Tag Archives: gluten free

Giant Sunbutter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies {Gluten-Free & Paleo}

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Giant Sunbutter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies | So....Let's Hang Out

After a week of intense recipe failures one needs to bake cookies.

I think this is a rule. It feels like it should be a rule. Let’s call it a rule.

In between my lemon bar attempt and operation ”OMG, is that supposed to be gnocchi!? ”, I managed to get something right. I put some sunflower seeds into a food processor and  made some nut butter. I combined it with almond butter. The two did a happy dance. I added in large chunks of dark chocolate, and decided that these cookies should be GIANTS. Instead of making a recipe that would yield a sensible dozen, I decided to instead make you six cookies. Big cookies. Forget about your kitchen failures cookies. Are you surprised that I didn’t just make one big cookie and take a fork to it? Yeah, me too.

Giant Sunbutter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies | So....Let's Hang Out

Look at those chocolate chunks. Mmmmm. Did I mention that these cookies are totally paleo? Yup!

Although I completed my 30 days of paleo, and have since dipped my hungry little hands into the world of certain carbs, I can say I felt really good for most of those 30 days. I will most likely still incorporate a lot of paleo recipes on this site and continue to eat that way most of the time. It really wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. There was a day where I wanted to eat a wheel of cheese and had to resist the urge, but that is normal. Cheese is a naughty temptress. That is a weird sentence. I will not erase it. It’s going to live here.

Giant Sunbutter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies | So....Let's Hang Out

On another note, we recently hit five hundred likes on Facebook! You people are rad. Thank you so much for hanging out with me and letting me personify cheese in sultry ways, or indulging me when I use the term “nut milk” too liberally. Seriously. You punch me in the face with your awesomeness.  If you haven’t subscribed to get So…Let’s Hang Out posts sent to your inbox, you can totally do that too! Just enter your email address into the box under where it says “Subscribe to So…Let’s Hang Out” (psst…it’s on the right.) and we will be hanging out in no time.  Thanks, Friends! xo

I hope your week is chugging along awesomely! Either way… giant cookies. Do it.

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Giant Sunbutter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Adapted from PaleOMG

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (you can either buy this pre-made, or you can make your own by processing 2 cups of sunflower seeds in a food processor until it is smooth and creamy like almond butter)
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup dark chocolate, coarsely chopped into chunks.
  • Coarse sea salt, to sprinkle on top (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all of your ingredients except the chocolate chunks until they come together and mixed thoroughly.
  3. Once the batter comes together, fold in your chocolate chunks.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop your batter onto the baking sheet to form six cookies.
  5. If you like a little sea salt on the top of your cookies, sprinkle a little onto each cookie before putting it in the oven.
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
  7. Allow to cool, then enjoy cookie-monster style!
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Watermelon Margaritas

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Watermelon Margaritas | So...Let's Hang Out

Last week.

Don’t even get me started.

I came here on Friday to write you a post about my various kitchen mishaps. The post got too long. That’s right. It was that kind of week. I found myself on Facebook complaining and insisting we all have margaritas. Yeah, I wasn’t kidding…

These drinks are what happens when you manage to make lemon bars taste like scary scrambled eggs, spend hours making gluten-free gnocchi that ends up turning into doggie treats, and make yourself a green smoothie that tastes like wet salad. Yes, I did these things. It got real. Oh, boy. I have some scores to settle with a couple of recipes. They will be mine. Mark my words.

Watermelon Margaritas | So...Let's Hang Out

Maybe it’s unorthodox to have a margarita post on a Monday. But, you know what? Mondays are hard. Last week was hard.  These would go really well with a couple of chicken tacos for dinner. Am I wrong? Go with it. It’s totally almost Cinco De Mayo. Yes, that holiday where we’re allowed to have a margarita with lunch and eat obscene amounts of guacamole on EVERYTHING. Gosh, that’s a good holiday!  Let’s do that.

