Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 C butter
1/4 C vegetable oil
3/4 C brown sugar
2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 1/4 C gluten free flour blend
1 C coconut flour
2 C chocolate chips

In a stand mixer, mix in order.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.



I came up with this recipe because I had some of the flour blend and some of the coconut flour but not enough for the recipe I had tried before.  It also called for shortening and more sugar, so these were my adaptations.  Turns out, the flavor came out perfect this way as well as the shape and color.  The nice thing about adding a little coconut flour is it has tons of protein and fiber which are usually lacking in the basic GF flour blends.  I only baked up about 15 of these and then froze the other cookie dough balls for later.

Berry Crisp

I had a bag of berries in my freezer with high hopes for starting my green smoothie habit back up. Since that hasn't happened, and I was craving a warm dessert, I decided to really work on creating a crisp recipe.  I usually like my sugar amounts lower than standard recipes so I can taste the tartness of the fruit, and I also need it to be gluten free.  Here's what I'm enjoying the most right now:

6 C frozen berries

1/4 C white sugar

2 T cornstarch

Mix and place in glass 9 x 13 pan.

1 1/2 C old fashioned oats

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C gluten free flour mix

2 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1/2 t salt

1 cube butter

I mix those in bowl, you can cut in the butter like with pie crust, but I just microwave the whole thing for 30 seconds and then mix the soft butter into the rest of the mixture.

Then sprinkle over berries in pan and bake at 375 for an hour.

Man it makes the house smell good!

Living Room ideas

This morning I was daydreaming about living rooms.  The time will come when we start planning for a home again and really the living room is a main event.  The kitchen is a big deal too...and I hope to have them connected, but where we sit and talk and relax together will set the tone for our home I think. 

Photo by State Street Interiors - Discover transitional living room design inspiration

 When I started looking through inspiration photos I noticed some trends.  I like balance and equivalent "weight" on each side.

Photo by Industrial Home - Browse farmhouse living room photos

I like plain colored walls.  Patterned wall paper increases my sensory stress.  I like the full wall's scale of one color.

Photo by Launch Systems - Look for contemporary family room pictures

I thought I was sick of gray in decorating, but it is SO calming.  I relax when I look at these pictures.  Big clear windows are everything to me too.  I love light and I love feeling more connected to the outside.

Photo by Budget Blinds - Discover contemporary living room design ideas

I like brick--real brick, accents that remind me of industrial loft-like spaces.

Photo by ORR Design Office, Inc. - Browse contemporary living room photos

I love these windows.

Photo by Ann Lowengart Interiors - Browse transitional living room photos

Natural materials (stone and wood) speak to me, too.

Photo by Resort Custom Homes - Discover rustic living room design inspiration

Photo by dSPACE Studio Ltd, AIA - Discover traditional living room design ideas

Photo by Spacecrafting / Architectural Photography - Search contemporary living room pictures