Merry Christmas!

I hope you have enjoyed some relaxation time with your friends and family this holiday season.  Nothing is sweeter than getting to spend precious time with people you care about amidst the glow of the lights from the tree, your favorite holiday tunes in the background and all your favorite Gluten Free food.
Ah ... a long lingering evening on Christmas Eve nibbling on homemade treats. 

As I was preparing for guests to arrive baking and cooking I was thinking about why each thing I was making made the menu.  Some of the treats were new - Wild Forest Honey Almonds with Herbed Flor de Sal, a new favorite recipe that is so good and can be made a thousand different ways just by changing the honey and sea salt or seasoning. Gluten Free Chocolate Rum Cake ... do I really need to explain this one?!? So good! Great the next morning or anytime with coffee, if there is some leftover.  Pussac Punay Beans was a big hit! I just thought it would be fun to introduce something that has become a monthly meal for me because I love them so much.  There were some skeptics in the crowd but the beautiful beans won everyone over! I think that variety is always key - sweet, salty, savory, crunchy, soft, warm, chilled ...I made sure we had it all.  The only requirement was that it was also fast and easy to make it.

One family favorite that I asked my mother to make doesn't really have a name but it is so easy to make and is just perfectly satisfying. This is a childhood favorite that I couldn't wait to have again was - Chilled Roast Beef with Avocado, Red Onion, Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar served on French Bread slices - Gluten Free French Bread! It was better than I remembered! Bravo mom!

So we both made Gluten Free French Bread and I must say they were equally a treat yet so different.  Mom's bread was soft, dense yet sturdy and strong to hold the toppings.  My bread was soft and airy almost Brioche like! Slightly sweet and all I could think of when I tried it was how wonderful it would be to make French Toast!  I couldn't wait to wake up and make it! 

I don't make French Toast very often because I think you need a good bread to absorb the vanilla and egg mixture.  I always add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and I use a few drops of my coconut milk or milk. I use a whisk to whip it up and then cut the bread in thick slices. 

Let it soak and warm up a pan with non-dairy butter or unsalted butter and bacon bits.  

In no time the French Toast is ready for the real maple syrup or Ginger syrup.

It was a perfect way to start Christmas morning.  

Savoring each bite ...

I will post the recipe soon but in the meantime ... I'm taking a little more time to savor the holidays.

Have a Holly Jolly Gluten Free Christmas! 

xoxo 

Lisa