Butternut Squash Soup

If you like butternut squash then you will probably like this recipe.

1. Peel your butternut squash
2. cut in into small cubes
3. place in blender with chicken broth( use enough liquid to get the blender to blend squash)
4. If you have a vita-mix you can let the blender cook the soup. If you don't want to do that just pour soup in a pot and heat for about 20 minutes to cook squash. 
5. you can add a handful of almonds when blending to make it a little more creamy.
6. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. 

Simple and easy soup.

RAW Pear Chips

Yes it is that time of year when the pears are coming in or just came into season. I received a lot of organic pears from my mother-in-law and learned from her that dehydrating them is a great way to use them. They make a perfect snack.

You don't even need to peel them if you don't want to. Just slice them and place on dehydrator. They will shrink by about 50%.

Store them in the refrigerator to make them last longer. I jar works best to keep them in. If you keep your temperature below about 112 degrees they will store RAW.

Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Muffins

I have recently found out that I have an allergy to wheat. So.......... I am having to come up with new recipe and creative ideas that don't incorporate any wheat. You don't realize how many pre-made foods and recipes have wheat in them until you can't eat it.

This recipe is the same as my chocolatey chocolate chip Banana muffins but I replaced the flour with gluten free flour.

I actually tried this recipe a couple of times and it is better if you sift the dry ingredients a few times and beat the egg whites before adding them. This helps the muffins stay fluffy instead if dense. I also found that making them in mini size helps them bake quicker. I also tried this recipe with ground flax seed instead of the flour and the mini size works best.  

Preheat oven to 325. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the middle is done. 

• 3 1/2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter - melted
• 1/3 cup sugar ( I used Organic Whole Cane Sugar-Rapadura)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips