Inversions

I used to dread inversions. Being upside down made me so uncomfortable. But that was then... this is now. I threw away my old perceptions & fears and now I LOVE inversions!!! It feels great to break free of old thoughts that prevent us from moving forward, don't ya think?

Hamentaschen

When I was little, my mom, my brothers & I would make hamentaschen for year every Purim. Mom would make the dough the day before and then we'd all gather in the kitchen, roll out the dough and assemble the cookies together. By the end, we'd be covered in flour and jam, and excited to see how our masterpieces tasted. So as I grew older and moved away from home, I couldn't seem to give up this tradition. When I graduated college and moved to NY, my friend Rachel would come over every year and we'd make hamentaschen together. Then she moved to California and I made them with other friends and their children.

This year, I'm just a bit behind on my Purim baking due to my vacation and this week's beautiful snowstorm! And although I was rushed and made them alone in my kitchen, it felt just as good and important to bake them and keep my tradition going strong.

Here's my delicious gluten free & vegan hamentaschen recipe. This year, I used Raspberry and Apricot jams as my filling. Now if only I could stop eating them....

GF Vegan Hamentaschen Recipe
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup millet flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp gf baking powder
1/2 cup vegan butter (like earth balance), softened
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
zest from 1 large orange
zest from 1 large lemon
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
Jam or Jelly flavor of your choice

In a large bowl, sift together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, millet flour, xanthan gum and millet flour. Set aside.
Combine the vegan butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. While the butter & sugar are beating, combine the corn starch and applesauce in a separate small bowl and mix well. Add the orange zest, lemon zest, juice and corn starch mixture to the creamed butter and beat for another minute.
With the mixer still on, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter a spoonful at a time, waiting after each addition until combined. At this point, you may want to turn the mixer speed down a bit so that your flour doesn't fly everywhere when adding. Continue until all flour is well combined into the dough, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Wrap the dough in plastic, or place in a ziploc bag, and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 2 days.
Once dough is chilled, it's time to assemble your hamentaschen! (my favorite part!!!)
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Lightly flour your workspace ( (I used brown rice flour) and place the other half of the dough on the floured surface. Using a flour dusted rolling pin, gently roll out your dough until it is about 1/4" thick. Using a round cookie cutter, or the edge of a glass, cut out rounds from the dough. Continue the process, adding more dough from the refrigerator and rolling out, until all dough is used up. To keep the dough circles from drying out, cover with plastic wrap as they are cut and set aside for assembly.
Place a teaspoon of jam in the center of each circle and fold each corner in to make a triangle, squeezing the corners to seal. Place each cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Continue until all cookies are formed. Bake on the center rack in your preheated oven for 20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.

Although you'll want to devour these the minute you take them out of the oven, PLEASE let them cool off for a few minutes! The jam will be melted and extremely hot!

Dad's Breakfast Muffins

My family is divided into two groups: those of us who like to bake/cook, and those of us who like to eat what the rest of us make. I definitely fall into the first group and probably inherited my love of cooking, baking and all things food from my father. The time we spend speaking on the phone or just hanging out almost always ends up focused on food- from our newest recipes to the ideas we are excited to try.

So when I went to Florida for a little R & R this past weekend, my dad couldn't wait to show me the new breakfast muffins he came up with. He makes a batch every week for him and mom to enjoy each morning. And of course, he made this most recent batch with only gluten free ingredients especially for me :)

The muffins were simply delicious! They are full of oats, walnuts and blueberries and have a light yet crunchy texture that I really enjoyed. And they are the perfect morning dose of fiber, antioxidants, protein and healthy fat. So, here is Dad's breakfast muffin recipe. Enjoy!

Dad's Breakfast Muffins
2 cups gf oats
2 cups walnuts
4 tbsp brown rice flour
2 tsp gf baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
5 egg whites
4 tbsp honey or agave
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup prune juice
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat your oven to 375 F.
Combine the oats and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. The walnuts should be ground but still visible as tiny chunks. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the brown rice flour, baking soda and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites, honey or agave, molasses, vanilla extract and prune juice. Beat lightly until well combine. Pour the liquid mixture into the oat and walnut mixture, and add the blueberries. Combine well.
Divide evenly among 12 lined and lightly greased muffins tins. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Eye Candy: Nicole Miller

Went shopping with mom yesterday and fell in love with these dresses by Nicole Miller. If only I had somewhere to wear them....

