrate apples for 8-12 hours, or until they are the consistency you like them (we like ours a little bend-ble but all the way dry).  If using an oven, set it at the lowest possible temperature and bake about 12-18 hours.  Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place like the pantry.  They will stay good for at least one year (but in my house they last about one week).

And just what to we do with all those peels and cores?  Let's just say our hens love apple day.  Of course, if you don't have chickens, the scraps make great compost.

Taking chicken scraps down to "the ladies"

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at  Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter.

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Persimmon Spice Muffins ~ A Recipe

Persimmons are the last fruit of the season.  They are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and are known for their anti-inflamitory and tumor-fighting nutrients.  We enjoy them in smoothies, grain-free cookies, and now in muffins as well.  Because they only take thirty minutes from start to finish, I like to make a double batch of these first thing in the morning so we can enjoy warm muffins with soft butter for breakfast.  We also then have a stash to pull from for lunches and snacks for the rest of the week.  They freeze well if you'd like to tuck some away for even later.

Gluten-Free Persimmon Spice Muffins
Prep time: 10 minutes, bake time: 20 minutes, makes 12 muffins

• 2 persimmons, tops sliced off, then quartered and de-seeded (if yours has any)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger (or 1/2 inch fresh ginger knob)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (expeller pressed won't taste like coconut)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  
2. Put quartered persimmons in blender and puree.  Add remaining ingredients and blend on high for 1 minute or until the badder is smooth.  While badder is processing, line 12 muffin cups.  I love these reusable muffin liners. 
3. Pour badder into the lined muffin cups to about 2/3 full.  Bake for 17- 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and no dough sticks to your finger.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter.