Gluten Free in the Country

Two-year Olds Can Put on their Own Boots

2010-04-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day here in the Willamette Valley. For all of you out-of-state folks, I'm talkin' about Oregon. It rained last night, the grass is almost neon green and the sun is shinning in that almost summer kind of way.

I'm trying to get old photos scanned (for my husband's family no less!). Gee...I must be some kind of saint. Anyway Joshua, a.k.a. "Little Man" is no dummy. He's already fetched his boots and put them on. Surprisingly, they're on the right foot most of the time, although I never know whether he's left his socks on or not. We have a beautiful piece of property to explore, but alas! there's no fenced-in yard. That means I'll be donning my boots as soon as I can and be outside with him.

I never know what direction I'll head in. Lately he's into picking up spiders running all over the ground or opening the door to the chicken coop. Then there's goat poop that he seems so interested in or mud puddles begging to be splashed in. It's not that I don't let my boys get muddy - I just like them to be outside more than a few minutes before they're covered in it.

I'm not sure how pioneer women managed it all and without a washing machine, no less! Maybe they had more time since there were no cell phones, email, or television. Hmmm...

Blessings!

Chickens and a Job

2010-03-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I hope this post finds you well and not in shock that something is actually new on here:) What's new?

Chickens!

We got 15 baby chicks several weeks ago - 12 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Black Australorps. Needless to say they were a big hit with the boys. Nathan did a good job of feeding them and being calm around them so that they would get used to him. Joshua was allowed little time with them seeing as how he's two and they would be squished to death if he got ahold of them.

They're now in a coop that my husband built. It was far more involved than what he thought it would be. Poor man. It's actually referred to as a chicken tractor. Right now it is in front of the house in case we need to turn the heat lamp on for them. Eventually it will be hauled to pasture by the tractor and moved around once a week or so. It's semi-free-range I guess. They get to feed off the land and yet stay alive in their protective space.

A Job!

I'm pleased to post that I've received an official position teaching 5th grade with a local charter school. Woohoo! I've been subbing for this one and a sister charter school this past year and absolutely love it. It is wonderful to know ahead of time that I have a fulltime job this coming fall. Now I have to really get my act together and get some things nailed down before heading back to work with two small boys to take care of also. I'd like to find more of a pattern in the cooking/putting food up department. And...I'd love to catch up on some scrapbooking and things like that. I'm thankful that my husband is such a great help. I couldn't even imagine doing this without him.

Blessings!

Chickens

2009-12-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

I buy a lot of eggs. I'm sure you do also if you bake gluten free. I remember the first time I began cooking GF and how strange the recipes seemed. Not only were there at least eight ingredients, but rarely did I only need two eggs. Now, three to four eggs per bread and other baked goods is the norm. Even when a recipe calls for two eggs I frequently add a couple more whites whipped to give it lift and some more protein. I don't really know what it's like to buy a dozen eggs at a time. Those days are long gone.

My husband and I are researching chickens. We would like to have some next year and since we have some pasture land to let them "range", why not? We are getting our "chicken questions" answered such as: How many eggs will a chicken produce each day? Do we need a rooster? And - What kind of chickens are better than others?

My husband is going to build a "Chicken Tractor". Actually it is a wired pen and hen house in one that you can move from spot to spot with a tractor (or pull it if you're strong enough). This lets the chickens free range which produces better eggs and the chickens are happier and more stress free. It is also fully enclosed to keep out predators.

We have a couple of goats (not to change the subject) and they are allowed a large area to roam and graze. My friend has a couple of goats that she has to stake out. The difference in our goats is quite amazing. Ours are probably twice the size and very healthy. It only makes sense that animals do better when not penned in. No, I'm not a PETA zealot, just making an observation.

Anyway, will post some pics one day if we get our chickens. It will be nice to know our eggs are really fresh.

Blessings,
Debbie

Check With Your Local Butcher First

2009-11-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law offered to bring the ham this year. Last year, he bought a smoked turkey from a specialty store. It listed "smoked flavoring". I called the company, and one of the workers said he couldn't verify it was gluten free. I looked online, and any smoked powder I could find also had barley in it. I hate barley- it hides. Needless to say, I had to go buy a small ham so my little guy could feel included last year.

This year, I went online to search for some gluten-free hams. I suddenly thought about checking with a local butcher that we bought a side of beef from last year. He actually smokes the ham with apple wood and no extra powder is included. He went and checked a couple of other ingredients and was so thorough because as he said, "Hey, those things are important". He then explained to me that his daughter has a peanut allergy.

Well, it was $1.99 a pound for fresh, local ham. Can't beat that - and I got to support a local business man. Not only am I happy with the ham purchase, I found out that his ground beef is lower than what I've been paying at Costco and it is certainly far superior to that as well. So...check with your local butcher first!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Debbie

Yes, I'm Alive

2009-11-15T11:04:00.001-08:00

I'm still in the land of the living although it seems like time has been suspended as far as my posts are concerned. As you can see from the above picture, I have an angel keeping me very busy nowadays.

All is well here and I continue to try new gluten-free recipes. I wouldn't say I've done any innovations in the kitchen and therefore haven't posted. I will tell you I think Carol Feinster's French Bread recipe is "to die for", or "to live for" as some put it. It has a huge amount of yeast in it, and I stayed away from that for awhile. I think yeast spins my son up (you know, the yeast/gut theory) and so I've avoided it. However, I couldn't get out of my head the fact that yeast dies at a certain temperature. I don't think he has an intolerance to the actual yeast protein or makeup but rather the fact that it can grow in numbers in the gut as it feeds on sugars. I tell you, it's like he's been drunk at times because of being so silly, loud and impulsive. I do think that items like breadsticks that don't cook as long are a problem if he eats too much of it, but the french bread seems to be fine (that's the only yeast item I've been making) and we're all in heaven.

What else is new? I've been subbing this year, as I wasn't able to get a teaching position. The few jobs that have been open attracted 100-200 applicants each. It was hard to even get an interview! I did stumble across subbing for a charter school in the area. I've been so impressed with it - the small class size, the respectful students and friendly staff. Now I know I would like a job there as opposed to some of the other schools I applied at. Hopefully a position will open up next year. They seem to be real pleased with my work and that feels good. For now, that is bringing in some extra change and working out real well.

Other than that, I can't wait for Thanksgiving, because we're having quite a few family members here for that. It will be nice to know that I don't have to stress for my son what is on the menu!!

I know that people reading this blog can appreciate that!

Take care and hope to post a few recipes with pictures soon!

God Bless You,

Debbie

99 Random Facts About Me

2009-07-21T12:48:00.001-07:00

1. I have been married for 19 years.
2. My middle name is Lynne.
3. I'm 5 foot 3 inches.
4. I have two boys named Nathan and Joshua.
5. I love living in the country but hate having to drive so far to get anywhere.
6. I am a licensed teacher.
7. I went to Jamaica on my honeymoon.
8. I've never worn braces.
9. I wish I owned a better camera.
10. My favorite movie is "It's a Wonderful Life".
11. I'm a Christian.
12. I have two sisters.
13. I was once in the Air Force Reserves.
14. I have a sweet tooth.
15. One day I'd like to vacation in Hawaii and take my family to Disney World.
16. I'm an adoptive mom.
17. I waitressed for 17 years before becoming a teacher.
18. I could eat beans, rice, and cheese almost everyday and not grow tired of it.
19. I hate the dentist.
20. I floss in the morning, not at night (I know its gross, but at least I do it everyday!).
21. Bright, tall zinnias are my favorite flowers.
22. I love tomatoes - I even love the smell of tomatoes.
23. I get obsessed with picking blackberries on our property.
24. The happiest days of my life were bringing each of my boys home, my wedding day, receiving my bachelor's degree, and getting my first teaching job.
25. I like corny humor.
26. I only yard-sale now for my boys. I'm tired of junk for myself - I want new things now.
27. As soon as I can afford plastic surgery, I'll have a neck-lift.
28. I have the most wonderful husband in the world. He still thinks I look 26!
29. My husband is blind (just kidding!).
30. I drive a mini-van.
31. I never paint my fingernails but always have polish on my toenails.
32. I don't "text".
33. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
34. I can't stand hot weather.
35. I like to collect rocks.
36. The one thing I miss most about "regular" food is the flour tortillas.
37. If I could do things over again, I would have gone to college sooner and worn more sunscreen.
38. I'm proud to be an American.
39. I look more like my father than my mother.
40. I love birds and always have a hummingbird feeder full.
41. I like to know my neighbors.
42. I am a combination of a very shy and outgoing person.
43. Really functional things around the house make me happy.
44. For the last three years I've been without a dishwasher.
45. My hands are always dry for some reason.
46. I've never eaten eggplant.
47. I love to smell a baby's scalp.
48. I have extra time on my hands right now (which is why I'm sitting here writing out this list!)
49. Decorating with bright colors doesn't appeal to me, but I do like splashes of red.
50. I wear glasses now to read.
51. My elderly in-laws live on the property with us.
52. I live in a fish bowl:)
53. My sister has a low thyroid and so do I.
54. I used to make cards for others in my spare time.
55. Did I mention I have two small kids and don't have spare time anymore?
56. I love coffee.
57. I compulsively check to see if my keys are in my purse before getting out of the car.
58. I am most thankful for God's goodness to me and faithfulness.
59. I wish I could meet some of the blog authors that I like.
60. I buy Trader Joe's rice noodles, but prefer Tinkyada.
61. I love to shop at Costco.
62. Pie is my favorite dessert - especially a la mode.
63. I get easily distracted.
64. I get easily distracted.
65. Spring and fall are my favorite seasons.
66. I like to watch emergency room TV shows, Antiques Roadshow, Good Eats, and Mystery Diagnosis.
67. I have one dog, two barn-cats, and two goats.
68. There's a wood stove in my house.
69. I was born in Torrance, California.
70. I like to play cards.
71. I'm left-handed
72. I was 28 when I got married.
73. I suffer from sensitive, dry eyes.
74. My least favorite chore is cleaning out the fridge.
75. I eat dessert almost every night.
76. I hate ironing.
77. History is my least favorite subject.
78. I want to have a couple of steer and chickens one day.
79. Modern furniture does nothing for me.
80. I highlight my own hair.
81. Jazz makes me feel irritable.
82. I used to work out with weights (used to!)
83. I can sew but don't like to.
84. After my parents divorced, I attended 8 different high schools.
85. I eat my oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, and milk.
86. Genesis is my favorite book in the Bible.
87. I used to play the flute.
88. My birthday is May 18th.
89. My favorite candy is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
90. I only buy cotton sheets.
91. I like to wear bright colors.
92. Right now I'm reading "A Land of Sheltered Promise" by Jane Kirkpatrick.
93. The only ticket I've received is for fishing without a license.
94. I love denim dresses and skirts.
95. I like to organize things in baskets.
96. I plan out out a monthly dinner menu.
97. I'm a natrally good speller.
98. I wear my gold hoop earrings almost every day.
99. I like to make lists!

Get Your Dogs!

2009-07-20T16:38:00.001-07:00

Okay, just got a comment on a previous post about the Costco hot dogs. So...once again I am writing about them. I just called the Costco Corporate Office and I was told that their Kirkland Signature Hot Dogs which the representative said are sold in all food courts ARE gluten free. I know that the last time Nathan and I checked at our local Costco, I was told by a food court employee that they were not. I know I looked at the list of ingredients at that time and the only thing it could have been hidden under was the "spices" listing. So...did they have a different dog between the Sinai brand and this one or did they change the ingredients in their Kirkland Dogs? Anyone else care to chime in? I'd love to be able to eat a hot dog there with my boys when we go.
Thanks!
Debbie

Shrimp and Lemon-Herb Chicken Kabobs

2009-07-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

It's time for "What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free?"

hosted by Linda at

The Gluten Free Homemaker.

Click the link and play along!

While I was at Costco a few days ago, I saw they were selling small peppers by the bag. I don't normally fix peppers for anything. My husband can't stand them. He says it's because of the many years he ate in the chowhall while in the military and green peppers were a filler for everything.

Despite my dear one's taste buds, those peppers gave me the urge to buy some shrimp and make kabobs. I suppose you can skewer just about any meat or veggie. I'm personally not fond of tomatoes cooked in this fashion so I limited my "victims" to peppers, lemon-herb chicken, shrimp, onion (ooo, I love cooked onion), and pineapple chunks.

This is what I needed for about 24 kabobs:
3 large chicken breasts, cut up in small cubes and marinate in lemon-herb sauce (recipe below)
If you can cut the chicken when it is still a little frozen it is SO much easier!
40 or so large, raw shrimp
1 can of pineapple chunks
15 small peppers
one onion cut in wedges
Skewers

Before "skewering", thaw out your frozen shrimp and marinate the chicken pieces 1-2 hours before grilling.

Lemon-Herb Marinade: (This is what I needed to coat the chicken pieces. Make up at least 2 times this amount if wanting to cook 4 whole chicken breasts)

1 large lemon squeezed into a bowl (yes, fresh is really better!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced onion

Cook over a low-heat grill. I can't stress this enough, because overdone kabobs aren't real tasty. I served these tasty Bobs with rice and a salad of spinach leaves and fresh tomato.
Enjoy!
Debbie

My Little Corner of the World: Good Things

2009-07-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Let us remember to crave the simple, good things in life...

...and to share with those in need.

Blessings,

Debbie

Fish and Teeth

2009-07-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

I love being a mom to boys. Sure, I would take a girl too. However, I've learned many new things about the world of testosterone. For instance, I can tell the difference between a backhoe and an excavator. I also know how to identify a Deinonychus or Brachiasaurus dinosaur should one ever come stomping across the field. I've also learned that boys are little men wanting to find their place in the world of guns, knives, and fire. Being a mom of boys requires me to overlook what might seem a scary situation. I remember the day Nathan quickly opened the kitchen door and asked in an out-of-breath fashion,

"Mom, where's Dad?"

"I don't know"

"I need to find him. I'm going to shoot and kill him."

"Why would you shoot your dad?"

"So I can marry you!"

"Can't we all be married? That way you don't have to shoot your dad."

"Oh, okay. I'll go shoot something else."

Okay, I know some of you are alarmed at this exchange my boy and I had. I'm not, however. He still claims he is going to marry me and I'm still charmed by it. (If he continues to say that when he hits puberty then I'll call the psychologist). Still, his dad asks with a chuckle, "Why do I always have to die in his little scenarios?"

This past week was a fun one. Our church had a campout over the weekend. I'm sure we'll go next year, but it didn't work out for this one. Victor still was able to take Nathan to the fishing derby held on Saturday morning there. Nathan caught one of the few fish that were biting then.

Is this a cute boy, or what?

He also noticed a loose tooth on the bottom rack for about a week. While he was eating his lunch at summer school it fell out. He actually spit it out on the grass because he thought it was "a nut that wouldn't chew". I quickly fished it out of the grass. After all, it is his first one. He's rather proud of that hole in his mouth. I've noticed he spits on me more now while he's talking...

...and, he's always talking.

What moments do you especially remember in the lives of your kids?

Blessings,

Debbie

"Regular" Recipes and a Little Inspiration

2009-06-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

It's feast or famine with me and baking. In fact, I'm a lot like that with most things. I have moments of great accomplishments and being a busy bee. Those are punctuated with moments (and days) of feeling very lazy. Well, I can't be too lazy with two little boys, but you know what I mean. I get them fed, dressed, make dinner, do the dishes, read a story and play a bit, but beyond that I try my best to do nothing.

I've been in the "feast" stage of baking lately. I'm wanting to make new things (and some old things). I also want to encourage you to stop by a "regular" good blog and get some ideas there as well. If you are well versed on what ingredients are GF or not, then you might be able to modify some things and come up with a new GF dish. Remember to use a GF mix of some sort or make sure to use starch and not just flour. For instance, if the regular recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups flour, then you might use 3/4 cup rice flour and 3/4 tapioca flour. Or, you might use 1/2 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup corn starch, and 1/2 cup tapioca flour. Such is the life with GF Baking - you have to be willing to experiment. And what ever you do - write down how you modified the recipe. If it's a winner, you want to replicate it! Don't forget to add xanthan or guar gum - I always add about a teaspoon unless I want some "chew" - then I add a couple of teaspoons. The xanthan gum doesn't just help hold it together, it helps it to rise as well!

I found a great recipe that I was able to modify. It was on the "Not GF Blog" I have listed on my sidebar: Mennonite Girls Can Cook. It's called "Raspberry Slice". (This site also has a category of GF recipes also). I made up some gluten free graham crackers first for this recipe. I actually needed close to three cups for the base. I'm not sure how it would have turned out with the 1 1/4 cups they called for but it seemed too greasy to set up and harden. I also didn't have any raspberries, so I used some fresh strawberries and frozen blackerries. Be careful when adding the frozen fruit to the jello mix. It will set up real quick. You'll need to catch it before it sets all the way so you can spread it over the cream cheese layer. I also used a couple cups of cool whip for the topping. It was really delicious and I highly recommend it. It was fine the next day also so this is one you can make slightly ahead.

What "regular" recipes have you modified and been successful with?

Back to "Perfect"

2009-06-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

My son, Joshua had Kawasaki Disease several weeks ago. Check out the post Kawasaki Disease for the story if you don't know about it. Yesterday he had his second echocardiograph and his heart is back to normal which means Joshua is now even more perfect than before (except for his screeching)! That was an answer to prayer! I used to take my kids to a family doctor and made the decision to take them to a pediatrician (an awesome one I might add). If you have been considering whether to stay with your family doctor or change so your kids can have a pediatrician - make the change!! I have been so glad I did. Pediatricians are generally better because they work with kids, know kids and all the strange diseases and ailments that are peculiar to them.

We went to the Children's Hospital in Portland yesterday for the echocardiograph. What an awesome facility! Let me tell you, if you are down and out and disgruntled about this or that, then just visit a children's hospital for awhile. You will see children in wheelchairs, unable to communicate their needs. You will see children with ballcaps on and noticeably short hair or no hair underneath. It's a big dose of reality to see what some people are dealing with in their lives. There are also angels there, you know. I saw a senior couple who were probably in their mid to late sixties. I do not know whether they were a foster family, respite care, taking care of their grandchild or what the situation was. The boy in the stroller they were taking care of was so malformed. They loved on him and showered him with attention, human touch, and kindness. Many people in their lives receive awards for this or that. I don't know if these folks have ever received one, but I do know that what they do is far beyond what any medal can commendate for.

Let us be thankful!

Debbie

Job Hunting and GF Mixing

2009-06-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

I finally have applied for my Oregon teaching license. Since I have one from California there were some new requirements to complete. I needed to take a multiple subject mastery test and complete so many hours of my instructional assistant position I've been working in at my son's school. Too bad I didn't request a newer application. I would have found out that they've moved those requirements to the next level up in order for out-of-state applicants to get in the teacher pool much quicker. Ugh!! I could have had my license several months ago:(

Anyway, my license is "pending" while they approve my documents of this and that I've sent them. This has allowed me to fill out applications for four different districts in my county to apply for a teaching position. But why oh why am I a day late and a dollar short when it comes to these things? I found out after my latest hand cramp and filling up my tank with expensive gasoline that there is an online service that all the districts subscribe to. Could have done it all at home!

I have to remember though that God is always on time regardless of my shortcomings. My first job teaching was acquired two weeks before the school year started. I found out later that the large district I also applied to somehow lost my application. That's why I never was called all summer. But...that left me free for the one I received - in the nicest school, the closest school, the highest paying district, the grade I wanted, the track I wanted, and a slew of acquaintances and dear friends I shall always count myself blessed to know. I remember after I saw my new classroom I came home and cried while sitting on the couch. God was so good to me, and I think He was chuckling a bit over the surprise he couldn't wait to show me. Anyhow, right now there is only one position for an elementary school position in the whole county, and it is first grade (not my thing). If I had to put food on the table I would go for it, but I'm not that desperate:) If anything comes up it will probably be in August.

I've been challenged recently while reading in the book of Joshua about setting up a memorial. It is a way of remembering what God has done. So, I have a picture of me teaching in the kitchen sink window. Since I spend so much time there I figured it was a good spot:) I will wash and "remember" that He is capable of making sure I'm in the right place at the right time.

On a different not, I love it when I discover something that makes me work "smarter" and not harder. (Usually it is by accident - ha ha!). Such was the case while making up some more GF mix. I like one of Carol Fenster's versions:

It is:
1 1/2 cups sorghum
1 1/2 cups corn starch
1 cup tapioca starch

(if you make her french bread I love to add the 1/2 cup of cornmeal which she has deleted on her latest version of this mix. I'm not sure why because it makes the french bread taste better.)

When I mixed this up last time I noticed that my Bob's Red Mill bag of sorghum is 4 1/2 cups. I thought about making up three times this amount. I also noticed that my EnerG Foods Tapioca Starch I buy (12 boxes in a carton) is 4 1/2 cups. Woohoo! The Argo Cornstarch I use is 56 Tablespoons which is roughly 3 cups. I wondered whether it would be a big deal to interchange the tapioca and corn starch. Well, I haven't been able to tell a difference in my recipes. This allows me to open all three boxes/packages and just pour them in a big bowl to whisk together. I've easily made up an amount three times of this mix. No measuring and less mess. Made me happy. Of course, you may not use these products or have a different mix, but just see if a couple of the items are the right amount for multiplying you mix. Then maybe you only have to measure out the third ingredient.

From now on I vow to stop a minute and think about what I've "always done" and just see if I can come up with a better way to do it. You never know - I just might start working "smarter" and that would make up for all the brain cells I seem to have lost since becoming a mom and being sleep-deprived.

Have a wonderful day!
Debbie

Hot Days

2009-05-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to report that Joshua is doing well. He had his echocardiogram a week ago at the Children's Hospital in Portland. There's no dilation of his coronary arteries which means there's no longterm damage to them. There's still inflammation showing up which is fairly normal with Kawasaki Disease. Right now is a window after the onset when he can develop an aneurysm (although not likely since he was treated so early) We are praying that it will be all resolved by his next echo. As you can see from the pictures, he is on the move again and back to a normal toddler.

Nathan has eight days left for Kindergarten which is hard to believe. I've been working the past year as an instructional assistant at his school, so I'll be off for the summer as well pretty soon. I'm ready to apply for my Oregon Teaching License and put an application in at the local district. I know that with the budget there are no new jobs being created. Still, I'm hopeful. The Lord blessed me with a wonderful job before, and I know he can do it again. There's always someone who leaves, resigns, or another job created before the next school year starts. I do know that I probably won't get anything until right before, but I'm preparing now, getting out my teaching materials and familiarizing myself with things again. I'll certainly keep you posted on that!

Well, this has nothing to do with what I just wrote, but I did want to put my two cents in about the new Chex cereals that are gluten free. I was at Winco at "O' dark thirty" one morning when my bleary eyes spotted the large labeling on the front of the Honey Nut and Corn Chex. I was ecstatic!!! Yes, like I've said before, I am hopeful for all the changes that will happen in the next few years. I will be so happy if they can come up with a cure for my boy or at least some kind of enzyme intervention to allow him to "indulge" from time to time. For now, as you can see, he is just enjoying life as a young boy.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and for stopping by!

Debbie

Kawasaki Disease

2009-05-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've learned that there's a difference between a child that is sick and a really sick child. My son Joshua fell into the latter category just about a week ago. Once again, I've learned about a disease I never knew existed, and its name is Kawasaki Disease.

Joshua will be 16 months in just a couple of days. He came down with a fever that wasn't controlled very well with Motrin and then was extremely cranky and irritable. If I moved him the slightest bit he would start crying all over again. Then came the rash and the eyes that looked like conjunctivitis but without the drainage.

I thank God for the wisdom he gave me. Two days into the fever he was laying on the couch very lethargic and I thought, "I should be taking him to urgent care right this minute." But, I opted to hold out for an evening appointment with his pediatrician at the Mid-Valley Children's Clinic in Albany. We finally saw him at close to 9:00 that night. He stepped out of the room after examining Joshua and then brought in another doctor who also happens to have lots of experience. They both independently diagnosed Joshua with Kawasaki Disease. Although Joshua had only two days of fever, he wanted Joshua to begin gamma goblulin treatment immediately. We checked into the hospital across the street.

Over the next two hours Joshua went from bad to worse. He turned a yellow shade and his heart rate was 190! When the lab tech drew his blood he just lay there, his eyes wandering around. It was a surreal feeling to wonder if my child was going to die. The picture that I've included here is of the next day, with him looking 100% better!

While the symptoms of Kawasaki Disease are not fatal (although they seem so at the time) the real concern is with potential heart problems, namely the coronary arteries. Kawasaki Disease affects the blood vessels and particularly the heart. Fortunately, early treatment means a very little chance of this happening.

Joshua has an echocardiogram in 2 weeks. I am praying for and expecting no problems.

I wanted to make you aware of this, and if at all possible, please spread the news about this rare childhood disease. I was fortunate (blessed is a better word) that Joshua had such typical symptoms, and that he has such a wonderful pediatrician.

I'll keep you posted on his progress. We won't be going out for Mother's Day as he is still dealing with inflammation in his little body. He is too cranky and high-need for right now. However, I am blessed this Mother's Day to have my little one home with me after having spent four nights in the hospital with him.

Happy Mother's Day also to all of you out there who have loved and mentored a child.

Debbie

I'm Still Alive

2009-04-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hello to any of you who happen to be regulars (and anyone new). I'm sure you've noticed that my posting has been far and few in-between. I know how disappointing it is to visit a blog and wonder where the owner has gone, wishing for something new to read.

Life has been busy! I've been studying for a state test and keeping up with my two young boys. I'm feeling particularly challenged these days maintaining "marginality". My house is a mess, my car is a mess, and I'm just trying to keep up with the laundry. Hopefully there will be some time in the next couple of months to re-group, create some more dishes (and take the time to get the camera out) and to say hello again.

Just wanted you to know I appreciate you stopping by!
God Bless You,
Debbie

Adding a New Twist to an Old Favorite

2009-04-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

I love the quick-bread recipe (if I don't say so myself)! Recently I was out of flaxseed which I like to add to recipes now and then. I was thinking of what else I could add to the bread and saw a bag of almonds on the counter. I buy the raw, slivered ones in the bin at Winco. I decided to try a quarter to one-half cup in the bread. I grind them in a coffee grinder and it works just fine. I think it made the bread come out moist and with a great texture. I reduced the number of eggs in my basic recipe to three and have decreased the sugar to 1 tablespoon. I've also been putting in 1/3 cup mayonnaise and 1/3 cup plain yogurt instead of the 2/3 cup mayo. Finally, I've gotten away from using the gelatin and have been adding a total of 1 1/2 teaspoons of guar gum (or xanthan gum) instead. So...here's what it looks like:

The All Purpose Quick Bread:
First mix:
3 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Then add:
1 1/4 cups rice flour
1/4 cup sorghum
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon guar (or xanthan) gum
Mix well for about one minute. Pour into greased loaf pan (batter will be more like cake batter).
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

If you try it this way, let me know what you think!!

Costco Hot Dogs - What's Up?

2009-03-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

I read recently that Costco hot dogs that have been sold in the food court have been changed to a brand that contains wheat. I haven't confirmed this with the company yet. I just sent them an email to let them know I am saddened to hear about this change since it is a highlight for Nathan to get a hot dog (without the bun, of course). I'll keep you posted as soon as I receive a reply from them.
Debbie

Walking, New Shoes, and Sunshine

2009-03-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we enjoyed some glorious sunshine. It was the kind that lets you know springtime is near even if the light breeze is cool. Joshua is officially walking now. He takes to it more often than crawling although he is still easy to throw off balance. He's enjoyed his slip-on softy shoes until now. However he donned some shoes with soles to go outside this day. He did pretty good considering we don't actually have a yard yet here - just lots of bumpy, rolling ground. He was so excited to be outside, he didn't put too many things in his mouth. Nathan was a pacifier boy and as long as that was in, I didn't worry so much about him going outside. Joshua will be a challenge - my back is sore just thinking about being humped over and following him everywhere he goes this summer. He is so ready to go exploring though - and I love the wonder I see in his eyes. Enjoy the pictures of my two boys who will go exploring many times together (and hopefully keep each other out of trouble!).

Debbie

Sloppy Hearts

2009-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

I decided to make Sloppy Joe's on Valentine's Day. Yes, I used to celebrate Valentine's Day with my husband over a filet mignon (just the two of us). However, things have changed and while my oldest son is a pretty good eater and not too picky, I do try to create dinners he will love as well. Although I must say, he would have been just as ecstatic over a great cut of beef. My son is 5 and a carnivore just like us:).

