Happy Holidays everyone! Well it is that time of year when we are tempted beyond belief to go against our better judgment and indulge in sweets and goodies of all kinds—many of which are not gluten free. For many this means suffering through a host of unwanted side effects! Symptoms from gluten intolerance can range from upset stomach, indigestion, hives and for some the symptoms can be much more serious.

It is no fun to suffer though the holidays and so I set out to adapt one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes, the snickerdoodle, from gluten-rich to gluten-free! I noticed that the key to a nice soft cookie is in the baking. Make sure your oven is fully heated before putting the the cookies in and make sure they are taken out on time (after about 10 minutes). As always please be sure to use all organic ingredients. Happy Holidays. See you at “The Hut!”

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

(makes about 24 cookies)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups oat flour (or gluten-free flour of choice)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For topping:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl mix together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and blend together. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together separately and then add all ingredients together and mix. Form cookies into small balls and place on baking sheet. Top each cookie with sugar, cinnamon mixture and bake for 10 minutes. Cool and serve!

Aloha everyone, I have been experimenting in my kitchen again and you know what that means…. a new, awesome recipe for you to try!

Well I just finished reading this great book, “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall and I am now super hyped on barefoot running and eating chia seeds. The Tarahumara or “Running People”, legendary for their amazing endurance and vigor, make a drink called, iskaiate, made from chia seeds, lime juice and sweetener. This drink is said to give them super running powers, although I’m sure it’s not that simple.

I have been trying chia seeds in everything from smoothies to fruit salads to my latest creation: “Coco-Chaco-Chia Pudding”, which I will be sharing with you here. This recipe took a few tries to get it right but I think I finally nailed it. First, allow me to share a little bit about chia seed health benefits with you.

Chia seeds are high in protein, antioxidants, B-complex vitamins and various minerals. The best thing about chia seeds, however, is that they are high in omega-3 essential fatty acids, also known as EFAs. Why is that so great? Well, in our modern diet, we are comsumeing way too much omega-6 and hardly any omega-3 EFAs. Research suggests that an imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 can eventually cause various health problems including arthritis, obesity, diabetes, cancer, depression and heart disease.

Most packaged foods contain high amounts of omega-6 EFAs due to the vegetable oils used in them. For this reason it is easy to see why the average person consumes 20 to 50 times the amount of omega-6 to omega-3! (The ideal ratio is 1:1 by the way.)

When we consume imbalanced foods regularly it can create imbalances in our bodies as well. This is why it’s a good idea to get as much omega-3 in our diet as possible. I believe that supplementing with chia seeds can help.

The following is a  great dessert recipe that can be adapted to your taste and dietary needs. Less or more sweetener may be used depending on what you prefer. If you cannot have any sugar then I suggest using stevia or xylitol, which are natural sugar substitutes.

Look for all ingredients here, at the Healthy Hut in Kilauea. Always use organic ingredients when possible.

For those who want to delve in and do further research on these topics please visit the resource links listed below.

Resources: chiaseedshealthbenefits.com/; www.chrismcdougall.com/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running; www.nomeatathlete.com/tarahumara-pinole-chia-recipes/; www.optimal-heart-health.com/omega_3.html; http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/03/13/omega3-fats-part-one.aspx; http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/23/the-incredible-importance-of-omega-3-s.aspx; www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=96; www.eatwild.com/articles/superhealthy.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

Coco-Chaco-Chia Pudding
Servings: 3-5
1 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons cacao (cocoa) powder
1 tablespoon maca powder
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds

In a large bowl combine cacao (cocoa) powder, maca, honey or agave, vanilla and a little coconut milk and stir. Add a little more coconut milk and stir again, making sure to get all lumps out and make smooth. Repeat this process until all the coconut milk is blended in. Next add the chia seeds and mix well. Cover and put in the refrigerator for six or more hours. When well chilled and gelled, stir once more and serve. Enjoy and live well;-)

We get fresh delivery’s from Island Sol Bakery our favorite local gluten free bakery.

Pamela’s products offer a wide variety of gluten free alternatives for baking.  Brownies, pancakes, cookies, and even have some pre-baked goodies in the cookie isle.

Edward & sons, and Rudi’s also offfer gluten free lines from breads to crackers we got what you need to be gluten free!

See you in Kilauea – Ipo

What is gluten?  Gluten is a special type of protein commonly found in rye, wheat (including spelt and kamut) and barley.  People are increasingly discovering a sensitivity to it.  Systems can include low energy, fatigue, brain fog, skin rashes, numbness in the extremities, fibromyalgia, muscle and joint pain — even problems with coordination.  And the list goes on.

The problem is, what if you are one of these people, someone with a sensitivity to baked goods, chips, teriyaki sauce, panko breaded fish, pasta dishes, and this list goes on.  Gluten is a big part of any menu!  What do you do?  Not eat!?

Well guess what, here at Healthy Hut, we are on to some good gluten-free foods that will satisfy every appetite, every craving and be enjoyable for the whole family.  Come on in and have our very friendly staff escort you through the store pointing out all the wonderful gluten-free baked goods, snacks, sauces, pastas, flours,cereals….and chocolate bars we have.  Okay, well the chocolate bars wouldn’t even have had gluten, but hey, everyone needs a good chocolate bar!

Well, by golly, I think we have.  This great selection of wholesome goodness is due to begin arrival this Wednesday and it will continue to roll in all month.

Keep a look out for Kinnikinnick tasty gluten-free chocolate donuts, So delicious creamy coconut creamer, Pamela’s decadent New York cheesecake, Spectrum’s multi-use coconut skillet spray, Kettle chips zesty cheddar and sour cream krinkles, Zico electrolyte coconut water in passionfruit and mango flavors 32oz,  Go Raw chips in assorted flavors of coconut, chocolate, ginger and spirulina.  There is a lot more, it will be worth your while to stop in and check out the deals!