The combination of butternut squash, apples, and ginger makes this soup warming and gratifying. Butternut squash has been absorbing the sun's energy all summer long in the garden. This stored "sun" energy gives squashes a warm heartiness that can comfort you through cold, blustery days. Adding apples to this soup is an extra bonus, because cooked apples are warming and easy to digest. Lastly, the addition of ginger warms you up and helps relieve mucus congestion. So make

As the days get shorter and colder, and sometimes windy, stay inside and cozy up with a mug of Pumpkin Spice Latte.     Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe Ingredients 1 cup milk or milk alternative such as almond milk 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter) 1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice (or make your own with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sweetener of your ch

Fruit crisps are a tasty combination of juicy, sweet fruit with a crispy topping; but many crisp recipes call for too much sugar. This crisp has less sugar than most, and you can cut down on the sugar even more if you'd like. Both blueberries and peaches are in season now, and together they make the perfect summertime dessert combination in this Gluten Free Blueberry-Peach Crisp. Gluten Free Blueberry-Peach Crisp Recipe Topping Ingredients 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend, su

This simple and quick Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with a Lemon Dijon Dressing is high in fiber and tastes great too. Serve it on top of salad greens, as a side dish, or as a light lunch with pita bread, pita chips, or crackers. Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing Recipe Ingredients for Lemon Dijon Dressing: 2.5 tablespoons olive oil (can use Garlic Oil ) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard 1/4 teaspoon honey Salt and pepper to tast

Memorial Day is this weekend, which signifies the beginning of summer. So, for any of your summer parties and activities, try this quick and easy loaded hummus platter that is half dip and half salad. Loaded Hummus Platter Recipe Ingredients: 2 cups of hummus, homemade or store-bought 1/4 cup olives, pitted and chopped, (I like to use a mix of green and black olives) 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved 1 cup diced cucumber 1/3 cup of diced red onion 1 half sweet pepper, diced (or tr

Spinach with Chickpeas and Yogurt is a tasty spring-time dish or side dish - perfect for Easter or another spring holiday. Spinach with Chickpeas and Yogurt Recipe Ingredients: 1 large yellow onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 cups of fresh baby spinach (or use a 10-oz box of frozen spinach, thawed, and squeezed-dry) 1 3/4 cup of chickpeas or a 15-oz can chickpeas, drained 1 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg Salt and p

Kale is a healthy and nutritious plant food. It’s low in calories but high in vitamins, so it’s among the most nutrient dense foods. A cup of kale contains Vitamins A, B6, C, and K, manganese, calcium, copper, potassium, magnesium and more. Kale with raisins and toasted pine nuts is my favorite kale recipe. Kale with Raisins and Pine Nuts Recipe Ingredients: 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 2 cups water 3/4 pounds (6 cups) chopped kale 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons extra-virgi

For Valentine’s Day make a batch of these Rose Petals and Chocolate Chip Herbal Candies  for you and your valentine.  Rose Petals and chocolate are classic aphrodisiacs. Rose is the "Queen of Flowers" and has been known for thousands of years for its beauty and fragrance.  Rose fills your heart with love and peace.  If you don’t have dried rose petals, check your local herb shop or you can order online from Mountain Rose Herbs.  Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is high i

Sweet potatoes are considered a superfood.  They’re one of the most nutritious vegetables with lots of vitamins and minerals.  Sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidants, which protect your body from free radicals, promoting gut health and brain health.  They’re high in fiber and complex carbs, so they may be an ideal food for those with blood sugar issues.  Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A to support your immune system and eye health

This nutritious and hearty lentil soup is an excellent high-fiber lunch option. As a high-fiber food, lentils offer a feeling of gratification and fullness, helping you stay satiated all afternoon. Fiber also reduces your risk of heart disease, helps lower blood pressure, regulates blood sugar, and helps protect against colon cancer. So, prepare a batch of this soup for lunch. Hearty Lentil Soup Recipe Ingredients 1 cup green or brown lentils  1 tablespoon olive oil (or ga

