Cheater.

I don't know what it is, but I've really been wanting to cheat on our diet lately.

It's usually not a big deal. I have never knowingly eaten anything that I knew could upset Bubby's tummy. I have been strict. I've missed things, sure, but knowing that my son feels 100% better (and, really, that I do too) makes it more than worth it.

Lately though? Things that are off limits have been sounding pretty damn good. Like when the hubby got some chocolate peppermint topped cheesecake for his treat on his night off. Or some yummy fresh baked sourdough bread. Brie. An apple fritter. I could really go for one (or all) of those right now.

It's weird. I usually don't miss things. I did for a short bit after each one of our unsuccessful reintroductions, but when I haven't had it for awhile it usually doesn't matter. It's usually the dairy too, since I felt like crap when we tried to reintroduce the wheat.

If you're on a restricted diet, do you ever find yourself craving things that are off-limits? Do you cheat? Do you just push through until the cravings go away?

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free Thanksgiving.

We did it AGAIN. Another year with a delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free Thanksgiving dinner.

The spread.

Turkey.

Egg stuffing.

Marshmallow mashed sweet potatoes.

Mashed potatoes (made with coconut milk)

Gluten-free stuffing.

Pumpkin pie with vegan, soy-free whipped cream.

Thanksgiving Prep.

This will be our second gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free Thanksgiving. I LOVE Thanksgiving, but we just weren't feeling like cooking this year. I also didn't feel like going over the mountains to my dads, nor did I trust my mother-in-law to actually cook according to our dietary restrictions (to her credit, I don't really trust anyone to cook to our dietary restrictions). I have two relatives with Celiac's and other family members who sort of haphazardly eliminate things from their diet and don't meticulously read labels (like my dad who served gluten free spaghetti and regular ol' bakery bread the last time we were over). Of course, that's their choice; they're adults and can cheat (or not cheat) as much as their little heart desires. Since Bubby can't choose for himself, I choose for him. And we don't cheat.

Anyway, we went from planning no Thanksgiving to having two Thanksgivings! Our small Wednesday dinner with my sister turned in to a dinner for eight. Then Thursday we'll go to my brother-in-laws. I feel somewhat safe eating the food there, but I'll probably bring food for Bubby and I just to be sure. My mother-in-law took great offense to this it seems, but, really, we were just trying to make things easier for them and reduce stress (and the chance of being up all night with a screaming almost two-year old) for me.

I'm going to make a pumpkin pie this afternoon (just as soon as I finish my coffee) and prep the stuffing later tonight. Glenn is in charge of the turkey tomorrow. We'll also have egg stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cranberry orange sauce, and some other dessert. Oh, and Stovetop. For some reason, my dear husband has a penchant for Stovetop stuffing so there goes our almost completely homemade Thanksgiving. I don't really care, although I do love giving him a hard time about it. I'm sure there's something else I'm forgetting.

I'll try to snap some pictures and post some recipes later.

But, don't hold your breath because seeing how my last post was on Halloween I'm not promising to get them up anytime in the next 24 - 36 hours ;)

Wheat. Take Three.

I can't think of a better way to reintroduce wheat than to celebrate our anniversary with a cold, award-winning beer on the beach at the local brewery.

Bubby has been having wheat for a few weeks. We made the decision to reintroduce to him and to hold off on any reintroduction for me. As far as we can tell he seems to be doing fine with it. There was some question after he'd had it for about a week, but, luckily, it seems he just have a stomach bug. I've never been so happy for a stomach bug! I wouldn't say we're 100% sure that he's fine with wheat -- maybe 98% at this point. It's hard to tell with the little guy sometimes. He is a bit cranky, but I'm pretty sure that can be attributed to his cutting three more teeth right now. They keep coming in bunches and I can't really decide if that's better or worse, perhaps better in the long run, no?

I've only had the beers and plan to remain wheat-free (and mostly gluten-free). I just feel better not eating it. After talking with a naturopath, I wonder if Bubby was reacting to my antibodies earlier. I'm not sure exactly how that works (so don't ask!), but apparently if I had a problem with wheat he could be reacting to my antibodies.

