Gluten-Free Brazilian Pao Cheesy Rolls

Success! I never thought I'd be able to bake real rolls again. You know the kind. They are crispy on the outside, soft and light inside. This recipe is the best I've found. An excellent one from Ellen Brown's Gluten Free Holiday Baking. You know when you start baking and think, "Yeah right, these will never look like the picture in the book". Well, they actually did, fluffed up perfectly. You could hear my hoots and hollering from across the house as they rose into perfect little balls of cheesiness. Yes, I used the word cheesiness. And that cheese flavor is even better toasty with some butter. You'll think you died and went to gluten-free heaven. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups tapioca flour
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• black pepper, to taste

I used my new silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper to line a baking sheet. Preheat your oven at 375 degrees. 

Boil ingredients up to garlic, don't forget to stir and don't burn your milk! Then remove from heat and add in tapioca flour. Bring pot back to stove and reheat, mixing the whole time for about 2 minutes. 

Let cool for a few minutes before plopping the dough into your food processor. Use the steel blade, not the bread making blade, and add eggs. Then once incorporated, add cheese and pepper. Mix again. 

Begin making your pao balls. Wet a soup spoon under cold water and drop about a 2 tablespoon amount of the dough onto your baking sheet. Continue. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Enjoy warm with butter. 

Can be frozen. 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

Every year I do a new pumpkin pie recipe. This year, I was aiming high. A gluten-free crust has always  been a challenge, yet so intriguing. So here's a pie with a tasty nut based and ever-so-slight crust. The crust almost melts into the pie and gives it a richer taste. This pie's packed with fiber and healthy fats. Top with vegan coconut whipped cream and you can have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Ingredients: 

Crust: 

• 1 cup almond meal (I processed half raw almonds and half walnuts together)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons chilled butter (coconut oil is vegan) 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk of choice 

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until they form a nice ball. 

Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes so it is easier to roll out. 

Using 2 pieces of parchment paper, or plastic wrap, roll out dough. Use one piece on the bottom, one on top. Peel off bottom layer, and plop into pie plate. Now slowly and ever so gently remove top sheet, peeling it back. Fit crust in to your liking. 

Pie:

• 1 box pumpkin puree (Tropical Traditions has a new tetra pac box, awesome!)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or other sweetener)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 drops liquid stevia
• 1 can coconut milk

Preheat your oven at 425 degrees. 

In a small bowl, mix coconut milk with stevia drops. Mix well. 

Now using an electric mixer or your processor, mix all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy-looking.

Pour pie mix into your lovely nut pie shell and bake for about 55 minutes. Check regularly, these suckers can be finicky. Center should just wiggle a bit when done. Let rest for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy warm or cold, but remember to add your whipped cream. 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles

Yes, this was just a whim. But what a good thing a whim can be! I wasn't quite satisfied this week when I made our weekend waffles. I kept thinking, there must be more. But what? And then, the left over can of pumpkin puree from the pumpkin custard I had made earlier in the week spoke to me. And I obeyed. 

Of course, this shape was totally due to my lack as an experienced waffle maker, but I decided to go with it and my boys loved them. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot (you can also sub potato starch or cornstarch)
• 3/4 cup tapioca flour
• 2 cups milk (or milk sub)
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tbs ground flax and chia seed combo (sub 1/4 tsp xanthan gum)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs (separated)
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened or melted (sub coconut oil or veggie oil for vegan)
• 3 tbsp. coconut sugar (sub 1 drop liquid stevia)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned) 

Now get to work!

Preheat waffle iron. Now get a bunch of bowls out and begin.

Sift all the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, mix milk, vinegar, and add in flax and chia seeds.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle and activate the jelliness of the seeds. (This is your binder)

In a very small bowl, separate your eggs and reserve the yolks. 

Beat your whites until they form stiff peaks. (Don't over beat, or they'll fall)

And in the biggest bowl, mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon.

Now add in the egg yolks, mix.

Add in the flour, mix.

Add pumpkin puree, mix.

Add in the fluffed yolks and fold in carefully to not deflate too much. 

Batter will be pretty watery, so test first on waffle press. Add flours if needed.

Cook on waffle iron until a medium golden color. It will take longer than you expect.

Now fill up your waffle iron about half as much as you usually would and cook. 

