Friday, March 29, 2013

GF MINI LOAF

I found this by chance. It was supposed to be cooked in microwave, but since I don't believe in microwaves being safe, we bake it. And it works out great!  YOU need to use the GF flour mix recipe I have on the site, as it has the baking powder in it.

GF Mini Loaf

1 egg or 1 TBS flax meal AND 3 TBS water
3 TBS buttermilk*
1/3 cup gluten free flour mix
1 tsp. honey or sugar or agave

Combine wet ingredients first, then dry. Stir well. Pour into small loaf pan (SMALL, like one from a kids baking set). Bake at 375 for 20 minutes in the MIDDLE of the oven.

*you can use dairy free milk. Just add a tsp. of lemon juice or vinegar to make it "buttermilk" to make a total of 3 TBS of "buttermilk".

Depending on your flours, and liquids, and weather, the middle can sometimes be sticky, but we like the ease of this recipe, quickness of it, and the flavor can always be changed by adding dry herbs.

Flour Mix for Gluten FREE

Our flour mix changes depending on what I have in stock. BUT, the more flours you use, the better the mix! I highly recommend millet flour (protein!!) and buckwheat flour (texture, protein, low glycemic index).

Gluten FREE flour mix

1 cup white rice flour
1 cup millet flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
2 tsp. xanthum
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix well and store in airtight container.

Now that all said. I have also done this:

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup potato OR tapioca starch
2 tsp. xanthum
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Basically, the 1 cup of white rice flour stays the same. But I will mix and match my other flours depending on what I have. We use these mixes to make muffins, cookies, and an easy to make GF bread.

NOTICE we NEVER EVER use soy or corn flours. Due to allergies, but also because all corn and all soy products are GMO, AND our bodies do not digest soy at all. It is actually toxic. And corn (unless you can get it from the people in Mexico that grow the non-GMO heirloom corn that they have grown for centuries) is bad for us as well.

Chocolate Pots De Creme

Yes it is a dessert. But do you know how hard it is to find a dessert that is CF, GF, DF,  & SF that isn't just cut up fruit????? Super difficult! You can use any milk, any sweetener, and any extract you desire. Sorry, no picture, I have made this twice this week, and it just disappears too quickly!

Chocolate Pots De Creme
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips*
1 cup half and half **
2 eggs***
3 tablespoons sugar ****
2 tablespoons rum*****
dash of salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chocolate chips and half and half, stir until melted and combined. Take off heat. Cool slightly. Beat remaining ingredients. Gradually stir into chocolate mixture. Pour through a fine strainer into four 6-ounce custard cups or a corning ware dish.
Place cups or corning ware dish in pan on oven rack. Pour boiling water into pan to with in 1/2-inch of tops of cups. Bake 20 minutes for cups and 25 to 30 minutes for corning ware dish. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serves 4

*we used GF, CF, SF, DF semisweet chocolate, or dark baking chocolate (we prefer dark chocolate, for flavor and health benefits)
**I have used half and half, whole cow milk, coconut milk, almond coconut milk..
***we used organic farm fresh eggs (our own)
****I have used sugar, honey, and agave nectar.  I prefer honey. If using honey or agave nectar only use half as much as called for in recipe
*****NO rum here. But I have used a tablespoon of GF, CF REAL vanilla extract, GF/CF almond extract (1/2 tsp and then the rest vanilla)

This recipes is super easy to make, super easy to make dietary restrictions work in. ALL my kids love it. NO I do not refrigerate it for 4 hours. I let it cool 20 minutes, then stick it in the freezer for 20 minutes, and whalaa, yumminess.. if I can keep the kids out of it that long.  Yes I do strain it so there are no chewy egg chunks, which happens when the eggs curdle.. yuck.. But it still tastes good.

Tummy aches

It has not been something I have shared. But here goes.

I have tummy aches, pains, sharp pains.. Pains that send me to the ER to have them tell me, we can't find anything, but would you like some pain meds (even though you are pregnant!)!  AAARRRGGGHHHH

The article on CELIACS is fantastic and tells you about how being celiac or even just gluten intolerant can cause problems from head to toe! Including depression, ADD/ADHD, headaches, vitamin deficiencies and more.

