A Return to the Norm

I'M BACK! Did you miss me?

It's OK, I understand that you hadn't really noticed that I've been gone. Time flies, doesn't it? But I have a good reason. Let me explain. No, let me summarize.

I got sick. Something like what I had when I first was diagnosed as gluten intolerant, but different. Something was very wrong.

I went through the usual battery of tests and ended up at the GI Specialist again. Basically, I'm completely healthy, yet sick. My doctor decided to put me on one of THE most miserable diets ever created. The FODMAP diet. Ever heard of it?

Google it. Better yet, here... read this: http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/

Anyway, I had to go on this diet for 6-8 weeks. It includes a gluten free diet, as well as LOTS of other things. The thought is that a lot of people with gut trouble heal their systems through this diet. About 75% of the people who try it have success!

So, I went on the diet. I hated every minute of it. I whined, I complained, I sulked.

It wasn't pretty.

The trial period ended with me in the GI doctor's office for a consultation. The conclusion?

I'm not one of the 75%.

So, I'm off the diet! Yippee! But I'm still not completely well. Boooo! But, I am back to eating just gluten free. It's amazing how your perspective changes! "Just" gluten free? It seems like a walk in the park now!

So today, in celebration of being back, I have a present for you.

I have THE best gluten free chocolate chip cookie ever. Now, don't get me wrong. You'll find two other GF CCC recipes on my blog. The first is my super-duper-completely-from-scratch-refrigerate-for-an-hour-before-baking cookie recipe. It's the monster recipe of all recipes and it makes a monster sized cookie. The other is a reduced fat cookie that only has 3 tablespoons of butter in the entire recipe. Both recipes rock.

But if you miss Toll House Cookies... if you long to walk down memory lane for a minute... then I have a recipe for you. Now, they aren't low fat. But on the upside, the batter doesn't require refrigeration before baking.

It's all about compromise, right?

Try these. Today. Don't have the secret ingredient in your cupboard? Go today and get it so you can make them tomorrow. Then sit down with a glass of milk... or tea... or coffee... whatever floats your boat... and take a stroll down memory lane.

I promise, you will not be disappointed. Chewy, soft, with melty chocolate. Oh, yes.

PS - The bite out of the cookie below may or may not have been made by me. I may or may not have been able to wait to have one before I finished taking the photo.

PPS - You have no proof it was me.

Best EVER Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
1 cup room temp butter (if you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt to dry ingredients)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix*

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

1 10-oz. package mini-chocolate chips (I used "Enjoy Life")

*the secret ingredient... shhhhhhhh....

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use sil-pats on cookie sheets or non-stick cookie sheets.

With a hand mixer, mix butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add pudding mix and vanilla extract, mixing until combined completely. Add Pamela's Mix and beat until completely combined. Add chips and beat on low to incorporate throughout the batter.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheets and back for 10-12 minutes (I bake for 11 minutes). Cookies will look slightly puffed and maybe a little under-cooked in the center when done. Wait 3-5 minutes before transferring from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Cookie to the Rescue!

Ready for a cookie adventure?

Yesterday was the first day of Vacation Bible School at our church. Since my son would be attending this year and has a peanut allergy, I decided to go ahead and bake some cookies for him to have during the nightly snack time.

I also knew there would be a newly married guy in the band, Tom, who is gluten free... so I thought I would throw a few cookies in a baggie for him to snack on, as well.

I whipped up a batch of Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Cookies and put 2 cookies in a baggie for my son and 3 in another baggie for Tom.

As the kids gathered in the sanctuary for the opening part, a mom approached me with a small baggie of cookies, explaining that her daughter was gluten free, and asked if I would make sure these got to her during snack time. Wanting to be proactive (meaning, being terribly afraid I would flake out and completely forget), I immediately brought the baggie of cookies over to one of the leaders in charge of the little girl's age group.

There. Taken care of.

Fast forward about 20 minutes. I was down in the dining room, photographing the game time with groups of kids. There was a plethora of yelling, cheering and screaming as the kids raced to and around a hazard cone with frisbees on the heads.

Suddenly, a man who also was volunteering as a helper at VBS quickly entered the room and announced he had just received news that lightning had struck his home and it was on fire. He grabbed his things, his wife and grandkids who had come to be part of VBS and left.

It hit me about 3 minutes later. His wife was the woman I gave the little girl's cookies to... and who probably still had them somewhere on her person as she sped to her lightning-struck house.

Oh, dear.

I raced around to key people - kitchen staff, other teachers - asking if anyone knew about the little girl's cookies.

Nothing.