Eat immediately with maple syrup and savor the goodness!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins

I've been working a day here and there at the local farmers market for fun. Last week there were tons of strawberries left over at the end of the day. And I realized that I had never made strawberry muffins....why should all the blueberries get all the love? 

These were by far my best gluten-free muffin attempt. And oh, they rose like no gluten-free muffin I've ever tried to make. The recipe was adapted from on the Gluten-Free Goddess 's muffin recipes and I can barely take credit. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour  

• 3 tablespoons mixed flax and chia seed mix (you can also just use ground flax seeds)   

• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed   

• 1/2 cup sorghum flour 

• 1/2 cup potato starch  

• 1 cup coconut sugar 

• 2 teaspoons baking powder 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

• 1/2 cup apple sauce (I was out and used Plum Organics Strawberry Mash!) 

• 3 eggs 

• 1/2 cup milk (rice, oat, soy, or almond all work well) 

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

• 2 cups strawberries, cut into chunks

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners. You can do without the liners, but it works better with them.
For almond meal I just processed almonds, added in the chia/flax seed mixture, and the rest of the flax seeds until all were well blended using a food processor.
Next I mixed all the dry ingredients in a very large bowl and added in the almond and seed mixture.
Mix well.
In a medium sized bowl, I combined all the wet ingredients with my favorite electric mixer.
Lastly, I added in the precious strawberries by folding them in gently.
I considered chocolate chips here but held back. You might be braver!
Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Gogi Nutty Yummy Balls

These are like little sweet energy nuggets. So easy and full of protein and healthy fats. We made about 30 of them and keep them in the fridge for snacks and take along treats. 

Ingredients:

• 10 dates, pits removed
• 1/2 cup gogi berries
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup finely shredded coconut (non-sweetened)
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons raw cocoa powder (if you can't find, any cocoa will do, make sure it's fair trade) 
• optional: 1/2 cup dried blueberries

Food process all your ingredients well (took me 3 minutes on high). Leave out 1/2 cup coconut for rolling balls in. 

Make sure ingredients are well pulverized, no big chunks. 

Dough should be sticky and soft, but not so much that it's sticking to your hands so much that it's hard to form balls. 

Form balls, size of your choice. I like making two sized...acorn sized and walnut sized for a variety of appetites. 

Place coconut on a plate in a thin layer across the plate. Roll balls to cover in coconut and roll one last time in hands. 

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, not touching. 

Place the sheet of balls in the fridge and chill for at least 15 minutes or until hardened. 

Place balls into a jar and keep in fridge to snack on as needed. 

These can also be easily frozen for later. 

Enjoy!

Cherry Pumpkin Seed Corn Bread; gluten-free

Okay, it's not exactly the time for Christmas trees and snowmen, but my boys love anything baked into those shapes any time of year. Especially if it's corn bread. And one of the best things about corn bread (as if you needed another!), is that it's so easy to add yummy and nutritious tidbits to your recipe. 

An easy one, this recipe took about 45 minutes total, mostly baking time. And I wanted to show everyone my new bigger than life mixing bowl. When i first got it, I thought, 'what am I going to with suck a huge bowl'. But it's now my favorite. Nothing ever spills out and I feel very fancy every time I use it. Which in turn makes everything I bake taste better! 

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 & 1/2 finely ground cornmeal
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or starch)
• 1 tbs & 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or any of your choosing)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter (or if vegan: coconut milk; fat and liquid blended together)
• 1 tbs mixed ground chia and flax seeds (optional)
• 6 drops liquid stevia (use 1/2 cup sugar if not using stevia)
• 1 cup milk (or any non-dairy alternative)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (halved)
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (chopped)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat muffin pan with butter or oil. Set aside.

In a big bowl combine rice flour, cornmeal, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter (cooled), seeds, and stevia. 

Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix with an electric mixer until combined.

Now add in your goodies (meaning cherries and pumpkin seeds or whatever suits your sweet tooth).

Fill muffin tins almost full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

If using muffin mold pan for fun shapes, cut baking time to 15 minutes. 

Enjoy with butter, honey, or jam. 

Gluten-Free Waffles with Berry Sauce

Oh my! After many attempts, the recipe is perfected and totally gluten-free. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and oh so good. Make this with or without the berry sauce, but just make it because you won't be disappointed. Use pre-made gluten-free flour mix to make it a bit easier if needed. We love Bob's red mill gluten-free flour. 

