The GFCF Experience

Tomato Zucchini Salad with Garbanzo Beans and Red Wine Vinaigrette

2013-09-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

Departing summer hath assumed
An aspect tenderly illumed,
The gentlest look of spring;
That calls from yonder leafy shade
Unfaded, yet prepared to fade,
A timely carolling.

~William Wordsworth

Summer's last hurrah is this week. Here in Montana, it looks as if the last of the hot weather is finally giving way to the cooler temperatures of fall. Soon the leaves will be changing, displaying their autumn beauty. And the first snows will appear on the mountain tops. The GFCF Experience will be changing too, to its fall hues.

But summer still has some treasures left to share. The last of summers harvest awaits. There are plenty of tomatoes on the vines that will hopefully ripen soon. And one more batch of green beans to be picked. There are even some carrots - late in arriving, but surprisingly productive. And speaking of productive, I don't think I will ever run out of zucchini.

More after the jump...

Today was our parish's annual picnic and ministry fair. And we were charged with bringing a salad. And what better salad to make than one that is from the fruits of your harvest? Especially when one is still overwhelmed with zucchini.

This salad is a compilation of a few different salad recipes I found on the Internet. The vinaigrette I made was this recipe by Giada de Laurentis of Food network fame. As I did not make any substitutions I will not repeat the recipe here. I will say that a little of this vinaigrette goes a long way - it is very powerful. But it works well with the tomatoes, zucchini, and garbanzo beans. As does another ingredient from our garden - fresh basil.

This is tasty salad that is simple tomake and also provides a colorful presentation. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

TOMATO ZUCCHINI SALAD WITH GARBANZO BEANS AND RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 cup beans)

1 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp red wine vinaigrette, or to taste

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to let the flavors combine before serving.

Granola

2013-09-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

The smart campaign is not to get McDonald’s to serve better food but to get people to see cooking as a joy rather than a burden, or at least as part of a normal life.

~ Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman, food journalist and author, is known for his thoughts on the misconception that junk food is cheaper than healthy food, and has shown that a family of four can indeed eat a healthy, home cooked meal for about half the cost of eating at McDonalds.

So what does this quote have to do with granola? After all, granola is considered a healthy food.

The answer after the jump.

Jump done!

The answer lies in the second part of the quote, about people needing to see cooking as a part of normal life. The thing is, it's easy to buy gfcf granola at the grocery store. It's prepackaged, and comes in many different varieties. And it's so convenient - just rip the bag open and eat.

It's also expensive - $6 for a 12 oz. bag at my local grocery store. That's $8.00 a pound!

GFCF granola, however, is really easy to make at home. Yes, it cooks for a while in the oven, but there is only about 10 minutes of prep time involved. And the cost? I make a 36 oz. batch for about $12. Or about $4 for every 12 oz. That's 1/3 less than the store bought version!

Best of all, it's fresh, and delicious. And you can make it using your own ingredients. Don't like dried cranberries or have nut allergies? Just eliminate them. Add raisins. Add gcfc chocolate chips. Or banana chips. Or any other dried fruit you like. Use gfcf Chex cereal instead of oats. There are endless possibilities!

My version is an adaptation of this recipe by Alton Brown of the Food Network. I've found that an hour of cooking time is plenty for my granola to be ready. In any event, feel free to adapt as needed - that's the beauty of granola!

GRANOLA
Adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown

Ingredients

3 cups gf rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 lb mixed nuts

1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 tsp salt (optional; I usually don't use it since the nuts are salted)
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 250°. Line a large jellyroll pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a second bowl mix the honey/syrup and oil. Combine the two mixtures and spread evenly in the pan.

Bake at 250° for 1 hour, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes to ensure even browning.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cranberries and mix until combined.

The GFCF Experience Reviews...The Everything Gluten-Free Baking Cookbook by Carrie S. Forbes

2013-09-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.

~ Julia Child

I will get to the point right before the jump...

This is a wonderful cookbook.

And I think the Julia Child quote above very much describes the author of the cookbook, Carrie Forbes.

