all-star recipes…Tasty Yummies

Hi there, I am Beth from Tasty Yummies!
I am so excited to be hosting here on Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats as
part of the 2012 Gluten-free All-Star Recipes event. Thanks so much to Sarah for having me!

I
started sharing my gluten-free recipes on Tasty Yummies nearly 3 years
ago when I decided to clean up my diet, cut out all processed foods and
be much more mindful and aware of everything I was eating and where it
was coming from. I had already been following a strict gluten-free diet
for over 5 years, but I found myself falling into the trap of eating the
worst, overly processed and garbage-filled foods, just because they had
the label “gluten-free” on them. I was terrified to experiment with
baking and creating my own recipes, beyond what I was already making
that was naturally gluten-free. In turn, though I felt better and
healthier in some ways as a result of following a strict gluten-free
diet, I was still feeling sluggish, getting headaches and I had put on
weight from all of the junk I was eating. Gluten-free or not, what I was
consuming just wasn’t good for me.

After
cleaning up my diet, developing a confidence in the kitchen, and being
very mindful to focus on seasonal and clean foods, I quickly and very
easily lost 30 pounds and haven’t looked back since. This has been the
easiest lifestyle change I have ever made and I have never ever felt
better.

Overall,
I eat a lot of naturally vegan foods and I maintain a mostly vegetarian
diet. At home we do eat some meat (all grass-fed from a wonderful local
farmer named Pierre), at most, once a week, sometimes as little as once
a month, so I like to consider myself a “conscientious omnivore”. In
addition to eating as healthy as I possibly can for me, I also have a
daily yoga practice, which I have found to be the perfect compliment to
my lifestyle, mentally, emotionally and physically. For the first time
ever, I have found a way of living that fits me and my body, it never
feels like work or a struggle and I am constantly grateful for all of
it.

Before sharing Tasty Yummies’ 2012 Gluten-Free All-Star Recipes, I wanted to celebrate an all-star blogger whom I love and one of her recipes that I absolutely adore. This grain-free pizza crust created by the insanely creative Brittany from Real Sustenance,
is to die for delicious. I knew it would be good, since every recipe I
have made from Brittany always is, but I honestly didn’t expect it to be
that good. This crust is thick, fluffy and grainy with the
perfect amount of crisp to the outside. It holds up really well to
toppings and I even replaced the eggs and adapted it to be totally vegan
for a cobbler topping, here is that recipe. This recipe is definitely my go-to pizza dough now! 

Be sure to check out Real Sustenance for even more amazing recipes. 

Tasty Yummies 2012 Gluten Free All-Star Recipes

I
hope you enjoy these most popular recipes from Tasty Yummies this past
year. In looking at stats and page visits alone, I have to say, my
readers love sweets and chocolate. For someone that prefers savory over
sweet every time, this always makes me giggle. Sweet treats definitely
get a lot more attention in the blogging world, that’s for sure. These
three recipes are not only readers’ favorites, I have to say, all three
are favorites in my kitchen as well, and have been made countless times
in different variations.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Treats {Vegan, Gluten-free + Refined Sugar-Free}

These
simple to make sweet chocolate treats have become a favorite in our
house. We both LOVE the combination of chocolate and coconut and a
refined sugar-free version of a classic candy bar, I am sure you know
which one 😉 Since I have added a mini muffin pan to my kitchen, I
usually make them in there now, for a smaller more bite-sized treat,
plus they last longer. Here is the recipe.

Kalamata Olive and Herb Socca with Roasted Vegetables {Gluten-free + Vegan}

I
honestly cannot believe I hadn’t discovered socca until this year. Boy
have I been missing out. Soccas are super simple to make and you can get
really creative with add-ins and toppings. You could even make a sweet
dessert socca by adding a little sweetness and some cocoa powder. This
particular recipe was so simple, I made it for lunch one afternoon in
the middle of a work day. Here is the recipe.

Johanna said: “Thank you for the recipe! That was delicious. Kids ate it too.”

Chocolate Peanut Butter Road Trip Energy Bars {Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-Free}

These
bars in some variation or another have become a road-trip staple around
here. They are so quick to whip up and they are so sinfully delicious,
it is hard to believe they are healthy. Here is the recipe. 

**Bonus:
I change the recipe a bit every time I make them, based on what I have
on hand, here is a fun seasonal version I made recently for another road
trip, Chewy Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars.

Portia said: “These
are in the oven right now and I’m standing here watching the timer do
it’s countdown. My younger son and I were eating the “dough” and it was
DELICIOUS! The smell is making my mouth water. It’s going to be a “treat
before dinner” kind of night:-) One minute to go!”

Be sure to check out Tasty Yummies on Facebook too!