"Chocolate chip bread"

• 2 cups grated fresh zucchini/pumpkin/butternut squash
• 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• ¾ cup coconut sugar or other granulated sugar
• ½ cup light olive oil, melted coconut oil, or any light tasting oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (this reacts with the soda for rise)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup millet flour 
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon x-gum 
• ½ cup chocolate chips 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the zucchini/squash, applesauce, sugar, oil, and vanilla, mix well.
3. Sprinkle in the dry ingredients in order over the top,
4. Carefully whisk the dry ingredients together before incorporating the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, and the lemon juice/ACV.
6. Pour batter into loaf pan.
7. Bake for 50 minutes for a regular loaf. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean, and you may need to bake longer to achieve this (moisture content of squash will vary).
8. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a cooling rack to cool he rest of the way.

pull apart apple bread

Original recipe from here
I am just recording what i changed so i won't forget, and of course in case the recipe disappears as so often happens when i find one i like on another blog ...  

I want to try using this dough for cinnamon rolls, or some kind of chocolate chip version of this bread..

* 1 3/4 cup sorghum
* 3/4 cup millet
* 3/4 cup tapioca starch
* 3/4 cup potato starch
* 1¼ cup + 2 tbsp milk of choice
*  2½ tsp yeast
* 3 tsp xanthan
* ½ tsp salt
* ¾ cup sugar
* 2 Tbsp melted vegetable shortening/earth balance spread Filling
* 3 Tbsp shortening/butter substitute
* 1-2 apples sliced thin
* ¾ cup brown sugar
* 2½ tsp cinnamon
Glaze (optional)
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 4 tsp water

1. Heat ¼ cup of milk of choice to 100 degrees. Add yeast and set aside for until foaming.
2. Mix all dry ingredients for the dough. Combine yeast, melted shortening and remaining milk of choice.
3. Vigorously mix ingredients by hand for 10 minutes or stand mixer for 5 minutes to help activate gum. Cover bowl and let dough rest for 10 minutes. Work on apples while waiting.
4. Wash, peel and core apples. Thinly slice apples into small bite size bits, set aside until needed.
5. Lightly grease a sheet of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet. With greased hands, gently press out dough to form a rectangle approximately 16x20 inches.
6. Lightly spread shortening over entire dough. Mix cinnamon and brown sugar and evenly sprinkle over entire dough (reserve 2 Tbsp for sprinkling on top)
7. Slice dough into 6 equal rows lengthwise (right to left) and 4 equal columns width wise (top to bottom)
8. Gently drop apple bits over entire dough in a single layer. (You'll have a little apples left over)
9. Carefully move each square into a 9 x 5 inch bread pan stacking upon one another. For the last end piece, make sure the filling side is down so the it won't stick to the pan. Sprinkle with remaining filling.
10. Cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm area for 20 minutes. (do not allow dough to double in size or risk collapse during baking)
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until top turns golden brown and internal temp reaches 190 degrees F. Remove from oven and allow to sit in the pan to steam another 10 minutes before removing to fully cool on a wire rack.

Elderberry gummies

Elderberry Gummies 

• 1/3 cup unsweetened elderberry "juice" (recipe below)
• 2 tbs orange juice
• 3 tbs raw honey 
• 2 tbs gelatin 
• a little vitamin C powder (optional for added immune boosting power) 

combine all ingredients (add gelatin slowly or it will clump) and then heat just enough to melt the gelatin, pay attention not to get it 'hot' or you'll cook out the goodness of the raw honey! you should be able to stick your finger in and taste it.   - I almost never make this little, i usually at least triple this recipe and use ice cube trays to make the gummies.  (I spray them with coconut oil to ease removal) I give one 1/2-1 tbs gummy to each of my kids every day with their vitamins.

Elderberry syrup/juice 

1/2 cup elderberries (dried, or whole cup fresh) 
3 cups of water 

bring water to a boil, add elderberries, reduce to a simmer for 45 mins.  once cooled, add 1 cup honey to make elderberry syrup (great for sore throats/coughs immune boosting etc) or leave out the honey and make gummies!  you can freeze the gummies (or the juice, though i've never tried that!)  the honey will act as a preservative for a while but it is best to freeze if you know you won't be using the gummies or syrup within a few weeks. 

Meatballs

4lbs ground beef

1/4 cup flax meal 

2-4 tbs spinach powder 

1 tbs zucchini powder

2 tbs Italian seasoning 

2 tbs minced garlic  

1 can tomato paste + 1-2 cans water

Garlic salt to taste 

Roll into balls, place on parchment paper on a jelly roll pan and bake at 350 for 20 mins