Filter On!

With the harsh winter cold swiftly approaching, now is the season of preparing for dry, brittle hair. Shampoos and deep conditioners for moisurizing and nourishing our precious locks. Despite all of these products, sometimes, hair can still seem a little limp in this department. But it's not always because we're mistreating our hair. There's something lurking in our water that lies at the root of these problems.

Chlorine, a toxic gas which attacks living cells, is used to treat municipal water supplies and kills micor-organicms. However, it also targets organic material and damages living cells, stripping protein from skin and hair. It leaves dry skin, split ends, and broken hair shafts in its wake. As chlorine is absorbed into the body, its vapor irritates sesitive eye tissues while being inhaled into our lungs. There is hope though... "Enviro Products Premium" offers a shower filter that purifies and rids the water of this dangerous chemical (as well as its odor)! After removing the harmful effects of chlorine, hair, skin, and scalp begin to feel smoother, softer, and healthier than ever before! In days, it reduces lung and eye irritation, dry and itchy skin, dandruff, chlorine odors, brittle and dull hair, as well as fast fading of colored and treated hair!

So if you'd like to step out of your shower with a healthy, "squeeky-clean" feeling every morning, then stop by Food For Thought and check out "Enviro Products Premium Shower Filter"!

Holiday Teas that are sure to please!

It's that time of year again when the Celestial Seasoning's "Holiday" teas arrive. Choose from such flavors as Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Spice, Nutcracker Sweet, Sugar Plum Spice and my favorite, Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride! Get them while they last since these are a once a year item!

These are sure to keep you warm this season. Great as a stocking stuffer for any tea lovers!

Gluten-Free Cranberry Apple Turnover

Cranberry Apple Turnover
Ingredients:

1 pkg. Chebe Cinnamon Mix
2 tbsp margarine
3 tbsp. applesauce
3 tbsp milk or soy milk
1 egg
Filling
2 small apples -peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup fresh cranberries (heaping)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. agave nectar
add spices: cinnamon,cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg to taste OR use apple pie seasoning
1 tsp vanilla
enough cornstarch slurry (equal water to cornstarch, premixed) to make desired thickness.
1 egg, mixed, for egg wash optional
sugar (optional)
Directions
Combine dough ingredients in a bowl and knead until you have a firm ball of dough. Reserve.
Melt butter or margarine in cast iron pan and toss apple pieces into pan and saute for one or two minutes. Add your cranberries, and stir. Add seasonings, brown sugar and agave and heat for two more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla. Mix cornstarch and water together completely and then add to pan. Let thicken and remove from pan.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Take half of chebe dough and roll out between a gallon size cut open ziploc bag with the sides cut out or one large piece of wax paper, folded over so you are rolling on the wax paper and not the bare dough. Cut out squares of dough and put filling on one side of the dough. Fold over dough to cover filling and make a triangle. Use fork to crimp edges together. If you want cut one larger piece of dough into a circle, place filling, and fold edges of dough over to create a galette. Don’t cover all of the filling for the galette.
Spray cookie sheet with butter flavored cooking spray and place turnovers on the sheet. Baste them with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar if desired. Cut air holes into the tops of the turnovers. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe found on bookofyum.com/blog



Gluten-free Pumpkin Bars w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:1 bag Pamela's Classic Vanilla Cake Mix
3 eggs (2 beaten, hold 1 back from beating)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar or 1/3 cup agave
1 teaspoon allspice (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)
Directions:
Measure out 2/3 cake mix and set aside. Combine remaining 1/3 cake mix with 1 unbeaten egg and butter until crumbly. Spread in bottom of a greased 9-inch x13-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Combine reserved cake mix with pumpkin, sugar or agave, nuts, eggs and allspice. Mix and pour over crust. Continue baking 15 minutes. Refrigerate. When completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe below). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Frosting
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese (1 package), softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Directions:Mix all ingredients and frost over cooled bars.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

Wanting to eat pumpkin pie, but to avoid gluten?  Check out this gluten-free version.  We also have ready-made gluten-free pie crusts in stock!