Then it occurred to me... the cookies I had given to Tom! I ran back up to the sanctuary, quickly explained the situation to him and his wife and before I could even ask, Tom volunteered a cookie. What a guy!

I grabbed a cookie on a tissue and got down the snack room just as they were handing out cookies to the kids in the little girl's age group.

Whew!

Who knew a cookie could come to the rescue at Vacation Bible School?

PS - Tom declared this was, hands down, the best oatmeal cookie he had ever had. So now you understand the true sacrifice he made in giving up 1/3 of his cookie stash. Thank you, Tom!

Gluten Free Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup toasted coconut
1/2 + 1/8 cup ground gf rolled oats (or oat flour)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/8 cup gf all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
2 1/4 cups gf rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, egg and extracts until light and fluffy.

In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients (except coconut and rolled oats) to wet mixture and beat until just combined.

Stir in coconut and oats.

Using a medium cookie scoop, drop on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 13-14 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.

It's All About Priorities

Summer is here.

You'll notice I didn't end that statement with an exclamation point, as one would do if saying this with some sort of joy or excitement.

No, I ended it with a plan ol' period... because the fact that summer is here is just an obvious observation... one, I should mention, that I am not thrilled about.

I loathe summer.

As a side note, I love the word "loathe"... it's so much better than "hate". Loathing consists of more of a burning hate... it says it all and then some.

Back to summer.....

My friends and family know that the arrival of summer also means the arrival of my hibernation period. I do not sunbathe... mostly because I do not enjoy being burnt to a crisp or uncomfortable sweaty.

Thus, I usually spend the summer working on home projects... reorganizing closets, rearranging and reorganizing the homeschool room... things like that.

This summer, however, has been slightly different. By slightly, I mean completely.

Yes, I have a plethora of projects I should be working on. But really, all I want to do is read. I have a stack of books lined up that I have been meaning to read all year and just haven't gotten to... so all I aspire to do is sit and read.

One does not cross things off one's To Do List whilst sitting on one's tushy, reading.

It's rather easy to get caught up in a good book. Fortunately, my daughter is exactly the same way. So the other day, it was quite the normal afternoon... with the two of us couched out in the living room, reading. My 4-year-old son was happily entertaining himself with some Legos.

Have you ever noticed how time slips by much faster when you are caught up in a good book? Frankly, I think it's an insult to an author to stop reading at the climax of the story just because, say, it's time to make dinner. Consider this... the author poured him or herself into this story, spending countless hours getting the facts straight and the plot perfect. Who am I to put that book down at its peak just because I have a family to feed?

It is at times like these, friends, when you need to have a plan. A dinner-on-the-table-in-30-minutes plan.

I've got one for you.

With this recipe, you can make hot sticky rice, steamed broccoli and the main dish in 30 minutes. I kid you not.

It's summer. It's time to pick up that book, sit that tushy down in your most comfy chair (in the air conditioning!) and get engrossed in your favorite book.

Oh, but first... you may want to print out this recipe. Might just come in handy later today... around 5:00 PM.


















Gluten Free Barbecue Smoked Sausage

1/2 of a medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb smoked turkey sausage (or kielbasa), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup ketchup
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, lightly brown sausage. Lower heater to medium and add sliced onion and saute until onion is soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a light boil. Lower heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes until sauce is thickened and all flavors have combined, stirring occasionally.

Serve over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.

Rock Star Dessert!

The other night we had dear friends over for dinner and games. These folks, in particular, are such comfortable friends that our get-togethers are more like time spent with family.

For dinner, I decided to make my trimmed down version of Giada's Lasagna Rolls (you can find the recipe here) along with my Cheesy Garlic Rolls (will post soon!) and salad. One of my dinner guests is a huge garlic fan, so I knew this meal would score big points with her.

Can I just tell you... there is nothing like the smell of sauteing garlic. Between the lasagna rolls and the cheesy garlic rolls, my house was full of the aroma of garlic. My husband kept walking through the kitchen, muttering things like, "It smells so amazing in here" and "Mmmm.... I love garlic".

What I couldn't decide on, however, was dessert. I knew I wanted to do something with lemon... a lighter flavor after a nice Italian meal, but I just couldn't decide on which lemon dessert. At one point, I thought I had settled with my Lemon Cake Pie (recipe here) but for some reason, it just didn't seem right for that particular evening.

Did you know that if you search for "Italian Lemon Desserts" via Google you'll get 7,620,000 in 0.37 seconds? No exaggeration. Give it a try.

Thankfully, I found the one after just a couple of clicks. Lemon White Chocolate Cheesecake.

Oh. My. Word.