Ingredients:

Waffles:

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot (you can also sub potato starch or cornstarch)
• 3/4 cup tapioca flour
• 2 cups milk (or milk sub)
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tbs ground flax and chia seed combo (sub 1/4 tsp xanthan gum)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs (separated)
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened or melted (sub coconut oil or veggie oil for vegan)
• 3 tbsp. coconut sugar (sub 1 drop liquid stevia)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Berry Syrup:

• 2 cups berries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar

For waffles:
Preheat waffle iron. Now get a bunch of bowls out and begin.
Soft all the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, mix milk, vinegar, and add in flax and chia seeds.
 Let sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle and activate the jelliness of the seeds.
In a very small bowl, separate your eggs and reserve the yolks. Beat your whites until they form stiff peaks. (Don't over beat, or they'll fall)
And in the biggest bowl, mix butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
Now add in the egg yolks, mix.
Add in the flour, mix.
Add in the fluffed yolks and fold in carefully to not deflate too much.

Batter will be pretty watery, so test first on waffle press. Add flours if needed.
Cook on waffle iron until a medium golden color. It will take longer than you expect.

For berry sauce:
Blend all sauce ingredients.
Heat or leave cold.
Serve on top of waffles or dip waffles in sauce on the side. I preferred on the side.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

                                     

It's high time that I tried another banana-chocolate chip combo. This is much like my old stand by banana chocolate chip bread, but bunt style and a bit moister. And my absolute favorite part about this ake, is it's great texture!

This recipe is adapted from the great Bette Hagman's The Gluten-Free Gormet Cooks Comfort Foods. She has a great guide to gluten-free flour mixes that is simple and has always turns out great. I made this a mini-bunt cake simply because I thought it'd look really cute. And I was right. I also made a cupcake and a mini loaf version to and they turned out perfect! 

Ingredients: 

• 2/3 cup and 1 tbs brown rice flour
• 2/3 cup and 1 tbs tapioca flour
• 2/3 cup and 1 tbs arrowroot
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large very ripe mashed bananas
• 2/3 cup buttermilk, or milk alternative (add lemon juice to milk if not using buttermilk, but recipe works best with diary milk.)
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup coconut sugar (use 1 and 1/2 cups sugar if not using stevia)
• 10 drops liquid stevia
• 2 tbs ground chia-flax seed mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Use a greased or non-stick bunt pan. 

In a medium bowl, shift all dry ingredients. 

In a large bowl. cream sugar, stevia, and butter. Then add in ground seed mix, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.

Add in mashed bananas and mix with an immersion blender or hand mixer if you have one (cuts down on mashing time). 

Add in flour mix a bit at a time until it's all a nice consistency. Mix for about 1 minute.
Stir in nuts, seeds, and chips.
Pour into pan and bake for 40 minutes. Bake for 55 minutes if making mini loaves.
Let cool a bit before turning over onto a plate. Powdered sugar or your favorite glaze would work well, but we just do it plain and love it. Marvel at your creation!
Now go eat!

Berry Berry Granita Smoothie

My boys are crazy about this newest special treat creation. Treats are a big thing at our house and it's hard to keep it healthy. But I think I've done it. Tons of berries and a few scoops of superfood powders make this very high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. And it's the easiest recipe I've ever posted. Try it, this batch had to be guarded while in the blender so watch those little hands! 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups strawberries
• 2 cups blueberries (any mix of berries will do, frozen or fresh)
• 1 banana (very ripe is best)
• 1/4 pear
• 3 tbs. coconut milk
• 2-3 cups apple or berry juice
• 8 ice cubes (add more if using fresh berries)
• optional:
• 1 scoop Amazing Grass Green Superfood powder- berry flavor
• 1 scoop Innate Response Formulas Kid's multivitamin powder
• 6 drops stevia liquid (if you prefer a sweeter treat)

Now, throw it all in a blender, I love my Ninja, absolutely great for blended treats like this one. 

Blend in high for 1-2  minutes or until it's smooth and to your liking. 

It should resemble the consistency of very soft ice cream. 

Have spoon waiting and ready, serve and enjoy watching everyone go crazy! 

