Angel's Gluten Free Journey

2011 Gluten Free Candy List

2012-01-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

So I found this list as I was searching for gluten free candy and I thought I would bring it here! This list has TONS of gluten free candy listed. This is a list from 2011! So fairy recent.

For the original website and list - Click Here!

Chicken Salad is whats for lunch!

2011-06-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

I love some chicken salad! When my husband was first diagnosed with celiac disease I thought we would be left with NOTHING to eat! I was SO wrong! In our house we are dairy free, gluten free and tomato free.

I thought chicken salad was out of the question because I was unsure of whether mayo would be gluten free! I have found that Spectrum Organic Mayo IS gluten free! I have read on the celiac forums that other brands are gluten free but I have not tried them and can NOT promise for sure that they are in fact gluten free. I will try them in the future and update you all with what we find out. The ones they say are gluten free are: Duke's Mayo, Hellman's Mayo, and Kraft Mayo. If any of you have actually tried these or verified that they are gluten free please leave a comment below letting us know! : D

We have found that the chicken salad has been easy on my husbands stomach. Its also great protein!

We keep ours simple but chicken salad options are endless!

We do shredded chicken (roasting a whole chicken and deboning is MUCH cheaper)

green grapes, quartered

chopped celery

spectrum Organic Mayo

Sea Salt

I put mine on bread because I love a chicken salad sandwich! With that said I did not want many carbs and with the mayo being high in fat...I only used 1 piece of bread and ate it with a fork! :)

One last look!

Would you like the recipe to the Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan Multi Grain bread I made for this sandwich? Then Click Below!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan Multi Grain bread

Multi Grain GF Bread! YUM!

2011-06-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

So I have tried several bread recipes and I will continue to try more. I made a delicious Whole Grain bread yesterday. It has a nice flavor that goes great for sandwiches. Its not sweet like some GF breads I have tried!

Excuse the low quality pics. I snapped them with my cell phone. :)

So here is the recipe that I tried!

Oh and I used my Breadman Bread Machine. I used a Gluten Free cycle. Mine is set at a 1.5lb loaf and Medium Crust. It goes for about 1:19 mins. Once my machine stops I add 15mins on Bake Only to finish baking. Otherwise the inside is too doughy to me!

Proof your yeast first!

2 1/4 tsp of bread machine yeast. You can also use rapid rise or instant yeast I believe. I buy the actual Bread machine yeast. Mix the yeast with 1 1/4 cup of warm water and 1/8 tsp of raw organic sugar.

Dry Ingredients (In separate bowl)

2/3 cups Sorghum Flour

1/3 cup of buckwheat Flour

1/2 cup Millet Flour

1 cup Potato Starch

2 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 1/4 tsp sea salt

Ener G Egg replacer for 2 eggs

(mix these together with a whisk to ensure it is mixed well)

Wet ingredients (pour directly into bread machine)

Proofed Yeast

4 TBL EVOO

3 TBL Raw Agave Nectar

1/2 tsp rice vinegar

Ok so in your bread machine you will pour in your proofed yeast, then your other wet ingredients, then pour all of your dry ingredients (already mixed) on top of the wet ingredients.

Set your machine like I said above and Once the machine is done with the Kneading process before the rising process, you will remove the paddle! If not it will be INSIDE your bread when its done.

**Every bread machine is different and may cook things shorter, longer, just differently! So if the bread does not look done enough - set your bake only for additional bake time! I had to do 15mins as suggested above. You may have to use your own judgement on that. **

Please let me know if you have any questions! I really hope you try this. It is good for gluten free but delicious enough for everyone!

You could make this even healthier by adding seeds like flax, caraway, chia, hemp seeds etc. It will change the flavor and texture but I think this bread can be versatile! I would try it the original way first and then add to it as you see fit. :)

***If you do NOT have a Bread machine - LOOK HERE!!!***

Preheat oven to 350.

You will mix your dry ingredients in one bowl, your wet ingredients in another bowl. In your mixer add you dry ingredients, then your yeast (proofed - should look foamy), then slowly add in your wet ingredients. Do NOT over mix or it will cause the yeast to not rise correctly.

It will look like batter more than dough! That is normal for gluten free bread! Then you will pour it into your 1.5lb loaf pan. cover the bread pan with a cool damp towel and let bread rise for 20 mins in a warm spot. I put on top of a preheated oven (stove top).