I topped it with some homemade candied lemon zest. Personally, I look for excuses to make candied lemon zest. If it is even remotely possibly that candied lemon zest *may* work in a dessert, it's there.

If you want to really wow guests with a dessert, I beg you to give this a try. It's so creamy, yet the lemon keeps it light, somehow. The crust is a great compliment because it's in the background and it, too, is light in flavor... and flaky.

You may, however, want to leave out the fact that there is a total of four - yes, four - packages of cream cheese in there. No reason to burst your guests' cheesecake bubble. Let them enjoy the cheesecake love without the guilt.

PS - You have to make this the day before of first thing in the morning the day of the dinner. Cheesecakes need to spend time in the fridge, joining little mini-cheesecake hands together to form that creamy, lemony flavor.

PPS - Lemon White Chocolate Cheesecake makes a great lunch the next day. Just saying.















Gluten Free Lemon White Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/4 cups gluten free all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur brand)
1 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold

2 to 4 Tbsp cold water

Filling:
4 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
10 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled
2 Tbsp gluten free all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur brand)
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place a 9- or 10-inch springform pan on heavy duty foil. Securely wrap foil up around the sides of the pan and set aside.

In a food processor, combine gf flour, salt and sugar. Pulse processor a few times to combine dry ingredients. Cube cold butter, add to processor and pulse until butter pieces are pea-sized. With processor running, add water a tablespoon at time until the dough begins to clump together.

Roll dough out between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper, big enough to cover the bottom of the springform pan and 1-inch up the sides. Press dough into pan and up sides.

Bake crust in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the melted and cooled white chocolate, flour, cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs and beat on low until just combined. Pour filling into the pre-baked crust.

Place the foil covered springform pan in a larger baking pan, add 1-inch of hot water to the larger pan. Place in the center of the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 65-85 minutes until the top appears dull and the center is set, but jiggly.

Remove the pan from the water bath and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the crust. Allow cheesecake to cool on the wire rack for 1 hour. After 1 hour, refrigerate cheesecake for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove sides of the springform pan, slice and serve.

Makes 12 servings.

The "As Is" Recipe

I have a rule about trying out a new gluten free recipe. If the recipe is already written by someone and I'm giving it a try, I always make the recipe exactly the way the original recipe is written first. Usually, I end up tweaking ingredients to improve taste or texture the second time around.

You see... I have this thing about texture. Always have. Too gritty? Yuck. Too dry? Blech. And let's not even discuss pastiness. *shudder*

So when I cook or bake gluten free, my goal is always a good texture. The best part is, if I am able to achieve a good texture, I can happily share my gf goodies with my non-gf friends because they usually don't know they are eating something sans gluten!

Once in a while, I stumble across a recipe that doesn't require tweaking. Oh, the joy! I can enjoy the labors of my work without my thoughts wandering to my next attempt at it.

This recipe is one of those wonderful non-tweakers. I whipped up a small batch (this recipe only makes about 16 cookies) and was quite skeptical, honestly. The cookie dough is... odd. Wet, dense, shiny... not very cookie dough-ish. I even mentioned in passing to my husband that I was pretty sure I had a impending disaster on my hands.

I was so very wrong.

So. Very. Wrong.

The odd cookie dough transformed in my oven into moist, chewy deliciousness. There is a gentleness about this cookie... the almond butter is a mild flavor against the burst of chocolate. Both of my kids - even my 8-year-old who doesn't care for almond butter or oats - loved them.

Below is my shortened version of the recipe with a couple of steps combined. But if you would rather just use the original recipe I worked from, here it is! http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/03/peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies-flourless-no-butter/

A great big "thank you" to Monique over at the Ambitious Kitchen blog... your recipe was such a fun surprise!

Gluten Free Almond Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Dairy Free!)

1 cup creamy almond butter
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2/3 cup rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill Certified Gluten Free Oats)
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together almond butter, packed dark brown sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the oats and baking soda and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

With a medium cookie scoop, place dough on non-stick cookie sheet or a sheet covered with a silpat. Bake for 9-11 minutes (I baked them for the full 11 minutes) until the edges are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 3 minutes before removing from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 1.5 dozen cookies.

Pinterest, I Thank You!

Oh, Pinterest... how I love thee. I mean loathe thee. No, I love thee... loathe, love, loathe, love.......

How is it possible that one website can simultaneously inspire me to new heights of baking, decorating, exercising and fashion (ok, maybe not so much on the fashion part) while reminding me that I'm just not very creative, my house isn't quite organized, my dinners are getting redundant and my exercising has taken a back seat?

Love and loathe, loathe and love. Such is the life of a Pinterester. (Just me?)

