Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

My family loves, and I mean LOVES peanut butter.  My husband and older son are particularly fond of it.  So, I knew it was only time before I swapped the hazelnut butter out of my bundt cake recipe and made a peanut butter cake.  My boys actually love these cupcakes plain...so no frosting required.  This is huge, because they are typical kids and usually prefer the frosting over the cake.  So, here's an incredibly tasty cupcake recipe! :)

Also, in case you missed it yesterday, I'm doing a giveaway thanks to Betty Crocker, so go here to enter. (The Giveaway ends June 1, 2013).
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup palm oil shortening
1 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I used a mixture of mega chips and mini chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.  Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, shortening, and coconut sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition, then add the vanilla.

In a separate container, mix together the non-dairy milk and the lemon juice, and allow the mixture to stand for 5-10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the hazelnut butter mixture, alternating with the milk until everything is incorporated.  Beat well. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop into cupcake liners and bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.  Finish cooling on a cooling rack.

I topped mine with a chocolate buttercream (made with homemade evaporated cane powdered sugar and palm shortening, instead of margarine).

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Allergy Friendly Friday, and Whole Foods Friday.

New Betty Crocker Mixes and a Giveaway!

The winner was chosen via Random.org and its comment #6:

Maria KMay 28, 2013 at 8:48 AM

I like BC on Facebook.

Congrats, Maria!  I emailed you with instructions on getting your prize.

Have you heard?  Betty Crocker is launching two new additions to their Gluten-Free line: Gluten Free Sugar Cookie mix and All-Purpose Gluten Free Rice Flour Blend. They will be hitting store shelves later this summer.

Now most of you know that I make most everything from scratch...but, this has been a journey for me.  Even before going gluten-free myself, I used the Betty Crocker gluten-free mixes to make treats for girls in my church's youth group that have Celiac disease.  It was nice seeing a familar brand, and the treats turned out great.  When we first went gluten-free, we depended a lot on pancakes made from the GF bisquick...so Betty Crocker has definitely been part of our journey.  I also used their mixes as bases for recipes (such as my gingerbread cupcakes and my pumpkin hazelnut cake) as I learned how to cook gluten-free.

Why I'm sharing this now?  I know many of you are still on the journey to figuring out how to cook gluten-free.  I have many friends that hate cooking, this simplifies life so much, to be able to reach for a mix and make something that tastes normal.  I also have a lot of wonderful families and friends that have cooked gluten-free foods for my family, and they are always on the lookout for the mixes, because they are so much more economical for that every once in a while baking.

Betty Crocker also has a fantastic Gluten-Free website full of recipes and tips.  One really fanastic one I just tried this week was Betty Crocker's Banana Bread.  So, incredibly easy and quick to put together.  I just used palm oil shortening, instead of butter (by the way they have No Butter instructions for all of their mixes).  It was the easiest banana bread I've ever made.

Now to the fun part...giveaway time! Betty Crocker and My Blog Spark sent me this baking tool set and 8" cake pan (retail value of $60) to try out and they want to give away another set to my readers!

To enter leave me a comment telling me your favorite gluten-free baking recipe.

For additional entries:

1.  Like Live Free, Gluten Free on Facebook and comment below that you did.

2. Follow me on pinterest and comment below that you did.

3. Like Betty Crocker on Facebook and comment below that you did.

So, you can have up to four entries.  Make sure with each entry you leave your email address in the form of name (at) address (dot) com  so I will be able to get hold of you if you are the winner.

The contest begins today, May 27, 2013, and will end at 11:59pm MDT on June 1, 2013.  The winner will be chosen randomly.

Good Luck!

Weekly Menu (5/26/13-6/1/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• cauliflower
• broccoli
• cherry tomatoes
• corn
• butternut squash
• cucumbers
• lettuce
• cantaloupe
• pineapple
• grapefruit
• mango

We also got the Mexican add-on pack which contains:

• lemons
• limes
• Anaheim peppers
• jalapenos
• onions
• garlic
• cilantro
• avocados

I also have carrots, spinach, russet potatoes, apples, and bananas.

This week for kids' breakfast and lunch:

For the Kids:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• french toast
• grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• breakfast sandwiches (toast with scrambled eggs and ham)
• fresh fruit and veggies
• cereal
• Smoothies

This week for school lunch: (Last week of school!)

• PB&J on Udi's bread
• Schar crispbread with pepperoni and cheese 
• Ham sandwiches
• carrot and celery sticks with almond butter
• apples
• chips or crackers
• milk

For me and dinners, too: 

Sunday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in. :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): veggies and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): 
• dinner (5-6pm):
• Meatloaf
• Mashed Potatoes
• corn on the cob
• butternut squash
• fruit salad

Monday: Happy Memorial Day!

