JK Grain Free Gourmet

                 WE LOVE THE ALMOND FLOUR!
                                                       www.jkgourmet.com
It is a chilly morning here at our homestead and though it is a bit of a splurge, I decided to make some Almond Flour Scones for Mom, S, and M.  Both boys had already gone out for some early morning hunting, but by full daylight they came in for some warm food.

I was a bit worried that the recipe I used would be a bit plain or...different in the way that some gluten-free products have been, but these Almond Flour Scones made with JK Gourmet's Almond Flour were amazing and surpassed all our expectations.  S said they were the best thing I have made yet (possibly even the best thing since before his gluten-free for a month challenge).  From S who is a food connoisseur, that is saying a lot.  He thoroughly enjoyed his four scones filled with chocolatey goodness.

M and Mom also loved the delicious scones filled with maple flavor and the goodness of JK's Almond Flour.  It was such a simple, quick recipe that turned out so well.  This is definitely a keeper! I highly recommend JK Gourmet for all their great products.

The other two products we received were a Grain-free bar and Cereal.  We have yet to try the bar, but Mom tasted the cereal the day it arrived and loved it.  She appreciated the crunchiness of this Grain-Free cereal that was very similar to what she remembers of "normal" granola.

All of JK Gourmet's products are Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Grain-Free.  Here is a little more on this super company from their website, www.jkgourmet.com:

"Grain-Free JK Gourmet was started by Jodi Bager in 2001 and is now operated by Jodi and her husband Steven. Grain-Free JK Gourmet is a Canadian company with a mandate devoted to making all-natural, preservative-free whole-foods baked goods that taste as good as they are healthy.

Our Granola, Biscotti, Granola Bars, and Muffin-Loaves are sweetened with a touch of honey and packed with cholesterol-lowering, vitamin-rich nuts, real fruit and vegetables, and high-fibre seeds. Our Baking Mixes are sweetened with coconut nectar, an organic, sustainable, non-refined sweetener that tastes fabulous! Most importantly, our nutritious granola and almond flour baked goods have an authentic taste and texture that make every bite an indulgence.

Everyone enjoys our products, but you will in particular if…

• You are on a gluten-free diet
• You are lactose intolerant
• You are trying to increase your intake of whole, natural foods
• You are trying to reduce the amount of wheat or other grains in your diet
• You want to eliminate refined sugar from your diet
• You are following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) for intestinal health (our honey-sweetened products are perfect for you!)
• You love delicious granola, cookies and muffins, but want to eat them guilt-free!

To read more about Jodi , please visit our "About Jodi" page."-jkgourmet.com
 

Almond Flour Scones:

This is the recipe I used this morning, adapted from Elana's Pantry Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/158761345X?ie=UTF8&tag=elanaspantryc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=158761345X)

I made a few changes because I'd rather not use Agave Nectar or Grapeseed Oil in my recipes, but that is just my opinion.  Feel free to follow her recipe if you wish!

• 2 1/2 cups JK's Gourmet Almond Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/4-1/3C Maple Syrup (the real Pennsylvania stuff)
• 2 large eggs (preferably from cage-free, pastured chickens)
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips (dairy-free if you are intolerant)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine Almond Flour, Sea Salt, and Baking Soda in large bowl.  After melting the butter, mix all the wet ingredients together with a hand mixer till thoroughly combined.  Mix the wet ingredients into dry ingredients to form a thick, paste-like batter.  Now add in Chocolate Chips and stir till combined.  Place 1-2 spoonfuls on the baking sheet and bake for 12-17 minutes depending on the size of your spoonfuls.  Let the scones cool for 15-30 minutes on baking sheets.  Enjoy!

 

Check out JK's Gourmet to learn more or to order grain-free products today!  You'll love them.

 Here is one more great thing they mentioned about their company:
 "This was a niche we had no intention of targeting when we started 12 years ago….but so many subsets of the population are crossing paths as time goes on: gluten-free, SCD community, paleo, wheat-belly diet….we really just try to make delicious products within our strict grain-free, refined sugar-free mandate."-jkgourmet

I think this is so neat!  Keep up the good work JK Gourmet.  We love your products!

Miss Paleo Mixes

                   www.misspaleomixes.com
What a treat it was to get to try these cookies, brownies and bread from Miss Paleo Mixes!  After a morning full of Cross Country practice and my first CrossFit practice, I came home to find a lovely package with the mixes inside, all ready for me to make.  I didn't waste much time making all three that very afternoon so the family could test them out after dinner (before dinner, as a snack, etc.)!

 I tried to get some good pictures of them, but I didn't have access to great lighting due to the fact that well...the sun was down and that is my favorite lighting...so this will do for now. : )

Check out these cookies.

One of my absolute favorite things to do after a nice hard workout is bake something for my family.  I love to listen to my favorite health podcasts while baking a new recipe or trying out a new product to review, just like these mixes.  I really appreciated how simple the directions and ingredients are for baking these mixes.  Did you notice that they are Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and completely Paleo-friendly?  Got to love it!

 To me, one of the most telling tests of taste and appeal is when even a gluten eater enjoys a product.  Sure, those of us who have been off the nasty stuff for a while love the taste of Miss Paleo products...but I always like to assess the appeal by offering the really good stuff to someone who's still eating the Standard American Diet.  Well, I made three batches of Miss Paleo's treats on Saturday afternoon.  By Sunday afternoon, all but one small part of the bread were gone (and that had been squirreled away by one who wanted some for breakfast in the morning.)  So that's a dozen brownies, 24 cookies, and a loaf of bread, all gone in 24 hours.  Also, the quality was just as fresh and delicious the second day as the first.

Miss Paleo Mixes currently offers three mixes to make either Brownies, Cookies, Bread, or Muffins.  Check out their website here at www.misspaleomixes.com.

My brother especially was already asking for me to make some more brownies the next day...was it even that night that he was asking for me to make more?!  He really seemed to like them. 

I like how these mixes are free of grains (which I personally can't handle very well at all), gluten (which many of us can't tolerate or chose to abstain from), and dairy. 

These mixes are such a great option for those looking to transition into a Gluten-free diet, Paleo diet/lifestyle, or for those who are looking for something to support them in a more health-conscious way of eating.  Try some today!  I think you'll be amazed that something with such simple ingredients can taste so good.

Here is a little more on Miss Paleo Mixes:

"Welcome to Miss Paleo!

Our Mixes are made completely without GRAIN or WHEAT and are sweetened with low glycemic coconut crystals!
We use no refined sugar, additives, chemicals or preservatives in our products. Just nutritious, delicious natural ingredients.
If you are Celiac or Gluten Free our Mixes are for you, however, EVERYONE loves Miss Paleo Mixes because they taste so good and and are so very good for you!

Check out our product lables for our ingredients and nutritional guides."-misspaleomixes.com