Crispy Kombucha-Battered Fish with Tartar Sauce (gluten-free)

 My family raved about a new recipe last week: fried fish! I'm glad to find a fish recipe that everyone in the family loves, as fish can be hit-and-miss in our house. Some kombucha in the batter adds depth and great flavor. And the batter is wonderfully crispy thanks to rice flour (and beware, that also makes this not GAPS-legal).  Add some tartar sauce and YUM!

Crispy Kombucha-Battered Fish
Serves 3-4

• 10 ounces mild white fish, such as flounder, preferably wild-caught
• 1 egg, preferably from pastured hens
• 1 & 1/2 cups white rice flour*
• 6 ounces plain kombucha tea
• 1.5 tsp celtic sea salt, plus more for seasoning fish
• 4-6 ounces filtered water
• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil**
• Tartar sauce (recipe follows)

1. Pat the fish dry with paper towels, and cut it on an angle into 1-2-inch pieces. Season lightly with salt.
2. Spread 1/2 cup of the rice flour into a shallow, wide dish, such as a pie plate. 
3. Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl.  Add the remaining 1 cup rice flour, kombucha, and 1.5 tsp salt.  Start with 4 ounces of water, whisk it all together, and check the consistency.  The batter should cling nicely to a spoon, but if it seems too thick go ahead and add a bit more water. (The amount of water you'll need may vary a bit depending on what brand of rice flour you use.)
4. Get ready to batter the fish by arranging the following in a row: chopped fish, followed by shallow dish of rice flour, followed by the wet batter, followed by a clean large cutting board or plate. Also get out a large, heavy bottomed skillet, and add 1/2 cup of refined coconut oil.
5. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour, then drop them into the batter.  Scoop them from the batter and let excess batter drip off, then place them on the large cutting board or plate. 
6. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is melted and shimmery, start frying the fish.  Leave plenty of room in the skillet, and fry the fish in batches.  The fish should be fried for about 2 minutes on each side, until the batter is nicely browned and crispy.
7. Remove the fish onto a paper-towel lined plate to remove any extra oil.  Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, and serve with tartar sauce.  

*My family is finding that white rice is much easier on digestion than brown rice as we transition off the GAPS diet.
**I like the mild flavor of refined coconut oil for this recipe.  If you want your fish to taste coconutty, go ahead and use unrefined oil!

Tartar Sauce

• 1/2 c. homemade mayo
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 2 dill pickles, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 2 tsp dill pickle juice or lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients.  Stir, and refrigerate until ready to use.

This post is part of the Kombucha Challenge Carnival!

Triple Berry Custard Cake (GAPS : primal : grain-free : gluten-free)

Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries make a wonderful combination in this simple and delicious dish.  We've enjoyed this for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert. I like to make a double batch so there is plenty to last throughout the week.  If topped with some whipped cream, this would make a great Independence Day dessert since it would be red, white, and blue!

Triple Berry Custard Cake
Serves 6

• 1 & 1/2 sticks butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1/3 cup mild-flavored honey
• 4 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• 1/2 cup full-fat plain yogurt
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1&1/2 Tb coconut flour
• 2 Tb pecan or almond flour, preferably from crispy nuts
• 1 cup frozen blueberries*
• 14 medium-large frozen strawberries*
• 1/2 cup frozen marion blackberries*

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Turn off heat, add honey, and stir a bit.
2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, vanilla, almond extract, and salt.  I like to use my immersion blender to mix it all up together, but you could certainly use a whisk or mixer instead.
3. Add melted butter and honey to wet ingredients and whisk or blend.
4. Add nut flour and coconut flour and blend until well-combined (or use mixer or whisk until smooth). Using the immersion blender is great because it further grinds the nut flour (which doesn't get particularly fine when I grind it in the food processor).  If you are not using an immersion blender, then the coconut flour needs to be sifted so it won't clump in the batter.
5. Use a bit of cold butter to generously grease an 8X8 glass dish.
6. Sprinkle the fruit on the bottom of the glass dish, then pour the wet mixture over the top. (Note: the fruit will float up while it is cooking.)
7. Bake at 325° for 65 minutes (or a bit less if you use fresh fruit).  The custard cake is done when the edges are nicely browned and the center is no longer wet with just a bit of jiggle.
8. Remove from oven and cool.  This can be served warm or cold, although I particularly like it when it is cold.  For a special treat, top with a bit of whipped cream.

