Category: Recipes

Posted in Breakfast!, Lent

Fish Fridays Are Coming…

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

First, before I move forward with today’s post, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the unbelievable outpouring of love that came in response to my last post. I sat down to write that post mostly as a cathartic outlet for myself…and I’m just humbled by the number of heartfelt messages and beautiful emails I received. I read every single one and trust me, I cherish each and every kind word, memory, or humorous comment shared. Especially since many of them were from people who never knew my dad, it’s comforting to know that his example and legacy live on to inspire others even all these years later.

Now, onto what’s next. Yep, here we are in March and that means 2 things: I’ve made it through my least favorite month of the year AND it’s almost spring. At least that’s what the calendar claims…apparently someone forgot to clue in Mother Nature. However, what it also means this year is that Ash Wednesday is almost here! And thus so is Mardi Gras AKA Shrove Tuesday AKA Fat Tuesday AKA Fastnacht Day (Yay for PA!!) AKA Who Knows What Else It Can Be Called Day??

Interestingly enough, Ash Wednesday and I have a bit of a meaningful history now. Last year, in late January my crazy “what used to be gluten-induced” symptoms returned with a vengeance. I was the doctor once a week with a double dose of bronchitis and sinus infection that just wouldn’t go away, even after some rounds of antibiotics. I was exhausted all the time, sometimes I even had to rely on my stool to make it through my afternoon classes. Despite my insistence that I was feeling “glutened” again but I swore I hadn’t been around gluten, my doctor was convinced it was just my poor, mixed-up immune system attacking the wrong things in overdrive…because that is sometimes the reality of life with an autoimmune condition. Well, Ash Wednesday arrived. I skipped my normal morning coffee (which at the time always included milk) and breakfast. Aside from the gluten-free host I received at mass, I hadn’t eaten anything all morning. Now for those of you who are practicing Catholics, I imagine you know how you’re usually feeling by lunchtime on Ash Wednesday. You’re hungry, you’re famished, you’re reminding yourself to unite your suffering with Christ and you’re swearing that you’ll never forget how much He loved you again…and that you won’t take the gift of food for granted either. Yeah, sure, and if you’re anything like me that lasts until approximately 12:08 AM when you run to the fridge and grab a snack…because technically it’s Thursday now.

Well, not last year. By lunch time, I was feeling awesome! I was more energetic than I had been in weeks. My stomach didn’t have that dull pain that had come on so slowly that I hadn’t really noticed it was back until I actually spent a few hours without it. My head felt clearer…and though I was still tired, it wasn’t the same kind of “I can’t even formulate coherent sentences right now” brain fog I’d been battling for weeks. And then sure enough, dinner rolled around and I prepared my one meal of the day: a delicious veggie omelette (with cheese). Within an hour, I was fast asleep on the couch holding my stomach and spent a good hour around midnight debating whether the tightness in my chest was severe enough to warrant an ER visit or not. (Fortunately that time it wasn’t). As the weeks of Lent passed, my suspicions grew as without my morning cup of coffee (that was my Lenten sacrifice last year…I know, it was crazy) I was feeling much better in the mornings than I had been.

So why did it take until I ended up covered in hives on Easter Sunday and ended up at Urgent Care to figure out dairy was the culprit? (Well, casein more specifically). I don’t quite know. Call it denial, call it easier said then done to figure out (I really had forgotten about the cheese in my Ash Wednesday omelette so I was convinced it was eggs at first), I’m not sure what to say. What I will say is that it’s not as simple as eating a trigger food and suddenly feeling horrible and knowing what the culprit was. Likewise, it’s not like you stop eating one for a day and you dance around like Sleeping Beauty waltzing through the woods. It takes so much time to heal…and it sometimes takes hours, or even days, before eating a trigger food starts to manifest itself in new, strange ways. (Those of you with eczema, skin rashes, or frequent cold sores but claim you have no food sensitivities, you really should start a food journal. You’d be surprised how many of those are due to trigger foods.)

