Well it is fall and I am back to cooking in the crockpot or the stove.. so I brought out some cookbooks to get the recipes.
(What happened?? I was typing along and puff most of it disappeared..wow! Must be the ghosts?I am getting ahead of myself, again.)
Anyway, Eric got his own apartment this year. ( Yes, I know, my baby sharing an apartment with 3 other guys and paying rent and utilities etc. Scary!) Back to the story, he called and asked for some thing that didn't fit in the CRV when I brought him downstate. Girl friend's parents were going there and could bring them. ( Yes, same gf since freshman in high school)
Anyway, I packed what he wanted, sort of, he asked for spices and I texted him a link to penzeys.com. Much better than I could do, but not free. But I packed him a cookbook. It was a basic Betty Crocker's cookbook that my mother owned. I thought he would find it useful and after all it was his grandma's.
I have a cookbook from my grandma, a settlement cookbook - do they make these anymore? Somethings are funny, how times have changed and some are useful. But it was my grandma's book and has her handwriting in it, and in between the pages are letters to my mom with recipes. Yep, she wrote and sent her recipes. My mother was a new bride at Ft Leonard wood, MO, and her mother and my Dad's mom sent her recipes. Didn't email, text, send her a link but wrote letters with news from home and sent recipes. ( Sigh)
I still have the book and at times just look at it, hold it in my hands and read it to feel close to her.
So I thought ( silly me) that Eric would like a cookbook from his grandma. But no!
He was polite and said the right things but the end result was that he could get anything he needed from the Internet.
I realized he was in kindergarten when my mom had a stroke, which brought on Parkinson's and never cooked again. So he didn't have the same feeling I do..but still.
Every Thanksgiving I make her recipe for Strawberry Jello Mold. It makes me feel good, but I think my kids think of it as mine not hers. Yet she was the one that won a contest with that mold. When she was still alive, she would smile as I brought it out and my Dad would have seconds or third and take some home. My sister associates my mom with the jello mold too.
I realized that I just belong to another generation. Books are special!
I have cookbooks, some can say I collect cookbooks. I just look at the pretty pictures, read the recipes, and thought about making some, actually tried some over the years. Some recipes were good and I make them again and others not so much once was enough. But some cookbooks I have used over and over again. For example, my Beard on Bread..( I know most have never heard of it, much less used it. Except me and Norene. ) anyway, it has spills and crumbs and dogeared pages. It falls open to banana bread..I used it just yesterday to make apple bread. Yes, gluten free apple bread with Jules all purpose flour. It was beautiful .. it was supposed to sit for 24 hours to get the apple flavor meshed in it, but no, it was gone in less than 24 minutes by Geoff and Scott and me. It was good and it has been so hot all summer, I haven't baked.
Wonder if I can gluten free bake on the Weber?
Thankfully the weather has turned a bit cooler so I can bake again.
Back to the story, I always thought that I would hand my cookbooks to my kids to use but now I realize that they will look at them and say "nice, pitch them or give them away". I thought about my nephew's wife but I think not! She has her own cookbooks. Anyone have a daughter that may want them?
So what could I do?? Well, I went to Barnes and Nobles and bought another cookbook!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
It is hard to believe that it is been a month since I last told you about my journey..
Well the weather has been grand and I have done a lot of BBQ..naturally gluten free..
Using GF BBQ sauce like Two Fat Guys..love this sauce. I can get it at Mariano's http://www.ilovetwofatguys.com/
But wait..the big news was Geoff graduated college... it was wonderful.
but back to food.. I did try some newish recipes..The latest one was Pineapple - Lemon Chicken, it was good and easy!
4 chicken breast halves
1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. ( I had a real pineapple and was gonna substitute, but when i cutted it, it had a small amount of mold. So I tossed it and went to Dominick's for a can.)
1 small lemon ( i forgot this and added a small amount of lemon juice)
1/3 cup catsup
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp bottle minced garlic ( 2 cloves)
1 tsp salt ( didn't add)
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed ( forgot)
1 tsp cornstarch
Put the boneless, skinless chicken breast is a large Ziploc bag in a shallow dish. Why in a dish? It leaks some if like me you don't close it right) Mix in a medium bowl all the stuff but the cornstarch. Then add to the Ziploc bag, shake and let it sit for 2 - 24 hours.
Set up grill for indirect heating and add drip pan. When coals are medium hot, Put chicken over the pan brush on some marinade that the chicken sat in, and cook covered 50 to 60 minutes. Turn chicken about 1/2 way in cooking and brush on more marinade. When done take off the grill and put on a platter.
Put the rest of the marinade in a medium sauce pan and add the cornstarch. It will thicken quickly. Cook for 2 minutes. Spoon over chicken.
I made risotto and salad to go with it. You could make plain rice too.
Just finished the chicken, it made a great salad. ( cat liked it)
Tonight I am going to grill burgers, turkey burgers actually, and salad. Nothing fancy!
Well the weather has been grand and I have done a lot of BBQ..naturally gluten free..
Using GF BBQ sauce like Two Fat Guys..love this sauce. I can get it at Mariano's http://www.ilovetwofatguys.com/
But wait..the big news was Geoff graduated college... it was wonderful.
but back to food.. I did try some newish recipes..The latest one was Pineapple - Lemon Chicken, it was good and easy!
4 chicken breast halves
1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. ( I had a real pineapple and was gonna substitute, but when i cutted it, it had a small amount of mold. So I tossed it and went to Dominick's for a can.)
1 small lemon ( i forgot this and added a small amount of lemon juice)
1/3 cup catsup
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp bottle minced garlic ( 2 cloves)
1 tsp salt ( didn't add)
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed ( forgot)
1 tsp cornstarch
Put the boneless, skinless chicken breast is a large Ziploc bag in a shallow dish. Why in a dish? It leaks some if like me you don't close it right) Mix in a medium bowl all the stuff but the cornstarch. Then add to the Ziploc bag, shake and let it sit for 2 - 24 hours.
Set up grill for indirect heating and add drip pan. When coals are medium hot, Put chicken over the pan brush on some marinade that the chicken sat in, and cook covered 50 to 60 minutes. Turn chicken about 1/2 way in cooking and brush on more marinade. When done take off the grill and put on a platter.
Put the rest of the marinade in a medium sauce pan and add the cornstarch. It will thicken quickly. Cook for 2 minutes. Spoon over chicken.
I made risotto and salad to go with it. You could make plain rice too.
Just finished the chicken, it made a great salad. ( cat liked it)
Tonight I am going to grill burgers, turkey burgers actually, and salad. Nothing fancy!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Chinese that is low fat and gluten free
I went to Indian Trails Public Library last week and attended a lecture/tasting by Esther Moy from the Golden Chef in Wheeling Ill. Fantastic!!!
She made a Chinese dish that was out of this world.. so
last night I tried to make the same thing.. her recipe was:
chicken ( trimmed breast meat)
Pea Pods (peeled) from Guatemala
Red Pepper ( from CA)
Ginger ( from Brazil)
onion ( from Wisconsin)
Garlic peeled ( from China)
Rice Flour ( I used Bob's Red Mill)
Notice - no amounts.. Season to taste!! LOL
Her homemade chicken broth used chicken, ginger, water. She also has it available to buy if you choose not to make it. I bought Imagine Soups Chicken broth.
She emphasized FRESH ingredients.
She steamed the chicken chunks for 3 minutes..I chunked 2 breasts of chicken, sans skin, and chunked up then onion into small pieces placed them into the wok.
I added 1/2 onion . ( it was a really big onion, if normal size ,I would use the whole onion.)
I skipped the garlic as Scott and garlic don't agree..
But i cooked the chicken and onion until the chicken was cooked, without oil. I was amazed!
For years ,I have been making stir fry, and adding tons of olive oil to brown the chicken and make the onion translucent..but the chicken and onion browned up..Although I did watch it closely.
I added pea pods ( about 2 cups) and red pepper chunks to the wok.
then I added 1/2 chicken soup..and covered for 3 minutes.
Once it was done, I mixed 1 TBS of rice flour and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Mixed them well, and it was murky.
I added this "gravy" to the wok, stirred it up to included the chicken, etc..and cooked for an additional 2 minutes.
Put it over brown rice.. It was a bit bland, so I added some orange sauce ..
YUM! I am gonna make that again..
She made a Chinese dish that was out of this world.. so
last night I tried to make the same thing.. her recipe was:
chicken ( trimmed breast meat)
Pea Pods (peeled) from Guatemala
Red Pepper ( from CA)
Ginger ( from Brazil)
onion ( from Wisconsin)
Garlic peeled ( from China)
Rice Flour ( I used Bob's Red Mill)
Notice - no amounts.. Season to taste!! LOL
Her homemade chicken broth used chicken, ginger, water. She also has it available to buy if you choose not to make it. I bought Imagine Soups Chicken broth.
She emphasized FRESH ingredients.
She steamed the chicken chunks for 3 minutes..I chunked 2 breasts of chicken, sans skin, and chunked up then onion into small pieces placed them into the wok.
I added 1/2 onion . ( it was a really big onion, if normal size ,I would use the whole onion.)
I skipped the garlic as Scott and garlic don't agree..
But i cooked the chicken and onion until the chicken was cooked, without oil. I was amazed!
For years ,I have been making stir fry, and adding tons of olive oil to brown the chicken and make the onion translucent..but the chicken and onion browned up..Although I did watch it closely.
I added pea pods ( about 2 cups) and red pepper chunks to the wok.
then I added 1/2 chicken soup..and covered for 3 minutes.
Once it was done, I mixed 1 TBS of rice flour and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Mixed them well, and it was murky.
I added this "gravy" to the wok, stirred it up to included the chicken, etc..and cooked for an additional 2 minutes.
Put it over brown rice.. It was a bit bland, so I added some orange sauce ..
YUM! I am gonna make that again..
Monday, May 7, 2012
OMG it was so good! Smack my lips good!! I made Tilapia!
Tonight I ventured off the path, so to speak and I am REALLY glad I did.
I brought Scott home some tuna salad with potato salad from Meals on Wheels today ( for those that forgot, I work there) . So when I went to Mariano's (the grocery store) for some salad stuff, I thought to pick up some fish for me and the cat.
I got 1 Tilapia. I never tried to make it before, I usually stick with salmon, halibut, Lake Superior White Fish. But the price was right and I remember I had seen a recipe for Tilapia. so i was good to go.
I got home and found my printout of the recipe. So I tried it. The recipe was simple..
3 Tilapia fillets
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of melted butter
3 TBS of Mayo or Miracle Whip
plus season to taste.. with some basil, pepper, salt, and onion powder.
I don't have real butter in the house, so I used Smart Balance original flavor. I dug it out and put it in the microwave to melt. I preheated the broiler, lined my broiler pan with foil, popping out the holes. I started on the fish sauce.
The cat at this point was jumping up and down, doing her best to look cute and very hungry.
She seemed to convey " i am hungry, you don't need to heat up my fish. I like it "natural". Plain, no sauce just raw and ready for me to eat. YUM!" then she looked at me with her head tilted and maintained her begging pose. Needless to say, I shared!
After I gave the cat some raw fish, I put the plain fish in the broiler for 3 minutes on each side.
I mixed the stuff..sort of.. in the bowl I put:
The Parmesan cheese I had was grated and came in a jar, to get 1/2 cup was easy. Plop..
The butter substitute was melted in the microwave, and I added that.
The 3 TBS of mayo was not as simple. I started to pour it out, and nothing came! I shook, patted, etc but nothing happened. So i took of the easy pour top, shook and got some in the TBS. But it wasn't coming out. Pulled out my knife and added some mayo.. How much did I add?? Beats me!! It just plopped out.. could be more than 3 TBS or less?? I really had no idea. Since I like mayo, i added a bit more, another swipe of the knife around the rim of the mayo jar.
Mixed the ingredients, it was a light yellow color. Having never made this before, had no idea if it was too stiff, too watery, or just right!