I know I mentioned this when I reviewed her first cookbook - Carrie started blogging at Ginger Lemon Girl about the same time I started blogging here back in 2007. And I am honored to be able to call her a dear friend. This is the third cookbook in her Everything Gluten-Free series, with several more on the way!

Over on her blog, as she talks about the release of this book, Carrie talks about her love of baking. As Carrie says, "My first love in the food world is baking. I love to bake. I love making cookies and cupcakes and baked chocolate donuts and fresh loaves of bread... warm, sweet fruit pies in the summer and gingerbread for Christmas!"

And that love shines forth in this book with 300 recipes ranging from breakfast fare (muffins, biscuits, sweet bread, etc.) to cakes to pies to cookies and so much more. But the recipes only tell part of the story; there are so many other things that make this cookbook special:

Carrie's Philosophy There are many gluten free cookbooks that talk about using specific types of flours, or flour mixes. And every baker has their favorite flour mix they use. But Carrie chooses to focus, not on the mix of flours used, but on the techniques necessary for successful gluten free baking. Recipes are easily adaptable to whichever flours you use.

More than Gluten-Free Carrie includes several recipes that are not just gluten free, but dairy free and free from other allergens as well. And there are chapters and recipes dedicated to those who are vegan and those who choose the grain-free paleo or low-glycemic lifestyle.

Conversions and Substitutions Carrie provides a handy appendix of US to Metric conversion tables. She also includes tables showing various dairy substitutions and substitutions for those who cannot have eggs.

And then there are the pictures of some of the delicious baked goods, taken in Carrie's own kitchen by photographer Jennifer Yandle. I can't wait to try the bagels and the devil's food cake with mocha buttercream and the honey pumpkin pie and...oh it all looks so good!

The cranberry cobbler (page 239) is a wonderful recipe that I have served at Thanksgiving the past few years. And recently, I made the triple berry cobbler (page 132):

The picture does not do justice to how good this tasted.

All in all, this is a great cookbook for everyone, from those learning how to bake gluten free to people looking for some great recipes to add to their collection. You can tell from this book that Carrie is passionate about baking, and passionate about sharing her knowledge with the world.

I highly recommend you add this cookbook to your collection. You will not be disappointed.

The GFCF Experience Reviews...CF Cheese

2013-09-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

God defend me from that Welsh fairy,
lest he transform me to a piece of cheese!

~ William Shakespeare

Last week, I reposted one of the first recipes ever on the blog, for chocolate chip cookies. And I talked about how there are so many more gf and cf options available now than there were 6 years ago. Casein free cheese products are the perfect example; 6 years ago, there were maybe one or two products to choose from. Now, there are many options available - shredded cheese, block cheese, even parmesan cheese! In this post I want to talk about some of the different cheese products that we use.

But first, a word of caution - not all 'dairy free' cheeses are dairy free. There are several varieties of rice-based and soy-based cheeses that have casein added back into them. So please be sure you read labels carefully.

Please click on the hotlinks to go to the website for each product.

Tofutti Cheese Slices

Image courtesy www.tofutti.com

Tofutti's cheese slices where one of the first cf cheese products we used, and still a favorite with the kids. They are perfect for school lunches and make a nice grilled cheese sandwich. They are also great on a pizza in a pinch. The kids definitely prefer the mozzarella slices as opposed to the american slices.

Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet

Image courtesy www.followyourheart.com

This product was a breakthrough for us. Up until 2009 we pretty much were limited to the Tofutti slices. There were other products available, but most of them had an aftertaste that the kids did not like. Then, in 2009, I took my two middle children on a mini vacation to Seattle, and we found a restaurant there (now known as Razzi's Pizzeria in the Greenwood neighborhood) which served gfcf pizza. We tried it. And we loved it. Finally,cf cheese with no aftertaste! We found the owner of the restaurant and asked him about the cheese and he told us about Vegan Gourmet. And it has been a staple in our household ever since. And my son's personal favorite.

Back in 2009 we tried the cheddar variety in addition to the mozzaerella we loved. but, like so many other cf cheeses it had an aftertaste that the kids did not enjoy. When I posted my original review of Vegan Gourmet cheese back in 2009, I received a comment about using the cheddar version in mac and cheese and that would work well. We have never tried but maybe we will give the cheddar another go.