He most definitely still has a problem with dairy. We had planned not to reintroduce that for quite awhile due to his bad reaction last time, but unfortunately we ran in to a very ignorant waitress who didn't know that butter is dairy. Eh....perhaps with the rising incidence of food allergies she should have been better informed. You would think. We will probably give the soy a try again soon just so we know. I'm not too keen on him (or any of us) having a lot of soy anyway, so we'll just see if there is something we're eating that he can try. I'm not going to go out of my way to reintroduce soy to him as we try to avoid it for the most part.

Menu Plan Monday: 06/06

This week is save money and go through the freezer week. We're trying to stick to $125/week for groceries (including Costco). I'm sure this sounds outrageous to my couponing friends, but between my special diet, trying to eat organic when we can, and Costco (which I'm really trying to figure out if it's worth it for us; we've cut down to only absolute staples there and we try to find them on sale elsewhere beforehand. It's nice to know we can get some ground turkey at a reasonable price if our freezer stock is gone though) $125 adds up fast.

I've also tried to really cut back on the food items I buy. Like coconut milk coffee creamer is A MUST. Cannot live without. But gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free waffles? More like a once in awhile thing. It's hard because I still go through phases where I feel like there's nothing in the house I can eat, but I try to make sure I have an adequate supply. Like today I got two Lara Bars and two Amande yogurts (almond milk yogurts which are pretty good; I wasn't a fan of the coconut milk yogurt I tried so we checked this one out. Tasty, but little nutritional value; I think I'm just in a missing dairy phase...). Also trying to stock up on fresh fruits & vegetables and nuts for my evening snacks. I guess I'm just mostly trying to eat foods that are naturally free of gluten, dairy and soy.

Enough rambling. Here's our menu.

All menus are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free, or easily adapted to be.

Sunday: Turkey Tostadas
Monday: BBQ Chicken with homemade potato salad and fresh veggies
Tuesday: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (we're winging this -- some sort of concoction with lentils, rice, veggies, etc)
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday: BBQ Pork, polenta and green salad
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: ??? We'll have to grocery shop again on Friday so....

Just what I needed

Quite awhile back I'd scheduled a mom's afternoon out for today. Just a quick trip to a local coffee shop. I always feel like I can be a better parent when I take the time to refresh and rejuvenate. I've been involved in other mom's groups that do a lot of mom's night outs, but those never really work for me (since, you know, my kiddos fall asleep by nursing). I'm glad there's a pretty good response in our AP group for afternoon mom's only events; babes in arms are always welcome and, in fact, even those that don't always like to stay in arms are welcome, too.

As today started I found myself wishing everyone would just cancel and I didn't have to go. I get in moods like that sometimes. Bubby has been very cranky lately (molars, a bit of a cold last week and the soy reintroduction turned out to be the triple threat) and only mom will do. Beanie has been having an especially rough time; it finally clicked that it's probably quite taxing on her to have an upset little brother screaming and hollering all the time, too. As I was getting ready to leave, both kids were sprawled out on the hallway carpet, not happy campers. Glenn got them up and took them in to the back yard and I finished getting ready. I said my goodbyes and made my way to the coffee shop.

It was just what I needed. Many times when I start feeling like our day is spiraling out of control I feel like just hunkering down and staying in. I forgot how much a change of scenery can help, not only for the kids, but for me too.

I sat outside in the sunshine (it's absolutely gorgeous here this weekend!), tried hemp milk for the first time (it was good, but I think I prefer rice milk lattes), and made a new friend. The other mom I met is also gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free (imagine that!) so we had lots to talk about. Her daughter is just a week older than Beanie and they attend a local UU (Unitarian Universalist) congregation (do you call UU establishments "churches," I don't know. Not something we're interested in right now, but I've definitely thought of it.)


My sister came over later and we played outside with the kids, BBQ'd, and roasted marshmallows. It was a good day.

Sometimes when I just want to hunker down and hide from the world I really just need to get out and confront the day head on. Easier said than done.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

I'd been wanting to make zucchini bread for quite a long while and we finally got around to it. I've been pretty pleased with how all my breads have been turning out, so yay! I used a tiny bit of xanthan gum, but I think I probably could have left it out since there was so much moisture in the recipe anyway.