Once bread is done rising you can bake it for 30-45 mins. Every stove varies. You should be able to tap the top of the bread and it sound slightly hollow. If you feel its not done enough...add 5 mins at a time to ensure you dont burn it! :)

If you give it a try PLEASE come back and let me know what you thought! :)

Gluten Free Blueberry Almond Flour Muffins

2011-06-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

I made some very yummy blueberry almond flour muffins today! Thank you to the Gluten Free Goddess! I used her recipe and for the first time since going gluten free we are enjoying MUFFINS!!! YUM! (click gluten free goddess above for the original recipe!

The only thing I did differently - I did NOT have the vanilla powder so I exchanged it for vanilla extract. I also added 1/4tsp MORE xanthan gum to make up for the extra liquid.

Some suggestions I have and will try out in the future -

Grated lemon peel in mixed with the blueberries.
dash of fresh grated nutmeg
cinnamon

You could do any of those, all of those or something completely different! I just think it would add a little more flavor. With that said, these were good all by themselves.

Now for whatever reason I needed to cook them for an extra 10 mins. It was too doughy for me @ 25mins.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2011-05-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a GREAT morning for a large family breakfast! You would think that the men would take over in the kitchen to serve the ladies BUT nope....Thats ok because we had the best time cooking together this morning! To me there is NOTHING better than spending my mothers day with the many people I enjoy in my life! Hey....if you gotta cook your own Mothers Day meal.....at least its nice to have someone to cook with! ♥

We had a full spread of things to eat and it was ALL gluten free! I sadly forgot to take pictures!!! (Maybe I can find a way to score a couple pics from the left overs!)

We had scrambled farm fresh eggs. They were scrambled with unsweetened almond milk. Boars Head bacon (gluten free), and Applegate Bacon (gluten free from Whole Foods). Then my mother in law made some delicious homemade sausage! She used ground pork, thyme, sage, red pepper, and sea salt. It was good! There was also home cut squared hashbrowns.

I tried my hand at a Gluten Free Southern Biscuit! It was good and you could actually cut the dough with your biscuit cutter! We made mini biscuits and large biscuits. We had regular homemade gravy for our southern biscuits!

*The gravy was made with sausage drippings, all purpose flour (made from our biscuit dough), water, salt, and cayenne. The gravy was NOT a favorite with everyone. We will have to work to find and perfect a good white gravy!

For a nice dessert we had the famous Almond biscuits that I have come to LOVE from Elana's Pantry! We ate those with our delicious chocolate gravy! mmmmmm....

For those that do not enjoy almonds....this recipe is not for you and the chocolate went fantastic with the southern biscuits too!

All in all it was a delicious gluten free breakfast that the entire family enjoyed!

Hopefully you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! Tell us what you had for your Mother's Day gathering! Even if it was not gluten free! Share it with us anyways.

My First Yeast Dinner Rolls!

2011-04-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

MMmmmm....Dinner Rolls!

I am not a huge fan of bread but I do like it from time to time. So when I do eat it... I would like for it to be GOOD! I knew Easter was going to be a challenge b/c for the first time we were doing as much gluten free as we could. So I decided to try my hand at gluten free rolls! I wanted to have bread on the table that I knew we could eat.

I searched and searched for a good recipe. I was looking for a certain thing and I was not finding it....AND then...I found it! The recipe I was hoping for! haha. I was super excited to try these. I then realized...I did NOT have the SWEET rice flour. I had to find a substitution and quick. So I decided to go with Tapioca Starch.
Here is the link to the original recipe! This was from The Art of Gluten-Free Baking.

First I made the recommended All Purpose Flour recipe. This is were I had to make the substitution for tapioca starch versus sweet rice flour!

1 1/4 C brown rice flour
1 1/4 C white rice flour
1 C tapioca flour
1 C tapioca starch
2 tsp. xanthan gum

I did have some left over and I stored it in a glass jar in my pantry.

These are the ingredients to the Rolls from The Art of Gluten-Free Baking.

Ingredients I used

3 C Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
2 tsp xanthan gum
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 C sugar
2 TBL active dry yeast (see pic below for the one I used)
2 C warm vanilla Almond Milk
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar with "Mothers"
2 large brown organic eggs
1/4 C EVOO

This is how I made the rolls

I sprayed the muffin tins with EVOO (It had a good flavor but I would like to try it with coconut oil next time and tapioca flour...Might give it a hint of sweetness). The EVOO did cause my rolls to be darker.
I also did not flour my muffin tin.