Amaranth Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Arrowroot Starch

1/4 cup Almond Meal Flour

3/4 cup Organic Amaranth Flour

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

3 Tb Vegetable Oil
3 - 4 Tb Water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 9-inch pie pan; set aside.

Combine dry ingredients and blend well. Combine oil and 3 tablespoons water and blend with fork. Add all at once to flour. Stir only until a ball forms. If ball appears dry and crumbly, add a little more water, one teaspoon at a time, until ball hangs together. (Moisture content of flour varies.)

Pat or roll crust to fit into pie pan. Dough tears easily, but mends easily using extra bits to patch. Prick with fork.

Bake 3 minutes in 400 degrees oven, fill and finish baking the time required for filling. Or bake about 15 minutes until brown and crisp. Cool and fill. Crust holds up very well after baking.

Makes one 9-inch pie crust (8 slices).



Vegan Wednesday! Vegan Cornbread Stuffing!

Vegan Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups whole wheat bread, cubed
2 cups corn bread, cubed
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Sautee the onion and celery in the sesame oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the spices with the bread and vegan cornbread, mixing well. Add the onion and celery and stir to combine.
Add vegetable broth just until moistened, adding more or less as needed.
Bake for 20 minutes.

Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1 1/4 cups soy milk
Egg replacer for 1 egg
1/4 cup vegan margarine
Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a small casserole or baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Pour into greased casserole or baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Gluten-Free Tuesday! Pumpkin Bread

If you come to the store, you may recognize me as the girl practically glued to a space heater and completely wrapped up in warm clothing. Needless to say, I am not a fan of the cooler months of the year. However, there are advantages to putting up with the chill and one of them is the vast amount of PUMPKIN! Pumpkin lattes, pies, candles... and, of course, bread. And everything tastes and smells so amazing. Luckily, there is a delicious recipe for gluten-free pumpkin bread that tastes so good, anyone can enjoy it!

Happy cooking!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
15 oz canned pumpkin
2 c gluten-free flour blend (see note below)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Gluten-Free Flour Blend: 1 1/2 c white rice flour, 1 1/2 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 c tapioca flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp xanthan gum
Directions:
-preheat oven to 325º, lightly grease bread pan
-cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well after each one.
-add vanilla and pumpkin; mix until well blended
-in a seperate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture- DO NOT OVERMIX!
-pour into a prepared pan
-bake one hour to one hour and ten minutes

Gluten Free Stuffing

We had our gluten-free Thanksgiving tasting last Saturday.  One word:  Yum!  For those of you that couldn't make it, we wanted to share one of our favorite gluten-free stuffing recipes.  We hope you enjoy!  Stop by the store for gluten-free rolls, pie crusts, pies, desserts, turkey and more!

Gluten-Free Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:
2 boxes (12 waffles) Gluten-Free frozen waffles
2 cups chopped onions
3 cups chopped celery

2 tbl olive oil

1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp cilantro
1-2 tsp thyme
1-2 tsp sage
black pepper
1 1/2 cups gf chicken stock
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Toast the frozen waffle 1 1/2 times, until crispy but not burned.  Let cool, then cut into 1/2" cubes.  Set aside.
Saute chopped celery and onions in 2 tbl oil in large frying pan over medium heat until soft.  Add spices and pepper as desired to taste.   Pour in chicken broth and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Stir in waffles until fully saturated in sauce and seasonings.  Place in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, covering as needed with aluminum foil, until done. 

The "New Bath"!

With busy schedules constantly running our lives, it never feels like there's enough time to kick back and relax. Taking a nice long, rejuvenating bath seems practically impossible in these hectic times. However, "Aura Cacia Aromatherapy Shower Tablets" promise the luxurious and aromatic escape of taking a bath without consuming a sizable amount of time! Simply adjust the shower to the desired temperature, place the tablet on the shower floor (in the direct stream of water), take a deep breath, and unwind! 100% pure, organic essential oils delivered by these effervescent tablets will fill your morning with relaxing lavender, reviving peppermint, or even purifying eucalyptus. Stop by Food For Thought and discover a new way to wake up with a smile!

Noni & Arthritis

Stop Arthritis Pain with Noni!

The noni berry contains glucosamine, a building-block of cartilage, and celadrin, which cushions joints. In a study of arthritis patients who drank the juice or ate the berries, 80% noticed an improvement in symptoms like pain and stiffness! Find the pure juice or juice blends here at Food for Thought!