*Unless it is local berry season, I find that frozen berries have far superior taste to the fresh berries found in the produce department.

Double Cheese Burgers! (GAPS : primal : gluten-free : grain-free)

My family adores burgers.  I cook them in a skillet on the stovetop, and this week I made a new variation: double cheese burgers.  Rather than putting slices of cheese on top of the burgers like usual, I added some grated cheddar and Parmesan to the meat when I mixed it up and formed the patties.  These are super tasty, and everyone in the house raved about them.

Double Cheese Burgers
Serves 4-5

• one pound ground beef, preferably from grassfed cows (we ask our butcher for 80/20 mix)
• 3/4 cup packed shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp celtic sea salt
• pinch freshly ground pepper 
• 1/2 Tb refined coconut oil 
• 1/2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• condiments of your choice, such as mayo, ketchup, and mustard

1. Put the the ground beef, cheeses, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Use your hands to mix the ingredients together.  Then form the patties.  I make 4 grown-up burgers and 4 mini kid burgers with the amount in this recipe. 
2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.  I use a 12-inch stainless steel skillet to cook these, but cast iron would work too. Add the refined coconut oil and butter to the pan and swirl it around to coat the bottom.
3. Place your burger patties into the oil/butter mixture.  If you have a splatter screen, cover the skillet to reduce the mess on the stove. Resist the urge to move the patties around, and just let them cook for about 3-4 minutes. 
4. Flip the burgers, and feel free to add a bit more butter and oil if needed. Cover once again with the splatter screen and cook some more (about 2 more minutes for a medium-rare burger or longer if you like your burgers more well-done). If you are making any miniature burgers for the kids, only cook the second side for about 1 minute.
5. Turn off heat, and set the burgers aside to rest for a few minutes and allow the juices to settle back into the meat.  If you eat them right away, you'll lose most of the juice on your plate.
6. While the burgers rest, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the hot skillet.  These are very tasty, so I like to add a few bits to each plate. 
7. Then, pour a bit of water into the still-hot skillet and scrape the bottom a bit with a spatula.  This will make clean-up MUCH easier after dinner. 
8. Top the burgers with a smear of homemade mayonnaise and serve them with your favorite condiments.  We all liked them with just mayo and some pickle slices on the side. A side salad and perhaps some sliced avocado would also pair nicely.

Natural Heartburn Remedies

I've had problems with heartburn ever since my first pregnancy over 5 years ago.  I posted previously that I find fermented foods (such as sauerkraut and milk kefir) to be helpful for heartburn, and this is still the case. But I do still get heartburn frequently nonetheless.

I've recently started consulting with Alan Saxon, a classical homeopath/nutritionist/osteopath, and he gave me some great tips for heartburn that I wanted to share. 

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than large meals
• Avoid carbonated drinks, as the fizz can move your stomach contents up to where they should not be (awww, no more guava kombucha for me!)
• Practice deep breathing (like the breathing practiced during yoga), which will strengthen the esophageal sphincter
• Take extract of orange peel 3 times a day for a month (this is supposed to be a very effective treatment)
• First thing in the morning, drink two glasses of liquid (any liquid will work); wait a couple minutes, and then stretch onto your tippy-toes.  Then come crashing down onto your heals as hard you you can without hurting your back. Do this on a soft surface, such as carpet. Repeat this for 3-4 mornings.  This helps because the liquid acts as a weight in your stomach and can help pull the stomach downwards where it should be.  I'm guessing this will help me since my stomach may still be shifted up a bit from my two pregnancies. (Now if only I can remember to do this first thing in the morning!)
• Using a tennis ball or your fist, push in right below your breastbone (between your ribs).  Push deep into the solar plexus and twist the ball, then push it down to your navel and hold it for about a minute.  This is another trick that helps to ensure your stomach is down where it should be. This one can be done a few times a day, and in my case, especially before bedtime since that is when I tend to have the most heartburn.

I'm very excited to put these recommendations into practice, and to see what other health improvements can be made through consulting with Alan.

Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas (GAPS : primal : grain-free : gluten-free)

Beef fajitas are a favorite meal in our house.  This recipe cooks up all day; the results are tender and flavorful, and can be served in a variety of ways.  This recipe easily makes enough to feed a crowd, or you could freeze some for future easy meals.

Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas
Serves 10

• 4 to 4.5 pound beef roast and/or sirloin steak (it's okay if this is frozen when you start the meal)
• 2 medium white onions, chopped
• Juice from 2 medium limes
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tb dried cumin
• ~ 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 7 cloves garlic, sliced
• 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium red, orange, or yellow bell peppers (but NOT green), chopped
• Additional 1/2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp cumin
• Garnish: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole* or avocado chunks, salsa

1. Place the chopped onions over the bottom of a large slow cooker. Put the meat on top of the onions.  
2. Season with the lime juice, 3/4 tsp oregano, 1 Tb cumin, thyme, salt and pepper. My general rule of thumb is to start with 1 tsp salt for every pound of meat. 
3. Sprinkle the sliced garlic over the top.  Then put a lid on the pot and cook for 4-6 hours on LOW if your meat was fully thawed, or on HIGH if your meat was frozen.
4. About 2-3 hours before mealtime, flip the meat.  Then add the sliced mushrooms and chopped bell peppers, and nestle them down into the pot. Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, and continue to cook on HIGH.  (If you will be away from home all day, you could skip flipping the meat, and add in the mushrooms/bell peppers in the morning with everything else.  I would leave the veggies a bit larger if they will be cooking all day.)
5. About 30-60 minutes before mealtime, pull the meat out onto a cutting board.  Shred the meat with a fork, or slice it thinly across the grain.  Dig around in the pot to find the thyme stems and remove these from the pot (the thyme leaves should have all fallen off during cooking, so the stems should come out leafless.) Return the meat to the pot and nestle it down into the juices.  
6. Taste the liquid in the pot and add more salt and pepper as needed.  Add the remaining 1/2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp cumin, and fold it all together. Then turn the heat down to WARM (or turn the pot off entirely) and let it hang out for 30-60 minutes. This will allow the meat to get very succulent and juicy.
7. The fajita meat can be served in a variety of ways: in grain-free tortillas, in corn tortillas, in a bowl, or over a bed of lettuce for a salad.  Whichever way you choose, make sure to garnish it with plenty of cheese, sour cream, guacamole/avocado chunks, and salsa. 

*I make a very simple guacamole by mashing together avocado with salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of onion powder, a dab of sour cream, and a dab of mayo.  Tasty!

Homeopathy for Helping Infants Sleep Better

This article is a guest post by Joette Calabrese. This is the third in a series on homeopathy for infants and children.

Shhh! 

Do you hear that?  Me too.  It’s the tender sound of a baby sleeping.

But it wasn’t that way earlier.  You did everything you could think of to get the baby to stop screaming.

Then you found the remedy that fit her best; the suffering ceased and restorative sleep proceeded.

 

Take it from a mom who’s been there. There’s only one way to keep a babe from suffering painful effects of teething that is long lasting……the correct homeopathic remedy.

Let me introduce you to two powerhouse homeopathic remedies that no household should be without.

Chamomilla

Chamomilla 30 is our #1 go-to remedy for babies who are having trouble sleeping.  This remedy is renowned for calming the discomfort and outright pain of teething, but we think of it anytime a child is extremely irritable and inconsolable.  Here are some other hallmarks:

·       Fractious

·       Often wakes with a scream, screech, or moan (from tooth pain)

·       Capricious.  They indicate they want something, but when offered, it’s thrown away in anger

·       Oversensitivity to pain, noises and such

When a parent tries to hold the Chamomilla baby close to comfort her, she often responds by pushing away, arching her back in frustration and anger.

Even a sibling’s gentle touch can set off a torrent of screaming.

Run your finger along the baby’s gums to check for teething.  If you can feel a tooth emerging, then Chamomilla 30 is likely the right remedy to help her sleep.

But remember that Chamomilla can work to calm children who fit this symptom picture even if they aren’t teething.

Give the remedy four times in one day for three to four days-- it will often be just enough  to witness marked improvement.

If the remedy initially helps the situation but symptoms return, resume giving the remedy, even if it’s days or weeks later. 

Seek the expertise of a homeopath if the remedy brings some relief, but doesn’t completely do the trick.  A higher potency may be needed to make the transition a permanent one.

Yes, permanent.  With the correct remedy in the appropriate potency, many moms have witnessed enduring resolution.

Nux vomica

Other babies who have sleeping difficulties may need Nux vomica 30.  When babies have been given medications such as antibiotics or Tylenol even months before, a disturbance of the central nervous system may cause insomnia. 

Don’t discount medications given to the mother at birth as an exciting cause for the baby’s sleep troubles.  Thankfully, Nux is the premier remedy for clearing out harmful substances from the body. 

Babies needing this remedy often awaken at three or four in the morning and can’t get back to sleep.  Gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, constipation, or an alternation of the two may also present.

Another apparent sign pointing towards Nux vom is irritability.  If you select Nux vom for your baby, offer it in the same manner as with Chamomilla. Whichever remedy you choose, stay with it until you’ve given it a four-dose chance.

Now that the baby’s asleep, you can get a restful night yourself, knowing that you cured your baby without harmful drugs. It’s enough to make a mom want to shout it to the world……but not ‘til morning.

Joette Calabrese, HMC,CCH,RSHom is a homeopath and mom who has depended solely on homeopathy and nutrition in raising her family without a single drug….ever! If you find this kind of information valuable, consider joining Joette’s 12 month system, How to Raise a Drug Free Family by visiting www.homeopathyworks.net/offers/drugfree.html, or contact her office at 716.941.1045.  Lots more free tips like these at www.Homeopathyworks.net. 

Cultivating a Taste for Real Foods in Children

The following article was published in the May/June issue of Real Food and Health Magazine.

Why real foods?

People have relied upon real foods throughout history to ensure good health and proper development. To ensure the best health and development of children, their diets should have the same characteristics as traditional diets. This means that children should eat real foods, which are those that have not been refined or adulterated with chemicals. There should be an emphasis on consuming animal foods and fats, organic fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods.

Real foods are the best way to nourish our children since they can provide all the nutrients needed to grow up healthy. As the research of Weston A. Price showed, people who ate traditional foods had virtually no cavities or tooth decay, nor even cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. It is wise to cultivate a taste for real foods in children, and thereby ensure their lasting health.

Limit exposure to processed foods
Processed foods can wreak havoc on the body, and they can also wreak havoc on the tastebuds. A child whose palate is used to processed foods may have a hard time eating real foods, because the taste is so different. Processed foods tend to be overly salty or overly sweet, and this can make real foods taste bland by comparison. Limiting the amount of processed foods that children eat is a very good way to encourage their palates to savor the taste of real foods.

For instance, after limiting sweets in our diets for quite awhile, the sweetness of candy was downright shocking. Our tastebuds have gotten very sensitive to sweet tastes over time, and this means that we need less sweetness to be satisfied. Since our children have been raised on a nutrient-dense diet of real foods, they don't even have a taste for many processed foods. The first time my daughter tried a soda, she was 3 years old, and her reaction was to ask if she could trade it for a banana.

Don't assume that kids won't like real foods

As adults who grew up eating processed foods, my husband and I sometimes assume that our kids will not like certain real foods. For instance, when our eldest child was a baby, we wanted to get her started early on taking cod liver oil, since it is such as wonderful superfood rich in Vitamins A and D, plus Omega 3's, DHA, and EPA. Since we assumed our daughter would not like the cod liver oil, we initially tried mixing it with cooked, pureed prunes. She really did not like this, and we figured out that actually, she'd much rather have the cod liver oil straight out of the jar. She loved it, and would ask for it every day.