Watermelon Margaritas | So...Let's Hang Out

This weekend was really warm in the Bay Area. It was verging on summer temperatures. My husband and I spent a lot of our time outside. There was a lot of grilling, entertaining and awkward tan lines. I don’t know about you, but when it starts to heat up, I fantasize about watermelon. I think about eating it by the slice. Cold. A lot of it.  Admittedly, I tend to over do it with the first watermelon of the season. Things happen to your body when you decide to take on a whole watermelon by yourself. This is not recommended. Slow down. Be sensible. Share it with a friend of two. Make these margaritas! Sure they are pink and are garnished with a slice of fruity-goodness, but your dude-man-friend will totally like them. My manly-whiskey-beer-drinking-husband drank two.

Watermelon Margaritas | So...Let's Hang Out

See? I even caught his man-hand on camera pouring himself a fresh drink. Good man.

Watermelon Margaritas | So...Let's Hang Out

The ingredients are fresh and simple. We juiced some fresh limes, pureed some watermelon in the blender, salted the rims of some glasses and the rest is simple and boozy. I know traditional margarita recipes call for Cointreau, but we didn’t have any on hand. Instead we used some plain, non-name-brand triple sec, which worked just fine. Feel free to adapt the recipe as you see fit. I prefer my margaritas on the rocks, but this recipe would make a fine blended drink as well! These are best enjoyed while sitting on the deck, lightly sweating, in unflattering workout pants. That last statement might be slightly subjective.

Watermelon Margaritas | So...Let's Hang Out

Cheers, Friends! Here is a to a fantastic week!

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Watermelon Margaritas

Ingredients

  • 2 shots of silver tequila
  • 1/2 shot of freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 shot of triple sec
  • 1 1/2 shots watermelon puree
  • Ice
  • Coarse sea salt, for rim
  • Wedge of watermelon and lime, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Slice up part of your watermelon, remove the rind, and add a couple of slices to a blender. I used two large slices of watermelon, and it yielded about two cups of watermelon puree.
  2. Add ice to your cocktail shaker. Add tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and watermelon puree to your shaker and shake vigorously.
  3. Salt the rim of your glass by running a lime wedge around the entire rim and then dipping the moistening lip of the glass into a shallow dish of sea salt.
  4. Add a couple of ice cubes to your salted rim glass, and pour the margarita from the shaker into the glass.
  5. Garnish with a slice of watermelon and a lime wedge.
  6. If you want to prepare these as blended margaritas, forgo the shaker and put all of the ingredients into a blender and process on high. I would use approximately 10 ice cubes in the blended version. Serve in a salted glass.
  7. Enjoy!
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Kale, Apple & Ginger Juice

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Kale, Apple & Ginger Juice | So... Let's Hang Out

You know it’s spring when…

You wake drowsily at 9:00am because you were forced to take a powerful antihistamine the night before. You took this antihistamine because of all of the mosquito bites that you have managed to acquire. They itch. You have a particularly gnarly one on your stomach, which proves curious since you don’t remember wearing anything resembling a crop-top. You’ve been spending a lot of time outside. Even at night. This is where all of those rosy mosquito bites came from.  It’s been sunshine on sunshine on sunshine. You’ve been sporting a tank top and frolicking in the outdoors despite your allergies. Your eyes are swelling slightly? You can’t breathe? We should probably go inside…BUT IT’S JUST SO GOSH DARN SUNNY! Your body craves this wicked vitamin D festival, so you ignore your allergies, eat some local honey, inhale some prescription nose spray and get real about eye-drops. You start scoping out and trying to guesstimate how much of your backyard your next door neighbors can see through their kitchen window. Obviously this is because you would like to read a good book while wearing your birthday suit. You surmise the neighbors can see way too much. You also surmise that they’ve already seen way too much. Why did you not check this out before you decided to go out into the yard in your underpants (MULTIPLE times)? Not sure. Oh well. You find yourself out at farmer’s markets. You find yourself paying $7.50 for a green juice. You know this is expensive, but you can’t help it. It looks so good. You suck down $7.50 worth of fruits and veggies in a flash. You try to be mad about the price, but you can’t because it tastes too good, although once it is gone you find yourself tinged with a bit of regret. You have an awesome juicer. You could have made three green juices at that price. Sheesh. Also, you should put sunscreen on your husband’s neck, it’s about to burn. This is our real life.