So I assumed it was just right.
After 3 minutes per side, I pulled out the broiler pan and covered the fish with the sauce. I used the whole thing on my 1 Tilapia. Overkill but .... ( she smiles sheepishly)
I then put the fish back in the broiler for about 3 more minutes.
It really started to bake, and make all sorts of cooking noises.
When i took it out, the sauce was now a golden color, some of the butter had melted some more and surrounded the fish, the edges were golden brown, the top was fluffy and was golden with some golden brown parts..
It looked good! Rich but good! And it tasted divine! Mmmmmm
BTW i did find the recipe online..my copy didn't have a url or any identify mark. So I googled the gluten free Tilapia recipes and found it. It came from Gluten Free Mom at http://conqueringcelic.blogspot.com..
I brought Scott home some tuna salad with potato salad from Meals on Wheels today ( for those that forgot, I work there) . So when I went to Mariano's (the grocery store) for some salad stuff, I thought to pick up some fish for me and the cat.
I got 1 Tilapia. I never tried to make it before, I usually stick with salmon, halibut, Lake Superior White Fish. But the price was right and I remember I had seen a recipe for Tilapia. so i was good to go.
I got home and found my printout of the recipe. So I tried it. The recipe was simple..
3 Tilapia fillets
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of melted butter
3 TBS of Mayo or Miracle Whip
plus season to taste.. with some basil, pepper, salt, and onion powder.
I don't have real butter in the house, so I used Smart Balance original flavor. I dug it out and put it in the microwave to melt. I preheated the broiler, lined my broiler pan with foil, popping out the holes. I started on the fish sauce.
The cat at this point was jumping up and down, doing her best to look cute and very hungry.
She seemed to convey " i am hungry, you don't need to heat up my fish. I like it "natural". Plain, no sauce just raw and ready for me to eat. YUM!" then she looked at me with her head tilted and maintained her begging pose. Needless to say, I shared!
After I gave the cat some raw fish, I put the plain fish in the broiler for 3 minutes on each side.
I mixed the stuff..sort of.. in the bowl I put:
The Parmesan cheese I had was grated and came in a jar, to get 1/2 cup was easy. Plop..
The butter substitute was melted in the microwave, and I added that.
The 3 TBS of mayo was not as simple. I started to pour it out, and nothing came! I shook, patted, etc but nothing happened. So i took of the easy pour top, shook and got some in the TBS. But it wasn't coming out. Pulled out my knife and added some mayo.. How much did I add?? Beats me!! It just plopped out.. could be more than 3 TBS or less?? I really had no idea. Since I like mayo, i added a bit more, another swipe of the knife around the rim of the mayo jar.
Mixed the ingredients, it was a light yellow color. Having never made this before, had no idea if it was too stiff, too watery, or just right!
So I assumed it was just right.
After 3 minutes per side, I pulled out the broiler pan and covered the fish with the sauce. I used the whole thing on my 1 Tilapia. Overkill but .... ( she smiles sheepishly)
I then put the fish back in the broiler for about 3 more minutes.
It really started to bake, and make all sorts of cooking noises.
When i took it out, the sauce was now a golden color, some of the butter had melted some more and surrounded the fish, the edges were golden brown, the top was fluffy and was golden with some golden brown parts..
It looked good! Rich but good! And it tasted divine! Mmmmmm
BTW i did find the recipe online..my copy didn't have a url or any identify mark. So I googled the gluten free Tilapia recipes and found it. It came from Gluten Free Mom at http://conqueringcelic.blogspot.com..
Friday, May 4, 2012
ANOTHER BANANA BREAD
Eric was in last weekend, so to celebrate I baked GF Banana Bread. I used the same recipe as before from Beard on Bread, but made some changes..
That is -I used Hodgson Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour, and Blue Diamond Almond Milk Vanilla unsweetened..
Eric said he could taste that it was GF. but it was still good. Also, the bread when it cooled was crumbly. I put the other loaf in the freezer ( the one from last time) now I am wondering if it will be crumbly too.
The unsweetened "milk" was better than the sweet one and adjusted the taste more to my liking.( not as sweet), I needed to add more flour to the batter to adjust and so the bread wouldn't be unbaked and wet in the middle.
Well, tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. I was in Puebla, Mexico many, many years ago on this date and saw the parade.. anyway, I search the Internet for some recipes to make a Gluten Free treat..
I decided against making my own tortillas..( way to complicated for me)
I did have a taste for enchiladas..or flautes..or nachos..
I found several recipes and bought some corn tortillas.
Gluten Freely glutenfreely.com/recipes/dinner had a nachos recipe. Scott wanted me to do this one since it didn't use the oven. I think I"ll file it away for another day. ( when it is uber hot out)
I found several recipes for enchiladas.
Nicole at Gluten Free on a Shoestring glutenfreeonashoestring.com/enchiladas-saucy-smokin had a great sounding enchilada sauce.
Gluten Free Goddess had a GF chicken enchilada recipe glutenfreepromise.com/gluten-free-recipe-gluten-free-chicken-enchiladas/ as did AllRecipes.com.
So being who I am, I am gonna combine parts of them all and make the enchiladas tomorrow..I may substitute cream cheese ( which I have) for sour cream ( which i don't have) but it probably alter the taste to much.. decisions, decisions..
That is -I used Hodgson Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour, and Blue Diamond Almond Milk Vanilla unsweetened..
Eric said he could taste that it was GF. but it was still good. Also, the bread when it cooled was crumbly. I put the other loaf in the freezer ( the one from last time) now I am wondering if it will be crumbly too.
The unsweetened "milk" was better than the sweet one and adjusted the taste more to my liking.( not as sweet), I needed to add more flour to the batter to adjust and so the bread wouldn't be unbaked and wet in the middle.
Well, tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. I was in Puebla, Mexico many, many years ago on this date and saw the parade.. anyway, I search the Internet for some recipes to make a Gluten Free treat..
I decided against making my own tortillas..( way to complicated for me)
I did have a taste for enchiladas..or flautes..or nachos..
I found several recipes and bought some corn tortillas.
Gluten Freely glutenfreely.com/recipes/dinner had a nachos recipe. Scott wanted me to do this one since it didn't use the oven. I think I"ll file it away for another day. ( when it is uber hot out)
I found several recipes for enchiladas.
Nicole at Gluten Free on a Shoestring glutenfreeonashoestring.com/enchiladas-saucy-smokin had a great sounding enchilada sauce.
Gluten Free Goddess had a GF chicken enchilada recipe glutenfreepromise.com/gluten-free-recipe-gluten-free-chicken-enchiladas/ as did AllRecipes.com.
So being who I am, I am gonna combine parts of them all and make the enchiladas tomorrow..I may substitute cream cheese ( which I have) for sour cream ( which i don't have) but it probably alter the taste to much.. decisions, decisions..
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Lusting after Banana Bread
I was in Eurofresh the other day, I needed fresh beans sprouts and pea pods for the Pad Thai, and I saw they had bananas on clearance - 12 bananas for $ 0.99 - good deal! I was sad for a minute but moved on. In my former life, I would have bought the bananas: they were brown and mushy, perfect for banana bread. I would have made 2 loaves of banana bread - one to eat and 1 for the freezer for Eric next weekend. Sigh! But not this time!! I was so sad!
I love banana bread! My whole family loves the banana bread. Every time I ask my kids or spouse , what they want me to bake - they want banana bread. My Mom made banana bread, and so did my Grandma. I made banana bread before kids and even before spouse. I really love MY banana bread. The kids get a package from me, or come home from college for a few days, they get a banana bread to eat and one for the dorm. Their friends love banana bread, too
So I was sad that the banana bread part of my life was over. Or was it???
I forgot about it that night as I made the Pad Thai, but later in bed, I kept thinking about banana bread.
The next day, I talked with Scott. Prefaced it by saying, I had gotten the dinner thing to a reasonable level, but never tried baking. ( As much as I love my cooking, and I do, I LOVE my baking ) before I got the next words out, he said why don' t you make GF banana bread?? That clinched it.. I was gonna try baking and make banana bread.
I decided to have a banana bread bake off.. where i would try different recipes to find one that worked gluten free.
I pulled out my much loved and worn old cookbook by James Beard called "Beard on Bread" and it opened to the right page. LOL The recipe had splotches of stuff on it, so one could tell it was used over and over again. BTW they still sell it on Amazon. WOW! After all this time! It was pre bread machine, etc too.
Anyway the 1 loaf recipe went like this:
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs ( room temp)
1 cup mashed , very ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
1/2 cups chopped nuts
Sift the flour with soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
In a larger bowl, Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar. Add eggs and bananas, blend thoroughly. In a small cups , combine the milk and lemon juice; it will curdle.
Beginning with the flour mixture, stir in a bit and the add a bit of the milk mixture, repeat until all have been mixed. ( I do this but hand, i don't use a mixer for any of this.). Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition. ( i tried once to put it all in at once, but it wasn't a good experiment) Stir in the nuts. ( I have never used nuts, so I skip this part)
Pour the batter into a lavishly buttered 9 x 5 x 3 in pan and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour or so.
I have made this so many times, and it has always turned out good. As an aside, before I had milk drinking kids, I used yogurt..it turned out fine!
Now I was gluten free, so I had to make some changes.
First and foremost, I checked my book and found that baking soda and baking powder was gluten free. ( just buy the right stuff) YEAH!! I was baking now!
So yesterday, it was cold and blustery in Chicago, so I made soup and banana bread. (I must have channeled my inner Betty Crocker LOL) anyway I was positive that the bread would turn out, so I naturally doubled the recipe and made 2 leaves.
First I hit the store and bought the ingredients. then on to make the banana bread.
I used the following brands or substitutions:
King Arthur Gluten Free all purpose flour ( http://www.kingarthurflour.com/glutenfree/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%20Plus&utm_content=King%20Arthur%20Flour%2dGluten%20Free&utm_term=king%20arthur%20gluten%20free%20flour&gclid=CLCR0L2lx68CFbMEQAodiw2PYg )
Arm and Hammer baking soda
Hain sea salt
Dominick's butter
Jewel Granulated sugar
egg beaters
Almond milk
Mixed according to the directions, but the batter was way to watery. So I added another cup of flour.
Next time I will use yogurt as the almond milk was the sweet kind and made the bread on the sweet side. Maybe I'll cut some sugar out too..HM I need to think on that!
Overall, it came out good!
Certainly smelled good in the oven and looked like real banana bread.
To put it succinctly, the first loaf was gone in 1/2 hour of my pulling it out of the oven.
( Yes Scott helped me eat it)
and Scott felt it was a keeper and I should do it again and again and again.
I looked on the Internet, and will try some other GF recipes. There is one by stockpiling Moms and another by Musings of a housewife that I want to try, but I am open to others..
any suggestions??
After all I used 6 bananas and have the rest left over, so what is a "girl" to do but try another banana bread recipe! :-)
I love banana bread! My whole family loves the banana bread. Every time I ask my kids or spouse , what they want me to bake - they want banana bread. My Mom made banana bread, and so did my Grandma. I made banana bread before kids and even before spouse. I really love MY banana bread. The kids get a package from me, or come home from college for a few days, they get a banana bread to eat and one for the dorm. Their friends love banana bread, too
So I was sad that the banana bread part of my life was over. Or was it???
I forgot about it that night as I made the Pad Thai, but later in bed, I kept thinking about banana bread.
The next day, I talked with Scott. Prefaced it by saying, I had gotten the dinner thing to a reasonable level, but never tried baking. ( As much as I love my cooking, and I do, I LOVE my baking ) before I got the next words out, he said why don' t you make GF banana bread?? That clinched it.. I was gonna try baking and make banana bread.
I decided to have a banana bread bake off.. where i would try different recipes to find one that worked gluten free.
I pulled out my much loved and worn old cookbook by James Beard called "Beard on Bread" and it opened to the right page. LOL The recipe had splotches of stuff on it, so one could tell it was used over and over again. BTW they still sell it on Amazon. WOW! After all this time! It was pre bread machine, etc too.
Anyway the 1 loaf recipe went like this:
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs ( room temp)
1 cup mashed , very ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
1/2 cups chopped nuts
Sift the flour with soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
In a larger bowl, Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar. Add eggs and bananas, blend thoroughly. In a small cups , combine the milk and lemon juice; it will curdle.
Beginning with the flour mixture, stir in a bit and the add a bit of the milk mixture, repeat until all have been mixed. ( I do this but hand, i don't use a mixer for any of this.). Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition. ( i tried once to put it all in at once, but it wasn't a good experiment) Stir in the nuts. ( I have never used nuts, so I skip this part)
Pour the batter into a lavishly buttered 9 x 5 x 3 in pan and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour or so.
I have made this so many times, and it has always turned out good. As an aside, before I had milk drinking kids, I used yogurt..it turned out fine!
Now I was gluten free, so I had to make some changes.
First and foremost, I checked my book and found that baking soda and baking powder was gluten free. ( just buy the right stuff) YEAH!! I was baking now!
So yesterday, it was cold and blustery in Chicago, so I made soup and banana bread. (I must have channeled my inner Betty Crocker LOL) anyway I was positive that the bread would turn out, so I naturally doubled the recipe and made 2 leaves.
First I hit the store and bought the ingredients. then on to make the banana bread.
I used the following brands or substitutions:
King Arthur Gluten Free all purpose flour ( http://www.kingarthurflour.com/glutenfree/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%20Plus&utm_content=King%20Arthur%20Flour%2dGluten%20Free&utm_term=king%20arthur%20gluten%20free%20flour&gclid=CLCR0L2lx68CFbMEQAodiw2PYg )
Arm and Hammer baking soda
Hain sea salt
Dominick's butter
Jewel Granulated sugar
egg beaters
Almond milk
Mixed according to the directions, but the batter was way to watery. So I added another cup of flour.
Next time I will use yogurt as the almond milk was the sweet kind and made the bread on the sweet side. Maybe I'll cut some sugar out too..HM I need to think on that!
Overall, it came out good!
Certainly smelled good in the oven and looked like real banana bread.
To put it succinctly, the first loaf was gone in 1/2 hour of my pulling it out of the oven.
( Yes Scott helped me eat it)
and Scott felt it was a keeper and I should do it again and again and again.
I looked on the Internet, and will try some other GF recipes. There is one by stockpiling Moms and another by Musings of a housewife that I want to try, but I am open to others..
any suggestions??
After all I used 6 bananas and have the rest left over, so what is a "girl" to do but try another banana bread recipe! :-)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
I cheated!
Yup, I cheated! In making Pad Thai I cheated!
So what did I do??
Well I decided that since Scott liked my Pad Thai so much, I would make it again.
I looked on the Internet for recipes.
I did find lots..
There is an easy Pad Thai recipe at About.com Thai
Food.
http://thaifood.about.com/od/quickeasythairecipes/r/onepagechickpad.htm.
but I have no patience..so I saw the list of ingredients and my eyes glaze over..
Said to self..next time I'll try this..but this time, I am gonna cheat..
So I went to Plan B.
Thai Kitchen has a gluten free ( yes, all Pad Thai is gluten free as they use rice noodles..)
called Thai Peanut Noodle kit.( thaikitchen.com)
I made the sauce as directed. ( 1/4 cup of water and seasoning kit).
I made some rice for Scott, as he likes rice with everything..
The noodles in the kit are fine but not enough for me, so I added a Thai Kitchen GF Rice Noodle stuff.. it was 14 oz..lots of noodles, so I used 1/2 ( 7 oz or so..I just grabbed about 1/2 the noodles in the box) of this kit and added to the rice noodles from the other kit.
I followed the directions and heated water to boiling in a clear pot, added the rice noodles, took the pot off the flame and let the rice noodles stand 6-8 minutes for noodles to get soft; then I rinsed them with cold water and let them sit in the colander.
I used a lot more chicken then the recipe called for..it said 4 oz..seemed a little sparse to me, so I used 2 chicken breasts cut in pieces. (Yes I gave some to the cat..she does love raw chicken)
Heated my wok, with olive oil..turned the heat to medium and added the chicken.
Once the chicken was cooked, I added the rice noodles and sauce, mixed them up and put on low heat for 4 minutes or so ( uncovered) .I didn't count as I was washing the snow peas, bean sprouts and peeling the zucchini.
I then added to the rice noodles and chicken:
2 1/2 cups of bean sprouts - love the bean sprouts.
snow peas - 2 cups or so..
water chestnuts
1 zucchini, chopped up and peeled.
I used what I had on hand for veggies..could have added broccoli, or even asparagus.
Then I added the San J peanut sauce.san-j.com
How much??
Well I just poured, until it looked okay..( you know the old season to taste routine).
I mixed all of the veggies, chicken and noodles and cooked for about 5 more minutes, uncovered..
It was good!! But next time, I gonna try to not cheat and make the stuff from scratch.( famous last words)
So what did I do??
Well I decided that since Scott liked my Pad Thai so much, I would make it again.
I looked on the Internet for recipes.
I did find lots..
There is an easy Pad Thai recipe at About.com Thai
Food.
http://thaifood.about.com/od/quickeasythairecipes/r/onepagechickpad.htm.
but I have no patience..so I saw the list of ingredients and my eyes glaze over..
Said to self..next time I'll try this..but this time, I am gonna cheat..
So I went to Plan B.
Thai Kitchen has a gluten free ( yes, all Pad Thai is gluten free as they use rice noodles..)
called Thai Peanut Noodle kit.( thaikitchen.com)
I made the sauce as directed. ( 1/4 cup of water and seasoning kit).
I made some rice for Scott, as he likes rice with everything..
The noodles in the kit are fine but not enough for me, so I added a Thai Kitchen GF Rice Noodle stuff.. it was 14 oz..lots of noodles, so I used 1/2 ( 7 oz or so..I just grabbed about 1/2 the noodles in the box) of this kit and added to the rice noodles from the other kit.
I followed the directions and heated water to boiling in a clear pot, added the rice noodles, took the pot off the flame and let the rice noodles stand 6-8 minutes for noodles to get soft; then I rinsed them with cold water and let them sit in the colander.
I used a lot more chicken then the recipe called for..it said 4 oz..seemed a little sparse to me, so I used 2 chicken breasts cut in pieces. (Yes I gave some to the cat..she does love raw chicken)
Heated my wok, with olive oil..turned the heat to medium and added the chicken.
Once the chicken was cooked, I added the rice noodles and sauce, mixed them up and put on low heat for 4 minutes or so ( uncovered) .I didn't count as I was washing the snow peas, bean sprouts and peeling the zucchini.
I then added to the rice noodles and chicken:
2 1/2 cups of bean sprouts - love the bean sprouts.
snow peas - 2 cups or so..
water chestnuts
1 zucchini, chopped up and peeled.
I used what I had on hand for veggies..could have added broccoli, or even asparagus.
Then I added the San J peanut sauce.san-j.com
How much??
Well I just poured, until it looked okay..( you know the old season to taste routine).
I mixed all of the veggies, chicken and noodles and cooked for about 5 more minutes, uncovered..
It was good!! But next time, I gonna try to not cheat and make the stuff from scratch.( famous last words)
Monday, April 9, 2012
Grandma's Best Ever Gluten Free Matzo Ball Soup..
My Grandma B's recipe but revised by me for cholesterol, gluten free, less fat..but my Grandma Bessinger's recipe still the same and the one that my mother used too.
Every time I eat the matzo balls I have mental pictures of my mother standing in her kitchen making the soup and the matzo balls..
But let's start at the beginning..I started looking for matzo or matzo recipes I could use. I found one at the website of Anne, a kosher celaic ( her website is the kosher celiac cooks). http://www.kosherceliaccookery.com/ and she had a link to Gluten Free Matzo by Yehuda.
http://glutenfreehotproducts.com/2011/04/yehuda-gluten-free-matzo/
I sent the link to my sister and brother..my sister loved the idea and we order 3 boxes..one for each of us to try and one to split.
My Glatt Kosher brother was another story. He replied that it would not work for Passover as it did not have a form of wheat. He directed me to another website on Chabad that discussed the matzo issue and offered a solution. He ordered a box of gluten-free oat shmurah matzahs for my sister and I . http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1814200/jewish/Can-I-Have-Gluten-Free-Matzah-on-Passover.htm
The Matzo from Yehuda came to my house. My sister, cousin Tom and I tried it. It was delicious! Even my brother and his family could eat it, as it was not only certified Gluten Free but also OU and kosher for Passover and Parve.
On the first night of Passover, I didn't bring my good Matzo :-( but would rely on the Shmurah Oat Matzo. My brother and his wife assured me over and over again that they had a GF friend that ate this matzo and did not have a reaction.
I placed my GF oat matzo under napkins and did not use the matzo cover that had years of gluten matzo in it. When it came time in the service to eat the matzo, I bit in. I like oats, I have substitute Oat flour in cooking and baking and ate oatmeal ( thanks BOB RED MILL http://www.bobsredmill.com/oats/) so I was determined to like this.
Well, it was SO BAD! How bad?? So BAD!! Dry, tasteless, texture of nothing I have ever seen before. Dog and cat food is better. REALLY BAD!
My face turned a dozen shades of red, my niece sitting next to me, said the look on my face was priceless. My son was across the table from me and just laughed and laughed. I, in turn, started giggling and covering my mouth so as not to let the laughter out and spoil the Seder. IT WAS SO BAD, that sandpaper would be better, cardboard was preferable.It was dry and inedible.. I drank a whole bottle of water to try and get the taste out of my mouth. Then ate 6 leaves of romaine lettuce with homemade horseradish...IT WAS BAD!!!! Did I ever suffer!!
At another part of the service, I tried the handmade Oat shmurah matzo..it was better..or not as BAD as the machine made had been.. How could they ruin oats???
Anyway, after the Seder, my sister asked if I was going to make soup and matzo balls..well I had forgotten all about it. So I said no, but then said YES! I would try.
Now we are finally getting to the recipe part!!
My Mom and her MOM made soup and Matzo Balls using Matzo and Matzo meal. I translated my Grandma recipe years ago. She used a pinch of this, and a bit of that and of course season to taste.
Mostly it is done with your hands..so be prepared to get really globby and season to taste.
My Grandma's recipe was:
6 each Matzo crackers
3 cups of Matzo Meal
12 eggs
Some salt, pepper, parsley flakes, paprika
1 teaspoon schmaltz ( i think) I changed it years ago to mayo.
I changed the eggs to eggbeaters or egg whites .
18 egg whites = 10 eggs
Break up the Matzo crackers and soak in water, covering the Matzo with water. When the Matzo is soggy, squeeze excess moisture by hand. I put my bowl in the clean sink and wet the Matzo.So squeezing, the water goes down the drain instead of all over.
Mix in Matzo meal, 2 eggs, mayo, some salt, pepper, parsley and paprika. ( not sure what the paprika did, my mother put it in everything.) How much salt, pepper, parsley?? I don't know, I don't used them, so you can omit.
If mixture is too loose, add more matzo meal. If too dry add more eggs. The more eggs the better it will be. Cover and set in the ice box for an hour or so. ( see I told you it was from my Grandma)
Let cold water run, wet hands and make the matzo balls. Place them into boiling soup stock. Place cover on the pot. Decrease heat and simmer for a while, still covered. Cook about 20 to 40 minutes.
Hope the balls don't become rocks.
So first i made the soup stock.
I used:
1 sweet potato
1 lbs carrots
1/3 stalk celery
1 onion
2 zucchini's
2 parsnips
Water to fill over the veggies. Usually, turn on the pressure cooker, locking the lid in place,over high heat and let it build up steam to high pressure. I then turn the heat down to medium and maintain high pressure. I cook the soup for 10 minutes. Then I turn the heat off and let the pressure drop naturally about 25 minutes. Then I taste and add spices.
