Thinking about Thanksgiving.

I know its a bit early to think about Thanksgiving but I ran across a website today with some delicious recipes and found recipes for a gluten free thanksgiving.  I just wanted to share it with you.  The web address is http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2010/11/gluten-free-thanksgiving-2.html .  Even if you don't need to be gluten free you still might like to try these recipes.  Enjoy.

I'm still here.

I know I started this blog did a couple posts and then dropped off the face of blogger earth.  I have to admit eliminating things out of my diet has been difficult and I haven't always been content but that is my goal(as soon as I get a sandwich).   Let me see, what can I tell you that is interesting.

Cupcakes, I made some yummy chocolate cupcakes.  I found an excellent cookbook called, The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook,  By Cybele Pascal.  At this point in my life she is my hero.  There are many recipes I want to try in that cookbook.  I must add it is much more then just a cookbook, it is a full resource on what one would need to remove the offending foods from your diet and what to replace them with.

Today I made a great discovery and that is a delicious pancake mix called, Maple Grove Farms Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle Mix, oh so good and they browned just like regular pancakes.  I will tell you my secret too, I add a teaspoon of vanilla and sprinkle some cinnamon in the mix.  Yummy.

This past weekend was rough for me because we had a friends birthday and then we celebrated my sweet boys birthday.  Alex turned 7 and I so wanted to celebrate with him and that is when I made the chocolate cupcakes.  I think it made him happy that I could eat something sweet.  The hard part was not eating pizza, I love pizza but it is a triple threat for me, gluten, egg, and dairy.  I could make a vegen pizza crust but who eats pizza without cheese.  Not me.  I will just go without.

Tonight on the menu is country style ribs with a homemade bbq sauce from The Sensitive Pantry.  Many of her recipes look very good.  And if you looking for a good recipe try her's out. I should add that I am not using a rack of ribs like in her recipe, I prefer country ribs because I don't like to get my hands messy.

I hope you have a great day and enjoy your food what ever it may be.

The big bread flop.

This morning I thought I would try to make a loaf of gluten, dairy and egg free bread.  I will tell you that this is not for the faint hearted.  First mistake I made is not having exactly the right flour blend.  Ok, so I like buckwheat pancakes and I had buckwheat flour(not to be confused with wheat flour, buckwheat is gluten free) and rice flour, also tapioca starch, and some other things that go in this type of bread.  My thought I will wing it and see how it turns out.  Before you think I made up my own recipe, no I did not.  I followed a recipe just substituted other flours.  I mixed it all up and put in the pan and let is rise.  After an hour of "rising" somewhat, I put it in the oven for an hour.  Boy did that bread smell good, the yeasty smell flowed through the house and my mouth watered with a desire to taste it.  Unfortunately it wasn't done in time to cool off for lunch so I had lunch meat and a salad.  Later on when it was cool enough I excitedly cut into.  The texture was pretty dense, more than I expected. I think the color made me start to question.It was this muddy gray looking tint but I was not to be put off.   I put it up to my face and took a deep breath in, the smell was good and so I bit into it.  That folks was my second mistake, I should have taken it directly from the oven to the garbage, the taste was awful to say the least.  I did not enjoy it, it wasn't the delectable taste I was looking for.  I don't know anyone who would have eaten it.   Yes I threw that sad looking lump of expensive flours away, but if all works out I will try again.  I am not giving up because I know there is just the right bread recipe out there for me.  And, when I make it I will use exactly what it calls for unless of course there are eggs and dairy and then I know what to do about that.

Yes, that was my excitement for the day in my quest to not live without.

Being Content

For I have learned, that in whatsoever state I am in,

therewith to be content

Phillipians 4:11

Be content? How can one do that when you have to give up so much?  If Paul could be content then surely I can too.  You might ask, what do I have to give up.  Should I give the short list or the long one.  Here's a sample of the long one; cakes, cookies, bread, my favorite wheat crackers, pancakes, waffles, chocolate milk, scrambled eggs, potato chips . . . . I could go on and on.  Now for the short list; gluten, dairy, eggs, safflower oil  and pinto beans.  Yes I know pinto beans is a laughable one, but if its effects me negatively then I must give it up. 

Why do I have to give them? Well, recently I was diagnosed with the above food sensitivities, not specifically the long list but the short list.  I cannot eat foods with those things in it.  On the bright side after doing much research I have found many recipes that can be made with substitutions.  I am sure it does change the taste but I think I can handle it.  I'm a big girl, I can be flexible and learn to like new foods. I refuse to sit around and mope, I will be content because even though the short list effects so many things I eat, the list of foods I can have far out ways what I can't have.  That is why have chosen to not think of it as "living without", but "not living without".