Kale, Apple & Ginger Juice | So... Let's Hang Out

Spring is MADE for green juice. I will admit to you in the last weeks of winter my juicer took a nap. Something about rain and having to wear a sweater inside made it hard for me to want to spend a chunk of time making a cold glass of veggies. I made lots of soup. I baked too many cookies.  But, Friends! I am so jazzed on juice and smoothies right now (oh, and cocktails too). The sun is back, the flowers are blooming (just ask that tickle in your nose!) and it’s time to flood our bodies with things that are good and green. It might also be time to plant a tree in front of the neighbors kitchen window. Just sayin’.

I try to get creative with my juicing, especially when it’s a recipe I share with all of you lovelies  I realized in all of the juice recipes I have shared with you , I have never shared my go to green drink. This juice is something I could drink every single day. It’s simple, delicious and packed with tons of nutrition! Plus, I tend to have all of these ingredients on hand in my fridge. That is always a plus, right? Affirmative.

Kale, Apple & Ginger Juice | So... Let's Hang Out

I hope you are enjoying all the loveliness of spring with 100% less mosquito bites! Dust of your juicers… ready…set…GO!  xoxo

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Kale, Apple & Ginger Juice

Yield: 4 cups of juice

Ingredients

  • 1 English cucumber, peeled
  • 1 Meyer lemon, peeled
  • 1 bunch of celery
  • 2 Gala apples, chopped
  • 1 inch of ginger root
  • 8 Lacinato kale leaves
  • 1-2 Romaine hearts

Instructions

  1. Wash and prep all of your fruits and veggies.
  2. Run them through the juicer.
  3. Enjoy immediately or bottle it up for later. Store in an airtight container such as a mason jar for up to 48 hours. Try to fill your mason jars as close to the top as possible so that there is the least amount of air between your juice and the tight fitting lid.
  4. Enjoy!
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Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins {Gluten Free}

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Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins

Important things I did yesterday instead of writing:

I Google image searched “Dogs wearing overalls” which then lead me to image search “Dogs in business suits” which then lead me to search “Where can I buy my dog a business suit?” and “Business suit for dogs distributor.” There is more. Let’s just say I went down the rabbit hole.

Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins

After this, I did a fair amount of internet research on tater tots. Sunday afternoon was spent brunching with friends. Tater tots happened in a big way. I want to make them. I can’t stop thinking about them. My brain and my heart are filled with images of these crunchy, school-time favorites. You want some now, don’t you? I am going to do my best to make this happen. I asked Siri earnestly “Why are tater-tots so delicious?” to which she replied “Calling Jim.”  Siri fail. The most concerning part being, I don’t know a Jim.

Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins

After my really important internet research, I decided to get cooking. I massaged the heck out of a kale salad. I also crisped you up some sweet potato chips. I secretly want to cover the sweet potato chips in chocolate, but I am trying to practice something I call restraint. This could be seen on Sunday when I ate only 1.5 plates of tater tots instead of 2 plates of tater tots. High five.

Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins

I’ve been eating paleo (ish) for 25 days (Yes, I know tater tots are not paleo. Real life happens. I have stuck with it 95% of the time. If you are shaking your head in disappointment  it’s only because you want to go eat tater tots. I get it.) On my fourth day of eating paleo, I got the baking bug. There was a fury of search terms that were typed into Google, mostly in all caps. “PALEO DESSERTS!!” “PALEO MUFFINS!” “WHAT CAN I BAKE WHEN EATING PALEO?” “IS CHOCOLATE PALEO?” It turns out that you can make a lot of things paleo. I was surprised in the best possible way.

Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins

Do you ever wish you could peek at my Google search queue? It gets weird.

After scrolling and drooling and writing down a key list of ingredients, I settled on these tea-infused muffins! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. The chamomile is complimented by the lemon zest. The raw honey gives it a sweetness, and the almond meal is rich and buttery. It’s like a decadent cup of tea in muffin form! I split one open while it was still warm, spread some coconut oil on each half and dipped it in a glass of Cardamom & Honey Cashew Milk. Total heaven.

Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins

I hope you are all having a wonderful week.  Sending so much love, and warmth to those affected by the tragedy in Boston. What I didn’t mention before is that in between my erroneous Google search terms, I was glued to the news, watching with utter confusion and shock.  My heart feels heavy. I wish I could bake you all muffins and give you hugs. xo

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Lemon & Chamomile Paleo Muffins

Yield: 6 muffins

Adapted slightly from Roost

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 chamomile tea bags
  • 1/4 cup raw honey (or maple syrup)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine together all of your dry ingredients. This also includes your lemon zest and the contents of your tea bags. Simply cut them open and dump the chamomile tea inside the batter. Stir.
  3. In a separate bowl mix together your eggs and your honey. Whisk until they are thoroughly combined.
  4. Add your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and whisk together until a thick batter forms.
  5. Distribute your batter between six cupcake liners. I like to use re-usable silicone liners, since they separate from the muffins so easily.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown.
  7. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, and then enjoy!
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How To Make Coconut Butter

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How To Make Coconut Butter | So...Let's Hang Out

So, butter.

We have a history.

This weekend I was hanging out with my family, and these words were inevitably spoken to me:

“Hey, Gina! Remember how you used to sneak into the fridge and leave finger prints in the butter container?”

Yes. Yes I do. It went something like this…

I would wait until no one was in my grandparent’s kitchen. I would sneak over to the fridge and pray that the large tub of Country Crock was within my stubby-four-year-old-arm’s reach. If it was, I would sneakily remove it from its place in the fridge and bring it over to the kitchen table. Silently, I would remove the top off of the tub of butter. Eureka! I would dip my fat little fingers inside of the container and eat the butter off my hands. Carefully, I would put the top back on the container and make sure to place it back where I found it in the refrigerator. My four-year old self did not understand that I had left substantial evidence of my shenanigans behind. There were little finger divots and prints left in the butter tub. I was the only four-year-old that frequented that house. I was caught red-handed. Several times. I will also NEVER live this down.

I like butter. I like it in almost all forms. I am the weird kid that will hustle you for your buttered popcorn Jelly Bellies. True story.

Naturally, when I heard of something called “Coconut Butter”, I was all ears. Is it just me or can the coconut really do anything? It’s a crazy miracle food. We can use it as a milk substitute, or use the oil to make granola, add toasted flakes to our salad or shreds to our donuts. And now, butter. Glorious, wonderful butter.

You are probably wondering, “What the heck do I do with this stuff?” This is a fair question. It is different from coconut oil, since it is made from the flesh of the coconut. You aren’t going to be able to fry your eggs in it. You can however use it as follows:

You can eat it straight out of the jar. (I did this)

You can spread it on baked goods.

You can add it to a smoothie. (This is totally happening. Stay tuned!)

You can swap it out for other fats in baked goods.

Drizzle it over your fruit for a sweet and savory snack.

Add it to some freshly mashed sweet potatoes.

Dip a piece of dark chocolate into it. (I also did this)

Mix it with some nut butter for a super magical spread!

I could go on and on…

The awesome part about this recipe is how easy it is. There is one ingredient. That is pretty simple, no? The hardest part it going to be waiting for your food processor to finish breaking it down all the way. Once it’s in its smooth and  buttery form, who am I to tell you that you can’t eat it out of the jar with your fingers? Do what you gotta do. xo

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Coconut Butter

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
  • A pinch of sea salt (optional)
  • 2 tsp coconut oil (optional, as needed)

