One of my absolute favorite children’s series is Anne of Green Gables -  I loved her imagination, her friendship with Diana, her college years in Anne of the Island, and of course, always wanted her to end up with Gilbert.  While the books are at my parents’, somehow, the Anne of Green Gables Cookbook is on my cookbook shelf (my edition is from 1988 and has survived the years well). I made several dishes from the book as a child, including the Raspberry Cordial (not to be confused with the raspberry liqueur that got Diana drunk) and the Lemonade.  These two recipes, along with several others, are true to the books in terms of ingredients and techniques. The others, a little less so.

When Zoe of Z’s Cup of Tea announced that the theme this month for Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten-Free (created by Naomi of Straight to Bed Cakefree and Dried) was Fictional Food – Treats and Dishes from Children’s Stories, I immediately pulled down the Anne of Green Gables cookbook.  After debating a stevia version of the Rapberry Cordial, I settled on an interpretation of Marilla’s Caramel Pudding Sauce (you know, the same sauce that had Anne saying “Diana, fancy if you can my extreme horror at fining a mouse drowned in that pudding sauce).  In the book, the Pudding Sauce is served with Marilla’s Plum Pudding, but had to be served dry considering the mouse mishap.  My version of the Caramel Sauce below has no mice, or butter, flour or refined sugars.  I used dried mission figs as the base to for both its caramel undertones and dried fruit flavor reminiscent of the plum pudding itself.  You could also use pitted dates instead. 

Reinterpreted Pudding Sauce (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free if you do not use soymilk) – Makes 2/3 cup.

I used dried mission figs as the base to for both its caramel undertones and dried fruit flavor reminiscent of the plum pudding itself. You could also use pitted dates instead. The recipe is sweet but not very sweet, and the palm sugar serves more to enhance the caramel flavor than to sweeten, so feel free to add additional palm sugar or stevia.  This pudding sauce could be a topping for dessert tarts, but I ate it with apple slices and I could see it working atop some banana soft serve too. One last note: the flavor is not a traditional dessert sauce so might not appeal to all palates (my husband, for one, really disliked it – more for me!) 

• 1 cup dried mission figs
• 2/3 cup hot water and 2/3 cup room temperature water
• 2 tablespoons tahini (I used this roasted tahini variety)
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk (optional – avoid rice milk as it is too thin. good choices are almond, cashew, hemp,coconut milk and soy milk)

Trim figs of any stems. Place in a bowl. Pour hot water over figs. Soak figs for at least an hour. In a food processor, place figs and soaking water and tahini.  Process until you have a chunky purée. Scrape mixture down the sides. Dissolve palm sugar in remaining 2/3 cup water by whisking together in a bowl (if your sugar is very grainy, slightly heating the water should help).  Whisk in vanilla extract and salt.  Add mixture to food process and process until smooth and puréed, stopping to scrape down sides.  For a creamier texture, add in non-dairy milk and briefly process to incorporate. 

In addition to GAHIGF, I am also submitting this recipe to the following blog events:

• Wellness Weekend, hosted by Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs. While a treat, this recipe does contain whole foods ingredients.
• Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
• Gluten-Free Wednesdays, hosted by Linda the Gluten-Free Homemaker.

I do not always remember the blog’s anniversary on time (see, 2010), especially as my initial post no longer exists, but I do remember how I wrote my first post on April 11, so I wanted to be sure to mention this milestone today. 5 Years!   Thank you so much for reading – I keep blogging because I love to write, but also connect with all of you, so I am so grateful you come visit. 

Remember these small notebooks which my friend Christina gave me?

I finally put them to good use, as I decided to a couple of months ago.  I decided to turn them into mini art journals, as my friend Lisa had suggested.  I had been meaning to turn these journals into a tiny project, but only finally got around to it when I met up with Lisa last week to catch up, have tea, and indulge in some creativity (she brought knitting, I brought a few art journaling supplies).

I particularly liked working with a smaller journal because I ended up using many of the smaller pictures I had cut from magazines but which never managed to look right for use in my larger art journal.

A couple spreads I completed:

It was a lovely afternoon.  See here for Lisa’s recap.