Instead of making burger buns for this event, I decided to make it more like a casserole and add biscuits on top - heart shaped ones, of course! I only wish I had taken a picture of the dish as it came out of the oven so you could see the hearts. Of course, you can use a regular biscuit cutter or any shape you like. We didn't eat it all the first night and I was skeptical about how well it would fare overnight. I almost took the biscuits off the top so they wouldn't get soggy. But, being the lazy-bones that I am at times, I decided to put the lid back on the casserole dish and put in the fridge. To my delight, the biscuits didn't get soggy and it reheated great. In fact, I think it was one of those dinners that tasted better the second night.

Below is a basic recipe for making a Sloppy Joe mix and Carol Fenster's Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe. If you never make Sloppy Joe's with the biscuits, at least try her recipe for them. I used to think a good biscuit recipe was a bit like the Holy Grail. These are hands down the best I've ever eaten (GF, that is!).

By the way, I would have taken a picture of the entire casserole when it came out of the oven, but we had already carved our way through half of it when it occurred to me, "Hey, this would make a good post!" So, I scooped one heart out of the pan and took this shot.

Happy Eating!
Debbie

Sloppy Joe Mix
Dice 1 onion and cook with 2 pounds of ground beef
Add 1 clove garlic and cook a few minutes more
Mix the following and then add to the above:
1 1/2 cups ketchup and 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (or just 2 cups ketchup)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cider or red vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook until warmed through.
Spoon mixture in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish and top with a generous amount of cheese. I think I used about 2 cups of a colby/jack mixture.

Here is Carol Fenster's Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe:
White rice flour for dusting and rolling
3/4 cup Carol's Sorghum Blend (1 1/2 cups sorghum, 1 1/2 cups potato or cornstarch, 1 cup tapioca starch)
3/4 cup potato starch
4 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon guar gum (You don't need both of these gums but she claims it works better like this)
1/2 teaspooon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortning
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk (for brushing tops if making just the biscuits to eat without the sloppy joe mix)

Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening and then add buttermilk. Dough is very soft. Use plenty of rice flour to dust counter top or block. Turn dough out and pat down into 1 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters or biscuit cutters. I used a heart shaped cutter (about 2 1/2 inches wide).

After cutting out the biscuits into heart shapes, I laid them on top of the cheese, distributing them across the top of the dish. I baked them at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. (After the first few minutes, I brushed the tops with melted butter.) The sloppy joe mix was bubbling up from underneath after 15 minutes, and I was concerned that the biscuits would get soggy before they cooked all the way. I turned up the heat to 400 degrees and baked them for another 5 minutes. That did the trick! Scoop out of the pan with a heart biscuit on top and enjoy

If you are just making the biscuits then follow these directions after cutting out your biscuits:

Place the cut out biscuits on a nonstick baking sheet and placed in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Brush the tops with milk before placing in oven.

Hop on Pop

2009-02-10T17:19:00.001-08:00

My son Nathan is in Kindergarten. It was a wise move on my part to enroll him in public education rather than homeschool him for several reasons:

He is a social beast and has one brother who is not talking yet.
He will do better in a very routine, predictable environment.
I would have picked up the bottle by now if I were his teacher.

Over the months I have been so amazed to see the work he has brought home. I get so happy seeing the letters and words he has printed, to hear him count to 50, and to tell me a poem he has memorized.

Of course, there are things that aren't so happy and fuzzy-warm. -Like hearing him tell me he couldn't find a friend to play with yesterday or to know he missed out on a birthday cupcake and ate his "Pamela's" chocolate chip cookie instead. He has only confessed to one "time-out" so far which means he is at the very least not telling "the whole truth".

Nathan has loved books since he was an infant. My whirlwind tornado of a boy has always wanted to sit and be read to. I am blessed! We have always made it a point to visit the library often and bring home a gaggle of books. I tried a couple of months ago to see if he would read for me, but he would jump ahead and just wasn't ready to look at the words and sound them out. Today though, I picked up a reader pamphlet he brought home from school. He was ready to sound out the words and read it to me.

Hop on Pop came out next. Yes, he still missed words and doesn't want to look at the ending consonant at times, but he was able to read the majority of lines. I feel sorry for anyone who didn't get thrilled to pieces when hearing their child read to them for the first time. I am in amazment. I assumed he would and could read, but it is still a wonderful, shocking (in a good way) event in my life.

I jumped up and down and he did too.
Life is good.

Monthly Menus

2009-02-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

Since I live about 40 minutes from Winco or Costco I only do my major shopping once a month. One thing that's helped me plan better is a monthly dinner menu. I've been making one up for the past four months.

What's that, you say? Well, I make a table on my computer with 7 columns and 4-5 rows. I head each of the columns with the day of the week and each square of the grid stands for a day of the month. I fill in those squares with dinners I want to make for the month. (Of course, this doesn't have to be done on a computer but I've come to love "cut and paste".) I also try to write in what the side might be, if any and if we will have a green salad or something special with it. I've saved onto my computer the template or chart for filling in. That way I don't have to create a new table for it each time. I also save each month that I do. Who knows? I may just be able to one day pull out one I've already created, make a couple of changes and be good with it!

I know it sounds like a lot to do the whole month at once, but for me it is easier to sit down once a month and fill this in rather than weekly. I usually start a few days before the month's end and of course, I don't have to fill it in all at once. Here are some ways I've found ways to make it easier and more useful:

I've made a separate list of all the dinners I like to fix along with the ingredients I need. I've got a list of about 30 different chicken dinners and 20 beef or pork ones. It looks something like this:

Parmesan Chicken: chicken breasts, mayo, artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese.
Malibu Chicken: Chicken breasts, ham, swiss cheese, mayo, mustard

I can go to these lists when I need ideas of what to fix. I'm also trying to put in my monthly dinner menu at least one new recipe to try.

Filling the chart in is not as daunting as it might sound. For instance, does your family like spaghetti once a week? If so, fill that in for all the Friday nights if that works for you. I have my husband's folks over on Saturday nights. His mom loves chicken and so I go to my chicken list for choices to fill in those blocks with.

Don't forget left-overs! Each week for my family needs about four choices. One of those is usually only good for that night - like quesadillas or tacos. With the other three choices of the week I make sure I have prepared enough for left-overs. For example, when the in-laws come over Saturday night, I make sure I have made about 1 1/2 times what I will need. This ensures dinner is already ready on Sunday night for just us and that makes me happy!

There are other ways to simplify what it takes to fill in the chart. If you like slow-cooker meals, then plug those in on Tuesday nights and perhaps soup on Thursday nights. Do you like casseroles? Then think of four and plan those to be fixed on a certain night of the week. Doing things this way takes the thinking out of it somewhat.

I also pull out my calendar before preparing the monthly dinner chart. If I have a late appointment one night, then that is a night to make sure leftovers are available. My husband is great at breakfast and taking care of the kids, but he doesn't want to be the one making the dinner. Reheating leftovers saves everyone's sanity.

I certainly need to shop for produce a couple more times for the month. If there's a meal that requires something special, then I write that in and highlight it. For instance, I'll be making a dish with cilantro the third week of this month. I have that highlighted so that when I go produce shopping I'm not just getting the usual things like more lettuce, tomatoes, and apples. I'll have looked at that highlighted spot for some time and hopefully remember;)

I decided to share this with you, because it has actually worked for me. I can see what's "on tap" the night before and get out of the freezer what needs to be thawed out, if anything. I have also spent some time on Saturday mornings looking at what lies ahead for the week. I might have the gumption to cook up any chicken that might need to be diced up and cooked for a casserole or chop up the onions that I might need in any recipes that week. I can also get any of the dry mixes ready for any gluten free rolls or cornbread that might be listed to go with a meal. That's a real time saver for me.

What works for you in the food preparation department? How do you simplify gluten-free cooking and life on the go?

May God Bless your week!
Debbie

Pancake Recipe Revision

2009-02-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

I've always loved pancakes and my son does too. I usually make a double batch and freeze what's left over. That makes an easy breakfast because I can just put them in the toaster - same for waffles! I think the favorite here is to add chocolate chips and I recently bought some beautiful strawberries from Costco to add on top. I LOVE strawberries fresh and ripe! I'd really love blueberry pancakes as well but the men in my life aren't crazy about them.

Recently, I couldn't remember my pancake recipe by heart and went to look for it in my notebook that I've crammed too much stuff in. I couldn't find it and went online for the recipe on my blog. I knew something was wrong when I made them up because this time they were too runny. Yikes! I've posted an incorrect recipe - I omitted the tapioca or corn starch for this recipe. I'm so sorry for anyone who went to the trouble to try it out and found it wasn't so great.

Here's the correct recipe (and a thousand pardons:))

Saturday Morning Buttermilk Pancakes

Whip two egg whites in your mixer bowl then set aside to fold in later.
Mix:
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add 1 teaspoon baking soda while mixing the above.

In a separate bowl mix:
1 ¼ cup rice flour
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sorghum
1 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch
¼ heaping cup ground flax
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum

Add dry to wet ingredients.

While mixing, add 4 tablespoons oil.
Fold in your egg whites.
Yum!

Oreos and Enzymes

2009-01-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

Well, things are never dull on our gluten free adventure. My son Nathan is Celiac. He has learned quite a deal about what he can eat and can't eat. And yet...he is 5. We were visiting a friend and he went out to play. I feel so comfortable at my friend's house (her daughter has other food issues) that I don't stress too much about watching over my guy so much. However, this time he played with her daughter at a neighbor's playset (their properties are not closed off by a fence in a certain spot). They played for awhile and the neighbor kid's mom decided they needed a treat...

When we finally called them in because it was time to go, they were squealing all the way home on each other. I heard something about eating some yellow cheese (no, I'm not worried yet) and then I unmistakably heard something about "an Oreo". I looked over at my son and there it was - chocolate all around his mouth. Not only had he eaten the Oreo, but he was wearing it as well. I didn't panic - at least not visibly. I did remember that I had some Glutenease in my bag. It's an enzyme that I bought some time ago - when I just thought he had a problem with gluten and didn't know what Celiac was. I quickly poured a cup of apple juice from my friend's fridge and poured a capsule in and told him to drink it up quick. Even though I knew we were in for a rough week, I was still hoping that it would keep him from too much discomfort. I felt a little negligent in not knowing exactly where Nathan was at and watching over him as much as I usually do. I let my guard down and my son down as well. Guilt, guilt.

Well, Nathan has never had this much gluten since being GF. The most he's had was a bite of a cracker. That was enough for the emotional melt-downs and hyperactivity and also (can't forget) the "accident" while in Costco. A whole Oreo seemed quite a scary ordeal although the amount of flour relative to the amount of sugar and chocolate was probably not more than the wheat flour in the bite of cracker. Anyway, Nathan has suffered a few minor stomach aches, a nightmare the first night, waking up early three days in a row and some anger flare-ups as I like to call them. You know, I certainly don't want him getting gluten because of the whole immune irritation and not to mention the greater chance for developing another autoimmune disease or lymphoma. But really, it is the behavior that is the hardest for me to deal with. Sure I don't want him to deal with an accident at school or to feel pain, but when he seems like someone else it is hard!!! I can't imagine what it would have been like without the enzyme. I think he would at least have had a couple of accidents.

I'm certainly not saying buy some enzymes so you can eat gluten. In fact, the next time he decides he will succumb to temptation I will not so easily give him an enzyme. I really need for him to learn how bad it is for him! I will recommend an enzyme like Glutenease for anyone eating out or at a friend's house. It certainly doesn't get rid of all the gluten protein but it does help to break down a good amount of it, lessening the symptoms one might experience.

I have had some good discussions with Nathan since all of this. We've talked about how good the Oreo tasted - and then I bought some KinniToos. Wow - these are really good! I do think they could have picked a better name though:) We talked about being tempted and the need to say "no" or to find someone to help at a time like this. Gosh, it sounds like I'm trying to keep him off drugs, huh? We've also talked about what might happen in the future for Celiacs as far as enzyme therapy - on a five-year old level, that is. I'm gladly linking a post by Gluten Free Mom about one pharmaceutical company's work on an enzyme that will break down gluten. This is interesting to say the least!

And my point? I don't really have one. Just wanted to share with you my week and some thoughts of mine about raising a Celiac kid. Oh yes, the best discussions we've had have been on being thankful. We've talked about being thankful for eyesight, the ability to run and so on and how it keeps us from only thinking about what we can't have. Thankfulness is not easy at times but it can transform our situation via our perspective on life. So, I will try to practice what I preach and be thankful for so many blessings that we have.
May God richly bless your week!
Debbie

Happy Birthday Joshua

2009-01-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe a year has flown by since I brought my beautiful baby boy, Joshua home from the hospital. He has been a joy and a sweet, easy baby. God saw fit that I needed a blessing from above and he did deliver!We spent the day with good friends and joy a plenty. It is amazing to know that you can still have a great spread with gluten free food - chicken, beef, taco toppings, refried beans, Mexican white rice, etc. And for the cake? I love the chocolate cake recipe from Carol Fenster - it's a winner! I've wanted to try others, but you know how it is. When you're getting ready for an "event" you just want to stick to the "tried and true".

I decided to do the cake the night before and I'm glad I did. For some reason, I just had trouble with frosting, decorating, etc. I've reached a point in my life though (2 kids later, older, and more tired) when I can say, "It is what it is" and leave it be. It actually looked better the next day when I was more rested and just glad it was done!

I want to thank all of you for reading this blog and returning to visit even though I haven't posted in awhile. I hope to get back in the blogging groove soon.

God Bless You in 2009!

Debbie

Moms of Boys - A Little Humor

2008-12-14T06:09:00.001-08:00

I never remember how I come across some sites, but I found myself one day looking at Moms of Boys.

I really enjoyed this page from it with humorous poems and interesting quotes. I think my favorite two lines in the first poem are about having to wash the soap before using it and weeds in chubby fists. How true!

Quotes, Stories, Poems About Boys

Raising BoysAuthor:

Roberta I. Teague

I scrub the wall of fingerprints, Pick up the mounds of clothes.

I sweep the dirt that shoes track in- Wish I could use a hose!

Meals are served from dawn to dark, Dirty dishes crowd the sink.

Just when they’re washed and put away- Everyone wants a drink!

The washer pulls the dirty grime From pants worn thin and patched.

They look so very neat and clean- Yuck, look what the pockets hatched!

Broken bones and bloody knees, I should have been a nurse.

I take it all in shaky stride- Just grateful it’s not worse!

Screams and shouts and arguments Test the keeping of my cool.

They left the neighbor’s faucet on- See their new front yard pool!

A soothing bath is ecstasy, A reward at the end of my rope.

Raising boys isn’t really bad- But first I must wash the soap!

A rose can say I Love You, Orchids can enthrall;

But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,

Oh my, that says it all!