If we ever get around to planning and planting our garden, I'd love to grow some zucchini and yellow squash. The weather this weekend is forecasted to be spectacular, so maybe we'll get around to weeding and digging out some of the old owners' stuff in the next few days. We need to do the digging quickly as some plants are popping up that are really encroaching on our blueberries.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

4c coarsely shredded zucchini
3c gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)
2c sugar
1c canola oil
4 eggs (beaten)
1Tbsp + 1tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2tsp gf baking powder

Directions:

1. Generously grease two bread pans. (I use Spectrum palm shortening)
2. Beat all ingredients at low speed, scraping bowl constantly.
3. Pour in to pans and bake at 325 degrees for 50-60minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).
4. Cool ten minutes, then remove from pans.

Enjoy!

Sunday Surf: First Edition

I keep thinking I should join in the Sunday Surf with Mamapoekie. Mostly because I link a lot of posts on my Facebook, posts that perhaps would be more interesting to my blog readers than to many of my Facebook friends. I still link them on Facebook. I figure it's my personal page (I keep thinking maybe I need a Facebook page for my blog, but then I remember I'm trying to cut back on my online time, not increase it) and I can do with it what I want. I also figure that you never know who might gather a tidbit of useful information from a post I link. They also might hide me on Facebook, but I suppose that's another problem all together.

So, without further ado, here's my very first Sunday Surf -- the best of what I've read in the last week (plus a few extra goodies from earlier this month):

• You are not a perfect parent by Annie at PhD in Parenting. Granted this is not a new post, but she linked it on her Facebook fan page today and it is definitely worth the read. A good reminder that no one is perfect.
• What to hate about 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'. When I was pregnant with Beanie I remember hearing about how awful this book was. Luckily my OB gave me a copy of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin and I never touched WTEWYE.
• The hottest gluten-free launches of 2011 (so far) by the Scottsdale gluten-free Examiner. I can't wait to try some Rudi's hotdog buns, especially since the ones I tried last night were inedible. And new flavors of Luna & Larry's coconut milk ice-cream. I'd also like to try the new Amande yogurt, since Cascade Fresh was my favorite yogurt in my dairy eating days.
• Why preschool shouldn't be like school explains how the research shows that children need "a rich, stable, and safe world, with affectionate and supportive grown-ups, and lots of opportunities for exploration and play. Not school for babies."
• A good reminder that rear facing carseats aren't just for babies anymore.
• And, just for fun (and because Jenny Lawson's aka The Bloggess' posts on The Stir make me bust a gut every time) -- Lesson 12: Working Moms vs. Stay-at-Home Moms: Worst Cage Match Ever
• If you've been following our random acts of kindness for the March of Kindness, check out this wrap-up post from Code Name: Mama
• I'm also still trying to get through reading all of the Top Ten lists from the March Carnival of Natural Parenting.

So, there you go! A little bit of reading for you to enjoy. If you've read something really great this week post a link in the comments so I can check it out.

Another Unsuccessful Reintroduction

Image credit: Guillaume Paumier on Flickr

Two weeks ago, I reintroduced dairy into my diet. I was hopeful as our pediatrician said that most infants outgrow their dairy intolerance by age one. I was a bit more excited to reintroduce dairy than I had been with the wheat. I'd been compiling a mental list of the foods I'd really like to have again: pizza, cheesecake, a grilled cheese sandwich, ice cream. I wanted the most bang for the buck, so to speak, if I was only able to eat dairy for a few days.

I was nervous because last time Bubby had blood in his diapers within two days of reintroduction. This time we made it to day six.

I'm bummed that he had to go through that again. I'm hopeful that he will still outgrow it, as the reaction took longer to come about.

