Sugar-Free Almond Mocha Latte

A number of weeks ago I stopped eating sugar, gluten, and most dairy because of some skin issues my breast-fed baby was having. It was pretty tough at first, but as I found good recipes it got easier. One thing I really missed was my morning coffee. I liked it pretty sweet, and my favourite way to have it was with a hearty glug of International Delight French Vanilla coffee creamer. I tried it with stevia and coconut milk, but it just tasted weird. 

But I've finally come up with something that tastes pretty good. You can adjust the sweetener to your taste.

Heat 1/2 cup almond milk in a small pot or in the microwave. Add 1/8 tsp vanilla and 10 drops liquid stevia. Foam with milk frother or immersion blender and set aside.

In a mug, place 1 tsp instant fair-trade coffee and 2 tsp fair-trade cocoa; add a bit of boiling water and stir well. Add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir again.

Pour in foamy milk mixture; stir and enjoy.

Taco Cheese Biscuits

As a homeschooling mama who tries to serve healthy food, sometimes I just don't know what to make for lunch. But these Taco Cheese Biscuits are yummy, quick, and free from processed ingredients and artificial foods.

The first thing to do, unless you already have some on hand, is make some taco seasoning mix. It's a simple combination of 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp chili powder, and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Then turn the oven on to 400ºF, and in a medium-sized bowl, mix up the dry ingredients for the biscuits: 2 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder,  and 1/4 tsp salt. 

You can use a purchased mix for this, but then it probably would be less healthy. But it might save you a little time, so it's your call. 

Cut in 1/4 cup butter (I use a pastry blender for this, but use whatever works for you), and stir in 3/4 cup milk.

Dump it onto the counter.

Squeeze it together and kneed it a few times, until it sticks together well.

Roll it out into a square.

Brush it with 1 tablespoon or so of water.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons taco seasoning on.

Sprinkle it with a cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Roll it up like a jelly roll.

Cut it into 10 slices.

Put the slices onto a baking sheet and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes until they're golden.

Don't they look yummy?

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Food storage: green peppers

I don't know about where you live, but one of the grocery stores in my town often has produce on sale for half price if you get there early enough in the morning. But what do you do with a bag full of past-their-prime green peppers? Well, here's what I do:

 I quarter them, cut out the seeds and most of the white ribs, and chop them up.

Then I put them in freezer bags that I've labeled with a permanent marker, and pop them into the freezer. Whenever I need some for pizza or spaghetti sauce, there they are, and I just scoop out whatever I need.