Bourbon Vanilla Rooibos & Blueberry Crepes

Crepes are a favorite family food. And since the family is altogether for Father's Day, it's only natural that crepes are on the menu. Although the menu sounds fairly traditional, it wasn't without its unique variations. 

I keep a can of coconut milk in the fridge door. It's chilled through and ready to be made into coconut milk whipped topping at a moments notice. It's easy enough. Simply open the can, spoon the mixture into a bowl, and whip with an electric mixer {Kitchen Aid} until creamy. I happen to like the little globs of coconut fat solids, so I don't whip it until it is completely creamy, but you can if you try this yourself and would prefer it. I added a 1/2 tsp. of stevia for sweetness and some of our homemade vanilla.

Pear sauce is another simple filling for crepes and could be used for filling or topping. Our family enjoys this even more than applesauce. We use home canned Bartlett pears and put them in a blender {pears and juice} and blend until creamy. Tasty!

U-picks at the blueberry patch down the road start this week, so I need to use up as many of our frozen berries as possible to make room for a new batch. Usually I heat the frozen blueberries in a kettle with water and stevia or with fresh apple juice. 

This time I decided to try something different, so went to my tea cupboard to find something that I thought would be flavorful with the blueberries. I chose a tisane of bourbon vanilla* rooibos that I steeped and then added to the bluebeerries. They were sweetened with 1 tsp. of stevia and thickened with a cornstarch slurry.

Homemade crepes {gluten free} filled with pear sauce and rolled. Then topped with warm blueberry sauce and coconut milk whipped cream {it melts into the warm blueberries upon contact of cold with warm}. Delicious and just right for Father's Day! 

The china is Royal Doulton Carolyn from the Romance series. 

*From Wikipedia: 

• Bourbon vanilla or Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla, produced from V. planifolia plants introduced from the Americas, is the term used for vanilla from Indian Ocean islands such as Madagascar, the Comoros, and Reunion, formerly the Île Bourbon. It is also used to describe the distinctive vanilla flavor derived from V. planifolia grown successfully in tropical countries such as India.

Talking About Food

Today I'm sharing recipes and ideas from Mother's Day brunch yesterday. Like many families, we have individuals in our family who have special dietary needs. Doing without can be discouraging at times, especially when one is diligent in their transition to eat in the way their health requires. Our menu criteria includes eating gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegetarian. Gluten grains are wheat, oats, barley, and rye and must be avoided. And sugar-free, in our family, includes natural sweeteners like maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup, and honey. Stevia is our "go to" sweetener and it works quite well in satisfying the sweet tooth. It makes menu planning challenging at times! Here's what we had for Mother's Day brunch.

Pancakes! Well, they started out as crepes, but that wasn't communicated with the second baker, and the stack grew into pancakes instead. They came from a new mix from The Pure Pantry called Organic Buckwheat Flax Pancake and Baking Mix. I especially appreciate this product because it is made from mostly whole grains. The ingredients are buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, flax meal, white rice flour, aluminum free baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and xanthan gum. Other things that can be made from this mix are scones, waffles, muffins, and biscuits.

Fresh apricots! They are sweetened with stevia and garnished with fresh mint. They were served with a low-calorie invention that turned out quite deliciously! It is my version of English clotted cream. It's simply low-fat Greek yogurt mixed with stevia to taste. It worked beautifully as topping for our fruit and cakes. A dairy-free version can be made by using soy yogurt (drained in a dishcloth or sieve to thicken) with stevia added to sweeten. It's so thick that the teaspoon stands up in the center!

Strawberries! They are wonderful gems of deliciousness each spring! Sliced and sweetened with stevia, they were simple and sweet.

And blueberries! These were picked in the neighbor's patch last summer and frozen. We've been enjoying them all winter long. Today, they were cooked with water. Once they had thawed and simmering, stevia was added along with a slurry of cornstarch and water. A thick, delicious topping was the result. How easy is that? If you like, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla too.

Because it was Mother's Day, we added a food that was a staple on Grandma Katie's table. Cottage cheese. Here everything is stacked on top of a pancake to make a tasty breakfast dish!

The last item on our menu is one that's a special treat, as it is somewhat expensive at $4.99 for a package of 8 hot dogs. Most vegetarian hot dogs (and other meat analogues) depend upon gluten to give them substance and structure. Vegetarian celiacs find that a staple in the creation of most main dishes is now not available to them. Not only do they give up bread and many baked products, but main dishes like choplets, soy-chik, veggie burger, and luncheon veggie slices are no longer foods they can eat. We discovered Tofu Pups which are completely soy based and no gluten is used. It was something we discovered quite by accident, and they have been something we've been able to add into our meals upon occasion. I also keep watch for times that Tofu Pups are on sale and then buy several that I pop into the freezer until I'm ready to serve them. Catsup, that wonderful red condiment, contains lots of sugar. So, we've come up with all sorts of alternatives. Here, the tofu pups are served with a homemade tartar sauce. Into about 1 cup of Vegenaise we added finely chopped sweet onions, pickles, and celery. Then, about 1 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice and a very tiny amount of stevia and sea salt. Add just enough soymilk to moisten and make the mixture thin enough to spoon or pour. Mix together well and serve. Very yummy! You can add chopped pimento or green, yellow, or red peppers too if you'd like. By the way, Vegenaise is a wonderful mayo to use anytime you use a recipe that calls for mayonnaise. I was raised on Miracle Whip. My husband on Best Foods. We have found a compromise in this product and both love it best!

I know this is a fairly "technical" post. I apologize to readers who may not find this information useful, but to those who find they require a diet with restrictions, I hope there's something here to hope and encourage.

Our brunch was enjoyed with hot cups of delicious Adagio darjeeling.

The Blessing of the Day

I hope your Mother's Day was special! Families throughout the world celebrate Mother' Day, but each seems to have their own roots, dates, and traditions. In the United States, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. It is a day set aside to recognize mothers, motherhood, and all maternal bonds. It is an opportunity and moment that everyone can share, simply because everyone has a mother. We can honor a memory, give tokens of love and appreciation, and enjoy the benefits of being a mother if we have been blessed by the opportunity. Roots to this day reach back to remembrance and honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother's Day officially on May 9, 1914 and it was tradition that American citizens would display an American flag on that day to honor the mother's of those who had lost sons. Obviously, the meaning of Mother's Day and what it represents has morphed into something different as the years have progressed. It now is a day that all mother's are remembered, appreciated, and honored. Many families have their own unique traditions special to this day.

I've enjoyed browsing through blog posts by others, as there has been much sharing of happenings and doings. It's so special to hear about ways that families honor their mothers. Breakfast in bed seems to be popular, as does a special Mother's Day brunch or tea. I've heard of spa days (where the kids give a pedicure and dad paints mom's toenails!) and of many mothers who are receiving hanging baskets of flowers or flats of annuals to plant in their garden. Although the official Mother's Day flower was a carnation, I think it has blossomed to be simply flowers, now ninety-nine years later! I think most mother's would agree, that it is the thought that counts and simply being together as a family is the very best gift of all!

Our Mother's Day has been one of remembering our mom's (and grandmother's) and how they enriched our lives with love and guidance. Their memory is important to us and it is they who have made us into who we are today. It has also been a time to appreciate the blessings of today. Time spent together as a family, simply talking, doing something, and eating special foods. It's been fun to have the boys home and to enjoy a traditional, yummy brunch together! Just "being" is something I especially "savor" on a day like today!

I hope your day has been blessed as well!

Alma's Festive Morning French Toast

Sharing tea with Alma is always a treat!

The Chew on Tuesday had a feature called "The Iron Grandma Brunch Battle". Three grandmother's were selected to prepare and share their favorite brunch recipes. A panel of three distinguished judges gave the "Iron Grandma" award to Mama T for her delicious overnight French toast recipe. While viewing, I realized a similarity to Alma's delicious company breakfast French toast. It's perfect for company because you can prepare it the evening before and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, simply pop into the oven to bake for 45 minutes and then set on the table to serve. Simply add juice or tea. This dish contains carbs, protein, and fruit. It's a one-dish meal. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as our family does.

Alma's Festive Morning French Toast

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

3 tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (Granny Smith)

1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

1 loaf Italian or French bread (cut into 1-inch slices)

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Combine brown sugar, butter and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a 13 x 9 baking dish.  Add apples and cranberries; toss to coat well.  Spread apple mixture evenly over bottom of baking dish.  Arrange slices of bread on top.

Mix eggs, milk, vanilla and remaining 2 tsp. cinnamon until well blended.  Pour mixture over bread, soaking bread completely.  Cover and refrigerate 4 - 24 hours.

Bake covered with aluminum foil, in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake 5 minutes.  Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

Makes 12 servings.

*To veganize, substitute almond or soy milk for dairy milk. Instead of eggs, use a block of tofu that's blended with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water. Use Earth Balance or olive oil to replace butter. Easy.

Alma is modeling a teapot purse. Size extra-large!
You could fit  your stash of cosmetics in this handbag.