So, we're still wheat-, dairy- and soy-free. At this point I think we'll hold off on any more reintroductions for awhile. I feel healthier eating this way and, obviously, so does he. There isn't really any rush and we'll just see how things go from here.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

I've tinkered with this banana bread recipe a few times, but we finally got it to turn out perfect! This is Glenn's grandma's recipe.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 c Earth Balance dairy-free soy-free "butter"
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 c gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
3 mashed bananas (very ripe)
1/4c chopped nuts (if desired -- I always leave out)

Directions:

1. Cream "butter" and sugar.
2. Add eggs and beat well, then add flour, xanthan gum, and baking soda.
3. Crush bananas and mix in. Add nuts.
4. Place in greased pan (I use Spectrum palm shortening) and bake at 350 degrees for an hour. Check with toothpick to see if it comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

These are an adaptation from the blueberry oat bars I made earlier. I've been wanting to try them with the pumpkin and finally got around to it. I think I could've eaten the whole pan in one sitting! They were delicious.

I use regular oats since I am eating gluten-free for Bubby, who is intolerant to wheat, but if you are gluten intolerant or have Celiac's you may want to seek out gluten-free oats (and baking soda, vanilla, etc etc) for yourself. Please double check that any ingredients are suitable for your diet.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

4 1/2c rolled oats
1 cup GF flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free baking flour)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c DF "butter," softened (I used Earth Balance dairy-free soy-free buttery spread)
1/3 c honey
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1c pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
dash of cloves
1c chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life chocolate chips)


Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Press into a greased (I used Spectrum palm shortening) 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 min. Let cool. Cut into squares & wrap individually in wax paper. Refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving was an adventure in baking for sure! I was scared excited to see how everything turned out. I was very pleased with the pumpkin pie. I adapted this recipe. For the crust I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Biscuit and Baking Mix (the recipe for the crust is on the back of the bag). I used Earth Balance dairy-free soy-free butter when preparing the crust.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1-15oz can pumpkin
• 1- 14oz can light coconut milk

Directions:

1. Prepare crust according to directions.
2. Place 2 eggs in medium-sized bowl; beat lightly.
3. Beat in remaining ingredients.
4. Pour into shell and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about an hour longer, or until knife comes out clean when inserted into pie.
6. Cool completely.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry Orange Bread

As Autumn arrived and Thanksgiving was on my mind I vowed to start trying to adapt recipes early. We love Thanksgiving in this house! The baking, the family, the leftovers. The thought of our very first (and hopefully only) gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free Thanksgiving was a little overwhelming. Overwhelming with the possibility of being a really cool and exciting adventure I guess.

I haven't done as much adapting as I would like, but today Beanie and I made Cranberry Orange Bread. The original recipe is my mother-in-law's and it's one of our fall favorites. I am very pleased with how our gluten-free version came out.

Cranberry Orange Bread

Ingredients:

2c gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1c sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh grated orange peel
1/4c Spectrum palm shortening
3/4c orange juice
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2c fresh cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift flour and other dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Put the palm shortening in the middle & cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Blend orange juice and egg; add in to mixture.
5. Fold in cranberries.
6. Turn into greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50min or until golden brown and a toothpick is dry when inserted into loaf. Cool on it's side on a rack.

Enjoy!

Elimination Diet: My Favorite Foods & Products

When I first went on the elimination diet & eliminated all eight top allergens from my diet (dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish) I had a hard time adjusting. There were are lot of things I couldn't have. I tried to focus on the things I could have, but in the beginning that list seemed short -- meats, fruit, vegetables and rice. I quickly learned to make the best of our new-found diet situation; it was all about exploring new foods, preparing my own food and eating whole, unprocessed foods.

The following is a list of the foods and products that made me feel like I wasn't missing out on anything at all. In fact, I got to add a bunch of news foods to my repertoire.

1. So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer: I really like a cup of coffee in the morning. I like it with creamer. A lot of creamer. When I first went on the elimination diet, a friend suggested almond milk for my coffee. Too thin. I tried vanilla syrup. Better taste, but still not my thing. I ended up forgoing my morning cup of joe because I just couldn't find anything I liked to put in it. When I found out about So Delicious coconut milk coffee creamer I was ecstatic. I think I ran to the store that same day to buy some. It tasted just like the creamer I was used to, if not better. The consistency was just what I was looking for; it's creamy and flavorful. I never run out of my vanilla coconut milk coffee creamer now; the fridge is always well stocked.