So, yes, it took me 6 weeks to figure it out. But if it hadn’t been for my Ash Wednesday fast and my Lenten coffee sacrifice, let’s just say the saga could have played out for a lot longer than it did. Once my doctor heard those stories, even she realized I better get back to the specialist for more food trigger testing. Now this year, Lent is going to be a bit trickier. As is my traditional Shrove Tuesday pancake feast. But fear not, I’ve been planning for this.  So here are some important tips to celebrating this week…and then surviving Lent on an already-restricted diet. And just remember, no one on this Earth has the right to judge you…so do what you think is right for you.

1) Make yourself some pancakes, donuts, or even a you-safe milkshake on Tuesday. The rest of the world will be devouring their fastnachts, their drenched-in-butter pancakes, and their too-good-to-be-true milkshakes…you want to be able to join in the fun! Especially if you were gifted the snow day and delay this week, you’ll have plenty of time to cook.

2) Learn to love fish. Maybe you do, maybe you don’t…but on a meatless Friday when you also can’t eat crackers, cheese, popcorn, or grilled cheese, you better get used to the idea. Unless of course you’re allergic to shellfish/seafood.
3) Be careful of tuna fish! The canned variety, that is. That’s right, I was planning my tuna patties for Wednesday’s dinner when I learned two new things: 1) I still subconsciously check labels every single time I open a package of food (survival mechanism I suppose) and 2) canned tuna contains soy. Even the kind in water. Sad, sad day…of course, this does mean I have 2 cans of perfectly good tuna fish to give away 🙂
I promise lots of fish recipes will follow…but for today, pancakes and donuts are the priority. I’m already running behind!
Easier “I can manage this on a workday” Pancakes
(You may remember I posted AMAZING Olympic-worthy pancakes…but on non-snow-days, there just may not be time for all that…these are a worthy quicker substitute, thanks to Elana Amsterdam at Elana’s Pantry)
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
1/4 cup agave syrup (more if the mix is too dry)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
2 eggs (or flaxseed substitute)

Mix all the ingredients (I added a little honey too) and cook on a skillet or griddle. Of course, feel free to add berries, chocolate chips, M&Ms if you’re allowed such a delicacy (that used to be my apartment’s specialty during senior year at Villanova…M&M pancakes for all!)

“It’s Still Not OK that I Can’t Eat Krispy Kreme..But This Makes It A Little Less Painful” Donuts

2/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/8 cup potato starch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. guar (or xanthan) gum
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup brown sugar (or I used coconut sugar)
3/4 cup sugar (or the equivalent amount of agave, sweetener of your choice)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (or the corn-free substitute)
3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup boiling water
*I also added some coffee to my batter…delicious!*

1. Mix all the ingredients together and either add to a donut pan or form into munchkin-type balls on a baking sheet.
2. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. Optional “frosting”: Melt about 1 cup of chocolate chips and combine with 1/4 cup boiling water to melt. Add about 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar to the mix and a dash of vanilla extract.
4. Wait until the donuts have cooled to remove from the tray and dip in the frosting!
Now I know I didn’t leave you much time…but the day is long and it’s not even 9 AM. Happy Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday/Whatever you call it!! Have a great day…live it up 🙂
Posted in Meals/Sides, Sweet Treats

Spread a Little Love…and Eat Some Tilapia :-)

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

As you’ve probably figured out by now, my true allergy-free passion is baking, not so much in cooking; hence, usually my recipes are more of the bakery/coffee variety…since that’s what I plan to open one day. However, as you can imagine I have to experiment with cooking quite a bit as well these days, and every so often I come across a dish that I just have to share. Today is one of those days. And don’t worry, there’s also a cookie recipe at the end just to balance things out 🙂

As I imagine most of you know (and have experienced yourself), the last week has been a snow-filled one to say the least. In anticipation of what the news insisted yet again would be “the biggest storm of the season”, I went to my freezer to pull out a variety of foods that I could cook in preparation for a possible power outage. If you’ve ever experienced trying to eat for days in the midst of a power outage, imagine the added challenge of so many food restrictions. Not only do most of our foods require heating or cooking of some kind, but there are limited eat-out options. Last week I trekked over to Einstein Bros. for a cup of hot coffee when I was without power…let me tell you, I’ve never in my life been so jealous of people eating warm bagels. And I hope I never will be again.

