Neener's Almond Muffins (Gluten Free!)

Ok, so I am not entirely sure I have perfected this recipe but today I got pretty close so I decided to share it anyway. What's not perfect? They are a little less fluffy, a little more dense then I'd like them to be. This is an issue I run into repeatedly with gluten free baking. I suppose I should break down and buy an all-purpose gluten free flour but I have yet to find one that is either a) corn free as well, many of them use cornstarch, this means no xanthan gum as well, which is derived from corn or b) truly all-purpose. In my experimenting I've learned that what works well for breads doesn't always work well for cookies, and that mixing flours is always your best bet.  It's the ratio of what flours to use I am still working on. These muffins are gluten free, corn free, dairy free & can be egg free AND they are STILL yummy lol. I added any modifications after asterisks for those who may not need to use the "allergy option".

• 1/2c Almond meal
• 1/2c Sorghum Flour
• 1/2c Oat Flour
• 1/2c Rice Flour ******Note if you can have wheat just use 1 & 1/4c all purpose flour & 1/2c Almond meal
• 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda*****These two (CoT & BS) are in place of baking powder, which contains corn (I know, it's everywhere), if you don't need a corn free option 2 tsps baking powder will work!
• 1/3-1/2c sugar*****I don't eat much sugar at all these days so I like them to be a little sweeter (still not too sweet with 1/2c) and don't feel too guilty about it. You can also use Stevia but I haven't tried so you're on your own there :)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp Guar Gum****Xantham Gum if you want, or if you use regular all-purpose flour omit this all together, it already has a binder. 
• 1 egg****If you need to go egg free, try 1 TBSP flax meal in 3 TBSP hot water, let sit for 10 mins add in just like you would an egg!
• 1/4 c Cooking oil 
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3/4c Almond milk******Again if you don't have to go dairy free, regular milk works. I like using almond milk anyway, even though I can have dairy, because it accents the flavor of the muffins. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put all dry ingredients together in a bowl; flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, guar gum, salt, set aside, mix well and set aside. In separate bowl add milk, oil and beaten egg, mix together. Make a small well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour liquids into it. Using a mixing spoon, stir all ingredients together until well blended. The flour will look pretty moist. Using a pre-greased muffin pan pour batter into muffin spots (what is the technical name for those?) until they are 3/4 full. Bake for 12-18 mins, depending on your oven. Remove when done, allow to cool for a few minutes before removing them & enjoy!!

These are not super sweet, dessert type muffins, they are definitely more of a breakfast muffin. I really like making them because they have some protein to them thanks to the almonds, they are great snacks!! Please let me know if you try them out, I am open to ideas! In fact, I think next I am going to try using Tapioca flour (or starch as it's sometimes called) in place of the rice flour and omit the binder. I often forger the binding agent so my muffins can be crumbly, I was thinking maybe the tapioca flour might bind it together ok so those times (cough everytime lol) I forget to use the guar gum they won't fall apart. I'll let you know! 

My Earthly Treasures

I've had a really bad cause of the "I needs" lately. I need a camera,  I need a new car, I need some new home decor, I need a new coat, I need new clothes, it's rather embarrassing to admit actually. For as much as I tell my children to be thankful for what they have, I haven't remembered to "practice what I preach" much the past few months. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying you can't ever want anything or you're bad if you do, just that sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the material things we think we "need". We forget that none of it really lasts; cars run down, cameras break, clothes tear, our tastes change, etc... I started thinking about the material things I really treasure here on earth, are any of them in the category of items I've listed above? No. Why are the things I treasure actually treasures? It's certainly not because they make me look good, make grocery shopping more convenient, or my house look like it belongs in a magazine. These things are treasured because they remind me of people I love, memories with family & friends; they remind me that I am loved, and teach me the truth about God, who I truly am and the world I live in. So I thought I would share a few of those items I truly treasure...

A flannel that belonged to my grandpa, the clothes my boys wore home from the hospital, the crazy shorts my grandmother wore to my wedding & lots of cards from my boys

The first picture Isaiah ever drew of me when he was 3 yrs old

TONS of photo albums full of my favorite photos. These are just the printed ones, I literally have thousands of digital ones saved on flash drives & cds.

Isaiah's "dinosaur with eggs, volcano & palm tree" picture he drew at 3.5

A ford truck that once held the flowers my dad brought me at the hospital when my oldest was born, a vase signed by many family & friends at my surprise 30th birthday party.

A picture Isaiah drew last summer that shows how his "A"s used to look like little spaceships

The bible my parents bought me right after I got married, to replace the one my puppy had torn up & the journal I use to keep track of all the things the Lord has shown me, spoken to me or words given me through others. 

There are other items; a blanket my grandmother made for me when I graduated college, a tea set my mom gave me, a picture my niece won first prize with, a scarf my dear friend made, the shoes I wore at my wedding, a lacy table cloth made for us when David & I got married with a hole in it from our old cat...most items I couldn't sell at a yard for much if anything, but to me they are priceless. I know that things of this earth will pass away, it's really not the item I am so attached to as the sentiment behind it. I love pulling them out and remembering lost family, old times, dear friends, they remind me of the things that really matter to me. I am so blessed. 

These handsome guys (one of my favorite pictures taken 2 yrs ago) are not material or mine to keep, they belong to the Father.  I have been blessed to have them for a time though & they truly are treasures.