Recently, Vegan Gourmet has come out with a line of shredded cheeses. While they are not available in my area as of yet, the fine folks over at Go Dairy Free recently posted this review. Sounds like something to try when they become available.

One thing about Vegan Gourmet products - they take FOREVER to melt. We get around this by premelting the cheese. Just microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Daiya

Image courtesy www.daiyafoods.com

We were really excited when Daiya mozzarella shreds first appeared on the shelves. Dairy free, soy free - what's not to like?

Well, for one they did take some getting used to. The shreds do have an aftertaste. But, the good news is that that aftertaste goes away once the cheese is cooked. There is a bit of a taste to Daiya cheese, unlike the Vegan Gourmet cheese. But, unlike the Vegan Gourmet cheese, Daiya cheese melts superbly. It is the preferred cheese of my girls on their pizza. And mine too.

Image courtesy www.daiyafoods.com

My other favorite cheese Daiya makes is their Cheddar style wedges. It is truly the first cheddar style cf cheese that I have enjoyed. I love the taste and I love how this cheese melts too. It makes a great grilled cheese sandwich, and I love using it on pizza as well. But my favorite is to use it in a quesadilla using a gfcf tortilla.

We have tried some of the other flavors as well, but these two are the ones we prefer. We have yet to see their gfcf pizzas and spreads available in our area.

Go Veggie! Parmesan

Image courtesy www.goveggiefoods.com

I want to say that we had tried this before, several years ago. And it was awful.

Maybe it was another brand. Or maybe they improved the formula. Or maybe my taste buds have change.

All I know is that we tried this a few weeks ago. And it was really good. I honestly think it is just like regular parmesan cheese. Really did not detect an aftertaste either.

This is a great cheese to sprinkle on top of pizza or pasta. Or use in any dish where parmesan is required.

Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese

Image courtesy www.tofutti.com

We love lasagna. It is really not all that hard to make, and makes for a nice hearty dinner. I published this lasagna recipe back in 2009, where I made a miso-based homemade 'ricotta' since at the time I was not aware of any gfcf ricotta cheeses.

And then Tofutti came out with their Better than Ricotta cheese. and it has been our staple ever since.

It does have a bit of a taste to it, but it is mild and really does not come into play, especially when you mix it with tomato sauce and ground meat and lasagna noodles. And it works great in any type of pasta bake you make, as in the one I hope to post later this week.

Summary

It really is amazing how many cf cheese products are available now compared to just a few years ago. And perhaps it is because I am used to eating them now, but I really think the quality has improved tremendously. I always pride myself on my ability to make a gfcf version of anything a non-gfcf person can eat, and products like these help make that vision more of a reality.

Please leave me a comment and tell me about your cf cheese experiences. Have you tried any of these products? Or have you tried another product not listed here? I would love to hear from you!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2013-09-02T04:00:00.000-06:00

I found my thrill, on Blueberry Hill...

~ Fats Domino

You never know where you will find the inspiration for a recipe. This one happens to come from my local library.

Our library has an area where people can recycle books and magazines they no longer want, and other patrons can browse through and take what they wish. I recently grabbed a whole bunch of cooking magazines, figuring I would go through and see if there were any recipes that would be good to make gfcf. And this recipe caught my eye. It was from the May/June 2004 edition of Taste of Home's Quick Cooking (discontinued in 2006). And a perfect way to use up some of my frozen blueberries.

This recipe is actually double the recipe size featured in the magazine so I could accommodate a 13" x 9" pan, so you can easily half this recipe if you want and just use an 8" x 8" pan. You can also freeze it and just pull a piece out when you want a quick breakfast, or brunch, or snack.

This is a moist cake with a wonderful sweetness from the blueberries and a crunchy crumb topping. I think you will enjoy it.

BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

Adapted from a recipe in the May/June 2004 edition of Taste of Home Quick Cooking magazine

Ingredients

1/2 cup CF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 8 oz. package CF cream cheese (I used Tofutti)

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cf milk (I used coconut milk)

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 13" x 9" pan with cooking spray.

Combine the brown rice, tapioca, and sorghum flours in a bowl using a whisk. Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour. To the remaining 2 cups of flour add the xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt; whisk until combined.

Using a mixer, cream the cf butter and sugar. Add the cf cream cheese and mix until combined. Beat in the egg. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the 2 cups flour mixture and milk, alternating about a quarter of each at a time.

Add 1/4 cup of the reserved flour mixture to the blueberries and toss until the blueberries are coated. Stir the blueberries into the batter by hand until combined. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan.

For the topping: Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of reserved flour with 1/4 cup brown sugar. Cut in 2 tbsp cf butter (Earthbalance Buttery Sticks) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, Spread the topping evenly over the batter. (Note that I used Earthbalance Coconut Spread instead of the Buttery Sticks and my topping ending up more like a paste which I dropped evenly over the batter).

Bake at 375° for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan 180° after 20 minutes. Check for doneness after 40 minutes, and keep checking every 5 minutes thereafter until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Revisited

2013-08-30T04:00:00.000-06:00

Me want cookie!

~ The Cookie Monster

It's interesting to look back and see how far I have come. I started the GFCF Experience 6 years ago, on August 14, 2007 to be exact. And it's interesting to see how my cooking has evolved over that time. Part of it is the significant number of new gf and cf products available today as opposed to 6 years ago. And part of it is that I have branched out more instead of relying on the same ingredients over and over and over. This recipe is a good example.

Chocolate chip cookies was one of the first recipes I posted, back in September 2007. You can see the original recipe here. I made a lot of cookie cakes back then, and there is a reason why - when I would try and make regular chocolate chip cookies, they would always come out thin and crispy and, while they tasted good, they were not what I was looking for. I wanted a thicker, chewier cookie.

One way I could make them a little less crispy was to slightly under cook them. But the problem was the flour I was using. For years I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, which is a bean-based flour that is a really good substitute for regular all purpose flour. The problem with this flour is that it has a really bad aftertaste if you do not completely cook it. I started branching out the last couple of years, and nowadays my flour of choice is a modification of Carol Fenster's original flour blend - a combination of sorghum flour, brown rice flour, and tapioca flour. This is a great combination, and best of all, no aftertaste! Problem solved!

But that was only part of the issue. The cookies may not be as crispy, but they were still too thin. How to solve that? The obvious answer was to thicken the batter. Instead of opting for more dry ingredients, I chose to cut out some of the wet ingredients, or more specifically, reduce the amount of cf butter used. The original recipe called for a cup of cf butter, so what would happen if I cut that back to 3/4 cup cf butter?

Success!!!

I now had the thick and chewy cookie I desired. But how can I make it better? That's where the new products come into play, along with my friend Alisa Fleming, who blogs at Go Dairy Free and is, in my honest opinion, the best resource out there for dairy free news and information. Recently, Alisa reviewed Earthbalance's line of Culinary Dairy-Free spreads. I was intrigued by her review of the Earthbalance Organic Coconut spread, and even more intrigued by the picture of the chocolate chip cookies she made with it. So I went and grabbed a tub. And then, to make things even more interesting, I decided to make them peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

The result: chocolate chip cookie heaven.

These are infinitely better than my original cookie recipe. As a reminder, the recipe is based on the Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I found in a Mrs. Fields baking cookbook. I am presenting the recipe as a chocolate chip cookie recipe but will add in how to make them with peanut butter.

I hope you will try these and let me know what you think!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Adapted from a recipe found in the 'Mrs. Fields Cookie Book'

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup cf butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks Earthbalance CF Buttery sticks, or 12 tbsp Earthbalance Organic Coconut Spread)
2 large eggs
2 tsp. gf vanilla
2 cups gfcf semisweet chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life this time)

Preheat oven to 300°.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend the sugars at medium speed. Add the cf butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until blended. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape down the bowl and add the chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until fully combined.

Line some cookies sheets with parchment paper. Drop the cookies by rounded tablespoons onto the paper-lined sheets about 2 inches apart (for larger cookies, use a small ice cream scoop). Bake at 300° for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool.

