Gluten-Free Blueberry-Peach Crisp

Summer is all about fresh fruit - our produce box recently included a ton of peaches and blueberries and so it seemed like a good time to create a dessert.  I grew up on my mother's fruit crisps, and really wanted to make some, but I didn't wish to include a lot of extra sugar or use wheat flour.

I planned to make it entirely grain free but I found I couldn't bring myself to not include a bit of rolled oats, for nostalgia's sake - it is perfectly fine to leave them out.  They're there for texture - a chewy oatmeal cookie feel that brings back all sorts of comfort food memories for me.

I sliced the peaches, after washing them, without trying to peel them, and this worked out just fine!  I'm all about not creating extra work for myself when it doesn't matter.

The resulting crisp let both the blueberry and peach flavors shine, and as you can see, the blueberries gave the peaches a rosy color.  Since nuts and almond flour make up the majority of the topping, there is even a nice protein serving hiding in this dessert.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Peach Crisp
serves 4-6

1 tsp coconut oil, to grease pie plate
1 pint of blueberries
2-3 cups sliced peaches (about 8 small peaches)
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey


Wash fruit.  Slice peaches into 1/8s. Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease a glass pie plate or square glass casserole with 1 tsp. coconut oil. Combine fruit in pie plate, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, chopped nuts, oats and salt.  Add coconut oil and maple syrup.
 Mix with a fork to blend - don't over work it, just make sure almond flour is moistened.

Ready for the oven.

Use a pair of spoons to drop tablespoon sized portions of the crisp mixture on top of fruit. (Use one spoon to scoop up a portion, and  the other to help scrape it off that spoon so it drops onto the fruit.)

Bake for 45 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is browned.  I suggest checking it at about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, you may want to cover it lightly with foil to finish baking.

Let cool until warm and serve as desired, or chill and serve cold.


I was really pleased with the way this topping turned out, and I'll be trying this again with later seasonal fruits (apples, etc) and also may try a winter version in a few months with a selection of dried fruits.

We enjoyed ours with fresh whipped cream, and it would be delicious served still warm with ice cream.  Or whipped coconut milk if you're not doing dairy.  For that matter, it was quite delicious for breakfast the next morning with a dollop of thickened yogurt.

Real Food Recipe Round Up

Gluten-Free Wednesdays

DIY Projects Junkin Joe

Simply Natural Saturday

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Review: Doggie Lawn

Many people who would like to have a dog choose not to because they believe their living situation doesn’t allow it. People who live in apartments or condominiums without yards and those who leave their house empty for hours every work day may be particularly hesitant.

As the owner of a geriatric beagle, I was intrigued by the Doggie Lawn concept. Sadie has never been fully housebroken—she will go inside when left alone for many hours—and having a patch of grass indoors for her to use was quite appealing. As she’s gotten older (our best guess is 14, but she was a rescue dog so we do not know for certain), she has taken to peeing inside sometimes even when we’re here.

First things first: Doggie Lawn delivers exactly what it promises. If you sign up for this subscription service, you will get a patch of hydroponically-grown grass once a month, or more often if you desire. You can lay it down in your chosen location for your dog to use when needed.

The product is high quality. It arrives fresh and green and healthy. Because it’s not traditional sod, the growth medium is clean.

To use, you detach the top of the box by cutting the tape, and leave the grass inside the lower half. That provides a frame and a base for it. Place it in a location your dog can reach, and throw it away when the grass begins to turn brown.

I give the product an A+. My dog, however, is another story.

When my Doggie Lawn arrived, I learned the first lesson other buyers need to know: Open it quickly. I was not quite ready to begin training Sadie with it, and so it sat in the box for a couple of weeks before I opened it, and once I did I discovered it had all turned brown.

The company generously sent out a new one, and I set it up right away. The grass is rooted in a soil-like growth medium, but it is not actual dirt, so there is no risk of bringing in bugs or worms with it.

Following the company’s guidelines, I placed the box in an area that Sadie had already used, so that it would not automatically seem out of bounds. Then I introduced her to it by calling her over to it. When she sniffed and discovered there were no treats to be had, she started to walk away disappointed.

Just... no.

I picked her up and set her on the grass, to show her that getting on it was acceptable. She looked disturbed and stepped off as soon as I let go (so no picture).

I tried again. She hid under the coffee table.

Doggie Lawn provides a set of training guidelines, and even offers live training support if you need it. Many, maybe most, dogs will eventually learn to use the grass. However, some dogs are going to be more easily trained to use it than others, and some—especially old, stubborn beagles—may never get the point.

I followed the training tips the company provides, including scenting the grass with her own urine and trying to associate it in her beagley mind with urination time. We even tried putting a leaf onto it so it felt more like her familiar outdoor environment (our own idea, and it didn't work). She went on the floor near the box a couple of times, but seemed to continue to regard the Doggie Lawn itself as off-limits. After two weeks of this, I concluded she just wasn’t going to make the connection. 

I want to emphasize, though, that the failure was mine and the dog's, not the product.

