Life 101. Practice Contentment.

Tolerance - a Two Way Street

2012-02-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

I am generally not one for being outspoken about my personal opinions. Not that I don't have opinions, I just don't foist them, un-asked, on others. For that reason, some may think that I am a liberal. Others think I am a conservative. Some may think that I don't think at all. But all of these assumptions are far from the truth.

More accurately, I would probably score closer to Libertarian if you want to slap a label on me. Because basically, I do not believe people change their points of view after being berated and belittled. I believe people sometimes change their view when they see that their unfounded fears are based on half-truths and then become willing to investigate for themselves what others believe.

Mostly, I object to basing opinions and beliefs on ignorance. And I also object to the stereotyping and name-calling that is the norm from both sides.
This goes for religion, for gender-identity, for politics, for right to life points of view. It goes for any opinion that may differ from another's.

My question is: why do we feel that someone has to share our same beliefs about anything and everything in order for us to respect them as a person? And, why does my disagreeing with you about any given topic mean that I am intolerant, bigoted, narrow-minded, or hateful?

What are we afraid of?

Lemon-Pepper Chicken! Oh, My!

2012-02-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

We had the grandgirlies over for dinner last night, so we modified our standard GAPS fare (broth and salad) and I came up with something a little more substantial... and oh, yum!
I had recently been the grateful recipient of fresh lemons and oranges, so had made some citrus salt with my every-present Celtic Grey sea salt (the BEST! If you haven't tried it, get some ASAP!)

So, I took a few Tbsp. of the lemon salt, ground a bit of fresh pepper (which we buy from Chico Spice at Farmer's market. They sell a tri-colored blend of whole peppercorns that is w.a.y wonderful!), and ground it all together in my little marble mortal and pestle.
When it was all nicely ground to a fine powder, I sprinkled, then rubbed it all onto the 8 chicken thighs which had been rinsed and patted dry with paper towels. (PLEASE... do yourself a favor, both gastronimically as well as health-omically, do NOT remove the skin when you are baking chicken. Good quality meat should be consumed with the fat, as best as you are able to digest it. Please don't argue with me.)

Place the chicken thighs on a stoneware baking pan/sheet and bake at 350°F until the smell is making you crazy and you think you cannot wait another minute. I think maybe 1/2 hour or maybe more? (I did not look at the clock, I was playing Kingdoms of Camelot at the time.) I also threw a couple of delicata squash into the oven at the same time, and put a pan of French green beans from Trader Joe's on to steam.

A few grinds of regular sea salt onto the veggies, a small pat of ghee on the squash and a sprinkle of cinnamon, and the girls gobbled it all up and didn't even realize they were eating GAPS-style.

We topped it all off with a decidedly GAPS-cheater frozen yogurt... actually, the only thing "bad" was that I sweetened it with pure maple syrup instead of honey as the sweetener, but it was remarkable.

I love it when I have people to cook for!

Frozen Yogurt

2012-02-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

I adapted this recipe from an ice cream recipe that was demonstrated to us at our local WAPF cooking class. I personally do better with cultured, or fermented dairy and since I am lacking a gall bladder, I do better with a lower fat content than straight ice cream.

Approximately 1 quart homemade, full-fat plain yogurt
1 large orange*, rind and seeds removed
2 fresh eggs, or 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not "pancake syrup"!!)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
Pour into an electric ice cream freezer and freeze until done, approximately 20-30 minutes, depending on your model.

* You can use strawberries, peaches, bananas or other fruit if you prefer.

Wrecked by Jesus?

2012-02-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

Why is it, when describing a deeply spiritual experience, the current jargon used to describe this moment is often the word "wrecked"... as in "God wrecked me... wrecked my heart... wrecked my life..."?

I do not take exception to the people who use this word; I understand that they are trying to describe "in mere words” a deeply moving experience or revelation that has profoundly changed their way of thinking or living. But "wreck"? Why "wreck"? Help me out here… it doesn’t fit the context.

Even without the help of online dictionaries, these are the pictures that readily come to mind: “To cause to undergo ruin or disaster. A person who is physically or mentally broken down or worn out. A person or thing that has suffered ruin or dilapidation. Something shattered or dilapidated. The remains of something that has been wrecked or ruined.”
I don't know about you, but that does not exactly portray the picture of a loving, benevolent, personal Almighty Creator. In fact, I get images of just the opposite. (Isn’t there someone else in the Bible whose mission it is to destroy?) And quite frankly, contemplating the possibility of being "ruined" or "shattered" does not make me want to rush right into His open arms.

Personally, I feel drawn to experience something more like that expressed in the song, "You Raise Me Up"
     You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
     You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
     I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
     You raise me up... To more than I can be.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a product of The Jesus Movement generation. We were all about taking God out of the box the “church” had put Him in, redefining what it looked like to be a follower of Christ, and breaking out of the mold (or "moldiness" as we liked to say) of stodgy, dead denominationalism and Religion By The Rules.

But I think a certain level of honesty is required when speaking about faith and relationships; don't you? And to use a word that portrays the opposite of what you are trying to say seems... well, a little specious.

I don't have any problem with the concept that Almighty God is able to "demolish strongholds" in our lives. I found this blog to that effect to be insightful. It's not about God demolishing (or wrecking) us - He is demolishing those things that keep us from realizing who we were created to be.
Neither do I object to the premise of 2 Corinthians 12:9... "my power is made perfect in weakness"... so I have to wonder, is this "weakness" what you are trying to describe?

So, please... what is it exactly that you are trying to say? Don't reinvent words and forget to update the dictionary.
If being "wrecked" is a good thing, then can we find a word that paints that picture in our minds? I'm trying to go with this, but you are not leaving me a handle to grab onto.

Citrus Salt - Easy Peasy!

2012-02-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been posted elsewhere, countless times. But, as anyone who knows me can attest, recipes are nothing more than suggestions to me. I am a compulsive tweaker. (And that has nothing to do with illegal drugs, just to be clear.)

So, my recipe for Citrus Salt is as follows...

Measure 1/2 cup of grey Celtic sea salt into a shallow dish, such as a glass pie pan
Using a microplane grater, carefully grate the zest from one large lemon or one orange onto the plate of salt. I haven't tried lime yet, but that's only because I do not have a supply of free limes :-(
Stir together with a fork and place in an oven set at 200°F for about 30 minutes, or until zest and salt are dry.

At this point, all you have left to do is jar and label your salt.
Now, the fun really starts!

Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of lemon salt into a mortar and pestle. Grind some fresh pepper over, and pulverize until you have a fine powder. Rub into meats or sprinkle over roasted vegetables for a preservative-free lemon pepper!

Place your orange salt into a small blender jar, such as a Magic Bullet or small attachment to a regular blender. Whiz briefly until salt and peel are pulverized into a fine powder and use in cookies, cakes, or other desserts in place of regular salt. Try a little pinch in homemade ice cream! Use in homemade caramels!

Raw Milk Yogurt

2012-01-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

One thing I have been very happy to add back into my diet since my initial diagnosis of casein intolerance is YOGURT! Once a staple of my daily diet, I was initially thrown for a loop when I discovered it could be one of the culprits that was making me so sick back in 2008.
Now that I have made the discovery (a decidedly "duh!" moment) that pastuerized milk, being dead and devoid of any nutrition (a fact which I have known and preached for years), was not the same as RAW MILK, I cautiously experimented and discovered that - lo, and behold! - no adverse reactions to eating homemade yogurt made from raw, full-fat milk.

In my previous life of doing things the "easy way", I had opted for making yogurt with powdered milk which, in retrospect, is probably even worse than pasteurized milk, due to the heating and drying process required to attain the "dry" state. What was I thinking?

Anyway, with the help of my local WAPF group and their monthly Nourishing Traditions cooking demonstrations, I have since mastered the art of making raw milk homemade yogurt.
Disclaimer: Homemade yogurt will not (and probably should not) resemble your lovely, thick store-bought yogurt. It can't. It doesn't contain any thickeners, etc. If this puts you off, I would suggest the purchase of an inexpensive metal mesh coffee filter for straining the whey off of your finished product.

So, assemble your tools:

an accurate cooking thermometer. I prefer a digital one, but don't go crazy and spend a lot of money. You can pick them up at your local Wally World or StuffMart.
a wide-mouth, stainless steel thermos - preferably not used before for storing coffee... trust me on this. I like to use this one, which is slightly less than 1 quart, but I only have two of us to cook for, so you may prefer a larger one. Just make sure it's got a wide mouth.

If you do NOT have (or wish to purchase) a Thermos, use a small, insulated lunch box instead.

a saucepan which will hold 1-2 quarts of liquid
a small bowl
a fork or small whisk

Now, assemble your ingredients:

1-2 quarts raw, whole-fat milk (preferably from a local certified dairy!)
1-2 heaping Tablespoons plain yogurt with live cultures. I like Fage Greek-style yogurt. Just make sure it has no sweeteners or flavoring. You can also use your own yogurt from a previous batch.

Yep, that's it... just two ingredients! How great is that?
Now, for the directions:

Pour the milk into the thermos so that you know exactly how much milk to use.
No sense pouring any down the drain if it doesn't all fit! Pour the milk into your saucepan and fill your Thermos with hot tap water to preheat.
If you are not using a thermos, pour 1-2 quarts of milk (depending on how much yogurt you are making) into your saucepan and
Warm the milk over a medium-low heat until it registers 105°F on your digital thermometer.
According to Marc McAfee, "The Raw Milk Guru", 105°F is the normal body temperature of a healthy cow. In my book, that keeps your milk technically "raw", yet warm enough to culture with your yogurt medium. As long as you don't heat it over 120°F, your yogurt culture should be fine. Too hot, and you will kill the culture.
Measure 1-2 heaping Tablespoons of plain, unsweetened yogurt into a small dish. (1 T per quart)

Pour a small amount of warmed milk into the yogurt starter and stir with your fork or whisk until smooth.
Pour the yogurt back into the pan of milk, then pour into your Thermos.
If you are not using a Thermos to ferment your yogurt, then pour into 1-2 glass wide-mouth quart jars, place in the insulated lunch box, and pour warm water into the lunch box up to the neck of the jar(s). You will want to make sure your water is about 110°-120°F.
Put the lid on your Thermos and let sit on your countertop for at least 6 hours. (If using a Thermos, you can culture up to 24 hours. A lunchbox will not stay warm as long, but you can replenish the warm water if needed.)

That's it. Really.

If you prefer a thicker finished product, strain the whey. If you are into making homemade sauerkraut or other lacto-fermented veggies, whey is a key ingredient. If you intend to use your yogurt to make frozen yogurt, keep the whey - it is very nutritious.

Note: My friend James makes some of the best yogurt I have ever tasted, and he makes his in the oven, with his pan wrapped in towels. He first warms the oven, turns it off, then puts his prepared milk in for several hours, periodically warming up the oven briefly.

James also adds live probiotic cultures to his finished yogurt. If you need more culture in your life, try this. It doesn't change the taste.

I eat my yogurt with GAPS legal granola. The grandgirlies like to stir in a spoonful of their mom's homemade jam... Yum!! No matter how you eat it, you are getting some great probiotics that will help your gut and the whole digestive process.
Do yourself a favor, MAKE SOME RAW MILK YOGURT and eat it every day!

Silent Night

2011-12-25T15:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am afraid it is again that time of year.
Time for my annual rant about "Christmas." So, if you hold your eggnog and gingerbread men dear, pass this one by; it is not for you.

What is it I have against "Christmas", you ask? Well, nothing really against celebrating the birth of Christ, certainly. Nothing against being thankful for the Greatest Gift to mankind. Sheesh. Really, people, I am not a total Scrooge. I am just on a quest for honesty here.
I object to calling something that which it is not. I object to believers getting up in arms about "taking back Christmas" or "keeping Christ in Christ-mas", totally ignorant of the pagan origins of so many of the elements we have all become familiar with in the celebration of that event.

We respect the Puritans for their devout observance of (what they deemed to be) a "pure" religion, yet completely disregard that they forbade the observance of "Christmas" as a pagan tradition.
There is, to me, something completely out of step with living by scripture in assigning a Christianized, pseudo-spiritual significance to certain elements of the holiday in order to justify including them on the guest list. And that list is long: December 25, Christmas trees, mistletoe, gingerbread men, holly, wreaths, Santa Claus, etc.
All I am saying is, don't be ignorant. If you want to have an eggnog, have an eggnog. If you want to bake gingerbread, go for it. But educate yourself as to what those cherished traditions really mean. (P.S. I am just using eggnog as an illustration. I am not aware of any overtly anti-scriptural traditions, unless of course you are fundamentally opposed to basically drinking custard... yum!!)

Oops. The problem there is, you may wind up like me. Disgusted with the whole charade and the deception that so many people who love Jesus have unwittingly perpetuated over the past centuries.
Suggest you start reading here, if you can bear it.(Or here... or here...)

End of rant. You may resume your regular Christmas music programming.

Open Letter to Restaurateurs

2011-09-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

There are things that should be obvious if you are in the food service industry. One thing that tops my "list" is service.

Today, it is easier than ever for a person to find out "what is ailing" and obtain a diagnosis of food intolerance or allergy. This has not always been so. Because of this, it has also become popular in some areas to offer "allergen" menus to potential patrons who are now faced with the daunting task of figuring out just exactly WHAT they are actually putting in their mouths. It may seem like the recent "fad" to eat dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free (there IS a difference, by the way...), but to be blunt, those of us who find ourselves in this predicament are honestly just trying to keep from getting sick again. We're sorry that it sometimes inconveniences you when we ask to read a label or ask what the ingredients are in a dish. We are not trying to steal your Great-grandmother's secret recipe, we are just trying to stay off the bathroom floor tonight.

It is hard enough wading through the minefield of our own kitchen, and occasionally we yearn for a chance to eat someone else's cooking (and not do the dishes!), or we want to feel included in a special birthday celebration, which means facing an unknown list of potentially harmful ingredients. It's hard enough being "special" without being made to feel we are making an already busy waitperson go out of their way to ask if a dish contains certain ingredients.

I would like to share some things you may not know:
We already realize that there is always a possibility of cross-contamination in any kitchen. We face that every day in our own kitchens with leftover bread crumbs on the kitchen counter or in the mayonnaise jar. We are not asking you to assure us that our food is made in a separate facility. If we were that allergic/intolerant, we wouldn't be eating out in the first place. So, when we ask if there is wheat (or anything else) in a dish, we just want to know if it's on the list of ingredients. We are willing to take the risk that you are following the recipe and not using a spoon from one dish to stir another. Please don't give us that condescending speech again about how you can't guarantee that nothing offending will enter our mouths.
If we bring a few crackers or something from home to augment our meal - which by the way, without your "complimentary" basket of rolls or chips is probably not going to fill us up - at least let your waitperson look the other way instead of giving us the evil eye because we brought in "outside food." I'm not asking you to make my sandwich with uninspected bread or lace my mocha with tainted non-dairy, non-soy milk. I fully realize what the Health Department regulations are. Your waitperson, or someone before them, has already given me that lecture, countless times. We aren't trying to sell our GF cookie to an unsuspecting customer, we would just like to have something to eat while everyone else is enjoying their Death by Chocolate dessert, drowning in artificially flavored ice cream.
And, I'm fairly certain that the Health Department code was not referring to me personally when they said food containers that YOU use must be labeled and unopened and from an approved source. So, if I want to put my own GF soy-sauce or dairy-free sour cream on my food, you are probably NOT going to be shut down.

When I ask for "no bread", that also means "no croutons" on my salad. It also means "no toast", "no rolls", and any other item on your menu that is made with wheat flour. Waitpersons and cooks should have this down, it's really pretty basic. And when I ask if something contains wheat, please don't tell me "it's not made from wheat, it's made from all-purpose flour." Or when I ask if the rice dish is "just rice, or does it contain pasta?" don't assure me that it's rice, when it's really pilaf. I am pretty good at spotting orzo. It is not the "same thing as rice." (Also pretty basic info.) Likewise, when I say "no cheese", please don't send out something with cheese "accidentally" on it and ask me to pick it off.

Mexican restaurants: Is it really necessary for me to have to inquire if your corn tortillas contain wheat flour? Really? Where do you even buy corn tortillas with wheat flour? Because I have never found them in the store. Fair warning might be in order on your menu when it is something that obvious.

Menu writing seems like it should be a pretty straightforward endeavor, so maybe you might think about waxing a little less poetic in your entrée descriptions. If something is dipped in batter and fried, let me know that. Don't call it "crispy". What does that even mean? And if you can't be precise in your descriptions, then don't get snotty and say you have to charge me for a dish that I ordered, when I couldn't decipher what it really contained or how it was prepared. Just give me the facts, please.

Here is something else you need to know: if you treat me like someone you want to have return, I am going to leave a nice tip. I know that I have asked your staff to spend a little more time on me, without them having to roll their eyes at me. If you go the extra mile and take a little off my bill because I didn't get all of the items that "came with", you will probably get that back in return, as well. Because I am fully aware of how inconvenient this "diet" is, more than you will ever know. But sometimes, it's nice to feel like everyone else, and that sometimes involves eating out and putting myself at the mercy of people who think I am trying to demand more attention than I deserve.

And if I sound cranky... well frankly, it's because I am a little tired of trying to be normal. There is nothing normal about me. I crossed that off my list a few years ago and accepted that things are not going to be the same. I just want a fair chance to avoid getting sick again, and a chance to choose what I put in my mouth.

Welcome, Sukkot!

2011-09-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me already know I am not your "average" Christian - whatever that might look like!
I didn't set out aiming for that, it's just where I landed. By hook or by crook, I somehow get caught up in following my conscience instead of the "norm", and thus end up getting odd looks and dismissed as "different"... or worse yet, "difficult"! (egad!)

I have learned to be fine with that. It's much easier to swallow criticism from people who haven't taken the time to investigate for themselves than it is to go against what I believe is right and swallow my sense of of integrity.
Therefore, we built our first sukkah this year, and what fun that was!
Just to clarify: No, I do not have a Semitic heritage. Nor am I "Messianic". I do, however, read the Bible and can't help but ask myself why do we observe the "Christian" holidays that we do, when I cannot find mention of them in the Bible. Thus, instead of Easter, I observe Passover. Instead of Christmas, I observe Sukkot. (It's also fun to observe Hannukah, but that is not because it is "the Jewish equivalent of Christmas"... which it is NOT!)
But... I digress.

I have been yearning (read: nagging) to build a sukkah for several years now, and every year, Sukkot has come and gone without me figuring out the particulars of HOW. This year, however, I spent a fair amount of time Googling images and websites and came up with "a plan." You always need a plan! So, since we already have an "EZ-Up" type patio cover, I decided to use that for my frame. I removed the canvas canopy and layered branches full of leaves all over the top. Then we secured one of those rolled reed privacy screens around the sides, and strung up twinkle lights around the sides. Truthfully, that was as far as we got. No hanging fruit, no banners, but what fun it was! It was as if a cool, calm little oasis had been magically teleported into our back yard. The light filtering through the leaves was nice, not to mention the cooling effect it had.

This is what we learned:

Do not use live branches with leaves. They quickly dry out and start raining gunk on your head. Plus, it could be a fire hazard with the candles lit, and is a gigantic pain to remove and dispose of.
I found a sale on silk leaf garlands at Michael's and purchased a dozen or so with plastic acorns and nuts on them and in varying "Fall" colors that I think should do nicely for next year.
Buy another reed screen and cut them into the appropriate lengths for the sides of the canopy, or else look for used sheets or something to hang from the sides. It was kind of nice actually having the privacy in the sukkah, not that I would have cared if the neighbors could look in... I just liked the feeling.
INVITE SOME FRIENDS! I was so unsure of myself and if I was "doing it right", that I was afraid to invite anyone over to enjoy the sukkah with us. Silly me! Who cares if it's "right" by someone else's standard? The whole point of it is that it is supposed to represent a "hastily built hut", and it is meant to be shared!

If you are interested in learning more about Sukkot, or why I believe it is appropriate for followers of Jesus the Messiah to celebrate it... start here. (WARNING: you might have to make some slight adjustments of your calendar to accommodate your conscience!)

Raw Milk Cottage Cheese

2011-08-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

Raw Milk Cottage Cheese
In 2008 I was tested for gluten intolerance, and at the same time also discovered I was casein intolerant. Woe was me! Yogurt had been a staple in my diet and cottage cheese had always been one of my "comfort foods" for as long as I could remember. Then, in 2011 I made the awesome discovery while attending a nutrition class that many people who are casein intolerant can actually tolerate dairy in its raw form. I tested that theory and was delighted to find that I had none of the anguish that I had previously experienced with even one bite of pasteurized yogurt or cheese.
When I first looked into creating homemade cottage cheese, I Googled lots and lots of recipes; most directed the cook to heat the milk to 165°F - thus defeating the whole concept of "raw milk." Others advocated the addition of buttermilk, which I did not have on hand. I also tried one recipe which used raw apple cider vinegar as the culturing agent, but I have stuck with this recipe because it is so easy and I am a big fan of "easy"!
Because I do not heat my curds after the "custard-y" stage for very long, I end up with a delicate, soft curd. Take care when pouring through the sieve or cheesecloth to strain. If you "tap" your strainer too vigorously you may lose some of your curds. I have discovered that plunging the drained curds into an ice bath helps firm up the curd in addition to rinsing off some of the whey.