2. Zing bars: We were wandering around the market one day when I noticed a sample table. I usually avoid them, but this one caught my eye. I was so excited to find Zing bars. They are locally made. When I was first starting the big elimination I was at a loss for what to eat for protein. Before, I stuck with nuts, eggs, and dairy for most of my protein, meat to a lesser extent. On the elimination diet, I was starting to feel like I was always hungry. I was starving in the evenings between nursing all the time and the diet. The Zing bars were perfect when I needed a snack to get me through. I started out with the Chocolate Coconut Zing bar (contains almonds & coconut) and, later when I could have peanuts, I tried out the Chocolate Peanut Butter one. There is also a Cranberry Orange flavor that is dairy free too, but contains cashews. I am positive I will never look at a protein/energy bar the same way. You'll be hard up to find one that comes close to Zing bars in taste.

3. Quinoa: I had never had quinoa before going on the big elimination. Glenn had picked some up at Trader Joes a long while back and it was sitting in our cupboard. One night we were getting dinner prepared and I realized that I couldn't have the side dish Glenn had picked out (I can't remember what it was or why now). I started looking through the cupboards trying to find something I could eat as a side. I found the quinoa. I'm so glad I did. Quinoa is one of our favorite grains now. We use quinoa pasta in our favorite soup. We have two delicious side salads that we make: Greek Quinoa and Red Quinoa with Papaya & Mango Salsa and Arugala. We have quinoa for breakfast. Beanie loves it too.

4. Trader Joes Brown Rice Penne Pasta: I was sure I'd have to miss out on pasta being gluten-free. Not the case! We definitely don't have it as often as we used to, but the TJ's brown rice penne pasta is delicious. We've tried a few brands of brown rice pasta, but the TJ's one is, by far, the best. For a full review, click here.

5. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour: I'm not a fancy baker or cook. I do like baking with Beanie and, having the dietary restrictions we do, it's often easier to make something yummy at home. Often times recipes call for a mixture of flours, but I found the easy way out -- Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all purpose baking flour. We had started using rice flour initially, but switched to the Bob's Red Mill one, which is a mix of gluten-free flours and potato starch, and are happier with the taste and texture of our baked goods. Also, must mention the xantham gum too -- really helped with the baked goods! Basically, we've liked every single Bob's Red Mill gluten-free product we've tried and there have been quite a few: vanilla cake, cornbread, brownies, and pancake mix to name a few.

6. Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss ice-cream: Okay, okay ice-cream is definitely not an essential food item. Or maybe it is? What I do know is that Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss ice-cream was my treat when I felt like I couldn't eat anything. In the beginning of the big elimination, I felt like every time I ate it was a constant reminder of the diet. Going to the freezer and pulling out some ice-cream was something I looked forward to each evening. My two favorite flavors are the Mint Galactica (the best mint chocolate chip ice cream Glenn says he's had and he's something of a mint chocolate chip ice-cream connoisseur) and the Chocolate Peanut Butter. The Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge was the first one I had and it is so rich and tasty that just a small bit will satisfy you. Even if there's no reason for you not to have dairy ice-cream I implore you to try Coconut Bliss.

7. Rudi's gluten-free bread: Sometimes you just really want a sandwich. Or a slice of toast. Glenn found Rudi's gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread for me and I was hooked. Their multigrain bread is my favorite for sandwiches. I don't do sandwiches a lot, but when I do I definitely prefer their bread. (contains eggs -- I didn't try this until later on)

8. Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread: Earth Balance dairy-free soy-free spread is so good! It's great for baking, putting on toast, or (Beanie would tell you) just eating out of a spoon. I'm not kidding, just today we were making biscuits and she was so excited to put the measuring cups in the sink so she could, and I quote, "lick them all clean." She now asks for "mommy's butter" on her food too.



9. Rice Dream Rice Milk:  Rice Dream rice milk became my go to drink. I don't really drink it by itself, but I always have it on hand for baking, granola, and lattes. I was so excited to get a case of it at Costco; I only have two cartons left so I hope I can find it there again soon.