As I didn't have time to play with the stock, I used Imagine stock instead of water. http://www.imaginefoods.com/products#broths. I used non-chicken broth, it is vegetarian and GF.
My mother used to use a can of tomato paste instead of the sweet potato. But I don 't do can goods, so I found a sweet potato provides color and helps thicken the soup.
I used the Yuhuda GF Matzo for the balls. I used a box, divided it in 1/2. On 1/2, I placed in a zip lock bag, and crunch and crushed it into meal using a rolling pin.
The other half, I used as I would any Matzo.
I followed the recipe and hoped it would turn out. I did need another box of Matzo for more meal. Bit I didn't have one, so my matzo stuff was eggy.. I thought about using the crunch master crackers crushed up for more meal, but decided against it. I may do that later to see what happens to the taste.
Anyway,I followed the directions and made the balls. IT WAS GOOD. Not just allergy good but really good!
So..if you want/need GF Matzo Balls.. these are the best. Ask my sister and her family.
A BIG thumbs up to this one!!
Every time I eat the matzo balls I have mental pictures of my mother standing in her kitchen making the soup and the matzo balls..
But let's start at the beginning..I started looking for matzo or matzo recipes I could use. I found one at the website of Anne, a kosher celaic ( her website is the kosher celiac cooks). http://www.kosherceliaccookery.com/ and she had a link to Gluten Free Matzo by Yehuda.
http://glutenfreehotproducts.com/2011/04/yehuda-gluten-free-matzo/
I sent the link to my sister and brother..my sister loved the idea and we order 3 boxes..one for each of us to try and one to split.
My Glatt Kosher brother was another story. He replied that it would not work for Passover as it did not have a form of wheat. He directed me to another website on Chabad that discussed the matzo issue and offered a solution. He ordered a box of gluten-free oat shmurah matzahs for my sister and I . http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1814200/jewish/Can-I-Have-Gluten-Free-Matzah-on-Passover.htm
The Matzo from Yehuda came to my house. My sister, cousin Tom and I tried it. It was delicious! Even my brother and his family could eat it, as it was not only certified Gluten Free but also OU and kosher for Passover and Parve.
On the first night of Passover, I didn't bring my good Matzo :-( but would rely on the Shmurah Oat Matzo. My brother and his wife assured me over and over again that they had a GF friend that ate this matzo and did not have a reaction.
I placed my GF oat matzo under napkins and did not use the matzo cover that had years of gluten matzo in it. When it came time in the service to eat the matzo, I bit in. I like oats, I have substitute Oat flour in cooking and baking and ate oatmeal ( thanks BOB RED MILL http://www.bobsredmill.com/oats/) so I was determined to like this.
Well, it was SO BAD! How bad?? So BAD!! Dry, tasteless, texture of nothing I have ever seen before. Dog and cat food is better. REALLY BAD!
My face turned a dozen shades of red, my niece sitting next to me, said the look on my face was priceless. My son was across the table from me and just laughed and laughed. I, in turn, started giggling and covering my mouth so as not to let the laughter out and spoil the Seder. IT WAS SO BAD, that sandpaper would be better, cardboard was preferable.It was dry and inedible.. I drank a whole bottle of water to try and get the taste out of my mouth. Then ate 6 leaves of romaine lettuce with homemade horseradish...IT WAS BAD!!!! Did I ever suffer!!
At another part of the service, I tried the handmade Oat shmurah matzo..it was better..or not as BAD as the machine made had been.. How could they ruin oats???
Anyway, after the Seder, my sister asked if I was going to make soup and matzo balls..well I had forgotten all about it. So I said no, but then said YES! I would try.
Now we are finally getting to the recipe part!!
My Mom and her MOM made soup and Matzo Balls using Matzo and Matzo meal. I translated my Grandma recipe years ago. She used a pinch of this, and a bit of that and of course season to taste.
Mostly it is done with your hands..so be prepared to get really globby and season to taste.
My Grandma's recipe was:
6 each Matzo crackers
3 cups of Matzo Meal
12 eggs
Some salt, pepper, parsley flakes, paprika
1 teaspoon schmaltz ( i think) I changed it years ago to mayo.
I changed the eggs to eggbeaters or egg whites .
18 egg whites = 10 eggs
Break up the Matzo crackers and soak in water, covering the Matzo with water. When the Matzo is soggy, squeeze excess moisture by hand. I put my bowl in the clean sink and wet the Matzo.So squeezing, the water goes down the drain instead of all over.
Mix in Matzo meal, 2 eggs, mayo, some salt, pepper, parsley and paprika. ( not sure what the paprika did, my mother put it in everything.) How much salt, pepper, parsley?? I don't know, I don't used them, so you can omit.
If mixture is too loose, add more matzo meal. If too dry add more eggs. The more eggs the better it will be. Cover and set in the ice box for an hour or so. ( see I told you it was from my Grandma)
Let cold water run, wet hands and make the matzo balls. Place them into boiling soup stock. Place cover on the pot. Decrease heat and simmer for a while, still covered. Cook about 20 to 40 minutes.
Hope the balls don't become rocks.
So first i made the soup stock.
I used:
1 sweet potato
1 lbs carrots
1/3 stalk celery
1 onion
2 zucchini's
2 parsnips
Water to fill over the veggies. Usually, turn on the pressure cooker, locking the lid in place,over high heat and let it build up steam to high pressure. I then turn the heat down to medium and maintain high pressure. I cook the soup for 10 minutes. Then I turn the heat off and let the pressure drop naturally about 25 minutes. Then I taste and add spices.
As I didn't have time to play with the stock, I used Imagine stock instead of water. http://www.imaginefoods.com/products#broths. I used non-chicken broth, it is vegetarian and GF.
My mother used to use a can of tomato paste instead of the sweet potato. But I don 't do can goods, so I found a sweet potato provides color and helps thicken the soup.
I used the Yuhuda GF Matzo for the balls. I used a box, divided it in 1/2. On 1/2, I placed in a zip lock bag, and crunch and crushed it into meal using a rolling pin.
The other half, I used as I would any Matzo.
I followed the recipe and hoped it would turn out. I did need another box of Matzo for more meal. Bit I didn't have one, so my matzo stuff was eggy.. I thought about using the crunch master crackers crushed up for more meal, but decided against it. I may do that later to see what happens to the taste.
Anyway,I followed the directions and made the balls. IT WAS GOOD. Not just allergy good but really good!
So..if you want/need GF Matzo Balls.. these are the best. Ask my sister and her family.
A BIG thumbs up to this one!!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Salmon on the grill
Last night I made salmon on the grill, asparagus on the grill, salad, and of course Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day
I tried the following for the salmon ( it is the Jefferson Adams recipe i mentioned yesterday)
Ingredients:
1½ pounds salmon steaks or fillets
½ teaspoon fresh ground ginger (I used ground ginger , not fresh)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced ( I used minced garlic from Costco, I used 3 teaspoons)
⅓ cup gluten-free Soy Sauce
⅓ cup orange juice
¼ cup honey
2 green onions, chopped ( I didn't have green onion, so I used regular onions, about 1/3 of one ( but I like onions) .I also put some of the onions on the fish when it was grilling)
Directions:
1. In a glass dish, or a large resealable plastic bag, mix ginger, garlic, soy sauce, orange juice, honey, and green onion.
2. Place fresh salmon in bag and seal tightly. Turn bag gently to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat barbecue, or outdoor grill to medium heat. ( I used my Weber grill with charcoals)
4. Remove salmon from marinade, drain excess. Toss out remaining marinade.
5. Grill salmon on a lightly oiled grill for 12 to 15 minutes for each inch of thickness, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
I also grilled the veggies. I used Olive Oil and lemon juice, coated the asparagus and put them on the grill.. Made a super salad with the normal stuff and green peppers, red peppers, strawberries, grapes and Kiwi's.
It was a GREAT meal!!!
I figured that I would have some fish left over to put on salad for today. But I was wrong, it was so good that it was all gone last night. So tonight was salad with pecans and preparing the crockpot for tomorrows General Tso's Chicken..
I tried the following for the salmon ( it is the Jefferson Adams recipe i mentioned yesterday)
Ingredients:
1½ pounds salmon steaks or fillets
½ teaspoon fresh ground ginger (I used ground ginger , not fresh)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced ( I used minced garlic from Costco, I used 3 teaspoons)
⅓ cup gluten-free Soy Sauce
⅓ cup orange juice
¼ cup honey
2 green onions, chopped ( I didn't have green onion, so I used regular onions, about 1/3 of one ( but I like onions) .I also put some of the onions on the fish when it was grilling)
Directions:
1. In a glass dish, or a large resealable plastic bag, mix ginger, garlic, soy sauce, orange juice, honey, and green onion.
2. Place fresh salmon in bag and seal tightly. Turn bag gently to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat barbecue, or outdoor grill to medium heat. ( I used my Weber grill with charcoals)
4. Remove salmon from marinade, drain excess. Toss out remaining marinade.
5. Grill salmon on a lightly oiled grill for 12 to 15 minutes for each inch of thickness, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
I also grilled the veggies. I used Olive Oil and lemon juice, coated the asparagus and put them on the grill.. Made a super salad with the normal stuff and green peppers, red peppers, strawberries, grapes and Kiwi's.
It was a GREAT meal!!!
I figured that I would have some fish left over to put on salad for today. But I was wrong, it was so good that it was all gone last night. So tonight was salad with pecans and preparing the crockpot for tomorrows General Tso's Chicken..
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
I am going off on Dominick's ( Safeway)
I decided to make a beef stew since all I did was chicken so far..so I looked at Stephanie O'Dea's blog crockpot 365 for a beef stew and found one I liked.
..http:/crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-azrorean-spiced-beef-stew.html
My definition of one I like was a recipe that is easy for me..not too many ingredients, or throwing the stew in a pan, then doing something else, then throwing back etc ..not EASY.. I do like to cook, but not COOK..know what I mean??
I walked to Dominick's, not far from my house, so I could get some exercise and save money on gas.. Anyway, got there with list in hand, I started at the zucchini..bad looking, had pock marks and I thought they wanted $.99 for this and it looked disgusting almost like a second,when it was supposed to be first quality... so I skipped it, it wasn't in the recipe anyway and went on to the next thing..all sad looking and expensive.. hmmm..
I looked at the Rice Chex's for a price and it was on sale at $3.59.(YIKES)
So I left..phooey! and walked home muttering to myself.
I jumped in my car, drove all the way to the northside of town and went to Mariano's.
I walked in and they had zucchini for $0.69 per lbs and it looked really good. So I went overboard and bought carrots, broccoli, bananas, green pepper, red pepper, onions, meat etc..all looking good and at a better price. Then the final straw was my Rice Chex cereal..not on sale..was $3.29!!
So I am done with Dominick's for good! When it was Dominick's it was much better, but since Safeway bought it, I have a check dates on goods as they will sell outdated or soon to be outdated products.
After all this shopping at Mariano's, I got home, had salad for dinner and made the beef stew for the next day.The stew turned out to be quite tasty..
Today, I am doing salmon on the grill, asparagus, salad and a white wine..YUMMY!
Geoff is home ( and Scott is not) so fish is in order, and since he just turned 21, wine with dinner will be great.
I found a recipe for the salmon marinate from Jefferson Adams, a writer in San Francisco. His blog is at http://celiac.com/articles/22540/1/Marinated-Grilled-Salmon-Gluten-Free/Page1.html
I'll let you know if the recipe is any good.
..http:/crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-azrorean-spiced-beef-stew.html
My definition of one I like was a recipe that is easy for me..not too many ingredients, or throwing the stew in a pan, then doing something else, then throwing back etc ..not EASY.. I do like to cook, but not COOK..know what I mean??
I walked to Dominick's, not far from my house, so I could get some exercise and save money on gas.. Anyway, got there with list in hand, I started at the zucchini..bad looking, had pock marks and I thought they wanted $.99 for this and it looked disgusting almost like a second,when it was supposed to be first quality... so I skipped it, it wasn't in the recipe anyway and went on to the next thing..all sad looking and expensive.. hmmm..
I looked at the Rice Chex's for a price and it was on sale at $3.59.(YIKES)
So I left..phooey! and walked home muttering to myself.
I jumped in my car, drove all the way to the northside of town and went to Mariano's.
I walked in and they had zucchini for $0.69 per lbs and it looked really good. So I went overboard and bought carrots, broccoli, bananas, green pepper, red pepper, onions, meat etc..all looking good and at a better price. Then the final straw was my Rice Chex cereal..not on sale..was $3.29!!
So I am done with Dominick's for good! When it was Dominick's it was much better, but since Safeway bought it, I have a check dates on goods as they will sell outdated or soon to be outdated products.
After all this shopping at Mariano's, I got home, had salad for dinner and made the beef stew for the next day.The stew turned out to be quite tasty..
Today, I am doing salmon on the grill, asparagus, salad and a white wine..YUMMY!
Geoff is home ( and Scott is not) so fish is in order, and since he just turned 21, wine with dinner will be great.
I found a recipe for the salmon marinate from Jefferson Adams, a writer in San Francisco. His blog is at http://celiac.com/articles/22540/1/Marinated-Grilled-Salmon-Gluten-Free/Page1.html
I'll let you know if the recipe is any good.
Monday, March 26, 2012
I didn't really cook anything.. but went to a GREAT restaurant.
Well another day, but no results so to speak. I didn't really make anything but....
ate the leftover chicken, salad, fruit etc.. bought some carrots and celery, red grapes, green grapes, strawberries, clementines, bananas...ate them too..
But I did try a new ( to me) restaurant called Chowpatti chowpatti.com
in Arlington heights..it is a vegetarian restaurant and has many GF items.
"Vegetarianism is neither a fad nor a passing fancy. It is a long and widely established way of life all over the world among individuals making an independent stand for a better, healthier and more compassionate society. If you think vegetarian cuisine is a diet mote suited to rabbits than humans, it is time to visit CHOWPATTI VEGETARIAN CUISINE. The choices offered at this establishment are overwhelming, accurately billing it's fare as an "International Vegetarian Cuisine". The diverse menu covers virtually all popular cuisines from basic American to Mexican, Italian, Middle Eastern and truly provocative varieties from Indian cuisine. "
I had several GF options and they were good. I am going to go there again, it was good and GF. What a concept!
I had a Dosa with spinach. "A DOSA is an Indian style crepe made using a batter of rice and lentil. The combination of grain and legume in this batter provides you with complete protein. This batter is completely vegan and gluten-free. All Dosas are served with one cup of sambhar, which can be used as a sauce to drizzle on top of the dosa or can be used for dipping. SAMBHAR is a medium spiced, nourishing lentil (toor dal) soup/sauce cooked with vegetables and south Indian seasonings. "
I dripped it on my Dosa and at home ate the rest as soup. Very Yummy!!
I had an uttapam with spinach. It was like a pizza. "UTTAPAM- is a thick pancake made using a batter of rice and lentil. The combination of grain and legume in this batter provides you with complete protein. This batter is completely vegan and gluten-free. When the Uttapam is served, it looks like an Indian style pizza." More of the sambhar stuff. All Uttapams are served with one cup sambhar, which can be used as a sauce to drizzle on top of the uttapam or can be used for dipping. I dripped on it my Uttapam. It was hot ( spicy) and good.
Plus I had chickpea curry with brown rice..HOT ( as in spicy hot) but very good but really hot. Like having your sinus cleaned out hot! LOL
Today I was gonna make soup, but I still had some 'dovers ( leftovers) so..i am thinking about tomorrow..what can I make??
Turkey, cranberry sauce and asparagus? or Sloppy Joe's? or ???
I am tired of making yummy chicken dishes, so I wanna try something different. what do you suggest??
, I brought them home and had dinner the next day. If you are in Chicago area, it is worth a visit.
ate the leftover chicken, salad, fruit etc.. bought some carrots and celery, red grapes, green grapes, strawberries, clementines, bananas...ate them too..
But I did try a new ( to me) restaurant called Chowpatti chowpatti.com
in Arlington heights..it is a vegetarian restaurant and has many GF items.
"Vegetarianism is neither a fad nor a passing fancy. It is a long and widely established way of life all over the world among individuals making an independent stand for a better, healthier and more compassionate society. If you think vegetarian cuisine is a diet mote suited to rabbits than humans, it is time to visit CHOWPATTI VEGETARIAN CUISINE. The choices offered at this establishment are overwhelming, accurately billing it's fare as an "International Vegetarian Cuisine". The diverse menu covers virtually all popular cuisines from basic American to Mexican, Italian, Middle Eastern and truly provocative varieties from Indian cuisine. "
I had several GF options and they were good. I am going to go there again, it was good and GF. What a concept!
I had a Dosa with spinach. "A DOSA is an Indian style crepe made using a batter of rice and lentil. The combination of grain and legume in this batter provides you with complete protein. This batter is completely vegan and gluten-free. All Dosas are served with one cup of sambhar, which can be used as a sauce to drizzle on top of the dosa or can be used for dipping. SAMBHAR is a medium spiced, nourishing lentil (toor dal) soup/sauce cooked with vegetables and south Indian seasonings. "
I dripped it on my Dosa and at home ate the rest as soup. Very Yummy!!
I had an uttapam with spinach. It was like a pizza. "UTTAPAM- is a thick pancake made using a batter of rice and lentil. The combination of grain and legume in this batter provides you with complete protein. This batter is completely vegan and gluten-free. When the Uttapam is served, it looks like an Indian style pizza." More of the sambhar stuff. All Uttapams are served with one cup sambhar, which can be used as a sauce to drizzle on top of the uttapam or can be used for dipping. I dripped on it my Uttapam. It was hot ( spicy) and good.
Plus I had chickpea curry with brown rice..HOT ( as in spicy hot) but very good but really hot. Like having your sinus cleaned out hot! LOL
Today I was gonna make soup, but I still had some 'dovers ( leftovers) so..i am thinking about tomorrow..what can I make??
Turkey, cranberry sauce and asparagus? or Sloppy Joe's? or ???
I am tired of making yummy chicken dishes, so I wanna try something different. what do you suggest??
| . |
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Made Crock Pot Orange Chicken
I was so amazing.. I have been at the Gluten Free for a month and a few days. I do feel better and will stick with it. although i have been thinking about cookies and cakes. I need to make some GF brownies to help me. Or maybe i just want them!!
Been doing burgers ( Costco has turkey burgers that are GF), chicken, fish (I had Cod so I used Peach Salsa on it, folded it in foil..YUMMY!) on the grill..It is a Weber charcoal type... easy... just throw a salad together and grill the main course.. add veggies and voila a wonderful meal! Of course being in the 80s in Chi has helped..perfect weather for grilling.
Even tough it was warm, tonight I decided to make Slow Crooker Orange Chicken Recipe from Stephanie O'Dae. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/slow-cooker-orange-chicken-recipe
"1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks ( recipe called for 1 1/2 lbs but i used 3 lbs) so i doubled the sauce.
1/2 cup flour (I used King Arthur Gluten Free flour )
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt ( I forgot this)
6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed ( I used the whole can)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
The Directions.
Use a 4 quart slow cooker for best results. Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess. Go ahead and throw away any remaining flour, we won't need it. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating.
Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste. If you'd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice."
I used brown rice and pea pods, carrots, red pepper, and broccoli steamed for veggies. I made this after work, so I cooked it on high.
I had ketchup, but since I doubled the sauce, I didn't have enough. So I used what i had - LOL..- a tablespoon of the peach salsa ( I figured it had a tomato base) and 2 tablespoons of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce.. The sauce thicken as it cooked and i didn't put any thickener in it..
Amazing!!
I was GREAT!.. Scott and Eric ate several bowls and i only have a 1/2 bowl left over . Eric's only comment was that i needed to cut the chicken smaller..
A Success, thanks to Stephanie!!
Been doing burgers ( Costco has turkey burgers that are GF), chicken, fish (I had Cod so I used Peach Salsa on it, folded it in foil..YUMMY!) on the grill..It is a Weber charcoal type... easy... just throw a salad together and grill the main course.. add veggies and voila a wonderful meal! Of course being in the 80s in Chi has helped..perfect weather for grilling.
Even tough it was warm, tonight I decided to make Slow Crooker Orange Chicken Recipe from Stephanie O'Dae. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/slow-cooker-orange-chicken-recipe
"1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks ( recipe called for 1 1/2 lbs but i used 3 lbs) so i doubled the sauce.
1/2 cup flour (I used King Arthur Gluten Free flour )
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt ( I forgot this)
6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed ( I used the whole can)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
The Directions.
Use a 4 quart slow cooker for best results. Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess. Go ahead and throw away any remaining flour, we won't need it. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating.
Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste. If you'd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice."
I used brown rice and pea pods, carrots, red pepper, and broccoli steamed for veggies. I made this after work, so I cooked it on high.
I had ketchup, but since I doubled the sauce, I didn't have enough. So I used what i had - LOL..- a tablespoon of the peach salsa ( I figured it had a tomato base) and 2 tablespoons of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce.. The sauce thicken as it cooked and i didn't put any thickener in it..
Amazing!!
I was GREAT!.. Scott and Eric ate several bowls and i only have a 1/2 bowl left over . Eric's only comment was that i needed to cut the chicken smaller..
A Success, thanks to Stephanie!!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Cat doesn't like certain fish!!
Yep, the cat is definitely finicky.Spoiled cat! She has had Tuna and Salmon. Ate it all up, raw and cooked.
On Friday, I decided to try more fish. I was at Costco and the Cod looked good, so I bought some. Got home and the cat was all over the package. She has dancing and jumping and pawing at the package of fish. She even wanted to lick the bag.
So I took one piece for me/her and froze the rest for another day. I gave her a raw little piece and she ate it. Gave her another piece and she looked at me like I was crazy. As if she said " you want me to eat that?"
She left it on the floor and walked away with a tail flip. OK, so she didn't like it at least she didn't bury it. Other times,she has buried the food. You know , when a cat paws at the ground as if she is covering the offending thing with dirt. Then she looks at you with disdain and flips her tail and walks away.
Anyway, I had the cod for dinner. She was dancing and begging for the fish but when she got a piece she sniffed it and continued her dancing. HMMM. I didn't know what to make of that.
I made the sauce for the fish by using another website.and found a gluten free Tilapia recipe.
But not having Tilapia but cod, I used the sauce and put the COD in the microwave. i mixed the sauce stuff in a bowl, then added it to the cooked fish.
And of course I didn't have all the stuff, is this a trend??
I used Mozzarella cheese, not Parmesan ( 1/2 C)
Hellman's Mayo ( 3 TBS)
1/4 cups of butter ( melted)
Plus some banana, pineapple/OJ juice ( Dole) to fill the bottom of the pan when Microwave it.
Cooked fish in the microwave, 3 minutes.
Mixed the mayo/cheese/butter together. Covered the fish with the sauce and microwaved 2 more minutes.
It was good!! Since it was only me, I had some leftovers. I planned to eat it in a salad for lunch .
On Friday, I decided to try more fish. I was at Costco and the Cod looked good, so I bought some. Got home and the cat was all over the package. She has dancing and jumping and pawing at the package of fish. She even wanted to lick the bag.
So I took one piece for me/her and froze the rest for another day. I gave her a raw little piece and she ate it. Gave her another piece and she looked at me like I was crazy. As if she said " you want me to eat that?"
She left it on the floor and walked away with a tail flip. OK, so she didn't like it at least she didn't bury it. Other times,she has buried the food. You know , when a cat paws at the ground as if she is covering the offending thing with dirt. Then she looks at you with disdain and flips her tail and walks away.