In a small bowl, I mixed together 1 tbl spoon of raw sugar into the warm Vanilla Almond Milk. Then I added the yeast stir and set aside.

In a medium bowl, I mixed the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, the remaining raw sugar, and sea salt.

I mixed together the organic brown eggs, apple cider vinegar and EVOO into my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment. Then I added the yeast mixture. Once that is all mixed you will add flour mixture slowly, beat on low for one minute and high for 3 minutes.

Now it is ready for the pan!☺

Then I spooned the dough into the muffin tins and put on top of the stove to rise for about 40-45 minutes.

Baked in oven at 375 (let preheat first) for about 30 minutes. Because of the EVOO it got brown much faster. If you try my way then please set it for 30 and then check it. You can always reset the timer.☺

This was MY finished product!!

Pork Fried Rice!

2011-04-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

I love some good pork fried rice! Bad thing is....Chinese food is kind of out of the question when you are living gluten free!

Good thing we can make it at home! :) We had pork chops and rice one night last week and decided that we would reuse the two by making a NEW meal with those items. We came up with Pork Fried Rice.

You can use many different veggies in your Pork Fried Rice. We chose Peas and shredded carrots.

I started with EVOO, diced onion, chopped fresh garlic, frozen organic peas and shredded carrot mix saute until tender (you can add mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, etc.).

Once tender you will use your already cooked rice and add it to the pan.

I used:

Then you will chop your pork into bite size pieces, add Gluten Free Chicken broth to the pan, about 1/4 cup (maybe more depending on the amount you are cooking). Then you will add any other seasonings you may want. I added garlic powder, onion powder, and a little Sea Salt.This is when I add my Tamari Sauce, about 3 tbs. You will cook rice until it begins to resemble fried rice. Then you will slide all your rice to one side of the pan. Crack one or two eggs on the empty side of the pan and scramble the eggs.

After egg has been scrambled, mix it in with the rice! Once you have mixed it all together, you are DONE and it is ready to eat! mmmmm....

Ingredients:

Pork sirloin

Rice

garlic

onion

garlic powder

onion powder

tamari sauce

peas and carrots

chicken broth

organic eggs

sea salt

Let me know if you try this super easy dinner idea! I would love to hear feedback in the comments below! :)

Breadcrumbs!

2011-04-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have to drive at least 20 minutes to a Whole foods to find bread crumbs! I figured there HAD to be a better way!

In my house we RARELY eat the end pieces of our loaves of bread. So...I kept all of them! I placed those pieces on a baking sheet.

Bake at 250 for about 15-20 minutes. At a low temp it will just dry out the bread mostly versus browning the bread. Once the bread is dry and crisp, then you will break the pieces into a blender or food processor and pulse!

This will create breadcrumbs.

I then placed mine in a bag, labeled it and placed it in the freezer. You can season your breadcrumbs before freezing if you would like BUT I personally like to season mine as I cook.

Voila! Gluten Free Breadcrumbs! These were made with UDI bread but now that I bake my own bread....I will be using my bread crumbs! :)

My First loaf of Bread!

2011-04-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is my first loaf of bread! I was SUPER excited to give a try at baking my own bread!

I LOVE whole wheat bread and was SAD to see that I was NO longer able to eat it! After paying $5.99 for UDI bread a few times....I realized.....I did NOT like paying that price! I will say that it is a very good store bought bread! If you are going to buy store bought bread then UDI is the way to go! It has a great flavor and holds together wonderfully. It also makes yummy toast!

I just could not go another day without making my own! :) Nothing like fresh baked bread, right?

So this is how I made my bread!

Ingredients

YEAST
1 cup warm water
2 tsp instant yeast
2 tbsp raw sugar (could use agave)

DRY INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup ground flax
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond flour/meal
2 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum
1 1/4 tsp sea salt

WET INGREDIENTS
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 brown organic eggs
2 brown organic egg whites

*I wanted to take more pics but got caught up in the bread making. haha. I did manage to capture a few though!*

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pan.

In a small bowl combine water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. This will allow the yeast to proof and it will shorten the rise time.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Mix well and set aside.

In mixer add your wet ingredients and blend until combined.

Add yeast mixture to mixer and mix at low speed until combined.

Switch to a dough hook and begin slowly adding dry ingredients.

This bread did not really form a "dough ball" It was just doughy. haha Not sure if that makes sense.

Pour your dough into your loaf pan and shape. **It was very hard to shape.**

Let the dough rise in a warm draft free place for 30-40 minutes or until dough rises to the top of the pan.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

***I did 35 minutes the first time and it jiggled a little. So...I put it back in the oven and set the timer to 10 minutes. It seemed perfect at 45 minutes in my oven but all ovens vary. :)

I was really excited that it tasted so good! It had that wheat feel to me. My husband says it has the homemade "wheat" bread taste. SCORE! : D

I really hope you try this bread because its yummy! Its good for anyone, not just because its gluten free!

Let me know what you think! I would love to hear your comments! :)

Sautee Chicken with Sage Browned Butter

2011-04-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

So I found a recipe and wanted to try it....It called for all purpose flour and I decided that was not going to stop me! I used rice flour BUT I think it needed a little bit of a hearty flour. I have not tried most of my flours yet but it did do just fine with the rice flour!

Here is the recipe I found and gave a try -

Sautéed Chicken with Sage Browned Butter

Photo by: Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

This recipe was found Here!

This is how I did the recipe:

Ingredients I used:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves thin
1/4 teaspoon salt
EVOO
1/2 cup Rice Flour
4 tablespoons butter (I added a tbl spoon more of butter)
4 sage sprigs (I added 2 more sage sprigs)
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Fresh sage leaves (optional) *did NOT use this**

I purchased Hormone free, no antibiotic, cage free chicken. You can get full breast and cut them so that they are thin or you can pound them between plastic or parchment paper to thin them. I however purchased mine already thin so that I could cut my prep time! :)

Salt and pepper (we did not use pepper) your chicken and then dredge your chicken in the gluten free flour that you choose (mine was rice flour).

Place the chicken in an oiled skillet. I used EVOO. Cook until both sides are browned. (I found that it was a little tough but I think by adding a lid to the skillet, you may be able to hold the moisture better in the chicken).

While that is cooking prepare the ingredients for the sauce by chopping the shallots and thyme. Cut the lemon in half and get out the butter and sage.

Once the chicken is cooked and browned, remove from pan. In the same pan add your gluten free butter and sage springs. Cook until butter begins to brown. Then remove your sage, add your shallots and thyme. After about 30 seconds add the lemon juice. Then add the chicken BACK to the pan.

You are only adding the chicken back to the pan to cover it in the sauce. No cooking left so turn the pan off and then plate the chicken! Add spooned additional sauce over the chicken.

We did green beans but this would have been fabulous with rice!!!

My Green Beans! We like them soft. Mostly b/c we have always used canned until recently!

I purchased frozen french style green beans from Trader Joes! They were a GREAT price the day I went and so I bought several. You can find frozen green beans in the frozen section of your local store as well!

Place your green beans in a pot and remember that they do look like there is more when they are frozen than we they are fully cooked so you may want to add a little more to the pot!

Next cover the green beans with your favorite chicken broth. We use Kroger brand chicken broth b/c it is Gluten Free and says so on the box. Also, it is under $2!

Then you will add garlic powder to the pot. Sometimes I also add Onion powder. I would say to my pot I added about 3tbl of garlic powder. No onion powder this time.

You do NOT need to add salt! Most chicken broth has enough salt and adding salt will make them TOO salty! I made this mistake once! lol

Please leave your thoughts below! If you try the recipe, please let me know what you think!!! :)

Gluten Free Bacon!

2011-04-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have found a couple Gluten Free Bacons!

The first one I found and used was at Whole Foods! It was Applegate Farms Sunday Bacon!
It was ~~a little more than $5.00~~ I was WRONG! It was only $2.99! I picked up about 9 packs while we were at Whole Foods the other day. I froze most of them. I REALLY like this bacon. It is not fatty at all and has a great flavor! I HIGHLY recommend this bacon!

Now....Whole Foods is NOT close to me and I have to make a descent drive to get to it which can be very inconvenient! So I do MOST of my shopping at Kroger! I finally found a Gluten Free bacon at Kroger! It was labeled as Gluten Free in the store. I do NOT see Gluten free on the packaged BUT it was labeled gluten free and my husband who is Celiac....has had NO problems with it! :) He LOVES bacon Sandwiches! :)

This is the bacon we recommend from Kroger. It is fattier so I do not recommend this often if you are watching your waistline! :)

*I did find another brand the last week at the Kroger Marketplace. It was a Boars Head Bacon. It was $6.49 I believe (I will have to double check that price).

I will update this post if I find other bacon and/or sausage that are local convenient and yummy!

