Affairs of Living

Spiced Seed & Honey Granola (gluten-free, nut-free, low sugar)

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:34:09 +0000

So many packaged or bulk granolas have glutenous ingredients, are packed full of nuts (I'm allergic to almost all of them), are waaaay too sweet for my tastes, or have more dried fruit than I like. And thus, I prefer making my own granola. Not only is it cheaper, but I can make it fit my tastes and dietary restrictions perfectly! Here's a recipe I'm making a lot lately. It boasts a variety of...

<>

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (GF, dairy-free, cane sugar-free, low sugar)

Sat, 04 May 2013 17:55:50 +0000

So it's not *really* spring here yet. Technically it is, but the ongoing weather proves otherwise. It was snowing out this morning! For obvious reasons, "spring" food isn't really happening yet. I yearn for pea shoots, fresh lettuces, tiny radishes, and sweet crunchy kohlrabi. But given the chilly temperatures, I'm still eating root veggies, cooked greens, etc etc etc. Geez. Since it feels like...

<>

Snow! School! Cheese! Lyme Disease!

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:30:50 +0000

Hello! It's been awhile. I've been busy. This is what is going on outside my bedroom window right now... That's right! An April blizzard. Whatever, Minnesota. I'm supposed to be on spring break, enjoying robins and tulips and bike rides and picnics. Alas, instead I am shivering away, enduring the sixth month of winter we Minnesotans have had this season. I hope the weather decides to...

<>

Gluten-Free Maple Syrup Pumpkin Pie with Flaky Gluten-Free Pie Crust (GF, cane sugar free)

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:10:51 +0000

Gluten-free pie crust. These words struck fear in my heart for years. I tried, and tried, and tried. And each time, I was like "F***!" when I had another crust that just wouldn't roll correctly, was dry and sandy, was tough and chewy, or was just plain weird. Then back in May, something happened. I made a crust I was happy with. Then I made another. And another. It was reliable. Easy....

<>

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free, low sugar)

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 01:04:05 +0000

I bake a lot. When I'm stressed, I bake. When I'm sad, I bake. When it's chilly outside, I bake. When I'm bored, I bake. It's a little excessive sometimes, actually, but much to the benefit of my the people in my life. The other day, sure enough, the urge struck and I needed to satisfy it. I hadn't tried my hand at a nut butter cookie for a while so gave it a go. After some research and...

<>

life updates from ribbons to resignation, registration to fermentation

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:57:12 +0000

Hello friends! My life has been so full as of late, and I just haven't been maintaining this site, or been online much in general. I've been thriving through being present with the people and space physically around me, and am exploring how I want to balance my online life as a part of that. That said, the last few months have brought exciting changes that I want to share with...

<>

I want to be a Blue Ribbon baker...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:25:40 +0000

...so, I'm entering things in the Minnesota State Fair! (Oh, hello by the way. I'm still alive and kicking. I thought I was ready to return to blogging in the spring, but as it turned out, I wasn't. So I took more time away, and now, NOW, I'm really feeling the itch.) I have had a lifelong love affair with county and state fairs, a result of my 4-H Club upbringing. So when I moved to...

<>

A personal tale of overindulgence and a recipe for Totally Loaded Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:10:41 +0000

[Trigger warning: depression, thoughts of self-harm, and intimacy are brought up briefly in this post. You wouldn't expect it in a post about cookies, but there it is. Wanted to bring it up for individuals for whom these topics may be triggering.] During my time away from the blog, I made a lot of cookies. And by that I mean two batches or so every week for about two months. In retrospect,...

<>

Hello. I'm back.

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:40:19 +0000

Greetings friends. It's been a while. A long while. I'm still here, really. I've been taking time for myself the last few months, doing much-needed self-maintenance and self-care that had little to do with blogging. Sure, I've still been cooking and baking up a storm. But I've been doing it without recording everything so intensely and without stressing out over the minimal amount of natural...

<>

Can you beet my new forearm tattoo?

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:17:29 +0000

I've known for years someday I would cross the visible tattoo threshold and put a design on my forearm. More recently, I've been leaning toward a food-centered design that would support my passion for the vegetable kingdom. Well, the blessed day finally came a week and a half ago, when I got these little beauties. Beets, my friends, beets! Aren't they lovely? I am a huge fan of black...

