Scarlet Runner Bean Update - Flowers but no beans and how to hand-pollinate

Earlier this month I shared a post on how I accidentally grew scarlet runner beans inside this spring. About two weeks ago, when the weather warmed up, I moved them outside and they've continued to thrive.

However, I've discovered a problem.

Once the flowers that first blossomed inside started to wither and drop off, no beans were forthcoming. I had plenty of runner bean flowers, but no beans!

So I did some research and found some answers! And now I have a bean...

Danielle and the Beanstalk (Growing Scarlet Runner Beans Inside, by accident!)

I'm going to be upfront with you. This was a total accident. I never intended to grow Scarlet Runner Beans on my windowsill. But it was a hilarious, happy accident. 

If you've ever wondered if you can grow runner beans inside, and if they'll actually flower inside... Read on.

Seriously, I have hard evidence below that runner beans will flower inside!! I think this would be an amazing experiment to do with kids, too, as the beans grow like wildfire once the days grow longer, even if it's still cold outside!!

Vegan and Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes with Sunflower Icing (and natural food coloring)

Following quickly on the heels of my Bunny Pull Apart Cupcake Cake, I just had to share these gorgeous (and easy!) gluten free and vegan sunflower cupcakes. I think of these bright little cupcakes as little bombs of sunshine. They make me stupidly happy to see them when I open the fridge (which is where you'll want to store them).

I'm confident that if you show up at Easter dinner with these, the recipients will reward you with big smiles.

And don't let the icing daunt you! Though the buttercream sunflowers look complex, I only had to do one tester cupcake before I felt confident enough to work more quickly. In the end, I couldn't tell which was the tester.

Even if the petals don't seem perfect as you're piping them, never fear. Nature isn't always perfect and symmetrical either!

Vegan and Gluten Free Bunny Pull Apart Cake

Hi everyone! I know it's been a million years since I shared a new post, and I apologize. Life has gotten in the way of blogging lately.

That said, I just had to share this latest baking adventure with you all!! Because this little experiment made me so happy, and I love opening my fridge right now, as there is a smiling bunny face looking up at me.

And I thought you all might like to know how you can turn these gluten free and vegan cupcakes into an easy pull apart cake just in time for Easter. Seriously, the cake is super easy, and I say this as someone who generally sucks at decorating. That's why I did this all as a trial the week before Easter. Turns out it's not hard at all!

Gluten Free Easter Treats and Baked Goods

Easter is just around the corner, and I thought I'd share a little roundup of some of my favourite gluten free Easter treat recipes from the blog.

Some of these are traditional Easter foods, like my GF German Easter bread (a.k.a. Osterkranz), Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns, and Gluten Free Apple Dumplings, while others, like my lavender sugar cookies and vegan, GF parsnip cake, are a little less conventional but just as tasty!

I've also included one of my go-to Spring decoration tutorials that is incredibly cheap and easy (hint, it's a way to use up old tin cans, too).

How to Make and Can Crab Apple Jelly - A Step by Step Guide

I'm reposting this recipe from last year around this time, as it's that time of year for cooking up and canning crabapples!


I've been helping my mom make crabapple jelly for as long as I can remember. We used to have a big tree in our backyard and every year we'd pick a whole bunch of them and make tons of jelly, some of which was gifted to friends and family throughout the year.

Crabapple jelly is one of the easiest jellies to make, and the colour - depending on your apples - is absolutely stunning! But like all jelly-making and canning, it's just a bit time-consuming.  However, I'm going to show you how I do it (with pictures) as quick and easy as possible!

Also, if you're in the canning mood, you  might want to check out my tut on how to make dill pickle cucumbers, it's another canning recipe I've been doing since a little girl!

Grandma's Cucumber Dill Pickles (Gluten Free Pickles!)

I'm re-posting this post from way back in 2013, since it's been one of my most popular recipes, and I thought some of you might enjoy re-visiting it!

 
My grandmother has always made amazing pickles. She would can them in enormous batches. I started helping my mother make them sometime around my 7th birthday, up until about 10 years ago when I moved out and my mother stopped making them and my grandmother got tired of cooking.

Well this year, after seeing buckets of little cucumbers at the farmers market, I decided to resurrect my grandmother's amazing dill pickle legacy. I called my mom back home in Canada and asked for the recipe.

And now I'm sharing it with you!

Goodreads Giveaway for the Caravanserai Bride!

Hi all! I know I've been MIA for a while, but part of the reason for that is my latest novel, The Caravanserai Bride! I've been working hard to finish it and roll out the pre-order (you can order now, and get your eBook copy August 1), as well as offering a Goodreads Giveaway!

You can enter the Giveaway through this link, or below, for the chance to win one of two FREE print copies :)


What's the story about? 
 
Lunja is a freed slave searching the desert for her lost brother, while trying to hide a secret that's haunted her family for generations.To fund her search, she puts herself up for auction, hoping for a service position in the Dakhla caravanserai.

Senna is heartbroken when the woman he wants chooses another. To win her back, he decides to prove that he can be a responsible husband, and how better to do that than by marrying another?

Check out more details below:

9 Gluten Free Ways to Use Up Leftover Sweet Potatoes (with vegan options)

If you're like me, you probably have a fridge full of leftovers from Easter. It's a blessing and a curse when both your in-laws and your parents send you home with containers full of poultry, potatoes, and veggies.

With all those bits and pieces, it's not always easy to make a full meal. OR, maybe you're just tired of eating the same thing day in and day out and wondering what to do with it all...

Well here's a list of suggestions for using up leftover baked sweet potatoes in baked goods, burgers, soups, AND salads, so you can completely transform Easter dinner into something else entirely!

Easy, Gluten Free and Vegan Chocolate Coconut Nests

 Looking for a super last minute, easy-to-make Easter treat? These Chocolate Coconut Nests require only 2 ingredients (3 if you count a filling, like mini eggs or jelly beans), no baking, and can be thrown together in almost no time at all.

Did I mention they're super tasty, and lots of fun for little kids? I made these to take to my 2 1/2 yr old niece for Easter, and I hope she likes them, because I've been nibbling on them myself the last couple of days!

They can also be made vegan if you use vegan chocolate chips like these and fill them with something like peanuts or vegan jelly beans instead of mini eggs.