Instructions

  1. Measure out your coconut flakes and put them into your food processor or into a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix. Add a dash of sea salt, if desired, and start blending.
  2. Process until your coconut starts to climb the sides of the machine. Stop and scrape the sides and continue to process. Repeat this process over and over until your mixture becomes smooth and almost liquid, much like peanut butter. This process can take upwards of 15 minutes depending on your machine. Just be patient and it will come together.
  3. If you are having a hard time having it all come together, even after a lot of blending, you can add a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil in order to help it come together easier.
  4. Your mixture is done when it is completely mixed together and the consistency of natural peanut butter. Store it in an airtight container. When your coconut butter cools off, it will become hard. You can heat it back up either by putting your container into a saucepan over a low heat, or by sticking it into a microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Make sure your container can withstand heat before heating it up with either of these methods.
  5. Enjoy!
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The Greeña Colada Smoothie

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The Greeña Colada Smoothie | So... Let's Hang Out

I am slutty for coconut.

You guys have probably figured this out by now. I can put it in a salad, I will sprinkle it on your donuts, and I will most certainly use it to make nutella. There is simply no shame in my game.

However, I have not publicly declared my love for pineapple. This is a love that  runs deep through my Hawaiian veins. It is some serious affection. I will eat it until the acid makes my tongue start to burn.I have vivid memories of sitting with my Papa in his kitchen and having him sprinkle salt on pieces of freshly cut pineapple, and then, as he would say, “we went eat it up.”  He is a good eating partner. I remember being small and always placing myself strategically near him if he was eating something like poi with dried shrimp or was cutting up a fresh tuna into sashimi. I am no fool. I would bat my big eyes, reach out my chubby kid hands, and a piece of fresh sashimi always seemed to land in my finger tips. I knew how to work that glorious system. Honestly, I think he just loves to share the things that he loves with me. It was a source of pride for him to see his tiny granddaughter developing a serious taste for all of the flavors he had grown up with on the islands.

You are probably not at all shocked when I tell you that I could drink piña coladas for days. I know, I know…pick your jaw up from the floor.

The first time I had a real piña colada I was far too young. I was visiting Hawaii with my family. My older cousin and I were lounging by the pool working on our tans. We ordered a couple of  piña coladas thinking that the dude working the pool area would know for a fact that we were just a couple of tweens and would leave out the rum. When the drinks came, I was so hot from letting my body bake out in the sun that I drank that thing like it was a Jamba Juice. My cousin was a little bit more dainty with her piña colada-ing. I was already finished with mine when she looked over at me with big eyes and said “Gina. This has alcohol in it.” I didn’t believe it, until I stood up. Oh, there you go. The pool was moving funny. I laid back down and took an extended rum-soaked pool nap on one of the lounge chairs. I think my cousin, being the older and savvier one, skipped the rum-drenched nap and ordered another. Well played, cuz.

The morals of this story are obviously: do not accidentally get drunk on family vacations and if you do, wear sunscreen because you will likely end up falling asleep on your stomach somewhere in the outdoors. Salt your pineapple if you want to consume close to a whole fruit by yourself without burning your tongue off. Sashimi is amazing but not as amazing as the grandfathers that share it with you! And last but not least, coconut belongs pretty much everywhere.

What I have for you today is a combination of all of the things I love, giving you tons of island flavor, and ditching the rum. I even threw in cups and cups of spinach! See that vibrant green color? Amazing. It is a smoothie that would be perfect to enjoy in the morning before work. You can pretend that there is rum in it if that would make your commute seem somehow easier. Just sip on it and let the island music play in your head. You are in a two piece. You have abs. You look like magic. You have a tan, but totally managed to get it without the skin cancer risk. You have no worries. It’s just you and a greeña colada.

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The Greeña Colada Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut milk (I used lite coconut milk)
  • 1/2 cup coconut water
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh ripe pineapple, chopped
  • 3-4 cups of spinach
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Add all of you ingredients into your blender and mix on high until everything is combined and smooth.
  2. If you want your smoothie to be a little bit thicker, add more ice and blend on high again.
  3. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Orange & Ginger Creamsicle Smoothie

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Orange & Ginger Creamsicle Smoothie | So... Let's Hang Out

When you are a kid, there’s pretty much no vehicle more awesome than an ice cream truck. It’s sugar on wheels. I remember the ice cream truck targeting our neighborhood since it was filled with kids. My brother and I would perk up, then in a joint effort run to our parents. “Can we PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get some ice cream?!” It was as if nothing else mattered and maybe we could possibly die if ice-creamy goodness did not hit our lips in the next two minutes. Sometimes the ice cream truck would travel to our house close to dinner time, and the answer would be no. In these cases I remember the world ending a little bit. There was some light pouting, maybe some foot stomping. My brother, who is six years younger than myself, would either follow my pout-y lead, or in a true act of excellence THROW himself on the floor. We were dramatic. Mom ignored it. Good move, mom. Imagine what we could do if we had an audience!