Anyway, I had the cod for dinner. She was dancing and begging for the fish but when she got a piece she sniffed it and continued her dancing. HMMM. I didn't know what to make of that.
I made the sauce for the fish by using another website.and found a gluten free Tilapia recipe.
But not having Tilapia but cod, I used the sauce and put the COD in the microwave. i mixed the sauce stuff in a bowl, then added it to the cooked fish.
And of course I didn't have all the stuff, is this a trend??
I used Mozzarella cheese, not Parmesan ( 1/2 C)
Hellman's Mayo ( 3 TBS)
1/4 cups of butter ( melted)
Plus some banana, pineapple/OJ juice ( Dole) to fill the bottom of the pan when Microwave it.
Cooked fish in the microwave, 3 minutes.
Mixed the mayo/cheese/butter together. Covered the fish with the sauce and microwaved 2 more minutes.
It was good!! Since it was only me, I had some leftovers. I planned to eat it in a salad for lunch .
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Amazing Food ( continued)
So I made Crockpot Apricot Chicken http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/03/crockpot-apricot-chicken-recipe.html.
Why I am not sure, but I added/changed the recipe, I do this all the time.Like I know what I am doing LOL.
So I used a real onion instead of minced onion flakes, forgot to get the ginger from the store or look in my spice rack to see if i had any, and I had leftover pineapple from the Tuna Steak sauce, so i added that; I was going to add the mango too but i am not sure that it is ripe yet, so i decided to add it to something else later.
The Apricot Chicken was SO yummy..MY MOUTH WAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN FOR JOY..
Thanks to Stephanie !! And it was so easy! Throw all the stuff in the crock pot and forget it. my kind of meal!
I did go to the store for the stuff yesterday and got it all ready last night after dinner,in the morning, I set up the crock pot, turned it on and went to work. The house smelled so good when i walked in. Even the cat loved it! I did forget the veggies and the rice but at the last minute I used baked potatoes -white for Scott and sweet for me. Worked just fine. Next time, I'll remember the rice and add veggies or salad. But really the chicken was just fine! :-)
Did I not tell you about the Tuna Steak?? Well Geoff was in town and we went to Costco and got Tuna. It was a choice between Tuna or Salmon, and well Tuna won. The cat was very happy. ( BTW she likes this lifestyle change, i am having lots more fish and chicken. She is in heaven, 'cause she gets some raw and cooked too).
Back to the Tuna Steaks. I made them in the oven with pineapple, mango, red onion and peppers. Just cooked to be pink in the center. It was out of this world.
What to make tomorrow?? I thought I would have left over chicken but no..it is all gone. That's how good it was.. i need to go look and see what there is to make??
Maybe Tilapia or ???
An Aside: I thought i lost this.. all of a sudden my screen was blank.Talk about heart failure..whew glad it is okay as I would not be retyping this.
Why I am not sure, but I added/changed the recipe, I do this all the time.Like I know what I am doing LOL.
So I used a real onion instead of minced onion flakes, forgot to get the ginger from the store or look in my spice rack to see if i had any, and I had leftover pineapple from the Tuna Steak sauce, so i added that; I was going to add the mango too but i am not sure that it is ripe yet, so i decided to add it to something else later.
The Apricot Chicken was SO yummy..MY MOUTH WAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN FOR JOY..
Thanks to Stephanie !! And it was so easy! Throw all the stuff in the crock pot and forget it. my kind of meal!
I did go to the store for the stuff yesterday and got it all ready last night after dinner,in the morning, I set up the crock pot, turned it on and went to work. The house smelled so good when i walked in. Even the cat loved it! I did forget the veggies and the rice but at the last minute I used baked potatoes -white for Scott and sweet for me. Worked just fine. Next time, I'll remember the rice and add veggies or salad. But really the chicken was just fine! :-)
Did I not tell you about the Tuna Steak?? Well Geoff was in town and we went to Costco and got Tuna. It was a choice between Tuna or Salmon, and well Tuna won. The cat was very happy. ( BTW she likes this lifestyle change, i am having lots more fish and chicken. She is in heaven, 'cause she gets some raw and cooked too).
Back to the Tuna Steaks. I made them in the oven with pineapple, mango, red onion and peppers. Just cooked to be pink in the center. It was out of this world.
What to make tomorrow?? I thought I would have left over chicken but no..it is all gone. That's how good it was.. i need to go look and see what there is to make??
Maybe Tilapia or ???
An Aside: I thought i lost this.. all of a sudden my screen was blank.Talk about heart failure..whew glad it is okay as I would not be retyping this.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
All about Food I can eat!!!
I wasn't really convinced that I should go Gluten Free, in the back of my head; I just thought that I could do it most of the time, but a cookie now and then wouldn't hurt..BOY was I WRONG!!!
Wait a minute...I think I have been doing stuff and not posting.
So this may be a bit disjointed..so back to the beginning..well almost..
I ate salads the first week.not sure what to do, found out that the salad dressing wasn't GF.So I had to go to the store and find a GF dressing.It is a good thing I live near a Dominick’s.
While I was there, saw GF Rice Krispies and GF Rice Chex. So I was set for breakfast too.
After that, I got more adventurous.I found a blog/website where Stephanie O'Dea was GF and had 365 days of GF recipes in the crock pot...well that stuck my fancy.
I made Chicken Adobo. I had to substitute some things as I didn't have them. Thought I did found out that no I didn't. For example, the recipe called for White vinegar. Ok, I looked in the spice turnaround thing and sure enough, I had some vinegar. Well, I go to use it, and found out that it was way old and didn't have a real top but a plastic bag on top of it. So in the garbage it went. I had to improvise, I found some balsamic vinegar in the frig.. well it said vinegar.. so I used it!
The Chicken Adobo was really good..The website for all her recipes are at http://crockpot365.blogspot.com.
A few days later, I made Chicken Pad Thai... very tasty. Scott was apprehensive, I pointed out to him, that if he didn’t like it, that there were other things he could have...and just taste it... well 3 bowls later, he declared it good..
When Geoff came home last week, we went to Wildfire. I told the waiter that I was GF and he produced the GF menu. He told me about the kitchen and how things are prepared GF... A very nice experience.
He said that things take a bit longer on the GF menu, so he brought all the items at once only a bit later..
First up the three of us split a wildfire salad and the boys ate 3 leaves of bread. Me- I just smiled- but then the waiter brought me bread.. Oh wow!! They made me warm, delicious, GF bread. I just stared at it, if I had my camera, I would have taken a picture. It was beautiful and then I ate some and it was so good.
I had cedar plank salmon for the main course. It was wonderful and some roasted veggies.
Great experience.. Definitely a keeper..
I emailed and recieved a response from DCL, WDW and DL..so I have a list of the places and foods I can eat in the parks and on the ships. And most important of all, I founf out that Dole Whips are ok!
Now on the soap, shampoo and other things ..even more cooking!
I have a GF recipe for slow cooker honey sesame chicken, so that is next on the agenda.
I also have some bananas, I used to make banana bread. I am not sure what I do now???
New Guide to Who Really Shouldn't Eat Gluten
as written in the WSJ
You've got abdominal pains, bloating, fatigue and foggy thinking. You feel worse after eating wheat or other foods with gluten, and better when you avoid them.
A report is calling for a new classification system for gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease; dermatitis herpetiformis; gluten ataxia; wheat allergy and gluten sensitivity. Melinda Beck has details on Lunch Break.
Is it a wheat allergy, celiac disease or the power of suggestion, given all the buzz around gluten-free diets? Or might it be an ailment medicine doesn't officially recognize yet?
Aiming to clarify the situation, a group of 15 experts from seven countries is proposing a new classification system for the gluten-related disorders plaguing a growing number of people around the world for unknown reasons.
The proposal defines a spectrum of illnesses based on the kind of immune defenses people mount to gluten, from wheat allergies to autoimmune responses, such as celiac disease, in which the body mistakenly attacks its own tissue.
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Other autoimmune forms include dermatitis herpetiformis, which causes itchy skin lesions, and gluten ataxia, which affects brain tissue, resulting in unsteady gait and lack of motor control.
The experts also propose a third category for "gluten sensitivity," in which patients report the same symptoms as celiac disease but test negative for telltale antibodies. Some doctors have dismissed such complaints as imaginary, or fueled by the boom in gluten-free foods.
U.S. sales of gluten-free foods grew to $2.3 billion in 2010, more than doubling from 2006, according to Packaged Facts. The market-research firm surveyed 277 consumers of gluten-free products in 2010, and nearly half said they perceived them as "generally healthier."
"Confusion about gluten sensitivity has been rampant," says Alessio Fasano, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research and a co-author of the proposal, published this week in the journal BMC Medicine. "That prompted a few of us to say, 'Let's put some facts on the table to assess what's known and what's not known.' "
The proposal—partly supported by a maker of gluten-free products, Italy's Dr. Schär AG—also spells out diagnostic criteria to help physicians determine which, if any, disorder a patient suffers from. "It is well possible that many individuals are on a gluten-free diet for no sound medical reasons," the authors note.
The American Gastroenterological Association says that much more needs to be known about gluten sensitivity before official guidelines can be devised—including how many people suffer from it and to what degree.
About 1% of people in the U.S. have celiac disease, a fourfold increase over the past 50 years. Some gastroenterologists say that for every patient with celiac disease, they see six to eight who have the same symptoms, but without the tell-tale antibodies or intestinal damage needed to confirm celiac.
Evidence is mounting that gluten sensitivity does exist. Dr. Fasano and colleagues last year compared blood samples and intestinal biopsies from people with suspected gluten sensitivity to those with confirmed celiac disease and healthy controls, and found distinct differences in each.
And in a study published last year, researchers in Australia showed in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that subjects with suspected gluten sensitivity had substantially fewer symptoms on a gluten-free diet than control subjects who unknowingly ingested gluten.
"Many physicians would roll their eyes and say, 'God, another crazy person with food sensitivities,' " says Peter Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University and a co-author of the proposal. "It's only now that studies are coming out showing that there's something real about gluten sensitivity." In fact, he notes that patients with gluten sensitivity often have even more severe symptoms than those with celiac disease, which is frequently "silent" or asymptomatic, even though antibodies to gluten are slowly damaging their intestinal tracts. That's partly why celiac disease is underdiagnosed, he says.
Confusing the picture further are private labs that offer tests of stool or saliva that they say can definitively diagnose gluten sensitivity. Experts say that such tests haven't been validated and shouldn't be relied on for a diagnosis. "If anyone claims they have a test that is specifically for gluten sensitivity, there is no such thing, though I'm not ruling it out in the future," says Dr. Fasano.
Classifying the Symptoms
Gluten-related disorders are rising around the world. One group of international experts has proposed classifying them based on the kind of defenses the body mounts.
Wheat allergy Can affect skin, gastrointestinal tract or respiratory tract
Symptoms: Hives, nasal and chest congestion, nausea, vomiting, anaphylaxis
Prevalence: Less than 1% of children, most outgrow it
Diagnosis: Blood and skin prick reveal IgE antibodies; food challenge
Treatment: Avoid wheat products
Celiac disease Antibodies to gluten damage intestinal villi needed to absorb food
Symptoms: Abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, osteoporosis, cancer; can also be asymptomatic
Prevalence: 1% of adults of European descent, up fourfold in 50 years
Diagnosis: Gene tests show HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 variations; blood tests reveal tTGA or EMA antibodies; biopsy shows villi damage
Treatment: Strict gluten-free diet can reverse symptoms
Gluten ataxia Antibodies to gluten attack cerebellum
Symptoms: Loss of balance and coordination; few GI symptoms
Prevalence: Gluten may be the cause of ataxia in a fifth of all sufferers of the ailment
Diagnosis: Blood tests show tTG6 and AGA antibodies; brain images are abnormal
Treatment: Gluten-free diet may stabilize ataxia but some damage may be irreversible
Gluten Sensitivity Gluten may trigger a primitive immune defense
Symptoms: similar to celiac disease without villi damage; foggy thinking, mood swings
Prevalence: Unknown
Diagnosis: Rule out celiac disease and wheat allergies; possible AGA antibodies in blood; symptoms ease when avoiding gluten
Treatment: Avoiding gluten, though small amounts on occasion may not cause problems
Sources: BMC Medicine, WSJ reporting
He and other researchers are hoping to find a biomarker that can officially diagnose gluten sensitivity. But for now, the proposal notes, it can only be diagnosed by ruling out the other disorders. Specifically, it says that physicians should suspect gluten sensitivity when patients complain of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, anemia and other celiac symptoms, but don't have wheat allergies or the antibodies seen with celiac disease. If a biopsy is done, it generally won't show damage to the intestinal villi.
