Gluten Free Sugar Free Vegan Strawberries and Cream Pie Recipe

Wow-  it's been a little while since I've shared some creations with you on here-  I've been busy as a bee creating so never fear I will have many projects and recipes coming soon.  Keep me posted on what you think!

Here is a wonderful spring pie recipe that I created for my friend Renee.  It is sooooo delicious and totally healthy.  You CAN have your pie and eat it too!  :)  Enjoy!

Yummy Pie!

Crust:
(I used the good ol' Crisco recipe.  For those of you purists out there I'm sure there are plenty of Crisco alternatives )

• 2 cups Brown Rice Flour (You can also use whatever gluten free otion you enjoy most.  Oat flour- which has more stick to it, gluten free blends, etc)
• 3/4 well chilled Crisco butter flavor shortening
• 4-8 tablespoons ice cold water
• 1tblspoon honey

1) Blend flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl

2)  Cut chilled shortening into 1/2 inch cubes.  Cut in chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture  using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea size pieces remaining

3) Sprinkle half the maximum recommended amount  of ice cold water over the flour mixture   Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of the bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour.  Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork.  Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together

For more tips on the perfect pie crust-  check out:  www.crisco.com

I will honestly tell you that since I lack fancy kitchen equipment and I'm always doing my baking late at night between all my other work and projects I just used a bowl, a wooden spoon and a pastry cutter.  Truth be told I didn't even refrigerate the crust (it was already 1a by the time I started!)  and it still turned out delicious!  



I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour-  I also found that a table spoon or two of honey will help the crust stay together a little better when you are making it.  In my experience-  since gluten has a sticky consistency to it that helps "glue"  things together-  gluten free crust can be tricky because it can have a tendency to crumble and fall apart.  The honey helps quite a bit.  I also choose to forgo the rolling pin and simply press out the crust by hand. I'd love to hear any other tips for gluten free crusts!

Now For the filling!!!

• 3-4 cups fresh sliced strawberries
• 3/4 cup almond Milk
• 1/2 cup Stevia in the RAW
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbl spoon Vanilla extract (I'm always heavy handed with vanilla extract-  it's my baking secret)
• 2 teaspoons tapioca or cornstarch

Califia Farms Pure Non GMO Almond Milk!
http://www.califiafarms.com/

Mix all filling ingredients until well blended; pour into pastry shell and top with pastry.
Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

This is such a lovely pie for spring and summer!  Enjoy!

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Recipe  by Elisabeth Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved 2013

Delicious and Dreamy Gingerbread Cookies (For Love Bugs)

Today my highly anticipated holiday care package arrived in the mail filled with these glorious, fluffy, soft incredible gingerbread cookies made by none other than my VERY talented mom-  who is so much of the reason that I am so darn crafty.  They are just sooooooooo tasty, that I had to share.  Everyone-  thank my mom for the deliciousness that will ensue.  You can cut them in to shapes fit for any holiday.  Bust out the frosting and let the fun begin!  :)

Gingerbread Cookies

Mix thoroughly:   1/3 cup soft shortening (Crisco)
          1 cup brown sugarr
                    1 1/2 cups dark molasses

 stir in:   2/3 cup cold water

Mix:   2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsp. soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp allspice, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Add 2 more sups of whole wheat flour.  Then add 2 cups unbleached flour, mix thoroughly and form ball.  Place in 1 gallon zip lock bag and chill in refrigerator.

Roll outcookies very thick (1/2 inch).  Cut with cookie cutter.   Place apart on lightly greased sheet.  Bake until, when touched lightly with finger, no imprint remains.  Bake 350 drgrees for about 15 to 17 minutes.

Frost with "Royal Icing"

Royal Icing:

4 cups Powdered sugar
3 Tbs meringue (egg white) powder
6 Tbs Water

Mix all ingredients with mixer on high speed until peaks hold (about 10 minutes).  Divide frosting into small cups and color as desired.  Add 1 tsp Light corn syrup and 1/2 to 1 tsp. water to a consistency for smooth spreading with icing knife.  Let dry for 4 hours and then store in covered container.

From Granny's Nightie to a Sweet Spring Dress

Let us begin with this fancy vintage find that I will call:  Betsy.  "Well hello Betsy-  I bet you were pretty sexy back in 1978.  With you awkward length that cuts of just above the ankles and your amazing lack of a waist that makes soooo many ladies look soooo fine."  Oh wow-  I just turned into Leon Phelps from "The Ladies Man" (SNL spin off movie circa 2000).  1970's granny nighties can have that effect sometimes...shall we continue?

The lace detail up top was wonderful and the color was simply charming-  so I had visions of turning granny's mistake into a charming spring dress.  Step 1:  Cut it off at the waist. I used my beloved rotary cutter-  but good old fashioned sewing scissors will do just fine :)

I thought the bottom half would have more OOMPH if I turned the whole thing on it's side.  This also ended up creating a really great asymmetrical look as well.

 So I cut off the seams so I could do my magical reconstructing.  Next step is to pin it together-  I left a little slit in the side (see final dress photos)

The next part is a little tricky because the fabric on the bottom is longer than the fabric on the top. I match up the side seams and then mark the center of the front top & bottom and back top & bottom.  Then pin them all together and stretch and pin, stretch and pin...

The final work comes when you sew it all together-  make sure that you are stretching the fabric to keep it all lined up and avoid puckering.  Then-  it's all sewn together!! Yay!!!

almost there! now we must create the space for the elastic to go.  I used 1/2 inch braided elastic for this one-  so I made the seam about 2/3 of an inch wide.  Sew all the way around leaving a 1/2 inch space open to put the elastic through.

Measure the elastic the length you need the waist to be (mine was about 28 inches)  Then attach a good old fashioned safety pin and rock it out til you thread the elastic through.

Sew up the elastic then sew up your half inch hole  and...OMG!  You're done!!!  

Now doesn't that look better?  

Obligatory instagram-ish photo ;)

Photos, Hair, Make-Up and Styling by Yours Truly (Elisabeth Donaldson)

Available for Sale on etsy

Follow me on Instagram @britelightfire

Follow me on Facebook @ Monarch Clothing

Monarch.  Clothing by Elisabeth Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved 2013

From 80's Wonderland to Sassy Purple Mini-Dress. DYI Vintage Upcycle

Let us begin with this Frumpalicious 80's Fantasyland.  O. M. G. 

 I pride myself on seeing the inner beauty (to quote a favorite childhood movie- "Aladdin", it was a "diamond in the rough.")  Like Katy Perry with the braces in that Friday night video-  just waiting to go from super geek to super-foxy-sweet.  Okay-  I think I've made enough metaphors for the day-  shall we continue? ;)

 I knew that I wanted to take it from bad eighties church wear to a sassy mod mini so I penned it down.  Then it was time to do some slicing and stitching to make this girls pretty.

Step 1:  Loose that length!  I used my much loved rotary cutter, and cut about 2 & 1/2 inches off the bottom leaving the backside a touch longer (more coverage for us ladies with an ample bottom ;)  I used my serger to finish the edge (a zig zag stitch will work just fine-  just don't make the stitch to small or it will curl the fabric), then I folded under about 1 inch, ironed and sewed a straight stitch hem.

Step 2:  Get outta here sleeves!!! You are hot (and I don't mean sexy)  and we don't need you anymore!

I decided I wanted a bit more of a cap sleeve so I did some more slicing.  Then I finished the raw seem with my serger, folded it under about a half inch and sewed a straight stitch hem.  Once that was done I sewed up the side seam leaving an opening for the arm hole.

Add a black belt and some tights and we're done!  Take your head-gear off and dance little darling!

(Obligatory Hipster Photo)

Photos, Hair, Make-Up and Styling by Yours Truly (Elisabeth Donaldson)

Available for Sale on etsy

Follow me on Instagram @britelightfire

Follow me on Facebook @ Monarch Clothing

Monarch.  Clothing by Elisabeth Donaldson.  All Rights Reserved 2013

DIY Re-purposed Thrifty T-Shirt Scarf

This is an awesome scarf I made for my friend Jesse.  It's made entirely from upcycled handpicked Thrift Store T-Shirts.  This is an awesome project!  Read on to see how it's done!

First Go to your favorite local Thrift Store and make your way into the T-Shirt Section.  I already had a color scheme in mind of blacks and grays (I ended up adding a grey-blue shirt as well) It's a good idea to stick with similar shades so that the scarf has an overall flow to it.  It is also a good Idea to stick with Larges and extra larges so you have a nice amount of fabric to work with. Jesse is a Musician and Photographer so I  was thrilled  to find some shirts that fit the bill.  I also found a kangaroo-  which was just cool.  I went with three shirts (this is all you will need for a nice long scarf)  and I also used shirts with a softer feel for comfort and overall style.

So- now you've got your T-shirts (notice I decided to not use the plaid shirt in the end)  The next step is to cut them.  I cut up the sides and around the arm seems for maximal use of fabric.















Next you will want to bust out your cutting board and rotary quilting cutter if you have one.  (If you don't, that's totally fine- good ole sewing scissors will certainly do the trick)

                    

I  used my cutter to slice the fabric into large rectangles which can be sewn together.  I recommend the scarf width to be 12-15 inches, length is a preference, but I like mine nice and long- 3 shirts (using only 5 out of 6 sections)  will get you an approx 10 foot scarf.  Cut of small strips that can be pulled and then sewn on to the scarf for decorative purposes.  

 

Like a nerd- I totally forgot to take pics of the pining and sewing together of the pieces, but it's pretty basic stuff, put right sides together, pin and sew. I have a Serger so I sewed the seems together with my Serger. If you only have a good old fashioned machine you can use a straight stitch and then finish the seam with a wide zig zag (too small of a zig zag will cause the fabric to curl and give you a funky seam) Then I pressed them and used an understitch (see picture below for an example of an understitch)  for a clean professional look.  Finally I used my rotary cutter to cut the scarf edges where the seam is for a clean edge.

Once the scarf is pieced together you can take your small strips and place them decoratively.  Parallel lines, going length-wise on the scarf, will look great and give nice texture, when the scarf is fully wrapped around the neck (see pictures below).  I didn't want to over-do the decorative pieces, so I just did a few on both bottom sides of the scarf.

Make sure you pull the small pieces until the edges curl and then pin them and sew with a straight stitch down the middle.  To finish pull all edges until they curl.  Now you're done!  Time to rock your sweet new Scarf!

Modeled by Jesse McIntyre.  Photos by Yours Truly (Elisabeth Donaldson)

Available for Sale on etsy

Follow me on Instagram @britelightfire

Follow me on Facebook @ Monarch Clothing

Jesse is wearing a Way To Happiness T-Shirt.  Find out how they are helping to restore morals around the world at: www.thewaytohappiness.org