For those of you still sorting through recipes to plan your Mother’s Day menu, I thought I’d share a quiche that has been a big hit at our house.

I actually started toying with this recipe back in January. My intention was to serve it as a meat-free, dairy-free option for Nate’s first birthday party. His party was in Ohio and we landed just 24 hours before the guests were scheduled to arrive. I barely had time to get the grocery shopping and the cupcakes baked. So, the quiche didn’t make it on the table. Thank goodness I had lots of help with the rest of the food from my sisters, aunt, and mom.

I’ve made this dish several times since. Like most quiches, you can make it the day before and serve it cold, at room temp, or warm. The pie crust can be mixed up and refrigerated for several days before baking. It’s an easy-peasy dish fancy enough for entertaining.

Some ideas for dishes you can serve with this quiche include:

• a green salad with Blueberry Pomegranate  Vinaigrette
• Simple Berry Salad
• Lavender-Infused Lemonade
• Cucumber Basil Herbal Water
• Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

You can also find more Spring Brunch recipes here and here.

And, if you haven’t downloaded your FREE copy of A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day do it now! There are 8 recipes with menu suggestions, each developed by moms. For more details about the book, read this post.
(...)
Read the rest of Melted Leek & Red Pepper Quiche

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us

So, the eggs aren’t really green. Instead they’re packed with good-for-you greens. Maybe they’re not the green eggs Dr. Seuss wrote about in the all-time classic Green Eggs & Ham. Still, they count in my book.

Before Nate was born, we started buying books for him. Dr. Seuss was one of the first authors we purchased. Dr. Seuss and I go way back.

When I was in elementary school, our librarian celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday each year with green eggs and ham. She made bright green eggs with a side of ham for every kid in the school. The eggs were cooked right in the library in a table-top skillet. It was the highlight of our week, possibly the month.

These days if the school librarian cooked up eggs in the middle of the library full of artificial green food dye, the moms would be up in arms (including me!). I’m not even sure it’s legal to feed kids home-cooked foods at school anymore. I know I couldn’t when I was teaching.

Whether or not the school librarian celebrates Dr. Seuss’ birthday with green eggs and hams, you can still celebrate with his books. I missed his birthday by a week but there is a great monthly book club offer that runs through Wednesday, March 13th I want to share with you: Dr. Seuss & His Friends.

Why join Dr. Seuss & His Friends book club?

Get 5 Dr. Seuss books for just $5.95 and a free backpack! There is no obligation to purchase any more books.
(...)
Read the rest of Green Egg & Ham Sandwiches with Pesto

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Who doesn’t like to get out their CrockPot slow cooker during the winter to whip an easy recipe? Or anytime for that matter?

I’m a sucker for creamy oatmeal during the chilly winter months. Especially with warm, spicy cinnamon and fruit.

I’m quite absent-minded when it comes to things that take a long time to cook on the stove top. Rice, millet, oats, quinoa. Unless I have a something else cooking at the same time I often forget about it boiling away and before I know it I’m running to prevent a large mess than what’s already taken place. The boil-over happens regularly at my house.

Which is why I opt for baking my rice and using my slow cooker whenever I can. Clean up is simpler.

I actually put this together with Nate in mind. Anyone with little kids knows that the food has to be ready when they’re hungry. Or else. When it’s hot out of the slow cooker, I give it a whirl in the mini-food processor with a little coconut milk to think it out and spoon feed him. After it’s cooled in the refrigerator, the oats are thick enough to cut into small pieces he can pick up himself.

Have you been slow cooking lately?

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Homemade gifts for Christmas can be easy, inexpensive, delicious, and still come from the heart. Each year, it seems the list of people I want to acknowledge at the holidays grows. That doesn’t mean I want to spend more money. So, coming up with creative money-saving solutions is one of my strategies. It takes some planning ahead. And it takes valuable time. But, in the end, handmade gifts give that something extra that store-bought gifts just can’t.

I always look forward to the special homemade gifts I know I’m getting from friends each year. And, I cherish them always.

I got my love of handmade gifts from my Dad. One of his hobbies was wood crafting. He could build anything. And he loved to make gifts for people. Every year at Christmas he made something for his mother. And, he would enlist me and my sisters to help. He taught me how to use my hands to create.
(...)
Read the rest of Slow Cooker Apple Butter

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Waffles and a healthy breakfast don’t usually go hand-in-hand. When I think waffles, I think lots of melted butter, warm, sugary syrup, thick-sliced bacon, and spicy sausage. Not exactly the food you want to start your day with, huh?

But waffles are too good to give up all together. So, I tweaked them and made waffles that are healthier. Yes, you can start your day with these.

When I first started working on my gluten-free waffle recipe, I found that the perfect waffle was initially a little tricker than I had hoped. I made waffles for weeks trying to come up with what I thought a waffle should be.

I wanted a soft center and a crispy outside. I wanted light and fluffy while still having a good bite. And, of course, I wanted a waffle that I could eat and not feel guilty. At least not too guilty.

To achieve this, I had to change a few things:

• I reduced the amount of fat in the recipe. It can’t be eliminated all together because the fat is what helps the waffles pop right out of the waffle maker instead of sticking.
• My flour blend contains higher protein garbanzo-fava bean flour adds nutrition and structure.
• I included both baking powder and egg whites to get a nice, fluffy center.
• Unrefined coconut palm sugar stands in for white cane sugar.
• I opted for a fruit-based sauce other than good ol’ maple syrup.

When creating these Cinnamon Vanilla Waffles with Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal, I used the exact same guidelines and the results were just as delicious.

What about the syrup? It’s the most important part of the waffle, right? It makes or breaks the entire dish.

Ready for healthy waffles and syrup? Stop by Attune’s blog and get the waffle and syrup recipe. While you’re there, leave a comment and let me know what you think about the dish.

Note: I am a Brand Ambassador for Attune Foods. This post is sponsored by Attune. Truth be told, I loved their products before I started working with them. Their gluten-free, refined sugar-free, GMO-free cornflakes got me through the first several months of my pregnancy when I could rarely stomach anything else. So, you can rest assured that I am sharing my honest opinion of their products.

That’s right! Now go get this recipe!

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us