Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake

Bunny Bark

Recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom

14 whole Gluten Free vanilla cream cookies, broken up

1 1/2 c. Gluten Free pretzels, broken into pieces. I used the small stick pretzels

1 lb. white melting chocolate

1 c. Easter M & M's

Colored sprinkles

1. Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper.

2. Spread broken cookies, pretzels and about 3/4 C of the M & M's onto the waxed paper.

3.  Melt chocolate according to package directions.

4. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly.

5. Sprinkle remaining M & M's and colored sprinkles over the chocolate while it is still wet. Do not let it harden.

6. Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces.

7. Store in air tight container.

Pineapple Pretzel Salad

2 c. Gluten Free pretzels, crushed*

1 c. butter, melted

2 (8 oz.) pkg. Cool Whip

1 (8 oz.) pkg. Cream Cheese

1 c. sugar

1/2 box Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x12 inch baking dish.

2. Place 2 cups of crushed pretzels in baking dish.  Pour melted butter over pretzels and bake for 10 minutes.

3. Mix cream cheese and sugar together.  Fold in one container of Cool Whip.  Spread over pretzel mix.  Mix crushed pineapple with instant pudding mix and pour over cream cheese mixture. 

4. Chill.  Before serving, add the remaining Cool Whip on top.

*I used Glutino's Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks for this recipe.

By Julie Christensen

What’s in your fruit and veggies? That’s what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) figures out with its “Dirty Dozen” list of produce with the highest pesticide levels.

Apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, imported nectarines, grapes and spinach top the list. Lettuce, cucumbers, domestic blueberries and potatoes round out the worst offenders, with green beans and leafy greens added as potential hazards.

The list is controversial. Opponents, such as Richard W. VanVranken, an agricultural agent in Atlantic County, New Jersey, who specializes in vegetable crops, says it’s based on less than credible research and the organization uses scare tactics as a fundraising maneuver.

On the other hand, many researchers have documented the risks of pesticide contamination to children, including studies from Harvard University and Mount Sinai Medical Center, linking high levels of pesticide exposure to decreased cognitive ability and an increased risk of ADHD.

Eat Safely

What’s a concerned parent to do? According to the EWG and other health organizations, the benefits of eating produce—even conventionally grown produce—far outweigh the risks, and they urge consumers to eat at least six servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Buy Organic When It Counts

So you can’t afford to buy organic all the time. That’s fine, but try to avoid produce from the top of the new Dirty Dozen List. Specifically, buy organic apples and strawberries. These two fruits top the list and they’re also among the foods kids eat the most. Buy organic ketchup and applesauce—two other foods kids eat often.

Opt for Frozen Produce

Wellness coach Denise Baron says frozen organic fruits and vegetables are usually cheaper than their fresh counterparts. Common organic frozen foods include berries, green beans, broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes and peas.

Give ‘Em a Bath

Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda or lemon juice to 1 quart of water and soak your fruits and vegetables for 15 minutes to remove dirt and pesticide residues, recommends certified health coach Rachel Feldman. Peel peaches, apples and other thin-skinned fruits and vegetables, which tend to absorb the most pesticides.

Shop at Warehouse Stores

Stores like Costco are constantly enlarging their selection of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and veggies, usually at significant savings over natural food stores. Buy organic berries, mixed vegetables, corn and sweet potato fries in the freezer section and stock up on organic applesauce by the case.

Buy Local

Buy fruit and vegetables when they’re in season from local farmers. Visit your local farmer’s market or join a CSA (community-supported agriculture). In recent years, small, organic farms have sprung up across the country. These farms offer the freshest, most delicious produce you’ll find at prices you can afford. Pick-your-own organic farms, such as the Berry Patch Farm in Brighton, Colorado, are also a great choice. Not only would your family benefit, but you’d be supporting small, local farmers as well.

Grow It Yourself

Get the family involved in growing a garden. Garden produce is affordable and as fresh as it gets. Plus, you’ll know exactly what’s on your plants—and what’s not. Plant leafy greens like spinach and lettuce, carrots, peas and radishes in early spring. These crops grow quickly without much fuss. Later, try your hand at tomatoes, peppers, green beans and summer squash. Short on space? Try a trellis to conserve room or grow compact varieties in pots. One note: Watch the pesticides you and your neighbor use on the lawn since these chemicals can drift onto garden vegetables, negating your goal of an organic garden.

Read this article in its entirety at education.com.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Recipe from the blog Dishing the Divine

Cake

1 cup (6 ounces) chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional

3 large eggs

1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder

Glaze

1 cup (6 ounces) chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8″ round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan.

2. Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat till the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.

3. Add the sugar, salt, and espresso powder. Espresso enhances chocolate’s flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.

4. Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust. Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that’s fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

7. To prepare the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat till the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir till the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth.  Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake. 

In honor of National Doughnut Day

Baked Doughnuts

Recipe adapted from the blog Iowa Girl Eats

1 cup Gluten Free all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

6 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

For the glaze:

1/2 cup or more powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Water

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add buttermilk, egg, vanilla and butter. Whisk to combine.

2. Transfer dough to a ziplock bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and pipe dough evenly into a 6-cup doughnut pan. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until dough is set (it won’t be golden brown, but should be springy.)

3. In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar and vanilla. Begin adding water 1 teaspoon at a time. Stir until desired thickness of glaze is achieved. Glaze doughnuts while warm or cool.

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.”

- Leo Tolstoy

How-To: DIY Paper Root Veggies

{via Anthropologie}

{Picture via lfhstudio}

“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”

- Henry David Thoreau