Gluten Free Peanut Butter Waffles

Hello, my name is Heather and I'm a waffle addict. I believe waffles are by far the superior breakfast item. They can be sweet or savory, eaten plain or topped with eggs and sauces. They have perfect little craters to catch syrup or running yolk, ensuring each bite is delicious and filled with all the flavors. Can pancakes do this? No they cannot and thus why I LOVE waffles!

Future waffle lover 

Swimming in college, Saturday morning practices were by far the hardest. Four hours of nonstop working out and most of the workouts were designed to flood your body with as much lactic acid as possible. Sounds fun right? Not exactly what you want to be doing at 8am on a Saturday morning. What got my through these grueling workouts? Waffles! And not just any waffle... A waffle smothered in peanut butter and dripping with maple syrup! Hey, I was burning serious calories back then! It was completely acceptable to make a bee line for the waffle maker in the cafeteria after the workout.

Fast forward, a few (ok, more than a few) years and I'm still loving waffles but I'm not working out 25 hours a week. How can I get the same delicious taste without destroying the waist band of my already stretchy pants? Add peanut butter powder! Significantly lower calories BUT same great peanut butter taste! Jackpot!

I bought my PB powder at Costco but you can find them in regular grocery stores or online

I love waffles more now than ever because it's something I can make a large batch of ahead of time, freeze, quickly reheat and eat with one hand while my other hand tends to my crazy, but oh so lovable, 4 month old daughter. I hope you enjoy them too!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Waffles

Serving: Makes 12 waffles 

Cooking Time: 40 min

1 box GF pancake mix (I use King Arthur Flour brand)

2 eggs

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 cup peanut butter powder

cooking spray

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and almond milk. Then mix in the dry pancake mix and peanut butter powder. 

2. Put aside the mix to thicken a bit. Plug in waffle maker to heat up. 

3. Spray lightly with cooking spray if needed. Pour approximately 1/3 of a cup of the waffle mix for each waffle and cook until desired browning. 

4. Place cooked waffles on wire rack to cool if you'll be freezing them. Reheat in toaster oven as needed in the mornings. 

Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Oatmeal

My darling, sweet Sofie girl is a rolling fiend but only from her back to her stomach, which leaves her stranded and upset... at 3:30 am until Mommy comes in to the rescue! Oh, and while you're up, Mom, how about feeding me??? Oh and how about we repeat this at 5:30 am as well? Thanks! Love, Sofie (she's lucky she's so darn, stinking cute!)

Love you, Mom! Now feed me!

It's been this way for almost 2 weeks now and I'm dragging my butt in the morning. This morning we had our Mommy and Me workout class though! Highlight of my day :-) I was so happy to have put this oatmeal in the slow cooker last night before I went to bed as I was dragging my behind to get going this morning. I've never been someone that can go without breakfast. Some people HAVE to have their coffee in the morning (*cough* my mom *cough*) while others need their food (100% ME *hand waving enthusiastically in the air*).

Sofie enjoying some tummy time after my workout

Food prep has always saved my hubby and I, even before baby came along. Before Sofie, we both had very demanding careers where we worked at least 11 hours a day. The thought of coming home and cooking after treating patients all day was exhausting in itself. So I started to find recipes that I could make my own and have stored in the fridge for an easy accessible, healthy meal. After having the Little Babe, I tried to find lactogenic foods to help keep up the hungry demand of my Little One. Thus this Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Oatmeal was born! I hope you all enjoy it :-)

Mr. Elephant approves :-)

Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Oatmeal

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cooking Time: 8 Hours

Cooking Spray

4 ripe pears, cubed

2 cups GF steel cut oats

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1/3-1/2 cup brown sugar  OR 1/2-3/4 cup maple syrup

8 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 can light coconut milk 

1. Spray the insert of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Some of the oats will still stick to the sides but it is greatly reduced with the cooking spray.

2. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, making sure the liquids are added last. Stir together to incorporate the spices. 

3. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. 

4. Make sure to stir up the oatmeal really well, grabbing the oats that stuck to the sides, before serving. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar (if you want it sweeter). 

Breakfast is set for the week! 

