I found a cookbook! Wow! This is Allergy Free and Sugarfree

First off---we've had a day or two of really warm weather and our lilac bushes have budding leaves!

 

My husband and I went to Lehman's General Store last weekend, as we are accustomed to doing about this time most years.

While I was there, I picked up a book that I had regretted not picking up last year: a spiral bound cookbook with the title Wow! This is Allergy Free and Sugarfree by Mary Yoder and Deborah Steiner.  From the looks of the family picture on the back of the book, I'd guess the authors are Mennonite or Amish. 

When I first picked this book up, I was skeptical. I've been eating Gluten-free (with a cheat here and there) for a couple years now, and truly did not expect to find anything non-wheaty as far as cookbooks go in an Amish store.  The fact that it was about allergies surprised me as well.  I may go into my lunch-and-dinner ventures in Amish country in a different post...

This book is based on the use of a "Four Day Rotation Diet", something that I have read about a lot in my allergy journey, but  have not embraced.  Part of the reason I have not taken to the four day rotation of foods was that, in the past, I did not have a wide enough variety of foods I could eat to break them up into eating once every four days.  Another reason was that I couldn't figure out how to do it; how to sub properly. I didn't have reliable recipes to use--it would have meant more hours scouring the internet for usable recipes.

I feel like I've been regressing a bit with my health/allergies lately.  I am sure part of it is stress with adding a paying job to my schedule and trying(and failing) to balance everything, part of it is that spring allergy season is gearing up, and part of it is because I have been eating more junk (read: Easter candy, chips, etc) and not so healthy meals due to a real lack of time to cook said meals when I am at work during the dinner-prep hour.  The family only wants so much roast and veggies or stew...

So....I am thinking about incorporating some of these recipes into my repertoire.  I'm not sure I want to do it completely, one reason being that I would have to give up my ritual of tea drinking in the morning.... I love my tea...I did pick up some different flours from the health food store and hopefully that will give me a good start.

I like the fact that the authors are at least aware of the corn allergy issue and the gluten issue, and I can adapt the days they have gluten-containing ingredients with the other alternative non-gluten ingredients.  I like that, when they use a "gum" in breads, it is guar gum and not (corn-derived) xanthan gum.  That, to me, is promising.  And I didn't see a whole lot of "gums", which I prefer as well.

So, we'll see how it goes, once I get a handle on it and try some of the recipes out!

A GF Aldi Lunch Salad

Thought I would share my GF lunch using Aldi ingredients.  I was tired of the same ol' leftovers and sandwiches and wanted something fresh to eat, so I made this up from my fridge ingredients from my last Aldi run. You can make it with ingredients from any ol' store (or your garden!).

For this salad, I used:

1 1/2 heads of the Artisan Lettuce. I picked one of the reddish heads and half of one of the green heads.
Chopped onion
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
12 or so Pepperoni slices (yep, these are GF!)
Some jarred Marinated Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic Cloves and Olive Oil
Olive oil from the jar of peppers
Pepper and salt ground from my pepper and salt mills

This made for a tasty, spicy lunch. I will probably having something a little more substantial later this afternoon, but this hit the spot for a light lunch!

Thanks for reading!

Making GF Granola

Today I have been doing the Monday reset of the house (laundry, dishes, general pick-up after the weekend), and between that I have been making granola.  We've been out for a couple weeks and I've been missing the easy breakfast.  Sadly, if it's not easy, I often just do without. (I really hope my mom didn't just read that.)

Here is the Granola Recipe I posted awhile back.  This time around I ended up using brown sugar (out of honey, alas) and sunflower oil, since that's what I had on hand.  I also tossed in some dried cranberries after the baking was done.

I have found that putting a cup or so of the granola in a bowl, along with enough water to cover, and microwaving it for a minute or two makes a nice hot breakfast!

REVIEW: Mary's Gone Crackers! Customer Service

I recently picked up a bag of Mary's Gone Crackers! Sticks&Twigs Pretzels in the Curry Flavor. This was my first time to pick up a product by this company. I was on the lookout for some easy gluten-free snack food for a camping trip and this seemed like a good product to add interest to my repertoire.

Two bites into the pretzels, I started having a niggling feeling at the back of my throat. My allergy reactions generally begin with an itchy feeling in the soft palate, so this was a little weird.  I was unsure as to whether it was an allergic reaction, but assumed it was, considering it was the only thing I was eating at the time.  I took an antihistamine just in case, and a few minutes later my ears started itching inside, so that pretty much told me it was most likely a reaction that presented itself a little differently. I'm glad I took the antihistamine. I've never had an anaphlactic reaction, so don't know what exactly it feels like, but this niggling feeling at the back of my throat did give me cause for concern.

I have been doing quite well with foods lately.

I checked out the list of ingredients and found that the ingredients listed were mostly things I have been eating and doing fine with.   The only thing that I had questions on was the curry powder, as I know it can be made up of any number of different ingredients.  In order to narrow down what it was I reacted to, I decided to contact the company via email.

On first contact, the representative at Mary's Gone Crackers! was hesitant to give me the ingredient listing to their curry powder, instead inquiring as to what my allergies are and then they would tell me if any of them were on their list.

As my readers with multiple allergy experience know, there is no allergy test that tests for every food or substance on the planet. There are false positives and false negatives in the testing in any case.    Additionally, allergy testing only tests for what your body is likely to react to at the time of the testing; people can develop new allergies, and they can have reactions to things that do not show up on the tests.

The most foolproof way to know you are allergic to something is whether or not you have been exposed to it and reacted.  It is far easier to narrow down the cause of an allergic response based on what you have actually been exposed to. Giving my list from my allergy testing a few years ago would have gotten me nowhere, as my body has changed since then.

I explained to the rep my situation and how I really wanted to get to the cause of my reaction to their product so that I can pinpoint the culprit ingredient and know what to watch out for in the future. They consulted with Mary, and responded with a listing of the curry powder ingredients. This was quite helpful to me, as two of the ingredients are things that I don't consume on any sort of a regular basis: fenugreek and cardamom.  With a simple email, my possible reaction ingredients were narrowed substantially; something I greatly appreciate!

Thinking about cardamom and fenugreek, those ingredients are also often in Chai teas, which I have an aversion to. Maybe it's because I am allergic to something in it and is best avoided.  Funny how the pieces come together when a little more light is shed on the subject!

The bummer of the deal is that I should probably avoid most Indian food, or at least have a heightened awareness, should I have it.

The good part of the deal is that I won't have to avoid all of those other gluten-free grains and every other ingredient on the label in order to avoid the weird niggling throat reaction.  I am willing to bet that I would probably be ok with their non-curry products.


All this to say, Thank you, Mary, from Mary's Gone Crackers!, for understanding where I am coming from and being forthcoming with the specifics on your ingredient listing! You've made my life (and the lives of others with similar food issues) much easier!

And on a larger scale, thank you for your whole foods, organic, non-GMO commitment! I plan to give Mary's Gone Crackers! products another try! (non-curry, the next time around) :)

August....aka "Hell Month" for this allergy sufferer

There, I said it. I have dubbed August "Hell Month" because it is by far the absolutely worst time of year for me as far as allergies go.

I began taking Zyrtec back in May or June, in an effort to get it good and set in my system to hopefully have no allergy symptoms this month. In addition, I have been using a homeopathic for weed pollen.

The Zyrtec/homeopathic have definitely helped as far as the sniffling, sneezing, itchy throat and ears problem. I've still had some of that here and there when I've gotten myself immersed in ragweed pollen...or eaten melons(hello Oral Allergy Syndrome...)..but it really does nothing to help my eyes. Oy, my eyes! Itching like mad for weeks now.  I've been staying inside for the most part, not enjoying the beautiful weather at all. :(

I actually double-dosed on Zyrtec one day last week in my desperation to feel better.

Sunday night, my digestive system started giving me fits...Monday morning, my chest hurt and I've got the acid thing going. At first I thought "oh no, I hope I'm not developing asthma!" because it hurt to breathe....but as I woke up and moved around, I remembered feeling this same way awhile back....

I think the hiatal hernia is back and/or I got into gluten this weekend and it's caught up with me...

...and I have itchy skin that tells me I've gotten into something I shouldn't have/my body is in react-to-everything, high-histamine mode.

Suspects:

• Oatmeal cookies I made for the kids this weekend, made with regular (non-GF) oats...I had a few...
• Non-GF oats I had in a meatloaf over the weekend (and I forgot to take my digestive enzyme)
• Some other source of gluten/other food ingredient I have an issue with?
• The double-dose of Zyrtec causing GERD
• Eating Mexican food too close to bedtime on Sunday(though I had it before w/o issues)
• My body has just been pushed to the limit with the allergies and decided to randomly go haywire?