Anyway, this week I was more prepared. I had a variety of delicious food items either cooked or thawing in my refrigerator and plans to light the burner manually to cook them if need be. Fortunately, the power stayed on this time. (Kudos to you, BGE :-). I used to have this bad habit of taking meat out of the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator…and then leaving it there too long and having to throw it out. My frugal self and my Excel spreadsheet just do not approve and thus I’ve been making an effort to be extra vigilant in regards to my meat and fish timelines. So last night I bypassed the couch and went right for the fridge to figure out what to do with my tilapia.

Now, I know where this is going. Yes, I’ve heard all the horrible things about tilapia. I know it’s the bottom of the food chain, it’s farmed in horrible cages that make Tyson chicken coops look healthy, it’s the worst possible fish I could think about putting into my body. Trust me, I’ve heard it all. And while I’m not saying I don’t care or appreciate the concern of those around me who offer such advice, I would also like to point out that when a person’s food selection is already so limited, fish is essential. And when that same person is on quite a tight budget, tilapia is the most cost-effective variety. Hence, yes, I choose to eat tilapia. Not all that often, mind you, but I do. You can pass judgment all you want…but I figure with the amount of unhealthy things I literally can’t introduce to my digestive tract (Krispy Kreme donuts, Frappuccinos, fast food of any variety, etc.), that a little tilapia from time to time can’t do all that much damage.

Now here’s where it get’s tricky. As someone with an autoimmune condition, I really do mean I eat tilapia IN MODERATION. As luck would have it, tilapia contains omega-6 fatty acids…which you guessed it, are known to cause inflammation. Now for several months whenever I had tilapia, I always made the same thing: tilapia tacos. Delicious. Wrapped in lettuce with rice and black beans. Always a meal I looked forward to. And then I started to realize that after I ate it, I always felt less than stellar. The reason? Well, as my nutritionist pointed out, black beans and rice are also on the “foods to consume in moderation because they induce inflammation” list. So, you put all of those foods together in one meal? It may be Katie-safe but it’s also a recipe for autoimmune disaster.

Hence, last night I had to get creative. I opened my fridge and saw the two things I had to make sure to cook by night’s end: tilapia and bacon. So I thought to myself: “There’s nothing I love more than scallops wrapped in bacon…so why not tilapia wrapped in bacon?”. (I know my cardiologist will be less than thrilled if he stumbles across this…) So that is what I did. SO EASY. SO SIMPLE. And SO DELICIOUS.

 
Just wrap the tilapia filets in a piece of bacon and place in a frying pan over medium heat…and voila! In about 15 minutes, you have a surprisingly delicious and flavorful entree. I threw in some asparagus on the side to balance out my plate and make it seem healthier. Also, notice the small portion size of tilapia: the rest is sealed away in the fridge and freezer for future meals 🙂
A delicious and satisfying meal.
And of course, once I fire up the oven, I get motivated to keep going. I spent some time yesterday spreading some Valentine cheer and even had my own special Valentine this year: an 82-year-old man. He went all out:
Last year my “Valentines” were 11…this year he’s 82.
(You can’t see it but I’m just shaking my head)
The white bag was filled with things he knew I could enjoy: a fruit cup, 2 bags of Utz potato chips, stickers, and a word search book. The purple one contained things he said he knew I couldn’t have but he just couldn’t pass up: a hollow chocolate apple that says #1 teacher, pink Tootsie pops, Hershey’s Kisses, Lindt truffles…a bag of pure deliciousness for most. Pure sickness for me 🙂  Hence, I spent the day giving away treats from this bag: to my neighbors who were graciously assisting others in the quest to dig out their cars, to the baristas who were serving FREE coffee all day at my favorite Baltimore coffee shop, the check-out clerks at the grocery store, and I still have more!
However, after gifting so many sweets, I found myself craving a little sweet treat of my own. So I went to work in my kitchen and this is what resulted:
I had no berries so I couldn’t make the frosting pink…
…they may not look appealing but they taste amazing!
Katie-Safe Sugar Cookies (with frosting!!)
Cookies:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup Earth Balance Soy-Free Spread (melted)
1 tsp. vanilla extract 
3-4 Tbsp. raw honey (softened)

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Frosting:
1/4 cup Earth Balance Coconut Spread (melted)
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
2 Tbsp. arrowroot starch (or tapioca if that’s all you have!)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (melted)
raw honey (melted)- depends on how sweet you want! I did about 1/8 cup
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all together and frost cookies when cool.

So all in all, it was a successful day of delicious food, sweet treats, and sharing love with the world. I know Valentine’s Day has taken on quite a “couples” focus, and I’m not saying it shouldn’t, but I do think too often we forget that it’s a day to celebrate love in all forms and a day which offers a 24-hour moratorium on feeling odd about doing something above and beyond for another person, whether friend, relative, colleague, or stranger. And this year we have the added bonus of Valentine’s Day extending through the weekend since the weather put a bit of a damper on the actual day. So take some time this weekend to recognize love, to celebrate it, and most importantly to share it. It can be as simple as a smile, as complicated as shoveling out a car from under 10+ inches of snow, or as delicious as a sweet treat.

And those of you who may be feeling a little less than love-filled this holiday, know that I love you simply for reading this. And I have a sneaking suspicion that there are a few other people out there who love you too…even if they didn’t buy you chocolate 🙂

From my front door to yours…
Posted in Breakfast!, Meals/Sides, Product Recommendations

If Katie Squeals in Excitement…

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

…and no one is there to hear it…well, I think you know the rest.

I found myself pondering this age-old philosophical question over the past few weeks as I’ve adapted to an interesting aspect of living alone: lack of someone with whom to share my various (usually very excited) reactions to life. As you might have determined by now, I tend to approach life with a great deal of enthusiasm, which often manifests itself in overenthusiastic reactions which those who have been lucky enough to live with me grew to know and love. Just kidding, I’ve really been the lucky one with roommates over the past few years.

I left my ACE family of 5 for a year with “The Leading Lady of Lacrosse”. Really. She’s a director of events for U.S. Lacrosse (HUGE here in Baltimore my non-Charm-City friends) and she travels all over the country running tournaments. When she was home from her various road trips, she graciously listened to my endless ramblings about my new school, my new city, etc. Then I moved closer to my school in the cutest apartment with a wonderful person I’ll call “Beautiful B”…because she is truly one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever known. Partially because she has a seemingly effortless beauty and grace about her, but mostly because of who she is on the inside. She has a heart of pure gold, an infectious laugh that is simply contagious, and our life chats across our little dining room table remain among my favorite Baltimore moments. Plus she was there for the dreaded “gluten adjustment”. That alone earns her a gold star for patience. Then there was “the Caring Counselor”. Her day job requires that she counsel people…but she was gracious enough to do the same for me each night as we sat on our respective couches and caught up on our days. So for all my years, I’ve been richly blessed with people who at least tolerated my enthusiasm for life..even if they didn’t quite love it 🙂

B and Me! 🙂

So imagine the shift over the past few months as I’ve adjusted to life on my own. Now I will say, full disclosure, I do actually LOVE living alone. Mostly because everything in every cabinet and drawer is completely safe; I can eat off the counter if I drop something; best of all, I only need one sponge and my orange sticker system is simply an artifact of my past life. However, there are moments when I desperately miss the smiling faces, listening ears, and infectious laughs of the people I was blessed to call my roommates over the years. Case en pointe: Monday night. For those who might be living under a rock, “How I Met Your Mother” is in its final weeks. I LOVE this show. Two Mondays ago we met the mother and it was just about the most precious thing I’ve ever seen. Then this past Monday, Ted gave the most moving speech on what love means that I’ve heard in a long time (I know, I know…Year of Love!!). Through it all, I’m sitting on my couch hugging a pillow, wanting to squeal or aww or jump up and down…but it still feels odd to do that with no one around. Same thing on Friday night when I finally caught up on “Big Bang Theory”. I’m pretty sure I let out a squeal on that one. And of course now there’s the Olympics. How do you watch the drama unfold on the ice without voicing your emotions?? I don’t know.

Now before I get too much farther down my tangent, this is supposed to be about food not television, so I promise I’m back. Last night, I decided to whip up one of my favorites to enjoy as I watched the Olympics: breakfast for dinner. I settled on pancakes, took out my new griddle, and set off on my adventure to recreate pancakes that would taste like their gluten-filled/soy-filled relatives. If gluten alone is your issue, get Gluten-Free Bisquick. It’s amazing and your pancakes will be too!! Unfortunately for my soy-free buddies, it’s emblazoned across the side : CONTAINS SOY. And corn. Sigh…

Thankfully, I stumbled across a book recently which has quickly become one of my top 10 life resources: Cooking for Isaiah. It’s written by a mom who wanted to cook great meals for her son who was diagnosed with food sensitivities to both gluten and dairy. There are few cookbooks I recommend (since most recipes can be found on blogs or pinterest these days) but this one I would absolutely order if you have gluten and dairy issues. I decided to adapt her recipe for chocolate chip pancakes…OH MY GOODNESS. I’m not kidding, these were some of the best pancakes I’ve had in my life. Gluten-filled ones included! If you have food allergies, do yourself a favor: make these, enjoy them, freeze some, love them again. It will, for a brief moment anyway, make you forget that you can’t partake in typical Sunday brunches anymore. If you don’t have food allergies, I’d still recommend them…but the ingredients required are not likely to be ones you have on hand in an average kitchen. In which case, I suggest you just need to come visit me for breakfast sometime. Seriously, I had visions of my own allergen-free bed-and-breakfast in my head all night.  The recipe is as follows:

 Olympic-Worthy Pancakes
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour (or starch)
1/8 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. guar guam (or xanthan gum)
1 tsp. baking soda/cream of tartar mix (or baking powder for corn-friendly folks)
4 Tbsp. coconut sugar
3/4 cup almond milk (or whatever kind you can drink)
1 egg (or I used 1 Tbsp. flaxseed w/ 3 Tbsp. water as egg replacement)
1/2 Tbsp. molasses
1/2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix it all together. Add a little more milk or oil if the batter is too thick. Otherwise pour on the griddle… 
…cook, and enjoy!!

                     
 






Then just when I thought my weekend had contained enough excitement, tonight I did something I’ve been dreaming about for two years now: I ate a dinner roll. A warm one, fresh out of the oven. See, I went on a shopping adventure today to prepare for our school’s upcoming service project which led me to a place I haven’t visited in years now: the bread aisle. I strategically avoid it on my shopping trips, so much so that I forget it even exists anymore, but today I made my triumphant return. And it smells as amazing as I remember. So as I loaded my cart with 16 packages of rolls, cans of soup, and pounds of American cheese, all I could do was laugh at the irony that is my life. I’m not exaggerating when I say that my car was filled with more gluten and dairy today than it probably has ever been before. And all of that left me craving one thing I never crave anymore: warm bread. So after a stop at my school to drop off my purchases (seriously, you didn’t think I’d let all that in my house did you??), I came home and got to work. And I did it. As the snow fell outside my window once again, I made dinner rolls. And while it was still steaming, I bit into it. I’ll be honest, the taste is slightly odd in the sense that it’s coconut-y so it seems more appropriate for dessert…but the texture and the temperature were perfect!
Again, I wanted to shout it out to the world: I just ate bread!!! But as you can imagine, I don’t think my neighbors here would understand or appreciate the enthusiasm of that sentiment. So instead, I’m sharing it with you. And here is the recipe…so you can have your own “I’m beyond excited about life right now” moment wherever you are.
Katie-Safe Dinner Rolls
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 Tbsp. flaxseed w/ 3 Tbsp. water