Today is one example. During our homeschooling time, I had a few moments to relax as I waited for my daughter to do some independent work. Rather than do the dishes, throw that load of laundry in, work on my photography projects, finish creating the end-of-year portfolio for homeschooling or price items for our upcoming neighborhood yard sale, I choose the most logical and efficient use of my time: Pinterest.

And what does that short time on Pinterest do? Amidst my attempts to not look at the perfectly decorated homes and neat-as-a-pin landscape ideas, I zoned in on a recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip muffins. Apparently, a side effect of being on Pinterest is all other things on the current "to do" list go right out the window and an all-consuming need to bake overtakes. (Again, just me?)

30 minutes later, I had warm Almond Butter Chocolate Chip muffins cooling on the counter... and not an ounce of guilt to be found.

Tried a muffin... it tastes like an almond butter chocolate chip cookie in muffin form. Basically, it's ridiculously yummy.

Still have that "to do" list to do.... maybe after another muffin.

Still looking for that guilt, too. Huh.

Gluten Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 1/4 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup almond butter (I used smooth)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the Pamela's, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the almond butter and melted butter until smooth. Add the eggs and milk and combine thoroughly.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop into muffin tins and bake for 17-20 minutes until completely set and golden around edges. Allow muffins to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to finish cooling.

Makes 14-18 muffins, depending on size.

Thrown Together

Once in a blue moon, a recipe just works... the first time, without any real effort on my part. It's a lovely thing, really.

Tonight, my mom came upstairs, longing for a cookie. Have you ever just needed a cookie? One does not simply ignore the urge... because it's just not going to go away. One must hunt down a cookie at all costs.

There was only only problem. No cookies in the house. So, I rummaged in the back of my snack cupboard and found 2 or 3 piddly little gluten free shortbread cookies (Scharr brand). She happily snacked on her cookies with a cup of tea... you could almost see the cookie urge leaving her.

I began to plan dinner at that point, and opened a cupboard to grab a jar of marinara sauce. It was then I saw it... the can of crushed pineapple I had recently thrown into my grocery cart - quite recklessly, I might add - with the intention of trying a new recipe. I nonchalantly asked, "Should I make a pineapple cake tonight?" Immediately, actually I think it might have been before I finished the word "tonight", my mom answered with a swift, "YES."

I think maybe those 3 piddly gf shortbread cookies didn't quite cut it.

Now, I must remind you that the reason I had seen that can of pineapple in the first place was because I was starting to make dinner. It was dinner time... this is not the time to make a dessert, for Pete's sake! But rather than using common sense, I threw caution to the wind and turned on the oven.

The recipe was a "normal" one that I had intended to work on to make it gluten free. Usually, I will spend some time looking over the recipe, checking and double checking the changes I want to make. Not tonight. Tonight, I threw all the ingredients into the bowl, mixed it up and threw it in the baking pan. Into the oven it went! Back to making dinner I went.

40 minutes later I pulled a miracle out of my oven. A golden, perfectly baked cake. I even somehow managed to whip up some cream cheese frosting for it! (One can always make time for cream cheese frosting. Dinner can wait!)

Can I just? Can I? I must. I must herald the miracle of this cake. This completely unplanned, thrown together cake is so, so, so, so, SO GOOD. It's moist (even though there's not a speck of oil or butter in it). And the frosting... oh, the frosting! It just takes a delicious cake and puts it over the top.

This can be one of those "Oh dear, Susie is stopping by for a quick visit on her way from Princeton to Pittsburgh and I haven't a THING in the house, what shall I do?" kinds of cake. Because literally, you will just throw it all in a bowl, throw it in a pan and then throw it in the oven. It will come out, cool for a bit and then you'll throw together some frosting and throw it on top.

Did I mention it's good? It's so, so, so, so, SO good.

It's that good. Good enough to deserve 5 "so's". Maybe even 6. You decide!



















Gluten Free Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

For Cake:
2 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
20 oz can crushed pineapple (with juice)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Mix all the ingredients above in a large bowl. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack.

For Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
4 Tbsp butter, softened to room temp
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add vanilla and beat to incorporate. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until completely mixed and smooth. Frost cake while it is still slightly warm.

Living with a Picky Eater

When my oldest child was little, she was quite the picky eater. Certain textures would cause her to literally gag and spit out food. We trudged through those years, creating a mealtime rule that stated she must try one bite of whatever is being served. If she didn't like it, she didn't need to to eat it. If she did, great! Fill 'er plate up and on we go.