Maybe oats should be cut out for awhile. And I need to pay better attention to my Zyrtec intake and not double it...no matter how desperate I am.

I do know that the bone broth chicken soup I made for myself yesterday did wonders in helping me to feel better.  Looking at the Mark's Daily Apple blog post, it looks like other people associate gluten/grains with acid issues. (it's not just me!) Looking at my past with my elimination diet...when I was off of all grains and trying to add in wheat, one of my warnings that this was a no-go was the sometimes rather intense acid reflux and chest/back pains, and when I took it back out, that would go away...

I find it interesting that, looking at my blog post history, the last two years I have blogged about having this issue around the Fall...August 2010 and October 2011...and one of them was definitely related to a gluten/wheat exposure.

My Plan:
1. I am going to resort back to GAPS-like eating for a bit, using bone broth at least once a day for myself and hope my gut/digestive system will heal up again. 

2. I plan to remember to take my probiotics and digestive enzymes!

3. I am going to avoid oats(and gluten) until this passes.

4. I am going to try this method of Hiatal Hernia Massage, and if this doesn't clear up within a week, I will go to the chiro and get it adjusted as I have in the past.  Usually, when I get into something that bothers me, it takes about 3 days to pass.  This is day 2.

 5.I am going to look into getting some eye drops for my itchy twitchy eyeballs!

Pray for me--this is a hard time of year for me! I kind of hope it freezes soon, but that wouldn't be fair to all you who are enjoying this weather, would it? ;)

Might Sourdough Bread be an Option for those with Grain Issues?

I read an article in the September issue of Whole Living Magazine last night talking about the rising gluten free movement and whether gluten avoidance is what is really necessary for everyone with grain issues. Have we really found the culprit, or are there more culprits out there in our wheat supply?

One of the main focuses on the article was sourdough. Many people who were interviewed said that they were able to tolerate sourdough without problems(barring those with Celiac).  Interestingly enough, it is the refined flour sourdough bread that is getting the thumbs up. Commercial whole wheat flour is not the same as flour you would grind from whole grain at home, since it is ground/smashed, then the parts are separated, and divvied out to various sources, and then they are remixed when a whole grain order comes in. Manyy find that this is too hard on their digestive systems.  Before you reach for Organic refined flours, the article said that these do not have the fortifications added, and apparently to make a good sourdough with refined flour, you need to have those fortifications to feed the yeasts, otherwise they do not grow well.

Ancient (non-tinkered-with/non-GMO) grains were also given the nod and stronger approval than commercial refined flour.

I have been doing well with a once-a-week or so whole grain spelt pizza crust made at home.

So...I am thinking about branching out and trying to make sourdough from spelt and any other ancient grains I can find, and seeing how I do with it.  I would like to do it with whole grains, even if I have to finely grind them at home.

Hmmm...this is much like our ancestors made bread, isn't it? Getting back to basics...

Keepin' it Real!

Take a look at the article. I bet you will find it just as interesting as I did!

Gluten Challenge: Spelt

The more I read about Wheat being genetically engineered back in the 40s and 50s and the rise in Celiac and Gluten sensitivity, the more I am thinking the problem might not be in the presence of gluten and more in the change in genetic code in GM/GE foods.

So, working on this premise, I thought I would do a Gluten Challenge on myself, using Spelt.

Spelt is an ancient grain, a relative of wheat, but has not been genetically engineered like wheat has. 

Last night I made pizza for the whole family, using the spelt flour I had purchased at the local Food Store. The family ate it without complaint, and I had to tell them that it was different than their regular fare.

The last time I had regular commerial pizza ($5 Hot and Ready from Little Caesar's), I had such bad brain fog that I nearly drove away from the gas pump without paying for gas. Totally out of the loop. I was so embarrassed and thankful that the owner of the gas place didn't call the cops on me!

I digress...but had to share how things effect me when I don't pay attention to what I eat.  Now, I can't be certain it was the gluten and not something else in the processed pizza....but all in all it was not a good experience. :-/


Anyway, I had the pizza last night and so far have had no problems from it. No digestive distress. No brain fog.  I had leftovers for lunch today and am still not having issues.  I will give a report later if I do find I have something crop up.

