The Best Gluten Free Waffles EVER!

I am really patting myself on the back for this one (even more than I did for the Blackberry Frozen Yogurt). 

It is incredibly difficult to find a recipe for gluten free waffles that actually works. They're always too dry, too crumbly, don't cook in the middle, can't be made vegan, etc etc

But I have solved this persistent problem!

Well, persistent for those of us in the Celiac/Gluten intolerant/Gluten allergic/Vegan world

If you aren't in one of those categories and are reading this then I must politely say screw you, you get to eat normal gluten-filled delicious fluffy waffles.

I'm obviously just incredibly jealous. Darn my gluten intolerance, it ruins everything delicious for me.

BUT NOT ANYMORE! I can now eat these amazing waffles =]

(Look, I know I'm awful at food photography. I usually just don't even attempt it. But I didn't think anyone would believe me about these waffles without pictures. PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!)

 

The Best Gluten Free Waffles EVAR 

*vegan and non-vegan options

1 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. sugar (I used coconut sugar)

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar*
Ener-g egg replacer for 2 eggs or 2 eggs if not vegan
*You can use just coconut milk or just almond, I like to mix them. Add the lemon juice/vinegar to the milk and let stand for 10 minutes (this makes it into a vegan "buttermilk" for fluffy waffles)

Mix the dry ingredients together REALLY WELL in a bowl and mix the wet ingredients in another. Combine the dry and wet and stir until smooth.
Heat the waffle iron and add the batter, cooking until brown. This varies based on the type of iron you have, it takes mine about 3 minutes.

Let the waffles cool on a cookie rack until ready to eat.

Optional add-ins: blueberries, raspberries, dark chocolate chips ;)

The Little Owlet enjoying one of the chocolate chip ones. He didn't even ask for syrup. That's confirmation that they're delicious in my book.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt

I love Pinterest. It's an addiction! I love browsing the humor section, the popular pins, hair and beauty, fashion, and I especially love the food pins. There are many amazing food pins that link to great food blogs. While there are quite a few vegan/dairy free/gluten free recipes, sometimes I find a great recipe that needs some tweaking to fit into our diet preferences.

I found a recipe for Blackberry Frozen Yogurt that used dairy. It used yogurt cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Now, many of you might know that there is no pre-made dairy free replacement for sweetened condensed milk. So I set out to make my own!

If you need or want the recipe to be dairy free, it is well worth it to take the time to concoct the dairy-free condensed milk. I promise!

Dairy-free Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 can full fat coconut milk

1/4 cup agave nectar

Combine the coconut milk and agave in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture is the texture of a thick syrup. Let cool in the fridge or in the freezer if you need it speedier until ready to prepare the frozen yogurt.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt

1 batch of Dairy-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk, cooled

2 pints of organic blackberries, frozen

1 container coconut/soy/almond yogurt (I used plain coconut yogurt)

Combine the yogurt and sweetened condensed milk and add the frozen blackberries slowly and blend until smooth. You can place in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions or do what I did and simply place  in the freezer until ready to serve.

The Little Owlet is crazy about it! Who can blame him? It is sweet, creamy, and icy just in time for the budding warmth of Spring.

I imagine it would be just as delicious when made with other berries. I plan on making it again soon with raspberries. 

Green Smoothie Recipes + Other Recipes

I had food poisoning last week. It was no fun of course. I was in the bed for two days straight and then the third day, things were still pretty shaky. I was finally able to eat pretty normally on the fourth day.

The point of that story is that I was very sick and unable to go anywhere, most importantly the grocery store. We were out of EVERYTHING. 

I finally went on Monday. I went to the store and also to Whole Foods because I was out of nutritional yeast, virgin unrefined coconut oil, hemp seeds, and other essentials that I buy there. I also got some very special ingredients to make The Little Owlet super special gluten free vegan pancakes on Thursday.

Because he is turning 2!

I can hardly believe it.

I also got the ingredients to make him homemade Blackberry Sorbet. What a treat! I'm even making my own vegan version of sweetened condensed milk. I'll post the recipe on Thursday hopefully with some pictures!

