Gluten-free/Vegan Carrot Muffins

Saturday mornings are my favorite time for baking and this morning we made gluten-free / vegan carrot muffins via "the Flying Apron's" gluten-free and vegan baking book by Jennifer Katzinger.  Jennifer owns the famous Flying Apron bakery in Seattle and her focus is in creating treats that are nutritious, delicious, unique and vegan.  She wanted her treats to be made with whole grain flours, alternative sweeteners, and mostly allergen free (no soy or gluten).
These muffins are hearty, high in fiber and delicious.  They are though, a little dense and crumbly but that is to be expected, since we are not using eggs and we are using  brown rice and garbanzo flour instead of white flour.  But both daddy and honeypie ate them happily.  
(I made honeypie's minus the walnuts which she is not very fond of.)

Here is the recipe :
"Carrot Muffins  from the Flying Apron Bakery"


2 cups of brown rice flour
1 1/4 cups of garbanzo flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
2 cups water
1 tb vanilla extract
2 cups agave syrup
1 1/4 cups shredded carrot
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut unsweetened
2 cups pecans or walnuts
1 cup golden raisins


preheat oven to 350 *


Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients next. Finally add the carrots, coconut, and nuts and fold together with a spatula.
Divide the batter into your muffin tin cups, lined with paper cups or greased.
Bake until the tops are golden and firm, 20-25 minutes.  
Test with a toothpick.

mama earth globe cake...

In honor of EARTH DAY... Here's our mama earth cake. 

Daddy and daughter were VERY eager to eat it... 

BUT the rush job was due to the "is it done yet???".  Only made it half way with the continents... (sorry europe and asia)... and the powder sugar dusting was supposed to be clouds!

We listened to a great song ...

With my own two hands by Jack Johnson  (listen here)

"I can change the world

With my own two hands

Make it a better place

With my own two hands

Make it a kinder place

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

I can make peace on earth

With my own two hands

I can clean up the earth

With my own two hands

I can reach out to you

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

I'm going to make it a brighter place

With my own two hands

I'm going to make it a safer place

With my own two hands

I'm going to help the human race

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

I can hold you

With my own two hands

I can comfort you

With my own two hands

But you've got to use

Use your own two hands

Use your own

Use your own two hands

With our own

With our own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

Our recent reading...

Plus I loved this week's "A chef's table" on NPR (which you can listen to online below)...

On NPR this week on A Chef's Table ... a great episode you can hear online which talks about :

"It's been said that eating is not only an agricultural act, but also a political one. But it does make sense that how we eat can make a lasting impact on our environment - the problem is figuring out what choices really matter. Paper plates? Organic Vegetables? Bottled Water? This week we examine some choices. From replacing veal with buffalo to entertaining tips that don't fill up the landfill with one-time products, we'll discuss the quandries, questions and curious solutions to "living green." We'll talk to the author of "The Ethical Gourmet," discover a winery that composts four-star meals, and talk to the Soup Peddler. "

also This week's featured books:

Ethical Gourmet: How to Enjoy Food That Is Humanely Raised, Sustainable, Nonendangered and That Replenishes the Earth
by Jay Weinstein

The Era of Choice: The Ability to Choose and Its Transformation of Contemporary Life
by Edward C. Rosenthal

Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups: Recipes and Reveries
by David Ansel, Liza Ferneyhough (Illustrator)

Serve It Forth
by M.F.K. Fisher

Simply Green Parties: Simple and Resourceful Ideas for Throwing the Perfect Celebration, Event or Get-Together
by Danny Seo

Starting with Ingredients: The Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Cook
by Aliza Green