Sleep Deprived Zombie Mommy

Let me start this post by saying that I'm a morning person and always have been. I was a competitive swimmer for 17 years, finishing my career at Northeastern University (Go Huskies!). You have to be a morning person to be a competitive swimmer. I am also lucky to be one of those people who only need about 5-6 hours of sleep a night to function and function at a high level. I don't think I would be able to accomplish all I have in my life if I wasn't able to make the most of my limited hours in my day.

Sofie snuggles are the best!

Fast forward to having a baby and now i'm craving sleep!!! I can never seem to get enough and I'm constantly playing catch up even though my FitBit says I'm getting 8-9 hours of sleep a night. So what has happened to the days of sleeping 5 hours a night, training 4 hours a day and taking 21 credit hours a semester in college??? I believe two factors are in play here: 1) energy expenditure from breastfeeding and 2) light sleeping from listening to the baby monitor by my ear.

Zombie Mommy during a growth spurt

I used to work out 4 hours day, 6 days a week with a mixture of swimming, weightlifting and cardio. I can tell you that breastfeeding is wayyyyy more tiring than those hours of sweating! It's hard to keep your body healthy enough to make enough milk for your baby (I will post later about some of the foods I have around the house to help me my milk flowing).

When I used to only sleep 5-6 hours a night, I slept HARD! I was out and dead to the world for those few glorious hours. Now, I'm always sleeping with one eye and one ear open, waiting to hear if my sweet baby girl is about to wake up. People used to tell me after you become a parent, you'll never have a good night sleep again for fear of what's going on with your child. Now, I don't sleep well because I want to help her if she wakes up crying and later I'll stay awake wondering if she will make it home safe in time for her curfew.

Sofie not happy with going back to sleep at 4am

Why am I bringing this up? Because the most important thing I can do for my sweet Sofie girl, is take care of myself. Now is this going to happen all the time? Of course not! My hubby started to see his wife, the former smiling morning person, fade away and asked how he could help (boy am I lucky that he is always checking in with me!). I feel like a new woman when I can get even 2 hours of sleep in the morning where I know someone is up and taking the monitor away from me. We started to implement this on the weekends. We both know that anything that happens in the middle of the night, I will take care of Sofie but when the morning comes and my husband is up he will take the monitor, close the door and let me sleep. It's amazing how hard I sleep for these few hours and they are the most restorative hours I have all week! When my mom comes and visit, she does the same thing for me and it's truly amazing!

Basically how I look when someone else is watching her :-) Like mother, like daughter

Why is this so important for my family? Well for one, I get a break and take care of myself so I can in turn take care of my family (and with a smile on my face!). Secondly, my darling Sofie learns that there are people other than Mommy that can provide her with love, care and comfort. Finally, my hubby can bond with Sofie Girl and feel comfortable with caring for her without the watchful eye of Mommy.

Melt my heart

Moms often feel the guilt of taking care of baby 100% of the time but it's not healthy for them or for baby! Zombies are scary, happy mommies are fun :-)

Happy Mommy!

The First Weeks with Baby

So far this has been the hardest part of being a mother but the part that is discussed the least. Anyone you ask about having a newborn they just talked about how great it is and how it quickly the time flies by. All these discussions of how great a time this is left me thinking that it would be a breeze, everything would come natural and I'd be up and running in no time....

A couple hours old

HAHAHA yeah right.... I was an emotional wreck from the lack of sleep and hormonal fluctuations! I felt like a total failure and not cut out for being a mom. This also lead to feelings of insecurities and isolation. Why was I not loving this time? Why couldn't I get my baby to stop crying? How did I not know what was going on? I had to be the only one that felt this way because everyone else I spoke to talked so fondly of those early days. 

Notice the dark circles...

Then, my own mother told me that she was the same with my brother and I! Little by little, all the mothers in my life started to say that they were the hardest and most exhausting days. Why did no one tell me this before? Why did I have to find out this way? The myriad of my pregnancy apps never mentioned any of the things I was feeling until I was past these early weeks. This information would have been helpful to know before I had come out the other side. I am lucky enough to have a loving husband who had read up on this before I gave birth and assured me that all my feelings were normal. I had a midwife who wanted daily texts from me about how I was feeling, both physically and emotionally. I have an amazing mother that let me cry as much as I wanted and forced me into the shower while she watched my daughter to make sure she continued to breath (all moms know that those first couple days you just sit and watch their chests to make sure they are still inhaling and exhaling). I am truly blessed with loving, caring people in my life! 

