Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free

Sometimes you just don’t have time to make it yourself.

Consumer’s Report, from Replenish PDX, offers recommendations and reviews for foodstuff you can purchase while aiming to achieve your optimal health and wellness.

In the last month or so you’ve learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes life of this functional nutritionist. . .
You learned that I have hypothyroidism secondary to Hashimoto’s (aka autoimmune thyroiditis).
You learned that I spent time with my son in Hawaii in August and got a horrific ear infection. Ow!!
And you hopefully learned a bit about two key minerals that, when in balance, support your thyroid function; a tiny gland that you want performing for you with excellence.

But here’s something easier to digest. . .

It’s a passion. It’s a project that can easily be brought to a conclusion. It’s my favorite form of meditation.

Sometimes I’ll even bake when I won’t consume the final product. If I used a flour or a sweetener that’s within my son or my mother’s dietary parameters (gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free), but not within mine (also grain-free and egg-free), then I’ll hand over the confection with the pride of my endeavor and the pure joy of giving.

But when the yumminess in the oven is destined for my lips too, I’m as happy as a, well, a biscuit in gravy!
That’s why I follow my favorite chefs, food bloggers and cookbook authors like an eager puppy, ready for her next treat. And at the top of my list of favorites is my dear friend Ricki Heller, allergy-free and Candida-friendly recipe goddess and author of the blog Ricki Heller (formerlyDiet, Dessert & Dogs).
You can likely imagine my anticipation in awaiting Ricki’s new cookbook, Naturally Sweet & Gluten Free, which has just released this week!

Lucky me, I was able to get my hands on an early copy, and now you can too. Naturally Sweet & Gluten Free is a dessert book after my own family’s hearts (and stomachs).

No gluten. No eggs. No dairy. No refined sugars. Horrah!

There are 100 recipes that fit the allergy-friendly bill including some that will most definitely be on my son’s dessert plate, like Frosted Vanilla Cupcakes, and others destined for mine. I’m already a fan of the Grain-Free Coconut Flour Biscuits which I ate with homemade applesauce this morning. (Yum!)

Coconut flour is a fantastic alternative to use when eating gluten and grain-free, but the road to success is not so easy without the use of eggs. Ricki does an amazing job of it with these biscuits. It’s one reason why I love her so. She exhibits a dexterity with ingredients that keeps the kitchen experiments playful and pleasing each and every time.

I love my cookbooks. I have a vast collection. And Naturally Sweet & Gluten Free is already tagged and flagged with the few recipes that I’ve already gotten to try and a good number that are on my wish-list for kitchen meditations to come.

When you find your favorite recipe, come let me know on the Replenish Facebook Page!

Warmly,

The beauty of coconut flour is that it is:

Coconut flour can not be substituted for other gluten-free flours, like almond flour, because there is a vast difference in its texture and consistency. Do be on the lookout for recipes like Ricki’s scones to try your hand with this flour.

You can read more and find my favorite brand (Wilderness Family Naturals) right here.