Only about half of people with gluten sensitivity have one of the two gene variations seen in virtually all celiac patients, so gene tests can rule out celiac, but not diagnose gluten sensitivity conclusively. (The blood tests cost about $100; the gene test about $300, and the biopsy $600 or more.)
Ultimately, the best test for gluten sensitivity is to see whether symptoms improve on a gluten-free diet. To avoid the power of suggestion, some doctors give patients blind tests with foods that may or may not contain hidden gluten.
Experts urge people who suspect they have problems with gluten to be tested for celiac disease before going gluten-free on their own. Otherwise, with no gluten to react to, their blood tests will show false negatives.
"This is the single biggest problem I see, and I see it every day in practice," says Joseph Murray, a celiac expert at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Convincing patients who feel better to go back on gluten for testing purposes may be a hard sell. But getting a firm diagnosis is crucial, experts say, because those with celiac disease need to be on a strict gluten-free diet for the rest of their lives, or risk long-term complications including osteoporosis, infertility and some cancers. Those with gluten sensitivity may be able to eat small quantities occasionally without problems.
Cynthia Kupper, executive director of the nonprofit Gluten Intolerance Group, suggests that rather than going gluten-free on their own, people who suspect they have a gluten disorder should first keep a food diary to see if their symptoms occur shortly after consuming it. She also notes that a gluten-free diet isn't necessarily healthier, with many gluten-free products having more fat and calories than the foods they replace.
She welcomes the new classification system—in part because she sees the range of gluten disorders in her own family: She has celiac disease. Her daughter shows no signs of it, but her granddaughter has severe symptoms whenever she eats anything with gluten in it, even though tests for celiac are negative.
"When you take her off gluten, she becomes a happy child again. She's not popping Pepto-Bismol like it's candy," Ms. Kupper says.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Who knew there were crumbs in the silverware drawer??
It has been a week since I last posted and so much Gluten Free and otherwise has gone on.
Last weekend, I cleaned more stuff.. who knew there were crumbs in the silverware drawer??
But there were..who knew??
How it started was I went to clean all the silverware, not really silver but an imitation cheaper alternative for everyday use, as i have mine, Scott dads from when he got them free ( and since he has been dead since before I met Scott and we have been married 22 years ..so.., ) and my parents. Seemed like a good idea to wash all of this stuff.. and then I pulled out the divider and low and behold found crumbs.. really?? Crumbs!!
So I got super paranoid and started to wash everything down and then sterilize it with sanitary wipes/towels. I cleaned the drawer, put a liner of paper towels in it, then the divider and the stuff.
Cleaned the stove, and while I was at it, cleaned the serving, and odds and ends drawers.I moved all the GF stuff like the salad tongs, potato peeler, snacker for oranges, stuff like that..
So now it had the kitchen in order..at least as far as i can tell..maybe some things are iffy but I cant see replacing everything..so some get cleaned with dish soap and then that is it..
Speaking of soap...
When we were Feingold, I had a book to use as a guideline to tell me which products were safe..well the GF book from Cecelia's Marketplace called the Gluten Free Grocery shopping guide came on Tuesday... great wealth of information. I feel more in control with a guide.
But got me thinking about soap, shampoo, pet food.
In the middle, in big GREEN pages..was Helpful Gluten Free Tips.
No2 was make sure your pet food is gluten free. Oh boy, Sweetie is under attack..
then no 4 was double check your shampoo is gluten free..So there is more to do..
What about soap?? Well at least it lists brands of soap..none of which i use..where does it have the soap from hotels, Disney or Disney ships???
But on the happy note.. i made Chicken Adobo in the crock pot thanks to 365crockpot recipes..Thanks Stephanie..Chicken Pad Thai, and tuna steaks, with salad and green beans.. YUMMY!! Scott was apprehensive about the chicken pad Thai..but after 3 bowls was convinced it was ok..
And I checked the list and ice cream is on it..so i am good!!! Chocolate, ice cream and Thai food and yummy recipes..I am happy..
Got am app for my phone called Find me GF restaurants..so Iowa tomorrow will be easy..
There is so much out there , that is easier than I first thought..restaurants have GF menus, all sorts of products are labeled GF..and the book tells me which ones to use so someone else has gone through the trouble of emailing manufacturers..
Yep..this is easier than other things..
Now can I stick to it??
Last weekend, I cleaned more stuff.. who knew there were crumbs in the silverware drawer??
But there were..who knew??
How it started was I went to clean all the silverware, not really silver but an imitation cheaper alternative for everyday use, as i have mine, Scott dads from when he got them free ( and since he has been dead since before I met Scott and we have been married 22 years ..so.., ) and my parents. Seemed like a good idea to wash all of this stuff.. and then I pulled out the divider and low and behold found crumbs.. really?? Crumbs!!
So I got super paranoid and started to wash everything down and then sterilize it with sanitary wipes/towels. I cleaned the drawer, put a liner of paper towels in it, then the divider and the stuff.
Cleaned the stove, and while I was at it, cleaned the serving, and odds and ends drawers.I moved all the GF stuff like the salad tongs, potato peeler, snacker for oranges, stuff like that..
So now it had the kitchen in order..at least as far as i can tell..maybe some things are iffy but I cant see replacing everything..so some get cleaned with dish soap and then that is it..
Speaking of soap...
When we were Feingold, I had a book to use as a guideline to tell me which products were safe..well the GF book from Cecelia's Marketplace called the Gluten Free Grocery shopping guide came on Tuesday... great wealth of information. I feel more in control with a guide.
But got me thinking about soap, shampoo, pet food.
In the middle, in big GREEN pages..was Helpful Gluten Free Tips.
No2 was make sure your pet food is gluten free. Oh boy, Sweetie is under attack..
then no 4 was double check your shampoo is gluten free..So there is more to do..
What about soap?? Well at least it lists brands of soap..none of which i use..where does it have the soap from hotels, Disney or Disney ships???
But on the happy note.. i made Chicken Adobo in the crock pot thanks to 365crockpot recipes..Thanks Stephanie..Chicken Pad Thai, and tuna steaks, with salad and green beans.. YUMMY!! Scott was apprehensive about the chicken pad Thai..but after 3 bowls was convinced it was ok..
And I checked the list and ice cream is on it..so i am good!!! Chocolate, ice cream and Thai food and yummy recipes..I am happy..
Got am app for my phone called Find me GF restaurants..so Iowa tomorrow will be easy..
There is so much out there , that is easier than I first thought..restaurants have GF menus, all sorts of products are labeled GF..and the book tells me which ones to use so someone else has gone through the trouble of emailing manufacturers..
Yep..this is easier than other things..
Now can I stick to it??
Friday, February 24, 2012
Ode to Godiva
When my kids were little, I started saying that I was "cleaning the kitchen"..you know they would yell for MOM and some times late at night , well late for them LOL, I would respond that I was cleaning the kitchen and would be there as soon as I was done..
yep spoon in hand, chocolate on my breath, I was cleaning all the chocolate there was :-))) ..
So Eric got a box of Godiva chocolates from work for christmas..put it on the cat post in the family room and didn't take it to school. He said that we should/could have it. well it sat there for months.. calling to me in its little chocolate voice.." I am here, don't forget me..you"ll love me. " things like that..i ignore its calling to me ... up til last night.
I was so good and GF yesterday..big ol'bowl of GF cereal in almond milk with bananas for breakfast, went to work and ignored the goodies that were set out and the Salisbury steak with gravy, really good stewed tomatoes with cheese, mashed potatoes, etc.. just did my job!
Came home and had a big salad with tuna and grapes and nuts.YUM! I was so good..
Dinner was split pea soup I made the other day and GF multi grain crackers.
But then, I really felt like a little something..should I?? rip the big bow off the Godiva chocolates??? I told myself that one was okay..just one..and then I could have just one for many days..
I ripped off the bow, opened the box that was calling to me, punched open the protective clear seal, and opened the box of Godiva. OH!! the smell of chocolate was wonderful, the anticipation at deciding which one of those wonderful chocolates to have.. my mouth watered at the thought and smells..
So I chose a chocolate truffle with a chocolate center..pure heaven..the outside was rich and the inside was smooth and chocolaty.Wonderful!!!I groaned with pleasure..
Did I savor the experience? YES
Did I close the box and put it away for another day?? Well NO..
One good piece of chocolate deserves another and soon I had devoured 5 pieces of yummy Godiva chocolate.... which I do think required restraint since I usually eat not one cookie but a box of cookies..serving size gets me every time...
That's my story and I am sticking to it..
yep spoon in hand, chocolate on my breath, I was cleaning all the chocolate there was :-))) ..
So Eric got a box of Godiva chocolates from work for christmas..put it on the cat post in the family room and didn't take it to school. He said that we should/could have it. well it sat there for months.. calling to me in its little chocolate voice.." I am here, don't forget me..you"ll love me. " things like that..i ignore its calling to me ... up til last night.
I was so good and GF yesterday..big ol'bowl of GF cereal in almond milk with bananas for breakfast, went to work and ignored the goodies that were set out and the Salisbury steak with gravy, really good stewed tomatoes with cheese, mashed potatoes, etc.. just did my job!
Came home and had a big salad with tuna and grapes and nuts.YUM! I was so good..
Dinner was split pea soup I made the other day and GF multi grain crackers.
But then, I really felt like a little something..should I?? rip the big bow off the Godiva chocolates??? I told myself that one was okay..just one..and then I could have just one for many days..
I ripped off the bow, opened the box that was calling to me, punched open the protective clear seal, and opened the box of Godiva. OH!! the smell of chocolate was wonderful, the anticipation at deciding which one of those wonderful chocolates to have.. my mouth watered at the thought and smells..
So I chose a chocolate truffle with a chocolate center..pure heaven..the outside was rich and the inside was smooth and chocolaty.Wonderful!!!I groaned with pleasure..
Did I savor the experience? YES
Did I close the box and put it away for another day?? Well NO..
One good piece of chocolate deserves another and soon I had devoured 5 pieces of yummy Godiva chocolate.... which I do think required restraint since I usually eat not one cookie but a box of cookies..serving size gets me every time...
That's my story and I am sticking to it..
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
No driving myself crazy about things!! My new mantra!! ( this week anyways)
So yesterday was Fat Tuesday and at work we celebrated .We had cakes and donuts and such. I cut and served and washed plates . I was inside going nuts...as I was exposed to wheat..didn't know what to do??
I washed my hands like crazy but finally said to myself" Self, either one quits work and lives a hermt life cooking in my own portion of the kitchen or..get over it! You are gonna be exposed to gluten and wash you hands, and move on.." so I moved on.. thus ny new Mantra.
Back at the ranch, I ventured to make my first GF soup..split pea. Soup pot is GF already since it has only been used for soup. I had carrots, onion, zuchini, sweet potatoes and celery in it..all was good until I realized that my blender bowl thing was plastic.. why does this matter??
I used to take the soup and blend it smooth in the blender and then serve it..well i ate lumpy soup.. it was good but different. I only used bay leaves, some basil and salt free Mrs Dash mix.. Next time I'll follow a recipe and add more spices.
