It’s Easter. It’s my birthday week. It was a full moon lunar eclipse.

I’m an Aries who usually starts announcing her birthday at least a month before it arrives. Not this year. I took myself to the beach. Solo. Batteries in serious need of recharging.

In January I had experimented with some foods that I’ve been avoiding for many years. A bit of honey here and there. Some 90% chocolate (read “10% sugar”). Yams. Even some … potatoes. Non-GMO corn chips.

I just kept thinking, “Damn it, I’ve been such a good girl for so long, surely I’ve healed enough to be able to tolerate a few more foods! I deserve this!”

It became evident in February that I was in an autoimmune and yeast flare. Fatigue, foggy head, body aches. And, fatigue. Really tired.

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It’s been awhile since I posted a recipe – I assure you I still love to cook! And, we still have food sensitivities in our house.

I thought I had created a brand new recipe, but people have been comparing this one to Panna Cotta, so I guess I’m channeling something from a past life in Italy. I’ve never eaten Panna Cotta, and barely heard of it before. There you go. This one is dairy and sugar-free, so most of us can eat it. I made it with bananas for my eldest who is sensitive to berries of all kinds, and he gave it the thumbs up.

For a true Panna Cotta you could gel the coconut cream alone and top it with the fruit afterward, but I would recommend using fresh berries then. And, truly, the huge benefit of making this the way I have it outlined is how quick it is. Pouring the warm coconut-gelatin mixture over frozen blueberries is shear genius – the gelatin sets up in minutes! Quick, delicious and healthy.

Enjoy.

Blueberry-Coconut Panna Cotta

2 cup coconut cream (I use Aroy-D and LOVE it) or coconut milk

2 tsp gelatin powder, preferably Great Lakes or Jensen brand

a pinch Celtic sea salt

20 or so drops of vanilla or plain Stevia extract

enough frozen blueberries to fill 5 – 8 ramekins, depending on their size

Directions
Sprinkle the gelatin over the room temperature coconut cream or milk and let sit till it “blooms” – meaning it absorbs enough liquid for it all to look wet. It will expand a bit.

Heat the coconut cream or milk and gelatin until almost bubbling.

Mix the hot coconut cream mixture, stevia and sea salt and stir until smooth.

Pour into blueberry filled ramekins until full. Refrigerate until set. Which, if you use frozen bluebs, won’t take long at all.

Great for a quick dessert – and if you make a few extra ramekins they’re a delicious breakfast, too!

Okay, it’s not free of berries or seeds. Or coconut. But, it will work for a LOT of us.

The berries were in the freezer from summer, a welcome burst of sunshine flavor. I used the same crust I made for the Pumpkin Pie I posted the recipe for on Thanksgiving. I’ve taken out the baking soda that was in it originally – I don’t think it adds any real leavening, and I think it interacts with the berries in this recipe to make a little fizz on your tongue. It’s not unpleasant, but my son commented, “Mom, it tastes fermented!”

Only my son would identify a fizzy flavor as fermented. Heh.
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Okay, almost everything-free. Pretty darned close. No gluten, grains, nuts, eggs, dairy, or added starches. No added sugars if you choose the stevia option.

Yes, I know this is too late for you to make for Thanksgiving, but I only just made it myself today, so I couldn’t post it earlier. Hey, I haven’t posted since September, so I figure I’m doing pretty well!

Truth is, this is just food, folks. A little high in carbs if you’re really trying to keep those low. But, you could make it for breakfast. Pie for breakfast. That sounds just fine. Think I will.

By the way, this is a kabocha squash. In case you wonder when you read the recipe. Sometimes it’s called a Japanese pumpkin, and is what is in Thai pumpkin curry dishes.

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More than halfway through the summer. I’m loving the lazy heat of it. The late to bed and not so early to rise. How can I go to bed when it’s still light and hot? Or make the kids go?

We went camping last week. My youngest is going back on the GAPS/SCD diet with some herbal antibiotics to finally take care of some lingering bugs in his gut, so I needed to think through the food a little more carefully than usual. And, I didn’t have a lot of energy to do extra shopping, so I hunted around in the pantry to see what I could use – and there they were.

White beans. Shhh… don’t tell. I don’t usually eat beans, but white beans are GAPS/SCD legal. So, into a jar they went, covered in water. Then sprouted for a day. So sweet, with little sprouty tails just appearing. Red onion, mint and Italian parsley from the garden, a little balsamic, lemon, olive oil and salt. So simple, and really, really good. I remembered at the last minute to take a photo, after most of it was eaten.

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We’re on vacation at my husband’s family cottage in New Hampshire on Lake Winnipesaukee. (I can finally spell that without having to look it up.) The amenities are basic, the cottage is shared with a number of family members and is only used during the summertime. The mixing options are an ancient Waring blender with a glass carafe and hard plastic lid that doesn’t seal (I LOVE this blender on an aesthetic level, but it’s not the most effective appliance I’ve ever used), and a hand mixer. Never to shy away from a challenge, I wanted a new treat that I could eat without paying for with my health. It’s nice to have time to tinker in the kitchen.
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