My Life: What's Been Going On

It's been a while since I have posted. This isn't because I haven't wanted to or because I haven't thought of things to post. It all comes down to lack of time.

The last few months have been a bit crazy in my personal life. I suddenly moved, my job got a lot busier, and I have been trying to manage my anxiety. When you have anxiety, one little thing can throw you off. When you have big things happen, it can throw you in a spiral even when those things are happy or good. 

My full-time job is in its busy season and our budget was increased this year, so it's even crazier than last year. My bosses are both used to me now and I think they trust me more so there has been an increase in projects thrown at me which has been positively welcomed. I am not one to be happy being bored. It drives me up the wall and isn't good for anxiety. So, this increase in the workflow is good, but can also cause its own type of stress. 

Moving has been wonderful. I am finally back on my own and have my own space after many years. I have a wonderful mother who has been extremely helpful while I went through some of the toughest times in my life. My life is getting back on track and being back on my own is one of those things that helps. But with new experiences comes new responsibilities and it's been a long time since I have had the sort of expenses I have now, which brings on a whole new type of anxiety. 

So, I have been getting settled in, having a birthday, working overtime, and caring for my mental health (and my cat who has his own anxiety over the move). All of the sudden the holidays are upon us! How did this happen? How has it been so long since I have posted? I had planned on baking a new recipe over the weekend for my company's Thanksgiving potluck yesterday, but then I came down with a cold and had to miss the potluck. I am hoping to make that recipe over the holiday weekend and share it with you all. If it turns out like I think it will, everyone will love it!

I leave you with a promise of my return and a hope that everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving...and a quote from my favorite show, Gilmore Girls.

Luke: Shouldn't we give thanks first?

Jess: Thanks for what?

Luke: Well, that we're not Native Americans who got their land stolen in exchange for smallpox infested blankets.

Lorelai: Amen.

Pumpkin: It's That Time of Year!

Pumpkin: pro or con? I think I might be both. I love this time of year because you can find pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING. But I agree with many people that it can get a little ridiculous and overwhelming. There are some pretty random things that they make that are pumpkin flavored. Here are just a few odd ones that I have come across: Pumpkin Spice Kale Chips, Pumpkin Pie Kettle Chips, Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Bark, and Hershey's Kisses Pumpkin Spice. Personally, I like to stick to the classics...bread, pie, cupcakes, cheesecake, and cookies. I will taste some of these other odd creations unless they sound TOO weird (I'm talking to you Pumpkin Spice Kale Chips). 

Last weekend I had planned on making a new recipe of raw vegan pumpkin no bake cheesecake bars for my friends Jenn and Elijah. How yummy does that sound? Unfortunately, the day I was to visit them, I forgot to soak the cashews so no cheesecake for them. (Sorry Elijah!) The next day I woke up with two cans of pumpkin in my cupboard calling my name. So I went to the Internet for an easy gluten free, dairy free, egg free pumpkin bread. I found the perfect recipe! (original recipe here courtesy of dontmesswithmama.com)

Per usual, I made some modifications to make it perfect for me. 

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp organic coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs (I use Ener-G)
• 1 cup baking sugar (you can use coconut sugar or raw organic sugar)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 1/3 cup filtered water
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

-Mix all dry ingredients together with a whisk in large bowl.  

-Mix up your egg replacer in a separate container. I prefer to use a whisk for this to get the powder completely mixed with the water.

-Mix all wet ingredients together (make sure coconut oil is in liquid form before mixing. I did not do this and it came out a little lumpy).

-Add egg replacer to wet ingredients mixing well.

-Now incorporate dry ingredients to wet ingredients without over mixing. **You want to make sure it is completely mixed, but if you over mix the batter, the bread can come out a little tough versus soft and moist.

-Scoop batter in to loaf pan that is completely greased (I used dairy free butter in a glass loaf pan and it worked extremely well).

-Place in the oven and bake for 60 min and then test with toothpick. Can be baked for up to 70 min depending on oven.

After removing from the oven, let cool completely before taking out of pan. Gorgeous!

Gluten free baking is an art. This is a fairly easy recipe if you don't over-mix the batter. It came out moist but a little crumbly. Such is gluten free baking. The only thing that the original recipe did not mention is the addition of xanthan gum which helps bind gluten free items. My gluten free flour mix did not have it already in the blend. Next time I would probably add a tad bit of xanthan gum. However, I was surprised at how well this worked without it. So if you are not a fan of gum additions, you could probably leave it out like I did and be just fine. 

So if you are looking for a gluten free, dairy free, egg free recipe for the holidays, this is a great idea! You can add chocolate chips, nuts, or dried cranberries if you so desire. This recipe can also be put in individual size loaf pans or a muffin tin. Baking time would be a lot less, so adjust accordingly.

Happy Baking! Today I made a Gingerbread Paleo Granola. Keep an eye out for that entry soon!