If I find I do well, I think I might be buying spelt from now on for home baking. It will be easier than the struggle (for me, others may excel at this) of baking GF without using all the starches that I am generally opposed to for regular consumption. And, I may decide to add some more ancient grains that aren't gluten free into my/our diet.

Book Review: Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD

I just finished reading Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD.

William Davis, MD is a cardiologist who has found that promoting a wheat-free diet in his patients has led to improved health.

Davis is of the opinion that wheat is over-consumed in our society, since it is ubiquitous in the American diet. It is touted as health food and people are encouraged to eat more whole grains. He shows how wheat has been developed over the last half-century and is not nearly as natural or healthy as it is claimed to be.  Our bodies, in consuming so much of it, become more prone to heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of other health problems, regardless of whether we are plagued by full-blown Celiac Disease.

Davis challenges the reader to remove wheat from their diet for a month and to watch for positive changes in the body.  He has a simple list of what to eat and what not to eat, and a few recipes at the end of the book to help get the reader started.


With  my health challenges over the last few years, I found this book to be affirming.  As readers here might already know, I have been eating Gluten-free for a year now, after years of dealing with food allergies and various immune system problems. I try to avoid Genetically Modified foods, but so far wheat hasn't been put on that list. But maybe it should be on the GMO list; though it doesn't have genes from other species blasted into it, it has been unnaturally changed in a laboratory in a much shorter time than would have ever happened naturally.  I find Davis' explanation and observations of the development of modern wheat to shed a little bit more light on the reasons my immune system (or...my whole body in general, really) dislikes wheat, and why it gives me  "brain fog" and heartburn and makes me  hungry all the time, rather than classic Celiac symptoms.

Dr. Davis focuses on avoiding wheat in his diet recommendations, and replacing that wheat with vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, eggs and cheese. I can get on board with that!
He tells the reader to avoid "gluten-free" foods. I was confused at this suggestion at first, but then figured out that what he meant was to avoid the highly processed "gluten-free" foods that are mainly starches and not Real Foods.  If you replace wheat with starches, you will have the same junky diet leading to heart disease, diabetes, etc. (and let's face it, highly processed food really isn't the best for us) If you are Celiac, eating this "junky gluten-free" diet would be better than eating gluten, as far as your intestinal health is concerned, but you would still be at risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. due to the junk.

One thing that I personally cannot get on board with in his book is his support of artificial sweeteners and his stance against all sugars. My own stance is that natural sugars are better than, say, Splenda or Nutrasweet or even Truvia(GMO corn additives). But I suppose in the grand scheme of things, if one gives up most bad things, there is room for a little "cheat" here and there and most people's bodies can handle it. And I have to agree on one thing: Sugar/Sweetener (whatever the source) in moderation is key. 


I had gotten this book from the local library, but I plan on getting my own copy of it so that I can re-read, highlight, underline and write notes in the margins. There is a ton of information in this book, and I would definitely recommend it to my health-seeking friends!

Here's to good health!

The Gluten/Coffee Connection: My Personal Observations

This recent blog post on the Healthy Home Economist reports a finding that effects Gluten-free coffee lovers everywhere: 10% of coffee is a protein that cross reacts with gluten antibodies.

What does this mean?

In my mind(and I may be wrong on this correlation) it's somewhat similar to Oral Allergy Sensitivity, a condition where the person's body that has certain pollen allergies sort of misreads the proteins in certain foods because of a similarity in structure and reacts with (usually) itchy throat, ears, sneezing, runny nose, etc.. I've had lots of personal experience with OAS, unfortunately, and that cross-reaction makes sense to me.

The Coffee/Gluten situation effects the gut health and thus the immune system and the whole body.

I find this discovery intriguing. I didn't start drinking coffee until I was in college and got married. After having kids, the coffee intake increased (yawn), and so did my food allergies. I know that coffee was not the main contributor to my immune system having a heyday, but after quitting the coffee and feeling better.....and going through my allergy journey and current gluten-freeness...and having coffee as a treat last weekend and how I felt afterwards (yucky).... reading these findings makes everything make a little more sense to me.

So....to all my Gluten-Free friends out there....you might want to re-think your morning drink of choice. Cut back or omit it, if you can, and see if it makes a difference for you!

A Forgotten Favorite: Soft Boiled Eggs

Hubby and I went to Lehman's last weekend for our annual anniversary trip. I love this place---it is an Amish General Store and has all things non-electric, and inspires/challenges me to live a more simple life. The tons of things to check out around every corner is nice, too. It's like a giant bookstore/candy store/kitchen store/Amish crockery store/etc. in one!

While I was perusing the kitchen wares (of which there are many, and much of it modern---thanks to the tourist demand, lol) I came across some porcelain egg cups.  Holding one in my hand, I remembered my mom making us soft boiled eggs many mornings, and I decided I wanted to make some for my kids.  But I'm cheap, and rather practical, and didn't want a bunch of cups that had only one use cluttering up my cupboards...especially if the kids declare they hate soft boiled eggs after one go at it.

So, I looked around some more and found Pinch Bowls(which apparently aren't on the Lehman's website, on which I think they try to keep only the very simple things).  I had never seen these before, and had a lively discussion with a fellow shopper about their virtues.  I picked out a set of silicone ones, figuring I can use them to gather my spices before I start a recipe AND I can use them to hold the freshly soft boiled eggs to crack and eat them without burning fingers AND they nest AND I can freeze/bake/microwave and throw them in the dishwasher! Quadruple win! (and there's 4 of them for less than buying 4 of the actual egg cups)

Last night I had to Google how to cook a soft boiled egg (bring pot of water to boil, lower refrigerated egg into water, gently boil 5 minutes, remove) and tried it for myself this morning.

Yum! 

I think I will make some for the kids tomorrow morning (though I might let them cook a minute or so longer-still soft boiled, but the yolk will be more cooked).

Here's to Real Food!

Review: A.J.'s Gluten-Free Heavenly Pizza

Finding food that is Gluten-free in a regular restaurant can prove to be quite a challenge.  One thing many Gluten-free folks miss when they get off the gluten is pizza. Many of the GF pizza crust mixes aren't, let's face it, all that great. There are some good options, but all too often they require time in the kitchen.

Some days a girl wants to have the choice to Not Cook and still have a tasty GF meal.

I recently had the opportunity to try the Gluten Free pizza offered at A.J.'s Heavenly Pizza of Findlay, OH.  If there is an A.J.'s near you, call ahead to see if they offer Gluten Free Pizza, because not all places do. It's not listed in the local advertising flier, but they do currently have it in Findlay! If I remember correctly, they charge you for the next crust size up due to the higher cost of the Gluten Free crust.

My husband brought the pizza home after work, and I hate to say it, but I was so looking forward to eating it that I forgot to take a pic of the entire pizza for the blog. (oops) So, this is what you get:

As you can see, it's a thin crust pizza, and they bake it on an aluminum tray to avoid cross-contamination issues.

This pizza was quite tasty! Even though it was a thin crust, it could still be picked up and eaten out-of-hand (something you can't do w/many gluten free pizza mix pizzas).  If I was willing to hand any over to my kids to eat, I am sure they would eat it without any problems(and for that matter, so would my husband)!

Overall, this pizza was a welcome treat in my---until now--Pizzeria deprived (unless I want to cheat and risk repercussions), Gluten-free life.  I haven't had any digestive or neurological issues like I had when, out of desperation, I cheated and ate regular pizza around Christmastime. I did take a digestive enzyme (more for the tomatoes that still sometimes give me problems) but I had taken one when I cheated and it didn't help much. So, for me, A.J.'s Gluten Free Heavenly Pizza is an option!

I am so glad to have this option open to me! Thank you, A.J.'s Heavenly Pizza of Findlay, OH! (I think you should promote your Gluten-Free option!)

GF "RECIPE": Chocolate Mint Coffee

Life's a Little Sweeter with (Mint) Chocolate

I've been faithfully avoiding the beloved Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies of my past. There are 2 boxes lurking about in my house, but since they are not Gluten-free, I am staying away.  But don't think they aren't calling me.

I have been wanting chocolatey-mint *something* these days---seeing the lovely green color all around me as St. Patrick's Day approaches doesn't help either....nor is walking through the candy aisle.

So, my splurge yesterday at the local health food store was a bar of Equal Exchange Mint Chocolate, 67% cacao content(so I think that means it's dark enough to consume without guilt, right?), Organic and Fairly Traded (more of the "no guilt factor" ;) ) It cost $4.49. (Oh, there's the guilt!)

In our Life Before Kids, hubby and I would regularly go to the local coffee shop and my order would often be a Grasshopper Coffee....Chocolate and Mint coffee with the token steamed milk added.

