Thanksgiving 2012!

Thanksgiving already? Yep, 2 days! This year we're going to our Grandma's. She's making the meal, but she's not making it allergy-friendly . . . so we have to make a meal for those of us who don't eat that. Which is fine, but it's contamination we're concerned about. Thankfully, we're bringing the desserts so that should make it a bit easier.

We (my sisters and I) made a list of desserts we plan on making:

Super Simple and Good Fudge Brownies - a little chocolate is good at every party, right?
Pumpkin Pie is a yummy classic to the Thanksgiving table, even without a crust. For plenty more pumpkin dessert options, see my Pumpkin Sweets Recipe Round-Up.
Oatmeal Creme Pies are like spiced up oatmeal cookies!
Pear and Apple Pies . . . Sorry no recipe up! Just in case I don't get to posting tomorrow: It's really simple. Basically mix up 1 cup sugar, a few cups of the fruit, a teaspoon or 2 of cinnamon, pour that into an unbaked pie shell and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes. I made some pear pies the other day, didn't really measure (although, probably should've) and they were gone!
Peanut Butter Cookies - more yummy cookies for the party!
Turkey Cookies - Nicole @ Gluten-Free on a Shoestring posted a great idea, and we like it! This can be part of a school project and Thanksgiving!
GAPS variations of pumpkin and apple pies (basically honey instead of sugar, and almond flour for rice flour).

~ Hanunyah

Link Parties:
Gluten-Free Fridays @ Vegetarian Mama & 1 other blog

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Hello! I'm back with a recipe and a new blog design. The blog design is brand new - my sister Suriyah and I just did it today!  The recipe? It's not brand new, but revised from over a year ago.
So, today I have a nice coffee cake (although my family doesn't eat it with coffee). My sister says the nuts "make it".

A sweet cinnamon nut cake . . . whenever I make it, it's usually devoured overnight.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Adapted from Southern Living, December 2006
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free

2 cups rice flour
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup lard
1 cup milk or water
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

1. Stir together flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Combine 3/4 cup lard into the flour mixture until crumbly (I find it easiest to wash up and dig in with 2 hands). Press 2 3/4 cups crumb mixture evenly on the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan.

2. Stir together milk, vinegar, egg, and soda; add to remaining crumb mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour over crumb crust in pan. Stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle cinnamon mixture and pecans evenly over the batter in the pan.

3. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.


~ Hanunyah

Link Parties:
Gluten-free Fridays @ Vegetarian Mama & 2 other blogs

31 for 21: Big Batch Pear Butter/Sauce

A pretty picture my one of my sisters took on the way home from soccer.

We picked up a ton of crisp, sweet pears from somebody's back yard the other day (with permission of course). They are very good fresh, but when you have this many you've gotta figure out something to do with them.

Last night my siblings and friends cut pears for about an hour . . . and just dented the pile. Mom made pear sauce/butter. She creates recipes by gleaning ideas from different recipes off of the internet, then adding her own touch.

This is a recipe in season, and a good one.

Big Batch Pear Butter/Sauce
Mom Creation
(Refined Sugar-free, Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)

40 cups pureed pears*
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup honey
2  teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice

Combine all ingredients in a very large roast pan. Place in a 250 degree F. oven overnight, 6 to 8 hours.  (In other words, go to bed and have it for breakfast :) ).

Notes:
*Yes, approximately 40 cups of pureed pears WITH THE SKIN. It is much faster and easier (besides the nutrients in the skin) to puree them with the skin still on. Just cut them to get out the middle part with the seeds. Puree them in a blender, food processor or vita-mix (with a little water) and proceed with the recipe.


~ Hanunyah

31 for 21 is a blog challenge to raise Down Syndrome awareness 1 blog at a time. The challenge is to blog everyday the whole month of October (31 days) to raise awareness for Down Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21). This is the 6th Annual 31 for 21 Challenge.

Link Parties:
Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker

31 for 21: Pumpkin Granola

A couple bucks we just added to the ranch.

Okay, so it's 11:33pm, friends are over. One friend just got done with her blog post, and Mom still has to do hers.

I made this recipe when my sister had a flop :).

Pumpkin Granola (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)
Hanunyah Creation

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
6 cups quick oats*

Combine all ingredients in a large microwavable bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, and microwave for another minute. In a large 9x13" pan, combine the pumpkin mixture with the oats and mix well. Place in a 350 degree F. oven, and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and forget about it for a few hours :).

Notes:
*As always with oats, make sure they are not contaminated with gluten or anything else you're allergic to.
That's basically what I did, I'm sure you wouldn't have to leave it in the oven for hours.


~ Hanunyah

31 for 21 is a blog challenge to raise Down Syndrome awareness 1 blog at a time. The challenge is to blog everyday the whole month of October (31 days) to raise awareness for Down Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21). This is the 6th Annual 31 for 21 Challenge.

31 for 21: Oatmeal Cake

Although I take most of the photos around here, my sister took this beautiful one.

Chilly Willy! (who's Willy? I'm not exactly sure, but I think he's related to Winter). A cold snap here today . . . One more reason to BAKE! Other reasons? It's fall, there's lots of pumpkins around! That's why you should bake a nice oatmeal cake and spread some pumpkin butter on it, perhaps with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Better yet, a Pumpkin Spiced Latte.

And this recipe? Yeah, it's another one from my awesome sister, Suriyah. (P.S. She's behind be in the kitchen right now making frosting. I have to go check on my timer that's beeping . . . I'm fixing her failure :) ).

Okay, I'm back. Here's the recipe.

Oatmeal Cake (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)
Adapted from Food.com

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup oats

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fat (we use lard. Butter may be use, if not DF)
1 1/3 cups rice flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins, chopped dates or nuts (optional)

1. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over oats. Set aside.
2. Cream sugars and fat. Add flour, soda, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla and the oat mixture. Mix well.
4. Pour into a greased 9 x 13" baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.


~ Hanunyah

31 for 21 is a blog challenge to raise Down Syndrome awareness 1 blog at a time. The challenge is to blog everyday the whole month of October (31 days) to raise awareness for Down Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21). This is the 6th Annual 31 for 21 Challenge.

31 for 21: Pumpkin Butter

Today my sister Suriyah and I baked and created. We made pumpkin pie together, oatmeal spice cookies and I created this pumpkin butter. Since today is almost over, I better get this done quick. Time goes fast hanging out with friends ;).

Pumpkin Butter (Gluten-free, Dairy-free and more)
Hanunyah Creation

2 cups pumpkin
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over low heat until thick. Simple!

~ Hanunyah

31 for 21 is a blog challenge to raise Down Syndrome awareness 1 blog at a time. The challenge is to blog everyday the whole month of October (31 days) to raise awareness for Down Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21). This is the 6th Annual 31 for 21 Challenge.

Link Parties:
Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker