Shortest Blog Post Ever

Glutino pretzels.  For what it's worth, they are awesome.

The end.

Yours truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic

aka Brandi Schunk

bouncybrandi@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic

http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas! (And a Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Recipe!)

Matthew 1:23 KJB

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

From our hearts to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May your hearts be filled with the joy of Christ and the miracle of His love for us all.

With love,

The Schunks

Country Mama Hippie Chic

aka Brandi Schunk

bouncybrandi@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic

http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/

Today we made Gluten Free Christmas Sugar Cookies for the first time ever!  We were a little nervous as to how this was going to turn out and I am pleased to say the results were excellent!  I can't take credit for the recipe, as I combined the genius of two other people to make these cookies.  Here is what we did in case you want to follow.

We used the "High Protein and Fiber Blend" gluten free flour recipe that I learned from Vanessa Weisbrod of "The Delight Gluten-Free Cookbook" and "Delight Gluten-Free Magazine" at the Dallas Gluten and Allergen Free Expo.  It is as follows:

• 1 C Sweet White Sorghum Flour
• 1 C Tapioca Flour
• 1/3 C Coconut Flour
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum

Using this flour as our base, we followed the directions to make this cookie recipe:

http://www.momables.com/gluten-free-sugar-cookie-recipe/

Note that since the flour already contains Xanthan Gum, we did not add any extra.  We also did not add the cinnamon.  Otherwise, we followed the recipe to a "T".  The flour mix above makes a little more than the 2 Cups the recipe calls for, so we used the remainder for dusting the counter and the dough.  We also used just plain Tapioca Flour for the dusting and that worked out fine.  Be sure to refrigerate as it says!  Our cookies turned out gorgeous, buttery, perfectly flaky, and unrecognizable as any different from the traditional sugar cookies I have made with my family for years.  It is wonderful to be able to finally continue this tradition with my husband and son!

Tomorrow we'll be decorating them, if we don't eat them all first!

Merry Christmas!

Update: We did manage to save a few cookies to ice and I am SO glad we did!  They were pretty crispy, but after icing them and letting them sit for a day, they are soft and wonderful and delicious and taste just like those iced sugar cookies you buy at the bakery at the grocery store- so good!  And so pretty, too!  We all had a lot of fun decorating, and our friends can't even tell these are Gluten Free Sugar Cookies!

Flavorful Friday: Gluten Free Polynesian Pork Dinner Recipe

Proverbs 13:3 ESV
"Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."

Holidays are an interesting time.  Filled with joy and hope, yet often also filled with anxiety, anger, frustration.  If you're looking for a little joy and peace in your days, perhaps we could all use the reminder from Proverbs above.  Think wisely before opening our mouths to say what's on our minds, and ask ourselves, are these words useful?  Do they help or hurt?  Are they loving and kind?  Is there a better way to say what I am thinking and feeling that truly honors my commitment and the heart of another?  Let us think on these things, and see where it takes us.

Here's to loving one another well, and showing a little extra patience and kindness this Christmas season.

My recipe today for Flavorful Friday feels a little like a cheat.  I didn't slave in the kitchen for hours, and there is nothing particularly unique here.  In fact, this probably won't even go in my cookbook so consider it a Blog Extra!  I realize sometimes we just want dinner to be easy.  But, we still want it to be healthy, interesting, maybe even festive.  Tonight's dinner felt like that for me when I made it for the first time last night.  I just threw it together and called it done.  And it was good.  And my son liked it.  Total win.

So here ya go, short and simple, easy to do for anyone, and maybe a little different.  Gluten Free Polynesian Pork Dinner Recipe.  Don't let the name fool you, it's not all that fancy.  In fact, I just marinated the pork in San-J's Sweet & Tangy Polynesian Glazing and Dipping Sauce for a couple hours.  Tasted a little like barbeque sauce in my opinion.  I enjoyed having a totally different taste experience, though, and perhaps you will, too.  Read on for the recipe, and let me know what you think!

Happy eating!

Yours truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic

aka Brandi Schunk

bouncybrandi@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic

http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/

Gluten Free Polynesian Pork Dinner Recipe

Rice:
Cook rice according to package instructions, using half water and half bone broth for your liquid.  I used short grain brown rice here, which took 45 minutes to cook.

Pork:
Put boneless pork chops in a plastic zippy bag and add San-J's Sweet & Tangy Polynesian Glazing and Dipping Sauce to cover.  Seal bag and let sit 2-4 hours in refrigerator.  Heat medium skillet on medium-low heat.  Add just pork chops with no extra sauce to well-oiled pan and cover.  Cook for 5 minutes and flip meat over.  Cook for 5 minutes and flip meat over again.  Cut meat in pan into bite size chunks, continue cooking and stirring in 3-5 minute increments until pork is no longer pink in the middle.  Serve with a small bowl of the San-J sauce and sprinkle the meat with toasted sesame seeds.

Broccoli:
Heat medium skillet on medium heat.  Add frozen broccoli florets, 1/2 C bone broth, a sprinkle of salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serving note: I also added some diced pineapple to our plates after I took the picture.  It was a nice compliment to the meal and I highly suggest it!

Bon appetit!

Flavorful Friday- Gluten Free Sausage Potato Cabbage Dish Recipe

Ephesians 6:18 NIV
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

When do you pray?  Do you pray when things aren't going your way and want them to change, or when you are scared and want to be saved?  Do you pray when things are good, or only when they are bad?  Do you thank God regularly for all of the gifts He gives, or is that reserved for Thanksgiving Day?  Do you thank God for the difficult circumstances in your life that challenge you and grow you into more of who He wants you to be, or are your thanks reserved for the miracles and answered prayers?  Do you pray for others, or only for yourself?  Do you pray goodness for your enemies, or only for those you love?  Think about these things and consider, what does God want for you in your prayer life?  When could you add a prayer to your day?  What might happen if you did?

............................................................................................................................................................................

For today's edition of Flavorful Friday, I bring you this German-inspired version of a Gluten Free Sausage Potato Cabbage Dish Recipe.  This dish takes a bit of effort, but is well worth it in the end!  You can use one pan, cooking in rounds, or 3 pans cooking all at once.  Alternately, you can cook everything all in one pan at the same time, but the end result doesn't taste quite as good and you lose something in flavor and consistency.  Feel free to use your favorite Gluten Free Sausage, or the flavor listed in the recipe, which we get from the meat market at Sprouts.  It is not labeled "gluten free", but I have read the ingredients and feel comfortable with it for my own gluten-intolerant family.  For true Celiac's or a strong gluten intolerance, please be sure you know your source and understand the ingredients, as sausage is a common place to hide wheat and gluten.

I'd love to hear from you!  What is your favorite Gluten Free Link Sausage and how do you use it?  Email me or comment below with your feedback.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy some nice weather wherever you are.

Yours Truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic

aka Brandi Schunk

bouncybrandi@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic

http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/

Gluten Free Sausage/Potato/Cabbage Dish Recipe

Ingredients:

For Sausage:

Filtered Water

3-4 Links, about 1 ½ pounds, Gluten Free Chicken Feta Spinach Sausage

For Potato:

1 Large Russet Potato, about 2 C diced

1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

Filtered Water to cover

1 Tbsp Unrefined Coconut Oil

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6-8 Cloves Garlic

For Cabbage:

1 Tbsp Unrefined Coconut Oil

1 Small Green Cabbage, about 8-10 C chopped

1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

¼ tsp Fresh Ground Pepper Medley

½ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Onion Powder

1 Small Yellow Onion

Fresh Ground Pepper Medley, to taste

Celtic Sea Salt, to taste

Instructions:

This is a 3-pan dinner, ideally you’ll have all 3 pans going at once.  Alternately, you could use just one pan and cook one part at a time, keeping the previous parts warm in a toaster oven on “warm” setting.

Add Filtered Water to a medium skillet to about ¼” deep and add Sausage Links to pan.  Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove lid, flip Links over, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and carefully drain water from pan, using the lid or tongs to keep Links in the pan.  Return pan to heat and cook for 3 minutes, uncovered.  Flip Links and cook an additional 3 minutes.  Remove Links to a plastic cutting board, allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then slice about ¼” thick.

Finely dice the Russet Potato.  Put Potatoes in a lidded microwave dish; add 1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt and enough Filtered Water to cover Potatoes.  Cover dish with lid and microwave for 2 minutes on high.  Carefully remove lid from Potatoes and allow steam to dissipate, then drain water off Potatoes.  Pour Potatoes onto a clean dishtowel to dry.  In a medium skillet heat 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil and 2 Tbsp Olive Oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Carefully add Potatoes to hot oil, I use a slotted spoon to keep my hands away from the popping oil.  Cook on medium high heat, stirring regularly to prevent burning.  Peel and finely slice Garlic Cloves.  Add Garlic to oil and Potatoes after about 5-6 minutes of cooking, then cook for another 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat and move Potatoes and Garlic to paper towels to drain.  Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

Heat Large Skillet over medium heat about 3-5 minutes.  Chop Cabbage to about 1” square pieces.  Add 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil and chopped Cabbage to skillet and stir.  Add Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder to pan and stir.  Dice Onion, add to pan and stir.  Cook for a total of about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Layer food in a large bowl with Cabbage first, then Potatoes, then Sausage.

Serve piping hot and enjoy!

Serving note:

This dish goes great with Gluten-Free Beer or Cider for a special treat.

FREE GOODIE BAG from the Dallas Gluten & Allergen Free Expo!

Matthew 6:19-21 NASB
 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."


You've heard me talking about a FREE GOODIE BAG from the Dallas Gluten & Allergen Free Expo, and here it is!  Many of you wanted to be there but weren't able to make it, so I'm bringing the Expo to you!  See below for a list of the contents of the gift bag, provided for you by vendors at the show, and collected for you by me and my family.  Then read on to find out how YOU can be the winner and take home this bag of goodies for yourself!


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In no particular order…

Boom Chicka Pop- Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

http://shop.angiespopcorn.com/BOOMCHICKAPOP-Sweet-and-Salty-Kettle-Corn/p/AKC-011938&c=AngiesKettleCorn@Boomchickapop

Crunchmaster- Multi-Grain Crackers- Sea Salt

https://www.crunchmaster.com/products/multi-grain-crackers.aspx

Crunchmaster- Multi-Seed Crackers- Original

https://www.crunchmaster.com/products/multi-seed-crackers.aspx

Van’s- Say Cheese- Crispy Whole Grain Baked Crackers

http://www.vansfoods.com/our-products-crackers

Glutino- Pretzel Twists

http://www.glutino.com/products/chips-crisps-pretzels/pretzels/pretzels-twists-14oz/

Milton’s- Crispy Sea Salt- Baked Crackers

http://www.miltonsbaking.com/product-detail/Signature-Crispy-Sea-Salt-Crackers

Mediterranean Snacks- Lentil Crackers- Cracked Pepper

http://www.mediterraneansnackfoods.com/products/lentil-crackers-cracked-pepper/

Nutrasumma- Pea Protein Powder- Chocolate Flavor

https://nutrasumma.com/shop/nutrasumma-products/active-sports-nutrition/pea-protein-chocolate-1pound.html

Linwoods- Milled flaxseed, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and Q10

http://www.linwoodshealthfoods.com/eu/shop/milled-flaxseed-almonds-brazil-nuts-walnuts-and-co-enzyme-q10.html

Gopicnic- Maple Turkey Sausage, Fruit & Nut mix ready-to-eat breakfast

http://www.gopicnic.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1808/.f#.VHPQZlfF8i4

SOYJOY- baked whole soy & fruit bar in 3 flavors (banana, berry, blueberry)

http://us.soyjoy.com/

Breeze Bar- Chocolate Cranberry

http://breezebars.com/shop/chocolate-cranberry

Pamela’s- Figgies and Jammies- Raspberry & Fig Cookie

http://www.pamelasproducts.com/products/cookies-and-biscotti/figgies-jammies/figgies-jammies-raspberry/

Nogii- Paleo Bar- Nuts About Nuts

http://nogii.com/paleo.html

A3 Bar- White Lightning Marshmallow

http://www.a3action.com/whitelightning.php

Nature’s Path Organic- Dark Chocolate Chip- Chewy Granola Bar

http://shop.naturespath.com/Gluten-Free-Selections-Dark-Chocolate-Chip-Chewy-Granola-Bars/p/NPA-891345&c=NaturesPath@Bars

Enjoy Life- Vanilla Honey Graham Crunchy Cookie

http://enjoylifefoods.com/our-foods/crunchy-cookies/crunchy-vanilla-honey-graham/

Pamela’s- Simplebites Cookies in 2 flavors (Extreme Chocolate and Ginger Snapz)

http://www.pamelasproducts.com/products/cookies-and-biscotti/simplebites-mini-cookies/

Wholesome Sweeteners- Organic Stevia

http://wholesomesweeteners.com/Products/product-detail/PId/35/Organic-Stevia

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Okay, so how do you win this bag?!?!  Act fast!  The first person to comment below on my blog and tell me what it would mean to you to have this bag full of GLUTEN FREE SAMPLES and COUPONS is the winner!  Sometimes the early bird gets the worm, and today you can be the hungry bird! (Disclaimer: I live in Plano so if you live outside of this area you will need to pay for S&H.)

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll all look into the products above.  I'm still working on sampling all of these and more, and will be sharing my thoughts and reviews soon, so stay tuned!

Yours truly,


Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic
http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/

Gluten & Allergen Free Expo Dallas 2014- Sunday Top Picks!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
"...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."



Wow!  What a weekend it was!  I feel honored and blessed to have attended the Dallas Gluten & Allergen Free Expo as a blogger.  It was amazing seeing how many people were there, and how many vendors as well.  I have only been on this Gluten Free journey for 4 years now, and the developments of gluten free foods has been astounding even in this short amount of time.  The products represented ranged from cookies and crackers, to protein bars and shakes, to pizza and beer.  There were wonderful and educational presentations offered all day long, leaving me wondering, "Do I go to the class or go to the booths?"  All-in-all it was a great experience and I'm so glad I went.

Be on the lookout for a GIVEAWAY from me in the coming days.  The product vendors were kind enough to pass on tons of free samples for my readers, so I'll be giving away a full goodie bag for one lucky person!  Stay tuned for details...

Here are my highlights from Sunday at the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo in Dallas.

Most unique thing I learned: you can use sorghum based beer ounce for ounce and cup for cup as a milk replacement in baking!  Wow, who knew?!  According to Vanessa Maltin Weisbrod, the Executive Editor of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine and author of
The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing Up Life with Italian, Asian, and Mexican Recipes, using beer in place of milk adds a nice sweetness and fluffiness to many recipes such as pancakes, porridge, and flatbread. It's an easy way to replace milk if you are going dairy free, and using sorghum based beer like Bard's (her recommendation) makes it still gluten free! Sounds good to me!



Favorite vendor product line: Simple Mills.  Why I am totally thrilled to have discovered this company is well-summed up in a message from the founder, who I had the privilege and honor of meeting in person.  

"When I discovered that my family and I had several allergies to common foods, I first turned to the shelves at grocery stores. But I discovered that many foods contained long ingredient lists, large amounts of refined sugar (often the first ingredient!), preservatives, and other strange things that I couldn't pronounce. I didn't cook with these things at home, and surely didn't want to feed them to my family... So why did I have to buy them in food and mixes at the store? I thought there had to be a better way and that's why I created Simple Mills. 

At Simple Mills, we sincerely believe simple is best. We create delicious products made of nutrient-rich, real-food ingredients that are easily available in nature (not created in a laboratory somewhere). We never use refined sugar, high-glycemic flours, gluten, or genetically-modified ingredients. This means that our products not only taste great, they also make you feel great! 

-Katlin, Founder of Simple Mills"

There you have it, real food, plain and simple. Thank you, Katlin!

Greatest mystery solved: I have been researching Essential Oils for quite some time, and have often wondered about the effectiveness of each brand.  On Sunday I took the opportunity to pit doTERRA and Young Living against each other in a head to head battle for pain relief.  I showed up with a lot of pain in my knee, low back, and neck and stopped first thing at the two essential oils booths in the show.  I am happy to say that both products relieved my pain completely, and within half an hour I was no longer thinking about how much my body hurt and was free to enjoy the show.  A huge thanks to Pat of Young Living and Randy of doTERRA for so generously helping me out!  Pat used Young Living's Valor, Pan Away and Peppermint for a great pain relieving trio.   Randy used doTERRA's Deep Blue Rub for a simple one-step application.  I'm not going to debate which company or product line is better overall, but as far as pain relief goes, both are a winner in my book.

Favorite Blogger: The Gluten Free Makeup Gal.  She is so sweet and down-to-earth, and tons of fun to be around.  This Gal and I had some serious fun watching Stuart's presentation of Kitchen Craft cookware (which, by the way, I now want every piece of!)  

Okay, that's enough for now.  I'll be sharing more in the coming weeks on product reviews and more highlights from the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo.  This in a national event, so if you missed Dallas be sure to check their website for other upcoming shows, and mark your calendars for November 2015 when they'll be back in Dallas!

Yours truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic
http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/

Gluten & Allergen Free Expo Dallas 2014- Saturday Top Picks!

Psalm 37:3-4 NASV
"Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.  Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart."

Wow!  What a day!  I just got home from attending my first ever Gluten & Allergen Free Expo and I just gotta say it was amazing.  With over 150 Vendor Booths, and a full day of Classes, it was impossible to experience everything.  I'm so glad I'll be going back tomorrow.  Here I am with my goodies from the O'Mission Beer Blogger Swag Bag.

I'll write more in depth in the coming weeks with product reviews and what I've learned from the classes, but for now I wanted to give my Day 1 Top Picks.

My top favorite sponsor is definitely O'Mission Beer.  They sponsored a Blogger Meet & Greet this morning with special swag bags and free t-shirts and hats.  I normally wouldn't be drinking at 10:30am, but sampling their Gluten Free Beers among friends was a lot of fun.  I've been a big fan of O'Mission for quite some time, and they definitely went out of their way to make us feel special and appreciated.  I swapped cards with a lot of other bloggers and look forward to collaborating with some of them in future endeavors!

My top favorite vendor booth was absolutely, hands down Kim and Jake's.  Their Gluten Free crusty bread was simply delicious.  The BEST gluten free bread I have ever had.  They have perfected the crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside in a beautiful and flavorful sourdough base that is out of this world.  Oh yeah, they have a fan for life in me!

My top favorite presenter was Betty Murray, CN.  Ms. Murray is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner who has dealt personally with a gluten-free lifestyle and managing an autoimmune condition.  One of the greatest and most eye-opening things I learned from her is that Celiac's Disease and Gluten Intolerance can be present with NO GUT SYMPTOMS.  Wow.  This means that a person can have a reaction to gluten and never know it, since they don't
present "classic" Celiac symptoms like distended belly and irritable bowel syndrome.  Things like neurological disorders, joint problems, skin rashes, etc. can all be traced directly to gluten even if a person doesn't seem to have direct gluten symptoms.  Incredible.  She also said it averages up to 11 years for a person to be correctly diagnosed, as our current diagnostic tools often can only detect Celiac's once it is severe and there is complete destruction of the intestines.  Whoa.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to wait until I am entirely broken to be fixed.  She recommends gluten free for anybody with any health issues, and offers extensive and thorough, yet simple and cost-effective testing in her office to determine what foods you may be sensitive to, including gluten.  Bottom line, if you feel better after about a week of gluten free, you'll probably feel a whole lot better by going gluten free completely.

My top favorite service represented was the Great Gluten Escape at Gilmont.  This week-long summer camp is entirely gluten free!  This is a chance for gluten free children ages 7-15 to be able to just be a kid, relax, and let go with friends, knowing that they don't have to be singled out or miss out on goodies to protect their bodies and be healthy.  How cool is that?!  Well, even cooler, this Christian camp offers an incredible program for families with children who have special needs.  Circle of Friends is offered entirely free of charge, and gives parents a much-needed respite from providing constant care to their special needs children.  I look forward to plugging in to this organization in sacrificial service for a wonderful crusade.  Check it out online and learn how you can donate time and resources to keep this incredible program successful.  And please share with anyone you know who has a child with special needs, so they can have this incredible camping experience where everyone is included, accepted, and loved.

Be sure to keep an eye on my Facebook Page where I'll be posting more LIVE updates and pictures from Day 2 of the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in Dallas, Tx.  Join me there if you can for a day full of fun and more freebies than you can shake a stick at! (My husband, son, and I came home with 4 full bags of goodies, not to mention full bellies from all the free samples!)  It's from 9-3 at the Dallas Market Hall – North Hall, 2200 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207.  Tickets at the door are $20 for adults and $5 for kids.



Yours truly,
Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic

Flavorful Friday: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Recipe!

Romans 15:14 NIV
"I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another."


I believe that God has put in each of us a strong heart, a guide between right and wrong, good and evil.  We know deep in our heart of hearts how to live full and satisfying lives, yet sometimes we stray.  How wonderful to have friends and loved ones in our lives to remind us of our goodness, to steer us back onto the path that is straight and narrow.  It takes bravery and courage to speak truth in love to someone who may be making poor choices.  I recently rebuked a dear friend when I noticed her doing something that seemed out of alignment with the life she says she wants, with the person I know her to be.  It has been truly inspiring to watch her take in this information with the love with which it was offered, and to use this insight to transform her life and her actions.  I hope that when someone approaches me to instruct me in my ways that I can handle it with the grace and dignity she has shown.

To celebrate her, today I offer this fabulous Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Recipe!  She recently surprised me with some yummy homemade chocolate chip cookies, so here is my return favor.  With pumpkin in abundance in the grocery stores this month, here's a new way to try this healthy ingredient in a whole new way.

How have you used pumpkin lately?  I'd love to hear from you in comments below!

Yours truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic

PS- Keep an eye out on my Facebook page this weekend for on-the-spot updates from the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in Dallas!  Click here to get your discounted pre-event tickets now!

PPS- I'll be posting in the coming weeks sharing highlights from the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo that starts TOMORROW in Dallas!  Dallas Market Hall - North Hall, 2200 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207.  I'm so excited!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

This recipe is loosely based on a list of ingredients that a relative told me after sharing her cookies with our family.  Her cookies used wheat flour and called for a lot more sugar, so I set out to make a healthier, gluten-free treat.  This cookie is very mild, so you’ll want to add more sugars or honey if you like things a little sweeter.  This recipe is also very forgiving, so feel free to experiment with ingredients and measurements, and add the optional ingredients to fit your own personal taste.

Ingredients:

1 Can (15oz) 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 Egg, beaten, at or near room temperature

1 Tbsp Butter, softened

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

¼ C Sugar

1 Tbsp Honey

½ C Almond Flour or Almond Meal

¼ C Coconut Flour

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

½ tsp Cinnamon

Pinch of Nutmeg

Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt

1 C Uncooked Old-Fashioned Oats

Instructions:

In a medium bowl mix Pumpkin, Egg, Butter, Vanilla, Sugar, and Honey.  Beat on low speed until well blended.  In a small bowl combine Almond Flour or Meal, Coconut Flour, Chia Seeds, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Celtic Sea Salt.  Whisk gently to mix all dry ingredients together.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mix, blending on medium until well combined.  Add Oats, stirring with a spoon until oats are fully incorporated into the mix.

Using hands, make Tablespoon size balls of dough and flatten them to about ¼” thick, making a cookie that is about 2” wide.  Place cookies an inch apart onto parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake in preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15-17 minutes, or until firm and slightly browned around the edges.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.  Store in a container with a lid sitting on top, but not sealed.

Serve warm with a big, cold glass of your favorite milk and enjoy!

This cookie is great for breakfast, dessert, or just as a snack!

Optional Ingredients:

Chopped Pecans

Brown Sugar

Molasses

Maple Syrup
Pumpkin Pie Spice