My Azure Order is HERE!!!

2011-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well....It took almost a week to receive my order but...at least it is here! :)

I was happy with the way the items were shipped. I have been wanting to make bread and desperately NEEDED my millet flour........UNFORTUNATELY, in the mix of many searches for the best price for 5lbs.....I overlooked that their Millet flour IS processed in the same mill as WHEAT products! :(
I paid $3.60 for 5lbs and now I know why! lol Guess I am on the search for a NEW bread recipe until I can get a GLUTEN Free bag of Millet flour!

So here is what I ordered and how it was packaged! (Want to see my order post - CLICK HERE!)

I thought it was packaged nicely!

Ok first thing was the hemp seed! I had to order 12-2oz packs to get the best price! Not a problem for me though b/c I transfer to a jar and refrigerate so this allows me to pantry the unopened packs!

Hemp is becoming much more popular again! It is found in many forms but for this post I am going to mention that you can get Hemp Milk, Hemp Protein and Hemp Seed. I have all three! I will discuss them all at some point but for now we are going to discuss the SEED only!

Hemp Seed taste and smell very nutty! They make a GREAT addition to smoothies which is how I use it most often! It is also good in breads and can be sprinkled on salads.

Benefits

Hemp is high in protein and it contains nine of the essential amino acids. It has high amounts of fatty acids and fiber. Not too mention it has a good amount of vitamin E. It has a good amount of Omega 3s. It is NOT the highest in Omega 3s but it is a good source.

We use the hemp mostly in our smoothies. It is a GREAT source of protein and taste MUCH better than any protein powder we tried, including the hemp protein. Some people really like the protein powders BUT we personally were not a fan!

I came across a website that has a good article regarding Hemp Seeds! Check out the article here!

The information below was copied from their article! It is NOT my info and I urge you to check out their page for further info!

Here are just some of hemp's many uses:

Food - Hemp seeds can be turned into hemp seed oil, butter, hemp milk and even flour. The list of food applications is endless. Over the years, hemp seeds have been part of the food supply in many cultures around the world. In parts of Asia, roasted hemp seeds are eaten as a snack, like popcorn (tasting similar to pine nuts).

Historically, the most famous hemp seed consumer was Buddha himself, who ate them during his fast of enlightenment.
Fiber - Hemp is used to make a variety of materials from the coveted natural fibers of hemp fabric to rope, paper and building materials.

In fact, hemp was the fabric used in the original Levis jeans, but the fabric had to be abandoned by Levis due to lack of supply.
Fuel - Hemp is considered one of the most efficient plants for biofuel as an alternative to gasoline. Woody Harrelson recently drew attention to the myriad of uses for industrial hemp by touring the West coast with a diesel bus run on hemp biofuel.

Benefits of Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are nutrient-powerhouses containing:

All 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) our bodies cannot produce.
A high protein percentage of thesimple proteins that strengthen immunity and fend off toxins.²

Eating hemp seeds in any form could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed has been used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away.³
Nature's highest botanical source of essential fatty acid, with more essential fatty acid than flax or any other nut or seed oil. ⁴
A perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 Linoleic Acid and Omega-3 Linolenic Acid - for cardiovascular health and general strengthening of the immune system.
A superior vegetarian source of protein considered easily digestible.
A rich source of phytonutrients, the disease-protective element of plants with benefits protecting your immunity, bloodstream, tissues, cells, skin, organs and mitochondria.
The richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. ⁵

Hemp seed oil has been attributed to helping: increase energy, soften skin, relieve arthritis and normalize blood cholesterol.

Check back to see what Hemp recipes I can find and come up with! :)

NEXT on my order was Coconut Flour!

Coconut flour consist of 14% coconut oil and 58% dietary fiber!

Coconut flour is perfect and ideal for baking!

Coconut flour has as much protein as wheat flour.

Coconut Flour consists of the highest percentage of dietary fiber( 58%) found in any flour. Wheat bran has only is 27% fiber.

Next in the order - MILLET flour!

The millet flour I ordered was NOT guaranteed gluten free and I will NOT be using it!!!

However if you DO find a guaranteed gluten free Millet flour here are the benefits and uses for it!

Click Here to read about the benefits and uses!

Here!

Please leave your comments or question Below if you have any! I will update you with recipes regarding these items! :)

Sorry for my absence!

2011-04-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

I am feeling really Ill this week and will post more info when I am feeling better. I did get my Azure order and cant wait to share! I did not want you all to think I gave up on the blog. I just need a few days to recoup!