<>

Who needs potatoes when you have Parsnip Apple Mash?

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 06:17:00 +0000

I haven't eaten potatoes in almost 4 years. Although I undeniably enjoy the starchy goodness of a potato and the multiplicity of ways to enjoy them, consuming them just isn't worth the allergy-induced joint swelling and digestive discomfort that inevitably results. Instead of mourning over the loss of potatoes, I found solace in other starchy vegetables. Sweet potatoes have always reigned...

<>

Honey-sweetened Gluten-free Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:51:27 +0000

It's happened: winter is slowly setting in on Minnesota. Last week Saturday the yards and streets took on the familiar white layer of fresh snow. Within a few days the snow had melted, which was good - the abundance of fallen leaves on the grass dyed the snow a strange yellow color. It looked like packs of dogs descended upon the neighborhood and lifted their legs on every inch of snow. Hopefully...

<>

Allergy-Friendly, Gluten-free Thanksgiving Recipes

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:53:21 +0000

Here in the United States, Thanksgiving is fast approaching. On Thursday the nation will gorge themselves on turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, those pasty dinner rolls and pie. Lots and lots of pie. For those of us with allergies, such holiday meals can be like obstacle courses. The traditional Thanksgiving fare leaves those of us with multiple dietary restrictions feeling left out...

<>

No-Bake Sweet Potato Pie (gluten-free, vegan, low-sugar, grain-free, nut-free)

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:00:20 +0000

The original recipe for this pie was published in my 2011 recipe calendar A Year to Eat Freely. It was a really fun recipe project that I had for sale through Etsy. While I won't be publishing another calendar for 2012, I really enjoyed the learning process and experience of creating the first calendar. I made a few tweaks to the original recipe and wanted to share it with you. It...

<>

I'm still here, really.

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:14:17 +0000

I haven't really been present on the blog lately. Life has been a mass of curveballs and uncertainty, and while it's all been for the best, it hasn't really allowed by the time to leisurely keep up on my blogging. In the last 3 months I've moved between three homes (more on that here), slept on a number of friend's couches, traveled to New York to visit my Lyme-literate MD, weaned myself off most...

<>

November SOS Kitchen Challenge Reveal

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:25:11 +0000

Happy November! It's the beginning of the month, which means it's also time for a new SOS Kitchen Challenge ingredient reveal! Your posts last month all made such great use of cranberries. Here are a few highlights that Ricki and I particularly enjoyed: Fall French Toast Bake from B & The Boy. It's one kind of French Toast this French Toast-averse gal would love! Cabbage...

<>

Homemade Vanilla Salt, Two Ways

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:52:05 +0000

There are all kinds of fancy salts out there for you to blow your paycheck on. Confession: I own many of them. Thankfully, one of my favorite salts is one that I make at home. Vanilla salt couldn't be easier to prepare, and the end result is lovely. I have two methods for creating vanilla salt, yielding different yet equally delightful results. I am sharing both methods with you; try each...

<>

Cabbage Apple Slaw (gluten-free, vegan, grain-free, ACD)

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:44:14 +0000

Simple slaws are ideal for every season of the year. They are crunchy and light, yet satisfying and filling, and endlessly adaptable to a variety of seasonal produce. Despite this, my favorite time of year for slaws is late summer and fall, when farmers markets are bursting with fresh, crisp cabbages. The sweet, glistening, unblemished leaves tempt me from every vendor table, and inevitably, I go...

<>

Coconut Curry Pepita Brittle (gluten-free, vegan, cane sugar-free)

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:55:42 +0000

Over the weekend, we had our seventh gathering of the MPLS Food Swappers. The MPLS Swappers is just one of the food swapping groups that has popped up around the world in the last year. I started the group after being inspired by the lovely Kate Payne and her swaps in Brooklyn, NY and Austin, TX. Since then, swaps have have popped up all over the place, and it's a huge trend in the local...

<>

Marble Layer Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting and Strawberry Jam (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:35:18 +0000

Do you the blog The Spunky Coconut? If you haven't visited yet, I suggest you do. Kelly creates wonderful recipes that are flavorful, unique, and easy to prepare, and I am consistently inspired by her positive attitude and creative vision. It was she that inspired this beautiful cake! A few weeks ago I was in search of a recipe for a gluten-free cake for my cousin's birthday. When I...