Mix and form into rolls. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes…or until brown.
They may not look amazing…but they are! 
A perfect dinner…complete with a fresh, warm dinner roll 🙂
So now I’ve digested my delicious roll, I’ve packed some away in the freezer for future enjoyment, and I’m settling in with a hot cup of tea and a coconut-rolled date snack to watch figure skating. Seriously, it’s amazing what I can accomplish with 2 weekend days in a row of no work shifts! Now just imagine what I could accomplish if this were my all-day, everyday in my bakery!? I need to start hunting for those capital investors…
Posted in Beverages

Polar Vortex…or Perfect Storm??

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

If you’re reading this from, well pretty much anywhere in the United States, chances are you are bundled up in layers, curled up near the fire, hugging the space heater, etc. There’s no other way to say it: IT. IS. COLD. Though I must say between the term “polar vortex” and watching the giddy news reporters bundle up in layers to report on location, I have found this whole phenomenon to be rather entertaining. It also makes me exponentially aware of how lucky I am to have heat and a warm shower.
Of course, there is one realization I had this week that was accompanied by a twinge of sadness…no more Swiss Miss hot chocolate. To me, those little packets are synonymous with snowstorms and cold weather. I remember many a childhood snow day spent sledding, then removing snow pants, boots, plastic bags, gloves, hats, etc., dumping them into the dryer and running to the kitchen for some delicious hot cocoa.

Well this week has proven to be a bit different than those beautiful childhood memories of snow days. Little Blue has yet to return to me (if you didn’t get to read my previous post, he’s getting outfitted with a transmission that’s willing to face 2014). He’s a smart little guy…choosing the coldest week in 2 decades to hide out in a garage where no one forces him to drive in subzero temperatures. However his gain has certainly been my…well let’s call it adventure. I was out the door at 6 AM both Saturday and Sunday to make the mile and a half trek to my shift at the hospital. Now remember I love to run; thus,  typically a mile and a half walk is a welcome treat and a great way to start a day. Well I must say I learned a few things this weekend: 1) A mile and a half walk is not a treat when the ground is covered in snow and ice. It also takes significantly longer than a brisk fall mile and a half trek    2) Some residents around here are not the best shovelers. I forget I was spoiled in the Poconos where shoveling is an art mastered by the age of 10;    3) This city does not have enough streetlights. Seriously, people. Black ice is hard enough to see when there is light, let alone when there isn’t! I fell twice. And it gets worse. I had received the most AMAZING Christmas gift. It’s a Starbucks coffee thermos but it’s magical. When you bring it into any Starbucks during the month of January, they fill it with coffee FOR FREE. Any Starbucks, anytime. For a whole month!! Well on my 2nd trip down to the ground, that empty thermos fell out of my bag and, as I focused on breaking my own fall, it rolled away into the street where of course it was promptly run over by a pick-up truck. My month of free coffee was gone in the blink of an eye, transformed into shards of plastic splintered all over a dark, icy road.

Not the best beginning to a new year I must say. However I forged onward, confident that things would turn around. Well, today 2014 took another interesting twist. My phone rang after school today and it was the director of my apartment complex. They completed a routine radon gas testing 2 weeks ago in my building…yep, you guessed it: my apartment failed. There are elevated radon levels which need immediate attention. They’re coming tomorrow to inspect and determine whether it can be fixed in a timely manner. If not, I’m packing my bags again. Granted, it will be to another apartment in this same complex…but still. I FINALLY had unpacked almost every box.

