Hey guys, it's not too late to keep posting recipes that include pumpkin is it? I mean, I eat it all year round so...
IT'S NOT!

Ever since my PH went gluten free I've been exploring the world in gluten free baking. The one thing I've been holding off on trying is a gluten free pie crust. Our pie crust recipe is so easy! Plus it is always flakey and perfect. So the idea of trying out a gluten free crust which would likely turn out very poorly the first few times around worried me quite a bit. (Fun fact, the first few I tried out were terrible)

However, we had a big family party yesterday and I was bringing the pumpkin pie. PH loves pumpkin pie and I was determined to make a crust he could eat.

I tried almond flour but my crust was greasy and crumbly. Then, I decided to try to use pecans. I felt like it'd be a great marriage of pecan pie and pumpkin pie. What sounds bad about that? (Nothing!)

This crust really came together so easily. Everyone who had a piece at the party told me they thought it was really good. I felt like it did work well together. I'm really happy with this foray into gluten free pie crust, and I think you will be too! If you want to keep it vegan you could easily replace the honey for maple syrup, or even agave nectar!

One warning I will give is that my crust didn't come up as far around the plate. When I poured my pumpkin filling in it overflowed a bit. To remedy this you'll want to use a little less filling, or try to get the crust further up the plate. Or use a deeper pie plate.

I forgot to take a picture of my finished pie. So here is a photo of one of my regular pumpkin pies.

I am also attaching the link to my favorite pumpkin pie recipe. This pie is perfectly spiced, and I love the depth of flavor from adding brown sugar instead of just using white sugar.
Happy holidays everybody! I hope you enjoy your gluten free pies as much as your regular ones!

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     On Sunday, we had family and friends over for dinner and I made a big Mexican food feast with tacos and burritos.  Lindsey made delicious refried black beans. (Spoiler alert: She will be sharing that recipe soon!) And I made some plain rice to go with everything.  I wasn't sure how much to make with the number of people that were coming (10, plus kids), so I cooked 4 cups of rice.  It made 8 cups of course and by the end of the evening, there was hardly a dent made in that bowl full of rice!  
      My husband said not to worry because he would pack some in his lunches for work.  But, the next day I also realized that I also had some milk that was hitting the expiration date and I knew just what to do.  It was time for a batch of rice pudding! 

     For me, rice pudding is a true comfort food.  My mom used to bake it when I was a kid.  It is basically a custard with rice in it.  I know some of you don't love raisins, but they are such a burst of sweetness in this custard that doesn't have a lot of sugar in it.  (Only half of a cup!)  This is a really nice dessert to enjoy during the cold winter months. In some parts of the country, rice pudding is made with maple syrup in it.  That sounds delicious!  And, don't forget, rice pudding is gluten-free! There is even a recipe book all about different varieties of rice pudding! But for me, I stuck to the traditional recipe that I love. 

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

     Be sure to store the leftovers in the fridge.  Go ahead!  When you have leftover rice, make some pudding!  So many people have rice cookers now, rice pudding might become your go to dessert! 
       I made those place mats!  You can find the directions for them on Handmade Monthly. 
​       Be sure to come back tomorrow for Friday Faves! 

Guys, ever since my husband admitted he had a problem, we have been living the gluten free life. I have ventured into gluten free land before, but now it is a whole new world. Everything I bake must be gluten free or he can't eat it. Generally he says I just shouldn't bake things because he doesn't need to be eating it anyway. Sometimes though, you just need a treat. I cannot eat all the cookies all by myself!

Okay... I totally could actually... but why should he miss out??

Well, I was on a quest to make a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie that wasn't quite so cakey, but more like a regular chocolate chip cookie. Now, it ALSO had to be gluten free!

I am here to tell you guys... I did it! I found the best gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

These gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are soo good!

Don't judge that it is almost March. Pumpkin can, and should, be consumed year round.

Friendly reminder, pumpkin is good for you.

So anyway, my favorite gluten free flour mix definitely came in handy this time around. Bob's Red Mill makes great gluten free flour blends! This one comes with the xanthan gum already mixed in. It is a 1 to 1 ratio. I like that a lot. It takes very little effort to switch out basic cookie recipes for this great gluten free substitute.

Here is another great thing about this recipe: it is egg free! You are just a short step away from making it vegan. So... if you want to, go ahead and do it! You could switch out the butter for your favorite vegan butter, and use these vegan chocolate chips instead.

I'm lookin' out for you my vegan and gluten free friends!

So, go make these gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and try not to eat all of them at once! (Although, you totally could. I would not judge you.)