Coffee!  Of course, it's gluten free.  However, sometimes people ask, so I wanted to throw it out there! :)

I love me some coffee!  I've enjoyed coffee for many years, but it's become quite a treasure since becoming a parent (can I get an AMEN?!?!!)!

What's in Grass Fed Coffee

Recently I had the opportunity to try Grass Fed Coffee.  I'm a huge fan of grass fed beef, so I was intrigued to see what this product had to offer.  Here's the key ingredients:

• organic, fair trade cold brew coffee
• German grass fed butter
• distilled MCT coconut oil
• organic chicory

I've made butter coffee before and I love grabbing a Starbucks double shot when I'm out driving for awhile, so I wondered if this would be a mix of the two.  Whenever I tried butter in coffee I always also added cream because it just wasn't quite what I was looking for.  The creaminess was lacking.  I've heard I should have blended it with coconut oil and then it would have been better.  Maybe next time.  In the meantime, I had Grass Fed Coffee to try.

Man you guys, this coffee did not disappoint.  It was so smooth and light without tasting weak.  I am NOT a fan of bitter coffee, nor am I a fan of weak coffee and this was neither.  Goodness, I never realized I was a coffee snob, til writing this post! Ha!  Anywho, this stuff was awesome!  Seriously so tasty.  It was like a double shot but better.  More smooth, less sweet.  It's sweetened with xylitol so there's just a slight hint of sweetness, which I like.  I would say if you like the fru-fru super sweet frapps, this may not be your thing.  However, the taste is so smooth you might be surprised.

Grass Fed Coffee

The can says to shake it well, and I thought I did until I opened it and began to drink!  I should have shook it vigorously, and then shook it again!  After my first drink I noticed there was butter on the sides of the can.  Shoot!  And I wasn't home yet...so I waited until I drove home to finish the drink.  Once home I used a straw to scrape down the sides of the can and finish the rest.  Tasty tasty!  Like one of those drinks where you have to remind yourself it has caffeine so you don't just guzzle it all day like water.

Overall I'd say this product is going to be a HUGE hit!  I sure can't wait to get some more.  I felt a little selfish drinking it while my husband was at work, so I better buy some for him to try too! :)

How you can help/join the craze...

Right now they're at the tail end of their kickstarter campaign, so if you'd like to help support them and preorder some Grass Fed Coffee, you can click this link and join the party!  The kickstarter ends on Monday, so hurry over!!

*Also, one final note...I LOVE the transparency they have on their website.  Just take a peruse of their FAQ page and you'll be impressed to see how they address every single ingredient listed in their product.  I, myself, was a little disappointed to see carrageenan in the ingredients list as I've heard mixed things about it, but they address that.  I'd have to do more research, but they said the form of carrageenan they use is a safer alternative and the only way to keep the butter, oil and coffee all nice and mixed together.

Good luck Grass Fed Coffee!  We wish you all the success!

Pancakes!  The BEST pancakes!


We love pancakes in this house, but I'm totally over the gluten free flour blend (and baking recipe) additives like guar gum and xanthan gum.  That's why I've been on a perfect pancake recipe quest for the past few months.  It's been a great way to break in the new kitchen at our new house (we moved in August)! :)  Plus, our little lady LOVES to help and pancakes are a great recipe to make with a toddler.  In fact, she may now whisk eggs better than me! Teehee!


So, with my sidekick by my side, I figured out a pretty perfect recipe.  These cook up great every time and they have an amazing flavor.  Did you notice the "banana bread" title of this post?  Seriously, these babies have a distinct banana bread flavor.  To quote my (non-gluten free) grandmother-in-law, "Did you come up with this recipe?  You need to write a cookbook!"  Aww, thanks GG!  Maybe one day.  For now, I'm enjoying a less hectic pace of life.

I'm also looking to decrease the amount of sugar intake for my family (the holidays did just end!), which is why I was so happy that the addition of bananas to this recipe was almost enough sweetener for my gal and hubby.  I may try them sometime without any sweetener, but I also want the family to eat them so I'm keeping a little bit in there for now!

One last note, for this recipe I used basic rice flour as we're also trying to avoid all other grains.  For a more Paleo-friendly recipe I've included a link at the bottom of the page to an excellent coconut flour recipe.  In my quest to create great gluten free pancakes I was also dabbling in trying to create a Paleo recipe for mornings when I wanted the pancake to be a more complete meal (most Paleo recipes require 4-6 eggs).

Without further ado, here are the amazingly simple and always delicious...

Gluten Free Banana Bread Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 2 ripe bananas 
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 Tblsp organic sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• splash of vanilla

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl, mash both bananas (I found using a large serving fork is great).
2. Add eggs, flour, milk, sugar, baking powder and vanilla to the bowl.
3. Mix all ingredients.
4. Heat griddle over medium to medium low heat.  
5. Grease with butter and cook pancakes until edges start to dry out (about 2 min) before flipping.  
6. Serve with more butter (we love Kerrygold!) and bacon and eggs if you're extra hungry! :)

Variations

I've also done the following with great results.

• Sub sugar with maple syrup (only 1 1/2 Tblsp).
• Add 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Add 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans.

For a Paleo-friendly recipe, use this one by Nourishing Days!  After making it this morning I'm done (for now) trying to create my own.  I did have to watch these more (read: cook at lower temp and therefore cook longer), but the flavor and smell were amazing!

Get your pancake cooking on and ENJOY!

Happy Gluten Free Dining!