Pumpkin latte ice cream

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Ice Cream

Happy Halloween! I'm celebrating with Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Ice Cream. It's super easy to make and contains coffee. I am a confirmed coffee lover especially since I am on such a restricted diet.  I was so happy when I found out that coffee was not a problem for me. This also be made with a nice chai tea or coffee substitute. You can eat it in a bowl like ice cream or a tall cup like a pumpkin spice shake. Yes, it's that thick!

Here's what you need:

1 cup milk of your choice
1/2 cup brewed and cooled coffee
pinch of salt
stevia, to taste, or other sweetener of choice
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (I like Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin or fresh.)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla powder (Sunfood) or vanilla extract
1 cup gelatin coffee mixture (1 cup coffee mixed with 1 T. Great Lakes gelatin and set)

 Yummy, Yummy! Here's what you do:

Blend everything together, except for gelatin coffee mixture, in your Vitamix or other blender. Pour into ice cube molds and freeze until hard.

In the meantime, prepare your gelatin coffee mixture. Note: You can omit this but it is the key to giving your frappuccino a nice, creamy texture. Mix 1 cup of slightly warm coffee with 1 T. Great Lakes gelatin. Place in the fridge to allow to firm up.

Time to make the frappuccino. Put everything in your high speed blender and pulse until smooth and creamy. You may have to use a spoon or plunger to mix things up a time or two.

This makes one huge serving. It may give you brain freeze so share with someone else. It doesn't freeze well.

Recipe submitted to:

http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/pumpkin-bars-grain-free-pie-crust-pumpkin-tart/

Rice tarts

 My healing diet has been helping me get back to the things I've always loved to do---like fall backpacking.

There's nothing better than hiking and enjoying the fall colors in the mountains!

The shorter days and colder nights and mornings make a yurt the perfect backpacking destination.

Is this the life or what?

Grilled veggie tart with farmer's cheese topping

How about a nourishing rice tart as a post-backpacking dinner? Actually, I can go for one of these any time.

Asparagus tart with cauliflower puree

As you can see there are numerous ways to top a rice tart.

Delicata squash tart with kale chips

This one looks like a Christmas wreath but it tasted a whole lot better.

Here's what you need for a super easy basic rice tart:

1/2 cup of cooked jasmine rice, cooled
1 organic egg


Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the rice and egg in a small  bowl. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tart holds together and edges are slightly browned.

For the asparagus/cauliflower tart:

Steam 1/4 small cauliflower until florets are tender. Puree the cauliflower with a bit of milk of your choice or farmer's cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grill 3-4 asparagus spears. Spread cauliflower mixture on tart and top with asparagus. Place in the oven for a few minutes to warm your tart.

For the grilled veggie tart:

Grill veggies of your choice, such as zucchini, grape tomatoes and yellow and red peppers. Spread tart with farmer's cheese and top with grilled veggies and sprinkle of fresh basil. Warm in the oven before serving.

Recipes contributed to:

http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/paleo-oatmeal-grain-free-carrot-cake/

Flourless versatile wraps

 Can you believe I made something this decadent on my recent backpacking trip into a back country yurt? I packed along some of my easy-to-make flourless wraps, some almond butter packets, coconut oil and cocoa and voila, I was in chocolate heaven.

View from the yurt

 The trip featured beautiful fall weather, an incredible landscape and some delicious food thanks to some advanced preparation.

Wraps ready to bake

Wraps baked and ready to eat

I made these flourless wraps the night before heading out on my trip. For the trip, I put them in a ziploc bag and packed them in a small insulated lunch bag with a small ice pack. They held up perfectly!

Flourless wrap with veggies

 Here's what you need:

1 organic egg
2 T. Lifeway farmers cheese or Nancy's cultured cottage cheese
1/4 tsp. baking soda

 Here's what you do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg, farmers cheese and baking soda in a small bowl. Divide the mixture in half and spoon onto the baking sheet. Spread the mixture out a bit but don't worry too much as it will spread out on its own as it bakes.

Bake the wraps for about 12 minutes or until slightly browned and puffed up a bit. That's it!

Stuff them almond butter, sunbutter or peanut butter and a drizzle of chocolate. Or use them in place of a tortilla. The possibilities are endless.

Recipe contributed to:
http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/pumpkin-smoothie-gmos-paleo-desserts/