Thanks! Check back soon!

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly!

2011-04-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite of mine from childhood! My mom and dad use to make us these when we were little. My friends thought it sounded crazy but to us it was divine! I LOVE this sandwich! :)

We make this gluten free by using only products that are gluten free! I wish I had a good bread recipe to share with you but as of now I have yet to make my first loaf. I will be making some soon though. I am waiting on my order from Azure. For now I am using bread that was made and given to us. Thank you so much to the sweet lady that shared her bread with us b/c it is DELICIOUS! I cant wait to get the recipe!

So first you will pick out the Jelly and Peanut Butter/Almond Butter you want to use. This is what we used!

I got the Strawberry Preserves at Trader Joes and the Apricot Spread at Kroger. Both the Almond Butter and the Bee's Knees cam from Kroger.

You will make your sandwiches first. Just like a normal Peanut butter and Jelly!

Then you will put some butter in your skillet

(We used I Can't Believe its NOT Butter Sticks- They have No Trans Fat and is Gluten Free)

Then you will place your sandwiches in the skillet like you would a grilled cheese. I always top my sandwich with a little more butter so that both sides are buttery. mmmmm....

Now all that is left is flipping it, browning it and putting it on a plate! Be sure to grab a fork b/c it will be hot and gooey! You will follow in LOVE with this SUPER EASY and Super Quick meal.

This is What your finished product will look like!

Be sure to comment on how you liked it! What kind of Peanut Butter and Jelly did you choose?

Nuts Online Order is HERE!!!

2011-04-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

I received my order from nutsonline.com last night! I was super excited! I am still waiting on my stuff from Azure.com. In a previous post I mentioned me placing this order. I was hoping to receive both this weekend so that I could bake some bread but.....no such luck b/c the flours I ordered were from Azure. Oh well...Hopefully Monday! :)

Here is a look at what I received today and how it was packaged. :)

***I did pull it out of the popcorn stuff to show you! It was packaged really well! Super impressed***

Caraway Seeds Chia Seeds

Detox Mix Banana Chips

Eldelberries

This was a free sample they included in our order! Yay! Thanks for the gift!!!

Benefits of things ordered -

7 Good Reasons To Start Eating Chia Seeds

Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.

Caraway Seeds

Caraway seeds have a pungent and anise- like flavor and aroma. Used primarily as a spice in breads (especially rye bread). It can also be used in casseroles and mixed in with cheeses.

There are benefits AND disadvantages to using these! Please read up on them before using them!!!
http://www.liveandfeel.com/medicinalplants/caraway.html

Detox Mix

Help to detoxify your mind and body with this great tasting trail mix. This detox mix is packed with raw cashews, raw pepitas, raw sunflower seeds, cranberries, blueberries, goji berries, brazil nuts, and dried pomegranates.

Elderberry benefits

Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis.

Click Here for More information on Edelberries and their benefits!!!

Tell us how YOU use these products!!!

Almond Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy

2011-04-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

So tonight we wanted something different! We wanted biscuits and gravy. We have yet to try baking anything with Gluten Free flours and so this was our first! I was nervous because honestly, Gluten free baking seems HARD! However, I was WRONG! It was just as easy as normal baking! :)

I got my Almond Biscuit Recipe from Elana's Pantry Blog. It was fantastic! I would not use this with say chicken and biscuits or maybe not even regular gravy and biscuits b/c it taste very sweet BUT for what we were eating.....PERFECTION!

The recipe I used and followed is as follows:
2.5 cups of Almond Flour and a little more for dusting
.5 tsp of sea salt
.5 tsp baking soda
1/2 stick of gluten free butter (I used I Can't Believe Its Not Butter Sticks)
2 eggs
1 tbl agave nectar

First blend the Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Then in a seperate bowl mix together butter, eggs, and agave.
Then you will slowly blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer and used the dough hook).
Then sprinkle almond flour on your surface for dusting.
roll or pat out the biscuits. I personally just patted mine out. I felt as though the biscuits were too short. I will leave them thicker next time. :)
Then use your biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits the size you desire.
use a spatula to scoop the biscuits up and put the on the baking sheet lined with parchement paper.
Then Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

The biscuits will NOT feel like normal biscuits and will feel more moist and gritty than normal biscuits.

This is the finished product!

Gluten Free Almond Biscuits

(Almond Flour packs approx 24g of Protein per 100g)

Then we move onto the Chocolate Gravy! mmmmm so good!!