Boys in my House

Author: Erin Jo Kilmer

There are boys in my house - and Spiderman shoesAnd 200 papers in various blues.

There's Bob (he's a builder) and Thomas the Train,There's a fireman coat to wear in the rain.

They have cars on their shirts and frogs on their hats

There's a glove and a ball and a red plastic bat.

There's dirt on a face and a smudge on a nose;

Grass stains on knees and sand between toes.

There's bathtime at night with bodies to scrub,

And when we're all done there is dirt in the tub!

There's bandaids and bruises and curious bumps,

There's smiles and laughter and sometimes there's grumps.

There's odors most icky; there's boogers so green

There's more yucky things than I'll ever get clean.

There's piles of laundry; there's stories at night;

There's bedtime and bathtime and dinnertime fights.

There's cars and there's trains and there's books about trucks

There's Scoop, Lofty, Dizzy, and Travis, and Muck.

Sometimes there are bugs, and sometimes there are frogs;

Sometimes they are lions, or dinos, or dogs.

There are cute little vests and darling neckties

Dragged right through the mud - oh what a surprise!

There's running and climbing and jumping and falling

And laughing and crying and hugging and brawling

And rolling and losing and finding and creeping

And whining and stealing and sometimes there's sleeping.

There's tantrums and time outs and extra loud noise -

There's love in my house shaped like two little boys.

“A little boy is the only thing God can use to make a man.”
–Unknown

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You’re tearing up the grass." "We’re not raising grass," my dad would reply, "we’re raising boys."
–Harmon Killebrew

Some parents say it is toy guns that make boys warlike. But give a boy a rubber duck and he will seize its neck like the butt of a pistol and shout, “Bang!”
— George F. Will, news commentator

Boys are beyond the range of anybody’s sure understanding, at least when they are between the ages of 18 months and 90 years.”
— James Thurber, writer

There is an enduring tenderness in the love of a mother to a son that transcends all other affections of the heart.
– Washington Irving , writer

“If Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer were alive today, we’d say they had ADD or a conduct disorder. They [boys] are who they are, and we need to love them for who they are. Let’s not try to rewire them.”
— Michael Gurian, author of The Wonder of Boys and other books in a 1998 interview with Newsweek magazine.

Newsweek, May 11, 1998, page 59
Excerpt featuring San Francisco Chronicle columnist Adair Lara on the difference between communicating with her 19-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son :
“My daughter stalked me. She followed me from room to room. She was yelling, but she was in touch. Boys don’t do that. They leave the room and you don’t know what they’re feeling.” Her son is now 6 foot 3. “He’s a man. There are barriers. You have to reach through that and remember to ruffle his hair.”

Sports Illustrated, May 9, 2005 issue.
Column by Steve Rushin on Page 13 titled “Mothers Know Best.” Quote: “Moms are as relentless as the tides. They don’t just drive us to practice, they drive us to greatness.” One does not have to have athletic boys to have this quote be true.

“Life, America’s Weekend Magazine” , May 6th, 2005 issue
Patricia Heaton, award-winning actress from Everybody Loves Raymond and mother of four boys - She listed some things she learned from her kids; here are two: “I’ve learned to look like I’m listening to long, confusing plotsof cartoons and comic books when I’m actually sound asleep or making grocery-shopping lists in my head . . . I’ve learned that I didn’t really know what love was until I had them.”

Cookbook Review

2008-12-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

I just have to share:

I recently checked out some cookbooks from the library. I'm finding that the ones by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. have been my favorite. Her flour mix has worked great for me, and I find that her recipes are tried and true. I journeyed on over to Amazon and found that she has a new one, titled, 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes. I decided that it was about time to actually buy a gluten-free cookbook and this was the one.

Sorry, you can't really click on this image and see inside - it's just the image I attached:) This thing is huge! It reminds me of The Joy of Cooking. I not only found the recipe for french bread that my husband adores, but I also found a recipe for Sourdough French Bread. Is such a thing possible? I intend to try it out. I made her buttermilk bisquits this morning and they are the best I've made so far. Not only are her recipes great for bread and dessert items, but she also has great recipes for main dishes.

I've learned from her that most GF breads bake better when put into an un-preheated oven. Also, she claims that a combination of guar and xanthan gum works best. Are you familiar with a new product called Expandex? She includes the use of it in some of her recipes. It is a modified tapioca starch that supposedly gives better texture to baked goods. You only substitute about 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup in recipes. I have some on order right now. She also explains that not all milk powders are created equal. Buy a higher quality milk powder (not Carnation instant) and you'll be adding more protein to your baked goods. "Better than Milk" makes a soy version for those of you who are dairy-free. I know that some don't want to mess with all this stuff, but I do if it means better tasting food!

Are you like me? Have you spent countless hours combing the internet for this and that only to be disappointed in what you've made? Don't get me wrong - I've found some great recipes from blogs I visit, but the liberty of having a cookbook that is trustworthy and within arms reach is invaluable to me.

So, do yourself a favor and buy this treasure! Or maybe you can ask Santa for one.

My Little Corner of the World - Gingerbread Houses (and other unrelated things...)

2008-12-10T12:45:00.001-08:00

There's a lot of wonderful things happening here. I've mentioned that I'm so excited about Christmas this year. Having two beautiful boys is such a blessing (even though I'd rather be at least ten years younger!)

My son's school made gingerbread houses with the students, grades 1-6. This got me to thinking about what I would do for Nathan when it will be his turn to work with glutenous graham crackers. This year, his kindergarten teacher is going to have them decorate gingerbread men during their class party. So, while I set out to find a good cookie recipe, I came across Karen Joy's post for a GF gingerbread house. I figured since she won first place, it was a good bet. That also prompted me to make a house with Nathan, myself.

Here's our creation:

Yes, I know there's no chimney. We made all the pieces, but by the time we got this far, I honestly didn't care!! I was going to go to Winco and get some candy out of the bin, but I found myself at Walmart instead. I love their Great Value items because they will clearly label them gluten free, if so. Their packages of candy are also only $1.00. However, you can only use so much candy on the house, so the rest goes into some jars to be eaten at some point in time. So, the gingerbread house is finished and sits on a cabinet in the kitchen testing all the will power my five year old possesses.

I'm also beginning to give some thought to my youngest who turns one in just one month. Can't believe it!! What do you do for a winter baby? What do you do when it is the second one and right after Christmas?? Anyway, his little shoes were worn to pieces and I recently bought him some new ones. Don't you love babies? It's the only time in one's life that chunky legs and a peepee bottom doesn't matter:)

Finally, I'm giving a lot of thought to what things need to take priority in my life. The next school year is getting closer and closer. That means I need to find new and creative ways to organize tasks, if I plan to return to teaching fulltime. As the saying goes, "I want to work smarter, not harder." I'm wondering lately what to do with this blog, if anything. I love sharing a recipe when something comes out great. I've learned so much from others! It can become a beast at times though, begging to be fed ocasionally. Sometimes that's a task I just don't need and shouldn't be devoting my time to.

So...I'm thinking about whether to change the focus of the blog to more dialogue about what's new in my corner of the world for friends and family to benefit more from and possibly less in the recipe department (although I haven't posted nearly what I want to!). Well, that's enough of thinking out loud.

Have a great week!

Debbie

Nathan's Corner - Healthy Pancakes

2008-12-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

Here is another of my "Nathan's Corner" posts where I will feature kid food (and adult food!) that Nathan, my son has enjoyed or helped me make. Nathan is Celiac and I try my best to keep him excited about food and what we can make gluten free. I hope your little ones will enjoy these recipes too!

I do the majority of the cooking in the house and have been the one to try and find new, gluten-free recipes for us to enjoy. However, the one who actually makes food fun for Nathan would be his dad. His specialty is making the food look great on the plate and coming up with new and interesting combinations. Here's one of Nathan's favorites and directions for making it:

Dear Celiac friends,

I have a great pancake recipe for you to try. It's real good and healthy too! You start with pancakes and put on some peanut butter. Then you slice a half a banana on top and then pour some molasses on. I think you'll like it and you'll want to use a pizza cutter to make it small for you.

Love,

Nathan

So, what pancake combinations are your favorites?

Caramel Apple Pecan Rolls

2008-11-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

Let me just say it one more time - I apologize for this picture because it does a great injustice to one of the most wonderful things I've ever made. Gee, that sounds quite boastful, but I am awfully proud!

I went on a hunt for a GF cinnamon roll recipe a few days ago. I landed at the I Am Gluten Free blog and found a recipe for one (by Robin Ryberg) which had rave reviews. It sounded like a good bet and I'll tell you it was. I couldn't help but wonder what other combinations I could come up with. I didn't have to think long and hard for this one I've posted. I think I like it even better than the cinnamon rolls. This recipe is less sweet overall, and I love anything with nuts.

The dough for this recipe comes out pretty soft. It will whip up like a thick cake batter but will be fairly sticky. You could use parchment paper to roll this out on, but I think you might still benefit from cooking spray as well. I have a teflon mat that is very anti-stick and so I use it whenever possible.

After rolling the dough out to about 13X13 inches, I pull out two pieces of plastic that will cover my dough. I first spray them with cooking spray and lay them spray side down over the area I will be rolling the dough out to. I then use my rolling pin (I actually have a small Pampered Chef one that I love, and no, I don't sell it) and roll it out to the dimensions I want. The plastic pulls up nicely off of it when I'm done.

I then spread out my filling - apple sauce (I used my homemade chunky kind) and brown sugar. When I was done with that I began rolling it up. This may or may not be tricky for you. I've done this twice and one time my dough was more solid and easier to manage than the other time. Such is the fickle nature of GF ingredients I'm afraid. I was able to lift up my teflon mat a bit until the dough began falling over and off of the edge so that I could get it started. The goal is to roll this up lengthwise all the way. Dust your hands and the roll with some more corn starch if that helps. Then, cut 1 1/2 inch segments and lay them, cut side down in a cake pan or a tin.

The time I made cinnamon rolls, I was able to cut the dough very nicely and they actually looked like the spiral things they should be. When I made this variety, I had a harder time and needed to wet my knife each time I cut a piece. They didn't look so pretty in the pan and I was disappointed, but then they rose up so nicely and it looked great. So, don't worry, just get in there and do it!! I then baked this batch in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. About 10 minutes before they were done, I added some chopped pecans and a little more brown sugar on the top. You can also melt a couple tablespoons of butter and drizzle that over the pecans and brown sugar before the last 10 minutes of cooking. Then, I drizzled caramel sauce over the top before inhaling.

These are so very, very good. You'll be proud to serve these to your gluten-eating friends (if you have any - ha ha). I did read that you can make these rolls up ahead of time and put the uncooked batch in the fridge to cook later. They will be okay, but not as good as baking fresh. These rolls are still quite lovely the next day. I was really impressed at that.

So...I have given you a lot of instructions before the actual recipe and you can always go to the post at I Am Gluten Free to read the basic instructions there. Or...if apples, pecans, and/or caramel syrup is not your thing, please try the cinnamon roll recipe from Robin Ryberg listed there.

Ingredients for Caramel Apple Pecan Rolls:

Dough:

2 tablespoons shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco and you can use plain butter but I think it tends to melt out underneath the rolls too much)

1/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 packet yeast

1 egg

1/4 cup oil (I used canola)

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 cup corn starch

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (I use guar gum)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, combine shortening and sugar. Add yeast to warm milk and let set to foam (about 10 minutes) before adding to sugar/shortening mixture. Then, add remaining ingredients. Mix for a full minute for dough to get thicker. Follow instructions given previously in post for laying out dough and rolling it out.

Filling

About 1 cup applesauce (I used homemade chunky)

2-3 tablespoons brown sugar

Spread filling over dough evenly as possible.
If your applesauce is very thin, you might want to consider cutting down the amount and adding some small pieces of chopped apple as well.

Topping
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Melted butter to spoon over (optional)
Caramel sauce to drizzle over after baking

Delicious! Hearty Flatbread

2008-11-21T16:46:00.001-08:00

I'll be making another trip down to the Eugene Public Library on Sunday after church. I get to take just Nathan which is a treat since "little man" came along. We love the library, and I have been taking him at least twice a month since we moved here 2 1/2 years ago. This library is 40 minutes away from us and costs us about $90.00 a year for membership. That seems crazy, but we live in a small, country town and I would have to pay at least a third of that for our public library which is still 15 minutes away, has a small selection of books and no online catalog. Besides, we love books! It's money well spent even on our tight budget.

One great thing about the Eugene Library is the selection of gluten-free cookbooks. I think they have 40 - 50 titles to choose from Wow! I can preview the cookbook and decide whether I want to keep a recipe or two or if it is worth purchasing. A few months ago I checked out "The Wheat Free Cook" by Jacqueline Mallorca. A recipe I really love from it is "Quick Brown Rice Flour Flatbread".

This is a hearty bread to serve with soup, stew, or simply as an accompanying dinner bread. It is hearty, but not overly dense and has a delicious flavor. I buy my almond slivers from Winco (one of the few things I buy from a bin) and grind them in my coffee grinder. I do the same with my flaxseed. I didn't use the yogurt it calls for because I didn't have any, but substituted 75% of the amount with buttermilk. Just a word of caution if you have this cookbook or check it out, the recipe doesn't list the water needed in the ingredients, but I fortunately found it listed in the instructions given.

This flatbread keeps very well for the next day and makes an incredible french toast as well.

Can't beat that!

Quick Brown Rice Flour Flatbread

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup almonds (ground)

3/4 cup tapioca starch

2 tablespoons flaxseed ground

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum

1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt (I used about 75% volume buttermilk)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup water

1 large egg

Combine wet ingredients and add them to mixed dry ingredients. Let dough set a few minutes and it will thicken a bit. Form into two 6-inch discs. (Mine always come out somewhat larger). Sprinkle lightly with additional rice flour. Using a long knife, cut a diagonal grid pattern on top of each flatbread, making three 1/4 inch deep cuts each way. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown and crusty, about 25 minutes. Be sure to bake on parchment paper or some other non-stick surface. I usually make a double batch of this and shape into 4 or 5 flatbreads.

These slice best when allowed to cool a bit. You may also wish to brush the tops with butter and eat whole.

Chocolate Krinkle Cookies

2008-11-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

My husband won't be thrilled, but the Christmas tree is coming out December 1st. The first year we were married we went and bought a tree the day after Thanksgiving. Big mistake - we had pine needle litter days before Christmas actually arrived. Then, there were the many years I was finishing up finals a week before Christmas. It was simply impossible for me to think of Christmas until I was completely done with tests. And the last few years we have waited until December 15th or so. My husband is comfortable with this conservative date as too much "stuff" offends the finer points of his character. This year though I plan to pull out the tree as soon as December rolls around. Nathan my 5 year old certainly won't mind.

Why the thrill this year regarding Christmas? Yes, there is joy over the birth of my savior! I'm also just plain excited that I have two boys now. I want the Christmas "stuff", tradition, and Christmas music galore. I want to string popcorn and cranberries and read Christmas stories. I plan to make our favorite cinnamon ornaments (check back for a how-to post on those).

I also haven't forgotten about a favorite cookie of mine. They can certainly be enjoyed anytime, but I think the powdered sugar coating makes them a perfect choice for the holidays. I first came across this recipe in a Hershey's cookbook. No doubt, you have tried them or have called them by other names. I've made my original recipe gluten free and it has worked very well!

Chocolate Krinkle Cookies

Combine:

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups oil (I used Canola)

Add:

3/4 cup cocoa

4 eggs - beat in one at a time

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix the following in another bowl, then add to the above mixture:

2 1/3 cup gluten free flour (I used 1 1/3 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch, 1/2 cup sorghum)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum

1 teaspoon gelatin (optional - gives more chewy texture)

Refrigerate dough for several hours. Measure out by heaping tablespoon full, roll dough into ball, roll ball in powdered sugar and place on baking sheet. I can't help but take the palm of my hand and press them down a bit. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. These cookies do best when removed from the oven while still underdone. They should be crusted over or cooked around the edges, but still pretty "loose" especially in the center. Let them cool long enough on the cookie sheet in order to remove them. Or, simply slide them off along with the parchment sheet if you can do that without messing them up. That way you can get another batch started on another piece of parchment sheet and into the oven. They will firm up while cooling like a brownie would. This will produce a cookie that still stays moist and chewy inside. At least that's the way I like my cookies!!

Nathan's Corner - Turkey Wraps

2008-11-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the first of my "Nathan's Corner" posts where I will feature kid food (and adult food!) that Nathan, my son has enjoyed or helped me make. Nathan is Celiac and I try my best to keep him excited about food and what we can make gluten free. I hope your little ones will enjoy these recipes too!

Nathan recently was watching a kid's show where they made a turkey wrap. He wanted it "exactly like the picture". That worked for me, because they plunked down a huge piece of green leaf and tomato all over it also. I knew that I needed to make the wrap recipe at Kate Chan's Gobsmacked again for this craving of his. I let him assemble his ingredients on it and he gobbled it down. That's worth any work involved in making it! Before he began eating it though, Daddy walked in and started making one too. He decided his would be made even better by adding olives and pickles. Well, you know what happened next -

Just add a couple of sword toothpicks for a fun meal.

Here's what Nathan has to say:

Dear Kids who are Celiac,

I have a very tasty snack to tell you about and it's called "Turkey Wraps". It tastes wonderful and it's healthy for you too because it's all gluten-free. It was easy to put together. Just "stick" a tortilla, "sprinkle" some mayo on it with cheese, turkey, lettuce and tomato. I like putting the pointy stick (toothpicks) in it to hold it together.

Love,

Nathan

Some of my thoughts on making these wraps:

I think Kate Chan of Gobsmacked is a creative genius. I'm glad she's done all this work before her little one arrives. We probably won't get much out of her for at least a few months! I've looked at the picture of her wraps and thought about how good they look. I took the time to read the recipe through and make them finally. Wow! I think this is as close as you can get to a wrap or tortilla. These things really are pliable and delish! I've also found a way to spread them out that works better for me. I have a 12 inch diameter teflon mat to cook on that is about as anti-stick as you can get. I spoon some on it (about 1/2 cup). I pull out some plastic wrap that will be big enough to cover my tortilla/wrap and spray it with cooking spray. I lay that on the "blob" of dough, sprayed side down. I then mash it out little by little (with my hands over the plastic wrap) until I have a round coating of dough on my teflon mat as thin as possible. You don't want to cook these too long. I pull off the piece of plastic and then bake them for about 7 minutes or so. You'll want to monitor them closely. I've made the plain and sun-dried tomato ones listed on her site. I like them both, but the tomato ones are more pliable the next day than the plain. These actually roll up and don't crack, but they are best fresh!

Turkey Wrap Recipe:

One gluten free wrap/tortilla

Mayonnaise to spread

Gluten free turkey lunchmeat

Green leaf lettuce

Sliced tomato

Shredded cheese

Roll up your wrap starting at one end until completely rolled. These are easier to eat when sliced in the middle. Slice it on a diagonal for a better look.

Enjoy!

Two Great Recipes, One Lovely Quiche

2008-11-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

I love recipes that I can depend on. Gluten free recipes can be fickle things, can't they? I've made Shauna's "Favorite Gluten-Free Pie Crust" several times now, and it's something I can count on. I also love Alton Brown's recipes of Good Eats. I've learned so much from watching his show. His recipes are posted on The Food Network site and it is there I found this recipe for quiche. Actually, he has named it Refrigerator Pie, because the idea is to take a standard egg/cream mix and pour it over any number of meat/vegetable/cheese combinations. However, this would certainly work for using all vegetables, no cheese, etc.

Here are some hints that I found helpful in making it:

I personally don't like rolling the pie crust out. I plop it into the pie dish, form it across the bottom, up the sides and then crimp the edges like normal. I don't even refrigerate it before doing this, although I do place it back in the fridge to chill while I'm preparing the filling.
The pie dough ingredients call for 1/4 cup water. You shouldn't ever need more than that. I like to get my hand in there and mix it up after it is basically combined. That's when it really forms together.
Freeze or semi-freeze a 1/2 cube of butter and then grate it into your dry mix. Much easier than cutting it in!
I didn't add the 2 tablespoons of vinegar but cut it in half. I just felt 2 would be too much.
I used a 9 inch deep dish pie plate. While the amount of ingredients I used was fine, I could have added another cup of ingredients with no problem.
I did let this quiche set. In fact, it sat at least 1/2 hour while trying to get the kids to bed. It certainly didn't hurt it.
I also let this bake about 5 minutes longer. There was no problem with runniness in the center.
I did use heavy cream. This recipe has many reviews and I'm sure you can find information about substitutions in those if needed.

As you can see from the pictures this was a lovely quiche and I'm very proud of it. It really was as easy as pie.

Here's what I needed:

Shauna's "My Favorite Pie Crust" Recipe - You'll want to omit the cinnamon!

Alton Brown's "Refrigerator Pie" Recipe. I used the cream/egg sauce ingredients and omitted the salt because I used soy sauce to flavor my quiche.

The fillings I used:

1 cup cooked, diced chicken

1 and 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

4 large mushrooms diced and 1/2 onion diced, sauteed in 2 Tablespoons olive oil.

3/4 cup parmesan cheese grated

1 Tablespoon gluten free soy sauce

I took my chilled pie crust out of the refrigerator, placed the combined filling ingredients in the bottom of it and poured the egg/cream mixture over the top. 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Let rest at least 15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon, Raisin, Walnut Bread - Gluten Free

2008-11-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

I used to buy a bread called Royal Raisin Walnut bread. I can't remember who made it, but it sure was good. I would eat the whole loaf in just a couple of days. It occurred to me recently that I could try and make something like that if I changed a few things around with my All-Purpose Quickbread. Well, tonight was the night for trying this.

There's good news and bad news.

The good news is that it turned out great. The bad news is that my husband isn't overly fond of raisins (it's his mother's fault) and my 5 year old generally likes any kind of fruit separate from other food. The exceptions to this would be strawberries on pancakes and a bit of apple pie. He's become a good eater, but he hasn't fully arrived yet. So, the really bad news is that I'm bound to eat this whole loaf myself. I shall have to pull out the sweat pants soon.

Make it soon and be ready to eat it warm. Like all of the quickbreads listed here, this one slices up well while still warm. Mmmmmm.

Cinnamon, Raisin, Walnut Bread (Gluten Free)

Mix together:

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup applesauce (I used 1/3 cup applesauce and 1/3 cup apple butter. You can also use mayo, or sour cream)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add in to the mixing bowl:

3/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup almond meal or flax seed

1/2 cup sorghum

3/4 cup tapioca starch

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum

1 1/4 teaspoon gelatin (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoon saigon cinnamon

Mix together well, then add:

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 - 3/4 cup walnuts chopped

Bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

From the Domestic Goddess Files: Tapioca Pudding

2008-11-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: Any reference to being a domestic goddess is done entirely with levity in mind. I in no way consider myself to be a DG. While I admire those who grow most of their food and make most of their gifts, I would also be quite happy with take-out and buying everything online.

Since my son started Kindergarten I have begun buying more "snack" items. You know, things that can be fished out of the refrigerator with one crusty eye open and flung into a waiting lunch bag early in the morning. Actually, my eyes aren't that "crusty" in the morning, but you know what I mean - cheese sticks, pudding cups, Go-gurts and the like. And of course, they need to be gluten free.

My son picked out some tapioca pudding on one of our shopping trips to Winco. I think it was a Jello brand and at first I cautioned, "I don't think that's what you think it is." However, he fell in love with it! The next time I bought the "Kozy Shack" brand. Not only does it have very basic ingredients, it is also labeled "Gluten Free". Doesn't that just make you feel so good to see that?

Unfortunately, my son has fallen out of love with this nurturing snack. It seems he noticed the little "things" in it and had a textural awakening of the 5-year-old kind. Drats!

Well, I kind of miss having tapioca pudding in my fridge and besides, I have a monstrous bag of tapioca pearls sitting in a tote with other various odds and ends. (At one time I thought my mill could break down these puppies, but they are a no-no for the expensive mill that needs to last me the next twenty years).

So, I made my own pudding tonight. It is yummy and I kind of like having made my own. I do want to see if it is possible to do this in the crock pot as stirring a pot for as long as I did with a little one on my hip is not practical in this house. Note: After posting this, I did venture over to a favorite site, "A Year of Crockpotting" and found a recipe for this.

While I was trying to get it to thicken up I consulted online about "how to thicken up tapioca pudding" and found this information at Messy Gourmet. It reads a bit like Alton Brown of Good Eats. I love that man! He speaks in a way my brain can understand. Learning the food science of recipes and procedures is so awesome! Anyway, this article explains how and why the starch thickens and produces pudding. Perhaps you will find it as useful as I did.

But before the recipe, here are some interesting articles and snippets concerning tapioca:
What is Tapioca?
A Tapioca Time Bomb - You've got to read this!
Various Recipes from Allrecipes.com (note: verify if one you want to make is gluten-free)
More Tapioca Recipes
Nutrition facts for Tapioca (remember, this is why it is called "comfort food".)

And now, a basic, un-earth shattering recipe for tapioca pudding:

3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup tapioca pearls
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 5 minutes longer.
Stir some of the hot milk mixture (1 cup total) into the beaten eggs, about 1/3 cup at a time until incorporated. Stir the egg mixture back into the tapioca until well mixed. Bring the pudding to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat; cook and stir until it thickens up to pudding-like consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Here is a link to a more lengthy article about cooking tapioca pudding to reach good results. The recipe here calls for less sugar (which I think I want to try next time) and only using the egg yolks.

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

2008-10-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Today is October 31st and my 5 year old is finally laying in bed asleep - his body desperately trying to process all the sugar he ate today. What a happy boy! I'm so glad that mucho candy is gluten free. By the way, there is a 2008 gluten free candy list available. What a lifesaver. Oh dear, I seem to have written another pun. I can't help myself sometimes.

Nathan's Kindergarten class had a party today. He put on his $12.95 Walmart Spiderman costume and thoroughly enjoyed himself. I furnished some Cool Ranch Doritos and M&M individual-sized bags for the class. I knew they were having Capri Sun and that was fine. I also made him a pumpkin-shaped sugar cookie. About 80% of the candy he received in a little bag was gluten free as well. Wow - that class party was not so scary after all. However, I definitely needed to be there to help him chart his way through the mine field.

I have to share with you that the day before I put a mini M&M candy bag in with his lunch. I didn't tell him it was there, because I didn't want him eating it on the bus on the way to school! I normally tell him what is in his lunch because I want him to know it is all there for him and gluten free. He came home that day and told me, "Hey, Mommy - there's something in my lunch bag." So, he pulls out the candy and I see that it is unopened. He explained that he was trying to get a teacher's attention to ask if it was gluten free so he could eat it, but then the bus came and he had to put it back in his lunch bag. While I intended it to be a surprise for him at lunch, I was thrilled to know that he had the self-control to not eat something he wasn't sure about. Needless to say, I was very proud of my boy.

Okay, I just had to share with you about my day. This post really is about chocolate chip cookies. They are my favorite, and I love them fresh out of the oven with milk. I've been on a quest for the best recipe possible and I'm thinking I've found it. As I sat eating my third cookie in a row (shamelessly I might add), I declared to my husband, "This is the best chocolate chip cookie I've made!" And it is!

I'm not sure how this recipe will hold up to substitutions. For instance, I haven't tried making it with tapioca starch, only corn starch. I think some cookies are just fickle things, so I'm not recommending any substitutions beyond omitting the chocolate chips. But then, why would you want to do that! While I think just about all cookie dough performs best after being chilled, this also is very good baked up right away.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Mix the following dry ingredients together in a separate bowl besides your mixing bowl:

1 cup rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum

1 cup corn starch

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon gelatin (found in the Jello section)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

Add:

1 teaspoon vanilla.

2 eggs

Add dry ingredients to the wet.

Mix well.

Add 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts and 1 and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Shape into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch balls on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Chicken and Corn Chowder

2008-10-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'd love to be more organized. I've been cooking gluten free now for almost 2 years. What a learning curve! I'm still trying to find that #1 gluten free pie crust or joy of all joys, a GF flour tortilla that is pliable. I've tried many recipes and found ones I'm basically happy with, but I guess I'm just still searching for the "best" that's out there. I've got recipes scritch scratched on little post-it notes and little bags of GF this and that in a kitchen drawer. I'd be embarrassed to die and leave my mess for someone else to figure out!

I think part of the problem is I don't have the time or money for endless cooking sessions. For instance, I just made some GF molasses cookies. I tried a GF recipe out of a book and YUK! So, I took a regular recipe and converted it. I'm basically happy with it - it is chewy and has the right flavor. It does seem a little grainy though after chewing a bit. I'd love to try making it with some more eggs and see how it comes out. However, I still have cookie dough left in the fridge that needs to be cooked up. And after we finish that off I won't be in the mood for MORE molasses cookies. So...my ideas and tweaking will have to wait until later. Hence, no recipe that I'm really happy with just yet.

I'd really love it if I did more prep work, but I'm so tired from all of the regular cooking and two little ones that it is only something I dream of. I'd love to have plenty of cheese already grated (we used to have money for packaged grated cheese:)) and I'd love to have chicken already cooked up, diced, and in the freezer. I'd also love to have some GF pizza dough rounds already mixed up and shaped just waiting in the freezer for pizza night.

I did get a taste of what it would be like to benefit from such organization this afternoon because I just happened to have some basic ingredients all ready. I started with a soup base of butter and bacon drippings (I'm sorry if I made you cringe!) and added milk. I also added some minced onion, chicken and bacon I already had cooked up, and then added a can of corn and a bouillon cube. What I got was a delicious soup that was ready in 10 minutes. That's my kind of cooking! It was so delicious that it was eaten before the camera was pulled out. I'll make it again soon and take a picture but for now - the simple recipe...

Chicken and Corn Chowder
1/4 cup of butter
2 Tablespoons bacon drippings or olive oil
Saute 1/2 medium onion diced
After onion is a bit tender, add 2 tablespoons of potato flour or corn starch. I used potato flour and I think it was a winner. (Potato flour is different from potato starch.) Stir constantly until blended and a paste forms.
Slowly add 1 1/2 cups milk until thick for cream soup. Add more water if needed.
To this soup base add:
1 chicken bouillon cube - I use Herb-Ox
1 cup diced, cooked chicken
1 can of corn, drained
2-3 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped fairly fine
Seasonings - salt and pepper to taste, thyme or parsely flakes (or fresh if you happen to have it!).
I think the addition of potatoes would go well in here also.
Yummy! My five year old declared it tasty and that makes me a happy mom.

For those times when you only have a couple cups of soup left in the fridge and a few people to feed, just ccok up some rice and serve it over the top. That makes another easy dinner and it is budget friendly!

Recipes

2008-10-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

All recipes in this index are written as gluten-free recipes. You will certainly need to check individual ingredients/brands that you happen to purchase. Not all brands are manufactured the same. Call the manufacturer if you are not sure!

Baked Foods

Fluffy, Dinner Rolls
The All Purpose Quick Bread
Autumn Quick Bread
Buckwheat Applesauce Quick Bread
Cinnamon, Raisin, Walnut Bread
Skillet Cornbread
Carrot and Pecan Muffins
Quick Brown Rice Flour Flatbread

Main Dish
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli
Chicken Chili Soup
Chicken and Corn Chowder
Quiche
Shrimp and Lemon-Herb Kabobs

Breakfast
Buttermilk Pancakes

Kids' Favorites (Nathan's Corner)
Turkey Wraps

Salads and Sides
Easy Summer Pasta Salad

Desserts
Unbelievable Chocolate Cake
Blackberry Crisp
The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
Tapioca Pudding
Chocolate Krinkle Cookies

Sauces, Gravies, Syrups
Barbecue Sauce

Ten Things I Really Like and Don't Like

2008-10-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Why I'm posting this I have no idea. Everyone has a list so I thought I would create one. I'm too tired and brain challenged to complete a list of 100 whatever, so I made lists of ten. That's do-able for me today. My lists may change next year, next month, or perhaps an hour from now. Right now though this is how I feel. So, if you're interested...

Ten Things I Really Like:
1. The first warm spring day.
2. Christmas morning with the kids.
3. Great gluten-free recipes that require no tweaking.
4. My first cup of coffee in the morning.
5. Sincere people.
6. An empty laundry basket.
7. Two sleeping children at 7:30 each night.
8. Doing a craft or something meaningful with my oldest boy.
9. Books
10. Waking up rested and refreshed (I have vague recollections of what this used to be like.)

Ten Things I Really Don't Like
1. The tornado that goes through my house and hits full speed around 5:00 p.m. every night.
2. How I waste my time like writing useless lists.
3. The crude actions of some people.
4. Reading acronyms that stand for foul language (especially in blogs - come on, people!!)
5. Rushing somewhere and all the anxiety it creates.
6. Holding grudges.
7. Not having enough energy.
8. Celiac Disease
9. The aging process.
10. The dirty dishes that cooking creates.

Fluffy, Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls

2008-10-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you want something hearty and healthy. Sometimes you don't care. Such was the case when I was on the lookout for a dinner roll recipe. I was thinking along the lines of those store-bought wonders they sell millions of at Thanksgiving. You know, they sell about one and a half dozen beautiful, little dinner rolls all lined up perfectly in a cardboard case and slipped in a plastic wrapper. - Already baked, just reheat. I wasn't interested in nutrition or grams of fat - just gluten free and fluffy.

I like to visit Celiac.com and participate or search the forum there. I tell you, I don't think there's any other "group" like ours out there. We're a tight bunch, and we know what we're talking about! I think any Celiac or loved one of a Celiac would go the extra mile to help someone through the gluten free life with a piece of advice, a prayer, or a recipe:)

Anyway, I remembered reading a recipe for hot dog buns using instant jello pudding at that site. I thought that sounded interesting, and the person who submitted the recipe raved about it. So, I tried searching to no avail to find this recipe again. I did find a recipe that seemed very basic and decided to add some vanilla flavored instant pudding and pie filling mix. What I got were some fluffy dinner rolls that reminded me a lot of those egg bread rolls. Of course, these are best hot out of the oven, and I sure hope you can indulge in some butter!

Dinner Rolls

1 1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch (I used corn starch)

1 cup tapioca starch

4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons Jello Brand Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding and Pie Filling

Mix the above and then add:

4 eggs

2/3 cup oil

1 cup milk

Spoon out on parchment lined cookie sheet or flat baking pan. Batter should be thick - let set in mixing bowl until it is ( I think the Jello Mix does this). Take back of spoon and using a circular motion shape into large dinner rolls. You can also snip about 1 inch out of the corner of a large baggy. Fill with mix and "pipe" onto baking sheet. (You're still going to need to shape them with something though).

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until done to the touch. This recipe should make 8-10 rolls.

Autumn and Another Quick Bread

2008-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today is cool and overcast. Fall, or autumn if you prefer, is here and I don't mind being inside today. Of course right now my world is peaceful because little guy is asleep in the crib and big brother (Whirlwind) is outside getting dirty. I'm all alone at the computer and enjoying a nice cup of coffee while looking out the window at the beautiful Japanese maple leaves that have turned brilliant. I'm also enjoying the smell of apples cooking down in the crockpot for apple butter.

Lest you envy me in my seemingly perfect world, I will confess that there is more going on in my worldview, like the pile of lumber and used shingles on the ground outside amidst the ever prolific weeds. Oh yes, there's also the kiddie pool that I should have cleaned out and put away while the weather was still decent. Now I have mold and slime to contend with. Feel better?

What can I say? We've been busy here. My dad recently visited and Nathan was thrilled to see Grandpa again. We took a trip to Newport on the coast and visited The Yaquina Head Lighthouse there. My dad is a photographer, and so I wisely left my camera home and will post some pictures when I receive them from him. I was surprised at how close I live to Newport as this was my first trip there. It was an absolutely beautiful day - full of sunshine which is a treat in this part of Oregon at this time of year. Last year when he visited it poured for most of his visit so I was especially thankful for the good weather we enjoyed.

I've also been busy baking and have a few recipes to post here in the next week (since I've been quite the slacker for October so far). I was inspired by a recent recipe I found for pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes (by the way I made them and they are really, really good!), and bought several cans of pumpkin at the store for use. You know they're only medium sized cans, but it seems like it takes awhile to go through one of those things. I have one right now sitting in the fridge with about 1/2 cup taken out of it. There is a loose baggy over the top of it, and it seems to plead with me when I open the fridge, "Please don't let mold grow on me like the last can that was in here!" Does anyone out there have a "100 List" for what to do with canned pumpkin? Okay, I'm just kidding. I really don't want a list like that! I do want to make a pumpkin pie soon and try Carrie's Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust. I also want to try my hand at pumpkin muffins.

Other than that, my little guy loves to eat it, and I have also discovered it works great in a new quickbread I've made up. I've named it Autumn Bread because of all the "fallish" ingredients in it. I know the list of ingredients seems long, but I think that it would be just fine with all tapioca flour let's say, instead of tapioca and corn starch. However, as Bette Hagman used to point out to those who only want a recipe with a few ingredients and want it to taste great - "Sorry!" In gluten-free baking, it is not only helpful to have a lot of different flours and starches on hand, but it really makes the final product so much better.

I love this bread! I was inspired to make it not only from the can of pumpkin calling out to me from the fridge but also from the bag of dried cherries I recently bought at Costco. I usually don't deviate from my list at Costco. It's not like I can deviate a lot anyway since we are cooking gluten free here, but it was one item they were offering as samples the day we visited and an item my Celiac kid was able to have. He declared them "tasty" and I bought them (a tasty, yet pricey item). Of course, he won't eat them in the bread - such is the fickle tongue of a 5 year old. Ho hum.

I'm delighted at how this bread turned out and that I was able to also use some teff flour in it. I think it is the perfect bread for turkey or chicken salad!
Bon Appetit!

Autumn Quick Bread
Made with Teff Flour - Great with Turkey or Chicken Salad
Mix:
4 eggs
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup maple syrup
Mix the following dry, then add to the wet:
1/2 cup teff flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup white or brown rice flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon gelatin (for chewiness)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries (or other currant/dried fruit
Mix well, then pour into breadpan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool 10-15 minutes before slicing if you can possibly wait!!

My Little Corner of the World: The Perfect Woman's Kitchen

2008-10-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Most of the blogs I visit regularly are to find out about new gluten free recipes and products. However, I certainly enjoy the wit and creativity of their authors! I used to visit a blog that had to do with uh...domestic perfection. You know, posts about the perfect table setting, or the perfect Thanksgiving craft with the kids. I'm not deriding this particular writer or these type of blogs, because there is this rather large vein running through me that wants to do it all and do it well. There's a lot of great ideas out there! However, I think we can learn a whole lot from each other's struggles as well as the shining moments.

I hope that in my posts I can encourage another gluten free cook like myself. I want you to know that for every post about something that came out "great" there's several attempts that are just "so-so" or "let's not repeat that again!" When I first found out about my son's Celiac diagnosis 18 months ago I made a trip to the health food store to buy some really awful frozen millet bread and a few other items that were marked "gluten-free". I was disappointed in half of them. I also bought some xanthan gum as well as packaged gluten free flour mixes so I could begin baking for him. Now, I'm not shy in the kitchen as I was making our bread (yes, full of things like wheat, rye, and barley) for quite awhile. However, it took me two full weeks to get in there and bake a loaf of gluten free bread. Hey, it's not that confusing - mix the dry, mix in the wet, spoon in the pan and bake. But those words - rice flour, xanthan gum, mucho egg whites - I just couldn't get past it all!

Well, I did bake that first loaf and then was on a bit of a roll (pardon the pun). Then, I went through a period where everything I attempted seemed so disappointing. So, there are moments of glory that send me dancing in the kitchen and moments where I want this whole thing to go away and cooking seems such a chore. So, be encouraged wherever you are at in the process and know that good cooks fail and then can hopefully laugh about it and move on.

Laughing is just what I did when I read "One Ugly Calzone" , a post from Hold the Gluten. I love the fact that Maureen posted a picture of this oozing, alien-looking disaster. I was more encouraged by her flop at that moment than I had been reading a few recipes beforehand. Why? Because life is like that and I can connect!

So, in the spirit of transparency, let me invite you to peek into my kitchen the other day. Let me say, that when I was teaching BK (before kids) I used to think that I could multitask. Perhaps I could. All I know is that multitasking for me now is not effective, but rather messy and dangerous. I must be continually losing precious brain cells ever since becoming a mom or embarking upon the "perimenopausal path". Whatever the reason, I know I'm not what I used to be because my efforts to "do it all" have left me often in quite a mess - literally.

Now, I have to explain this picture. We're currently in the middle of a remodel. We're adding on to the kitchen end of the house as well as finishing off the new attic space above. I've taken down every picture in the kitchen except for the outdated wall weed that is askew. (In the middle of a remodel, things like that become normal and you don't notice them anymore). We also have boards across the top of the ceiling that are anchored to the trusses above to make the kitchen ceiling (which will get replaced) stable. Yes, folks - this is where I cook nowadays. This particular day, I was washing out far too many canning jars, making bread, and canning the many blackberries I picked. What you can't see is the blackberry juice on the counter where my son, Nathan was "helping" me as well as the breakfast dishes still in the sink and about 40 canning jars on the counter. The picture actually looks so neat compared to the nightmare in person! So, if you're feeling less than perfect, be encouraged! I shall never be a domestic goddess, but I am learning to cook gluten free!

Gluten Free Carrot and Pecan Muffins

2008-10-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

The other night I made up a delicious pot of chicken and potato soup. Perhaps I'll post it soon after I make it again and can be more exact about measurements. I'm the kind of cook that puts in a dash here and a dash there. I would say that blogging about recipes has put a tight, but necessary reign on me. While I like cooking without doing a lot of measuring, I have been known on occasion to put in too much salt or not remember exactly how I made something so that I could replicate it. One thing I was more exact with and remembered were the carrot and pecan muffins I made up to go with the pot of soup.

I have been having success with taking regular old recipes and converting them to gluten free. Getting the right blend of flours and, of course, using xanthan gum for binding is necessary. I have a wonderful carrot cake recipe that I love and that has been successful in just replacing the flours. This night though I wanted muffins. I reduced the sugar (actually substituted honey), and added pecans instead of the walnuts I would have used for the cake. I also halved the recipe as I only needed a couple of muffins for the each of us. I would like to do a double batch though sometime and see how they fare the second day. However, there's not a lot of cooking ahead with gluten free bread goods as they just aren't as good as freshly baked.

I loved the texture of these. I would have had a hard time telling that they were gluten free. I may try adding a couple of whipped egg whites in the future just to see if I can get some more rise out of them. I will tell you they were delicious and there are none left today!

Let me know if you try them and any good substitutions you've found!

Thanks!

Debbie

Gluten Free Carrot and Pecan Muffins

1 cup of gluten free flour (I used a mix of 1/4 cup each: ground flax, sorghum, corn starch, sweet rice flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Mix together the above, then add:

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

Then add:

Almost 1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix really well together - Yes! This only requires one bowl:)

Spoon into muffin tins

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Makes 9 muffins.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli

2008-09-27T19:07:00.001-07:00

I know I've probably said this before, but it amazes me how many gluten-free items I'm still trying to get around to making. For instance, it was 9 months before I made a gluten free graham cracker crust. I had thought about it for several months, but it wasn't until Thanksgiving was approaching that I knew it was time to "get in there" and try it. I've also wanted to tackle making some former gluten-filled favorites that call for the old standby, "Cream of ..." All of the varieties (at least that I know of) by Campbell contain gluten.

