Sweet Potato Latkes Revisted

There was a great suggestion made in a comment on my previous Latke post. The suggestion was to serve these with maple whipped cream for dessert. There wasn't a name left but whoever you are thank you!

This morning I was testing adding some flour to the mix to help the patties stay together better and I realized I had some cream already whipped so I tried the combination. SHAZAAAAMMM!
It was a fabulous combination. I wanted to note that I added 2 T. coconut flour to the recipe and the patties held together much better.

Death of a Cookbook Granola

Recently I was asked about the cookbook I started last year. I have been saving a few choice recipes to put into it but have decided that this isn't the time for me to take the time to put it together. So....I will be posting the recipes I was saving over the next few weeks.

Here is my very favorite one. I like my granola nutty, cinnamony, clumpy and crunchy. There are so many variations to granola and granola bars but this is my very favorite. I keep this on hand as a staple, it is great on the go and even a meal in a pinch. It is best to soak and dry all the nuts before hand, I always do and I think it is easier to digest that way. Here are the instructions on soaking nuts and here is more information on why soaking is preferable.

Crunchy, Nutty, Cinnamony, Granola

Ingredients:

2/3 c. water
1/2 c. coconut or olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 c. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. almond flour (You can make your own by grinding almonds in a blender, this is what makes the clumps so don't leave it out if you like your granola clumpy)
1 c. sunflower seeds (soaked and dried)
1 c. coconut, unsweetened and dried
2 c. slivered or sliced almonds (soaked and dried)
2 c. walnuts (soaked and dried)
2 c. pecans (soaked and dried)
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1/4 - 1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 c. cashews (soaked and dried)
1 c. pumpkin seeds

Method:
Combine water, oil, honey, salt, and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat, stir in the vanilla. In the largest bowl you can find combine the remaining ingredients. Pour liquid over the mixed dry ingredients and mix well. You can use a dehydrator to finish the granola which is my favorite way, it really makes it crunchy. Following manufacturers directions dry 8-12 hours in dehydrator. Or spread granola onto two large cookie sheets and bake as low as your oven will go (170-250 degrees) stirring every 30 minutes for 1-2 hours.

On the Road Again......

As I said in an earlier post, I have been on 12 different flights in the last 5 weeks. I love traveling...really I do, but this past few weeks was a bit much even for me. From a food perspective I have some pictures to share, some anecdotes to tell and some lessons learned to share with you.

Last year my friend Ina from Gluten Free Delightfully Delicious told me she was going to Hawaii and we discussed some traveling options for eating. I hate to admit it, but it is true, I was so jealous, I was happy for Ina but a bit green with envy. I thought I would never get the chance. Then...my husband surprised me for our 25th anniversary with 8 days in Hawaii! We were working with a limited budget and trying to get the most for our money and I discovered that many of the Bed and Breakfast's cost less, a lot less, than hotels, AND they include breakfast. We stayed every night in a B&B and didn't spend over $130 a night.


One of our favorites was the Liloki Inn on the big island of Hawaii. It is run by a chef who really out does himself each morning. The above picture is the breakfast appetizer. We ate a huge vegetable fritata along with all this fruit. The owners grow their own Passion fruit (Liloki), avacado, and coffee right on the grounds of the B&B.


Call me sheltered but I had never seen coffee beans before, they call them cherries when they are ripe enough to pick because they turn this beautiful red color. They grow everywhere on the wet side of the island and there were even road stands set up for people to bring their "cherries" to sell to coffee companies.

Another great find was the Shabu Shabu house in Honolulu. We have been to the "hot pot" style of cooking and eating before, but on vacation it turned out to be fabulous meal. Shabu Shabu means "swish, swish" in Japanese and these restaurants are springing up all over the country. Each diner gets their own hot plate and cooks their meal of vegetables and meat at their table. You begin by ordering your choice of meat, noodles and vegetables which are brought to your table raw. Your hot plate is filled with broth and your choice of seasonings (garlic, hot peppers, onions etc.). When the broth is boiling you "swish" your meat and vegetables in it until they are done to your taste, eat them and cook more. The great part is that whatever your diet is you can customize your own meal. I had beef and vegetables, including pumpkin and 5 kinds of mushrooms.



A few highlights of the trip were snorkeling, which I had never done before because I used to get sick every time I got in the water. It was so fun to be able to enjoy the ocean. We also took a 6 mile round trip hike over lava beds to see where a lava flow is going into the ocean. Incredible! And something I would not have been able to do a few years ago, before the SCD.


A week after getting home from Hawaii I went with my parents to visit my great aunt in Mississippi, also a first time trip. I learned from her what true Southern Hospitality is. She customized every evening meal around my diet and cooked some delicious foods, check out this pork roast from her. I appreciated so much her time and efforts, it was a fabulous visit and I learned some new family stories, reunited with relatives I haven't seen in my adult life and got to see a part of the country I hadn't seen before.

Lastly my youngest son and I tagged along with my husband who was traveling for work to Orlando, Florida. Like I said before, I am a bit sheltered, and no I hadn't been to a Disney theme park before. Disney World was amazing in every way, it truly is a happy place. The food though....the food was incredible! I had done some research to find out if we could take food into the park or if there would be some options for us there as my son eats gluten free. I found many blogs and websites where people praised the restaurants and said they offered many gluten free choices. We feasted on roasted turkey and fresh green beans, sugar free sorbet and fresh berries and my son had the "best hamburger and fries ever". Each restaurant sent the chef to our table who helped us choose from the menu and then customized our meal according to our diet. One restaurant even made gluten free gravy and dairy free mashed potatoes just for us! They had gluten free cookies and brownies as well as gluten free hamburger and hot dog buns all over the park. They made it very easy for us to eat well.




I am back home for a while now....back to my real life. What a great month!

glutenfreerestaurants.org

Barbacoa Salad

I have been traveling this month more than I really care to. By the end of the month I will have been on 12 flights, more about that in another post. The reason why I bring it up is because I found a great resource for traveling, glutenfreerestaurants.org You can search for gluten free restaurants by name, city, or zip code. Most of the restaurants listed will have a direct link to their website where you can see their menu and what they offer gluten free. It has made my life easier this month!