The Best Gluten-Free Quinoa Cookies

I had my doubts, but it's true you can make really good cookies and have them be healthy. Quinoa is the only grain that is a whole protein and has tons of vitamins and minerals. It's also so easy to cook...about 10 minutes and no fuss.

I added both sugar and dates to these cookies for some variety and it still keeps the glycemic index down a bit.

Here's the good stuff:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature or melted
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or other sweetener)
• 12 pitted dates
• 2 eggs (or 2 tablespoons flax seed processed with 2 tablespoons water, mix until frothy)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces or other favorite nut

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. 

Using a food processor, mix butter, sugar, and dates until it becomes a paste. 

Add eggs and extracts and mix until fluffy.

Remove from processor and transfer to a large bowl. 

Mix in flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. 

Then, add quinoa, oats, cranberries, and nuts. 

Spoon dough in 2-tablespoon portions onto prepared sheets.

Bake cookies until golden, approximately 30 minutes. Timing is tricky with gluten free baking, so just check on them until they are a nice golden brown-blondish. 

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
These can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Cake

A great little snack. Here is a gluten-free variation of The Country Cook's version. And yes, it's been great as a breakfast treat. I made a double recipe, cut, and wrapped up half to freeze. I was not sure what flour mixture to use, but I've come to love an arrowroot and brown rice flour mix. If you'd like to learn more about mixing your own gluten-free flour mixes check out Gluten-Free Girl's posting. She breaks I all down for us novices. Now let's get down to business. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp orange or lemon zest
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup agave
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp GF vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup arrowroot 
• 1&1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup rice milk (cow milk, almond, hemp, or oat milks all work as well)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I prefer to use parchment paper and lined a 9X9 baking dish. You can also butter the dish instead. 
2. I melted the butter because I did not have softened butter and it worked well. Add sugar, vanilla, and agave and beat with a mixer. 
3. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. 
4. Save 1/4 cup flour flour blueberries.
5. Slowly add in flour and milk alternating until all combined. 
6. Toss blueberries in flour and then add to batter. 
7. Bake for 60-80 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Gluten-free baking takes a really long time, but set a timer. I've forgotten a few times and it really sucks when you're expecting a tasty treat!) 

Blueberry Green Smoothie

Oh, there is nothing quite like a cold smoothie on a hot summers day, or really any day for that matter. 

Now, not every smoothie is equal. The keys to a good smoothie are banana and ice. Bananas add that creamy texture and sweetness that really makes a smoothie a good one. And the ice creates a frozen treat that seems like more desert than healthy drink. 

For my boys, it takes a little extra to get them to eat anything that is a veggie. So here is where I hide them. You'd never know this smoothie has beet greens and a superfoods powder. 

Blueberry Smoothie Recipe:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 peach, pear, or nectarine
• 1 banana (frozen is good if you've got some)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk 
• 1 cup beet greens, spinach, or kale (stems removed if really tough)
• 8 ice cubes
• 1 scoop Amazing Grass Green Superfood (berry flavor is good and tons of nutrients. It has wheat in it but before the seeds are produced, it's supposed to be gluten-free and works well for us)

Optional:

• 2 tablespoons agave, honey, or maple syrup (if you want to make sure the kids will devour it)

Now, I love my new blender. I was skeptical, because it's advertised on TV. But The Ninja Professional Blender is really amazing. It has blades in the bottom, middle, and upper parts of the blender, so it works really well and fast. I must use it several times a week and it's a great smoothie maker. And when I saw two chefs standing in line to buy one, I was suckered in. 

So my point is, get out your blender.

Then, place all the ingredients in and blend away for about 1/2 minute or until smooth. Adjust with more ice or water until you get your desired consistency. I like mine like yogurt. Stick in a straw, or if you want to get fancy, add a few flowers and serve. Makes 3 large glassfuls. 

Gluten-Free Baked Berry Oatmeal

We must make this at least once to four times a month. It's huge but lasts about  a week. This is yet another inspired creation from one of my fave cooks, Heidi Swanson. This recipe was adapted from her newest book, Super Natural Everyday with a few adjustments for the finer pallets in the family. Mainly, Chef Fox. 

But as you see above, it passed the Hand Test. The Hand Test is a very good indicator of whether or not the dish will be a hit. If it doesn't even make it to the oven without a hand creeping over to steel a taste, it has passed. 