I've been drinking my Shakeology every day because, honestly, it makes me feel better. It gives me energy that I didn't have before. And it's not just a protein powder, it has many superfoods in it as well as herbs and matcha green tea! 

I am a Beachbody Coach but I wouldn't have become a coach or recommend Shakeology if I didn't believe in it 100%.

My go to Shakeology Chocolate Green Monster Smoothie:

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup organic baby spinach

1 cup frozen organic kale, chopped

1 cup blueberries

Optional: 1 serving Chocolate Vegan Shakeology or other chocolate protein powder or 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Place all the ingredients in the blender and BLEND! This works without Shakeology but make sure to use a chocolate product or cocoa powder to make it a chocolate green smoothie =]

As always, feel free to email me with questions about anything: 

thomi_marshall@yahoo.com

Beachbody Special!

 I'm running a Beachbody special! Anyone who orders Shakeology HD or a Challenge Pack from me before midnight PST on Sunday March 31st (this coming Sunday!) gets a free Shakeology shaker cup!!!!

This is a great deal, email me for more details or if you have any questions: thomi_marshall@yahoo.com

My Beachbody Coach site to browse and buy:

Thomi Marshall Beachbody Coach

Thanks for looking!

When The Little Owlet is Sick

My sweet baby is sick. He woke up with both eyes infected. The right eye was red and swollen shut. I was very worried and freaked out but Little Owlet just played and had the same attitude as usual. He's so funny, he always acts the same. Rotten, goofy, and sweet. He's just been more tired today and wanted to cuddle (I don't mind at all!). 

We went to the doctor and then stayed home the rest of the day. It was nice to relax with him and snuggle on the couch.

And we got a lovely Valentine's Day surprise from Mimi (my mother)

It was an organic fruit basket from Cherry Moon Farms!

No working out today for me although I might get some in during work on my computer this evening. I will work for about 3 hours and I like to walk around/stretch/or do some quick exercises every so often. I noticed that after I started working on the computer that my hips got very tight and painful so I have to stretch daily now.

I turn 25 this weekend and I feel like I'm already complaining like an old lady about my hips haha!

Any tips on supplements that can keep my muscles and joints young would be much appreciated =]

I lost a lot of flexibility during my pregnancy and haven't been able to gain it back even though I stretch daily.

The Little Owlet's Favorite Green Smoothie

I made a Shakeology smoothie this morning to start my day. The Little Owlet tried to steal it, as usual. So I whipped this green smoothie up for him which he LOVES!

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 frozen organic peach

1/2 cup organic mango chunks

1/4 scoop Vega One Vanilla Chai (for plant based protein)

1 handful organic baby spinach

He drank it too fast and got brain freeze, poor little guy looking grumpy.

My Shakeology smoothie:

1 packet Chocolate Vegan Shakeology

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 frozen banana

2/3 cup frozen organic strawberries

2 handfuls organic baby spinach

I let him drink my Shakeology sometimes, but I don't like for him to have chocolate. I let The Little Owlet have some of my Tropical Vegan Shakeology though and he devours it.

 

Like my page on Facebook for more updates from me and The Little Owlet!

The Healthy Owlet

 

My workout for today

I had a relaxed weekend. I went home to WV because my mom was throwing a surprise party for my baby brother on Saturday. It was a blast! It was Walking Dead themed with brain cupcakes, a zombie cake, and "bloody" cocktails. I drank of course so I'm paying for it now. Here's the workout I did today to start my week off right:


20 jumping jacks
20 side leg lifts (each side)
30 jumping jacks
40 squats
20 lunges
20 jumping jacks
20 side lunges
30 jumping jacks
20 butt kickers (each)
100 standing crunches

And stretching afterward. I've been having some issues with tight hips and hamstrings so I stretch every day trying to become more flexible and relieve some of the tension in my muscles. After a workout is the best time to stretch and gain flexibility because your muscles are "warm" and will give more.


How are you doing with your workouts and New Year's resolutions??