Ingredients:

2 heaping tbl of Organic Cocoa Powder

2 heaping tbl of Tapioca Starch

1.5-2 cups water

1/4 and 1.5 tbl agave nectar (more if you like it sweeter)

You will put the dry ingredients in the pot and then slowly add in the water as you whisk...DO NOT LEAVE the stove because it will burn! Once you have added all the water, then you will add the agave nectar and continue whisking until it has thickened to your desired thickness.

This was our finished product!

Chocolate Gravy

Now you crumble up that Almond Biscuit and pour that Chocolate Gravy all over it and eat up!!! I also added a side of bacon to ours! Very High in Protein and VERY low in carbs! Enjoy this delicious meal that almost feels like dessert!

This was a small version of the final product!

Be sure to leave me your thoughts and comments if you try this recipe! :)

Green Cherry Smoothie

2011-04-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

We drink Smoothies on a daily basis and they are so good! It is one way for us to get in raw fruits and veggies as well as other essential things we need. We DO give this to the kids and they LOVE it!

Today our smoothie included:

100% Apple Juice and 100% Black Cherry Juice

Then we add the Greens - Today we did Spinach and Collard Greens. We then add Flax Oil and Ground Hemp Seed.

Blend those together and then add your fruit! We did Cherries, Mango and Pineapple today! YUMMY

In the end your smoothie should look like this!

NOT Green AT ALL! HAHA

The kids have NO idea they are drinking their greens! :)

*Benefits of Hemp seed - Hemp is a good source of protein (especially if you dislike protein powder). Here is a great post about Hemp seed that you may find helpful! Click Here!

*Benefits of Flax - Flax is a good source of Omega 3s and good for digestion - Here is a great post about Flax that you may find Helpful! Click Here!

Feel free to share your tips and comments about this recipe if you try it!

Cosmetics

2011-04-14T08:03:00.001-07:00

Since getting my husbands diagnosis of Celiac Disease we have found that we should change our products along with food! Well.....Cosmetics can be a trigger! Many brands make gluten free products BUT they can not guarantee that there is NO cross contamination!

I am going to post links to cosmetics I find to be gluten free. I will be sure to let you know when I try a new product!

Last night I found this website and I am super excited to order something! I am hoping to place an order soon. MOST of the cosmetics are GF. They do offer other things but be sure to double check whether the product says GF b/c NOT all of their products are!

http://www.100percentpure.com/

GF Nacho Night

2011-04-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

So my kiddos wanted Nachos for dinner and suddenly I thought....what cheese do I buy??? I was super lost! We are trying to limit dairy due to me and my husband having issues with it BUT in small doses we are fine. If you are Dairy free then this would not work for you!

I forgot to take a picture unfortunately BUT I will share with you what we had! :)

I bought Kroger brand Tortilla Chips. They say Gluten Free right on the bag! (Kroger actually has several chips that are gluten free!)

I used Ground Turkey Breast for our meat and seasoned it myself b/c most of the packets I looked at contained wheat flour. I browned my meat first then I added the seasonings and about 1/2 cup of water. I cooked the water down and then it was DONE! :)

So to season my meat I used:

Organic Sea Salt
Chili Powder
Ground Cumin
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Red Pepper
(if you like the thicker seasoning like the packets, you could add a thickening agent to your water and seasonings....personally we like it without)

Our Cheese Sauce Recipe:

I put EVOO in the skillet with Sweet White Rice Flour to create a rue. I then added Original Rice Milk and seasonings (Garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, red pepper, and Organic sea salt). Then you will add your cubed Boars Head (all Boars Head Meats and Cheeses are Gluten Free) Cheddar Cheese and whisk until it melts and becomes a cheese sauce. you may need to add more Rice Milk to keep the cheese from sticking while its melting.

Then you put it all together! There are endless options to Nachos!
Optional Toppings:
Tomatoes
Jalapenos
lettuce
beans
avocado
onions
and so much more!

Want a little more info on Boars Head Meats and Cheese? Click Here!
***Be sure to ask the deli person if they have a DEDICATED slicer? If you get your meat from the deli it could be cross contaminated BUT the ones packaged by Boars Head are safe. **** CLICK HERE for more info on Kroger Brand GLUTEN Free info and products! (good information)

I placed my FIRST online order!

2011-04-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

I placed my first online order last night and I am so excited.

