Body Butter

This is great to use on dry, chapped hands. It's also great for feet - put some on at night before bed and cover your feet with socks - your feet will be nice and soft the next morning.1/2 pound beeswaxgenerous 1/2 cup almond oilgenerous 1/2 cup hazelnut oil3 drops peppermint essential oil*6 drops lavender essential oil*Heat the beeswax in a double boiler until melted. Heat the almond oil

Cuticle Oil

This is good to use all year round. In the winter I'll rub a little bit into my hands as well as my cuticles. The almond oil is light and fragrance free. If you are allergic to nuts and can't use almond oil, canola oil would be a good substitute.1/4 cup almond oil2 - 3 drops ecalyptus or lavender essential oilWhisk ingredients to blend and massage into cuticles. Store at room temperature.

Cumin and Coriander Crusted Pork Chops

My husband gives these pork chops a big thumbs-up. The original recipe can be found here.2 tsp. ground cumin2 tsp. ground coriander1/2 tsp. salt2 cloves minced garlic2 tbsp. olive oil4 boneless pork loin chopsCombine the cumin, coriander and salt. Add the garlic and olive oil and stir until combined. Coat both sides of pork chops with the cumin mixture. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large

Sweet Potato Falafel with Tahini Sauce

I miss falafel. I used to get fresh falafel pitas at a great Mediterranean cafe. The owner was half Syrian and half Italian and he made the most amazing food. When you broke open his falafel they were green on the inside, which was slightly alarming at first because I was used to the boxed stuff. But it tasted so good - not dry, and the tahini sauce that was served over top was terrific.

Buckwheat Granola

This is my favorite granola recipe. I've substituted buckwheat for oats, not only because I can't seem to find gluten free oats in local stores, but also because Megan is sensitive to oats. Buckwheat is not a grain and NOT related to wheat. It's a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat is high in fiber, protein, magnesium and lysine. It's also thought to be a prebiotic,

Fennel Body Scrub

I used to make Buttermilk Fennel Facial Scrub. It worked well and smelled great, but it was a hassle to remember to take it out of the refrigerator to use it in the morning (I'm always running out the door late in the morning no matter how early I get up). Besides, it's not like I keep milk around in the refrigerator anymore (I've kind of soured on dairy - ha!). So tonight I made a fennel

GFCF Vanilla Pudding

This is a simple recipe that is fast and easy to make. I used coconut milk, but any soy and dairy free milk with heft would work such as almond, hazelnut or hemp. This recipe can be easily doubled and is very versatile...try serving it warm over a bowl of fresh fruit, put it in a trifle, make it into a custard pie by pouring it into a graham cracker crust, or spread a thin layer on top of a

Gluten Free, Vegan Apple Spice Cupcakes

Yes, these cupcakes are free of gluten, casein, soy, egg and nuts! I love them because they are a great subversive dessert food for kids (as are the banana cupcakes here). I modified Applesauce Spice Cake to be specifically egg free/vegan. You can frost them with vanilla Mock Buttercream Frosting or eat them straight up plain - either way, they taste great.1 cup sorghum flour1/4 cup millet

Gluten Free, Vegan Banana Cupcakes

Yes, these cupcakes are free of gluten, casein, soy and egg. Oh and nuts too. I modified Banana Cake to be specifically egg free/vegan. I love them because they are a great subversive dessert food for kids (as are the apple spice cupcakes here). These cupcakes are good plain (like for breakfast!), frosted with chocolate Mock Buttercream Frosting, or vanilla mock buttercream frosting rolled

Casein Free, Soy Free, Gluten Free Cheese (Galaxy Rice Vegan)

(Look, it melts! Grilled Cheese and Tuna!)

Update: Check out ANOTHER (Daiya's!) casein free, soy free, gluten free cheese here and here!


This morning at Whole Foods I picked up a package of Galaxy Vegan Rice Cheese, American flavor. Galaxy is the only brand I can find that makes a cheese alternative without casein, soy or gluten. It's expensive, but after a year of no cheese I thought

Dried Fruit Coffeecake

This is another recipe adapted from Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices. Anna can't get enough of this coffeecake. She approves of the buckwheat I used in the topping and demanded that I give her the most streusel-y, most crunchy piece out of the entire coffeecake. And then she asked for more!Streusel Topping1/4 cup all-purpose GF flour blend2 tbsp. packed brown sugar1/2 tsp. cinnamon2 tbsp.

Cocoa and Fresh Fruit Coffeecake

We got treated to an ice storm of sorts yesterday. It rained all day, and it was cold enough that icicles formed on tree branches and such, but not on the roads.I didn't think much of this. But the trees here must not be used to the weight of even a weensy bit of ice, and they all began to droop, hang into the streets and drop their branches. So we stayed inside and since it was cold enough