In the end, it worked out well. Our daughter is now a great eater who enjoys foods from all areas of the food pyramid (or is it the food dinner plate now?) and is practically a fruit addict. We had conquered the battle of the picky eater! We were seasoned veterans now. We could handle whatever came next.

Enter our son.

He has made our daughter look like an adventurous eater. He decided, right after baby food (which, by the way, he loved tremendously, except baby peas... gag) that all green food was evil. We had many battles at the dinner table as we tried to enforce the "one bite" rule. In the end, he would try it... with the end result usually being a "not liking it" vote. Once in while, however, we'd get a winner!

In general, he likes healthy foods. He loves fresh fruit (except kiwi, it's green!), yogurt, dried fruits, oats, eggs, etc... so we supplement with V-8's V-Fusion juice (it's got fruit AND veggie juice in it... shhhh, don't tell him) and he'll eat broccoli if it's hidden in a quiche. Just recently, he decided he likes cucumber, so things are looking up! Perhaps he is finally emerging from his picky eating phase?

One can only hope. And pray. And plead with the Lord that it is.

I decided to come up with a healthy homemade snack for him using foods I know he loves. I try to give the kids snacks that have a little protein in them, to hold them over until a meal. This time around, I came up with a homemade granola recipe that was PERFECT for him. It consisted of just 5 ingredients, all of which he loves: honey, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla and oats.

I could just picture his chubby little fingers grabbing some crunchy granola as he played with his construction trucks.

I whipped up a batch in no time, allowed it to cool, gave it a try (YUM!) and called him over. I found the perfect little bunch of granola and handed it to my boy, waiting hopefully to see the look of enjoyment on his sweet little face.

I waited.

It never came.

Instead, he screwed up his little features into a grimace and said, through the granola he was chewing, "I don't like it". Then walked away.

Perhaps it's time to spend more time in prayer, pleading with the Lord.

The phase continues.

(By the way, my boy is completely nuts. The granola is amazing. My hubby doesn't even like oats and he was munching away on it last night. My mom was proclaiming its deliciousness all over the house, then ran downstairs to get a yogurt in which to add the granola. Add whatever you like to it once it cools... chocolate chips, craisins, nuts, etc... the sky is the limit!)

Gluten Free Almond Butter Granola

1/4 cup creamy almond butter (or peanut butter)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups oats (not quick cooking)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine the honey and almond butter. Microwave on high for about 20 seconds until the almond butter is slightly melted. Stir to combine.

Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add the oats and stir until they are completely coated in the honey/almond butter mixture. Spread out in a thin layer on the cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes, stirring once until the granola is slightly browned.

Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet until crunchy.

A Journey of Learning

I've been gluten free for about 2 1/2 years now. I remember those early days of trying to sort through all the information and recipes to figure out what to eat. Because seriously, I believed I was doomed to eat cheese and apples for the rest of my life. (I didn't say I was rational during that time.)

So much has changed since then. I am confident enough with my gf cooking to entertain non-gf friends in my home... and I serve only gf foods. It's been a journey of trial and error... of learning.

What I hope to do, through this blog... through connections on Facebook and through people... it to help ease the burdens of others who are on this gf journey, too. If I can help to navigate the recipes or walk a newbie through the local grocery store with a gf perspective, I will. It's a scary time, in the beginning, figuring out what is safe and what is not... mourning things you will never taste again... it feels like starting over in the kitchen.

One thing I have learned is that there is always room for improvement. Early on, I played around with a pizza crust recipe. The results were the best I had eaten up to that time and I was excited to share the recipe! Recently, though, I decided to work on it again. With just a little tweaking, I found I loved it more! The crust has more flavor, is chewier... and requires less time (no rising!).

We are on this journey together, my friend! May I encourage you to share what you know with others just starting out? In the meantime, I'll share my updated pizza crust with you.

You know it's because I love you, right? Good.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

1 ½ cups warm water (around 110 degrees)

2 Tbsp sugar

1 packet of yeast

1 cup brown rice flour 

1 cup sorghum flour

2 cups tapioca starch

2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp salt

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the crust:

In a 2 cup measuring cup, stir together the warm water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the yeast and give a quick stir. Let sit for 10 minutes, until a tan foam covers the top.

In the meantime, mix together (in a stand mixer bowl) the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and salt. Stir to completely combine. Add the yeast water and olive oil. Mix, using a  paddle attachment on medium high speed until the dough comes together, about 5 minutes.

