Author: Prepper Adrienne

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips are a favorite of ours

Peanut Butter Bash is a monthly dessert challenge that uses peanut butter and a “mystery” ingredient.  Each month the “mystery ingredient” changes.  Yes, group members are told about the ingredient in advance.

Note:  This post does contain affiliate links.

January’s challenge:  The special mystery ingredient is oatmeal!  Oatmeal and peanut butter got me thinking…

For my contribution to January’s Peanut Butter Bash, I chose to make my Uncle Byron’s Oatmeal Cookies that can be found in my book, The Gluten-Free Way: My Way.

Normally, I make this recipe with Crasins and chocolate chip cookies as it is in my book.

Since this is for the Peanut Butter Bash, I used both chocolate chips as well as Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips. I had planned on adding the Crasins. Unfortunately, we are out. So, I added extra chocolate chips. I used just 1/4 cup of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips so that the peanut butter did not overwhelm the oatmeal.

 

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips
Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

 

Here is the recipe for the Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips.

Print
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookie
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 dozen
 
These cookies are great and do not taste different just because they are gluten-free.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup shortening or butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup (140 grams) gluten-free flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 1-1/2 cups gluten-free quick cooking oats
  • ½ cup nuts (optional)
  • ½ cup raisins or Crasins (optional)
  • ¼ cup gluten-free chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Lightly grease cookie sheet (or use a silicone baking mat).
  3. Cream together the shortening and brown sugar.
  4. Add all dry ingredients except for the oats.
  5. Mix well.
  6. Add the milk, vanilla, and egg. (Do not over beat.)
  7. After all is mixed well, add in oats and raisins (Crasins, chocolate chips, Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, or nuts).
  8. Spoon rounded teaspoons of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet.
Notes
Note 1: Gluten free flours vary and cookies may spread out some.
Note 2: Dairy free milk and butter may be used. Cookies may be slightly different in color due to the differences in consistencies of milk.
Note 3: May be made egg free using an egg substitute.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.

Remember, gluten free does not have to equal taste free.

Please share with those that love peanut butter using #peanutbutterbash.  Come join us for our monthly Peanut Butter Bash fun.  I look forward to seeing what you create in the next Peanut Butter Bash adventure!


Small space composting

Small space composting made easy

Compost is such an interesting part of the gardening process.  It is one of the parts that I was not looking forward to having to worry about all the time.

A compost bin means decomposing food, worms, other insects and pests, and the possibilities of rodents and other animals in the bin.  In order to avoid the rodents and other animals getting into the composting materials, it is best to keep the materials contained in a closed container.

Since we now have a limited amount of small space in our yard, we chose to buy a Yimby Tumbler Composter which is a compost tumbler that has two openings within the one container.  It has two “sides” for compost.  It has helped us be able to continue composting even though we do not have a large compost bin made from pallets.

Small space composting made easy with our Yimby Tumbler.
Small space composting made easy with our Yimby Tumbler. (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

Our previous garden set-up

I had planned on sharing pictures in this post of our compost bin from our previous house to show how it was positioned in our yard.  The compost bin was made from wooden pallets.  Its location was in the far corner of the backyard when we bought the home.   (I am unable to find those photos.  If and when I find them, I will post here.)

We used that compost bin – and used it well – for five years.  It was turned over by multiple people over the years.  (We have a couple of friends that loved shoveling…so we were happy to accept their help with the flipping of the compost.)

How we use compost in our garden beds

The compost from that bin helped fill our 20 garden beds.  We used then (and still use) a mix of one-third compost, one-third peat moss, and one-third vermiculite.  We began using this specific ratio after I read Mel Bartholemew’s book, Square Foot Gardening.  (Once you use Mel’s Mix for the first time of adding to your garden bed, when adding more soil to your beds, more vermiculite is not needed.)

D.I.Y. Compost bin from wooden pallets

In order to learn how to make your own compost bin, I am happy to refer you to a fellow blogger and friend of mine, Dianna, who recently shared on her blog about how to make your own compost bin using pallets.  I am glad she shared pictures so that you can see how she did it.

Please share your small space composting experiences with us!

I would love to see pictures of you used small space composting to your advantage.  Please share below.