So now I’m in a waiting game. I’ve decided to rename 2014 the Perfect Storm Year. In just 7 days I’d say it has certainly lived up to that title. Don’t worry, it’s still the Year of Love too…I mean through it all, I am still lifted up by the love of the people around me who continue to make me laugh, give me rides, and take me to dinner to forget about my worries, if even for just a little while. And of course, the plus side to all of this? I’ve spent a lot of time indoors and thus mastered something that’s even better than hot cocoa. I MASTERED THE GINGERBREAD LATTE!!! I know, it’s a teeny bit late for the holiday season…but I’m telling you, if you’re looking for a sweet treat to warm up with, this is it. I curled up on my couch, this cup in one hand, grading in the other and for just a brief moment all seemed right with the world again.

Here is the recipe. Make it , enjoy it, love it. And most importantly, stay warm!!

Katie-safe Gingerbread Deliciousness/Polar Vortex Comfort Beverage
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 Tablespoon coconut sugar

Heat all of these ingredients in a saucepan until bubbling. Then pour into a cup of STRONG coffee (or espresso if you have one of those makers!) I also sprinkled some nutmeg on top.
Bonus: It smells AMAZING!!!

And if you could, please say a few prayers for Little Blue, my poor apartment…and on a more serious note, all those people who aren’t as fortunate as we are to have warm homes and hot showers, especially on these bitterly cold nights.

Come on, 2014. I still believe in you. I know you’re just waiting for 28 to arrive…I’m over 27 too 🙂

Posted in Cookies, Life Lessons

2014: The Year of Love

Posted on by katiebiddle4317

Happy New Year!! I know, I know I’m a few days late. I had the best of intentions but unfortunately my transmission decided it just didn’t want to accompany Little Blue (as I affectionately refer to my car) and me on the journey into 2014. So needless to say it’s been an interesting start to the year already. Between that, my New Year’s Day Dinner Date with the precious octogenarian couple who have taken up semi-permanent residence in our hospital guest house, and now a snow day, all I can say is that if the first 48 hours are any indication, I’m in for quite an adventurous year. We shall see…

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don’t typically make resolutions in January because mine are reserved for the start of the new school year each August. However I am known for assigning each new calendar year with a theme or quote that I hope will dictate the year ahead. It’s not something I search for…just something that seems to be timely or a thought that happens to strike when I’m not really think about it. There was the year of positivity, the year of opportunity; one year the theme was “epic”; another was dedicated to new adventures.

Well, as of 2 PM on New Year’s Eve, I had yet to stumble upon a theme. I spent New Year’s Eve day baking and cooking like crazy, filing away recipes to share, before venturing north to Philadelphia to reunite with some truly amazing people whom I don’t see nearly enough anymore. I got to ring in the new year with that lovely group of people before Little Blue (poor thing could only drive forward once my AAA friend graciously pushed us backward out of the gas station) made the precarious journey back to Baltimore just in time for my afternoon shift/dinner date at the hospital. After our pork dinner, I surprised my favorite 81-year-old duo with a special treat: homemade gluten-free, dairy-free double chocolate chip cookies. I know what you’re thinking: yeah, Katie, real special treat. But I mean it! Of all the people I’ve discussed allergies with over the past three years, these 2 just might take the prize for most curious. I swear every time I come on for another shift, they’ve got another food-related question for me. They excitedly bit into their cookies, chewed, pondered…and in a moment I could tell by their faces, I’d won them over. With his eyes wide, the husband in this dynamic duo slapped the table and exclaimed, “Hot dog! I taste the special ingredient and I bet you didn’t even know it was in there.” To which his wife responded, “What in the samhill did you do? Did you add dairy to her cookies?? I know the extension for ER transport!” He responded with a laugh and a head shake as he explained himself with a twinkle in his eye, “No, no. I didn’t add anything. She did and she didn’t even know it. I can taste what makes these cookies so delicious…it’s love. Who needs gluten when you’ve got that??”

