On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

Merry Christmas, one and all!

It's still Christmas, after all! I always count on the fact that there ARE Twelve Days of Christmas... After all the work, planning, preparation, I'm for one thing NEVER ready completely, nor secondly, ready for it to be over so quickly!


These are some wonderful Gingerbread cookies I made, using Buckwheat, Almond Meal & Tapioca flours... For Sweetening, I used Splenda mixed with one Tablespoon Molasses per cup, and Truvia. They are frosted using traditional powdered sugar glaze-- such a teensy bit, why not? They are wonderful in and of themselves, whether lower carb or not! They are also wonderful compared to my first attempt.

In my relatively new quest for lower carb, significantly reduced sugar, baking, which BEGINS by first and foremost being Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Oat Free, Garbanzo Free and more, I have been wishing to try some new flours. Quinoa, I thought. Hmm. I like the whole grain itself. So many love it. Highly nutritious. I MUST try it!

I did. Well, I can without reservation say to you: don't. I have 2 very accommodating children. Who will try ANYTHING I bake. Will strive to make it work if at all possible. I'm not dissing Quinoa. But this just DID NOT work. AT ALL. . . "hMMM....!!! Ugh!" "Uh, sort of can taste the ginger-- but it tastes like asparagus." "Well, after baking them longer/darker they sort of taste more like green beans, instead of just asparagus." "They're good..... oh-uh-- huhgggg-ghhhhh!?? What IS that?" Were some of the comments. And I only used 20%. So a "no go". To say the least.

Below, is a picture of another success: Some almond meal based cookies whose dough was versatile enough that I planned to make several types of Christmas cookies with it! Sadly, we lost our beloved bag of dough.... When I inadvertently threw it out in a huff, thinking it was the DESPISED Quinoa aberration. (Shoulda used my big Fat Sharpie on the Bags!)

That's ok; we can remake it. We can make it better than it was.... (insert 6 Million Dollar Man theme music here.)

These recipes aren't really tested, but I wanted to share with you. Our Joys & Successes. As well as our Cautionary Tales.

I really hope you ALL have a blessed, cozy, festive & JOYOUS holiday season!

xo