~Adrienne

Note:  This was originally posted on my writing site at Adrienne Z. Milligan.  This post now has its home here on Gluten Free Preppers.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies with Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips Frosting

Peanut Butter Bash

 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies?  Yes, pumpkin in brownies!

A note about Peanut Butter Bash:  I was invited to participate in the Peanut Butter Bash Facebook Group by Dianna over at Stop Living and Start Existing.  Thank you, Dianna, for sharing this fun group with me!

Peanut Butter Bash is a monthly dessert challenge that uses peanut butter and a “mystery” ingredient.  Each month the “mystery ingredient” changes.  Yes, group members are told about the ingredient in advance.  When I joined the group, the October challenge had just finished.  October’s special ingredient was chocolate.

Note:  This post does contain affiliate links.

November’s challenge:  The special mystery ingredient is pumpkin!  Pumpkin and peanut butter?  I know what you are thinking:  Is it possible to combine these two ingredients together and still have a good tasting dessert?!  Yes, it is possible!

For my contribution to November’s Peanut Butter Bash, I chose to make my Grandma Olive’s Big Pan Brownies that can be found in my book, The Gluten-Free Way: My Way.

I decided to use canned pumpkin instead of the oil to work the pumpkin into the dessert.  The batter turned out thicker than normal and did not rise as much as it usually does.  Next time, I will probably use half of the oil called for and pumpkin for the rest.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies
Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies – fresh from the oven (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

4.5 from 2 reviews
Print
Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies
Author: 
Recipe type: Gluten Free Brownies
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12-16
 
Gluten free brownies that do not taste gluten free.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup (140 grams) of gluten free flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Grease 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish.
  3. Combine ingredients and stir until mixed.
  4. Pour into greased pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Let cool. May serve warm. Top with optional ice cream, whipped cream, or frost with favorite icing.
Notes
May substitute the ¾ cup canned pumpkin for ¾ cup oil May also use both pumpkin and oil for a combined total of no more than ¾ cup.

Crust on top of brownies tend to crack. If the crust cracks, it is most likely done.

Original Gluten-Free recipe by and found in The Gluten-Free Way: My Way by Adrienne Z. Milligan.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

The frosting is Alton Brown’s Chocolate Frosting using Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Please check out the recipe at my Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips Frosting post.

Gluten Free Reese's Peanut Butter Chips Frosting
Gluten Free Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips Frosting (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

On the top, I placed quartered Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in the center of each potential piece.  That finger in the photo is my son’s as he is excitedly pointing out the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup pieces all over the frosting.  He was waiting for his piece.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies with Reese's Peanut Butter Chip Frosting and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top
Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies with Reese’s Peanut Butter Chip Frosting and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on top (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

 

Here is my piece that I enjoyed.  I hope you will try this recipe and see how well gluten free, pumpkin, and peanut butter all go together!

GF Pumpkin Brownies with Reese's Peanut Butter Chips Frosting
Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies with Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips Frosting and Reese’s PB Cups (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

Please share about how you have combined peanut butter and pumpkin in your dessert adventures.  Are you interested in joining us for the next Peanut Butter Bash?  Follow the link in my note at the top and join today.  I look forward to seeing your dessert next month!

#peanutbutterbash


 

Gluten Free Reese’s Peanut Butter Chip Frosting

Gluten Free Reese’s Peanut Butter Chip Frosting is fast to make

Note:  This is the frosting that was used with the Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies for November 2014’s Peanut Butter Bash.  This post contains affiliate links.  Please see my Disclaimer for more details.

While watching Good Eats (via our streaming service) a couple of nights ago, we watched Alton Brown make his Devil’s Food Cake and Chocolate Frosting.  The frosting recipe was so simple that I just had to try it – like THEN.

I made a batch of my Gluten Free Brownies and the frosting.  After sharing (almost reluctantly), with the other five family members, I decided that this was the way to include the peanut butter for November’s Peanut Butter Bash.  (My Gluten Free Brownies do not normally call for canned pumpkin.  Pumpkin was the special ingredient for this month’s challenge.)

Instead of using the semi-sweet chocolate chips, I used the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips.  The frosting is lighter in color using the peanut butter chips than the semi-sweet, though it is not white.  It has a nice light peanut butter tint.

Gluten Free Reese's Peanut Butter Chip Frosting
Gluten Free Reese’s Peanut Butter Chip Frosting (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

Here is the recipe for the Gluten Free Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips Frosting.

Print
Gluten Free Reese's Peanut Butter Chip Frosting
Author: 
Recipe type: Frosting
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-3 cups
 
This recipe is based off of the Chocolate Frosting recipe by Alton Brown (http://altonbrown.com).
Ingredients
  • 3 ounces Reese's Peanut Butter Chips (read label to verify Gluten-Free ingredients)
  • 5.5 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 ounce Gluten-Free mayonnaise
  • 8 ounces powdered sugar
  • Pinch of Kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Melt Reese's Peanut Butter Chips in the microwave.
  2. Place butter and mayonnaise into mixer bowl and beat on high 3-4 minutes. Beat until fluffy and creamy.
  3. Drop mixer speed to low and add in melted chips.
  4. Add in powdered sugar and salt slowly (adding in about a third of powered sugar each time). Beat on high 2-3 minutes or until frosting is light in color and fluffy.
  5. Use on brownies, cake, cupcakes, etc.
  6. Refrigerate remaining frosting and any products not eaten due to mayonnaise content.
Notes
The original recipe by Alton Brown calls for 3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. All other parts of the recipe are as originally stated.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Please let me know if you try this recipe with different baking chips and how the recipe turns out.

~Adrienne

Dawn Dish Soap is Gluten Free

Dawn Dish Soap
Dawn Dish Soap (Copyright Adrienne Z. Milligan)

Dawn Dish Soap is Gluten Free and has many uses in addition to being a dish soap!

Note:  My friend, Dianna, over at Stop Living and Start Existing invited me to a Dawn Beyond the Sink Tweet Chat at 9pm EST today (10/28/2014).  She suggested we could each write a post about Dawn Dish Soap as our blog post topic for today.  Thank you, Dianna, for the invite and the suggestion!  

Dawn Dish Soap is a staple in my home.  I use it for more than just dishes!

As you can see in the photo above, there are three bottles.  Yes, I have three bottles of Dawn Dish Soap!  The two on the right are almost both empty.  (That means it is time to add them to the shopping list!)

The smallest one (far left) is the one that I keep in my shower.  (It also goes with us when we go to resorts with kitchens.)

The middle bottle is the one that I usually purchase the 90 fl oz bottle of Dawn at Costco.  As a family of six, we go through a lot of dishes.  This big bottle allows me to use my favorite dish soap for about four to six months without having to buy a smaller bottle more often.

The far right bottle is the one that gets refilled from the Costco bottle.  It’s place is next to the kitchen sink.  It gets used daily.

I prefer the Dawn Advanced or Dawn Ultra as it does a great job of cutting grease.  No other dish soap that I have tried has come close to the grease cutting power of Dawn.  We love to occasionally cook yummy goodies that are a bit high in grease.  When doing these dishes, this is when the awesome power of Dawn is most appreciated!

My friend that is a hair stylist once told me to use Dawn Dish Soap for hair as needed.  I asked her why and her reason was the grease cutting power that will actually clean the hair.  After you use it in your hair, you need to shampoo and condition as normal.  This will help to re-moisturize the hair.

I have used it in my hair – and that of the rest of the family – after a day at the beach, in the pool, after a fever breaks or bad night sweats.  I also will use it when my hair gets super greasy.

After working on one of the vehicles, both my husband and I go straight to the Dawn Dish Soap.  While there are specific products made for the cleaning of grease from automotive work, most of those products contain lanolin of which I am allergic to and therefore do not purchase.

I just found recipes No-Grate Homemade Laundry Soap and Homemade Stain Remover (“Shout”).  Both of these recipes use Dawn Dish Soap for the grease cutting properties.

As Alton Brown mentions often in his show, Good Eats, he believes in “products that are multi-taskers.”  Dawn Dish Soap, I believe, is such a product.

What do you use Dawn Dish Soap for in your home or office?  Please share so we can learn from each other.

~Adrienne

I found this on Dawn:  “Do your hand dishwashing liquids contain gluten? Answer: Gluten is not part of the formulation for any of our hand dishwashing products.”

Note:  This post contains my affiliate links for Amazon.com.  Please see my Disclaimers for more information.