Carrie, of Ginger Lemon Girl, recently posted a recipe for Cream of Soup. Wow - I knew it was time to try it and give it a go. I used it the other day to make the cheese sauce for homemade macaroni and cheese and it turned out great. Tonight though, I wanted to see if I could make it thick like it is out of the can before diluting with water. I added more butter and cornstarch to the original recipe and I'm pleased with the results. I was able to make an old favorite - Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli. I can't wait to try some other recipes that call for "Cream of Such and Such" to see how they turn out.

Isn't it great what we can learn from each other? It is so wonderful to find blogs where I've used some recipes and have found success. It takes the pain away from trying something new gluten free. You know - the pain of trying an unsuccessful recipe! All that work to not have something come out right or taste right can be so discouraging. I love the blogs I've found that have inspired me and helped me to be a better cook. They've also helped me to feel connected and keep my sanity:)

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do. Cook the chicken and broccoli ahead for an easier assembly at dinnertime. I'd also like to try making the sauce for it ahead of time, refrigerating it, and testing whether it will perform as well. Please let me know what you think!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli

3 large chicken breasts, cut up in bite-sized pieces and cooked

2 - 3 broccoli crowns. Cut off the end pieces and cook (boil or steam) partially

Sauce (recipe follows)

1 1/2 - 2 cups of Colby jack or cheddar

Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cubes chicken bouillon (Herb-Ox is labeled gluten-free)

Melt butter in skillet or pan, then add corn starch and stir until smooth. Mixture will begin thickening quickly. Add cold milk and continue stirring until mixture gets thick (like thick biscuit gravy). Add bouillon cubes and stir until incorporated. Let mixture sit about 10 minutes. It will continue thickening a bit until it is like the soup right out of the can. Add the mayonnaise and lemon juice to it. Stir thoroughly.

Layer cooked chicken and broccoli in bottom of 1 1/2 or 2 quart baking dish (I used a 10 inch quiche plate). Spread sauce over this and then add grated cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

My Little Corner of the World - A Favorite Place

2008-09-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

I know I need to post a new recipe soon. We've been eating some good dinners, but not really the kind I want to pull out the camera for. Last night it was some arm roast. Tough meat made good by a slow-cooker, soy sauce, and beef bouillon. But for now, because fall is here and I'm enjoying its arrival, I want to write about a favorite place of mine.

I like to refer to it as the grove. It's really just a couple rows of trees with a pathway inbetween. I went and visited it today and lamented the falling leaves all around me. It's only sad because once they are all gone, my special place becomes less secluded and colorful. Besides that, it really is wonderful to experience a gentle fall breeze that sends leaves whirling around you. Very magical.

I'm not sure what the original purpose was in planting these trees so far away from the house, but it does afford some peace and quiet (not that I get that often when walking out there with the kids). Usually when that happens I walk through and think about how nice it would if I were alone.

I wish the picture I took gave it justice. It is such a pretty place when the sun is shining, and you can see its rays peeking through the leaves up high. There's also marjoram that has found a home all along the sides on the ground. I always appreciate how wonderful and soothing it smells. Before we had a dog, there were a lot more deer that went through the property. I assume they would bed down in there because we could see large places where the marjoram had been flattened down.

So, I like to go walking through this place when there is time. If only I could slow my thoughts down more and listen to the One who speaks thoughts of truth and peace into my life. I would need a much longer path to walk or a bench to sit down on and really spend some time to let the clutter in my mind and heart fall away and experience a stillness that doesn't come easily.

Easy Summer Pasta Salad - Gluten Free

2008-09-13T18:41:00.001-07:00

I think I've spent so much time making bread and desserts and trying to make them well, that there's not enough brain power left over at times for creating other things like salads. It has actually benefited me to be standing in the kitchen at 4:00 wondering what I was going to be fixing for dinner for the in-laws. Something about that pressure causes me to get creative and try to think outside my little world instead of getting lazy and putting potatoes in the microwave.

One night I was looking through my pantry and saw a new package of Tinkyada spirals. I then remembered a Kraft salad mix I used to buy (in my other life - before kids and when we didn't really know the definition of gluten). I also happened to have a bowl of tomatoes from the garden just asking to be used. Now, lest you think I'm Martha Stewart with my home-grown tomatoes, think again. Our garden is overgrown with weeds and very few things that are actually edible. A good combination of bad soil and neglect has produced squat this summer.

Fortunately, all this easy salad needs is some fresh tomato, olives, italian-type dressing and parmesan cheese. We happen to have those items on hand most of the time. And okay, I know the title says this is a summer dish and it is technically fall. However, today is warm and that's all it takes to enjoy a cold dish.

This salad really tastes best fresh and you might want to add the dressing right before serving so it doesn't get absorbed by the pasta. In fact, the ingredients besides the pasta are so flavorful, you can probably get away with a drizzle of the dressing at the most. Top last minute with the parmesan cheese. Grill up some meat to go with it and you have a perfect summer(time) meal.

Tinkyada gluten free spirals (any GF spirals will do!)
tomatoes, diced
olives, sliced
parmesan cheese
Italian-type dressing

Cook pasta according to directions. Don't forget to check frequently right before they are done. GF pasta is very particular about getting done just right. There's a small window between "done" and "mush". Add as many diced tomatoes and olives as you would like. Add the parmesan cheese and dressing right before serving. Serves eight.

Unbelievable Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

2008-09-12T19:34:00.001-07:00

My dear friend, Ms. Janna, invited my family over after church one Sunday. She took the time to ask what to fix so that it would be all good for my boy. Bless her heart! She also happens to live down the street from a woman who cooks gluten free. Talk about friends in the right places! Her friend supplied her with the dry ingredients for a gluten-free chocolate cake. This recipe calls for any gluten free flour blend and she happened to use some amaranth - not really my personal favorite as it gives me a strange aftertaste. Besides that though, the cake was really good and it was beautiful also.

I made sure to get the recipe, thank her and her friend for their kindness, and I have since made this chocolate wonder many times. In fact, it was the cake mix for my son's last birthday party. This is a recipe from Carol Feinster PhD. I've never made it with the strong black coffee as the primary liquid, only hot water. I can only imagine that coffee would give it an even more fabulous flavor. My friends who are familiar with gluten free cooking (their kids have other food issues) were in disbelief at how good it tasted.

The wonderful thing about this cake is that it has always come out of the pan with absolutely no problem, no cracking, etc. I've put it in the freezer for super easy frosting and no crumbs. While I do love refrigerated cake, I have discovered that this one does best when freshly baked or allowed to come to room temperature (take out of the freezer or fridge in plenty of time). I've fixed this with a variety of frostings, but the one I've included is absolutely wonderful with it. I'm not sure the original source for the frosting, but only wrote it down from Ms. Janna's recipe card.
Please make some soon!!

Unbelievable Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
****I double this recipe for 2 - 9" cake pans and 6 cupcakes. The chocolate frosting recipe is enough to frost all of this without doubling.****
1 1/4 cup flour blend (I use 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch and 1/4 cup millet)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg
3/4 cup hot water or coffee
Combine all ingredients except water in large mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Add hot water and carefully mix until blended. Pour into cake pans and muffin cups that have been sprayed with cooking spray. (Make sure it is GF).
Cook at 350 degrees.
35 minutes for cake pans
20-25 minutes for cupcakes
****I double this recipe for 2 - 9" cake pans and 6 cupcakes. The chocolate frosting recipe is enough to frost all of this without doubling.****
Yummy Chocolate Frosting 1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup baking cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

From My Little Corner of the World: The Choices in my Life

2008-09-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on in my head and heart lately concerning the choices before me. For awhile I was tortured a bit over whether to send my son off to our neighborhood public school for Kindergarten. It seems like several of my friends who happen to homeschool assumed I was in the same boat too. It's not that I didn't consider it or see the merit in it. It just simply wasn't the best choice for right now. I was awake for some time one night feeling a bit panicky over whether I was making the right choice for my son. I really felt like God spoke to me and said, "Don't worry, it will be alright." I didn't get the impression that public school was the permanent answer, but rather Him reminding me that He is perfectly fit to guide and move me when I need it. He is SO good in that way. I love him so much, because he always seems to prepare my heart for when life takes a change.

I've also had the nudge recently to go back to work. I was teaching full-time before Nathan was born and enjoyed it. It was crazy too! To be honest with you, I can't imagine how in the world I can manage now with two kids - especially with the profession of teaching! However, my heart is moving in that direction even though I wasn't particularly seeking it. I have been a Christian long enough to know that is God at work in me. I can't explain only to know that he is once again preparing my heart for change. Why? I'm not sure. I have a little one who will not be two years old when I return to a position next fall. No, he won't be in daycare every day - my husband's work makes that possible. But, he will see less of me. That is something I worry about and wonder about.

Why am I writing this? Perhaps to just say, "Hey, this is my life." For better or worse I'm going to move in the direction I feel I am to go. It seems like in Christian circles (and any other circle)we alienate one another by being very outspoken concerning choices others make in their life. Yes, I'm convicted of it also at times. It's a good thing God is not like us. He gets beyond what seems to be "the only way" and makes a path that still leads others to Him and His goodness.

I came across an article recently from "Today's Christian Woman" that helps to open up dialogue such as this. It is focused a bit on the choice for Palin as V.P., but only as a springboard for a discussion about just what a woman's role is. I hope you find it thought-provoking.

http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/editors/2008/09/where_no_mom_has_gone_before.html

I Don't Want to Die in my Kitchen Today - No Recipe, Just Some Humor

2008-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

I don't want to die in my kitchen today, therefore I will stay out of it if at all possible. No, I'm not worried about gas leaking from any appliance or a runaway boa constrictor hiding in a cabinet. We're just remodeling the house.

Anyone who has gone through a home remodel seems to have a horror story to tell or at least understand the agony of all it entails. My husband recently began such a process on our small and outdated farmhouse. I've waited for this moment for quite some time, so all of the packing, rearranging, and noise level has been quite minimal as far as I'm concerned. I guess I just have my eye on the prize - an updated, larger house with two toilets! Shazaam! I don't quite know what life will be like having some private time without a little munchkin knocking on the door.

Today however, the remodel is slightly stressful I must say. The framing is done, and the trusses are coming tomorrow. So is all of the help. The one thing that is not done is the removal of the roof and attic over the kitchen. My husband is up there right now with a saw, cutting, ripping, and slinging it over the sides. The fact I have two sick kids at home does not help. He has been working nonstop for several days straight, and there's not much left in the tank for him. I wish I could help but that's not an option. So, he's up there by himself, probably working too quickly to really be safe. That is evident by the small hole that punched through the ceiling when a board fell down upon it.

He made the decision to leave the kitchen ceiling on. I did pack up some things that were on the wall and special items. I didn't really worry about the rest...until now. The ceiling seems to be sagging not to mention jumping up and down with my husband's rampage. Some days are lessons in "pray without ceasing". Today is such a day.

Today will end well if:

-The ceiling doesn't cave in.

-The kids get to bed at a normal time.

-I don't have to cash in on a life insurance policy.

Amen and amen.

Gluten Free Chicken Chili Soup

2008-09-07T14:47:00.001-07:00

We used to live in Northern California where summers were HOT. I remember walking out of the house at 9:00 in the morning and feeling my mascara begin to melt. We also had the air conditioning running nonstop some weeks. Summer weather stayed a little too long, and fall didn't really feel like it had started until November. I don't miss that at all!

In September, things really do begin to cool off here in Oregon. Today will reach the mid-eighties, but by 5:00 there will be a wonderful breeze stirring up . I love fall. I love the cool air, the falling leaves, and the signaling of change. It makes me long for cozy evenings (whatever those are with two little ones), pumpkin pie, and of course hearty, one-dish suppers.

One recipe that is fast, hearty, and a crowd pleaser is my Chicken Chili. I originally made this recipe from a Better Homes and Garden cookbook featuring meals made with chicken. I've since changed a few things to suit our taste. This is a naturally low-fat meal, but I won't lie and tell you it's just as good without the cheese, avocado, and sour cream. Sorry, you know it's true. Pair this up with skillet cornbread and you'll be glad this makes up a sizeable pot.

Gluten Free Chicken Chili Soup

Make sure all your ingredients are gluten free!

1 pound ground chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed

1 can small, diced tomatoes - add liquid

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 can tomato paste + 3 cups water OR

1 can tomato sauce + 2 cups water

1 teaspoon cumin

1-2 chicken bouillon cubes (Herb-Ox is gluten free)

Cook ground chicken in 2 tablespons olive oil along with 1 medium onion diced, and 2 cloves garlic. Add the remaining ingredients and add more water if needed. Serve up with cheese, avocado, and sour cream.

Product Review: Glutino Bagels

2008-09-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

My sons and I went down to Eugene the other day to do some shopping. We usually always visit the Capella Market to buy some gluten-free items. I happened to look at their site online beforehand and found a nifty list for all the gluten free items in the store. I never really thought about checking out the frozen foods section until this time.

Up until now I've made just about everything we eat in the bread/baked goods department. I've gone to that trouble, because I really feel like my bread, cookies, cakes, etc. are better than any mix or prepared food I've tried (crackers are the exception!). There's also the cost factor of buying prepared gluten-free food.

This day however, I was interested in trying something new - something I can't make or haven't made before. Bagels are certainly in that category. I used to make bagels back in the glory days of gluten. They are trouble to make but wonderful hot out of the oven. I haven't even attempted a gluten-free bagel recipe. I guess I am a bit skeptical.

When I saw frozen bagels (GLUTINO frozen bagels) I think my heart skipped a beat. I didn't care that they cost $5.75 for five bagels. They were mine, and I delightfully dropped them into my cart.

I was not disappointed! I didn't want to wait for one to thaw out when we arrived home, so I defrosted it in the microwave and nuked it hot. It survived this disrespectful treatment just fine, and let me tell you it was wonderful. I don't think I would be able to tell the difference between it and a glutinous one. It was chewy but soft, and the flavor was wonderful. It smelled yeasty and fresh. It makes my mouth water just thinking of it. I went to the Glutino website and found that they have several varieties as well as hamburger bun rolls. Oh my! I'm lusting after food now that I was once content to make. Shame on you Glutino for being so good!