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, sleeping in. :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): homemade yogurt with fresh fruit
• morning snack (9am): apples and peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• brats/hot dogs
• potato salad
• fruit salad

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): half of a grapefruit
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies with hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• tacos with homemade tortillas
• fruit salad

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): half a grapfruit
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): banana
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• tamales (for the family)
• stuffed peppers (I may not use this quinoa recipe, just wing it)
• fruit salad
• green salad

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): apple
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• french toast
• hashbrowns
• bacon
• fruit salad

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): banana
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner:
• pizza
• green salad

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): banana
• dinner:
• navajo tacos topped with refried beans, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Soft Ginger Cookies

I love about any type of ginger cookies.  At Christmas time when we are making gingerbread houses, i always make extra for cookies...and they never last long in our house.  Well I had some extra fresh ginger, and thought maybe it was time that I tried making ginger cookies with fresh, instead of ground ginger.  I'm so glad I did, these cookies are so good, and so easy, too!

Soft Ginger Cookies
3/4 cup palm oil shortening
1 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
3 cups GF flour blend
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and the coconut sugar.  Add in the molasses, eggs, and grated ginger and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the shortening mixture.  This mixture should be slightly more sticky/wet than regular cookie dough, but you should still be able to work with it.

Take spoonfuls of the dough and roll them into ~1" balls and roll them in the turbinado sugar.  Place them 2" apart on the prepared cookie sheets and bake for about 12 minutes.


This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Whole Foods Friday, and Gluten Free Friday.

Weekly Menu (5/19/13-5/25/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• cauliflower
• fava beans
• yams
• corn
• butternut squash
• tomatoes
• lettuce
• honeydew melon
• apricots
• bananas

We also got the Italian add-on pack which contains:

• mushrooms
• herbs
• zucchini
• eggplant
• lemons
• onions
• garlic

I also have carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, russet potatoes, and apples

This week for kids' breakfast and lunch:

For the Kids:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• french toast
• grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• breakfast sandwiches (toast with scrambled eggs and ham)
• fresh fruit and veggies
• cereal
• Smoothies

This week for school lunch:

• PB&J on Udi's bread
• Schar crispbread with pepperoni and cheese 
• Ham sandwiches
• carrot and celery sticks with almond butter
• clementines
• applesauce
• chips or crackers
• milk

For me and dinners, too: 

Sunday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in. :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach
• morning snack (9am): veggies and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): apricot
• dinner (5-6pm):
• London Broil (using fresh rosemary, instead of dried) topped with sauteed mushrooms
• Sweet Potato Casserole (I now use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar)
• corn on the cob for the family
• sauteed fava beans and zucchini, with garlic and herbs
• green salad

Monday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): carrots and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): apricot
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• Indian spiced chicken
• butternut squash curry (I'll use fresh tomatoes, instead of canned and may add in cooked fava beans and cauliflower)
• basmati rice

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): apricots
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies with hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• tamales for the family
• beans and rice
• green salad
• sliced honeydew

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): apricot
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• grilled chicken
• pesto sauce
• GF pasta
• sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled egg with green peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): apricot
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• one-eyed sandwiches
• hashbrowns
• bacon
• apple slices

Friday: It's our 11th wedding anniversary!

• 1st breakfast (5am): apricot
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): banana
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner:
• maybe going out...we haven't decided yet.  If we do go out, it'll be something simple for the boys, like sandwiches or hot dogs

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery sticks with almond butter
• dinner:
• navajo tacos topped with refried beans, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Teff Biscuits

Remember last week's recipe, Strawberry Rhubarb Chia See Jam? Well, when I made it, I wanted to eat it with some warm bread straight out of the oven...well, I didn't have the time or energy to make my favorite, my Teff Sandwich Bread, so I made my Garlic Dill Biscuits, minus the garlic and dill. ;) 

These are the fastest, easiest little morsels you can throw together and they are GOOD!  Really, I haven't made my sandwich bread since making these...these are just too easy.  

Now, they are best straight out of the oven, but can be perked back up a day or two later by covering with a damp paper towel and microwaving for a bit.  The steam from the paper towel with soften them up, and it will be like they are straight from the oven again. :)

Teff Biscuits
2/3 cup teff flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup Pompeian Grapeseed Oil or olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Add in the milk and grapeseed oil and hand mix until combined.

Turn dough out on parchment paper.  Smooth the dough out and pat it out until it's to 1" thickness.

Cut biscuits with a sharp biscuit cutter, or with a sharp knife into wedges, and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm.


This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Weekly Menu (5/12/13-5/18/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• broccoli
• cucumbers
• cabbage
• green peppers
• artichokes
• apples
• watermelon
• cantaloupe
• bananas

We also got an add-on pack srawberries.

I also have carrots, celery, spinach, and russet potatoes.