Florida R & R

I'm spending the next few days relaxing at my parent's place in Florida and this mini vacation could not have come at a better time. The last two weeks have been intense & hectic for me. Between work, trying to start my Etsy shop, and more work, I am just plain exhausted.

So I arrived, turned off my phone, put away my laptop, and spent the day just relaxing and enjoying some peace and quiet. Some pictures of my day...

The view from the pool: orange trees & ducks

Making muffins with my dad

Juicing for my folks: Apple, Mint, Lemon & Carrot Juice

Making lunch for the folks: Arugula Salad with Strawberries, Avocado, Bell Peppers, Orange, Mint, Cilantro, and Wild Salmon

And now, time for some zzz.... when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be 32 :)

meet Danielle

Meet Danielle. She's classic, elegant & unique. And she's one of the first necklaces I have posted in my Etsy shop!

I'm so excited to finally begin offering my jewelry for sale online. It's been quite a process and although I have over 10 years developing, buying & merchandising major fashion lines, starting my own small business has been eye opening. But I'm loving every step of the way!

I have about 25 necklaces & earrings ready to sell, and hope to photograph and post a few on Etsy each day this week. Stay tuned to see what's next...

Chocolate Orange Cake

It's just about 2 weeks from the Jewish holiday of Purim when us members of the tribe make baskets full of delicious goodies to deliver to our friends. I always love to test out new recipes during the weeks leading up to Purim so that I can include new treats each year. So far, the Lemon Raspberry Cookie Sandwiches I made this past week have made the cut. I brought them in for my office mates who quickly devoured them and requested another batch. Sorry guys, you'll have to wait another 2 weeks.

This morning, I put together a new recipe for Vegan & Gluten Free Chocolate Orange Cake and I'm happy to report it's delicious! And in honor of Valentine's Day... heart shaped :)

Some notes:

1. Of course I made the recipe using gluten free flour but you can use regular flour if you want to. For my flour mix, I referred to Karina's, aka Gluten Free Goddess, from her blog. You can find the mix here.
2. This recipe cake be made into a cake or cupcakes. Baking times for each are included in the recipe.
   

And without further adieu...

Chocolate Orange Cake
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix or regular flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled vinegar
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp orange zest

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease your choice of pan (cupcake tin, cake pan, etc..).
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt & cinnamon. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract, vinegar, water & orange zest and mix until well combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan of choice and bake in your preheated oven for 45 minutes (for cake) or 25 minutes (for cupcakes).
Cool & enjoy!

Eye Candy: Wood Cuff

Wood Bracelet with Grommets

How great is this cuff from the Gap? And it's only $16.50! Ordering mine right now....

Valentine Lemon Raspberry Cookies

Ok, so I don't really ever celebrate Valentine's Day. But I was at the dollar store the other day, saw heart cookie cutters, and was inspired. I came up with this gluten free & vegan lemon cookie recipe just so I could use my new cookie cutter. Hey, inspiration comes in all forms, right?

Some notes about this recipe:
1. For the lemony flavor, I used heaping tablespoons of lemon zest. But without the zest, this dough becomes a wonderful blank slate so be creative and try your own ideas. Like peppermint extract for mint cookies. Mmmm....
2. Since there are no eggs in this recipe, this dough is perfect for home made cookie dough ice cream. Simply omit the lemon zest and add some chocolate chips. Then mix into your favorite ice cream.
3. This recipe is gluten free & vegan. You could just as easily use regular flour & omit the xanthan gum if you aren't gluten free. Similarly, you can use a real eggs and butter if you aren't vegan.
4. Since I used the cookies to make sandwiches, I rolled my dough to 1/4 inch thickness. However, these cookies can definitely stand on their own. Just roll to 1/2 inch thickness and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Lemon Cookies with Raspberry Jam
1 1/4 cups Brown Rice Flour
1 cup Potato Starch
1/4 cup Millet Flour
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegan butter
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 egg replacer (I used 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp applesauce)
2 tsp vanilla