Hearty Buckwheat Applesauce Bread - Another One for the Quickbread File

2008-09-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

I've been out of xanthan gum for about a week and I won't be going to the store until tomorrow. That is far too long to be out of bread in this house. I decided to try making a quickbread. My favorite type of bread really! If it can serve as breakfast, lunch, and dinner bread, and not require expensive yeast and xanthan gum, then it's what I can use around here. Don't forget the fact that it can go from the mixing bowl into a hot oven without waiting. This one can also stand up to slicing while still warm. Need I say more?

My friend gave me a half bag of Kashi buckwheat. I really love it, and it has a different flavor than unroasted buckwheat. I basically took another quickbread recipe and filled the amounts with other ingredients. The next time I make it I would like to try replacing a 1/4 cup of the rice flour with sorghum and substituting plain milk for the buttermilk just to see how it turns out.

For now though, I'm REALLY happy with my creation, and we've already eaten a half loaf! By using applesauce I've cut down the fat as well. Looks like I'll be making some more soon!

Buckwheat Applesauce Bread

Mix together:

2/3 cup applesauce

4 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

Mix in a separate bowl and then add to wet ingredients:

3/4 cup tapioca starch/flour

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 cup white or brown rice flour

1/4 cup flax seed ground

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon gelatin (for chewiness)

3/4 teaspoon salt

Finally add 2 tablespoons of millet seed for crunch!

Bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Try to wait 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Product Review: Glutino Crackers and Pretzels

2008-08-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

We are on a bit of a budget around here since I am no longer teaching but staying home with my two boys. I can't say that I would buy gluten free bread in the store since it is far inferior to what I can make at home (and some days that's not saying much lol!).

However, convenience items and snack items are something I would buy a bit more of if I had the choice. A couple of times a month, the boys and I head down to the library in Eugene and to do some shopping. That is about 40 minutes away from us out here in the country, but well worth it. The library has an online catalog (which I love) and a FABULOUS children's section. No need to whisper there! It's full of puppets, an outdoor area for eating, and family restrooms. Need I say more?

While we are down that way we visit Capella Market which has a fairly good choice for gluten free items. They also host gluten free product sampling days and just recently had a gluten-free BBQ -woohoo! Products are also labeled with a blue dot if they are gluten free. That catches my eye far more easily than "Gluten Free" spelled out. I only have so many brain cells that can contribute to reading labels when Nathan and Joshua are with me and looking for a blue dot is something I am capable at this stage in my life. So, a couple of times a month we buy a few gluten free snack items and perhaps something new to try. If I can make it out of there for under $30.00 I have done well.

I was a bit appalled the first time I saw the Glutino Crackers. Not that they were ugly or unappealing, but rather the sticker-shock of paying $5.00 + for a box of crackers. I must say though they are really wonderful if you have not tried them. My only complaint is that there are not a whole lot in the box. I dole these out far and few in between or save them for when we are dining in the presence of gluten eaters. Those crackers and chicken salad are a great match!

I don't have to be so stingy with Glutino's family size package of pretzels. My son loves them and it is awesome to provide him with something that is like what other kids are eating and is not home-made looking. I wish they sold individual size packages for school! I did recently contact them to ask if they would consider making a goldfish look-alike. You never know, and it doesn't hurt to contact companies and ask! I might add that I've contacted Pepperidge Farms several times to ask/beg for this but have not received a response so far. Hmmm.

I'm heading down to Eugene this coming week to do our major grocery shopping for the month and will visit Capella again to see what I can find. I'll let you know...

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Debbie

Barbecue Sauce

2008-08-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

I love grilled food. It tastes wonderful and clean-up is a breeze. It also happens to be cooking that my husband is very good at and wants to do. That works for me. It goes hand in hand with busy summer days and outdoor weather. We recently bought a new grill because our old one literally fell apart. I shall miss using it as fall is just around the corner here. But for now, we are enjoying barbecued chicken tonight!

I have a great recipe below for barbecue sauce. It is great on chicken, sandwiches, burgers, and with meatballs. I usually make a double recipe and put some in the freezer. I love having stuff stocked in there. Unfortunately mine is getting very, very low and I need to get busy!

BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (I add a little extra to get a rich dark look to the sauce)

1/2 cup chopped onion (please use fresh!)

1-2 teaspoon liquid smoke or add to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Put all in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Take out only what you need to glaze and barbecue with. Store the rest in the fridge or freeze it.

It's the End of August and I'm Wearing Happy Easter Socks - No Recipe, Just Some Humor

2008-08-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

Before my son Nathan was born I was teaching fourth grade. Some days I wished I was still waitressing instead of stressing about deadlines or field trips. Some days I wished I was cleaning the toilets like Beverly the custodian instead of dealing with a particular student's parent who was my thorn for the year. For the most part though my job was fulfilling and I really liked working within the professional realm.

But like I said, that was before children.

Now I’m sitting at the park with a 5 year old and 6 month old. I’m an older than average mom (46 to be exact – gulp.) It doesn’t help that my hair desperately needs a haircut and I’m wearing “Happy Easter” socks in August. What has happened to me? Well, I don’t have money for the haircuts I used to get because no one is paying me for staying home with the kids. However, I don’t really think there is any excuse for the socks. Any day now I expect to see Stacey and Clinton from “What Not to Wear” come and embarrass me in front of America. Actually, it would be my secret thrill to see them. Go to New York for a week and spend $5,000 on a new wardrobe? I think I could let them humble me for that. I think it’s a fair trade. At least then I could get a new haircut. However, there’s that 360 degree mirror segment. The waddle of a neck I have would be screaming to use that 5K for a neck-lift. That would do more for my self-esteem than purchasing clothing unfit to be worn while feeding the goats or changing poopie diapers.

Since I don’t think I’ll receive a windfall soon or visit a TV set, I think I’ll just go home and just change my socks.

The All-Purpose Quick Bread

2008-08-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Making bread is an almost daily chore. I've mentioned before that my oldest boy is part carbivore which means a third of the loaf is easily sliced for him throughout any given day. We must have bread.

Some days I'm in a hurry or low on yeast or xanthan gum and this bread is a perfect fix. Not only that but it is REALLY good and works well for sandwiches or as a loaf to have with dinner. And this one can stand up to slicing while still hot - something I really miss from our former gluten days!

I changed a yellow cake mix recipe by reducing the amount of sugar and milk and surprisingly it came out great the first time. No tweaking for once!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

The All Purpose Quick Bread:

First mix:

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2/3 cups mayonnaise

3/4 cup milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then add:

1 1/4 cups rice flour

1/4 cup sorghum

3/4 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Mix well for about one minute. Pour into greased loaf pan (batter will be more like cake batter).

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Gluten Free Blackberry Crisp

2008-08-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

I do like to can food. Well, I actually like the finished product and the bounty on the shelf afterwards. I can do without the mess and heat. I’m not an expert canner. I don’t can anything exotic or extensive, but I have managed to put away at least some jam for the last 10 years. However, last year it seemed like I couldn’t do anything right. My grape jelly didn’t set, and my pickles lacked a “bite”. I managed to can several jars of salsa which was pretty good, but too sweet for my husband’s taste. All that work! It was disappointing to say the least.

My blackberry jam however was divine.

I canned enough of it last summer to keep us stocked for the year! That makes me smile. And I plan to do the same this year. I’ve been trying to get out to the blackberry bushes down by the creek and the massive overgrowth in the middle of the pasture twice a day. Not too many are overripe, but I’m afraid of losing too many. I want them all.

This year has been more challenging to find time to pick. Joshua is seven months – old enough to want to be moving, but certainly not independent. One day it was beginning to rain, and I got creative with keeping him busy and dry at the same time.
My son, Nathan is now 5, and I was surprised at his tenacity in picking blackberries. One for the bowl, two for the mouth…

I wash the berries, let them dry and then freeze them until I’m ready to can. I got a seeder attachment for my Bosch machine. What a great invention! It takes all the seeds out lickety-split. When there's no more berries to pick or I'm "picked out" it's time to can.

Another favorite thing to do with the beautiful blackberries is make some crisp for dessert. What a thrill to now have GF oats. Put them in a coffee grinder and cut them down if they're too thick. This recipe will work great with any fruit that would be suitable in a pie.

Gluten Free Blackberry Crisp

First Mix

2-3 cups of fruit - (sliced if large pieces)

1/4 cup sugar - If the fruit is real ripe I omit the sugar completely since there is plenty of it in the topping (second mix).

2 tablespoons GF flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Second Mix

3/4 cup GF flour (rice flour and/or millet)

1 Cup GF oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt 1/2 cup butter into the second mix and distribute evenly.

Pour first mix into 8X8 pan, then sprinkle on the second.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Lovely!

Gluten Free Skillet Cornbread

2008-08-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

I love cornbread. As far as I'm concerned it's a food for all seasons. It goes well with barbeque chicken or turkey dinner. It begs for butter and honey turns it into dessert. Makes my mouth water just thinking of it.

I like cornbread that is just a bit on the sweet side. I know there are some that would go to battle over whether that was true cornbread or not, but I can't help it. I know what I like, and I shall call it "cornbread".

I have a recipe I fix all the time. It was originally titled, "La Beth's Cornbread". I changed the flours to those that are gluten free and have added a couple of whipped egg whites to the recipe.

I've found that "regular" recipes work well as long as there are other main ingredients besides the GF flours. For example, in this recipe there is not only a cup of GF flour, but a cup of gluten free cornmeal/masa harina as well. It's one of my favorite things to make because it always comes out great.

I fixed it last night in my cast iron skillet instead of my 8X8 pan. Wow - it came out tasty and it certainly looks impressive as well. If you don't own a cast iron skillet please consider trying one. I was surprised at how easy they keep clean and how wonderful they cook everything from breads to pizza. Grandma knew what she was doing:)

Gluten Free Skillet Cornbread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place small amount of shortening in skillet and place in oven to heat before adding cornbread mix.

Whip two egg whites in your mixer and then set aside.

Mix until frothy:

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix and then add:

1 cup cornmeal or masa harina

3/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup sorghum

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter and 4 tablespoons oil

Fold in your egg whites. Let set for a few minutes.

Don't forget the oven mitt!! Take out your heated skillet and make sure the shortening is coating it. Pour in the cornbread mix and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Enjoy!

From My Little Corner of the World: I’m Sending my 5 year old Celiac kid off to Kindergarten…

2008-08-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Time flies, doesn’t it?

I’ve known that my kids are going to grow up, but I didn’t really face that fact with my heart, only my head. I also didn’t know how much my heart could hurt for them.

In one short month, Nathan is going to be in Kindergarten. Just thinking about it causes my stomach to flip flop. He is such a busy kid. I hope he doesn’t try to wrestle in the classroom. I hope he doesn’t want non-stop attention from the teacher. I hope he can make it through the year without consuming gluten and having an accident in his pants.

If there is one thing I could do for him it would be to have the diagnosis of Celiac instead of him. A friend of mine recently commented (she was trying to sympathize with me) about how hard this has been for me to make all of these changes for him. While I do get discouraged with the whole gluten free baking/disappointment thing, I never really think about how hard my life is. I think about him and how in the world he handles seeing other kids eat things he can’t have. I think about him being different – and I don’t want it to be that way. I want it to all go away. But it’s not.

On the brighter side, his little country school has only 90 students total and they happen to already have a Celiac kid! Now that’s amazing – at least considering how few people are actually diagnosed. I received word back from the principal that his teacher would meet with me before the year starts to discuss what he needs. So far, so good… I’m really encouraged. Trying to explain Celiac disease to someone who has no knowledge base for it is difficult. On the surface they understand, but it takes much longer and more discussions for them to really get it.

I pray that we can navigate all of the Kindergarten things like parties and crafts and the lunchroom. It seems so overwhelming at times but I’m his mom and I gladly go through all of this for him. I pray for wisdom to walk that fine line of needing to teach him gluten is toxic to his body but also that life is more than what you can eat or can’t eat.

Being thankful helps. I’m thankful Lord that my son has a bright mind and can say “I love you.” I’m thankful that we really do have a plethora of food to choose from and the income to buy such food. I’m thankful that you put me in a position in life to become knowledgeable about this and be his advocate. I’m thankful that your Holy Spirit can help his heart in ways I can’t reach. I’m thankful that I can still pray for his healing and yet rest assured that if it doesn’t happen you haven’t made a mistake.

So, I’ll try to remember to be thankful.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

2008-08-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Before my son was diagnosed Celiac, I was regularly making my own bread and pizza dough. I can still remember how they tasted.

Really wonderful.

I have to preface what I’m going to write with thoughts of thanksgiving. I’m thankful that there is a whole lot more out there that is gluten free than forbidden for us. Things that are truly spectacular – like a juicy, sweet strawberry or guacamole for tostadas are still being served up in this house. I’m thankful that there’s usually a substitute for what my son can’t have. We can still have pizza, provided I make the dough gluten free. We still have buttermilk pancakes (see recipe below) with bacon on Saturday mornings and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Other times though I’m frustrated. Why is it that I need to go through, on the average, three recipes before finding one I like when it comes to gluten free bread, desserts, etc.? Why is it that some things will never have a close substitute like flour tortillas?

Baking from scratch is never easy, although it usually tastes better. It takes time to follow a new recipe. Then there’s the dishes, the energy, and the anticipation. Unfortunately, there’s more often than not, disappointment in the gluten free world. I often find myself eating humble pie. Sometimes I hit a winner the first time, but often I have to say it’s not quite what I want. There’s lots of tweaking. Occasionally it is so bad I have to wonder about the taste buds of the person who submitted the recipe!

I don’t want to try three times harder than any other cook to serve up what tastes good and “normal” when it comes to baked goods. Yet, I have to persevere, because we want life to be as normal as possible. I also happen to have a son who is part Carbivore. When I do find something that is so good – really, really good then I get very, very happy. That’s when the camera comes out to take a picture. Sometimes I’ve even done a dance around the kitchen or muttered at the table over and over again, “This is so good, don’t you think?”

I hope this recipe is a winner for you! Let me know what you think…

Saturday Morning Buttermilk Pancakes

Whip two egg whites in your mixer bowl then set aside to fold in later

Mix:
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Add 1 teaspoon baking soda while mixing the above.

In a separate bowl mix:
1 ¼ cup rice flour
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sorghum

1 cup tapioca or cornstarch
¼ heaping cup ground flax
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Add dry to wet ingredients.
While mixing, add 4 tablespoons oil.
Fold in your egg whites.

Cook on a hot griddle and don’t forget the bacon!!!