Gluten Free Christmas Sugar Cookies

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"These cookies are very yummy and gluten free"

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 43 mins

Yield: 36 cookies

                                                                                                             

About This Recipe

These cookies are very yummy and lots of fun to make and decorate. They are crisp on the outside and a little soft on the inside. I like making them with colored sugar or shaking a little powdered sugar on top.

They keep very well in a sealed container. Last year I made them to take up to my cottage on our week of holidays. Everyone loved them!                                

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Butter Flavor Crisco
• 1 eggs or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup potato starch, for kneading

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have on hand 2 ungreased cookie sheets.
2. In a small bowl, whish together the flour mix, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, cream sugar and crisco. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, mixing enough to combine. The dough will be a soft ball. With your hands, knead in enough of the potato starch to make the dough easy to handle and roll out.
4. Using about half at a time, place a piece of plastic wrap over the ball and roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness.
5. Cut into desired shapes and place on pan.
6. Decorate with coloured sugars before baking or use frosting to decorate after baking.
7. (With this dough, you can use all the scraps.) Just scrape them together and roll out again. They wont get tough.
8. Bake for about 13 minutes. Cool very slightly before removing from the pan.

By GlutenFreeGirl - http://www.food.com/recipe/gluten-free-dutch-sugar-cookies-183003

Yummy Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

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"This is my very favorite gingerbread cookie recipe"

Prep Time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 23 mins

Yield: 24 - 5inch tall cookies

About This Recipe

These disappear in a flash at my house!

The dough is firm and nice to work with and is so wonderful smelling that it is almost like a stress reliever. If you would like a crisper cookie roll the dough out thinner.

I noticed a lot of people have been having some sticky dough issues. You need to make sure you let the dough rest at LEAST two hours this helps make the dough more workable.                               

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.
2. In a large bowl (KitchenAid's great for this) beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.
3. Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.
4. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.

Directions

5. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 375 deg. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
7. (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.
8. Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
9. Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.
10. Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.
11. Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick.
12. Use additional flour to avoid sticking.
13. Cut out cookies with desired cutter-- the ginger bread man is our favorite of course.
14. Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.
15. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies-- very good!).
16. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.
17. After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like.
18. I usually brush them with a powdered sugar glaze when I am in a hurry, but they look wonderful decorated with Royal icing.

By gingerkitten D -  http://www.food.com/recipe/the-most-wonderful-gingerbread-cookies-80156

Strawberry Facts

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Chances are you know what a strawberry is. If you've never heard of such a thing then hopefully this months post will convince you to give this adorable little fruit a shot.

There is a lot more to them then just a pretty skin. Strawberries are also an excellent source of Vitamin C and those tiny little seeds contain fiber. Today, there are over 600 varieties of strawberries. The sweet, slightly tart berries rank among the top 10 fruits and vegetables for antioxidant content. 

The benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds, including strawberries, are varied. As plant food consumption goes up, the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer goes down.

Below we have some info on choosing and saving strawberries.

Choosing Strawberries: Select those  which are plump, bright and even-coloured. Flavour varies with variety and ripeness.

How to Keep Strawberries: Remove them from the punnet (The little green container they're sold in) . It's best to place them unwashed in a single layer on paper towel on a plate. Cover and refrigerate. Use within 3 days.

Incorporating more strawberries into your diet: Strawberries are available fresh, frozen, freeze-dried, and in jellies, syrups, and jams. Make sure to check the label of frozen and dried strawberries for added sugars. When looking for jellies or jams, go for all fruit spreads without added sweeteners and fillers.

Here are some tips to incorporate more of this super food into your diet:

• Dice strawberries and add them to your chicken salad.
• Make your own fruit cocktail with fresh fruit and include grapes, pineapple, sliced peaches, and strawberries. Drizzle a small amount of honey on top of the fruit mixture for an extra sweet treat.
• Slice strawberries and add them to plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle of agave nectar and sliced almonds.
• Top whole grain waffles, pancakes, or oatmeal with fresh strawberries, or fold them into muffins and sweet breads. You can also blend strawberries in a food processor with a little water and use as a fresh syrup to top desserts or breakfast foods.
• Mix them into a spinach salad with walnuts and goat cheese.
• Toast a whole grain bagel and top with Neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese) and strawberries.
• Throw some frozen strawberries (unsweetened) in a blender with a banana, milk, and ice for a quick and easy strawberry banana smoothie.

Artichoke Facts

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Artichokes can be intimidating. The prickly, thick, cactus like vegetable is enough to send any good cook running, so why bother? The thing is after prepping and cooking the beast you come out feeling a bit more accomplished. And even your kids are bound to look up from their electronics long enough to give a round of applause and chow down.

Artichoke is rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.

Best time to get artichokes: Artichokes are most plentiful and taste the best during spring months, such as March, April and May.

Finding the right artichoke: It's best to look for artichoke's with closed heads, the leaves should form a tight laver around the rest of the vegetable. The artichoke should be firm and a bit heavy for its size. Don't worry if the stem is a bit brown, it just means it was cut recently. But if the stem is slimy or overly dry the artichoke is no good.

How to store artichokes: Artichokes are the freshest when they are kept loosely wrapped in plastic wrap and put in the fridge. Fresh artichokes will last about a week in the fridge.

Fruit and Veggie of The Month

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Here at LYFVE we like to do a little segment on what's in season for the upcoming months, which we call the Fruit and Veggie of The Month. Pretty straight forward right? All throughout the month of April we will focus on these two ingredients how to prepare them, what they're good for and, some spectacular dishes. Without further ado I introduce you to the fruit and veggie of the month.

Artichokes 

&

Strawberries 

Welcome Back LYFVE'ers !

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Hello everyone, after a very very long extended hiatus LYVFE has decided to dust off the ol' fruit stand and kick this blog back into high gear. So to get everyone's spirits up were starting up our new season with a fresh spring recipe sure to put a smile on your face.

Mint Pea Soup!

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped 

Directions

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. 
2. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. 
3. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
4. Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. 
5. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.

Passion Fruit Souffle

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This light-as-a-feather soufflé is infused with vanilla beans and fresh, fragrant passion-fruit.

While making a soufflé can sometimes be a hit and miss affair, when you do succeed, the result is fantastic.

If you don't have any fresh passion fruit handy, just use the canned pulp. It works just as well
tip on making soufflés -- always have the measured ingredients ready before cooking. And, the most important tip is to use scrupulously clean utensils when whipping the egg whites.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 4 Tbsp of butter
• 4 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1-2 passion fruit or 1/4 cup of canned passion fruit pulp
• Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
2. Slowly bring the milk, vanilla bean and sugar to a boil over a medium heat. Then take it off the heat and set aside.
3. Remove the vanilla bean and cut it down the middle. Scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife tip and place them back into the milk. Discard the pod.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour, a little at a time. Keep whisking for about a minute. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk.
5. Return the pan to a medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring the whole time.
6. Cook sauce for about 40 seconds then remove from heat. Cover the surface of the sauce with plastic wrap and set aside to cool slightly.
7. Grease several small soufflé ramekins with butter and dust with a sprinkling of sugar. Set aside.
8. Whisk the egg yolks into the slightly cooled sauce, one at a time, until smooth. Next, add the passion fruit pulp and stir well.
9. In a clean metal bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric beater.
10. Spoon half the egg whites into the sauce with a clean metal spoon. Fold egg whites through very gently then fold in the remaining egg whites.
11. Pour mixture to the top of the soufflé ramekins. Level the mixture with a knife so that it's even.
12. Bake until risen and slightly golden on top for about 15-20 minutes. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Passion Fruit Facts

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Passion fruit is the small, round edible fruit of the passion flower. Passion fruit is red, gold or brownish-purple on the outside with a yellowish pulp that has small, black, edible seeds.

History:

Purple passion fruit is thought to have originated in South America while yellow passion fruit may have originated in the Amazon region of South America or perhaps in Australia.

Passion fruit arrived in Florida and Hawaii in the 1880s. It is now cultivated in both Florida and California.

Varieties/Availability:

There are two main types of passion fruit – yellow and purple. Both types are about the size of a lime and contain yellowish pulp. The main difference is the color of the outside skin.
Passion fruit is available year-round with supplies from Florida, California and New Zealand.

Choosing:

Choose fruits with wrinkled skin – the passion fruit skin wrinkles as it ripens. Avoid moldy fruit.

Preparation/uses:

Raw preparation
The passion fruit can be cut in half and the pulp scooped out and eaten. The seeds are edible. It can also be strained through cheesecloth to remove the seeds.
Passion fruit juice can be added to pineapple or orange juice to make a cold drink. The pulp can also be added to yogurt.

Baking
The pulp of the passion fruit can be boiled into a syrup, which can be used in cakes and pies.

Cooking
Passion fruit pulp can be used in jams, jellies and drinks. The pulp can be boiled into a syrup and used in sauce, candy, ice cream and cocktails.

Freezing
Remove the pulp and place in ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen, place the cubes in a freezer-safe container.

