Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1 cup water, heated to 110 F

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons raw brown sugar

1 packet GF dry yeast

4 large eggs

3 cups all purpose GF flour

1 cup raisins

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons apple juice

1/4 cup grape seed oil

Grease a 9" by 5 " loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 200 F

Mix water with sugar, molasses, and yeast, then set aside until it starts to foam (about 5 minutes).

Beat eggs, apple juice, and oil to combine, followed by whisking in the yeast mixture.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and use a dough hook paddle to fold in raisins.

Add to prepared loaf pan. Place in the warm oven and turn it off. Allow to double in size (about 2 hours).

Remove from the oven and preheat oven to 375 F

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.

9 Pudding Recipes Better Than The Store-Bought Variety

www.huffingtonpost.com - February 29th, 2012

In terms of cooking difficulty, pudding is one of the simplest desserts you can make -- though you would never know it from its silky, satisfying taste. But for one reason or another, we tend to opt for just a little more convenience by buying the store-bought kind (where all we have to do is mix the powder packet with milk, or better yet, just peel pack the foil seal).

Have you ever stopped to look at what's in your convenient pudding treat? We all know that it isn't just the simple combination of eggs, milk, sugar and cornstarch like when we make it from scratch. But you might be surprised by some of the ingredients that have made their way into your dessert. A typical ingredient list can include: non-fat milk, sugar, dextrose, partially hydrogenated palm oil, modified cornstarch, natural and artificial flavor, salt disodium phosphate, yellow 5, yellow 6, artificial color and BHA.

While most of those ingredients are fairly standard, there are a few on the list that aren't exactly harmless:

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)

BHA is a preservative that's used primarily in food, food packaging, animal feed, cosmetics, rubber and petroleum. (Yum, instant pudding shares a similar material to the gloves you may use for cleaning your home.) There's quite a bit of controversy surrounding BHA. Some studies have linked this preservative with an increased risk of cancer. It hasn't yet been confirmed in humans, but the state of California felt there was enough evidence to list it as an official carcinogen. Not exactly what you want to be ingesting with your dessert.

Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils -- which contain trans fats -- have been called out for some time now as an unacceptable ingredient in our processed foods. Many companies have removed it from their food products, but some store-bought puddings are behind the times -- meaning this undesirable ingredient can still be found in a number of our instant puddings. Trans fats have been linked to increased risks of coronary heart disease. Some studies have also suggested that it can elevate the risk of diabetes, obestiy and Alzheimer's -- just a couple of maladies off the long list of health issues resulting from trans fat consumption.

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Orange Chicken

2 pounds chicken wings and/or drumlets

1 large orange, juice and zest

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1/2 cup raw honey

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Combine all the ingredients.  Season with sea salt and black pepper.  Pour into a large 11" X 15" casserole dish and bake for 1 hour or until crispy and cooked.  Make sure to turn the chicken frequently.

This is tasty, but still healthy!

Convenience Foods Versus Convenient Foods

www.seacoastonline.com - February 26th, 2012

As our lifestyles have become busier, there has been an increasing demand for quick and easy foods from the grocery store.

Everyone seems to be in a hurry and one of the short-cuts happens in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the "convenience foods" that arose out of this trend were not always on the positive side of health. Many were more highly processed (often resulting in fewer nutrients), high in preservatives and other additives, high in sodium, higher in calories, low in fiber, high in saturated and/or trans fat, or high in sugar.

Besides the potentially negative impact on health, studies looking at the efficiency of using these foods did not always show a significant amount of time-saving when compared to lesser use of these products. Cost was often higher as well.

Rather than choosing "convenience foods," a solution might be to stock up on "convenient foods." These would be food items that retain much of their nutritional value without all of the less healthful negatives of processed foods, while still contributing to time efficiency. These foods can be added to a family's standard grocery list so that they are always available, reducing the need for extra trips to the grocery store.

In looking for convenient foods to add to your shopping cart, reading food labels can help you to choose those that are lower in sodium, saturated or trans fat, and sugar. Watch out for "flavor packets" as these tend to include a lot of sodium and other food additives. You may want to use only minimal amounts of the contents of these packets, or omit them. You can also omit or minimize any added butter called for in the directions.

Time-saving but healthy items for breakfast might include unsweetened oatmeal packets, eggs, whole grain bread products, or high fiber/low sugar cereals. Frozen fruit without added sugar is perfect for a quick fruit and yogurt smoothie or for making fruit sauces to top french toast, waffles, pancakes, hot cereal, yogurt, or pudding.

Some other meal and snack ideas that are ready-to-eat without any preparation (except maybe portioning them out for individual serving sizes) are nuts, seeds, and soy nuts. Many people would benefit from the unsalted versions of these.

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