• 4 7am yoga classes + yoga on the mall on Saturday (followed by a 2 mile walk) + 1 elliptical session at the gym + 1 restorative yoga
• Wrapped up at my old job
• Dinner with Gena at SweetGreen
• Tea with Lisa, and some art journaling (mini version!)
• Brown rice sushi with a side of Ocean’s Eleven (I love the Ocean’s movies) with husband on Saturday night
• Successful decluttering – more next weekend
• Had raw pizza at Café Green, and tried out some of their new spring menu items (review to come)

Last Saturday I went to Cherry Blossom Yoga, which was sponsored by Lululemon and drew quite a crowd. Christine of Yoga Twist on Life wrote a great recap of the occasion, which I encourage you to check out.

This was my second time doing yoga on the mall (see last time, at DC Yoga Week’s yoga on the mall event in 2010) and I have to admit I was just as distracted as last time. Even though my yoga practice tends to be very focused when I am practicing at a studio, the second I practice outside, I get completely distracted by my surroundings. For example< I had to take a picture of the view under my arm when in downward dog:

The sky was a brilliant stunning blue and I was grateful for sunshine as, despite enjoying being there, I suspect I would have been far colder without the gorgeous blue sky and warming sun.  I plan to do yoga on the Mall again, though I do hope to get more focused as I practice outside more.

I mentioned yesterday that I made a quick day trip to New York last week to see former co-workers and good friends – it was lovely to see everyone.  Even though I was in New York for just under 12 hours, I ate marvelously well – lunch was delicious brown rice avocado cucumber rolls at one of my old Brooklyn go-to’s, Nanatori’s – I used to go there after going to the gym around the corner. I was delighted to find out they could handle gluten-free well.  I meant to stop by Babycakes, but I ran out of time (though I was able to get in some successful shopping at Moo Shoes) before meeting up with a long-time college friend at Candle Café.

Candle Café was one of my favorite places to visit when I made it to the Upper East Side (I worked downtown and lived in Brooklyn, so trips uptown were sporadic) – I have always loved the atmosphere. It is both classy and comfortable, and I have had great meals there.  It has extensive vegan offerings, and the gluten-free version of the menu has plenty of choices.  I started with a Viva Verde juice, which was vibrant and green without being too green or bitter (I can drink kale dandelion ginger juice straight, yet still prefer milder green juices) and a House Salad with the Toasted Cumin dressing, which was divine.   

My friend and I then split the Sweet Potato Cake filled with Tempeh Chorizo and served with sour cream and cucumber radish salad.  I enjoyed it though I would have liked a little more tempeh, as I think it would have added to the texture of the sweet potato cake.  That said, the flavors were spot-on – sweet but savory, with a little creaminess and crunch from the sauce and garnish.

Tuesday last week was cold and dreary, so while I was tempted with the Chipotle Baked Tofu, I wanted milder comfort food – so I went with the Good Food Plate (choices of four sides and two dressings or sauces).  I picked the Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf, steamed vegetables, steamed greens and a baked sweet potato.  For the sauces, I went with the country gravy for the baked sweet potato, and tahini dressing for the quinoa and steamed vegetables.  Everything was superb – the vegetables had crunch, the quinoa was well seasoned and the sweet potato perfectly steamed.  I felt full and satisfied and warm.  Candle Café was exactly as I remembered – soothing setting, comforting food and great green juice. 

Cherry Blossom season peaked early here in Washington, DC.  Visiting the Tidal Basin and walking amongst the blossoms is always one of my favorite activities, and I was glad I made it this year.  Sitting on a bench under a sea of pink and white was a lovely break after a few high-intensity months.

This is where I would say I sat on the bench and reflected on the last couple of months, but truth be told, my husband and I were too busy chatting and people-watching.  Visiting the cherry blossoms involved seeing many toddler meltdowns, a couple getting engaged, and a wide array of cameras and photography enthusiasts. 

Nevertheless, had I not been so distracted by my surroundings, there was much to reflect on – I am wrapping up at my job this week, and starting a new job next week.  I also fit in a quick trip to New York in March. I have been quieter than usual on the blog front for several reasons, one of them being that I have had quite the streak of meh recipe creations this winter – some decent ones, but only a couple truly outstanding ones. You have seen those, Spicy Lemon Hummus, Arugula and Broccoli Salad and, over at the Balanced Platter,  Lemony Black-Eyed Pea Hummus.  Lately, there have also been simple, speedy, but delicious eats.  Lots of variations new and old favorites: Red, White & Blue Smoothie, Arugula and Broccoli Salad, Romaine Kale Salad (it works with chard instead of romaine), Raspberry Swirl Chia Pudding (just as good with blueberries as with raspberries), many hummuses (hummusi?), and a new twist on quinoa that involves mustard and thyme. 