My New Year’s Day Dinner Date with the dynamic duo…

Well, in that moment, my heart just about melted. (And I’ll admit I filed that away as the potential motto for my future bakery…please don’t steal it!) And I watched as the two of them smiled at each other and thought to myself: this might be the strangest but also the best New Year’s Day I’ve ever had…even in light of losing poor Little Blue’s reverse function. Well the two of them went to bed and eventually I did too only to wake up bright and early yesterday morning to return to work. Halfway through the morning PD session, I ran up to my classroom to call the transmission specialist and was greeted by an unexpected message. It was from one of those saints in street clothes I mentioned earlier. He has this special gift for noticing how people are feeling and sharing the perfect Scripture passage to address the situation they’re facing. Well, I clicked on his message and was met with a verse from 1Corinthians 13:2.. you can read it for yourself if you so desire but in short it’s the verse that says you can have everything in the world but without love, you really have nothing. As I reflected on this verse during the remainder of morning PD, I thought back to last Sunday’s 2ndreading (starting with Colossians 3:12)which is one of my absolute favorites. It also addressed the same topic…love. I thought back on the priest’s reflection of unconditional love shown by both Mary and Joseph in the midst of such uncertainty throughout the Nativity story. And it hit me: the theme of this year must be love.

Well sure enough, PD Day continued on and my suspicion was only solidified. First the Charismatic Mass Coordinator shared the most precious proposal video his friend had made…true love all over that one. Then I woke up this morning (to a snow day!! WOOHOO!!) and turned on the news just in time to see excerpts from Pope Francis’ mass today in Rome with his Jesuit brothers. And what did he say? That the Gospel can’t be preached with “beatings of condemnation. No, the Gospel must be preached gently…with love”. Well, there you have it folks. If ever I needed confirmation of this year’s theme, there it was from the mouth of Pope Francis himself. And he wasn’t done. He went on to talk about the formation of today’s youth. About how we can’t just form their minds but also their hearts. About how if we don’t form their hearts, we create “little monsters…and then these little monsters form the People of God”. Way to keep it real, Pope Francis. Seriously, I love this man.


In short, I have decided this is the year of love. Love in all forms. It’s only been 2.5 days but I am already amazed by the love I’ve experienced. I began 2014 surrounded in love…you know the kind of love you can only find in old friends and family. The kind that simultaneously reminds you of the person you once were, highlights just how much you’ve grown to become the person you are now, and most of all reminds you that there are people in this world who will always love you, no matter how much you grow, change, and evolve. I sat in the presence of the love of a couple that has endured the ups and downs of 55 years together. I experienced love in the hugs, smiles, and “Happy New Year” greetings of my co-workers on our first day back to the grind. I was blessed with the love of good friends who went out of their way to help push my car out of its parking spot and then drive me around now that Little Blue is away for a few days getting a transmission that is willing to take the journey through 2014 with us. Yes, love really is all around us (cue the Love Actually music now). But we just need to stop and notice it. And more importantly, we need there to be more of it.

Ringing in 2014 with some amazing ladies…

So this year, I don’t really have a resolution. At least not in the traditional sense of the word. I am committing myself to love. To noticing it, searching for it, embracing it, sharing it, and pouring it into all the recipes I create this year. So as we run full speed ahead into 2014, I offer the same challenge to you. It doesn’t mean you have to abandon all of your own resolutions…but I invite you to add to them. Let’s make 2014 the year of love. Because really if you let love be the guide in all of your choices, actions, decisions, etc., well, then 2014 is bound to be a great year, isn’t it??

I opened Pinterest this morning and this appeared. If I needed any further confirmation, this is it.


And to kick off the year, here are those delicious recipes. Just remember…who needs gluten (or dairy or soy??) when you’ve got love??

Happy New Year 🙂

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 3/4 cups almond flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
3/4 cup agave syrup1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chunks

 Mix it all together and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes!