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

Flavorful Friday- Egg and Vegetable Breakfast Recipe

Joshua 14:8 ESV
"...yet I wholly followed the LORD my God."

Brothers and sisters, I pray for us today that WE may wholly follow the LORD our God, even as others go astray.  Let us be beacons of light, shining light on the TRUTH, the LOVE of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Today's edition of Flavorful Friday features a unique recipe, in that this is more of an idea, a starting point, a license to create and have fun in the kitchen.  I cook some version of eggs and vegetables for breakfast at least once a week, usually several days a week, and it is different each time!  Here are three photos showing variations on this simple and adaptable Egg and Vegetable Breakfast Recipe.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Yours truly,

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

Egg/Veg scrambled eggs, eggplant, onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomato

Egg/Veg fried eggs, eggplant, onion, yellow squash, green bell pepper, fresh salsa, avocado

Egg/Veg fried egg, red + grn bell peppers, roma tomato, artichoke heart, purple onion, avocado

Eggs & Veggies Recipe

The thing I love about this idea is that it’s so variable.  This one really is more of an idea than a recipe, permission to get creative and suit your own tastes and availability of vegetables.  It’s a recently adopted practice for me to have vegetables for breakfast, and I love it.  Inspired by a friend who posted a beautiful chopping board full of colorful veggies, I hope this inspires you to start your day out strong with plenty of color, flavor, and nutrition!

Ingredients:

Eggs

Vegetables

Some sort of oil for the pan

Seasonings

Okay, that may be a little too simplified and vague, but that’s really how this recipe goes!  Here are a bit more specifics to get you started…

Specific Ingredients:

Fresh Eggs (1-2 per person) to be fried or scrambled, as you prefer

Vegetables- Just one or almost any combination of these, sliced, diced, or whole:

·      Onion (Red or Yellow)

·      Garlic

·      Asparagus

·      Spinach

·      Kale

·      Red Bell Pepper

·      Green Bell Pepper

·      Zucchini

·      Yellow Squash

·      Grape Tomatoes

·      Roma Tomatoes

·      Heirloom Tomatoes

·      Eggplant

·      Swiss Chard

·      Mushrooms

·      Okra

·      Marinated Artichoke Hearts

·      Potatoes (Red or Russet)

·      Avocados (to be added when served, not while cooking)

Oil for the pan (1 Tbsp for veggies, 1 Tbsp for eggs):

·      Unrefined Coconut Oil

·      Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·      Bacon Grease

·      Butter

Seasonings:

·      Celtic Sea Salt

·      Ground Pepper Medley

·      Paprika

·      Cayenne

·      Bragg Sea Kelp Delight

·      Oregano (fresh or dried)

·      Basil (fresh or dried)

·      Rosemary (fresh or dried)

·      Parsley (fresh or dried)

Instructions:

Heat medium cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to pan.  Add vegetables, hardest ones first (like Potatoes and Onions), saving the more delicate ones (like Spinach and fresh herbs) for the last.  I generally chop as I go, and add the veg once it is chopped.  How this may look is as the pan is heating, chop your onion.  Add oil to the pan and then the onion.  While the onion starts to soften, chop the bell pepper and then add it to the pan and stir.  I would probably season everything in the pan at this point.  As that cooks, chop okra, then add to the pan and stir. Then mince the fresh herbs and add them to the pan, giving everything a good stir.  Let it cook for another minute or two and you should be good to go!  Move veggies to a plate or bowl and cover to keep warm while you cook the eggs.

For eggs, to fry you would simply add your oil to the already heated pan (I recommend a Tbsp of butter or bacon grease) and then crack egg directly into the pan (or, if you prefer, crack egg into a bowl first and then pour into the pan).  Let it cook about a minute on the first side, seasoning lightly with salt.  Then gently flip egg with a spatula, and cook another minute or two on the second side, depending on how firm or runny you like your yolk.  Season again with salt and add pepper or cayenne as well if you like.  Place egg atop veggies and then serve!

You can also opt for scrambled eggs.  Crack eggs into a bowl, add seasonings and beat them with either a whisk or a fork, the more air you incorporate into them, the fluffier they will be.  Add oil (again, butter or bacon grease recommended) to the pan and let it melt.  Pour eggs into pan and stir with spatula or fork as you cook on medium-low heat until desired consistency is reached, generally 2-5 minutes.  Serve with eggs atop veggies, or veggies atop eggs, or make a well in the middle of the eggs for the veggies, whatever suits your fancy and floats your boat!