Equivalents:

1 3-ounce passion fruit = 1 to 1 1/3 tablespoons of pulp

Handling, storage & care:

Store passion fruit in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Roasted Pork Chops and Butternut Squash With Kale

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Prep Time: 30 mins  

Total Time: 55 mins

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds)—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 bone-in pork chops (each 1 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch kale, thick ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped (about 14 cups)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the sage, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. When the squash has cooked for 20 minutes, heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the pork to the baking sheet with the squash and roast until the pork is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing the kale and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, until the kale is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the pork and squash.

kale 101 :

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learn all about kale in this cool video !!!

Kale !!!

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Kale 101:

Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage ,green or purple, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide array of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts. Name

The name borecole most likely originates from the Dutch boerenkool (farmer's cabbage).

 Origins

Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe. Curly leafed varieties of cabbage already existed along with flat leafed varieties in Greece in the fourth century BC These forms, which were referred to by the Romans as Sabellian kale, are considered to be the ancestors of modern kales. Today one may differentiate between varieties according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, with varying leaf types. The leaf colours range from light green through green, dark green and violet-green to violet-brown. Russian kale was introduced into Canada (and then into the U.S.) by Russian traders in the 19th century.
During World War II, the cultivation of kale in the U.K. was encouraged by the Dig for Victory campaign. The vegetable was easy to grow and provided important nutrients to supplement those missing from a normal diet because of rationing.^[6]
Kai-lan, a separate cultivar of Brassica oleracea much used in Chinese cuisine, is somewhat similar to kale in appearance and is occasionally called "kale" in English.

 Cultivars

Kales can be classified by leaf type:

• Curly leaved (Scots Kale)
• Plain leaved
• Rape Kale
• Leaf and spear (a cross between curly leaved and plain leaved Kale)
• Cavolo nero (also known as black cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage, Tuscan Kale, Lacinato and dinosaur Kale)

Because kale can grow well into winter, one variety of Rape Kale is called 'Hungry Gap', named after the period in winter in traditional agriculture when little could be harvested.

Culinary uses

• Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost.
• Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly flavoured ingredients as dry-roasted peanuts, tamari-roasted almonds, red pepper flakes, or an Asian-style dressing.
• In the Netherlands, it is very frequently used in a winter dish (a stamppot), as a traditional Dutch dish called boerenkool.
• In Ireland, kale is mixed with mashed potatoes to make the traditional dish colcannon.
• Kale is a very popular vegetable in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, where it is commonly stir-fried with beef.

Fruit And Veggie Of The Month !!!!!!!!

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And our veggie of the month is............................KALE !!!!

And our lovely fruit of the month is ............................... Passion Fruit !!!

New Years !!!!!!!!

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Cristmas is over !!!hope you all had a great time. here are some yumy recipes to bring you into the new year.

New Years Meatloaf Recipe

--

 

Ingredients

• 6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 18 ounces ground chuck
• 18 ounces ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.

Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.

Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

 

Roasted New Red Potatoes

 

Ingredients

• 3 pounds small red new potatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Arrange, cut side down, on a large lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan.
2. Roast until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes (check after 20 minutes). Transfer to a serving dish.

 

apple crannbery squares

Prep Time:40 min

Start to Finish:2 hr 40 min

makes:24 servings

Crust
1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/2	cup margarine or butter
1	egg yolk
1/4	cup milk
Filling
8 1/2	cups thinly sliced, peeled baking apples (3 lb; about 9 medium)
1	cup granulated sugar
1/4	cup all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	cup chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries
Topping
1	cup all-purpose flour
1/3	cup packed brown sugar
1/3	cup margarine or butter, softened
1	cup caramel topping, heated
	Light vanilla ice cream, if desired
1.	Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender or fork, cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl, beat egg yolk and milk with fork until well blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
2.	On lightly floured work surface, roll dough with rolling pin into 15x11-inch rectangle; place in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Press in bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan.
3.	In large microwavable bowl, microwave apples on High 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until apples are fork-tender. Stir in remaining filling ingredients except cranberries until well mixed. Spoon apple mixture over crust. Sprinkle with cranberries.
4.	In medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour, the brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter until crumbly; sprinkle over fruit.
5.	Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until topping is deep golden brown, apples are tender and filling is bubbly. Cool 1 hour before serving. Serve topped with caramel topping and, if desired, ice cream.

thanksgiving!!!!

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Can you beilive it? Thanksgiving already!! Here are some recipes that you will "thank" me for !!

Rosemary Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil

• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 (12 pound) whole turkey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside.
3. Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick, being careful not to tear the skin.
4. Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat.
5. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).

Spice cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened until easily spreadable
• 2 cups dark brown sugar

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a metal or disposable foil 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
2. Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into cake pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack. Let cool.