Post Thanksgiving Recipe!

Ok so my housemates and I cooked our own gluten-free Thanksgiving feast this year.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce...the whole kit and cabootle.  And since we had all the Turkey bones and leftover flavorful parts, I was more than excited to make my own stock!  So here is my conglomeration of what I had left in the pantry, and various recipe influences from other women in my life.

Baja Californian Turkey Soup

This is a really light, fresh soup but hearty as well.  Perfect after a Thanksgiving day of rich, starchy foods.

For the Stock:

bones from an organic turkey
1 sweet onion
2 cups celery (2-3 stalks)
1 large carrot
water

Place bones in the largest stock pot you've got.  (preferably one with a built-in strainer)  Roughly chop all vegetables and toss them in.  Fill the pot with water enough to cover the bones and veggies.  Bring to boil on high heat and then reduce to low and simmer for a good hour, or at least until the veggies are tender and your stock has a good broth color to it. (it should look and smell a lot like chicken stock)  Strain out bones and veggies and try not to lose any bit of that yummy stock!

For the Soup:

turkey stock
1 sweet onion chopped
1 jalapeno pepper minced (optional)
2 large cloves garlic (freshly chopped please)
2 bell peppers chopped (any color or variety, you could even use poblano peppers for a spicier soup)
1 large carrot chopped
2-3 celery stalks chopped
1 can organic black beans (drained and rinsed)
cooked turkey leg meat (or other leftover meat)
1 package taco seasoning (or favorite Mexican spices)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (try to remove all the stems)

Keep stock hot while you prepare the other ingredients.  In a large skillet heat up 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil on medium heat (just a minute or so).  Add first three ingredients one by one, allowing them to tenderize and caramelize (i.e. slightly brown).  *Salt to taste.  Then use a glass measuring cup or ladle to pour a bit of the stock into the skillet and stir ingredients, deglazing the bottom of the pan.  Pour contents of skillet into stock pot.  Bring soup to a boil and add remaining ingredients minus the cilantro.  *Salt to taste.  Leave soup to boil/simmer for another hour or so allowing the veggies and turkey to tenderize and absorb flavors.  Add *salt and pepper to taste, and lastly the cilantro when ready to serve.  Feel free to garnish with fresh avocado, sour cream, black olives, green onion, tortilla chips or shredded cheese for a little added pizazz.

*You should always salt as you go, salting each portion of the dish according to your taste.  It makes it much easier to gauge how much salt the dish needs if you do a little at a time and taste as you go.

Enjoy!

Praising Him in the Small Stuff

Fall leaves, oranges, aprons, baked apple crisp, Thanksgiving fellowship, delirious Black Friday shopping, afternoon stroll, home made whipped cream, rest....thank You Father for the abundance of Your love.  You give Life to the molecular structure of the universe. You hold us together.  You give us breath. You cause our hearts to beat and create fountains of Living Water within us.  We give all glory and honor and power to You...for all of our days.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Tis the Season...to be Gluten Free?

Not!

My whole life Thanksgiving was not Thanksgiving without Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and Christmas was not Christmas without Cinnamon Bread...what is a girl to do?

Found this recipe on a blog and figured I would share it with you all!  Turns out I don't have to miss out on the goodies after all!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cinnamon Roll & Crescent Roll Dough 

• 1 quart So Delicious Coconut Milk (I used the Original, in the red carton).

• 1 cup Vegetable Oil (I used Sunflower Oil)

• 1 cup Sugar (I used Florida Crystals)

• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast (I used Red Star)

• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) Better Batter Gluten Free All Purpose Flour(or try your own blend, just be sure to add the xanthan gum)

• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder

• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda

• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt

• Plenty Of Melted Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread

• 2 cups Sugar (omit for crescent rolls)

• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon (omit for crescent rolls)

Visit The Pioneer Woman for the instructions and a full photo tutorial.

To assemble the crescent rolls:

I baked the crescent rolls at 375° F. for approximately 10 – 12 minutes, placing a loose sheet of foil over the rolls halfway though to prevent excessive browning.

I was really surprised at how well the crescent rolls held up over the course of a few days. A quick 30-second zap in the microwave and it was as if I had just pulled them out of the oven!

I assembled a ton of the pigs-in-a-blanket, then froze them (unbaked).  All you need to do then is thaw them to room temperature and bake at 375° for approximately 15 minutes! Wellshire Farms Cocktail Franks are: gluten-free, dairy/casein-free, corn-free, nut-free, soy-free.

We will for sure be waking up to these cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning!

The following are all gluten-free recipes from some phenomenal foodies and I encourage you to visit each of their blogs, it will blow your mind!

Creative Veggies on a Budget

okay so i've been doing some experimenting with different veggies...i get tired of the usual salad or Veggie saute' but i need to be getting my vitamins and fiber somehow!

so, broccoli...
not the most exciting thing to eat.  generally it's mushy and not very flavorful by itself.  well i have discovered a new broccoli phenomenon.

PRESTO PESTO!

that's right. cheesy title but we'll go with it.  Broccoli is a heck of alot cheaper than basil and is packed full of the iron, calcium, and other nutrients we really don't get from many other veggies. i found a simple "Broccoli Pesto" recipe online and it turned out great...a little too garlicky...but great. try it out as an awesome dip for fresh carrots or celery.  put it on pasta, cold or hot.  or you could even use it as a flavorful, nutrient-packed spread on a sandwich.  (you can always roast the garlic before adding it to the pesto if you prefer a milder garlicky taste.)

Next up...

Zucchini!  again, not the most exciting thing to eat, but very versatile.  i had some leftover zucchini and yellow squash that i needed to cook but i wasn't super excited about eating it.  my favorite way to eat zucchini is fried but i didn't have any Gluten Free flour.  however, Gluten Free pancake mix works just as well and has a faint sweetness to it.  the combination turned out brilliantly and i had everything i needed to make it delicious.

i love it when my pantry is bare and i'm forced to be creative with the ingredients i have...it almost always results in a new cooking discovery.

happy cooking!

<3 Rebekah Jolene

"To the end..."

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  GO therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20

What more do we need?  Let the storms come, we will not be shaken.

Pacific Northwest vs. Deep South

As some of you know, I recently moved from the Pacific Northwest,  to the Deep South.  So for those of you who are unfamiliar with the stark contrast of these regions, I'd like to elaborate.

Spokane, WA -

Speed limits don't get above 35mph.
Drivers always drive UNDER the speed limits.
The summer temps barely broke the 80 degree barrier.
It was never humid.
The locals eat farm fresh veggies.
There was a quaint coffee shop/cafe on almost every corner.
No one said y'all.

Jackson, MS -

Most roads have a speed limit of 40mph or faster.
Everyone goes at least 10mph over the speed limit.
I haven't stopped perspiring since I got here...
It's ALWAYS humid.
The locals eat everything deep fried.
Haven't found one coffee shop that I like (other than our ONE, SINGLE, SOLITARY, Starbucks)
Everyone says y'all.

 One thing worth noting that they both have in common....pot holes. everywhere.

As hard as it is transitioning between totally different cities, I LOVE studying, pondering, observing different areas and contrasting the inhabitants of these regions of the country.

So far my favorite things about Jackson are -

My house with all its cute furnishings and the fact that I have space to spread out a little bit.
My house-mates who are quickly becoming some of the best friends I've ever had.
The Lord's spell-bounding provision over all of my circumstances.
And the sweet, "southern hospitality" that most of the locals possess.

Not to mention the fact that there is a church on every corner and on Sunday afternoons you will undoubtedly see whole families out to lunch in their "Sunday Best" after attending church together.

That's all for now, I start my new job at The Fresh Market today.

more later....

;)

Banana Coffee Cake!

Okay, so I had two overripe bananas...naturally I had to make banana bread!  However, I was lacking on some key ingredients for the recipe....so I improvised! 

First of all, we don't have a loaf pan in my new house so I used a round cake pan.  Also, the recipe calls for buttermilk but I'm not one to keep buttermilk on hand so I used Organic Vanilla Yogurt...GREAT alternative.  It made the cake fabulously moist.  Lastly, since it was a coffee cake versus a loaf, I wanted to make crumble topping.  Unfortunately at this point my brain went to "la-la-land" and I SOFTENED the butter....big mistake when you're shooting for "crumble" topping.  Softened butter doesn't crumble, so what I ended up with was more of a sweet, crunchy crust on the top of the cake!  So no complaints.  It turned out deliciously. :)  Enjoy!

My Favorite Zucchini Walnut Muffins!

 

They're Martha Stewart's zucchini cupcakes from her "Cupcakes" cookbook.  My sister gave me the book for my birthday a couple of years ago and the first time I tried this recipe I fell in love.  I may never be able to eat any other zucchini bread/muffin. 

In the book she recommends frosting the cupcakes but since I wanted to be able to eat them for breakfast or dessert, I saved some toasted walnuts and brown sugar for a sweet, crunchy topping instead.

I couldn't find the exact recipe online which calls for lemon, nutmeg, and cloves, but here's the closest thing...

Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes

---

• Prep Time 20 minutes
• Total Time 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Yield Makes 12

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 zucchini (10 ounces), coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cups of a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Set aside.
   
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in nuts.
   
3. In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, and mix just until combined (do not overmix).
   
4. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
   
5. Cool in tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes out, right side up, and cool completely. Meanwhile, make frosting. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread frosting on cupcakes. The frosted cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day.
   

Cupcakes and Teddy Bears

Today I celebrated my one year anniversary with my sweet, red-headed man.  I got him two cupcakes from a nearby bakery (we weren't impressed with them but now we know), and he surprised me with a dozen red roses and a cuddly, hazelnut-colored teddybear.  It was a lovely afternoon despite the fact that he had a full day of work amidst it all.  Later tonight we're looking forward to watching a movie or beginning the final season of "Lost" on Netflix!

As the day approached I was doing alot of reminiscing over the past year.  From the first day we met, through all the goodbyes, and all the anxious, butterfly-ridden hellos.  How precious the letters, the songs, the pictures, the plane tickets, the dried flowers, all the things we've collected from this lapse of time we've been in a relationship.  It was pretty surreal to think that we had been together for a whole year.  It was flying by way faster than I sensed it was.

We're getting ready for another tough goodbye.  I'm a little out of practice so it's been a struggle to keep my emotions at bay.  But it's interesting, because I'm not crying the same tears that I was before.

All the times we said goodbye before I wasn't just sad, I was terrified.  Each time I got to laugh and smile and enjoy being near him, I was gripped with the fear of never experiencing those things again.  The tears that soaked my cheeks were of fear and doubt and insecurity.  I was so afraid that it wouldn't last.  I was so afraid of standing alone for any period of time.

But folks, I'm proud to tell you that I haven't been crying those tears of insecurity this time.  If only I could express to you how faithful our Jesus has been to refine me over the past six months.  I feel like I have a new heart that is far more capable of loving people than it ever was before.  I have experienced the well of living water filling me from the inside out and pouring Himself on those around me.  It is amazing.

So as we celebrate our first year of falling in love with each other, and falling deeper in love with our Jesus, we prepare for another season of separation.  The Lord is preparing us for big things.  I am so excited about the many possibilities on the horizon.  However, I want to strive to live in this moment, the precious "here and now" where I find warm nights, starry skies, "Lost" marathons, and iced coffee.

Until we meet again...