Note: as always, when working with raw dairy, cleanliness is an important issue. Make sure all of your implements are washed prior to use. We don't want to introduce any "bad" bacteria into the mix!
Tools needed
2-1/2 qt. stainless steel pan with lid
cooking thermometer (I prefer digital) (something similar to this, no need to spend $$$)
fine plastic mesh sieve or cheesecloth and colander
stainless steel paring knife
spatula
Ingredients
1/2 gallon raw, whole milk
*"Junket" rennet tablet (scored into 1/4s which makes 1 gallon; I use a razor blade to cut into 1/8th when making 1/2 gallon)
Directions

Skim as much cream off of your milk as possible, pour milk into stainless pan, cover, and set out on counter overnight. (Save that cream! You will be adding some of it back into your finished curd later.)
In the morning, skim the rest of the cream off the top (there shouldn't be very much, and I just toss it down the drain); heat milk to 90-95° (won't take very long since it's already at room temp!)
Dissolve 1/8 - 1/4 rennet tablet in 1 tsp. water (1/8 = 1/2 gallon milk, 1/4 = 1 gallon milk). Stir dissolved rennet into warmed milk, cover and let sit for about 4 hours (I do mine in the morning, come home and finish at lunch time. Only once have I had it take longer than about 4 hours to gel, I just left it out until I got home from work in the afternoon and finished it, it was fine.)
After milk has "gelled" (it should be like soft custard), use knife to cut into cubes, slowly warm to 95° to 105°. If you have time to keep an eye on your thermometer, try to keep it at that temp for 5 minutes, if not, you will just have a softer curd.
Gently pour separated curds through a fine plastic mesh sieve or colander lined with cheesecloth. Let the whey drain off (you can save whey for baking, or discard) Meanwhile, fill your pan about half-full with a tray of ice cubes and cold water, place drained curds into ice water to quickly chill and firm up the curds. Mix gently with your fingers or a spoon to break up curds. Drain again, letting as much liquid as possible drain off. (At this point, I put it in a container into the fridge. When you are ready to eat it, drain the rest of the water off, salt to taste, stir in a few tablespoons of cream to your preferred consistency... serve!!)

I usually eat mine within a couple of days of making it, so I don't know how long it "lasts". But you do have to plan ahead! Normally, I set my milk out the night before, get it going before I leave for work, finish and eat it at lunch time.
According to Mark McAfee (the "raw milk guru"), a cow's normal body temp is 105°, so if you don't heat your milk any higher than that, you shouldn't kill off any of the good enzymes and bacteria.
I have accidentally heated my curds as high as 125° once and it did not ruin them, I think you have to get to something like 165° before it is considered "pasteurized".

*Junket rennet tablets are normally available at most grocery stores. Look in the section that carries pudding and custard mixes.

Managing Contentment

2011-08-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

The title of my blog is "Practice Contentment." It is not called "Being Content" for one reason: I don't believe that is a state we are ever going to achieve to perfection while we are still resident in these bodies, on this planet.

As a charming blogger named Jenny has recently written on her lovely blog :
"My contentment may indeed lie in my hands – to the point that I am willing to surrender my own chasing after contentment and instead give it to God."

This lesson was brought home to me mid-1989 as I was wallowing in discontent, in what I call the "Luke Skywalker Syndrome" of looking to far-off places and adventures to somehow fulfill that restless longing in my soul. At this particular time, I was thinking of how wonderful it would be to escape the confines of our home town and relocate (read: reinvent) ourselves in Spokane, a delightful community to which our dear friends had recently moved, leaving us feeling alone and bereft of friendship.

(That, of course, was not true, it only felt true at the time. As I consider it, I have to wonder if part of that feeling was based on our looking to our friends or some source without for the support we needed to be cultivating from within, from looking toward the One source that is unfailing in providing that support and encouragement we all seek... often overlooking the obvious. Our contentment is bound up in an attitude of ungratefulness.)

After struggling with my whiny attitude, wanting to move to Spokane years ago, I could swear I heard God say to me: "In whatsoever State you find yourself, Be Content." I took that to mean I was supposed to adjust my attitude to being content with staying in California instead of moving to Washington.

Blogger Jenny asks this question:
It’s easy to say that I should base my contentment in God alone, but in the midst of the stress and struggles of everyday life, it seems very difficult. How do you do this? How do you get to the place where you can truly say you are content in every situation?

I set about cultivating that attitude just as one would prune a fruit tree: I nipped off the branches of my whiny spirit and had to just trust that God would honor that and cause branches to grow that would bear sweet fruit.
That is my personality. When I know what I am supposed to do, I try to set my mind to do it. I would be a liar if I said I always succeed. (One look at my scales tells me in flaming technicolor that I do not always succeed.) But that is where "Practice" comes in.

Yes, I agree it does seem difficult. And I do not know that I can honestly say that I AM always content in every situation. I still tend toward Luke Skywalker in that I am looking ahead to something "next" that will bring happiness instead of finding happiness in accepting where I am today. Maybe that's stopping to smell the roses, or watching the sunrise instead of wishing it were a sunset... or any other metaphor for accepting and being grateful for what I have in my hand. I think the key is being grateful and accepting it is enough for today... tomorrow will take care of itself.

Have a little toast with your jam

2011-06-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

Going gluten free is not as hard as it seems. Everyone says it's more expensive, but is it? I like to take that as a challenge and prove "everyone" wrong, and what better way to do that than walk past the $5/loaf packages of Gluten Free bread or convenience mixes (which frankly, taste like cardboard, IMO) and make your own? Because let's face it, if you already know you are gluten intolerant, chances are you may be "something else intolerant" as well. Your poor, injured intestines are likely rebelling against any number of irritants. Pasteurized milk for one. GMO soy and/or corn for another. The possibilities are as long as the list of ingredients in most of your store-bought breads.
Blessedly, I am not allergic to eggs, but I do care about the oils and the quality of flours I put into my bread, so I have tweaked this recipe which I "borrowed" from Bob's Red Mill to suit my dietary quirks. It can be made right in the bread machine, or just as easily poured into a "challah" shaped bread pan for a mock-challah on Shabbat. (Just make sure you let the people you are sharing it with know if you put poppy seeds on the bottom/top... eek! I won't go into that fiasco here. Suffice it to say, I did not know one could be allergic to poppy seeds. My bad!)

Deb's Tweaked GF "Challah"

Ingredients
•3 Eggs, large (preferably pastured, local)
•1 tsp. Apple cider Vinegar (the real stuff, not the flavored stuff)
•1/4 cup grapeseed oil
•1-1/2 cups whey leftover from homemade raw milk yogurt (or water, or milk if you're not allergic)
•2 cups brown rice flour (*blend, see below)
•1/2 cup Potato Starch/flour
•1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/flour
•1/3 cup Cornstarch (I prefer to use Arrowroot when possible)
•1 Tbsp. Xanthan Gum
•3 Tbsp. Raw/Turbinado Sugar or honey
•1-1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
•2-1/4 tsp. Yeast, Active Dry

* Here is my secret: When I grind my rice flour, I also add 1/2 c. almond flour, 1/2 c. coconut flour, 1/2 c. mesquite flour and 1/2 c. sorghum flour to my (2 qt.?) canister. You can skip or tweak this as you prefer, I just like the fact that those flours bring some really great nutrients to the mix!)

Put all ingredients into the bread maker in the order listed. Bake or put on dough cycle if you want to bake in a pan. (Note: this is how the "normal" recipe would have you do it. For me, I soak my rice flour blend in the whey for several hours before combining with the rest of the ingredients. I believe that makes the nutrients more digestible by breaking down some of the "non-nutrients.")

OK, so you are probably going to ask "how does this save you money over the $5/loaf bread?" Well, to be honest, I have no clue what my bread costs to make. What I do know is: you will actually EAT this bread. And like it. And you will not have wasted your time as I believe you will have wasted your $5 on the cardboard bread. And it makes great French toast the next morning.