Do you sense a theme here?

This morning, I brewed up a pot of Sumatran coffee (easier on the stomach, for those looking for that, and no, hubby, I didn't use the Decaf!).

Once the coffee was finished brewing, I poured a cup and then shredded a square of chocolate with a fine shredder and stirred it up and added a splash of milk. Mmmmmm.....

Oh, and seeing the bits of chocolate melting on the shredder and realizing it wasn't a good idea to lick a shredder clean like one would a spoon, no matter how desperate, I dipped it into my cup and stirred so as to melt all the chocolate off and not let any of it go to waste.

So, not really a Recipe, per se....but a little idea I thought I'd share, in case anyone else is looking for a Chocolate Mint Coffee Fix. :)

GF Chocolate Mint Coffee

1 cup hot coffee
1 square(more or less, to taste) Equal Exchange Mint Chocolate, shredded or finely chopped
milk or cream, to taste

Add shredded chocolate to hot coffee, stir to melt and combine, add milk or cream to taste and enjoy!


(Or....merely munch away on the chocolate bar whilst drinking your cup of coffee!)

GF RECIPE: One-Pan Beef Stroganoff with Rice

During my hiatus from blogging, the idea of making beef stroganoff using rice (instead of noodles) was presented to me.  I found this idea intriguing and couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it myself! I have a recipe for One-Pan Beef Stroganoff that I have used for about 10 years (and don't remember the source, or I'd tell you), but due to the higher cost of GF noodles, I have avoided making it for the whole family.


So, I tried making my recipe using rice instead of noodles, and it was a hit! In fact, I think I like it with rice even better than with noodles!

Here's the recipe, with my substitutions:

GF One-Pan Beef Stroganoff with Rice

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (I just chop a whole onion and throw it in)
1 clove of garlic, chopped


1 tsp salt
1 TB lemon juice (I used lime juice), optional
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp pepper
1.5 cups brown rice
3-3 1/2 cups water or broth(more if you like your rice cooked longer)


2 TB parsley (I use about 2 tsp dry)
1 cup sour cream (I use Daisy brand--less fillers)


Brown meat, onion, and garlic.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except parsley and sour cream.
Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Add parsley and sour cream, stir well and heat through.
Serve!

I served with a salad/veggie tray. Next time, I may add a veggie of some sort to the pan. This fed our family of 5 for one meal (might have to double it as the kids grow!)

This is a good "pantry staples" recipe. :)
Pic to come when I make it again--kids were starving and I didn't get to take a pic! :)

RECIPE: GF Tortilla Pizza

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I thought I would share what I am having for lunch today. :)

I generally eat leftovers for lunch, but didn't want that today. I wanted pizza.

So, here's what I did with what I had in the house to make a tasty GF lunch.

GF Tortilla Pizza

• 1 Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla

I put this in my biggest cast iron skillet and put it in a 425* oven to thaw and crisp up a bit (watch it closely!).


Meanwhile, I put a bit of olive oil in another cast iron pan and added the following:

• 1 sliced onion

• 3 or so sliced mushrooms

• a clove or two of garlic, sliced thin

• Some frozen bell pepper slices

• some leftover cut up pork loin that was seasoned w/garlic, rosemary, etc.

• A bit of salt

I took out 2 basil cubes from the freezer and thawed them in the microwave.


When my tortilla was sufficiently warmed/crisped, I spread the basil on it, then put some shredded cheese, the sauteed veggies (you may not want to put all the oil/liquid from the pan onto the pizza, or it might get too soggy), and topped with a bit more cheese and a sprinkling of salt.


I returned it to the oven and let it cook, checking often, until it looked done enough to eat. Cool, cut, and devour.

Yum!

REVIEW: Better Batter Gluten Free Flour and GF Snickerdoodle Recipe

I recently got some Better Batter Gluten Free Flour from a friend. At first I tried using it 1:1 in my regular recipes that called for wheat flour, but that didn't work well for me. Not sure why.

So, tonight, after depriving myself of holiday cookie cheer on a few fronts this week, I decided to try making some GF cookies.

I decided on the recipe for Snickerdoodles on the Better Batter website.

I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using Spectrum palm shortening instead of "regular" (GMO soy) shortening.

They are delicious! I seriously just ate about 6 of them! They will be perfect for having with tea a couple times a day! (hehe) :)


I look forward to trying the Better Batter Gluten Free Flour in other recipes. :)

Yum!

REVIEW: Nature's Highlights GF Pizza Crust

I've been hunting for a good GF pizza crust. One that didn't leave my eye twitching and my nose itching, that didn't gum up as I ate it, and that didn't leave me feeling like I'd eaten a ball of dough an hour after I ate.

I picked up a box of 2 Nature's Hilights brand Brown Rice Pizza Crusts the other day at the health food store. I made one of them last night and so far they have been the best option I have found.

They cost just over $6 for a pack of 2 crusts. I ate a whole one, though I could have stretched it out to two meals if I had something to eat besides just pizza the other night.
 
The instructions say to defrost first, but I put the frozen crust in the oven while my family's pizza was baking and followed the instructions after that and it turned out great!

It's not a "thick crust", but it's not exactly a thin crust pizza either. Once assembled, I baked it on the oven rack and it turned out wonderfully crispy on the edges and not very gummy in the middle (I could have baked it a bit longer to fix the slight gumminess in the middle--now I know for next time).

The toppings I used to make my pizza this time were: 2 cubes of Basil from my freezer, olive oil, a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and nearly a whole 8oz package of fresh sliced mushrooms sauteed with some sliced onion and a large clove of garlic, sliced, and a sprinkling of sea salt. YUMMY!


Ingredients on the crust are listed as: Whole Grain Brown Rice, Potato. Since there is a simple ingredient list and no yeast, I think this might be a possible corn-free product. At any rate, due to the simple ingredient list, I would classify this as a Real Food.

The company doesn't have a website as far as I can find, but they do have the following contact info:
Nature's Hilights, Inc.
P.O. Box 3526
Chico, CA 95927
1-800-313-6454

12/30/11 Note: Based on others' experience with this crust, you might want to overcook the crust/pizza a bit (longer than the instructions on the box suggest to minimize the "gummy" factor). Do watch it closely, though, so it doesn't burn!

GF RECIPE: GF Oatmeal Buckwheat Pancakes

In my quest for nutritious GF breakfast fare, I found a recipe online that fits my needs, plus it follows the concept of soaking grains: Gluten Freely Frugal's Favorite Gluten Free Pancakes/Waffles. (By the way, I have been finding Gluten Freely Frugal to be very helpful in my endeavor to eat Gluten Free on the cheap.)

I pretty much followed the instructions, with the exception of substituting a heaping 1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour for the 1/2 cup Buckwheat Groats the recipe calls for and subbing butter for oil. I adjusted my liquid as needed and followed other instructions as listed.

Here's the recipe with my alterations:

GF Oatmeal Buckwheat Pancakes

• 1 cup yogurt

• 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

• heaping 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

• 1TB butter or oil (I used butter this time)

Put the above in your blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, adding a bit of water if needed to keep a vortex going. Leave on your counter at room temperature overnight. (The yogurt makes the grains more digestible and nutrients more accessible to the body.)


In the morning, add the following:

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Blend for a minute or two until combined thoroughly, adding water as needed to keep a vortex going in the blender.
Heat your griddle and cook.
Serve with maple syrup and butter or your choice of toppings.
Enjoy!

The kids ate without complaint until I asked how they were, and of course they said that their aunt's pancakes were better (from a mix). I need to learn to quit asking and assume that if they are eating it, it's acceptable!

This recipe was enough to feed myself and the three kids breakfast before school, but if it was a Saturday morning and my hubby was eating them too, it wouldn't have been enough by itself. Still, it worked great and I can very easily double the recipe! I'm thinking next time I will see how well it works for waffles!

Here's to Real Food!

GF/Top 8 Allergy Helps: Meijer.com

When someone is newly diagnosed with food allergies/sensitivities/intolerances/what have you, they often start with a "I can't have XYZ." outlook as they think about what they will be eating from day to day.  Today's food stores are packed to the brim with food, but if someone has a list of ingredients they can't eat, shopping can quickly become a discouraging chore as many foods are taken off the plate. I know that I often felt very deprived during my year of avoiding so many foods and found it to be quite depressing.

I would like to encourage the thought of "I can't have XYZ." to become more like "Look at all these things I *can*  have!", because that thought is much more positive, and opens up a realm of possibilities.

Awhile back, I found a helpful source of information that has opened up some new food options: Meijer.com.  I'm not sure why I waited this long to share it!