This week for kids' breakfast and lunch:

For the Kids:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• french toast
• grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• breakfast sandwiches (toast with scrambled eggs and ham)
• fresh fruit and veggies
• cereal
• Smoothies

This week for school lunch:

• PB&J on Udi's bread
• Schar crispbread with pepperoni and cheese 
• Ham sandwiches
• carrot and celery sticks with almond butter
• clementines
• applesauce
• chips or crackers
• milk

For me and dinners, too: 

Sunday: Happy Mother's Day!

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in. :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): veggies and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): We are going to be at my parent's...we'll be feasting on ham, potatoes, fruit salad, and such. :)
• afternoon snack (3pm): nothing
• dinner (5-6pm):
• leftovers

Monday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): celery and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): veggies and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): apple slices
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• falafel (I got a mix from Laziz at the farmer's market) with homemade tortillas
• veggies and hummus (also got some from Laziz) :)
• steamed artichokes
• fruit salad

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): apple slices with peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): celery sticks with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies with hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• chili or lentil chili
• baked potatoes
• sliced strawberries
• green salad

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): smoothie
• morning snack (9am): apple
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• chicken nuggets
• oven fries
• veggie sticks
• salad

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled egg with green peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): celery and peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• crepes with eggs and ham, strawberries and bananas, peanut butter and jelly, and anything else we can think of.

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): apple
• 2nd breakfast (7am): smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner:
• pizza
• green salad

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery sticks with almond butter
• dinner:
• grilled hamburgers and hotdogs
• coleslaw
• veggies and hummus

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Seed Jam

It's rhubarb season!  When I was little my grandma had a rhubarb plant in her backyard.  When we would come to visit, she'd go out and pick some rhubarb and chop it up into sticks, just like celery, to give to us.  Now I know most people would find this gross, but we loved it, and we would sit and giggle at the sour faces we would pull while eating it.  I love rhubarb, and I know it's because of the memories we made at Grandma's house.

I have been looking for a jam recipe that doesn't contain tons of sugar, I think this one does the trick.  I initially just thought to add the chia seeds to help solidify the jam, since rhubarb doesn't help much with that. But chia seeds also add much needed omega-3's, antioxidants, fiber, protein, and calcium to the mix.  So, this is a pretty healthy jam!

This jam would work with about any fruit, I would guess, and minus the rhubarb you probably wouldn't need to cook it, just refrigerate it and let the chia do it's job...so it would be a raw jam. :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Seed Jam
4 cups diced fresh strawberries
2 cups diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chia seed
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water

Directions
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium to medium-high heat until rhubarb is softened, about 10 minutes.

Pour the jam mixture onto a cookie sheet to cool for 5-10 minutes, then transfer into containers and store in fridge (or for longer term storage place in freezer).  Allow the jam to set up for at least one hour in the fridge before using.


This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Allergy Friendly Fridays, Whole Foods Friday, and 5-Ingredient Mondays.

Weekly Menu (5/5/13-5/11/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• lettuce
• onions
• cabbage
• green peppers
• artichokes
• grapefruit
• pineapple
• watermelon
• cantaloupe
• bananas

We also a guacamole pack add-on which contains:

• avocados
• green onions
• cilantro
• lemons
• onions
• garlic
• limes
• jalapenos

We also got add-on packs of rhubarb and strawberries. :)  I think I will be making my strawberry rhubarb crisp tomorrow and maybe some jam today. :)

I also have carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, kale, and russet potatoes.

This week for kids' breakfast and lunch:

For the Kids:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• french toast
• grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• breakfast sandwiches (toast with scrambled eggs and ham)
• fresh fruit and veggies
• cereal
• Smoothies

This week for school lunch:

• PB&J on Udi's bread
• Schar crispbread with pepperoni and cheese 
• Ham sandwiches
• carrot and celery sticks with almond butter
• clementines
• applesauce
• chips or crackers
• milk

For me and dinners, too: 

Sunday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in. :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers and tomatoes
• morning snack (9am): carrot sticks
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner (5-6pm):
• tacos made with homemade tortillas 
• guacamole and salsa with tortilla chips (Beanitos for me)
• fruit salad (watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and strawberries)

Monday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): half a grapefruit
• 2nd breakfast (7am): smoothie
• morning snack (9am): cucumbers and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): peppers and hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• hamburgers and hot dogs
• onion rings
• coleslaw
• fruit salad

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): half of a grapefruit
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers
• morning snack (9am): celery sticks with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies with hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• chili or lentil chili
• baked potatoes
• sliced strawberries
• green salad

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): half of a grapefruit
• 2nd breakfast (7am): smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrots and peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• spaghetti
• steamed artichokes
• veggie sticks
• salad

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): half of a grapefruit
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled egg with green peppers
• morning snack (9am): celery and peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• one-eyed sandwiches
• bacon
• hashbrowns
• bananas

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): banana
• 2nd breakfast (7am): smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner:
• pizza
• green salad

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery sticks with almond butter
• dinner:
• grilled ham sandwiches
• tomato soup (I add kale into it)
• veggies and hummus