Many people don't have this support and I feel postpartum depression would be caught sooner if people 1) were more honest about the first couple weeks of bringing home a baby 2) cared enough to ask how mom is really doing and 3) created a space for the mom to talk openly and honestly. 

Even if these three areas were more addressed, moms still feel bad if they haven't completely fallen in love with every cry, poopy diaper, sleepless night and spit up covered shirts. Some moms do fall in love from the first second and continue to stay madly and deeply in love. Others take some time to warm up to their child and others are a mixture in between. It's all ok! Babies are hard, especially at first. They are energy suckers and give very little in return. Those smiles and giggles don't come for many weeks and you feel like your baby doesn't care if you're here or there. I promise they do care and they will eventually show you the love you so desperately seek! 

My darling Sofie girl is only 15 weeks old and I must say that I already miss those early days (NEVER thought I would say that!). It was the beginning of our relationship and a beautiful courtship at that! I learned the meanings of her cries and how to soothe her. I saw her start to open her eyes and recognize me. I saw how she relaxed when lying on my chest, listening to my heart. They were the most trying days I have ever had and literally brought me to my knees crying (on more than one occasion) but they taught me how to be a mother. I will forever love those days but I refuse to not be open and honest with others about to go through it. It's tough, exhausting, and nerve racking but you will survive!!

First Smile :-) First of Many

Gluten Free Spiced Ricotta Pancakes

OLD POST FROM OLD BLOG

I haven't hit my "nesting" period yet but I'm trying to get a jumpstart on stocking the freezer with quick meals. One of my go-to frozen meals are pancakes! I love them and always have. They were a special breakfast we would have on weekend mornings as a family. I remember sitting on the kitchen counter helping my dad mix up the batter then watching him flipping them onto the plates.

My husband is Turkish and pancakes were definitely not on the weekend breakfast menu! They had savory breakfast spreads that took up the whole table. A big bowl of olives, multiple types of cheeses from the cow down the road, scrambled eggs from the chickens clucking outside in the yard, various cured meats, tomato and parsley salads from his mother's garden, fresh baked bread from the town square and a bunch of hungry kids grabbing at all the food. 

Needless to say, my hubby isn't too into the pancake breakfast but I can't have scrambled eggs everyday and I CANNOT stand olives! So how do I rectify this situation without making multiple breakfast meals on the weekend? I make a huge batch and freeze them! They make the perfect snacks to munch on and make a quick, easy but satisfying breakfast. 

To make my life easy, I use box mix and prepare them as directed. To make them a little more fulfilling and long lasting in my tummy I add ricotta cheese to the mix. It adds a little protein and also makes them light and fluffy. I add the spices to make it them a little extra special. When they are topped with warm maple syrup, the spices really come to life. 

I hope this brings you back to your family weekend breakfasts! Enjoy!

Gluten Free Spiced Ricotta Pancakes

Makes 8-10 pancakes

Time: 30 min

1 batch gluten free pancake mix (prepare as directed)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

oil for cooking

1. Prepare a batch of the pancake mix as directed. If they have different directions for waffles, make those because it usually makes the batter a little thinner.

2. Add the ricotta cheese, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and vanilla extract. Mix together really well, making sure the lumps of the ricotta cheese are mixed in. 

3. Hit up a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat. 

4. Add 1/4-1/3 cup of the batter to the pan. Flip the pancakes when little bubbles form around the edges. Cook until the other side is done. Repeat with the rest of the batter

*If you are freezing the pancakes, wait until they are completely cooled before dividing them up into sandwich bags and placing in the freezer. 

Bake and Freeze

OLD POST FROM OLD BLOG

My life is usually pretty busy between work, family and friends. When I got married I started the habit of cooking every weekend for the week ahead. It made it so much easier to stay on a budget, eat good food for lunches and dinners and stay healthy. My husband always enjoyed a home cooked meal but by the time we would both get home from work he would be starving, picking from the fridge, and I would be too exhausted to cook.