I took my time and tried to compare many things before placing my order!

Here are the things I ordered and where I ordered them from:
This was from https://www.azurestandard.com/

SE089	Manitoba Harvest Hemp Seed Nut	12 x 2 ozs.	1	1	$25.10	$25.10
FL162	Bob's Red Mill Coconut Flour, High Fiber, Organic	1 lb.	2	2	$5.15	$10.30
FL025	Azure Farm Millet Flour (Unifine), Organic	5 lbs.	1	1	$3.60	$3.60

You will want to create an account. Some items are cheaper here but others may not be! They will not show you the price of items unless you create an account. I did have to pay a processing fee and shipping and handling. SO...be sure to that you got EVERYTHING you need before submitting your order!

****Want to see my order - click here!****

This was from http://www.nutsonline.com/

Product Name	Packaging	Qty.	Total Lbs.	Unit Price	Total
Simply Elderberries	2 Ounce Containers	2		$6.49	$12.98

Detox Mix	1 Pound Bags	1	1	$7.99/lb	$7.99

Organic Banana Chips	1 Pound Bags	2	2	$3.29/lb	$6.58

Organic Chia Seeds	1 Pound Bags	1	1	$9.99/lb	$9.99

Caraway Seeds	1 Pound Bags	1	1	$3.49/lb	$3.49

Subtotal:					$41.03

This company also charges for Shipping so be sure to get EVERYTHING you need before submitting your order! They also offer a 10% discount for referring family and friends. :)

I will post pictures of my items as soon as I get them!

Just so you know what I plan to make with these items......

Hemp Seeds are GREAT for smoothies! They taste nutty and pack a good amount of protein! They can also be used in breads.

Coconut flour and Millet flour will be used for baking things like whole grain breads, muffins, cakes, etc.

Chia Seeds and Caraway Seeds will be used for many things! Smoothies, breads, toppings etc.

Edelberries are good for the respiratory and immune system and can be used for many things such as in smoothies, topped on GF oatmeal, cereal, etc.

The detox mix and Banana Chips will be used for snacking purposes. My kids as well as my husband LOVE to snack and we need healthy GF options so...this will be a good way to get in the nutrients we need while enjoying the snacking! :)

****Want to see my Nuts online order? CLICK HERE!****

Gluten Free and still eating good!

2011-04-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

So I was trying to decide on what to make for dinner and sometimes it seems super hard to figure out. When I first started this gluten free journey...I thought I would NEVER eat good again! However, that is just NOT true!

Tonight we will be having steak, roasted red potatoes, sauteed and garlic spinach.

I found a ribeye on clearance for $4.00. Now I would not recommend the ribeye for someone having trouble with digestion b/c of the fat in it BUT if you are in a good place and you think you can handle it...steak is still an option! Just do what you can to get a healthier version. Filet would be a great choice!

I will be cooking my steak in Olive oil, Salt and garlic on the stove top in a pan! I think it would be great on the grill but I am out of propane tonight! :)

I washed and cut the red potatoes (skin-on) into cubes and then seasoned with EVOO, Organic Sea Salt, Rosemary and Garlic.

The spinach will be cooked in EVOO. I will be sauteing the garlic first in EVOO. Then I will add the spinach and salt. I will saute that until it is done. Then I will drizzle that with sesame oil, sesame seeds if I have them and squeeze with fresh lemon.

Here is my plate as a finished product! I did not eat the whole steak. I just cant eat that much. I split mine with my kids.

Beginning our Gluten Free Journey!

2011-04-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

This is my first post in my new blog! I am excited to share any and all info and tips I find helpful in my journey to a gluten free life!

Just a little background on us.....My husband, Jake, was sick for 7.5 years and with MANY MANY visits in out of doctors offices and hospitals he was diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome. They treated this like it was the disease and we refused to accept that! Well. recently he got much worse and was very ill. He was finally diagnosed with a REAL disease! He has Celiac Disease which we now know is an auto-immune disease. His body can not handle gluten. If he ingest gluten then it will cause damage to his intestines every time! This is a LIFE long change and though it will not be easy...We look forward to helping him get better and hopefully stay better.
As of right now he has a severe intestinal infection, a failing pancreas and colitis among many other deficiencies and the inability to really eat. He has lost down from 210lbs to 188lbs in less than a month from his body not absorbing nutrition properly and also from constant daily vomiting. We will be working very hard to clear the house of all things gluten and hopefully get him back on track!

I look forward to updating you!