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GrannyX’s Gluten-free Brownie Recipe

Filed under: GrannyX Recommends, GrannyX Recipes, organic, Gluten-free Brownies @ March 27, 2008 3:14 pm by healthiacynthia

Today is the anniversary of my mom’s death, a year ago. I phoned my Dad to see how he was doing– fine, apparently, but feeling understandably a little down. It is very cold in Saskatchewan where he lives and he said the weather forecast for the next two weeks doesn’t show a big break. This is hard on him. He likes to go out for a walk everyday and that means pushing his wheelie-walker along icy, snow-crusted paths and sidewalks.


We had a long and animated chat about the ills of GMO (my dad is converted– he (Fraser Rempel) was a long-time ’seedsman’, executive for a Saskatchewan seed company, three-time President of the Canadian Seed Trade). He has been influenced by our son and a lot of reading. Or maybe he was just being kind and not using his favorite expletive with me (Horse —-). In any case, it was a nice visit.

Then later in the afternoon, avoiding my real work on my website, I decided to bake some brownies. These are gluten-free brownies. I’m pretty sure that wheat flour and I should part ways. The recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation, as most recipes are, I would guess. Here goes:

    Brown Rice Coconutty Brownies

  • Stir until smooth 8 T. melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and 1 C. Cacao Powder. I used “Navitas” brand of certified organic Cacao Powder, also called “King of Cacao”
  • Whisk together 1 C. granulated organic sugar and 2 eggs and a cup or more of water in a medium bowl
  • Add 1 tsp. organic Vanilla and 1/4 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt and mix until well blended
  • Combine in 1 C. Brown Rice Flour (or other non-gluten powder, such as Coconut Flour) and 1/4 C. shredded coconut
  • Fold in the chocolate mixture
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and pour the batter into an 8″ square greased cake pan (I use melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to grease it)
  • Bake for 25 minutes

    • Wow– brown rice flour is lovely but also very absorbive (?)– use a cup or more or water and let it sit and absorb, and if it seems a little dense, add a little more water.

    Love it!

    Prayers for a dear little Infant…

    Filed under: GrannyXPrayers @ March 22, 2008 7:54 pm by healthiacynthia

    Her name is Jada and she is two months out of the womb– and weighs just over seven pounds. She is exquisite in every way, a sample of the way we are formed by the Master Planner. She has a round little face with cheeks as soft as clouds, a little turned-up nose and expressive blue eyes that generally peg on her Mommy’s face, if her Mommy is anywhere nearby.

    As you can likely tell, she was born prematurely. Her Mommy chose to leave off a drug-addicted lifestyle and enter detox and rehab during her pregnancy with Jada. Then she took up residence in a maternity home, Charis House, before Jada’s birth. Jada spends part of her time in a foster home, and some time with her Mommy.

    Jada was diagnosed recently with Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). In a premature baby this type of congenital heart problem can be life-threatening depending on severity, and may require serious medical intervention.

    “PDA is the most common heart disease among premature babies. Before a baby is born there is an opening between two blood vessels, the pulmonary artery and the aorta, allowing the blood to mix. This opening closes soon after the baby is born keeping the blood from returning to the lungs. However, this opening does not have the chance to close when the baby is not mature at birth, and this hole closes usually on its own as a premature baby matures.

    PDA is diagnosed using several different methods. A complete medical history, complete physical, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, x-ray, or cardiac catheterization are the most common methods used to determine PDA. Medicine is often used to correct PDA, but if a premature baby does not respond favorably to the medication, surgery may be needed to close the opening.

    Premature baby girls are more likely to develop PDA than boys, and some of the symptoms of this disease are tachypnea (rapid breathing), tachycardia (rapid heart rate), enlarged heart, diaphoresis (perspiration), cyanosis (bluish skin & mucous membranes), heart sounds (rumble, murmur, thrill, or a second heart beat), and an erratic pulse and/or pressure.” (this cited information was taken from About Heart Disease.)

    Jada does have rapid breathing sometimes, but she doesn’t have blue-ish skin tones. The operation, that will be performed as soon as they can arrange it, will NOT require open-heart surgery, and that is a great relief for her Mommy to know.

    Please pray for Jada and her parents. Her Daddy is devastated by this news and is not easily able to express what it means for him. I will keep you posted.

    Happy Easter!

    Alyza & Angelika’s Family Tree- Paternal Grandmother’s Line

    Filed under: Uncategorized @ March 15, 2008 3:59 pm by healthiacynthia

    Alyza’s & Angelika’s Family Tree (on the Rempel Line)