Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger created by Sea of Book of Yum continues to be one of my favorite monthly events. This month, I decided to adopt Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free – Amy has wonderful recipes and is such inspiration in how she fosters community amongst bloggers and readers. I love reading her blog because she is always connecting people to each other,whether through her weekly Slightly Indulgent event, her wonderful Gluten-Free Holiday series, or the causes she supports. Reading Amy’s blog really feels like chatting with a friend and all her other friends who comment.
Amy’s recipes are also all pretty fantastic. They are all free of gluten and sugar and she focuses on low-glycemic sweeteners, which is perfect for me. The picture above is her Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard. It was smokey and satisfying and warming. Husband and I made this chili one of the first few nights it got really cold in Washington, DC a couple of weeks ago and it was just what we needed to warm us up. Below is Amy’s Apple & Carrot Breakfast Cake, which is adapted from the Vitamix cookbook.
In the post that includes the Apple & Carrot Breakfast Cake, Amy talks about how long she mulled the purchase of a Vitamix, and I could so totally relate to that. Incidentally, the cake you see above is the recipe as written on the blog, including eggs. I made two half batches of the cake – one with eggs for my husband, and one with flax seeds for me. The recipe was perfect when I used eggs, but a bit too moist when I substituted flax seeds, hemp milk and a extra baking soda in the vegan version. I also made it again using egg substitute
, which I generally avoid in favor of flax or chia seeds – and the crumb and loft using egg substitute (and warm almond milk instead of water) rivaled the original recipe. I do think this cake needs the structure that eggs give it, and egg substitute provides a bit more structure than flax or chia. I keep making this cake as half batches using a loaf pan, and I really like the results, plus it is a perfect small quantity of cake. It has also worked well using this brown rice flour 
and egg substitute – I ran out of sorghum and do not plan to buy it again (I am trying to shift more to grain-free or use gluten-free flours that have lower cross-contamination) so I intend to keep playing with this recipe concept – I think next time I will try quinoa flour or flakes along with teff flour. This recipe is absolutely a keeper and I love Amy’s adaptation of it.
, which I generally avoid in favor of flax or chia seeds – and the crumb and loft using egg substitute (and warm almond milk instead of water) rivaled the original recipe. I do think this cake needs the structure that eggs give it, and egg substitute provides a bit more structure than flax or chia. I keep making this cake as half batches using a loaf pan, and I really like the results, plus it is a perfect small quantity of cake. It has also worked well using this brown rice flour and egg substitute – I ran out of sorghum and do not plan to buy it again (I am trying to shift more to grain-free or use gluten-free flours that have lower cross-contamination) so I intend to keep playing with this recipe concept – I think next time I will try quinoa flour or flakes along with teff flour. This recipe is absolutely a keeper and I love Amy’s adaptation of it. Finally, Amy’s weight loss story is so inspiring. I can really relate to her point that cutting out white sugars and flour helped her combat food cravings. When I cut out gluten, my joint pain went away right away (soon followed by headaches, congestion and hearburn), but I also noticed that my food cravings improved dramatically and fairly quickly. At that point, I had already cut out all refined sugars for a while, and while my food cravings had improved, going completely gluten-free really made a difference from that standpoint.
I really encourage you to check out Amy’s blog and, come January, her new book
with the same theme. I for one cannot wait!
with the same theme. I for one cannot wait! ***************
General Disclosures & Disclaimers
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Lovely write-up Valerie! Amy is indeed an inspiration for us all. That apple cake looks so good…I remember seeing the recipe and wishing I had a vitamix so I could make it!
Hi Valerie!! I'm so honored that you've adopted me and taken the time to share in so much detail about your experiences with my recipes. It really means so much.
You picked two of my favorite recipes – in fact I just made the bean soup again but I used more broth and sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash. Loved it.
It's neat to learn that you've had a similar experience with food cravings, too. I hear that from so many people…it's amazing how much food impacts our lives.
Much love,
Amy