Wheat & Sugar Free Lemon Cranberry Chia Seed Scones...SO GOOD!!!

I have been eating wheat, sugar, and dairy free (except plain yogurt) for almost a month now.  I had my 5th baby in January and am really trying hard to get the last pounds off that seem particularly fond of sticking around.  I must say that giving up these foods (even fruit other than grapefruit) has helped.  I have also been hitting the gym 4-5 days a week and loving it.  In the meantime I would love to tell you that I just don't even care about food. but a foodie ALWAYS loves good food healthy or otherwise.

So while eating wheat and completely sugar free (a temporary thing for me till the baby weight drops off)  I still need a baking fix!  I was feeling like a lemon poppy seed muffin but the traditional recipes are laden with sugar, wheat and dairy.  So I settled on the idea of a spelt lemon cranberry chia seed scone with no sugar and made with stevia, coconut oil and  nutrient packed chia seeds.  I merged and tweaked a spelt scone recipe and a healthy lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.  It was delicious the first time around but I knew I could do better. So after church today I whipped up the recipe once more with a few tweaks.  I love it!

 This is what I came up with....

Spelt Lemon Cranberry Chia Seed Scones

(Wheat and Sugar Free)

4 Cups spelt flour

2 Tbsp Chia seeds

2-3 Tbsp of stevia mixed with fiber I use "Stevia plus"

(Use this link to get a $10 off coupon for "stevia plus" from Vitacost) 

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil warmed

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup water

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ( a little more for a stronger flavor)

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1/2 cup frozen cranberries

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Mix all wet ingredients including the warmed coconut oil so it is in liquid form, and beat in the two eggs.  Now mix the two together.  Then fold in the cranberries.  If they are large chop them up in to smaller parts.   I use organic ones from "Azure Standard" and they are smaller than conventional ones so I don't bother to chop them.  

Pat the dough into two balls then pat them down into two circles as shown above.

Now slice the raw dough into 8 slices as you would a pie.

Then separate out the scones to bake so that they do not touch.

Bake at 350 for 18-23 minutes till slightly golden brown.

Now just try to resist them... no wait don't worry about it... they are good for you!

They were a  hit with my sugar loving, wheat eating friends as well.  YUMMY!

Have a great wheat and sugar free recipe?  Share it with us in the comments below!

DIY lux face, hand, and diaper cream homemade from whipped coconut & shea butter!

I love, love love this stuff!  I cannot get enough of it.  You know it has to be good if I am bothering to make it with 5 kids and homeschooling! Ok it doesn't hurt that it is really fast and easy and works for a plethora of uses.  Yes I did say plethora! Pretty sure I learned that word from the movie "The Three Amigos" in the early 90's.   Anyway...this all natural moisturizer is not only highly effective, free of unwanted chemicals and additives, but it is made from 2 of natures most amazing products coconut oil and shea butter.  

Coconut oil and shea butter are some of the best possible ingredients when it comes to skin care!  If you aren't familiar with coconut oils miraculous healing powers be sure to read my earlier post  "One of nature's best healers! 20 NEW reasons to love coconut oil!". I can't go on with this recipe without letting you first know why it is so fabulous for your skin.  This combo is unlike most commercial moisturizers in that most commercial moisturizers are filled with water so the lotion becomes ineffective as soon as the water dries on your skin.  They are also often filled with additives, and petroleum byproducts that are carcinogenic and can suffocate skin causing breakouts.  Coconut oil and shea butter on the other hand are rich and truly moisturize your skin down at the deepest levels where they are even responsible for strengthening the underlying tissue .  They are both excellent at treating acne as they kill off bacteria and acne is a bacterial infection   Coconut oil also helps remove the dead, dry, flaky layers that causes rough and dull skin.  Convinced? Not yet?  Well African Shea (pronounced shay) butter has been proven to reduce the appearance of lines, scars and stretch marks as well as ease a host of skin irritations such as psoriasis, eczema, and sunburn.  WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE!

So here it is... your super simple 2 ingredient beauty wonder,,,

Combine 1 cup African shea butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil. 

Mix on medium high with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes till you get a nice whip cream texture.  I make  big batches to jar in several containers so I have diaper cream, body butter, and portable hand cream.

That is it!  Now you have an AMAZING face, body, hand and diaper cream that moisturizes at the deepest level, clarifys skin, strengthens the underlying tissue, reduces the signs of aging, scars, lines and stretch marks while treating eczema, psoriasis, and other irritations!  I buy my coconut oil at Costco for a very inexpensive $22 for 78 ozs and the African shea butter I got from amazon for around $18 for 32 oz. with shipping.  I will never go back to a commercial face or diaper cream again!  My face feels amazing after using this.  I use it every morning and night.  I used it on my baby when he was a newborn with a terrible rash that nothing would touch!  The secret was this cream plus a few shakes of corn starch each diaper change.  It is all we ever use now.  You can use it as chap stick, hand cream, body butter, for stretch marks, for acne, sun burn cream etc....  Let me know how it works for you!