As with ALL GF breads, slice and freeze it, toast the leftovers. I have yet to find a bread that you don't have to do that with. If you know of one, let me know! ;-)

Some insight into investing

2011-04-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

I work for an investment advisor and I have learned a few useful things since I came to work here 6 years ago. Before I started, I didn't know the different between a Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, or a Traditional IRA. I didn't know an Index from a Money Market. Now, at least, I know a little bit more than I did before.

I have met a lot of people in various financial situations, and another thing I have learned is there are at least three types of ways to look at something.

One person I know falls for every new gimmick and "get-rich-quick" scheme that comes along. My Mom might say to him, "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." My boss would add, "No 'probably' about it."

I think that it is to be expected that most people will respond with enthusiasm to a new idea, but then their common sense kicks in and they consider the pros and cons, the risks and rewards; they look at both sides of the coin. At the other extreme, there will always be a few who only see the risks and allow those fears to paralyze them and keep them from making any decision at all.

I used to think that there were so many different emotions at play in these three mindsets, but I have come to believe that when people make poor choices in investing, it really just boils down to: greed or fear.

Really now. The definition of greed is "excessive or rapacious desire", and often that is a little overkill. I would hesitate to qualify some people as falling into that category by virtue of them just being nice people. The bottom line is, they make poor decisions based on the fact that they are chasing after having more money, and they think they have fallen privy to some secret or private information that makes them smarter than the next guy.

I have to laugh when I hear these infomercials or see ads trying to sell us on the notion that there are secrets that Wall Street doesn't want us to know... that Big Business doesn't want us to know... that Uncle Sam doesn't want us to know... Please. If it is such a sure-fire way to instant riches, don't you stop and wonder why these people are selling you this "secret plan to success" instead of just implementing it themselves and quietly smirking in their lounge chairs in the Bahamas?

Same with the hype about precious metals being the "in thing" to buy. The prices are going up! EVERYone is buying... Really? Because if this were to be true, someone would have to be dumb enough to sell them, knowing that what they sold today would undoubtablty be worth more next week. People, think about it!
Or, my recent favorite that "no one knows about... yet!" is the buying of Iraqi dinar. Good people, people that you go to church with or cheer at the soccer games with, are falling for this one. One quick little Google will pull up over 200,000 results warning you of the fallacy (and illegality) of investing in the Iraqi dinar, and yet people are still flocking to their banks to empty out their savings in the hopes of getting rich quick. Folks, the only people getting rich on this one are the scam artists who are raking in your retirement savings.

Which brings me back to my reason for starting on this rant in the first place: financial advising and its natural segué into retirement savings.
Some may think it odd that I work for an investment advisor, yet I have very little invested myself. That, my friend, is where you are wrong. I have a LOT invested. But I don't ever get an email letting me know that my statement is now available to view online. That is because I know that the (very) little that I have invested monetarily will last only a short while. Seriously, when you factor in the 4% withdrawal rule and apply it to my measly retirement savings, I will be getting about $600 a year from our investments. Not much, even when you add it to my whopping SSI earnings. Yes, there are times when I look through Craigslist at used travel trailers and wonder to myself how I will fit all my books into one when the day comes that we are no longer able to work, or trade work for rent. I am not so foolish that I never give that a thought.
What I DO NOT think about is "how will I afford to travel around the world, fly across the country several times a year visiting grandchildren, play in golf tournaments or ride bikes across exotic landscapes..." Those things I definately do not think about. And I secretly marvel at those who walk out these doors and lament that they will have to work a few more years past 55 so they can have another $1,000,000 saved up in order to live that way.

What I DO think about is: would I rather put my recent bonus into my IRA or send it to the rural medical hospital in Africa that needs a new ultrasound or x-ray machine, where they are struggling to save babies or people who are dying for lack of basic diagnostic equipment? Would I rather buy another $100 savings bond or support a doctor working in a clinic to restore sight to people who cannot even find their way to the latrine without help because of cataracts or river blindness?
I think you know where I'm going with this. I have chosen to invest the little that I have by giving much of it away. Why would I do this?
My answer: How could I not?
It is nothing for me to live in a little travel trailer without being surrounded by my beloved books, or ready access to DSL, or satellite tv, or going out to eat every week. It is nothing for me to live like that simply because I know full well that hundreds of thousands of people all over the world live with much, MUCH less.

I know some may think it sounds trite to say "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" - yes, that's all well and good until you don't have food on the table or gas in the car, or money to buy your heart medicine or eye drops... see how much you enjoy "retirement" living like that.
Well, I do admit I am only hypothesizing here. I am not actually retired. I do not actually live in a travel trailer. I do not actually have to live on oatmeal and beans and rice. But to that I say, even if all that were my current reality, the starker reality is that I would STILL be better off by far than so many. So, knowing what I now know about investing and finances and the economy, I will continue as I have done. I am going to lay up my treasures elsewhere, because whether you choose to call it Karma or whatever, I still think that investing in tanglible ways of showing love to my fellow man is by far the best use of my resources.

[Puts away soapbox.]

Totally stoked

2011-02-24T14:36:00.000-08:00

After 3 years of being completely dairy-free, I cannot tell you how stoked I am to have added homemade yogurt (and keifer) back into my diet and cooking repertoire. Just how this came about it pretty amazing (well, to me anyway!)
Life is often random and serendipitous. So, while searching for a MeetUp group to practice my French (which I never found), I "just happened" upon a local group that advocates nutritionally dense food, a way of eating that is local, ethical, and sustainable, and have learned a few interesting tidbits along the way. One of them is bound to raise a few eyebrows from those who have bought into the myth that the government is here to promote and protect our health. Specifically the myth surrounding the pasteurization of dairy products.
Now, don't go getting your panties in a wad about germs and bacteria unless you are willing to read the actual history and research about this, not just the scare tactics from the fear mongers. And, I am here to tell you that after 20+ years of not drinking milk, and 3 years of avoiding all dairy products like the plague, I am now using raw cow's milk exclusively and have suffered no ill effects. Quite the contrary!
So, I have gone from being diagnosed casein intolerant (meaning my body would not tolerate or propery digest the protein molecule from dairy in any form) to being able to culture whole, raw milk into the lovliest yogurt you have ever tasted in your life. Why is this, you may ask!
Well, imagine my surprise when I learned that the pasteurization process actually alters the protein molecule in milk, which in turn caused my body to think it was a foreign invader. Sounds like a plot worthy of Outer Limits, I know. But I don't know how else to explain it, but to say I can now safely eat and cook with dairy products without suffering the painful after effects that I had accepted as fact for years.
To me, that is one giant HOORAY!
And, if you don't believe me, maybe some other information might help:
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/milk_history.html
http://www.rawmilk.org/raw-milk.php

Tweaking Oatcakes

2011-02-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have discovered keifer. I think I may be in heaven.
So, I have tweaked my oatcakes recipe this week and think I am loving it!
I have been learning about the health benefits of raw dairy, and have been adding it back into my diet, after a total haitus of 3 years. Today I experimented with keifer as my liquid for oatcakes, and I really liked the taste of it!

Soak 1 cup of (gluten free) quick oaks in 1 cup of keifer made from raw, whole milk. I soaked mine overnight, but you could probably get away with soaking for just a few hours. (This soaking helps break down the phytates in the grain which in turn helps improve the mineral and vitamin absorption.)
Add:
2-4 Tbsp. raw sugar
1 egg (or 2... how rich do you like your cakes?)
1 tsp. coconut oil
about 6 dried apricots, chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. baking powder

Let the baking powder do its thing for a few minutes, then bake on heated, greased griddle in greased English muffins rings as per the previous oatcake recipe. Also works well as a pancake if you don't have the muffin rings.
Try it, I think you will like it!