I think Doggie Lawn would be most effective for puppies and young dogs who can be trained to use it from an early age. If you’re an apartment dweller with a puppy, the product should work quite well for you. If you have a housebroken dog who is several years old, it might or might not, depending on how open-minded the dog is.

Disposal is easy: The box is recyclable. The grass should be thrown in the trash if it has been used. If your dog is also a hard case like mine, unused Doggie Lawn should be compostable.

Doggie Lawn offers two sizes and monthly or twice-monthly delivery. Prices vary depending on location, with higher prices for addresses farther from the company’s southern California headquarters.  Once a month delivery of the small box (which is what I received) starts at $29 per month, and large once a month delivery of  the large box starts at $39 per month.

If you’re considering getting a dog but circumstances such as not having a yard, or being away from home all day, are causing you to hesitate, Doggie Lawn might provide a solution.


Doggie Lawn Website
Doggie Lawn on Facebook

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Juniper Ale Braised Kielbasa and Cabbage

We actually managed to stick mostly to our meal plan this last week, and today and over the next few days, I'll be sharing a couple recipes that we particularly enjoyed.

Meanwhile, my meal plan for the next little while is still loosely based on the two-week menu I posted a couple weeks ago, but with room to switch things up as needed.   Right now, 'as needed' means that it is getting toward the end of the month, I have a large stash of edibles already on hand, and using what I have to avoid unnecessary shopping trumps establishing a new plan and sticking with it.

My freezer stock is good enough to see us through at least a couple weeks, as long as I don't mind cooking some larger cuts to make them into multiple meals - and we do still get our weekly box of goodies to keep us in fresh fruits and vegetables.  I'll be skipping that next Wednesday - it'll be the 5th Wednesday of the month, and I'm just not budgeted for that.

So, this plan covers the next two weeks - far enough to get us to our next grocery delivery.  There may be a couple small grocery runs to cover an item here or there, but for the most part, this is using what I have on hand.

Wednesday, 7/23

Honey Spiced Chicken Thighs

Coconut Milk Quinoa

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Thursday, 7/24

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket & Onions

Corn on the Cob

Tossed Salad

Friday, 7/25

Leftovers
with Coleslaw

Blanch greens for the freezer

Saturday, 7/26

Lemon Roasted Whole Chicken

Sauteed Summer Squash Medley

Fruit Salad with Coconut

Sunday, 7/27

(out most of the day)

Leftovers

Monday, 7/28

Spaghetti Squash 

with Ground Pork and Greens

Make broth of chicken carcass

Tuesday, 7/29

Leftovers

Wednesday, 7/30

Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Vegetables

Thursday, 7/31

Vegetable and Cheese Omelets

Salsa

Bacon

Friday, 8/1

DINNER OUT WITH FRIENDS

Prepare potluck offering for tomorrow.

Saturday, 8/2

LUGHNASADH POTLUCK GATHERING

Bring a Three Sisters Medley side dish

(corn, beans, squash)

Sunday, 8/3

Chili & Toppings

Rice

Monday, 8/4

Chicken & Vegetable Casserole

(specifics to be determined)

Tuesday, 8/5

TRIVIA NIGHT

(eating out)

Come the 6th of August, I'll be able to get in a large grocery delivery and replenish the larder, and I'll do so with an eye toward following  the plan I've established - so things should be a lot more 'routine' for the rest of the summer.

One dish from last week that we enjoyed was this Kielbasa skillet meal. While Kielbasa and Cabbage is nothing exotic, there were a couple things here that really made it stand out - first, this Kielbasa is from a local area farm, and was so ridiculously flavorful that every bite made my eyes roll back in my head.  I love kielbasa - but often the overriding flavor note is salt.  We will be keeping this on hand regularly!

The second  thing is  that the beer we used to braise it in was my husband Michael's second try at his own homebrewed beer recipe - a Juniper Ale that is lower on the hoppy side, higher with the malt notes, and a good hit of juniper, which played very well with the cabbage.  Obviously, you won't be able to recreate that exactly - but try a malty amber ale, and toss in a few juniper berries, and you should get close enough.

Juniper Ale Kielbasa, Cabbage and Potatoes

1 pkg. kielbasa, cut into 1" sections

2 Tblsp. butter

1 bottle malty amber ale

1/2 tsp. juniper berries

1 head cabbage, chopped

4 Yukon Gold or red skinned potatoes, scrubbed and sliced

1 tsp. caraway seeds

Melt butter in a skillet and brown kielbasa.  When browned, add beer and juniper berries to pan, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Add the chopped cabbage and potato slices, mixing gently to combine, and cover, simmering until cabbage and potatoes are tender.

Serve in a bowl with a bit of the resulting broth (the alcohol will have cooked off, leaving a good rich broth).

We ate all but one of the kielbasa sections on the first night, but still had a good bit of veggies left - so on day two, we browned some Italian sausage and added it to the veggies, along with a few cut carrots, and that gave us enough for a second night's meal, with just enough for a couple of lunch portions on the third day.

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