Don't let your own biases taint your children's exposure to foods

Children are very perceptive of their parent's feelings and reactions. When a parent gives food to kids while having a grimace on their own face, the facial expression of the parent can easily prompt the child to reject the food. There is no need to feel grossed out when our kids are eating foods we do not like. It is wise to stifle our own negative reactions to foods to give our kids the best chance of receiving new tastes with an open mind. Foods like sauerkraut, cod liver oil, and organ meats are fabulously nutritious, but sometimes we need to actively work to make sure our kids have a chance to like them.

In our home, I work actively to give our kids a chance to like foods that their dad dislikes, like cruciferous veggies, organ meats, beets, and most fermented foods. I make sure that the kids have many chances to eat all sorts of foods when their dad is at work, and when he is home, he makes sure to be positive and not emphasize his own negative biases for foods.

Let the kids help in the kitchen and garden

Taking the extra time to let kids help in the kitchen and garden can really make them excited about eating real foods. This gets the kids connected to the foods in a real way. They get to watch the plants grow and bear fruit, and then take part in the wonderful process of turning foods into delicious meals.

From the age of 2, my daughter has had her own very small garden plot. She is free to plant whatever she chooses, and is inordinately pleased when it is time to harvest the fruits of her labor. This year, her younger brother will get to join in the experience of growing food that we serve on the dinner table.

Both of my kids have loved to help out in the kitchen from a very young age. Toddlers can put food scraps into the compost bucket, put chopped foods into a pot, and stir some ingredients together (but not flour without a big mess). Preschoolers can break eggs into a bowl, measure and stir ingredients, peel and even chop some veggies, tear and wash lettuce, and put together salads. With older kids, the possibilities are endless.

Provide a wide variety of options

There are many wonderful real foods to eat, so it should not be difficult to try some new foods if kids are averse to any specific foods. Even if you try just one new food each week, over time this can really expand the range of foods the kids will eat. If you make sure that all of the options are nutritious, there is not so much worry if the kids only choose to eat certain items. Having plenty of options allows the kids to feel like they have some control over what they can eat.

For kids averse to veggies, start with simple cooked carrots or mashed potatoes. For kids that don’t like sauerkraut, try pickles or pickled beets. Fermented drinks, such as beet kvass and kombucha, are also a great way to introduce fermented foods to kids. My kids love beet kvass; they call it beet juice and are very excited to drink it. We’ve also had very good success with letting the kids choose their own flavor of cod liver oil.

Be persistent and keep a positive attitude

While negative tactics may work in the short term, keep the goal of lifelong healthy eating in mind. In the end, we want our children to truly savor real foods, and to seek them out as adults. Meal time should be enjoyed, and if it starts to turn into a nightly battle then it is probably time to take a step back and try some new tactics. If the kids don’t like many foods yet, don’t give up.

Don’t be afraid to try a variety of preparations. For instance, if your kids don’t like plain broccoli with butter, try cutting it very small and adding it to stir-fry. If they don’t like meat, try cutting it very small and just adding a small amount to soup. When needed, giving the kids a little dipping sauce can really go a long way, too. Homemade ketchup or honey mustard sauce pair wonderfully with most meats and veggies.

Chop meat very small for young children

Meat can be especially difficult for some kids to eat. Remember, though, that their mouths and teeth are much smaller than those of adults. Chopping and shredding meat into pieces that are very small is a great way to make sure that kids can easily eat meat.

Giving my kids a chunk of steak or roast is a sure way to ensure that they won’t finish their meat. If I take the time to chop it very small and add some lovely cooking juices, they are sure to gobble it up. I always shred steaks and roasts with a fork rather than cutting them up; this ensures that the pieces are nice and small. For chicken or dishes with chunks of meat, I like to use kitchen shears to chop it up right in the bowl.

Extreme pickiness is sign of improper gut flora

Children who are extremely picky and will only eat a few foods may have improper gut flora. In such cases, the children’s guts are really in charge of their tastebuds and food preferences. In extreme cases, special diets such as the GAPS diet may need to be undertaken to get the proper balance of flora in children’s guts.

Making sure kids get plenty of probiotics is another way to help their gut bacteria get healthier. Fermented foods are a wonderful source of probiotics. Milk kefir, which is a cultured milk drink, even contains probiotics that will kill bad bacteria! Go slowly in introducing such foods, though, since a “die-off” reaction can occur with the shift to more beneficial bacteria in the gut. “Die-off” reactions are caused by toxins that are released as the bad bacteria are killed within the gut, and symptoms can include diarrhea, headaches, and lethargy.

A wonderful legacy

Cultivating a taste for real foods is truly worth the effort. Helping kids enjoy real foods gives them the best chance for long-lasting health. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful legacy to leave your kids, as they seek out those foods from childhood that they loved so much?

Caramelized Green Beans (GAPS : primal : grain-free : gluten-free)

I like to keep a bag of frozen green beans on hand for a simple and easy side dish.  These caramelized green beans fit the bill, and are so tasty that my husband even likes them (he generally does not like green beans).  The green beans take on a wonderful flavor from the butter and meat stock.

Caramelized Green Beans
Serves 2

• 3/4 cup chicken or beef stock, preferably homemade 
• 2 cups frozen green beans (fresh would probably work too, but the cook time would be longer)
• 3 Tb butter or combination of butter and bacon grease
• celtic sea salt
• freshly ground pepper 
• pinch of nutmeg

1. Combine the green beans and chicken stock in a medium pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  
2. Heat to a low boil, over medium flame, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Skim and discard the foam.
3. Add the butter and put a lid on the pot.  Allow to simmer covered until the beans are nearly done to your liking, or for about 25-35 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and turn up the heat to medium high.  Boil the beans for several minutes, until the moisture from the chicken stock has evaporated.
5. Allow the beans to continue to cook over a medium high flame for a few more minutes.  They should be sizzling in the butter. Reduce the heat if the beans start to burn.  Stir them occasionally, but not too often as you want to caramelize them a bit in the butter. 
6. About a minute before they are done, sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg over the beans and give them a stir.  Also taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
7. Serve and enjoy!  I particularly like these green beans when served with a nice bit of roasted chicken or pan-fried steak.

Lessons Learned as a Baker

Back in the late 90's while I was going to college, I had my first real experience cooking when I worked as a baker in a coffee shop.  The daily menu included lots of breakfast items like scones and muffins, plus desserts such as cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, and pies.  Oh, and yummy quiches, like green chile chicken quiche.

While I was developing my latest cookie recipe a few weeks ago, I was musing that many of the techniques I use today for baking were taught to me back in the coffee shop.  And then I thought that some of you readers might benefit from learning some of these techniques in case your own cooking education has been limited.

• Measure carefully for baking - When cooking on the stovetop, I rarely measure ingredients (unless I am developing a recipe for the blog). However, for baking, it is very important to carefully measure ingredients.  The proportions of the ingredients in baked goods can make a big difference in the end result.  When measuring ingredients, make sure to flatten them out so that they are nice and level with the top of the measuring cup or spoon. I love to use a Measure All Cup for measuring thick ingredients like honey and nut butter.
• After mixing ingredients, don't clean utensils by banging them on the rim of the bowl - The process of mixing allows air to be incorporated into baked goods, which can make them more light and fluffy.  If you try to clean the batter off of your utensils by banging them on the rim of the bowl, you may force some of the air back out of the baked goods and end up with a more dense item.
• Don't open the oven door very often - As they heat up, many baked goods rise to create a more fluffy result.  Opening the oven door can jiggle the baked goods and cause them to "fall" (where they lose all of that nice rise they achieved while being heated). It is especially critical to make sure you don't open the oven door much when cooking items with runny batter, such as cakes and cheesecakes.

• Watch cookies carefully - Cookies can very quickly go from nice and chewy to crunchy and overdone if they are cooked just a tad longer.  There is about a 2 minute window when they will be perfect, so watch them closely and check them frequently towards the end of their cook-time. If I am using a new cookie recipe, I will start checking them about 3-5 minutes before the time listed in the recipe.  And if you start another batch of cookies immediately on an already-warmed cookie sheet, they will cook a few minutes quicker than the first batch.
• Salt is key to enhancing flavor of sweet baked goods - One of the best ways to make desserts taste better is to add an extra pinch of salt.  Salt really does bring out the sweet flavors.  And anytime I use a sweet recipe that does not call for any salt, I make sure to add some anyway.
• When using a stand mixer, make sure to scrape the sides and bottom occasionally - Stand mixers are great, especially for mixing cookies and cheesecakes.  However, any time you use a stand mixer, make sure you occasionally stop the machine and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.  Otherwise, you may end up with some little unmixed clumps in the final baked goods.  
• Feel free to experiment with different fruits and spices, but be very careful about adjusting amounts of flour/sweetener/liquids/leavening agents (such as baking soda and baking powder) - You can very easily experiment with the flavor of baked goods by changing the fruit or spices used.  In some recipes, you can even use widely varying amounts of fruit and still end up with a good product (for instance, zucchini bread cooks well whether I use two small zucchinis or one HUGE one).  But be very careful about experimenting with the amounts of flour, sweetener, liquids, and leavening agents.

• Break eggs into a separate cup - Occasionally, you may end up with a bit of egg shell in in with your eggs.  If you make sure to break the eggs into a separate cup, you'll be able to easily remove any shell that has fallen in without losing it into the recipe. I like to use a glass measuring cup for my eggs so they can be easily poured into the recipe.
• Use a stand mixer for granola, whipped cream, cookies and cheesecakes - A stand mixer works especially well for mixing thick batters (such as cookies and granola) as well as batters that require lots of mixing (like cheesecakes, whipped cream, and macaroons).  A stand mixer also makes it easy to add ingredients while the mixer is running, and you can mix as long as necessary without your wrist getting tired from holding a mixer or whisk.
• Make every drop count with a spatula - A fairly large amount of ingredients can be left clinging to the side of a bowl as you scoop or pour the batter out.  Use a silicone spatula to scrape the bowl and you will be amazed at how much batter comes out! But then the trick is to still leave a little for the kids to lick off :)

 What are some of your tips and tricks for baking?

Pizza Toasts, including Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce (GAPS : primal : grain-free : gluten-free)

I have yet to make a grain-free, GAPS-legal pizza crust that I think is worth the time and effort, so my family usually eats pizza casserole instead.  But, with my new grain-free sandwich bread recipe, we are now eating pizza toasts, and they are delicious! The key is to dry out the bread a bit, so that it will stand up to holding the sauce and toppings.

Pizza Toasts

• Grain-Free Sandwich Bread, sliced about 3/8-in thick (we eat only two pizza toasts for each adult, as they are quite filling)
• Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)
• Mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• Favorite toppings of your choice, such as:
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Sauteed orange bell pepper
• Chopped salami or ham
• Sliced olives
• Chopped smoked turkey
• Sauteed onions
• Chopped pineapple
• Roasted chicken
• Sauteed zucchini
• Parmesan cheese
• NOTE: any high-moisture veggies such as mushrooms or zucchini will need to be sauteed to release the moisture before adding them to your pizza toasts.  I like to saute mine in butter with a little sprinkle of salt.

1. Spread out the sliced sandwich bread in a toaster oven or conventional oven. If using a toaster oven, make sure the bread is not directly over the heating element, else it will burn. Set the oven temperature to 200 degrees F, and bake the bread for about an hour.  Turn it once during the hour. 
2. Meanwhile, mix up the Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce (recipe below).  Also, saute any veggies you will use as pizza toppings.
3. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool a bit.
4. Spread each slice of bread with some pizza sauce.  Sprinkle half of the cheese over the sauce.
5. Add your favorite toppings, and then add the remaining cheese.
6. Place the pizza toasts on a baking tray or stoneware.  Bake at 300 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is nicely melted. 
7. Serve and enjoy!  A green salad makes a nice accompaniment.

Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce 
Makes enough for one pizza toast meal for our small family of 2 adults and 2 young kids

• 1/3 cup of tomato paste from a glass jar
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash fine-ground celtic sea salt (omit if your tomato paste contains salt)
• dash freshly ground pepper

1. Combine all ingredients and stir.  That's it!