Topping Options:

·      Avocado (diced or sliced)

·      Salsa (Red or Green)

·      Sour Cream

·      Shredded cheese

Notes:

There are no amounts listed on anything because this really is about your own personal taste.  In general, figure on about 1-2 eggs per person (more if you’re serving a really big appetite), and about 1 ½ - 2 Cups of fresh vegetables per person.  Example for one serving: 8 skinny Asparagus spears (bottom of spears removed), 4 small Okra, ¼ Yellow Squash, ½ Yellow Onion.  As for seasonings, just a shake or two ought to do it; I like to keep it light for breakfast.

Flavorful Friday: Egg Muffin Cup Recipe

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

If you're like a lot of people, morning can be a busy time.  Finding a way to provide a quick, easy, and nutritious breakfast that your whole family will enjoy can sometimes seem impossible.  Today I'm here to help with a tried and true make-ahead breakfast recipe that fits the bill!  This recipe for Egg Muffin Cups is so flexible, I encourage you to play with it and make it your own.  You can make it morning of, or make it ahead and refrigerate or freeze portions to be easily available when needed.  Simply reheat in the microwave, in the oven, or in a skillet and you're ready to go!  Gluten free and healthy, this recipe is sure to be a hit!  This is also great to take to buffet pot luck breakfasts or brunches!

I always welcome comments and feedback, as well as suggestions on how I can make this a great resource for you!  Leave a comment here or email me at bouncybrandi@gmail.com

Yours truly,

~ Country Mama Hippie Chic

AKA Brandi Schunk

Egg Muffin Cups Recipe

Ingredients:

5 Slices of Natural Uncured Bacon

2 Handfuls Fresh Spinach, well-chopped

½ Yellow Onion, finely diced

1 Handful Fresh Broccoli, minced

1 Tbsp Unrefined Coconut Oil

9 Eggs

Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Fresh Ground Pepper Medley to taste

24 cup mini-muffin pan

Butter for greasing pan

Instructions:

Cook Bacon in pre-heated skillet, flipping and moving it about the pan regularly to cook evenly.  Remove bacon to paper towels to cool and drain.  Pour most of bacon grease out of pan (pour into a coffee filter suspended in the top of a jar to filter and collect for later use in cooking.)  Add Yellow Onion to pan with bacon grease and sauté lightly on medium heat.  Add Spinach and Celtic Sea Salt when onions start to become translucent and continue to sauté until spinach is wilted (slightly limp.)  In a separate pan, sauté Broccoli with Coconut Oil and Celtic Sea Salt until broccoli is soft.

While veggies are sautéing, move bacon to cutting board and mince well.

In a large bowl beat Eggs together with Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper Medley.

Grease mini-muffin pan with butter. 

Add to each muffin cup the sautéed onions and spinach, the minced bacon, and the broccoli, building layers in that order.  Pour eggs slowly into each cup until about half full.  Once all cups have eggs, use the remaining eggs to completely fill each cup.  I find that doing this in two passes works well and gives the eggs an opportunity to fully incorporate into the veggies and bacon.  It also ensures that you have enough egg for each cup.

Carefully move muffin pan to middle oven rack and cook at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and starting to brown around the edges.  Allow to cool on a rack for about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and serve immediately, or transfer to the refrigerator or freezer for meals or snacks on a later day.  Note: Allow to cool completely in refrigerator before transferring to freezer to lessen occurrence of freezer burn.

Additional options:

·      Fresh spinach and broccoli can be replaced with frozen.

·      Could be made with only broccoli or only spinach

·      Top with shredded cheese before cooking.

·      Top with salsa and/or hot sauce when serving.

·      Serve with sour cream.

·      Add pre-cooked brown rice to the muffin cups first and press it down to make a “crust”.

·      Could be made with only broccoli or only spinach or practically any other veggies could be used in place of spinach and broccoli, carrots, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, etc.

·      You could also make these in larger muffin cups, or spread it all in a pie pan or casserole dish to make a quiche.

·      Sausage can be used in place of bacon, or the meat can be left off entirely.

·      You could also add cooked hash browns or chopped fried potatoes.