Cherry Almond Scones

Happy Halloween! Even with a tiny bit of sugar in them, my kids are bouncing off the walls! The excitement over tonight is THICK around here! We started the festivities early today with a little slime making and Halloween lunch. Tonight I'm making "worms and eyeballs" - I'll post that recipe tomorrow. This lunch was a way to remind my kiddos that while today is fun, that it's great to enjoy dressing up, and getting a little sugar buzz is totally permissible, that we still have to be a little careful about what our little eyes see. We had a pumpkin sandwich, vampire apple slices (thanks to my neighbor for rescuing me with marshmallows), and the crux, heart watermelon to remind us of the One light that lives in our hearts no matter how dark or scary things may be.

Sorry, I digress, scones! Yes, anyway...on to scones. Yesterday dried cherries were on clearance so I loaded up. I was trying to think of how to use them and came up with these this morning. They are anything but spooky!

Cherry Almond Scones

2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 egg

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 c dried cherries

1/4 c sliced almonds

Combine all ingredients except cherries and almonds in a bowl or food processor. After well mixed, fold in cherries and almonds. I like to roll mine into a big ball and then press it out flat to about 1/2 inch thickness on a pizza stone (or cookie sheet) and then cut it into six triangles with a pizza cutter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Enjoy!





Tastes of Fall - Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Welcome to my first post! I must begin with a quick history. I mentioned that as a family we are 95% gluten-, dairy-, corn-, grain-, and soy-free. We've reintroduced some egg, but were also completely egg-free for the past year. If you've ever tried to grocery shop with those kind of restrictions, you know that what you mostly end up with is overly priced food that is pretty scarce in nutrients. About three months ago I challenged myself to achieve a goal. My endeavor was to make, from scratch, 90% of the foods we eat and only buy 10% prepackaged. I'm thankful that it's not only been a great challenge, blessed me more than I'd ever imagined, increased the nutrient density of the food I feed my family exponentially, been SUPER well received by both kids and husband, but has also felt very manageable. Prior to setting my goal, I'd been praying for direction. I got it! The Lord has really blessed this experience. I've had a lot of people asking me to post my recipes, so here we go. By the way, Elana's Pantry has been a HUGE source of inspiration for me. Literally started as a lifeline in my journey. She was an answer to prayer in my life for sure! She has no idea I exist, but I refer to her around here on a first name basis as if she were a childhood friend. Be sure to visit her at www.elanaspantry.com. Now on to the good stuff......

Yesterday's mid-afternoon snack was delightful! I love all things pumpkin and these are no exception. Very yummy!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (adapted from As Good As Gluten)

1/2 c grapeseed oil
1/3 c honey
2 squirts liquid stevia
3/4 c fresh or canned pumpkin
2 1/2 c almond flour (or any GF flour)
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients first. Mix all liquid ingredients separately. Add liquid to dry. Mix. Scoop small spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown and solid. Enjoy!