Ingredients

Dry:

• 2-3 large bananas (cut into slices)
• 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill because they ensure that their line of GF grains are truly gluten-free)
• 1-2 cups finely shredded coconut
• 2 cups chopped walnuts (or other favorite nuts)
• 1/2-1 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Wet: 

• 3 cups almond milk (rice, soy, etc. work fine, but don't use regular milk. I tried it and the results were awful!)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1-2 tablespoons vanilla
• 10 drops liquid stevia (optional-if you like your sweeter)
• 2-4 cups berries: I used blueberry and strawberries, but get creative!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Butter a large lasagna pan and layer the sliced bananas on the bottom in 1 to 2 layers. Then, mix up your dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl. Pour 1/2 of mixture over bananas. Add a layer of berries. And again the rest of the dry oat mixture. Top with the remaining berries. 

Mix all your wet ingredients, Chef Fox likes to add the butter last. Pour over oat mixture and give a few thunks of the pan to make sure it seeps all the way down into the pan and wets everything. It should look a bit wet and soggy on the top, but not swimming in liquid. Adjust as necessary. Now bake for 45 minutes. After taking out of the oven, let the oatmeal sit for at least 10 minutes to settle and cool off a bit. Enjoy with yogurt or milk or ice cream or simply alone. Add maple syrup as needed, because you know we all need a little maple syrup in our lives. 

Breakfast Porrige- gluten-free and delicious!

I have to admit, it doesn't look like much to write about, but just try it. One thing I realized after seeing this picture was that I'm in desperate need of a good camera. Most of my cooking goes on after 9pm and hence I'm trying to take pictures by oven light. 

But let's get on to the god stuff. I'm not sure what I ate for breakfast before learning how to make a good porridge. It's delicious and fills you up....not like a brick, but like a good healthy meal should. I use steal cut oats because I never particularly liked the slimy texture of rolled oats. Steel cut still have some of that sticky quality but not nearly as much. The fiber is fantastic, like a broom for your insides and has been said to decrease your chances of cancer and other diseases. It also can help those trying to maintain a healthy weight. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 apple, cut into small chunks
• 1/4-1/2 banana, cut into small chunks
• small amounts of cinnamon, powdered ginger, vanilla to taste
• Add any of the following to satisfy your tastes:
• chopped walnuts
• sunflower seeds
• chopped dried cherries  (while cooking)
• dried cranberries (while cooking)
• chopped pears
• shredded coconut (while cooking)
• honey, agave, maple syrup, stevia....your choice

Bring water to a boil, add oats and raisins. Boil for about 5 minutes then add the rest of your ingredients. Turn down heat to medium and make sure to stir often or you'll have burnt porridge. Add seeds and nuts at end to preserve the good fats in them. Add sweetener if desired, but with all the fruit, you may not need it. And enjoy breakfast!

Healthy Blueberry Pancakes - wheat free, dairy free, and sugar free

I would make everything in mason jars if I could. But pancakes is one of those things that's just easy to make in a mason jar and it looks so fabulous all packed in there. So here it is, healthy blueberry pancakes. 

Pancakes should be eaten in every families house at least once a week in my opinion and my kids agree. But I add a few extras to make them more nutritious. Otherwise, you're just feeding your kids bread and sugar, the staple of most American diets these days. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cups gluten-free pancake mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup almond meal (or process a handful of almonds to a fine meal)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup rice milk (or any kind of nut milk)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbs olive oil or melted coconut oil
• frozen blueberries 
• real maple syrup
• 1 tbs. coconut sugar (optional, but yumm)

Preheat your griddle to medium heat and grease with coconut oil. Then, put all your ingredients in your mason jar and get out your handy immersion blender or just blend up with a fork. You can also just shake it all up for a few minutes, but you might have some chunks left over. I love my immersion blender, no chunks to worry about. Then, add frozen blueberries. Don't defrost them, they'll get all funky. 

Now your ready to make some pancakes. you can pour from the jar or ladle them out. Cook until there are a lot of bubbles on the surface of your pancake. But not long enough for them to start looking dry. The key with gluten-free pancakes is to cook them just long enough to be fully cooked, but not dry. I find that they take just a bit longer than traditional pancakes. 

Make sure your helper takes them directly to the table where hungry folks await! Enjoy with maple syrup, the real stuff!