There were obviously foods that, although not "required" by any stretch of the imagination, made the elimination a lot more fun. So, honorable mentions go to:


Enjoy Life chocolate chips -- Enjoy Life Foods are gluten-free and made without any of the top eight allergens
Kinnikinnick cinnamon donuts -- These are delicious with coffee.
Kinnikinnick frozen waffles -- Some mornings I don't feel like oatmeal. Or eggs. Or making pancakes. These waffles are easy to pop in the toaster and really tasty.
Udi's gluten-free double chocolate muffins -- My post Best Treat Ever pretty much sums it up.

Oatmeal Berry Cookies

Oatmeal Berry Cookies

Last week I made my first batch of gluten-free cookies. I was very pleased with how they turned out! At first I thought they were a little too crumbly, but I quickly realized that was only because I was eating them before they cooled. They were delicious. I think this is originally the recipe from the Quaker Oats box, but I've had it in my cookbook for so long I'm not 100% positive.

Oatmeal Berry Cookies

1c Earth Balance dairy-free, soy-free butter
1c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2c Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour
3/8tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2tsp flaxseed meal
1/2tsp salt
3c oats **
1c Trader Joe's golden berry blend (dried golden raisins, cherries, cranberries and blueberries)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat "butter" and sugars until creamy.

3. Add eggs & vanilla; beat well.

4. Add combined flour, xantham gum, baking soda, cinnamon, flaxseed meal, and salt; mix well.

5. Stir in oats and berries; mix well.

6. Drop by rounded Tbsp (or larger if you like big cookies like me!) on ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake 10-12min (13-14min for larger cookies) or until golden brown.

8. Cool on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Yield: 18 large (like six per cookie sheet) cookies.

** Since I am not gluten-intolerant myself, I just use regular oats. If you are dealing with Celiac's or other gluten intolerance, you may want to seek out gluten-free oats due to the risk of cross contamination. For more information on oats, click here.

Ann's Almost Famous Pumpkin Bread

Ann's Almost Famous Pumpkin Bread

My friend Ann gave me a pumpkin bread recipe a few years back. If there's one thing I love about Fall, it's pumpkin bread. And cookies, scones, pancakes, lattes, I could go on and on. Apparently I have a lot of recipe adapting to do this Fall.

The bread poofed up quite a bit while it was baking and then sunk down after I took it out of the oven. Do any gluten-free bakers know why? Too much xanthan gum? Not enough? It didn't sink too bad, the texture was good (if anything maybe a bit too moist??) and it definitely didn't affect the taste. The bread was delicious. I'll definitely make it again, although I may play around with the recipe a bit more.

Ann's Almost Famous Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2c Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour
3 1/2tsp xanthan gum (**It was recommended to me by Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free & Devan at Accustomed Chaos to try less xanthan gum, like 1 1/2-2tsp. I will try it that way next time. Thanks ladies.)
2tsp baking soda
1 1/2tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (I used ginger this time because, ergh, we were out of cinnamon!!)
2 tsp nutmeg
3c sugar
1c oil
4 eggs
2/3c water
2c mashed pumpkin or one small (15oz) can pumpkin
1c chocolate chips (optional -- I use the Enjoy Life brand; they're free of the top 8 allergens.)

***edited 10/28/11: I made this the other day & totally eliminated the xanthan gum. They were perfect!! I also added 2Tbsp of ground flaxseed. I think my dozen muffins and one loaf were gone in close to 24hours. I'll be making more tomorrow.***

Directions:

Sift together dry ingredients. Make a well in center. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide into two greased loaf pans (I use Spectrum palm shortening) and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm with a dab of Earth Balance dairy-free soy-free butter and a hot cup of coffee or apple cider and enjoy.

Best. Treat. Ever.

Early in my elimination diet a friend who was also trying to identify intolerances in her little one told me she found some gluten-free chocolate muffins at Whole Foods. I wondered if they'd be everything-free enough that I could enjoy them. And they are! Udi's Gluten free Double Chocolate Muffins are also dairy free, soy free and nut free. And they are delicious. They are moist and perfectly chocolaty. Pair them with a cup of coffee and some So Delicious French Vanilla coconut milk coffee creamer and you might find me breaking my no-chocolate-for-breakfast rule. They're perfect for a dessert too.

