Alternatives

Thank goodness for alternatives. I love that there is usually more than one way to do things. In the mathematical department (so i've heard), there is more than one way to solve a problem. Can't go running because your joints bother you? Start swimming. Can't eat gluten, dairy, or eggs? In the kitchen, there are still alternatives that make baking possible. I'm sure there are much more creative examples i could have come up with, but this last one pertains to me in particular.

I've been on a detox diet now for over a month. It was prompted by a visit to my naturopath and i've been on a road of exploration and discovery in the kitchen (especially in the baking department) since then. There is something about biting into a piece of freshly baked something or other that is unlike anything else. And when you are used to using gluten based flours as your primary ingredient in baking, you kind of have to relearn everything you know about baking.Thanks to the world wide web, and avid alternative flour experimenters, i have gained access to a plethora of gluten, dairy and egg free recipes, for free! I'm not going to get into the politics of eating gluten and dairy free, but eating this way has definitely improved my general well-being, and i wanted to share some of the treats i've been making for myself.

Almond Thyme crackers were my first endeavor. I found the recipe on this website.

It's nice to have something you can snack on now and then since almost everything else in the munchies category from the grocery store is on the "no" list.

It's fall out here right now and somehow eating muffins feels like a fall-ish kind of thing to do. I forget where i found this recipe for teff-carrot muffins. One of these heated up with a pat of coconut oil? yum. (coconut oil is my alternative to butter).

And my most favorite baked treat so far...

These sweet buckwheat cinnamon rolls from the Making Love in the Kitchen blog. I hadn't really had anything sweet for sooo long and these were like heaven. Instead of using brown sugar, this recipe calls for coconut crystals/sugar which apparently has a lower Glycemic index than sugar. Definitely not the same as eating a fluffy wheat (and butter) based cinnamon bun, but tasty none the less.

Let's hear it for alternatives!