...or, not so much.

2011-02-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

SPOILER ALERT: No problem will be solved today. Only questions raised.

I know. The title of my blog is "Practice Contentment." I guess the key word is "practice", because I don't always get it right every single day. Today... not so much.

Did you ever just get up on the wrong side of the bed, as my mom calls it, when it seems that nothing is going to meet your approval today?

I am trying harder to identify those moods when they hit, and trying to figure out how to do it sooner than later. But today is just one of those days, and strangely enough, none of the items on my list are even that earth-shattering. But lumped together in the same day, it has resulted in a general feeling of annoyance.

Does venting solve the problem? Getting it off my chest by blurting out my dissatisfaction with people and life and stores and drivers and bad government and big corporations... does that solve the problem? I do know it doesn't change anything or improve the situation, so where is the value in it? (Other than the whole "misery loves company" concept of getting together a bunch of other people who feel the same as you do...)

Does taking on another crusade to right an obscure wrong solve the problem? (As if I had the energy for another crusade.) Kind of like the old cliché, "You can't fight City Hall", would it even make a dent in the problem?

So, where does that leave me? Whining (a.k.a. "venting") does no good, tilting at windmills is a notorious time and energy waster... so what is left?

I have heard it described as "coming in the opposite spirit" - and while I am not always quick on the uptake about just exactly what the "opposite spirit" is in any given situation, I think there is something to the concept. Some people would call it turning the other cheek, but I think that falls short. What I am thinking of is more proactive. It is about being intentional - deciding, choosing, acting upon that decision by making a conscious effort to steer my thoughts and actions in another direction.

Umm... yeah. Like how?

The Quest for the Perfect Scone

2011-01-23T14:00:00.001-08:00

I am a bit of a scone snob. Those dried-up, rock-hard globs of baked blob that some coffee shops try to pass off as "scones" are an abomination to my mouth and an offense, in general. Over the years, I developed a good recipe for an awesome homemade scone, and had targeted a few coffee shops which have "gotten it right" to honor with with my repeat business.
Alas... all that went by the wayside in 2008 with my GI diagnosis, and since then I have been periodically haunting GF blogs for recipes that would fill that void in my life.
Lately though, my sister has been taunting me with her Facebook posts of the type of scone she had baked to take in to work, making my mouth long for those gluten worry-free days of yore. So today, I took up my trusty stoneware pan, and put forth yet another valiant try. I think I may have hit upon something this time.
For the past several months, I have been playing with Bob's Red Mill's scone recipe from the bag of GF sorghum flour. Maybe it's just me, but it didn't really do the trick for me. For one thing, it was just too darn crumbly. I need a scone that will hold up to some butter and jam without going to pieces in my hand.
This morning while I was grinding rice flour to make some gingersnaps this afternoon, I figured I would give the recipe one more try, this time with rice flour... and the results were fantastic!
Now, I do have to confess, I did not use 100% brown rice, I put about 1/3 white rice in the hopper when I was grinding the flour, so it's a lighter blend. And I don't know if this made a difference or not (I suspect it does): I made these scones with freshly ground flour, and I premoistened the flour and let it rest for a few hours before combining the rest of the ingredients and baking. This was for the sake of my own convenience: I was leaving for church, and wanted to have as many things ready to go when I got home as possible. We eat breakfast after church in our house, and when we get home at 11-12, we are famished.
So here, with my little bit of tweaking, is the adulterated Bob's Red Mill recipe that we had with our breakfast this afternoon.

Ginger-Apricot Gluten Free Scones

1-1/4 cups Brown/White Rice Flour blend

1/2 cup Tapioca Flour

Mix together with fork and stir in:

1/2 cup rice (or other non-dairy) milk

Dump on top:

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

4 Tbsp. Butter

4 Tbsp. Sugar (I use dehydrated cane juice, also known as rapadura)

Place a plate or plastic wrap over the top and let rest until ready to bake. (I left mine 2 hours. You could mix together the night before and leave overnight on the counter, no need to refrigerate.)

When you are ready, preheat over to 400°F.

Add in:

1 large egg (I used a duck egg, chicken of course is fine)

1-1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Xanthan Gum

Blend together well, then add:

Approx 8-10 chopped dried apricots

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. dried ginger

1-2 tsps. candied, minced ginger, chopped (if available... a given at my house!)

Pour dough out onto baking pan (I use a large stoneware "cookie" or bar pan), using wet hands pat into a circle, cut with wet knife into 1/8's and bake about 12-15 minutes, or until golden.

Now, you may be asking yourself 'why bother with the resting period at all?' Well, since you asked, I will tell you. Even though I have been baking and cooking with whole grains for decades, I am just now beginning to understand some of the finer points of nutrition. One is that whole, unmilled grains naturally contain phytic acid which is a good thing... it acts somewhat as a natural preservative. The bad news for us who want to do our bodies good by eating whole grains is that the very same phytic acid also inhibits our bodies from absorbing the nutrients we are so desparately trying to put back into our diets by eating those same whole grains. A vicious cycle you might think, until you realize that our ancestors knew when they were doing when they used sourdough starters and soaked their grains before grinding or cooking. Soaking breaks down the phytic acid and helps us digest the grains and nutrients more easily. If you don't believe me, just ask Lindsay, the folks at Health Banquet, or numerous others who have already done their homework.

Knowing that, I am already planning one more tweak to my recipe next time... and that is the addition of 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar to the milk before adding it to my flour.

And, next time I will take a photo of the scones BEFORE they hit the table... and disappear!

Got a hankering for cinnamon rolls

2011-01-08T11:27:00.001-08:00

Another holiday season has come and gone, the third one without cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I would have never gotten by with that if the girls were still living at home, but my Dear is very accomodating (and needs to lose some weight, just like me.)

This morning, however, I just had to do something. I didn't just "want" a cinnamon roll, I "needed" a cinnamon roll. I think I have been quite patient and understanding (and compliant) with this whole gluten intolerance thing. And someone wise once told me, "If you think it can be done, it can be done."

So, my mission for today was to come up with a satisfying gluten-free alternative for cinnamon rolls. Not something that would just "do", but something even a non-celiac would come back and ask for another piece. Here is how I did:

Now, one could argue that these are not cinnamon "rolls" at all. Truthfully, they are basically a GF muffin baked in a 9"x13" pan in the manner of a cinnamon struesel. But don't tell that to my taste buds! (I suppose it is only fair to disclose that when one has gone "without" long enough, one ceases to demand foods that are identical to the foods one has given up. It's all about appeasing the palate.) So, without further ado, my cinnamon roll adaptation:

If It Tastes Like a Cinnamon Roll

1-1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch/flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar (I use demerara or turbinado)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (I forgot this. You can tell. Next time I will remember!)
1/4 cup oil (I use grapeseed)
2 eggs
2/3 cup rice milk (plus a little more if the batter is too stiff)

Grease a 9" x 13" pan. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix dry ingredients together, then pour in the wet ingredients and mix. Pour half of the batter into the pan. At this point you are going to think, "she made a mistake... this needs to go in a smaller pan." Fear not. Trust me. Use the back of your fork to kind of spread the batter out to the sides of the pan as best you can.

