Buckwheat Corn Bread (Gluten Free)

 

 

 

 

Ah, corn bread. So good, so simple, but SO full of gluten. (Sad face goes here) Recently my hubby has had some terrible happenings with wheat/gluten, so I am trying my best to go gluten-free with him. Soooooo, naturally all of the "good stuff" gets cut out.

But not to worry- where there is a will, there is a way, and I came up with a great recipe that is sure to satisfy!

But first- here is a picture of some ears of corn (since this post is about corn bread) that my Dad gave to me this morning from a friend's garden! yum! And so beautiful, too!

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking Powder
1 tsp baking Soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 butter, melted

Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Next, in a small bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients; mix in well with the dry items.

Once everything is mixed together, grease a 9x13 pan or a muffin tin and pour in prepared batter. (Because it is buckwheat flour.. don't be scared to discover that your "typical" corn bread coloring isn't there!)  :)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or for 10-15 minutes for muffins) or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cut into squares and enjoy with a little butter and honey or even homemade jam! ENJOY!!

So simple, but pretty tasty- and GLUTEN FREE! YEEE HEEE!!

Landon's First Birthday

Happy First Birthday to our little man!! I know I am writing this late, but as a new mom (I still consider myself a newbie haha!) my multi-tasking skills need some work still in some areas. What can I say? I would much rather go out and DO, rather than just watch.

We did a Circus theme for Landon's BIG DAY... it was so much fun!! There was face painting and a petting zoo! I hand drew all of the signs, and made his smash cake and the cupcakes! The awesome circus cake was made by my mother-in-law's friend. She did such an amazing job!!! I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek, we had such a great day.

 

Easy Pancake Puff

 

Summer time is here... and I just love "summer" foods! Cold watermelon, BBQ chips, smoked chicken... oh boy. But what about breakfast? I surely can't forget it- now that we have a fast growing boy in the family, skipping breakfast would simply be an abomination.

 

My mom is a fabulous cook. Just about every "awesome" recipe I have came from her kitchen collection of passed down recipes and compiling of things she loves. One of my favorite breakfasts she makes is COFFEE CAKE. Boy, that woman can sure lay it down. Today's post is inspired by her. Although this is my own made up recipe, it tastes just like hers!  Which leads me to say...Pancake Puff. Simple, light, and totally customizable, this is my go-to when we have company stay the night. Or, in my most recent findings, a very hungry boy and his Daddy. :)

 

When it comes fresh out of the oven it is a sight to be seen- Soufflé for breakfast? Well, it does fall flat rather quickly, but the smell still lingers!

 

My mom would always put fresh homemade jam on it with a little dab of sour cream- and you would instantly be transported to Food Heaven. Seriously. It's like hot-meets-cold.

 

Another good way to enjoy this is to squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar... or in my case we put blackberry syrup on top.

 

Just fresh out of the oven.

 

I think I should make it for breakfast tomorrow, too! :)

 

 

Prep time: 10 minutes        Cooking time: 15-25 minutes         Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon (I always love a little extra)
Dash of Vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup milk

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a large cast iron skillet, place butter in the pan and stick it in the oven until melted.

Meanwhile, mix flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.

Next, beat eggs, milk and vanilla extract together until combined.

Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, making sure to whisk until all lumps are gone.

Remove pan out of the oven and pour batter straight into it, placing back in the oven for 15-25 minutes or until center is solid.

My pancake puff cooked in 15 minutes this morning, but I have had other times where it took closer to 20 minutes. I would recommend setting a timer for less time and checking it off and on.

When done, cut into wedges and top with your favorite toppings. Serve immediately. 

 

{I really DO think the way to a man's heart is through his stomach! hehe!}

Goodbye, Good Friend

They say Dogs are man's best friend.

I have known for some time that it is true.

Today we lost a very sweet girl to cancer. Words can't express how sad I feel! I feel like a hole is cut out- and nothing can heal the wound that is there.

We got Lily from my Aunt, who gave her to us after we lost our first Golden Retriever to cancer. She came to us with that sweet, shy spirit that we would come to love so much. She was a huge ball of fur and just wanted to lay flat out on her stomach with her legs sticking straight out the back. I cried- truth is, we ALL cried- it was so soon after Jazzy had passed away. TOO SOON! I don't want to let another furry face in my heart just yet! I cried and cried and buried my face in her soft neck fluff and it was too late. I WAS IN LOVE.

Over the years we came to adore this sweet spirit. She was a kindred spirit of sorts- with her shy demeanor, and goofy personality. She would get to running so fast that she sometimes ran head long into trees...or stumble down the steps- but we weren't worried for long. This was just one of her silly quirks.

Lily loved packing around rocks, sticks, twigs, ANYTHING that she felt like. When people would pull into the driveway she was always fast to pick up a little tiny twig (sometimes even so skinny and small that you couldn't believe she could even hold onto it) and come up for some loving!

She was never that stupid, silly dog that jumped on your crotch and/or knocked the wind out of guests- she was quite the lady. She would, however, put her front paws up on the rock wall that is by my parent's front door- and watch people go in and out of the house.

She had the spirit of an angel- someone to listen to my fears or worries- always with that special calm about her.

I will miss my friend. After patting her head for that last time- my heart is heavy. No longer will we see her sweet face. No longer will we be able to take a dip in the river. No longer will those eyes look back with love. Yes, I know she loved us.  Today we buried her under some redwoods that my dad planted many years ago. I placed moss over her grave and trimmed it in soft, light green moss from the surrounding trees. Flowers crown the top to bring beauty. Nothing is going to ever be good enough for our girl though. I wish it could be something a little more grand. But somehow it is so perfect seeing her laid to rest at home. Our home. The home where I grew up. The only home she knew. In the grass where we played, near the river so she can hear it trickle.

Sleep in peace my Lily girl.  I love you!!

Maleahrae Photography Update!

So apparently I should be posting more with my photography! My darling little man is now practically 10 months old- where in the world has the time gone?!

These are some of my favorites from 2012-present! I could easily post everything- but I figured I would post just a teaser. :) If you would like to check out the full albums, go to my Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MaleahRae-Photography/159299417487492