To make the pizza:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly cover a pizza stone or pan with brown rice flour (to prevent sticking) and place the dough on the pan. Using your hands, work the dough out into a flat circle, leaving a little extra on the outer edge (like a ledge of dough around the circumference of the circle). Add sauce, cheese and any toppings you choose. You can also add a little Italian seasoning over the cheese for more flavor. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbled up and beginning to brown all over the top. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

The Way to My Heart

I know, I know. They say the way to a girl's heart is through chocolate. Think of all those chick flicks where the handsome guy shows up at the girl's door with a box of gourmet chocolates and a single rose, thus implying the girl will melt into his arms.

Not this girl.

Sure, I enjoy a piece of dark chocolate every day. And let's not get into brownies... I'm a sucker for brownies. But in the end, there are two things that I will choose over chocolate any day of the week.

First, anything vanilla. Really, truly. Vanilla fudge, vanilla cake, vanilla ice cream. Love it. Coming in just under the wire in second place? Lemon. Oh, lemon. Lemon filled doughnuts, lemon candy, lemon Life Savers... don't even get me started on lemon curd. Put it on cardboard, I'll eat it.

I'm not even sure that was an exaggeration.

Today's recipe is actually two in one. I have been looking to find a better gluten free pie crust recipe even though I have one I find acceptable. The problem is the word "acceptable". My goal is always higher than that... I aim for "delicious"! Well, I can honestly say that I found delicious. This pie crust is almost like a shortbread... so obviously, it's ridiculous. Here's the link: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/10/perfect-gluten-free-pie-crust-recipe.html. I must confess, I didn't let my pie dough rest in the fridge like the blogger insisted and it STILL was amazing.. and flaky... and wonderful.

Even more ridiculous is putting something lemony in a shortbread-like pie crust. Because shortbread and lemon are best friends. Well, they are my best friends. (Too strange?)

This is a Lemon Cake Pie. I can't explain it, but something magical happens when it bakes. Only one batter is poured into the unbaked pie crust, yet two distinct layers emerge from the oven when baking is done. The top layer is the "Cake" part of the Lemon Cake Pie... spongy and soft. The bottom layer is the "Pie" part of the Lemon Cake Pie... basically, it turns into lemon curd. Magic, I tell you.

Lemon Magic. (That's my kind of magic.)

Be sure to let this one cool completely... so eat it either at room temperature or cold. Trust me. I know I'm asking you to wait once the lemony goodness is done... but the reward will be worth it.

What's the way to your heart? Chocolate? Vanilla? Lemon? The gift of maid service?

















Gluten Free Lemon Cake Pie

1 unbaked 9" pie crust from this site: http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/10/perfect-gluten-free-pie-crust-recipe.html
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup gf all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur...use one that doesn't have xanthan gum or leavening in it)
1/4 tsp salt
Grated zest of one lemon
6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups milk (I used 1%)

Position oven rack to the second lowest place. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Stir in the flour, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the egg yolks and milk and stir to combine completely.

In another medium bowl, beat the eggs whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Gently fold eggs whites into the lemon mixture. Pour the filling into the unbaked crust. (There may be a little extra filling that doesn't fit into the crust. You can always bake the extra in a ramekin for the fun of it!)

Bake on the second lowest rack until the top is browned and the center jiggles slightly when the pie pan is gently shaken (45-55 minutes). Let cool before serving.

It's About the Give and Take...

There is one negative to having a recipe blog. In order to know that the recipes I'm posting are up to the standard I want them to be... I have to actually make them and taste them. Now, if that recipe happens to be an experimental dinner dish, there's no problem! We must eat dinner, so no harm done.

But what if the recipe is for something like cake or cookies? I can't just slap a recipe concept on the blog that hasn't been tested, tweaked or sampled! That just wouldn't be right.

Today is one of those problematic recipes. You see, two days ago I made another recipe for the blog that I haven't posted yet... mainly because my current recipe brought on the question I am about to ask.

How can someone maintain a blog full of yummy gluten free goodies, conduct a taste test on them, and then have a batch of said goodies in the house and not end up with thighs the size of Mount Rushmore?

Currently, I have a plea post out on Facebook... begging local friends to stop in a grab a goody. I probably sound like one of the snack vendors in sporting arenas: "Free goodies, get your free goodies here!"

But what I do, I do for you. It is for you that I will sacrifice myself and expose myself to the extra calories. It is I - your gluten free blogger friend - who will continue to nibble and snack and tweak recipes and nibble again to present to you a gluten free goody worth posting on my blog.

Because that's what relationships are about - give and take! I give you the recipes and I take the calories. I give my thighs permission to take over more space and I take full responsibility for their expansion.

In all honesty, I know the answer. The answer is to have one bite of the goody and one bite only. Then, I just need to bring the batch of yumminess to a meeting, or to church... or send them to work with my hubby! The problem lies in showing complete restraint from the time I bake them to the moment they leave the house.