I would recommend sitting down with the list and making your own list of foods that you *can* have, and working from there to add some interesting flair to your diet. 

Multiple Food Allergies?
When striving to eat Gluten/Top 8 Allergen Free, it can be hard at times to read food labels and know for certain whether a product contains something you are trying to avoid--there's just so much to watch out for, it's overwhelming! One way to simplify things is to avoid processed foods (and even then it's still hard to avoid certain things), but it's also nice to have a list of safe items to have on hand for a change of pace.

One excellent resource I have found is the Meijer website, Meijer.com.  Meijer offers many helps to those of us who are dealing with food issues, the most helpful to me being the Meijer Brand Allergen List.

Although Gluten is not technically a top 8 allergen, it is included on the Meijer Brand Allergen List, along with each of the top 8 allergens, Starch, and Phenyl.  Meijer has generally been responsive to me when I've contacted them with questions regarding specific products in relation to allergies and derivatives (unlike some other store-brand attempts to find answers), but this listing simplifies the process.

Of course, if you have allergies beyond the scope of the chart, you would still need to contact the company. And do still pay attention to labels, because they can change without notice.

The way to get to the Meijer Brand Allergen List (rather than the link above) is to go to Meijer.com.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page and under Do More, click Healthy Living.  Then under Special Diets, click Meijer Brand Allergen List, and then click View the List here.


Only Avoiding Gluten?
If you are only looking to avoid Gluten, you can simplify your search by going to the Meijer Brand Grocery Gluten-Free Products List.  There is also a Meijer Brand Gluten-Free Drug Store Product List.


If you don't have a Meijer store in your area, you are probably thinking you read this post for no reason. Have no fear--it's not all for naught! Peruse the Meijer site a bit further and Under Special Diets is a Gluten Free Resources listing, as well as a National Brand Gluten-Free Product List (last updated March of 2011).


Many thanks to Meijer for making this information available to us!

RECIPE: GF Crockpot Beef Stew

Tis the season for a bowl of comfort food. For me, that means Beef Stew.

Here is the way I make it in the crockpot (spice blend curtesy of my mom's recipe).

GF Crockpot Beef Stew

1. Fill crockpot about 3/4 full with about a pound of beef stew meat(ground beef works in a pinch--brown it first) and a mixture of potatoes, carrots, onion, celery and garlic.

2. Add the following ingredients/spices and stir into veggies/meat:

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

• 1 tsp GF Worchestershire Sauce (Meijer brand is Gluten-free, as is Lea & Perrins)

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I want to try smoked paprika sometime!)

• dash of cloves or allspice

3. Cover with water or GF broth--I used chicken or turkey bone broth from the freezer (or, depending on how much liquid you like, don't cover completely with water--but do add at least a cup or so of liquid), put lid on and cook on high for 4 hours or so(or longer on low). 

4. If you would like to thicken your stew, mix about 1/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (the more starchy ones come in handy here) with a bit of cold water and stir into stew and let cook a bit longer until it thickens up. A different starch would work too (such as corn starch)--just be sure you don't use wheat flour or another gluten-y flour.

Serve and Enjoy!

Pic to come!

RECIPE: GF French Fried Onions

Growing up, I remember always having the classic Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  I decided to bring it to Thanksgiving if I could figure out how to do it Gluten-Free.

I was directed to Gluten Free Mommy's Green Bean Casserole, which looks very promising.  I think I will use it to work off of, using my Pacific Foods Cream of Mushroom Soup that is gluten-free instead of making soup from scratch. I think I will still saute some mushrooms to add to the green beans though. And I'll use a gluten-free soy sauce...maybe...not sure I will need it really.

The other problem I had to solve was the substitute for French's Fried Onions (man, I loved those things!), since they have gluten in them.

I read the instructions by Gluten Free Mommy as to how she makes French Fried Onions and went from there.  I refuse to go to the store for more oil, so I was stuck using Ghee (expensive, but I've been wanting to use it up this month anyway...). I got out my smallest skillet and only did one onion, sliced thin. The flour I used was the end of the package of Bob's All Purpose Flour Mix and Better Batter Flour Mix, salt and pepper.

Let me tell you, these things are delicious! It's all I can do to NOT to eat them before making the casserole tomorrow! I better hide them from the hubby and kids!

Here's some pics:

Sizzling in the Ghee:

 Final Product: French Fried Onions!

Voila!