When I found out I had to be gluten-free and dairy-free for Bubby, I thought I was going to have to miss out on delicious baked goods. I found a lot of yummy-looking items that were gluten-free but not dairy-free or dairy-free but not gluten-free. Then I found Udi's muffins and realized I don't really have to miss out on anything at all.

Glenn, who's not gluten-free, even just asked me if he could have one of my muffins. Beanie likes them too. In fact, they taste better than many "regular" muffins I've had so even if you're not gluten- and dairy-free you might want to give them a try. They're on sale locally at PCC for $4.99 through the end of August. I bought two packs yesterday (one for now, one in the freezer) and I'm sure I'll go back for more by the end of the month.

Greek Quinoa

Tonight for dinner we BBQ'd chicken and I made a quinoa salad. I adapted this couscous recipe from Cooking Light. It's been one of our favorites for a long time. I make it chilled; I tried it warm (as the recipe calls for the first time) and didn't especially care for it. But, as a chilled salad it is amazing. We always leave out the red onions and I just chop the ingredients (cucumber, Kalamata olives & grape tomatoes) and stir them in until it looks like enough. Always more than the recipe calls for. I guess I like more "stuff" in my salad. Except for the chickpeas; in my opinion one can is more than enough for a double recipe. I left the feta out of mine, but Glenn & Beanie had some in theirs. Actually, the feta is about all Beanie ate of the quinoa but we let it slide because of her recent tummy issues (more on that later).

It's such an easy recipe. I don't know why I don't make it more often. You just cook (and chill if you like) the quinoa. Stir in the olives, cucumber, tomatoes & chickpeas (and feta if desired). Toss with a dressing of water, lemon juice, salt & pepper and Waalaa! a delicious dinner is served.

Glenn actually said he prefers it with the quinoa. I did too. I'm glad we have a lot of leftovers!!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Blueberry Oat Bars

Actually, they're vegan too.

I adapted this from a recipe a friend gave me. They are delicious.


GF DF Blueberry Oat Bars

4 1/2 c rolled oats
1 cup GF flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1-2 tsp vanilla extract (I used a bit more probably bc I went to add "a little" splash and dumped a bunch in lol)
2/3 c DF "butter," softened (I used Earth Balance dairy-free soy-free buttery spread)
1/3 c honey
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c applesauce
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c blueberries (you could use DF chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries, etc etc)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Press into a greased (I used Spectrum palm shortening) 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 min. Let cool. Cut into squares & wrap individually in wax paper. Refrigerate.

They really held up well in the fridge. All three of us really liked them and they gave me quite a milk supply boost. Yay for another galactagogue if I need one!!

If I was a betting girl...

...I'd be a winner.

Appears Bubby has an intolerance to both wheat and dairy. Starting yesterday morning I noticed some yucky diapers and by 7pm last night Bubby was an inconsolable baby. It broke my heart. He was obviously in a lot of discomfort. He was up for most of the night -- I think we got some spurts of 45min of sleep here and there. This morning he had a super gross diaper. So, here I am a gluten-free and dairy-free mama.

I called my mom this morning in tears. I hardly ever call her like that, mostly because she isn't really the warm & supportive type, but I didn't know who else to talk to. I was exhausted from the night before, Glenn and I had a rough day yesterday, Beanie woke up at 5am this morning and wasn't going back to bed, Glenn woke up and decided to go on his hike despite everyone having a very rough time. I don't know, I guess I was hoping he'd wake up and think, Oh what a rough night for all of us. It'd probably be helpful to stick around the house today. I know he's been working his butt off at work. I also know I've been working my butt off here with the kids. I can't do it all. It's hard for me to even try lately. Sometimes I really wish that we had some family closer to us (even though they're all pretty cuckoo and if they were closer I might find myself wishing they were farther away). I just know that we need some help right now...

Anyhoo, off that tangent. Sorry. Can you tell my mind is totally rambly and in need of some strong coffee this morning?

I've been working through some thoughts on this whole elimination diet process, but I'll have to save that for another post because Bubby is seemingly ready for a nap already. I guess that's what happens when you're up all night. If only Beanie was ready to go down too, but that's wishful thinking ;)