Sift together the flours, baking powder & xanthan gum and set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream the vegan butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract & egg replacer and continue to beat until well incorporated. If necessary, stop the beaters, scrape the sides of the bowl, and then continue to beat.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and combine well.
At this time, the mixture will be a VERY soft dough. This is completely normal so don't worry.
Cover the dough with plastic, or place in a large ziploc back, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
When the dough is properly chilled, preheat your oven to 350 F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with your favorite cookies cutters (heart shaped for Vday of course!).
Bake on an un-greased baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, for approximately 10-12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are just turning a light brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from your baking sheet.

I used my cookies to make to different varieties: Sandwiches filled with raspberry jam and Hearts with Lemon Icing.

For sandwiches, once the cookies are cooled, spread jam of your choice in the bottom side of one cookie and sandwich it with the bottom side of another cookie.

For the lemon icing, mix 1/4/ cup fresh lemon juice with 2 cups of confectioners sugar and stir until very smooth. If you desire a really yellow color, add a drop or 2 of food coloring. Spread on our cookies and let dry until the icing hardens.

Bedroom Makeover Part II

all images from Lonny Mag

The new Feb/March Issue of Lonny Mag hit the internet today and I can't stop looking! It's beautiful and now all I want to do is run home & continue my apartment makeover.

Yesterday I was able to re-negotiate my rent and lowered it by $150 a month so I'm definitely staying and am so excited to add new life into my space. I'm beginning to feel more & more like my bedroom is a bit of a drag and needs a major pop color infusion. So although it's all blues, browns, creams & a hint of purple, I'm seeing orange, pink, yellow & turquoise in my future.

Next project on my list is to recover the shade for my new lamp. I found a great basic piece at TJ Maxx for only $30! Here are some fabrics I'm thinking about for the shade. Any favorites?

Bloom from Woodland Delight collection
by Paula Prass for Michael Miller

Mosaic Florals from the Isabelle fabric collection
by Anna Griffin for Windham Fabrics

A Hand for Haiti

I recently had the opportunity to contribute to an eCookbook from which all proceeds are being directed right to the Canadian Red Cross for Haiti relief and I jumped at the chance.

Lauren McMillan, aka Celiac Teen, is the gluten free blogging brain behind this delicious cookbook. For the past few weeks, Lauren has reached out to fellow bloggers to gather recipes which she has compiled into a 90 page ebook that can be ordered online. So that makes her pretty fabulous, right? Wait... it gets better. She then got her parents to match up to $1000, and the Canadian Government to match all donations made from the ebook until February 12th. Can you say ROCK STAR?!? As of this evening, Lauren's hard work & creativity have already raised $2,440!

The eBook includes 87 recipes contributed by 71 talented & wonderful foodies. The collection includes recipes for those without any dietary restrictions, as well as those for gluten free or vegetarian diets. I've already purchased my copy and am so excited to try some of the recipes like Crepes with Honey Almond Ricotta Filling by Sandy Smith of Eat Real, Mushroom Chili by Shirley Braden of Gluten Free Easily, and Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake by Karen of Citrus & Candy.

Check out Lauren's post about the eBook for more information & to purchase, or head right to the e-junkie sit to purchase by clicking here. For a minimum $10 donation, you get 87 delicious recipes, introductions to more than 70 sources of incredible recipes, and the gift of giving to others in need.

purely elizabeth Perfect Pancakes

When I first found out I had celiac, I was a bit depressed. I couldn't believe I would have to give up my french toast, pancakes, pizza, etc... But over the last 7 years, I've slowly learned how to use gluten free grains and other unique ingredients to make spectacular meals. Being gluten free has forced me to think about what goes into my food and as a result, I've learned to make healthier decisions and feel incredibly energetic & strong. Which is why I was so happy to discover purely elizabeth's baking mixes.

