Pumpkin Pie in a Glass...

I went to the pumpkin patch for the first time last week.
That's right...I'd never been to an actual pumpkin patch...but now I have :)

How to Make Sweet Potato Chips

I can tell that, as the seasons are changing, I am craving different foods...especially vegetables. I no longer crave summer squash like zucchini and yellow squash, but want to make all things pumpkin, along with butternut squash (my favorite), and potatoes. Okay, so potatoes are not a vegetable, but close enough, and they definitely say "comfort food" to me. Baked potatoes, roasted potatoes, and of course these sweet potato chips.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Two Ways

These muffins can be used with either the whole grain flour blend, or almond flour (if you want to make them grain free and Paleo). Depending on which one you use, the amount of oil will be altered. Other than that, both recipes are made the same way.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins - from Elana's Pantry

Last fall, my baking obsession was apples...This year, I think it's pumpkin/ winter squash.
I've been saving these until it was closer to fall...I think it is officially fall now! I've been preparing for fall since the beginning of September. This is my favorite season, so as soon as the weather stopped being in the 100's every day, I slowly began changing the house for the arrival of fall.

No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Tarts (grain free)

This month's Gluten Free Ratio Rally challenge: tarts...Savory tarts, sweet tarts...with the rally crew, you never know what kind of creative masterpieces you'll run across! This month, I see that there are some new bloggers! So if that's you, welcome to the rally :)

Sundried Tomato & Basil Tortillas

Time for the Gluten Free Ratio Rally! I'm glad this month's challenge was tortillas OR wraps...because mine ended up like a cross between the two. Actually, mine ended up more like a pancake. Or maybe skillet flatbreads would be a more accurate description. Whatever they should be called, I think this combination definitely will be experimented with in the near future! :)

Fresh Basil Pesto

This week, when I realized I hadn't posted a recipe in over a week and a half, I had every intention of experimenting in the kitchen, and sharing an at least slightly complicated recipe with you--and proceed on wowing you with my expertise :)

Grain-Free Meatballs and Flat bread

Just wanted to share a couple links to good recipes that I've run across this week...

Easy Veggie Quiche

This recipe is very flexible...It's pretty much a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. That's one thing I love about quiche! :)

Zippy Garlic Crackers (grain free)

Happy Independence Day! (for those of you in the States!)
It's time for July's Gluten Free Ratio Rally. This month's challenge was crackers and breadsticks. So, with the summer months blazing, you'll have plenty of new recipes to try for any upcoming picnics and road trips!

Nutty Chocolate Candy

This recipe comes from this post at Daily Bites. The only difference is that I used half the nuts her recipe calls for. It's very quick and easy, and is the perfect fix for my chocolate cravings...it sort of reminds me of peanut M&M's, just because of the crunchy nuts swallowed in chocolate :)

Cherry Berry "Cereal"

Happy Saturday!

I've enjoyed this Paleo "cereal" so much, that one day I decided to make a different version of it: I call it Cherry Berry Cereal :)

The Apricot Chronicles, Part 2

Here's another apricot post! This is one of my favorites :) I've enjoyed my recipes such as this apple crumble so much, that I decided to make one out of apricots. Since the skin on the apricots is so soft, you may be able to make this without peeling the fruit....just cut in half and take the seeds out. I haven't tried it this way, but I think it would work just as well (whatever your preference is).

The Apricot Chronicles, Part 1

This week, a family from my church gave me the privilege of picking fresh apricots from their tree in the backyard. There's nothing quite like fresh fruit--juicy, still warm from the summer sun...yummy! :)

Meals that Freeze Well

This has been on my mind lately, so I thought I'd share it:
Father's Day four years ago was a time I will never forget. And it didn't really have much of anything to do with the actual holiday, except that it made it a day where I always remember. Four years today, actually. Read more in my previous blog post here. Then you can come back to this page :)

Chocolate Pudding Pie

For those of you who have seen the movie The Help, I hope you'll forgive me for putting in this recipe for Chocolate Pudding Pie...Hopefully it won't scare you away, and you'll still try this! I promise, the only mystery ingredients in this pie are good-for-you ingredients! ;)

Never too much ice cream :)

I've been saving this one...And at this point, you may be sick of all my ice cream posts. But you haven't seen the last of them! And with it being summer and all, I thought it appropriate to share this recipe for Coconut Chai ice cream. 
Maybe I should just do a whole month of ice cream recipes! :)

Summer...

It's summer! I took this photo a few days ago while driving...

We have been having the weirdest summer weather this week. Earlier in the week, it rained for a couple days, and then it's been overcast and misty for the rest of the week...Very strange for West Texas. But I'm not complaining :) I love the moisture, and I know it's helping the farmers in our area....Yay for no more drought! :)

When Friends Gather

Having just finished a week-long vacation with my family, of course I wanted to come home and immediately duplicate some of the yummy things that I tasted there. Over the next several posts, I'm going to share some recipes that I felt deserved special recognition.

Learning gratitude...

 Permit me to diverge from my normal blog pattern for a moment, and share a little of what's been on my heart (nudged by this post on gratefulness, and this beautiful site that inspires me to try to "capture beauty" with my camera).