But sometimes, just sometimes, the ice cream truck would roll around in the early afternoon. This, my friends, was destiny. I remember the selection being a hard one to make. Should I go Drumstick? Flintstones Push-Up Pop? Ice Cream Sandwich? Maybe something that tastes like bubblegum (because I am a kid and bubblegum flavored things seem like a good idea and don’t make me gag. Obviously, I have not developed proper taste buds). Or… how about a Creamsicle? Who doesn’t love a Creamsicle? I would never pick out an orange flavored popsicle, but when you add vanilla ice cream into the middle, magic happens. It’s never a bad move.

You know what else isn’t a bad move? How about the delightful flavors of a Creamsicle for breakfast? There will be no pouting and definitely no throwing ones self on the floor. It’s like drinking ice cream for breakfast! Pure nostalgia.

Of course, I’m not actually feeding you ice cream. Instead Greek yogurt mingles with honey and fresh squeezed orange juice. There is some almond milk that adds creaminess and a frozen banana that adds body and some extra sweetness. Did I mention some freshly-grated ginger? The spiciness of the ginger makes this more of a grown-up Creamsicle. There are no handfuls of spinach. There are no kale leaves. There are no flax seeds. Of course, you could add in ALL of those things and it would still be delicious, but sometimes you just want to keep it simple.

Orange & Ginger Creamsicle Smoothie | So... Let's Hang Out

Enjoy, Friends! Happy Monday!

DISCLAIMER: THE NICE PEOPLE AT CHOBANI SENT ME SOME OF THEIR PRODUCT FOR RECIPE TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

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Orange & Ginger Creamsicle Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 6oz container of Chobani 0% plain Greek yogurt
  • Juice from 2 oranges
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 inch of freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tbs of honey
  • 3-4 ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Add all of your ingredients into your blender and process on high until smooth.
  2. If you desire a thicker smoothie, add a bit more ice and blend again until smooth.
  3. Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately!
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Buckwheat Waffles with Cinnamon Apples | Gluten Free

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Buckwheat Waffle With Cinnamon Apples | Gluten Free // So...Let's Hang Out

Tomorrow is one of my favorite holidays.

It’s Steak and Lobster Day!

That’s right. Some people might refer to it as “Valentines Day,” but in this house we refer to it solely as Steak and Lobster Day. After a few years of going out to over-priced fixed menu dinners and suffering through people coming over to our tables and loudly serenading us with accordions or trying to sell us roses, we decided that we needed to go another route. One can only be serenaded by an accordion while eating overpriced lamb so many times. We started to notice that really good quality steak and lobsters were on sale at our local market during the Valentines madness. Jackpot. Thus was born Steak and Lobster day.

Buckwheat Waffle With Cinnamon Apples | Gluten Free // So...Let's Hang Out

In this tradition we get to wear sweatpants or fancy pants (it doesn’t matter we are at home…we don’t even have to wear pants at all… although, I do not recommend cooking without pants, no matter how sexy you think it’s going to be. Stuff splatters. We all learn our lessons). We eat an indulgent meal, usually dipping the lobster in some sort of butter bath.  We drink wine. We tell each other nice things. It’s a good tradition and one that I look forward to every year.

Buckwheat Waffle With Cinnamon Apples | Gluten Free // So...Let's Hang Out

Although it is usually just referred to as Steak and Lobster day, that doesn’t have to be the only special treat on the menu. What is that old saying? The way to a mans heart is through his stomach? That is true. I am sure my husband would still love me if I couldn’t make a mean meatball or didn’t bake him a confetti cake every year on his birthday… but, it certainly sweetens the deal.  It turns out that the most obvious way to my man’s heart is through his sweet tooth. He is Dutch. He grew up putting chocolate sprinkles on his toast. It all makes sense.

Buckwheat Waffle With Cinnamon Apples | Gluten Free // So...Let's Hang Out

Waffles are always a good move for a man with a sweet set of teeth. I also added some cinnamon apples to sweeten things up a little more. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, but fruit totally turns into something magic when you heat it up. Apples basically turn into pie filling. Hello. Delicious. The waffles manage to taste totally indulgent while remaining both gluten and dairy free! The apples cook down in coconut oil and release their natural sugars. Cinnamon joins the party and spices things up nicely! It’s the perfect sweet treat for your Valentine… er… Lobster… er… I don’t know what to call my husband on Steak and Lobster day. Will you be my Lobster-tine? Does that work? It’s a work in progress. Give me your thoughts.

Buckwheat Waffle With Cinnamon Apples | Gluten Free // So...Let's Hang Out

Real talk… I made these waffles that you see here while my husband was at work. I ate all of them.  I know that I am acting like I made them for him, and I totally have… but this batch was for me. It’s okay to be your own Lobster-tine sometimes too. You are special. You deserve it.  If you have no one to share your waffles with, be your own Waffle-tine. It is totally a thing. (okay…enough sticking “tine” on to the ends of words. I got the memo).

Buckwheat Waffle With Cinnamon Apples | Gluten Free // So...Let's Hang Out

XOXOX, Love Bugs!  Won’t you be my Waffle-tine? Okay. Really done now.

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Buckwheat Waffles with Cinnamon Apples

Ingredients

    For The Waffles:
  • I cup buckwheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/4 cup white rice flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbs coconut sugar (can be replaced with regular sugar)
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tbs coconut oil
  • Maple syrup, to top
    • For The Cinnamon Apples:
  • 3 pink lady apples, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbs coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Plug in your waffle iron and let it start heating up.
  2. Peel you apples and give them a course chopping.
  3. Heat your 1 tbs of coconut oil in a medium sized pan and then add in your apples. Add in your cinnamon and start to cook on low to medium heat. Keep stirring them occasionally so that they brown and caramelize on all sides.They are done when they become soft and have lightly browned.
  4. While your apples are heating up, start to prepare your batter. In a large mixing bowl, add in your dry ingredients and stir together until they are all thoroughly combined.
  5. In another bowl, whisk your eggs.
  6. Add in your coconut oil, almond milk and coconut milk to the egg mixture and whisk together until everything is mixed well.
  7. Add you wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and whisk. Whisk until a smooth batter forms. If your batter seems a little too thick, don't panic. Add in a little more almond milk. (I would add it in small increments, a tablespoon at a time.)
  8. Once your batter is completely whisked together, you can start making your waffles. Spray your waffle iron with non-stick spray. (I use olive oil spray from Trader Joes) and then ladle a 1/4 cup or a little more of your batter into your waffle iron.
  9. Cook your waffle until it is crispy on the outside.
  10. After you are done cooking your waffles, top them with some of the Cinnamon Apples and some maple syrup and enjoy!
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Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice

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Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice | So... Let's Hang Out

It’s juice time again.

I like ‘em real thick and juicy.

That actually does not pertain to how I feel about my juice, I have just been listening to a lot of 90′s music lately. Like…a lot. Like…I might have spent over an hour looking up music videos from the 90′s on YouTube last Friday. No big deal. Subsequently, I have had the song Baby Got Back stuck in my head for days. This only becomes awkward when you start singing it subconsciously in the checkout line at the grocery store. The woman in front of you turns around after you get to the “L.A. face with a Oakland Booty” part of the tune. You make eye contact. You stop singing. You think about winking at her but realize that just perpetuates the weirdness. Don’t make it weirder. It’s too late, you already winked. She probably thinks you’re hitting on her. Oh man, you can’t recover from this one.  Not. At. All. You could try to explain that you have just been listening to a whole lot of 90′s music lately, and you were not singing the song directly to her. You could try to explain that you sometimes just wink in awkward situations, or you could lie and say you had something in your eye. The explanation of your behavior will only make things weirder. You grab your groceries and pretend like you forgot something in the produce section. You wait until this person leaves and find another check out line. Whew. Yikes. Get out of there.