I finished up the  21 day yoga challenge in January – the last week involved 4 7am yoga classes, a yoga 1 and yin double feature, and restorative on the last day.  All in all it was a lovely experience, but not one I am keen on trying again soon. I found the combination of lack of sleep (interviewing + working at my job = not much sleep) and 21 days of yoga tough on my body, and actually incorporated lots walking into my exercise routine in February as a result.  My latest favorite addition to my movement routine is walk/running (mainly walking) a mile to a Whole Foods one neighborhood away (as opposed to my local one), picking up green juice, and walking the mile back.  It makes for a nice low-impact workout, perfect when feeling tired.  I think of those walks as green juice walks, and I went on many of those the last couple of months.

A little recap of movement in February and March:

• February movement: 1 yoga 1 class, 1 evening all levels yoga class, 4 7am all levels yoga classes and 3 restorative yoga classes.  There were many green juice 2 mile walks (7?) that month, and 12 gym jaunts (elliptical and/or bike).
• March movement: 4 yoga 1 classes, 5 7am all levels yoga classes, 2 restorative yoga classes, 10 30-minute jaunts to the gym (most to use the elliptical though 3 of those visits involved the stationary bike), 3 indoor/outdoor workouts (2 mile walk + 15 minutes on the elliptical), and 5 2 mile walks (aka green juice walks).

Aside from working, interviewing, movement (yoga, walking, gym) and eating many favorite go-to recipes, the last two months have been pretty quiet. I did have the chance to get together with Lisa to art journal (her recap here), and also attended an Art Journal workshops (write ups by Lisa + Christine), both of which were welcome breaks.

Here are some ways I plan to make April memorable:

• Transition to new job
• Yoga on the Mall
• Cherry Blossom Festival (I went two years ago – such fun)
• More art journaling
• Declutter – I am on a kick and plan to keep the momentum going
• Continue movement routine, despite adjustment to new job and new commute
• Celebrate husband’s birthday
• Experiment with flatbread recipes
• Resume regular blogging schedule

How are you making this month memorable?

Today I am guest blogging at the Balanced Platter about one of my favorite foods: hummus and beans dips.  Removing gluten, dairy and eggs from my diet required me to replace many of my go-to healthy snacks, but fortunately I got to keep this favorite, and have several tips and a recipe for Lemony  Black-Eyed Pea Hummus here.

My husband was in Philadelphia this weekend and brought back treats for me from Sweet Freedom, which is one of my very favorite places. I discovered it last summer when I went to the Healthy Living Summit.  Back then I was in a berry mood, so I picked out the Lemon Cupcake with Blueberry Filling and Lemon Frosting (on right), and the  Berry Delight, which is a vanilla cupcake with blueberry filling and strawberry frosting. 

The fruit fillings are all made with fruit, agave and arrowroot, while the frostings use coconut milk, agave and arrowroot.  The cupcakes are generally sorghum-based and made with coconut sugar and agave, though a few use bean flours.  You can see the ingredients on the Sweet Freedom website.

Baking you happy is such a great way to describe this place.  What is fun about Sweet Freedom is that the entire selection is gluten-free and vegan, so for someone like me who avoids gluten, dairy and eggs, it means I have a much wider range of choices at Sweet Freedom in Philadelphia that at my usual DC haunts.  Don’t get me wrong – Red Velvet has two wonderful gluten-free vegan cupcakes (one all chocolate, one all vanilla), and I love the gluten-free vegan cupcakes at Sticky Fingers (always a chocolate base, but with rotating flavors of frosting).  That said, there is something to be said about being able to pick out anything at Sweet Freedom: 

Sweet Freedom is also refined-sugar free, which makes me happy, and generally very allergen-friendly (no soy, peanuts or corn are used in any of their products).  My first visit last August, I went with berries and lemon, while for my second sampling last year (also courtesy of my husband being in Philadelphia), I tried key lime and raspberry cupcakes – those were so badly smushed, sadly, that they were not captured for the blog.  I really enjoy their cupcakes, though they are denser and more cakey than an airy cupcake.

While my first two samplings have been citrus and fruit-based, this time, though, I was in much more of a chocolate, coconut and carrot mood, and requested a selection of goodies for this next week:

Everything travelled very well too.  In that one box is: banana chocolate chip cake, a brownie and a blondie (both hidden under the cupcakes), a Samoa cupcake, a Neapolitan cupcake and a slice of carrot loaf (with vanilla frosting).

We split the cupcakes tonight and had small pieces of everything else, so having sampled everything, I think my favorite of this selection is the Neapolitan cupcake (chocolate cupcake, strawberry filling, vanilla frosting).  It was truly outstanding – the flavors balanced very well – while the Samoa cupcake actually tasted very Samoa like, and made for a great alternative to the Neapolitan.  I liked both the banana cake and the carrot slice (unpictured as it did get smushed), and preferred to blondie over the brownie, mainly because the brownie has some of the starchiness I associate with gluten-free baked goods, while the blondie did not.

I wish Sweet Freedom would open in DC, but in the meantime, I am lucky to have had a chance to sample their baked goods three times in under a year!

Hi friends! How is it that it is February 20th, 24th, 25th? This has been a month of simple, speedy, but delicious eats.  Lots of variations new and old favorites: Red, White & Blue Smoothie, Arugula and Broccoli Salad, Romaine Kale Salad (it works with chard instead of romaine), Raspberry Swirl Chia Pudding (just as good with blueberries as with raspberries), many hummuses (hummusi?), and a new twist on quinoa that involves mustard and thyme that I am obsessed with. 

On other news, my favorite brand of tahini has been out of stock in several places, so after running out, I actually made hummus with sesame seeds in the Vitamix for a while, but I have since run out of sesame seeds (multiple days of making this Mellow Green Smoothie contributed to the tahini and sesame seed shortage).  I am putting in an order this weekend to try out some new-to-me tahini, but in the meantime I wanted to share this recipe with you.  It is my submission to this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free event, created by the lovely Naomi of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried and hosted this month by the inspiring Heather of Gluten-Free Cat who selected Hot, Spicy, and Heart Shaped as her theme.

I was initially going to make heart-shaped cookies of sorts, but then got distracted by the hemp seeds I had in my fridge that I had not used up and are nearing expiration, and decided to make  hemp cashew dressing with warming spices …. which was, much to my surprise, only eh.  Definitely not blog-worthy.

As I was making hummus batch #5 in 3 weeks (when you are eating it with a spoon as a meal component, you go through batches fast), it occurred to me that seeing as Heather and I both love hemp seeds in our hummus, I should make a spicy and hot variation to submit to the event.  I was intent on making a large batch, but only had two cups of chickpeas (I cook all legumes in my rice cooker and freeze in two cup portions), so added two cups of cooked black-eyed peas.  I have not been able to find packaged black-eyed peas at my local stores and avoid bulk bins because of the potential for gluten cross-contamination, so I like this brand.  I actually loved the flavor combination of chickpeas and black-eyed peas, and may try it in future hummus variations.

Spicy Lemon Hemp Hummus (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free) – Makes just under 3 cups

This recipe is lemony, warm and spicy, all at once.  Seeing as it contains no garlic or olive oil or tahini, it has a hummus-like texture, but a completely unexpected flavor.  As I mention above, I cook chickpeas from scratch in the rice cooker, but if you would like to use canned chickpeas, Eden is a fantastic brand.  I used these frozen black-eyed peas, but you could also use Eden’s canned black-eyed peas or make your own if you have a good source of dried black-eyed peas with no risks of cross-contamination (I don’t).  Finally, feel free to use all chickpeas or all black-eyed peas, but be away it may affect the texture of color of this dip. For spices, I think Spicely is a good source as they carry certified gluten-free spices. 

• 1 cup shelled hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15oz can, drained, heat before blending for ideal consistency)
• 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (or 1 15oz can, drained, heat before blending for ideal consistency)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (this recipe is meant to taste very lemony, but feel free to start with 1/2 cup of lemon juice and adjust to taste)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

Place hemp seeds and cashews in bowl of a food processor and grind until you have a medium-fine meal (if the mixture butters up a bit, that is fine). Add chickpeas, black-eyed peas, lemon juice, salt and spices and process until smooth.

I had the hummus with a socca bread variation – it was initially going to be heart-shaped, but that did not work out, so on the picture you just see a wedge of socca.

I am also submitting this recipe to the following blog events:

• Diets, Desserts and Dogs’ Wellness Weekend
• Flip Cookbook’s Sugar Free Sunday
• Simply Sugar- and Gluten-Free’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
• Gluten-Free Wednesday over at the Gluten-Free Homemaker
• My Legume Love Affair, created by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by Vanessa of Sweet Artichoke