Now comes the "cinnamon roll" part. Sprinkle about 2-3 Tbsp. of brown sugar over the batter, followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. (I don't measure. If it looks like enough, it is. My Dear thinks I never put enough on.) Meanwhile put about 2 Tbsp. butter into the microwave for a few seconds, until it is melted, and drizzle over the cinnamon and sugar. At this point, you can choose to sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans, or leave it boring... I mean plain. Dollop the rest of the batter as evenly over the top as you can, seeing as how it's not going to completely cover and you are going to be wondering how the heck this is even going to work.

Pop it into the heated oven, keep an eye on it after about 10-15 minutes. I was washing dishes and cooking my egg, so I didn't really look at the time. You can tell, if you press lightly down in the middle of the dough, it will be squishy/gooey if it's not done. If it's starting to turn a light brown, it's not squishy in the middle, and the smell is making you crazy, it's done.

Cut into 12 pieces, put a little butter on the top, pour yourself another cup of coffee/tea, and say to yourself, "Yeah! Cinnamon rolls!"

Note: I did not mention here anything about putting a powdered sugar glaze or frosting on the top. If that sounds good to you, go for it and come up with something you like. Personally, I don't care for that... too sweet.

Oat Cakes Without Borders

2011-01-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

When I went gluten free three years ago (my, how time flies!) I was at a loss for what to eat for breakfast. Eggs without cheese (yes, I'm also casein intolerant) was enough to gag me. I have since learned to get them down with the help of catsup, since eggs are one source protein that I can actually tolerate well. Oatmeal seemed out of the question until I discovered Bob's Red Mill certified GF oats.
I quickly grew tired of Rice Chex and Rice Dream every single day, although I have since learned to mix in Honey Nut Chex to perk things up and do regularly fall back on that when I am running short of time - frequently, I must confess.
I have finally mastered the fine art of GF pancakes, after many sorry experiments. Have I mentioned that I don't use those prefab (read: "cheater"), rediculously priced mixes that have become so popular on many GF websites? Ugh. I didn't use mixes when I ate wheat, and I'm sure not going to use them now, as long as I am able to read a recipe and blow up my own lab... er, kitchen.
So, on my ever evolving quest for the perfect companion to my breakfast egg; I have successfully come up with a very edible confusion of a Welsh Cake / Scottish Oatcake / English muffin.

For those not familiar, a Welsh cake - also known as a fruited "griddle scone" - baked on a (wait for it...) GRIDDLE... as are English muffins. (At least the recipe I used to use.) Scottish oatcakes are often made similar to a biscuit, or baked scone. All of them are scrumptious. All of them use wheat flour. Not in my house!! So, with the help of my handy, dandy English muffin rings, my cast iron griddle, and my wit, I have invented the

Oat Cakes Without Borders
Heat the cast iron griddle on medium heat, as for making pancakes. Place four English muffin rings on griddle, and grease with butter or spray with oil. (I use Pam.)

While the griddle is heating, mix together in one bowl:

2 eggs
1 cup GF quick oats
2 Tbsp. sorghum flour (I suppose brown rice flour or any GF flour mix will do, I just happen to have always used sorghum)
2 Tbsp. sugar (I use turbunado or demerara because that's what I use.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1tsp - 1 Tbsp. oil (I use grapeseed oil because it is good for our cholesterol)
Stir together and then add in enough rice milk (1 - 2 Tbsp.) to make a batter a little thicker than pancake batter.

Now, stir in what you like: this morning I tried dried cranberries, a little cinnamon, and some chopped walnuts. I sometimes like to mince up a few dried apricots and add a dash of ginger, but go with what flavors you like.

By now your griddle and muffin rings should be hot, the oil that you sprayed on should be slightly browned, and a drop of water will dance and sizzle across the griddle. So, spoon the batter equally into the four muffin rings. DO NOT fill them to the top or you will have a mess when the baking powder jumps into action. I speak from experience.

Grab your tongs and your pancake turner. In a few minutes (5?) you will see that the batter is starting to slightly pull away from the edge of the tins. Hold onto the rings with the tongs in one hand while flipping the cake over with the turner. If the ring slips off when you go to flip it, no worries. It should be baked enough by this point to hold together when you flip it. (In fact, if you want to take the rings off at this point, I see no reason not to.)

Bake a few minutes more on the flip side, and they are ready to eat! You can split them with a fork like English muffins if you must. I, however, like them just fine with a little jam on top. And a cup of tea... can't forget the tea!

Gluten Free (Buckwheat!) Pancakes

2010-12-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

What are Saturday mornings without pancakes? I'll tell you what they are chez nous... or then again, maybe I won't. I can't even think of a word to convey the confusion it would cause.
Since 2008 (a year that shall go down in infamy), I have been experimenting and tweaking and despairing over pancakes sans gluten. Could it even be done?
I'm here today to tell you... Yes! And they can be done well! Better than that, they can be done easily, cheaply, and with healthy ingredients.

Before I get into the how's, let me expound for a moment on the why's of using buckwheat.

It rather amuses me that the word "wheat" was snuck into buckwheat's name in the first place. Everyone assumes that they are related, and hence buckwheat must be off limits for those of us who stay healthy by eliminating the gluten from our diets. Not so! Buckwheat is technically not a grain at all, but the seed of a fruit related to rhubarb and sorrel. Even better, it's a seed that has amazing health benefits: cardiovascular, blood sugar, gall bladder benefits, just to name a few. Read more. In fact, I was so impressed when I discovered the many nutritional benefits of buckwheat, I have taken to sneaking it into my morning oatmeal... 2/3 cup old-fashioned GF oats to 1/3 cup buckwheat, cooked in 2 cups Rice Dream.

OK, bunny trail over. Back to the purpose of this particular blog:

Saturday Morning Buckwheat Pancakes

Friday night: measure 1 cup of hulled, untoasted buckwheat groats into a wire colander or sieve and rinse under running water (to remove chaff and/or dust.) Place rinsed buckwheat into a 2-4 cup measuring bowl and pour 1 cup Rice Dream over. Cover, and let soak all night. (Refrigerate in the summer, not essential during the winter unless you keep your house at 70° or warmer.)

In the morning, turn on the fire (or in my case, electric coils) under your cast iron griddle (or electric skillet, or... whatever you normally use to cook your pancakes. I realize not everyone is as lucky as I am to have a lovely Lodge cast iron griddle.) Spray with Pam or grease with shortening.

While that is heating on a medium heat, pour the soaked buckwheat (and rice milk) into a blender container and add:

2 eggs
1 Tbsp. oil
3 Tbsp. sugar (I use turbinado or demerara)
1/2 tsp salt

Blend on medium and then high for just a minute or so, until the buckwheat it thoroughly ground. Add:

4 tsp. baking powder and blend on low to mix.

I find it handy to use an ice cream scoop to measure out my batter onto the griddle. This makes the pancakes a uniform (and round) size, but not everyone is as OCD as I am. So, just pour the batter out onto the heated griddle... bake until the top has bubbles, flip over and bake a little longer (this is not rocket science), plate and enjoy!

Of course, what you put on top is totally up to you. Preferences in our house range from (real) maple syrup and peanut butter to powdered sugar to yogurt. The point is, you are now free to enjoy pancakes again! That, to me, is cause for celebration!

Oh yeah, and did I mention... you can also use any leftover pancakes to put some tuna or peanut butter and jelly on at lunch time. (Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it!)

Tracing a heritage - taking the good with the not-so-good...

2010-07-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

My paternal great-grandparents had 9 children; my grandpa Ted was born in Walsenburg, CO, the third son and third of the nine. About 1906, the family moved to Nara Visa, in the territory of New Mexico where they homesteaded on land between Nara Visa and the Texas border. While still a teenager, G'Pa left home and went to Texas to work as a roustabout in the oilfields. Sometime in the early 1920s, he moved to Southern California to work in the oilfields in the Long Beach and Santa Fe Springs fields. One sister came to California also and he helped put her through high school in Norwalk, CA. About 1928, he followed the oil drilling business to Bakersfield, CA where he met my grandmother, who was working in the office at the oil plant. When she first met G'Pa, she told a co-worker, “I’m going to marry that red-headed roustabout.” G'Ma and G'Pa were married in Bakersfield, CA in 1929.

Times were pretty tough in the early 1930s for all, these were the years of the “Great Depression.” G'Pa worked many times for 75¢ per day - and there were times at the end of the week when the people he was working for did not have enough money to pay him. About 1934 G'Ma and G'Pa were able to buy a house located on Beardsley Avenue, Oildale, CA. This house came complete with a cow which provided milk and butter for the family.
In January 1942, shortly after the start of World War II, G'Ma and G'Pa moved to Norwalk, CA where G'Pa went to work in the shipyards in Long Beach and continued there until the end of the war. G'Pa worked various jobs through the Operating Engineers Union. One of his last jobs was on a road construction project where he was seriously injured in an accident. The way I remember the story told, G'Pa had just sat down on the curb and opened his lunch pail when a truck slipped out of park and rolled down and into him. I remember hearing that G'Pa had to undergo many surgeries - until finally he declared he had had enough of doctors and refused any further surgeries. All of us grandchildren remember G'Pa's "funny nose". It wasn't until later in life that I saw a photo of him as a younger man and realized the extent of his injuries. After that, he worked for Guy F. Atkinson until he retired.

G'Pa could do almost anything from butchering to gardening. His famous raspberry-plum jam is still called “Grandpa Jam.” He was a top-notch auto and diesel mechanic as well as able to repair everything around the house. He was quick to lend a hand to those in need. G'Pa belonged to the Masonic Lodge in Norwalk, CA. He always had a garden and became quite good in ceramics. He also loved to fish, but his family always knew that they were the most important part of his life.

Ted’s grandchildren well remember his 80th birthday party in August of 1983 at the home of his daughter Sharon who then lived in Corona, CA. It was Ted’s “first birthday party”, as he was pleased to tell everyone. His one living brother was there, as were two of his sisters. It was also to be the last birthday party that G'Pa celebrated with his extended family. Early in 1984, he was hospitalized several times and died in August of pancreatic cancer. He had lived to see 4 great-grandchildren born into his family.

June by any other name... (In which I steal the title from my dear Carrol)

2010-07-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

June is gone, flown the coop, pffft!

I vaguely remember May, and thinking to myself "soon it will be June and I will be saying, 'oh wow, it's June, the year is already half over... where did it go'", and whoosh! now it's July and really, where the heck DID it go??

You know the thing about June being all "Weddings, Grads and Dads"... well those were wedged in there: June 5th a wedding, followed by hot-footing it to Oregon for a graduation on June 6th (which ironically we endured in a pouring rain), then Father's Day hot on the heels complete with the requisite family BBQs and all that.

But what we have that not everyone else can claim is a plethora of birthdays. Yes, June has now come to overshadow October in the birthday department in our family, and that's saying a lot. So I officially now have one daughter, three granddaughters, two nieces, and a nephew all celebrating birthdays in June. Throw in a couple more for good friends and anniversaries for a few others... it's should not come as a surprise that I barely came up for air in June.

Nevertheless, June got me thinking again about how thankful I am for my wonderful family and amazing friends. Marking these big and small occasions is really just another good excuse to express our love and appreciation for each other, to celebrate the presence of our loved ones who enrich our lives. Unfortunately, nothing brings that into perspective quite so vividly as the loss of even one of those. Sometimes loss comes in the form of death, at other times in the form of a leave-taking. The saddest, I think, is when a loss comes in the form of estrangement. So often, we let pride or insecurities get in the way of maintaining a relationship. "He said/she said; I am right/they are wrong", cutting someone off because they won't follow our advice... whatever, and on it goes.

June has traditionally been a month associated with love. According to one source, June is named after the goddess Juno who was considered the goddess of marriage. Not that I am a superstitious person, since I was married in September... but my point is: Life is short, people. Too short sometimes, especially when we have left "I love you" unsaid. Too short to put our differences of opinion ahead of treating others with kindness and dignity, and honoring their humanity. Too short to take sides, or to attempt to gather others to our side against another. This is how you tear down a relationship, not build it up. There will come a day when we will shake our heads and admonish ourselves, what was really so important that it got in the way of my relationship with that person? Are we seriously so insecure in our selves and our opinions that we cannot allow someone to have a different opinion? Are we so sure that our advice is indeed the best advice for someone, when we don't even know the entire situation they are dealing with? How arrogant we can be!

To steal some points from Ken Collins, "when we read the phrase 'love one another', we immediately think that this commandment is limited to... Christians."... "'What Would Jesus Do' is not a Christian question...rather, we should ask ourselves, 'What would Jesus command me to do?'...and that consists of loving [others]."

Bottom line, I love my family. It pains me to see the people I love at odds with each other, but I am rather at a loss of how to change anything. I guess it comes back to being responsible for myself, making sure I am doing what I know is right, and loving others in spite of their shortcomings... forgive and hold no grudges. So easy to know what to do... so hard to follow through!

Stand By Me

2010-05-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Jon, I have a new favorite video...
not just a song, but an attitude!

In keeping with my theme of contentment and my project of purposefully cultivating an attitude of THANKFULNESS, I thought I would thank the people who have stood by me at different stages in my life and made such a HUGE difference in who and where I am today...

I am the person I am today because of your input in my life!

Ah, Technology!

2010-05-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you Al Gore for inventing the Internet!

It wasn't so very many years ago (1994?) that I was clued in to the Internet by my eldest who not-so-patiently tried to explain "who was running it and who paid for it." Really, I had no clue.

Today I have to constantly remind myself what life before Google was like. Or online banking. Or webcams and Skype.

This weekend, thanks to the magic of the Internet and online streaming video, we had the privilege of watching our youngest receive her Master's Degree in Kentucky, which the whole family watched and cheered from my brother-in-law's living room in California where we were assembled for a family Mother's Day BBQ. Thanks to Microsoft's nifty Snipping Tool, I can capture the moment onto my hard drive...

I am reminded of a snippet from the comic strip Stone Soup...

"Isn't it amazing that there are Internet Cafés in Thailand?"

"No, all you need is a satellite..."

I continue to be impressed.
My name is Deborah, and I am no longer a Luddite.

2010-05-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you collectively, Messieurs Alessandro Volta, Michael Faraday, Thomas Alva Edison, and James King, Hamilton Smith, and William Blackstone,

I don't think it would have been anywhere nearly as convenient or expeditious for me to get two loads of laundry done this morning before going to work without all of your insight and contributions to the phenomenon of harnessing electricity and channeling that knowledge into the labor and time-saving device of the washing machine.

I have too often seen it done "the old fashioned way" for me to take for granted the wonderful gift that I have!

Gratefully,

A Pampered Housewife