It wasn't until I started going gluten free again that the pains lessened. But then with cravings, yup, I started eating gluten again.. ugh.. OUCH.. In my search for help with my and Peaches tummy aches and other health issues we came across an article that sounded like it was written about us! I will share it at the end. BUT, as many of you know I grind all my own grains. Soft wheat, oat groats, buckwheat (which is NOT related to wheat), hard wheat, triticale, kamut, lentils, rice... millet, quinoa.. I can't remember them all. 

I also sprout alot of them too, then dry them in my dehydrator on low heat (about 85 degrees), then grind them. Sprouting changes the proteins, enzymes and vitamins and minerals in your grains. It also makes the grains much easier to digest.. BUT, it wasn't helping Peaches or me.  Now I know why.

The wheat of Jesus' time only had 10 to 12 gluten strains in it. The wheat of today, that has been bred for shorter height, higher yields, and faster growth, not to mention the GMO stuff from Monsanto has over 100 strains of gluten in it, AND scientists don't really know how are bodies are reacting to these new glutens!
Well for us, we aren't reacting well to them. There is Einkorn, and Jovial wheat, which is like the stuff Jesus had.. but I have alot of kids, and I make a lot of bread... At $6 to $18 per POUND, I just can't afford it.. So what to do??

No bread. Well, not with wheat or gluten in it. We have discovered the GF diet (gluten free). Actually I prefer it. I lost 30 pounds on it!!  And it was weight I could afford to lose!  Peaches, has not gained or lost weight. BUT she can bend her fingers now! HUGE bonus. But, we prefer to stay away from GF breads because they usually contain corn or soy to replace the wheat. We make our own, but the FRANZ bakery also make some in a GF certified plant. They have one bread that tastes like a Poulsbo bread and it has quinoa and millet in it, my favorite.. They also have a white bread that is made with rice (great for eggs and toast). But we have discovered a quick bread to make for when we are having soup, or really want a bread sandwich. I will try to post more GF recipes on here, especially tried and trues!!

People think it is sooo hard to be GF, and when you are just starting it is, but you have to focus on what you CAN eat, not what you may not.
Lettuce wrapped burgers (love the crunch!! and it is soooo much lighter and you feel better after eating it)
chicken salad in romaine lettuce (rolled up, like a wrap)
fruits
veggies
meats
cheeses
buckwheat pancakes or waffles
GF certified oatmeal (usually ok for celiacs too)

If you think about it, eating GF is better for you. Highly processed grains (white flour) is really hard on your adrenal glands, pancreas, liver, GI tract, and brain. It is usually rancid before you buy it, and causes malabsorbtion in most!  Ever wonder why you are hungrier after a sandwich or piece of toast?? Because white flour makes you hungry.

Don't even get me started on the evils of corn syrup, splenda, white and brown sugars... That is another posting..

Anyway, I will try to post GF recipes that are tried and true this coming week.. if I remember. BUT here is an excellent article written by a nurse that explains many of my and Peach's symptoms.. and why we are GF now. Most likely Princess will be GF soon as well.

CELIAC DISEASE HEAD TO TOE

Saturday, March 23, 2013

March Madness

I think the real meaning of March Madness is about all the cabin fever, and then Mother Nature teases you with a day of sunshine, even though pretty chilly out still. Then the next day you wake up to rain, or snow.. Yup, that is March Madness..

What have we been up to over here? Well, we are getting Amber's garden ready for planting. We will be doing a hoop house over it and also the other bigger garden. In Amber's garden we plan on planting lettuces, spinach, beets and peas. In the other garden we are planning squashes, onions, garlic, cucumbers and carrots. In the upper garden we are planning on some heirloom tomatoes, runner beans, ground cherries, chives, and maybe chamomile. In the back garden we are planning on some more lettuces, spinaches and maybe some cold tolerant herbs.

We were expecting our first litters this month, but sadly the mommas didn't do a very good job and we lost every baby. We got our chicks, and they are doing great! We are excited for more eggs, as we use sooo many when we have them available.

The last couple days it has rained, snowed, sleeted, hailed, frosted, been sunny and windy. Today it is sunny and breezy right now.. but cold out. It frosted last night, so I my bark piles that need moving are still frozen..

We still need to turn the compost, get the dirt for Amber's and other gardens so we can finally plant. Buy the hoops and plastic for the gardens as well. I hope to be able to do that today.

This next week, we will be sprouting some grains and beans for making bread. Working on a baby quilt, baby drawstrings, getting my room organized, and hopefully finishing up the hoops gardens with planting!