Friday, July 24, 2015

Gluten Free Fruit Cobbler

Gluten Free Fruit Cobbler


It's summer time!  YAY!!!  That means we can get lots of delicious fresh fruit which is great for making cobblers.  Here's a super easy recipe that I have.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
1-1/2 teaspoons Gluten free Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup Water 
1 Cup Fresh Fruit 

Since it's that time of year, we picked our own fruit - fresh wild blackberries.





Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a square 8x8 baking dish in the oven.  (You will have time to prepare the batter for the cobbler while the butter is melting.)


Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, palm sugar, and water.


Spoon the batter into the hot butter.


Sprinkle the fruit around in the batter.
 

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Summer in Virginia

Summer in Virginia

Photo Credit: Kmeunierphotography
Our Parking Spot for the moment

We apologize that you haven't heard from us in a while.  We've been super busy, but the main reason was because both of our computers died in the same week.  So, it's been taking us some time to get back up and running.  We're almost there.....I must say, it's nice to be back on the blog....even for a brief moment.  We have a large land survey job that has just come up, so the next couple of weeks are going to be pretty hectic again.
We have been enjoying the summer here.  I really missed these nice hot summers while I was in NY.  And, I think it's been fairly mild so far which is nice.  August is usually the hottest month, so I'm sure more hot weather awaits...Chad has been doing well with the heat, so that is good.  I was a little concerned it might be too hot for him down here.

There's always much to do on a farm and this Spring/Summer this place has been a bee hive of activity.   Last May, the dam broke on the pond and it has been getting repaired the past couple of months.  

The new overflow pipe

New emergency spillway

There have also been many other repairs to do.  My dad has also been working on installing a bathroom into his barn, so the septic tanks were getting installed this past week.  

New Septic Tanks

 And, we helped with getting up 220 hay bales when the field got cut.  

Aerating the hay

Hay Bales

We've also been doing some work on our vehicles.  The heater core went out on our car last week, and Chad also did the body work that it needed to repair the hole in the bumper.  And, this was in addition to our volunteer work.  Never a dull moment....

Buick body work

All finished

My family has 8 outside cats as well....who we are grateful for because we really don't want any problems with mice.  They're pretty funny and cute.  Chad especially loves them.

The Mama Cat

Photo credit: Kmeunierphotography

Photo credit: Kmeunierphotography

Photo credit: Kmeunierphotography

Photo credit: Kmeunierphotography


Here are a few more pictures from our Summer adventures.....

Hiking

Gone Fishin'


Wheat Field



Large Snapping Turtle

 And, more beautiful sunsets......

Photo credit: Kmeunierphotography






Related Posts

Gluten-Free Fruit & Nut Pancakes

Gluten-Free Fruit & Nut Pancakes
We have been enjoying my dad's recipe for gluten-free pancakes.  So...here it is for you to enjoy as well.  :-)
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
2 Tablespoons Agave Syrup
4 handfuls chopped walnuts (you could also use pecans)
1 Cup Fruit of your choice - we used blueberries, but you can use many other varieties.
(For 6 people)
Mix together all the ingredients except the fruit.  Add more coconut milk or pancake mix if needed to get the right consistency as shown in the picture.
Pour the batter into a hot skillet or griddle.  If using a frying pan, add canola oil to the pan first and make sure it is hot before pouring the batter into the pan.  You can make your pancake any size you wish.  Next, add your fruit, as much as you like.

Allow it to cook until the edges start to brown and it will start to bubble in the middle.
Flip over and allow the other side to cook for about a minute.  Then remove from heat. 
Bon Appetit!


Friday, June 26, 2015

Allergen-free Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Allergen-free Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Photo Credit: boandbelle.com

When I saw this recipe, I had to try it.  And, these blondies are quite delicious!  :-)  

Ingredients
1 Cup Brown Rice flour
1 TBS coconut flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Gluten Free Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Walnut Oil
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
Chia Gel (grind 2 tbs chia seeds into powder and then add 1/3 cup warm water)
Enjoy Life Chocolate Mega Chunks 

Substitutions I made:
I decided to adjust it a little to also make it sugar free.  I used xylitol for the sweetener.  
I chopped stevia sweetened chocolate bars for the chocolate chunks.  
For those who can have dairy, you can substitute butter for the oil.
For those who can have eggs, you can substitute 2 eggs for the chia gel.
Chopped nuts would also be a nice addition to this recipe. 

I also suggest refrigerating these after baking.  This helps keep them from being crumbly.


Friday, June 19, 2015

How to Grill a Beef Roast

How to Grill a Beef Roast

Well, we didn't think it was possible, but we gave it a try and it turned out great!

Ingredients
Beef Chuck Roast
Salt
Garlic Powder
Barbecue Sauce  (We like Stubbs) 

Here's how we did it..... 

Preheat your grill.
Using a sharp knife, score the roast.  (You may want to view the larger version of the picture by clicking on it so you can see the scoring in the picture.)



 Apply salt generously to both sides and pound the roast with your thumb to work the salt into the meat and to tenderize it.

Apply a thin layer of garlic powder on each side of the roast   Pound the roast again to work the garlic powder into the meat.


 
Place the roast on a very hot grill and sear both sides.



Remove from the grill and place on a sheet of tin foil.  Apply barbecue sauce to one side of the roast.  (We like Stubbs Spicy Sauce.)



Spread the sauce evenly on the roast and wrap in the aluminum foil.




Place the roast back on the grill and slow cook for about 1-1 1/4 hr. (time may vary depending on your grill and the size of the roast.)
 


Cut into thin slices and serve.



Bon Appetit!