But I suppose that's more about self-control than it is about blogging.

Maybe I should start a new blog... a support blog for recipe bloggers with thighs that are beginning to take over new territory.

Gluten Free Glazed Doughnut Muffins 

(adapted to gf from original recipe at www.sweetpeaskitchen.com)

Muffins:
1/2 cup veggie or canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

1 cup milk (I used 1%)

Glaze:

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp hot water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers or spray pan with non-stick baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. With the mixer on low, add in baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Beat to thoroughly combine.

Alternately add the Pamela's Mix and milk, starting and ending with the Pamela's Mix, Combine thoroughly.

Pour batter into muffin cups. Fill almost to the top (leave an 1/8 of an inch). Bake for 15-17 minutes until slightly golden and springy to the touch, rotating the pan halfway through the baking.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove muffins to a cooling rack. 

In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and hot water for the glaze. Whisk together until smooth.

While the muffins are still slightly warm, dip the crown of each one into the glaze and allow glaze to drizzle down the sides slightly and harden. If desired, dip crowns again once muffins have cooled.

Makes 12 muffins.

The Snack of Perfection

Super Bowl Sunday.

A day for friends, football and food. Good food. Football food!

This year, we invited a bunch of dear friends over to have dinner and watch the game. I love the sound of my living room full of people that I consider family, laughing, cheering and snacking. I get a thrill out of knowing I've filled their tummies full of yummy food and provided a night of fun for them. From the planning stages to the very last moments of the night... I love it all!

Football food is fun. It's very casual and should be able to be eaten with just your hands. For example, dinner consisted of meatball subs, baked buffalo wings, fruit kabobs and chips. All can be easily eaten without silverware!

I'm not sure why Super Bowl food needs to be hand held... perhaps it helps us feel more connected with those larger, grunting men who are pushing and shoving each other to get their hands on the ball. They get their hands on the ball, we get our hands on our food.

In any case, this year's Super Bowl snacks were also finger foods. I presented my friend with these ridiculously good kielbasa bits that are cooked all day in applesauce, brown sugar, dijon mustard and garlic (*drool*... that's a post for another day), a popcorn mix that causes one of my friends to turn into a raving lunatic who lunges at any hands that attempt to grab a kernel (again, another post for another day)... and Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels.

Ah yes, salt and sweet, sweet and salt. A match made in heaven, as far as I'm concerned. And these babies only require 4 ingredients, one being the actual pretzels.

You'll be a Party Snack Queen (or King) with these... and I'll give you the recipe, if you promise not to divulge just how easy they were to make.

Deal?

Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

1 (14-16 oz) bag gluten free pretzels (I used Glutino brand)
2/3 cup canola or veggie oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Dump the pretzels into a baking pan, jelly roll pan or roasting pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the pretzels, then toss to thoroughly coat. Bake for 30 minutes, removing from the oven every 10 minutes to stir. Let cool completely before serving.

Easy as... Pie?

Tonight, my mom mentioned she had a hankerin' for pie. Being the attentive daughter that I am, I immediately  jumped into action, explaining that I've been wanting to try my hand at a Lemon Crumb Pie. We agreed this was a good plan... I could tackle my pie project, she would get to eat pie. Win-win!

Here's the thing, though. Whoever came up with the phrase "easy as pie" obviously never actually made a pie. You see... one does not just whip up pie ingredients, slice oneself a piece and then sit with tea and indulge. Oh, no. There are 47 steps (give or take 10) to making pie... all of which require a refrigeration phase, resting phase or heating up phase. In the end, pie takes 3 days to make. OK, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. But it does take more time than I had tonight.

So - I love you Mom, but pie is out. For tonight, that is.

Instead, I went with a Lemon Cornmeal Cake. By nature, it's already gluten free... thus making my life so much easier. No tweaking, no calculating... just baking!

My mom, being the type who is always up for spontaneity and adventure, was all for the change from pie to cake. Such a good mama.

In comparison, this recipe really is easier than pie! It only bakes for 25 minutes or so... and because it's a thin cake (think tart) it cools incredibly fast so that you really do have enough time to sit with a cup of tea and enjoy it.

Though I must admit... it smelled so good that we sliced it up and stood there, in my kitchen, next to the cake pan... and munched away. It was mostly silent, except for the "Oh wow, is this good" and the "I love the crunch on top!" and then "Mmmm... I want another slice" that came from my mom.

Forget pie. Think Lemon Cornmeal Cake! It's yummy, it's got great texture... and it's easy as pie.

