Orange Cranberry Muffins

We got some cranberries in our Bountiful Basket this week, so I decided to use them in muffins.  This recipe is easy to throw together and like all muffins, it tastes best when they are fresh out of the oven.  This would be the perfect way to start out your Thanksgiving day...so go try it!

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

Orange Cranberry Muffins
1 3/4 cup gf flour blend
2 tablespoons baking powder*
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh cranberries, halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease or line muffin tins and set aside.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients (except the cranberries). Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in the cranberries and spoon into the muffin tins (you should add about a 1/4 cup into each tin).

Make at 400F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

*note: if you can't find corn-free baking powder, you can use 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for 1 teaspoon of baking powder...it isn't doubling acting, but it will work.

Cranberry Orange Granola

I've been in a cooking rut lately...or just really, really busy with life outside of the kitchen...or both.  Life has been crazy busy.  My boys both started school last week and this week and I have a huge project at work that has me going in at odd hours day and night...so, I've been thinking of recipes, but haven't had much time to play in the kitchen.

Finally, today, I took the afternoon off of work (mainly because I had to go back in later in the evening) and I finally got to test out one of the recipes that has been stewing in my head for who knows how long.  And can I just say, it's amazing...really, it's about the best granola I've had. And what's great about this recipe is that you can easily change it up pretty much any way you want to with nuts, fruits, etc.

This post is featured on Allergy Free Wednesdays, Allergy Friendly Friday and Whole Food Fridays.

Cranberry Orange Granola
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup buckwheat grouts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apple pieces

Directions
Preheat oven to 300F. Grease a large baking sheet/pan and set aside.

Combine the oats, nuts, buckwheat, and seeds in a large bowl.  Add in the honey, coconut oil, vanilla, and orange juice and mix until everything is evenly coated. 

Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for ~45minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven once the granola has turned a golden brown.

Mix the orange zest, cranberries, and apple pieces into the granola.  Continue mixing the granola every half hour while it cools on the baking sheet.

Once cooled, place granola in an airtight container.  If stored at room temp it should be good for about a week.  If stored in the freezer it will last a couple of months.

Adopt a Blogger: Megan from Allergy Free Alaska

I'm taking part in Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger again. If you’re not familiar, Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger is a monthly event created by Sea at Book of Yum to help us gluten-free bloggers get to know each other and recreate each others recipes. This month it is hosted by Sunny from And Love It, Too!. This month, I adopted Megan from Allergy Free Alaska (formerly MAID in Alaska).

I love finding bloggers that are in the same point in their lives that I'm in...We are both 31 year old moms of two kids that are about the same age (she has girls, I have boys).  We have very different health issues, but both our families thrive on living gluten and dairy-free.  And on top of that she has some pretty fantastic recipes.

So, to finish off July (National Ice Cream Month), I'm sharing two of her recipes.  First up is her Orange Creamsicle Popsicles.  The first two times I made this, it never made it to the freezer. And I have to say, it tastes just like an Orange Julius that way.  But, I had to make it again, because my little one requested that I make an orange ice cream. Yeah, I really didn't even get to take pictures before he started devouring his...

Second up, is her Fudgesicles, if you have creamsicles, you have to have fudgesicles, right? My older son loves chocolate, and I mean loves chocolate.  Just today he told me that he wish the world was all chocolate...so, yeah, I didn't get many pictures on the fudgesicles, before he started devouring them, either.

They are both delicious and the perfect replacement to the dairy ones that I grew up with...and definitely a lot healthier.  Both of these recipes have either no sugar or very low sugar in the form of agave or honey.  So, there is no guilt with these treats!

Here's one last photo of the kiddos enjoying their treats....and don't ask me why my older son is wearing a jacket in 95 degree weather--I have no idea! 

Thank you, Megan, for such fantastic recipes, my boys love them!