If you love garlic, then you’ll love this garlic-infused olive oil recipe. It’s great for so many recipes, such as stir-fries, sautés, roasted vegetables, mixed into mashed potatoes, home-made hummus, and salads.  Actually, for any recipe that calls for oil, I use my garlic oil. For those that love garlic but can’t eat it because of digestive issues, such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel, SIBO etc., and must follow a Low-FODMAP diet (FODMAP stands for F ermentable

Have you ever had a bowl of oatmeal that looked like a gelatinous blob?  Well, there are a few simple tricks to making a rich, creamy bowl of oatmeal.      Creamy Oatmeal Tips You'll need to use steel cut oats or old-fashioned rolled oats; this doesn't work for instant oatmeal. If you're gluten-free, Bob's Red Mill food company offers gluten-free options. The amount of liquid is important.  You need three to four times the amount of liquid to dry oats; so, if you’re using a

If life has been hectic lately with all the holiday celebrations, why not relax one afternoon and cozy up with a mug of Peppermint Hot Chocolate?  Peppermint is refreshing and stimulating to the nervous system, so it’s a great pick-me-up.  It also encourages healthy digestion; and if you've been over-indulging, it's a carminative, so it can help with gas and bloating.      Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe Ingredients 2 tablespoons dried peppermint leaf 2 cups milk or milk alte

This creamy, coconut curry is gluten-free and vegetarian, so it's great for a meatless Monday. Or if you've been eating too much heavy, difficult-to-digest foods lately, this will give your digestive system a little break. The ingredients in this dish are very nutritious and wholesome. Chickpeas are high in fiber, and as a bean, help to reduce cholesterol, as studies have shown. Chickpeas also contain a higher amount of the amino acid, tryptophan, than other legumes, which me

“Sunshine in a bowl” – that’s what I think of when having butternut squash soup.  It’s the perfect fall/winter soup.  Roasting the squash, however, kicks it up a notch, because roasting gives the soup an earthy, caramelized sweet flavor.  Butternut squash is hearty and grounding.  It’s high in beta-carotene and alpha carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A; and vitamin A is important for the immune system, which may need a little boost right now.  The spices of cinnam

Pumpkin Bread was one of my favorite autumn foods growing up, which I still make in the fall, but now it's gluten-free. Gluten-free Pumpkin Bread Recipe Ingredients 1 can pumpkin or 15 oz. fresh pureed pumpkin 3 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup good quality vegetable oil or walnut oil 2/3 cups water 2 tsps. baking soda 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. each of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves 3 1/3 cups gluten-free flour, such as Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Flour 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cu

These Gluten-free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are delicious and perfect for the cool Autumn weather, as well as for Halloween!   Gluten-free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe Ingredients 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup walnut oil or a good-quality vegetable oil 2 large eggs 3/4 cup pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon gro

Whether you grow summer squash or buy it from the Farmer's Market or the supermarket, there’s an abundance of it right now. In addition to yellow and crookneck squash, as well as zucchini, you may find other varieties, especially at your local Farmer's Market, such as pattypan, zephyr, and eight ball squash. Not sure what to do with all this summer squash? Then try these few summer squash recipes. They’re all vegetarian and gluten-free.  Summer Squash Recipes Skillet Summer S

This is my first year growing Japanese eggplants, aka, Chinese eggplants, so I’ve been eager to try them.  Compared to Italian eggplants they’re long and thin, sweeter, and less bitter, which means they don’t need to be salted ahead of time to release their bitterness.  Also, because their skin is thin, they will absorb the flavors of anything that’s cooked with them.   If you don't grow Japanese eggplants, you can find them at your local Farmer's Market or supermarket. Eith

Do you have a lot of zucchini from your garden this year? If so, try this light Gluten Free Zucchini Bread. It's also dairy-free. Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Recipe Ingredients 1 3/4 cup of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free 1 to 1 Baking Flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1/2 cup Walnut Oil (or a good quality vegetable oil) 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar