This next recipe is an early Christmas gift to my mom! 
Merry Christmas!! 

Whenever I think of orange rolls, I think of her and our Christmas mornings as kids. I know she LOVES them just as much as we did. It just wouldn't be the same without some this year! I've been determined to create a yummy gluten free version so we both don't feel like we're missing out. 

Hope you all enjoy them too! 

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Created by jalene

Makes 12
Orange Roll Ingredients: 

• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 tsp sugar or evaporated cane juice sugar
• 1 cup warm plain rice or almond milk (about 110 degrees)
• 1/4 cup sweet white rice flour (or blend your own from Calrose Rice)
• 3/4 cupbrown rice flour
• 1/4 + 2 Tbsp potato starch
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1 & 1/2 tspxanthan gum or guar gum
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate 
• 1 Tbsp orange zest

Orange Roll Directions:

1. Grease 12 muffin tins with coconut or olive oil and set aside. Whisk the yeast, sugar, and milk together in a 2 cup or bigger size bowl. Cover with a towel and allow to rise. (It is ready when it has doubled.)
2. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch,  xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder. 
3. In a large mixing bowl add the egg and beat for about 30 seconds. Next add the applesauce, honey, orange juice concentrate and zest. Pour in the yeast mixture and the flour mixture and mix until combined (scraping the sides if necessary) and then increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. 
4. Scoop the dough into your prepared pan. Oil a sheet of plastic wrap and cover the rolls. Let rise for 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before they are ready, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops are starting to turn brown. While baking, prepare the frosting. 

Orange Frosting: 
Blend together 1 tsp orange zest, 1 Tbsp orange juice, 1 & 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 & 1/2 oz of cream cheese (or vegan sub to make it dairy free), and 2 Tbsp of butter (or Earth Balance to make it dairy free). Makes about 2 Tbsp per orange roll. 

Christmas is coming! I can't believe its only a week away from tomorrow. It feels like I have so much to do before then... and that's why this next recipe comes in handy! You can mix it together and let the oven do the rest of the work. 

I'm dedicating this next recipe to my little sister. She has just recently found out that she's allergic not only to gluten, but dairy as well! She's going through that difficult mental transition right now of "there's nothing to eat..." OH, dear sister, I have over 200 recipes so far for you! If any of you are going through the same transition as her, I strongly suggest checking out my page: New to Gluten Free. It gives you some great starter tips and support through this time. Eating gluten (and dairy free even) is not as bad as you think! There are SO many other things you can eat. You just need to turn your focus to that. 

My sister asked me a great question the other day that maybe some of you may have wondered,  "Without drinking milk, how will I be able to get enough calcium in my diet!?" I think Popeye has the answer you're looking for...SPINACH! And if you don't like spinach, here's a list of other foods HIGH in calcium for you. The truth is, there's a lot of things you CAN eat to provide all the nutrients you need. 

So sister, I know it's super hard right now, but you'll get through it! 
PS- if any of you are in the Idaho/Utah area my sister does AMAZING flowers, etc. for weddings. You can see her talented work at Plusheventweddings.com or follow her on Pinterest at pinterest.com/plushevents. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene

Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients: 

• 1/4 lb gluten free sausage (I use one with no msg or nitrates)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup plain rice or almond milk (or water also works too)
• 3 cups frozen hashbrowns
• 1 & 1/2 oz (or 1 cup firmly packed) spinach 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste (I use 1 tsp usually)
• 1/8 tsp pepper, or to taste
• optional: more seasonings, chives, etc. (the recipe is pretty basic so feel free to add your own spark!)

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Wash and dry your spinach. Chop into small pieces. Set aside. 
3. In a large skillet brown the sausage and the onion. Remove from heat. In a large bowl combine the sausage mixture, hashbrowns, and spinach until well combined. 
4. Beat together the milk, eggs, salt, and pepper and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a 8 x 6 inch glass pan (or equivalent) and smooth out the top. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the center does not jiggle when slightly shaking the pan. 

Store any leftovers covered in the fridge. Can easily be reheated and eaten later. 

I've been on a gluten free carrot cake quest lately but after many attempts I have...pancakes. They don't taste exactly like carrot cake but I'm sure if you were to top them with some cream cheese frosting it would be hard to deny! Either way, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! They have a yummy festive flavor to them and when you top them with a little 100% pure maple syrup, they are delicious! (And between you and me, it's a great way to get your kids to eat more vegetables!)

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar-Free)
Created by jalene

Makes about 12 pancakes (3 inch)
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup +1 Tbsp brown rice flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar and then enough almond or rice milk to make 1/2 cup all together
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
  
• 1 cup (about 1/2 lb) finely grated carrot
• 2 Tbsp walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your griddle. 
2. Combine all the dry ingredients: brown rice flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.  Set aside. 
3. In a blender (I used a Blendtec), combine your milk mixture, oil, vanilla, egg, and syrup. Add your dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Add your carrot and walnuts (if using). Pulse slightly to blend (or you can simply stir them in.)
4. Pour batter onto your preheated griddle and brown on each side. 

My parents were in town when I was experimenting with this recipe...and you have to see how my mom topped these. It was hilarious. I turned around and.... 

Applesauce & Sprouts. Ha ha. Not exactly my first choice but definitely a healthy way to start your day. ;)

You're funny mom!

Remember these cereals? Can you guess what they all have in common?

They're all gluten-infested... but they're also all made from puffed grains. Did you know that you can make your own gluten free sweetened puffed cereal? It's sooooooooo easy and only takes only 15 minutes of baking! The best part- it has 4 simple ingredients which makes it a lot healthier than the boxed versions.  So even if you're not gluten free, it's a better option!

I bought a HUGE bag of plain puffed brown rice cereal for $2. You can't get better than that folks! (Unless you found it for $1.99 or something...) Overall, I think you're going to LOVE this recipe. We sure do! Watch out, it goes quick. You might have to make a couple of batches. ;)

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, etc.)
Adapted by jalene from Comfybelly.com

Ingredients: 

• 6 cups puffed cereal (Puffed Brown Rice, Puffed Millet, Puffed Corn, or any other gluten free puffed grain)
• 1/3 cup honey or 100% pure maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. Measure your 6 cups puffed cereal and place into a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine your honey (or maple syrup), salt, and oil. 
3. Pour your honey mixture over your puffed cereal and stir until well coated. Dump the ingredients onto your prepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before placing in an airtight container to store. 

Gluten-free Granola Bars are hard to come by...and if by chance you can find them, they're soooooo expensive. Why not make your own?! These amazing bars have a little hint of festivity in them and are packed full of oats, seeds, nuts, and yummy-ness! They are seriously so healthy I love it! 

These bars make a great on the go breakfast or quick snack! I store mine individually in snack-size baggies for quick use later. Enjoy! 

(Gluten free, Can be Dairy free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by ohsweetbasil.com

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups gluten free quick oats
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 & 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or walnuts 
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1 Tbsp hemp seeds (if you can't find, you can leave out)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (can use dairy free)

With a title like "Raw Oatmeal" you might be thinking to yourself "...how in the world?" But this next recipe is an excellent way to eat your morning oatmeal! All of the ingredients are simply put into the fridge the night before and walla! In the morning you have a nice tender oatmeal. I like to add flax, chia, and hemp seeds to add extra protein and nutrients as well. 

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)

Makes 1-2 servings
Required overnight refridgeration
Ingredients:
1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 Tbsp flax seed
1 Tbsp chia seed
1 Tbsp shelled hemp seeds
1 cup milk (or milk alternative to make it Dairy Free)



Directions:

1. Put all of the ingredients into a pint glass jar. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 3 hours. 

You can either eat this cold or warm it slightly (without going over 105 degrees to keep it raw.) Some great ways to sweeten your oatmeal naturally are with fresh or frozen fruit, 100% pure maple syrup, honey, stevia, etc. And on my adventurous days, I love to swirl in some organic peanut butter and carob chips because what better combo is there than peanut butter and chocolate!?) Enjoy!

I've got another great recipe for you...Corn Flour Crepes! These babies are very tasty and only uses 1 kind of flour! They make a great breakfast tortilla (see idea below). Enjoy and let me know what you think! 

(Gluten Free, can be Dairy Free) 
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Kimberly Tessmer

Makes 12 6-inch crepes
Ingredients: 

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk or milk alternative (I used Almond Milk)
• 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 1 cup (non-GMO) Corn Flour
  
• 2 Tbsp butter or Dairy Free Earth Balance Butter Sub., melted

Directions: 

1. Combine the milk  and fresh lime juice and set aside. Let sit for about 5 minutes. 
2. Preheat a round 6 inch or 8 inch pan over medium heat. 
3. In a blender combine the eggs, milk & lime juice, and salt. 
4. While the blender is mixing on low add in the corn flour and then melted butter. 
5. When you pour the batter onto the pan, only pour enough to just cover the bottom (I usually tilt the pan around to get all the holes.) If you add too much batter your crepes will turn out thick and if they are too thin they will break easily. 
6. Cook until light brown on first side and then flip. Cook second side only slightly. 

Serve warm. 

Guess what! These can be frozen for later use! Simply store them in a freezer bag and separate each crepe with wax paper. 

Yum, I could seriously eat pumpkin year round. I think my love started with pumpkin pie and it's just exploded from there. And since you technically shouldn't eat pumpkin pie for breakfast...why not eat pumpkin PANCAKES. :) These have such an amazing taste. Alone, they're not too sweet but with maple syrup, they are HEAVENLY! If you like pumpkin, you'll LOVE these. 

Added bonus: This is another great recipe that only uses 1 kind of flour. I've been trying to keep things simple for those of you that don't have all the different kinds of gluten free flours on hand!

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene

Makes about 16 3-inch pancakes
Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup milk or milk substitute (I used almond milk)
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree 
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup brown rice flour 
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger OR you can use 1 & 1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice instead
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions: 

1. Preheat your griddle over medium heat. 
2. In a small bowl combine the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Set aside. In another bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir the dry into the wet ingredients just enough to combine. (The batter will be thick, do not dilute.)
3. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle. Cook on one side until the top looks dry and the bottom has browned. Then flip and cook on the other side. 

They taste amazing warm with 100% pure maple syrup or my dairy free whip cream. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and all other allergen free) 
Created by jalene

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water + 1/2 cup cooked white rice (or you can use 2 cups plain, unsweetened rice milk)
• 1 pound PLAIN ground pork
• 2 & 1/2 Tbsp Potato Flour (not Potato Starch)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• At least 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper (but you can add more to taste)

Directions: 

1. In a high speed blender (I use a Blendtec) mix the water and rice on medium speed for about 40 seconds. Strain out any remaining rice and set the liquid aside. You should have 2 cups. If not, add more water to reach 2 cups. (What you're making here is a plain rice milk. You could possibly just sub it for rice milk though I have not tried it.)
2. In a pan over medium heat brown the ground pork. Drain the drippings out and put them into a sauce pan. (You can either save the cooked pork meat to serve with the gravy or you can use it in another meal like throwing it in spaghetti sauce or in your morning omelet.)
3. Over medium heat, while stirring, add the potato flour, salt and pepper. This will start to boil and thicken. Slowly pour in the rice and water mixture. Then bring back to a boil. Continue to stir constantly until desired consistency is occurred.  

Serve warm. Refrigerate any leftovers and use within 3 days. 

Why use rice milk when you could use cow's milk? BECAUSE OF SO MANY REASONS! Read this great article by my husband, Dr. Nielsen on just one of the side affects of using dairy. 

This great breakfast recipe is a staple at our house. It works great on the days I don't have time to cook something like pancakes or waffles. I simply boil water, add the oatmeal, cover and 10 minutes later it's ready. With no sugar I can feel good about feeding it to my toddler too. She absolutely LOVES Banana Oatmeal so it's just an overall win, win. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free)
Created by jalene
Serves 2

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/2 banana (diced small)
• 1 Tbsp raisins (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions: 

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. 
2. Turn the heat off but keep the pan on the hot stove. Add the oats cover the pan. 
3. After 15-20 minutes, uncover the oatmeal, add the banana, raisins, and cinnamon and stir well and serve warm.

You can use quick oats in place of rolled oats. They require shorter cooking time such as 7-10 minutes. 

If your oatmeal is a little thick- add more water or milk after it's cooked. We usually add almond milk. If you need your oatmeal sweeter, try xylitol to keep it sugar free! 

Sometimes we like to get a little crazy with our oatmeal! Try some of these variations: