Grain Free Crumb Cake

   I love my great grandma dearly. 
   She is one of the strongest women I know; she lived on a farm for 95 years and did more than her of the work before and after she was widowed at 53, her first child was stillborn and her youngest son died when he was 25. 
    She is one of the hardest workers I know; at 85 she could still work circles around people a quarter her age and at 99 she can still snip beans with the best of them! 
    She was an amazing cook; and I mean amazing! Pies, cookies, soups, roasts, pickles, canned peaches, you name it! And man were they good! 
    She was, and still is, a teacher at heart; Canning, cooking, crocheting, gardening: if you were willing to learn, she was more than happy to teach you. Every time we visited when she was still on the farm we would make a crumb cake together. Each time she would show me exactly how to do each step, so I would know how do do everything just right. Those are some of my most cherished memories. I have never been able to make a crumb cake quite as good as hers.
    She always made sure you were taken care of. She never has been much of a hugger, or one to say I love you a lot, but you never doubt that she does. She showed you how much she cared by taking care of you. You never went hungry when you were at her house! Whenever we would go visit her at the farm she would have made a no-bake cherry pie for me, a crumb cake for my mom, and a sour cream raising pie for my dad. She'd also have cookies in the freezer, a roast in the oven and fresh strawberries! Which leads me to the next thing... 
    She was an avid gardener! She had a garden until she was into her 90's! And oh, her strawberry patch! My mouth still waters just thinking about her strawberries! I'm tellin' ya, they were like candy! She taught my dad everything he knows and now he has passed it along to me. I guess you could say that good ole black, Iowa dirt is in my blood.
    And last but not least, she is German; she is spunky, she is sassy, she is blunt, she is opinionated, she is set in her ways, she is determined (okay, stubborn...), but she is sweet, caring and funny. She's just Great B! And her 100th birthday is the last day of this month! 
    So, as a tribute to such an amazing woman, I've decided to work on making some of her best recipes grain free, and posting the ones that convert best during her birthday month.

I decided to start with my very favorite recipe of all - Her crumb cake! And I am thrilled with how it turned out, and my dad who grew up eating it was equally thrilled! It is SO close to hers, for a moment I was transported back to her kitchen table! I hope you enjoy this little piece of my childhood!

Click here for her original recipe.

Great B's Crumb Cake - The Grain Free Version!
*edited

Batter
2 1/2 3 TBSP coconut flour
1 c + 2 TBSP chestnut flour 
2 TBSP coconut sap sugar
5 1/2 TBSP butter, softened slightly and cubed
1/2 c honey
2 tsp vanilla (the real stuff, of course!)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda 
2/3 c buttermilk 
3 eggs

Crumb Topping: 
1/4 c + 1 TBSP chestnut flour
1 TBSP almond flour 2 TBSP ground pecans 
2 1/2 3 TBSP coconut sap sugar
1 1/2 TBSP butter, softened slightly and cubed
1/8 tsp salt 

In a small bowl combine the crumb topping ingredients. Using your hands or a pastry blender to mix the ingredients together until you have fine crumbs resembling wet sand. Set aside.

Add the baking soda to the buttermilk and stir. Set aside. In a large bowl, repeat with the first four batter ingredients.
Then add all of the rest of the ingredients.
When you have everything in the bowl, with a hand mixer beat it until it is light and fluffy and has lightened in color quite a bit. Pour into an 8"x8" pan lined with parchment and sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top bounces back when lightly pressed. Cover it with tin foil while it cools to keep it moist. 

Note: It tastes best once it has cooled completely.

Enjoy! If you make it, I would love to hear how yours turns out!

Great B and I - Thanksgiving 2013

And the Bible verse of the week!

"Listen to counsel and receive instruction,

that you may eventually become wise."

Proverbs 19:20

Grain-Free Skillet Cookie

Yes, you read that correctly. A grain-free skillet cookie! This was one  of our favorites in our pre-grain free days, and I'm tellin' ya, the grain-free version is just as good! And just as easy too!


Grain-Free Skillet Cookie
1 stick of butter (salted, grass-fed is best)
1/2 c raw honey
1/3 c coconut sap sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff of course!)
2 eggs 
1 TBSP milk
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c coconut flour
3/4 c chestnut flour
2 TBSP tapioca starch
1/3 c mini chocolate chips (we use enjoy life brand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Melt the butter in an 8 inch cast iron skillet set over medium-low heat. Stir in the honey, sugar, and vanilla and remove from heat. Let it rest until the pan is warm, but no longer very hot, about 3-5 minutes.


Crack the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, and use a fork to whisk it into the mixture. Place flours, starch, baking soda, and salt on top, and very carefully stir into the mixture until smooth and well-mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place in the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until it turns golden on the top and around the edges, but still slightly soft in the center. Serve with vanilla ice cream (homemade is best, of course!), whipped cream or just a fork!

Note: It is best after it has chilled over night. Grain free baked good generally taste better after they have cooled, not sure why and it's kind of sad if you ask me, but this is my experience...

Enjoy! I'd love to hear how yours turn out!

And the Bible verse of the week!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, 

for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather 

boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that 

the power of Christ may dwell with me.

  -  2 Cor. 12:9

I'm Back!

    I'm back!!! It's been a while since I've posted... Okay, like 2 years... So as you can imagine a few things have changed!
    We are now mostly paleo and practically completely grain-free. But that doesn't stop me from doing one of my favorite things - cooking, especially baking! I will be sharing my favorite paleo/grain free recipes along with some gardening tips and updates sprinkled in! 

  To get to know me better, click here!

How to get rid of pesky pests

Thankfully, so far, our garden has been spared from the nasty pests that are prowling around gardens this time of year. But I know lots of gardens are being ran-sacked by insect invaders. 

Hopefully I can help :)  

My family and I try to grow our garden as organically as we can so I'll share some natural ways to control pests.

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If you have whiteflies you can try home-made insect spray.


Whitefly Spray
2 Tbsp dish soap 
2 Tbsp safflower oil
1 gallon water


Pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle and shake to combine. Because the mixture contains oil, you will need to shake it well before each use, as the oil will separate from the water and detergent.

(I got this recipe from ehow.com, click here for the original link)

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If slugs have decided to inhabit your garden, you can try home-made garlic spray. This also works for cutworms, wireworms and whiteflies. 

Garlic Spray for Pests

1 garlic bulb, crushed and minced
1 quart water
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

In a large jar, measure the water and cayenne pepper. Add garlic and onion to the mixture. Wait an hour before adding the soap. The spicy ingredients must sort of stew or steep, almost like tea. After an hour, add the soap and your non-toxic spray is ready to use! This can be stored in the fridge for a week.

(I got the original recipe for the garlic spray from essortment.com, click here for the original recipe and more home-made pesticide recipes.)

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If cabbage worms are devouring your plant, try salt spray.

Salt Spray

1 gallon water
2 Tbsp salt

Just mix and spray!

(I also got this recipe from essortment.com)

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If aphids are your problem, you can enlist the help of ladybugs. 

Praying mantises are also helpful with pest control.

If fungus gnats are a problem you can try hypoaspis miles.

If you have a variety of pests, an abundance of aphids or whiteflies that won't go away, I suggest green lacewings.

Their larvae eat a variety of pests such as: aphids, thrips, spider mites, greenhouse whitefly, mealybugs, leafhoppers, and the eggs and caterpillars of most pest moths. Of all available commercial predators, this lacewing is the most voracious and has the greatest versatility for pests of field crops, orchards, and greenhouses. Lacewings are also known as "aphid lions".

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If you're looking to kill the bugs and you're not worried about having an organic garden, my great grandma always used "Sevin" dust. You can find it pretty much anywhere, including The Green Thumbers. The Green Thumbers also has a wide variety of organic gardening products, as well as employees with a vast array of knowledge about eliminating pests from your garden.

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I hope this helps! I would love to hear about your bug remedies, and if you try any of these ideas I would love to hear how they work out!

Strawberry Dessert Anyone?

Yesterday we got 15 lbs. of strawberries. Yes, you read that correctly. 15 lbs. of strawberries! Not that they'll last very long, our family LOVES strawberries! I thought with strawberry season in full gear I would share one of our favorites. "Strawberry Dessert" is a staple at Bonnstetter family gatherings and holidays, I don't think I've ever been to a Bonnstetter get-together where it was missing in action!

We tweaked the recipe a bit so it doesn't include any packaged foods, but it still tastes just as good!

Strawberry Dessert

1st layer:

1 c flour 

1/4 c sugar 

1/2 c butter

1/2 c pecans, chopped

2nd layer:

1, 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 c powdered sugar

1/2 c heavy cream whipped

3rd layer:

1 c sugar
1 c water
1/4 c cornstarch
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 c strawberries, sliced


1st layer: Combine all the ingredients for the first layer using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Press into a 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch it closely, it burns easily. Let cool.
2nd layer: Whip heavy cream. In a separate bowl cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread onto the cooled crust.
3rd layer: Place all the ingredients for the third layer in a double boiler and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat until thick, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the strawberries. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes at room temperature. Pour over the first two layers that have chilled. Chill for 3 hours before serving. 

Enjoy!

You can find the original recipe in "A Century Of Cylinder Cooking", a cook book made by the women of my dad's home town, Cylinder, IA.

Chicken Stir-Fry

This year we decided to plant snap peas, and in the last week or so they have been putting on blossoms like crazy! We've even gotten a few peas already. It got me thinking, snap peas are delicious in stir fries. My family already has a stir fry recipe that we love, so why not add snap peas to it? The recipe calls for summer squash so if you're growing patty-pan squash, crook-neck squash or zucchini, you can use your own garden produce when it is ready to harvest. I recommend using baby squash, otherwise the dish gets a bit seedy.

Garlic Chicken Stir Fry
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1 cup edible pod peas
2 baby zucchini, thinly sliced
2 baby crookneck (yellow) squash, thinly sliced
Patty pan squash, thinly sliced, can be used, as well as any combination of the above-named squash)
salt and pepper to taste


Saute the onion and garlic and onion until they become soft. Add chicken, salting with each addition, and cook until almost cooked through. Add the sliced squash and cook until they start to become tender. Add the peas and cook just until they are warmed through.

Enjoy!

In quiche you didn't know

As a gardener, I am always trying think of new recipes that use the produce I grow. One of my favorite dishes is the Quiche. I love how versatile it is, you can add almost anything to it to make the recipe your own. This one of our favorite variations.


Kitchen Sink Quiche

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk 

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup gouda cheese

1/2 cup white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup cooked broccoli, mashed

1 chopped onion, caramelized in olive oil

1/2 cup cooked bacon or sausage

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp basil leaves, chopped

1 1/4 tsp thyme leaves, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 single pie crust

Pre-bake your pie crust. Sprinkle the gouda and cheddar cheeses onto the hot pie crust. Caramelize the onion, take off the heat and add the herbs. Spread the onion mixture on top of the cheese, the broccoli on top of the cheese, and the  meat on top of the broccoli. In a large bowl scramble the eggs and milk together, add the garlic powder, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Pour egg mixture over the crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before eating.

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

For Great B's lard pie crust recipe see "A Heavenly Dessert"