So, besides being the town creep, I have managed to make some juice today in the privacy of my own kitchen. My own kitchen is safe. I can sing at the top of my lungs. I can wink freely. It’s a good place.

In other less painfully awkward news…

I have been nominated for The Best Food Photography On A Blog category in this years The Homies blogging contest. Isn’t that neat?  If you are a So…Let’s Hang Out fan you can pop on over to The Kitchn and vote! It only takes a minute!  It’s a fabulous collection of food bloggers that are nominated, if you pop over there you might find some really cool new bloggers to add to your blog reading list!  The link is below. Vote away, Friends! I heart you.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE! 

Now, back to your regularly scheduled juicing recipe…

This juice is a sweet treat! Look at all these pretty ingredients!

Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice | So... Let's Hang Out

Cucumber and romaine serve as a nice base to all of the sweetness from the apples and the carrots. The lemon brings some brightness and acidity and the ginger gives it a nice flavor. It’s not the greenest of juices, but it is still packed with a lot of valuable nutrients. Yum. Did you know that carrots are good for calming your nerves? I just love veggies.

Hope you are having the juiciest of days! Wink, wink!

Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice | So... Let's Hang Out

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Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice

Ingredients

  • 4 carrots
  • 3 small Pink Lady apples, chopped
  • 1 Meyer lemon, peeled
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled
  • 1 head of Romaine lettuce
  • 1 inch piece of ginger root

Instructions

  1. Wash and prepare all of your veggies.
  2. Juice all of the veggies in accordance with your juicer's settings.
  3. Drink immediately, or put in an airtight container such as a mason jar and store in the fridge for later. You should drink your juice within 48 hours in order to get the most benefit from all of the nutrients. Make sure to store your juice with as little air as possible in your jars (so fill them close to the top!) so that the nutrients do not break down too quickly! Happy Juicing!
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Chocolate & Chia Pudding | Gluten Free & Vegan

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Chocolate & Chia Pudding | So...Let's Hang Out

Sometimes recipes can be  complicated.

Roasting and stirring and chopping and sifting and simmering maybe even some light blending.

I like these types of recipes as they provide a bit of a challenge. Sometimes you need a project. The day I made you this Shepherd’s Pie, I needed a project. It was serious. Chopping therapy was a welcome activity.

Sometimes recipes can be so simple they’re mildly embarrassing.

You throw a couple things together in a mason jar and the ingredients do the work for you.

That is THIS recipe.

This is for the day that you want something sweet and want nothing to do with cooking. It’s for the day that you want a treat but want none of the guilt or butter that comes with cookies.

Chia seeds are not only good for you, but they are tiny little magicians. If you add Chia to liquid and let it sit, it will absorb the liquid, expand in size, and create a fun texture that is slightly gelatinous and reminiscent of tapioca.

I added chia seeds to coconut milk, whisked in some cocoa powder and a bit of maple syrup and just sat back while the magic happened. An hour after I threw all these ingredients into a mason jar it had formed into a pudding! Pretty nifty and totally low maintenance.

Brace yourself for a truly simple recipe.

Chocolate & Chia Pudding | So...Let's Hang Out

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Chocolate & Chia Pudding | Gluten Free & Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 2 tbs maple syrup
  • 2 tbs cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. In a small mixing bowl whisk together your milk, maple syurp, cocoa powder and chia seeds.
  2. Transfer into a pint sized mason jar and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  3. Serve plain or with a little fruit on top. I topped mine with ripe blackberries and coconut shreds. It was delicious.
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Chocolate & Chia Pudding | So...Let's Hang Out

Hope your Monday is as easy and breezy as Chocolate Chia Pudding!! xo

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