<>

How to check your canning jars for a good seal

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:20:00 +0000

After a long day of canning, you may think that you are off the hook the minute you take those jars out of the water canner. Oh, how wrong you are! One of the most important things about canning won’t happen until those jars are nice and cool. What is it? You need to check the seal! If your lids haven’t formed a good seal with the rim of the jar, your food...

<>

Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cranberry Spice Muffins and Sorghum-Millet Flour Blend

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:00:41 +0000

I've been on a gluten-free banana bread kick ever since I made this bread. And by "kick" I really mean it - I've made a loaf nearly every week for the last 2 1/2 months. I finally encouraged myself to depart from the loaf and venture back into the world of the muffin. Inspired by an overabundance of bananas in our fruit bowl, I came up with this tasty vegan banana muffin recipe that features...

<>

We're back....it's the October SOS Kitchen Challenge Reveal!

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:02:01 +0000

Darling readers, it's been a long time since you've seen this logo, huh? The last time that my friend Ricki and I hosted a Sweet or Savory Kitchen Challenge was back in June. Remember? It was early summer and we paid honor to the noble blueberry. You created wonderful sweet and savory recipes featuring the blueberry and shared them for all to see. We were so pleased with the turn out! And yet,...

<>

Gluten-Free Thai Noodles with Turkey

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:08:30 +0000

Studious readers will remember that I moved to a new apartment only two months ago. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be - the basement leaked and I believe the house is riddled with mold and other environmental contaminants. Within two weeks of moving in, I was dealing with a constant headache, congestion, a burning throat, swollen glands, foggy headedness and fatigue. My Lyme and Babesia...

<>

How to Can Tomato-Free Peach Salsa

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:02:25 +0000

This recipe is adapted from the Ball® Complete Book of Home Preservation. I love this book! I have been canning a lot lately - rather obsessively, actually - and it has been a pleasure to work my way through its pages. This time of year is always marked by a bevy of stone fruit, and this recipe is a great way to preserve some of it for for another season. I like this recipe a lot...

<>

Low-Sugar Gingery Plum-Apple Jam (cane sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan)

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:37:54 +0000

While reading through the Ball® Complete Book of Home Preservation recently, I came upon a variety of pectin-free jam recipes. Instead of pectin for thickening, these recipes used homemade applesauce made from whole, uncored, unpeeled apples and whole unpeeled lemons. The high amount of natural pectin in these two fruits thickens the jam naturally. Additionally, using the homemade applesauce...

<>

Really Good Banana Bread (gluten-free, dairy-free, cane sugar-free, xanthan gum-free)

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:48:02 +0000

One evening last week I dropped by my friend B's house. I found my barefoot and pregnant friend the kitchen, whipping up a loaf of banana bread adapted from the Joy of Cooking. She was substituting gluten-free flours and honey for wheat flour and sugar, and success seemed inevitable - the Joy of Cooking is so reliable and B is a fantastic baker. I had high hopes for this loaf and marveled at my...

<>

The MPLS Swappers are featured in Minnesota Monthly!

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:57:57 +0000

lovely jars of lemon confit at the July 2011 MPLS Swappers food swap I've been busy lately with the MPLS Swappers. What's that, you ask? The MPLS Swappers gathers once per month to trade food we made, foraged, and grew ourselves, share knowledge with like-minded foodies, and build a community and culture of home food production in an urban environment. Inspired by the BK Swappers and...

<>

Minted Papaya Avocado Salad (gluten-free, vegan, raw)

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:11:29 +0000

It is so hot in Minneapolis. We have a heat index of 115º F and a dewpoint that is higher than the Amazon. I'm not kidding. Our dewpoint was 86 on Sunday. The only other place in the Western Hemisphere with a dewpoint over 80 at the time was the Amazon, and that was in the low 80s. Take that, Brazil, ha! Why do I live in a place that tortures residents with windchills of -30º F in the...

<>

Maple-Sweetened Blueberry Rhubarb Jam (gluten-free, vegan, cane sugar-free)

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:52:25 +0000

I love making low-sugar jams that with unrefined sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, evaporated palm sugar, or coconut sugar. These low-sugar jams aren't at all hard to make, thanks to the thickening power of pectin. There are a few brands of pectin available, and you can even make your own out of apple scraps, but I always go for Pamona's Pectin. Eventually I'll try making my own pectin,...

<>