Gluten Free Lemon Cornmeal Cake

1 cup (gluten-free) cornmeal

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coarse sugar, such as turbinado or organic sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9-inch or 10-inch cake pan with 2-inch-high sides (I used a springform cake pan). Dust pan with cornmeal, tapping out excess.

Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat butter in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in lemon peel. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Add cornmeal, ground almonds, baking powder and salt to wet ingredients and combine thoroughly.

Transfer batter to pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cake out onto plate then turn onto a rack, coarse sugar side up. Cool completely.

Low Fat Chewy Goodness!

Hello, dear Reader. Come, sit. Here... have a cookie and some hot tea.

Pardon? You don't want a cookie? Trying to lose those 5 (*cough* 10) pounds you gained over Christmas? Oh, dear friend... do not fret. For I, Katie, have got your back on this one.

You see... I, too, am in the middle of a diet lifestyle change and am trying to be good. I managed to not gain any weight over the Christmas holiday (a miracle, to be sure!) and don't want to start now! But, dear friend, we both know that sometimes in life... we need a cookie.

Not an Oreo or Fig Newton (though we both know a Fig Newton isn't a cookie, it's fruit and cake)... but a real, homemade, warm cookie. Chocolate Chip, to be precise.

I don't know about you... but in this house, sweets must still abide, even if in smaller amounts. We have a bowl of dark chocolate in the living room and grant ourselves one piece every day. (Wait, you don't? Don't you know a piece of dark chocolate a day is GOOD FOR YOU? It's true. Read, my friend, and then run immediately to the store and get some Dove Dark Chocolate: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/6-health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate.html#b)

Recently, I've been craving a cookie. The pre-made gluten free cookies in the grocery store, bless them for trying, don't do it for me. They are rather dry and crumbly. I want warm and chewy.

So, sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands and make a cookie! Below.... oh yes, below... is a low fat, gluten free CHEWY chocolate chip cookie recipe. I just had one after my lunch and I have to tell you that although I baked them yesterday, they are still moist and chewy today! Another gluten free miracle, right there folks.

If you are in the middle of a diet lifestyle change like I am... be sure to give yourself a little treat now and then. Just a cup of tea and this little cookie and you'll be ready to hit the treadmill with renewed vigor... because yes, my friend, you can have your cookie and still lose weight.

Just don't eat ALL the cookies. That wouldn't be good. Not good at all.





Low Fat Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpats.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, salt, xanthan gum, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the dark brown sugar, white sugar, egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to complete combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

Using a medium sized cookie scoop (a heaping, rounded tablespoon), space cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes until slightly golden around the edges and set in the middle.

Remove from the oven, let sit for 3 minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 18 cookies, depending on your scoop size.

Dunkin' Good!

Doughnuts are one of those foods that I always felt very guilty eating. Well, at least, after I was done eating one. The guilt would creep in as I ordered a fat-laden goodie at the counter... then I would shut it down as I munched... but as soon as the last bite was gone, the guilt would return. I mean, seriously, one doughnut from the local doughnut shop probably has a week's worth of fat allowance in it.... and I just ate it in 3 minutes. I was afraid to listen closely for fear of actually hearing my arteries clogging.

I should mention that I would partake of doughnuts maybe 3 times a year. Still, the guilt would come.

I've seen recently seen, in stores, these nifty baking pans shaped like doughnuts. And every time I passed them I would think, "Huh. Gotta give that a try some time." I did that many, many times... walking by and thinking I would get one some time.

I'm happy to report that my dear husband, who had witnessed the walking and thinking routine probably one too many times, decided to take matters into his own hands and give me the pan as a Christmas gift. Yay! No more walking and thinking... at least about the doughnut pan.

I wasn't sure where to start... cinnamon sugar doughnuts? Pumpkin doughnuts? No, no, no.... BANANA doughnuts. Ah, yes.

My first baked doughnut experience! It was exactly what I'd hoped it would be. If only I had whistled whilst making them, it could have been a Disney movie. I'm digressing.

These little guys are soft and sweet and... banana-y.... delicious. One word of caution... make them the day you plan to eat them. The banana makes them so moist and lovely that they lose their doughnut texture after a while (meaning, the next day). So - make 'em for breakfast or brunch and munch away!



Low Fat, Gluten Free BAKED Banana Doughnuts

1 1/2 cups Pamela's Baking Mix
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup light sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a doughnut baking pan with non-stick baking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the Pamela's mix, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla and sour cream. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pan, about 3/4 of the way full. Baked 15-16 minutes until set. Let cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cook another 5 minutes, then roll each doughnut in some granulated sugar. Let cool completely before serving.

Makes about 12 doughnuts.