About a month or so ago, I was lucky enough to win purely elizabeth's Greens, Glorious Greens Cookbook giveaway... and even luckier that purely elizabeth included some delicious gluten free goodies with my prize!

So far my favorite is the Perfect Pancake Mix. Not because the other goodies aren't fabulous, but because I LOVE breakfast and am more than happy to eat it all day, any day. Purely Elizabeth's pancake mix makes me feel lucky to be gluten free. I mean, do you see Aunt Jemima including millet, buckwheat, hemp seeds or chia seeds in any of her pancake mixes? I didn't think so. Not even in the healthy whole wheat versions.

I made some Perfect Pancakes this morning after a freezing cold walk home from the gym. I was famished, ready for something hearty & nutritious, and realized that I had just enough mix left to make breakfast. Yay!

Aside from the mix, the recipe on the package calls for eggs, almond milk, olive oil & agave. Since I'm currently following a vegan diet, I substituted the egg with 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed & 3 tablespoons of water. Simply mix the flaxseed with the water until it forms an egg white-like consistency. I also used vegetable oil instead of olive and honey instead of agave because I didn't have any. The pancakes were delicious, hearty and made me feel like I was doing something good for my body. I served them with some slices of blood red oranges, a dash of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey.

Check out purely elizabeth's website to find out more about their mixes, all of which are free of sugar, dairy, wheat & gluten.

Apron Rainbow

Bling

some things i've been working on....

throw it all together Lentil Soup

This soup was inspired by this Lentil Soup recipe that Penina posted on her Feed Your Roots blog last week. If you ask me, Lentil Soup is brilliant. It's cheap, easy, healthy as hell, and ridiculously tasty without putting too much effort into it. Perfect for those moments when you want a great home made meal, but don't have the time to put much energy into cooking.

The desire to make Lentil Soup sprung upon me really late Saturday night, or I guess early Sunday morning. Since I schedule my weekly fruit & veggie shopping trip for Sunday afternoons, I barely had anything left in my apartment to cook. And since I didn't have all the ingredients in Penina's recipe, and just couldn't wait until daylight hours to go food shopping, I used her recipe to inspire my own very basic version.

So, here it is, my throw it all together Lentil Soup. This is for all those friends who have been asking me for something basic & affordable to get them through these last cold weeks of winter. I basically tossed which ever vegetables I had left into the pot and used my can of "emergency" organic lentils that had been hanging out in my pantry for a few months. No need to measure and feel free to add which ever vegetables (zucchini or squash perhaps?) or fresh herbs your heart may desire (rosemary, thyme, parsley are all good ideas). Penina's recipe included some Kale added at the end. Great idea! Or add Spinach if you don't have Kale on hand.

Lentil Soup
Chopped Celery (I used 3 large)
Chopped Carrots (I used 4 small)
Chopped Onion (I used 1 med yellow)
Minced Garlic Cloves (I used 4)
Can of Lentils, rinsed (or soak some dry lentils for a few hours)
Vegetable Stock
Salt
Pepper

In a soup pot, heat about 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Add the chopped veggies & garlic and a pinch of salt. Cover the vegetables and let them sweat for about 5 minutes. Add the rinsed lentils, and pour in the vegetable stock until the liquid is about 1-2 inches higher than the veggies & lentils. Cover the pot & bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover and lower the flame, allowing to simmer for about 20 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to your liking.

I know, it seems really simple so it can't be great, right? Wrong! This soup is seriously delicious. Give it a try!

You Must Allow Me to Tell You...

images via Brookish Handmade Goods

I've recently fallen in love with the Brookish Handmade Goods shop on Etsy. There is something about Brooke's mugs, dishtowels and t-shirts that calm me. They make me want to make a beautiful cup of tea, cuddle on my couch with a cozy blanket, and read for hours.

Brooke's designs are inspired by the 1800's and feature quotes from Jane Austen works. As I searched her shop, I found myself smiling. I especially love the Mr. Darcy Proposal Mug- why shouldn't your mug remind you how loveable you truly are? I'm ordering mine today!