Gluten-Free Birthday Cake - Bob's Red Mill Style

Just because I celebrated my birthday far from all of my family and friends, didn't mean I would go without cake and a celebration. :)

I promptly went to the local health food store and picked up a chocolate cake mix from Bob's Red Mill. It was DELICIOUS!

Make these adjustments for a yummy cake:
-Use organic eggs
-For milk, use unsweetened almond milk
-Use almond extract instead of vanilla extract
-Bake in 2 round 8" cake pans
-Instead of frosting (sugar-ville), drizzle sunflower nut butter on top and in between the two cakes.

This cake was SO good, I had to give the rest of it away otherwise I would have eaten the whole thing!

Happy Eating!
Heather :)

Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, No Sugar Hummus

I LOVE hummus. Back when I lived in Portland, Ore., I would nosh on one Trader Joe's Mediterranean Hummus every week. I'm not playing around. When your diet is as limited as mine (and right now I'm on a vegetarian kick!), you hang on to what you love.

In Kauai, there is no such thing as Trader Joe's. Heck, I'm lucky to have an awesome health food store (Hoku Whole Foods in case you were wondering) 20 minutes from where I live. So, I've decided that this is merely an opportunity to make the foods I no longer have easy access too - all by myself.

I came up with a killer hummus recipe and had to share:

-1 can garbonzo beans
-1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
-Juice of 1 whole lemon
-4 T tahini
-2 T paprika (or other spice blend)

Put all of the ingredients above into a food processor or blender. Note: DO NOT drain the garbonzo beans. Top with additional paprika or spices and serve.

Right now I'm toasting an Ezekiel bread muffin (only $7 for a pkg. in Kauai) and topping it with my homemade hummus, sliced cherry tomatoes and avocados (from my backyard!). See picture above.

How do you like to eat your hummus?
Leave your comments here.

Happy Eating!
Heather :)

Wheat, Dairy & Sugar-Free Green Smoothie

Recently, I decided to try a raw food cleanse. It felt, intuitively like something my body needed. While it was intended to last 9-days, at day 5, I knew my body was done. I needed more protein and I was tired of feeling famished and lethargic.

However, some great stuff came out of the cleanse: I'm eating more veggies than ever before and I'm still not eating any animal protein above and beyond eggs. I'm not saying I'll go vegetarian by any means, but it has felt good to give my body a break. Above that, I'm just not craving anything...except for toast (and Ener-g Foods Tapoica bread is the best gluten-free toast ever!)

I also fell in love with green smoothies. I'm having them everyday now, sometimes twice a day. Here are a couple of my recipes - most of which have been adapted from what I've seen online.

-2 cups water
-1/2 c pineapple, chopped
-2 c kale or other green leafy vegetable (spinach is great too)
-1 banana
-Blender
-2 ice cubes (optional)

Blend on high until thoroughly mixed. The ice cube will make it super cold (if that's your preference). Pour into a big tall glass and enjoy. Yum!

Here's the recipe for green smoothie I'm having every morning:

-2 c unsweetened almond milk
-2 c kale or other green leafy vegetable
-1 banana
-4 strawberries, chopped
-1/4 c blueberries

Blend on high and enjoy.

It's the best way to get more fruit and veggies into your diet (and it tastes amazing)!

Happy Eating!
Heather

P.S. I really do drink mine from a margarita glass. It's so much more fun that way. ;)

Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free Turkey Tacos

Growing up, we noshed on tacos at least once a week. The tradition hasn't changed, except that now I eat a far healthier version of tacos (mom: beef & dairy are bad! ;)). This is a great weekly meal that can easily be converted into a taco salad--just skip the tortillas.

1lb. ground white turkey
McCormick's Taco Seasoning Mix
lettuce
tomatoes
non-dairy cheese (I'm a huge fan of Lisanatti's Almond cheese, but make sure it meets your dietary needs)
avocado
salsa
corn tortillas
black beans (optional)
cilantro (optional)
lime (optional)

In a skillet, cook ground turkey until no longer pink. Add 3 T of taco seasoning mix and 1/4c of water and simmer for 5 minutes on low. Chop lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado for topping. Cook black beans on low until heated through. Turn one burner on low and place corn tortilla on it for one minute and then flip to other side (great way to bring an "authentic" taste to your tacos). Grate the desired amount of cheese. Top tortillas with turkey, beans, veggies and cheese. Add salsa and cilantro for garnish. Sprinkle a lime wedge over top for added Mexican flair.

Happy Eating!
Heather :)

P.S. As with any recipe, please make sure the ingredients above meet your dietary requirements. While we may have similar allergies, all of our bodies metabolize foods differently, so always honor what is best for YOU.

P.P.S. Stay tuned next week as I document my 10-day raw food cleanse...

Sun Drops for Sugar Cravings

Well, I did it.

I made the trek across the Pacific Ocean to move my life from Portland, Ore. to Kauai, Hawaii.

It has been a true adventure - filled with many synchronicities and unfortunately, not much time for cooking. Sure, I made a turkey sandwich on Ezekiel bread for the plane ride, along with trail mix (Trader Joe's cashews, almonds and unsweetened cranberries) and consumed far too many Luna and Cliff bars - just to get through the last few days.

But, along the way I did make one lovely discovery: Sunspire SunDrops. Now, warning - there are dairy elements, and it is not guaranteed gluten-free - but I had absolutely no problems eating them. They were a great treat, especially as my significant other noshed on peanut M&M's (which by the way are loaded with bad refined sugars!).

If you're looking to celebrate and treat yourself - SunDrops (peanut style) are the way to go. Enjoy!

Happy Eating,
Heather

P.S. I hope to get some more cooking in soon! :)