Now, I think cooking is very relaxing and helps me to decompress but when I'm tired from a 10-12 hour day of treating patients, I have little to no patience for it... especially the clean up. Who am I kidding? My husband usually did the clean up as I despise cleaning (but am getting better! Right, honey?... honey?) but he didn't like having to clean so late at night either. Cooking on Sunday allowed me an afternoon to decompress and while assuring that we had little to no cleaning during the week. I was able to feed a hungry husband quickly with good food and sit down and relax with him rather than being in the kitchen.

After I went gluten free, my husband started to really miss bread and other baked goods. He's Turkish and most meals revolve around the bread. I was fine with skipping out on the bread but it made the meals less enjoyable for him. We tried every GF bread product out there but it always fell a little short... They were dry, crumbly, lacked flavor and EXPENSIVE!!! I love cooking because it not only fills the belly but it fills the soul. It was hard to see my hubby sad because something so near and dear to him was no longer available.

I love, love, love the blog Gluten Free on a Shoestring because she makes amazing baked goods from your childhood memories and it's all GF! I used to try out her bread recipes from her third cookbook and my hubs would DEVOUR them. Finally GF bread that tasted like... BREAD! Didn't think that was possible.

The hubby was so happy and deprived of his beloved bread that he would eat it all up so quickly, leaving me frustrated because it takes some planning and baking doesn't come naturally to me. I love cooking because it's a "little of this" "little of that" while baking is super strict and must be exact. Since moving to SoCal and taking some time off to open my practice, I've had some time on my hands and have found my answer to this frustration, baking and freezing! I spent 2 days one week making multiple batches of biscuits, breads, pancakes, etc. I thought these would be gone in two seconds flat but I'm finding that since we have so much of it in the freezer, waiting for us, we don't consume it quickly. We know it's there and can take some if we want but don't have to worry that it's a hot commodity going quickly!

I encourage you to try this and take a weekend to bake and freeze. It's so nice to dress up a dinner or even a breakfast with a pre-made, delicious, baked GF treat. This morning I heated up some biscuits, topped with basil pesto, fried eggs and some dashes of tapatio sauce for a tasty weekend brunch without all the work :-)

Here are the links to my favorite freeze and bake items:
Biscuits
Zucchini Yeast Bread (use as a sandwich bread, the zucchini makes it moist)
Pancakes
Pumpkin Bread
English Muffin Bread

Gluten Free Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza

What's better than pizza? Almost nothing! I'm often trying to find new, interesting things to do with pizza dough. This is a pizza with more a sophisticated taste. The sauce is made with pureed butternut squash and is topped with fontina cheese and sage leaves.

It is a great pizza for fall and winter. This is a pizza I tend to do for dinner parties as an appetizer. I slice it into long pieces that people can snack on. Last time I made this pizza, it was for our going away party from Connecticut. One of the ways I show my love for people is by cooking for them. Nothing says I care for you, than filling their stomachs with tasty food made with love. Everyone thought I was crazy for cooking appetizers and desserts for my own going away party. "Get it catered!" everyone said but I just couldn't do it even though our movers were coming 2 days later to pack us up and move us out! All of the 35+ people we invited were very close to us and I wanted to show my appreciation for their friendships throughout the years. People feel the sincerity when you cook for them! I hope you make this for some special people in your lives. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Butternut Squash Pizza

Cooking Time: 45 min

Serving: 1 large pizza

1 gluten free pizza dough recipe (I use this recipe but you can use Bob Red Mill's pizza dough mix)

2 10-oz packages frozen butternut squash puree
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6-8 oz fontina cheese grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves plus full leaves for garnish on top

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a pizza stone in the oven or a large baking tray. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Prepare the dough as directed and let it rise while you make the butternut squash sauce.

3. Defrost the butternut squash puree in either the fridge overnight or in the microwave. Mix in the cumin, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

4. Grate the fontina cheese and chop the sage leaves.

5. Roll out the pizza dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread a thick layer of the butternut squash sauce (will not use all the prepared sauce) and scatter the chopped sage leaves on top. Next scatter the cheese on top of the sauce. Finish off with a few full sage leaves on top.

6. Bake until dough is cooked and the cheese is melted. This depends on the dough you use so look on the box or dough recipe for the time suggested.