But the good NEWS is that I found out that I can make Pad Thai..I love Pad Thai! It seems the noddles are rice noodles.Score one for the GF team!!
Once this kitchen thing gets settled, I am gonna start cooking for real..not just salad and soup..
On to Kohl's to see what is on sale.
So yesterday was Fat Tuesday and at work we celebrated .We had cakes and donuts and such. I cut and served and washed plates . I was inside going nuts...as I was exposed to wheat..didn't know what to do??
I washed my hands like crazy but finally said to myself" Self, either one quits work and lives a hermt life cooking in my own portion of the kitchen or..get over it! You are gonna be exposed to gluten and wash you hands, and move on.." so I moved on.. thus ny new Mantra.
Back at the ranch, I ventured to make my first GF soup..split pea. Soup pot is GF already since it has only been used for soup. I had carrots, onion, zuchini, sweet potatoes and celery in it..all was good until I realized that my blender bowl thing was plastic.. why does this matter??
I used to take the soup and blend it smooth in the blender and then serve it..well i ate lumpy soup.. it was good but different. I only used bay leaves, some basil and salt free Mrs Dash mix.. Next time I'll follow a recipe and add more spices.
But the good NEWS is that I found out that I can make Pad Thai..I love Pad Thai! It seems the noddles are rice noodles.Score one for the GF team!!
Once this kitchen thing gets settled, I am gonna start cooking for real..not just salad and soup..
On to Kohl's to see what is on sale.
Monday, February 20, 2012
President's Day..I am off work but more GF exploring.
I had breakfast with Marita at Egg Harbor Cafe..they have a GF menu..so it was very good.!
Went to Sunset Foods on the way home, and NO I did NOT buy an Mitchells ice cream..boo!
But I did look at their GF section..my theory is that specialty stores would have lists and things..
I was very disappointed that they did not have a lot..
so I went to Trader Joes.. and they had a LIST..yep 6 pages of Trader Joes No Gluten Ingridents used..Way to go Joes.. I'll be back for stuff.
Then I went to Mariano's..one just opened in Palatine..corner of NW HWY and Hicks..by the new police station..I asked if they had a list..I was on a roll after my success at Trader Joes..the customer service lady said No list..but we have an aisle.. Wow a whole aisle.!! Incredible..
Beautiful store, you can see why people are raving about it.
I thought I would do split pea soup..but after i started soaking the peas, i remembered that i needed a collander and something to put the soup in in the frig..so off to Target..
Nobody has a big bowl/container for soup or salad.. Target said Bed,Bath and Beyond..NOPE, tried the container store..did buy a "just in case" thing..now i am going to look online and call a Tupperware lady to see if I can replace the one I have..
I had breakfast with Marita at Egg Harbor Cafe..they have a GF menu..so it was very good.!
Went to Sunset Foods on the way home, and NO I did NOT buy an Mitchells ice cream..boo!
But I did look at their GF section..my theory is that specialty stores would have lists and things..
I was very disappointed that they did not have a lot..
so I went to Trader Joes.. and they had a LIST..yep 6 pages of Trader Joes No Gluten Ingridents used..Way to go Joes.. I'll be back for stuff.
Then I went to Mariano's..one just opened in Palatine..corner of NW HWY and Hicks..by the new police station..I asked if they had a list..I was on a roll after my success at Trader Joes..the customer service lady said No list..but we have an aisle.. Wow a whole aisle.!! Incredible..
Beautiful store, you can see why people are raving about it.
I thought I would do split pea soup..but after i started soaking the peas, i remembered that i needed a collander and something to put the soup in in the frig..so off to Target..
Nobody has a big bowl/container for soup or salad.. Target said Bed,Bath and Beyond..NOPE, tried the container store..did buy a "just in case" thing..now i am going to look online and call a Tupperware lady to see if I can replace the one I have..
On my way to a gluten free lifestyle..first weekend.
BTW, this is not cute or anything else..If you are looking for that check out Heather Smith Casas's page .
Sally what is her url??
This weekend ended on a high note but started not so well. I was doing the "poor me, angry thing" but got better after the trip to Whole Foods.
I went to Whole Foods and found that they don't have a GF section but do have products marked on the shelf. I was disappointed that they didn't have a GF list or anything. The lady at the desk said to read labels. This maybe what I need to do but at the time I needed a bit more hand holding. I went to the one in Palatine on Dundee..next time I'll try the Schaumburg one as it is bigger and may be more helpful. I have also heard that Trader Joes has a GF list, so maybe I head over there next week.
I really did well on Saturday for most of the day..but Saturday night was the Palatine Township Senior Center Gala. I worked 8 hours on Saturday night there. The Gala was great fun, it was a murder mystery theme. I sold handcuffs for people to put their friends in jail. It was cute - a policeman (in uniform) arrested the person and took them to jail..anyway, i had known that the dinner would not be GF or Gluten friendly, but i gave myself permission to just have fun. But from a GF standpoint..I ate the salad*(yeah) but put dressing on it (*boo), skipped the barley soup (yeah) , ate the main course but it was drowning in sauce..(boo) tried to avoid the sauce (yeah). I suppose I should have brought my own dressing and asked for a dinner with no sauce! (oh well) ..and I ate the ice cream for dessert. :-)
Sunday I was feeling better about the Gluten Free thing..went to the Library and Barnes and Noble..downloaded on my Nook a book called G Diet by Elizabeth Hasselback ( yep the same one from the View), got 3 library books and looked at many more.
On Friday, I was talking to Sally and mentioned that when we were Feingold that we got a book that made everything easier as it explained what to buy. All I was looking for was the book, the shopping guide..well a new GF "friend" recommended the GF shopping guide .
"
Grocery shopping for a gluten-free diet doesn’t have to be a challenge. Thanks to the Cecelia’s Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide, you’ll no longer spend hours looking at nutrition labels or calling up food manufacturers to get the scoop about product ingredients. Instead, you can carry this compact handy guide (4.5″ x 6.5″), which can easily fit inside your purse or coat pocket.
This guide includes a convenient index feature which makes it easier than ever to find out whether a product is gluten free. All gluten-free certified products and food items which are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility are clearly marked with symbols, accommodating all sensitivity levels. This guide takes the guesswork out of your weekly grocery shopping trips.
With this book, you’ll get information about all of your favorite brands and gluten-free foods. Cecelia’s Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide contains a list of over 37,000 food and drink items. Major food manufacturers like Heinz, Kraft, Del Monte and Frito Lay are all included. Plus, the items from your favorite supermarket chains, like Albertsons, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Winn Dixie, Wegmans and more, are listed as well. You’ll be able to quickly look up the information you need within seconds, all in one handy, compact guide.
In this edition of the Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide, we’ve also included an added bonus for those that are on a gluten-free diet. This book contains over 2,000 over-the-counter pharmacy products, including antacids, pain relief, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, supplements, vitamins and more. Now you can shop for all your family’s needs without worrying about the gluten content in certain products." I called Eric, as he has the student prime account with Amazon and asked him to order it. Free shipping and speedy delivery..:-)
I did find it in the library, but knew that i needed to own this..
Then, I started cleaning and purging the kitchen.. big job!!! One website had recommended that since there would be gluten eaters and a GF eater, that the kitchen be sectioned off into zones..
So Scott and the boys have the pantry, cabinets above and below the back wall, while I have the small cabinets around the stove.. WHEE!
I read the "Gluten connection" by Sarah Leiberman, which was recommended by the librarian. Great book.
I asked on the GF website about dishes, pots, food storage containers, etc. The answer was " As long as it can be thoroughly cleaned without leaving any traces of gluten, you do not need to replace it. The items you need to be most worried about are typically made of wood, plastic, or teflon (such as spatulas and cutting boards) and/or have small crevices where gluten can get stuck such as colanders. We hope that helps! " So that left me to replace cutting board, measuring spoons and cups, colander, food storage etc..
What a busy day!!!!!
BTW, this is not cute or anything else..If you are looking for that check out Heather Smith Casas's page .
Sally what is her url??
This weekend ended on a high note but started not so well. I was doing the "poor me, angry thing" but got better after the trip to Whole Foods.
I went to Whole Foods and found that they don't have a GF section but do have products marked on the shelf. I was disappointed that they didn't have a GF list or anything. The lady at the desk said to read labels. This maybe what I need to do but at the time I needed a bit more hand holding. I went to the one in Palatine on Dundee..next time I'll try the Schaumburg one as it is bigger and may be more helpful. I have also heard that Trader Joes has a GF list, so maybe I head over there next week.
I really did well on Saturday for most of the day..but Saturday night was the Palatine Township Senior Center Gala. I worked 8 hours on Saturday night there. The Gala was great fun, it was a murder mystery theme. I sold handcuffs for people to put their friends in jail. It was cute - a policeman (in uniform) arrested the person and took them to jail..anyway, i had known that the dinner would not be GF or Gluten friendly, but i gave myself permission to just have fun. But from a GF standpoint..I ate the salad*(yeah) but put dressing on it (*boo), skipped the barley soup (yeah) , ate the main course but it was drowning in sauce..(boo) tried to avoid the sauce (yeah). I suppose I should have brought my own dressing and asked for a dinner with no sauce! (oh well) ..and I ate the ice cream for dessert. :-)
Sunday I was feeling better about the Gluten Free thing..went to the Library and Barnes and Noble..downloaded on my Nook a book called G Diet by Elizabeth Hasselback ( yep the same one from the View), got 3 library books and looked at many more.
On Friday, I was talking to Sally and mentioned that when we were Feingold that we got a book that made everything easier as it explained what to buy. All I was looking for was the book, the shopping guide..well a new GF "friend" recommended the GF shopping guide .
"
Grocery shopping for a gluten-free diet doesn’t have to be a challenge. Thanks to the Cecelia’s Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide, you’ll no longer spend hours looking at nutrition labels or calling up food manufacturers to get the scoop about product ingredients. Instead, you can carry this compact handy guide (4.5″ x 6.5″), which can easily fit inside your purse or coat pocket.
This guide includes a convenient index feature which makes it easier than ever to find out whether a product is gluten free. All gluten-free certified products and food items which are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility are clearly marked with symbols, accommodating all sensitivity levels. This guide takes the guesswork out of your weekly grocery shopping trips.
With this book, you’ll get information about all of your favorite brands and gluten-free foods. Cecelia’s Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide contains a list of over 37,000 food and drink items. Major food manufacturers like Heinz, Kraft, Del Monte and Frito Lay are all included. Plus, the items from your favorite supermarket chains, like Albertsons, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Winn Dixie, Wegmans and more, are listed as well. You’ll be able to quickly look up the information you need within seconds, all in one handy, compact guide.
In this edition of the Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide, we’ve also included an added bonus for those that are on a gluten-free diet. This book contains over 2,000 over-the-counter pharmacy products, including antacids, pain relief, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, supplements, vitamins and more. Now you can shop for all your family’s needs without worrying about the gluten content in certain products." I called Eric, as he has the student prime account with Amazon and asked him to order it. Free shipping and speedy delivery..:-)
I did find it in the library, but knew that i needed to own this..
Then, I started cleaning and purging the kitchen.. big job!!! One website had recommended that since there would be gluten eaters and a GF eater, that the kitchen be sectioned off into zones..
So Scott and the boys have the pantry, cabinets above and below the back wall, while I have the small cabinets around the stove.. WHEE!
I read the "Gluten connection" by Sarah Leiberman, which was recommended by the librarian. Great book.
I asked on the GF website about dishes, pots, food storage containers, etc. The answer was " As long as it can be thoroughly cleaned without leaving any traces of gluten, you do not need to replace it. The items you need to be most worried about are typically made of wood, plastic, or teflon (such as spatulas and cutting boards) and/or have small crevices where gluten can get stuck such as colanders. We hope that helps! " So that left me to replace cutting board, measuring spoons and cups, colander, food storage etc..
What a busy day!!!!!
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