To make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies use only 6 tbsp of cf butter or coconut spread and 6 tbsp of peanut butter (or more if you prefer, just make sure that the total between cf butter and peanut butter is 12 tbsp). We prefer to use peanut butter freshly ground from unsalted peanuts.

With the small ice cream scoop, this recipe yielded about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Garden Vegetable Chili

2013-08-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling.

~Mirabel Osler

Here in Missoula we have a wonderful family farm called Benson's which has been around for generations and is beloved by the community. We went there a couple of weeks ago to get some fresh corn (they have the best corn!) that had just come into season and I became inspired by some of the other veggies they had for sale. With PLENTY of zucchini in the house, and needing a new way to sneak veggies into the kids, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to make a batch of chili.

I have posted chili recipes twice before, here and here. This recipe is a hybrid of the two. I used a poblano chili pepper since my family does not like a lot of heat, but you can use whichever chili pepper you like. And you can also be creative with your veggie combinations too - I used zucchini, carrots, onion, and kale, but you can add virtually any combination. I also used three different types of beans but you can use your own combination there as well. I used the food processor to finely dice the vegetables but you can also do that by hand.

This recipe was done in a dutch oven as opposed to a slow cooker but you could easily do this in a slow cooker as well - just brown the meat first and then add to the slow cooker along with the other ingredients, stir and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

This was a quick and easy recipe that was perfect with a side of freshly made corn muffins. And best of all, the kids loved it.

If you prefer a vegan option just eliminate the meat!

GARDEN VEGETABLE CHILI
A GFCF Experience adaptation

Ingredients

1 - 2 lbs. ground meat (I used turkey)
1 medium onion, diced fine
1 - 1.5 cups zucchini, diced fine.
1 poblano chili (or your favorite chili pepper), diced fine
2 carrots, peeled and diced fine
1 stalk kale, diced fine
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. diced tomatoes (I used organic fire roasted tomatoes)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
fresh basil to taste, diced fine
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 14 oz. can red kidney beans, drained
1 14 oz. can pinto beans, drained
1 14 oz. can white beans, drained
(or any types of beans you like)
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, brown the meat, then drain the meat in a colander. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the same dutch oven over medium heat, and saute the poblano chili, onion, zucchini, carrots, and kale for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and saute an additional minute.

Add the browned meat back to the dutch oven and then add the remaining ingredients, stirring until combined. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to just about boiling, then reduce the heat to low. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Cover the pot and simmer on low for 2 - 3 hours.

This makes a lot of chili, but it is great as leftovers.

The GFCF Experience Reviews...Frozen Pizza Crusts

2013-08-26T04:00:00.000-06:00

There's a pizza place where I live that sells only slices. In the back you can see a guy throwing triangles in the air.
~ Steven Wright

Much like when I was a child, pizza has become a Friday night staple in our house. I love making my own crust and have posted a few variations on this blog. But there are days where I feel blah, or it's been a long day at work, and I just don't have the energy to prepare my own crust. That's when it's nice to be able to just grab some premade pizza crusts and make individual pizzas for each child. Put the toppings on,bake, and eat. What could be simpler?

But which frozen pizza crust is the best? Here I review three different frozen pizza crusts that I can find here locally.

The Contenders

Udi's Pizza Crust (http://udisglutenfree.com/products/pizza-crusts-2-pack/)

Image courtesy www.udisglutenfree.com

Ingredients: water, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, non-GMO canola oil, egg whites, evaporated cane sugar, tapioca syrup, tapioca malodextrin, salt, xanthan gum, yeast, cultured corn syrup solids (natural mold inhibitor), enzymes

Rudi's Gluten Free Pizza Crust (http://www.rudisbakery.com/gluten-free/product/pizza-crust/)

Image courtesy www.rudisbakery.com

Ingredients: Water, rice flour, corn starch, tapioca dextrin, eggs, sugar, salt, xanthan gum, baking powder, guar gum, canola oil, rice extract.

Nature's Hilights Brown Rice Pizza Crust (no website)

Image courtesy www.veganamericanprincess.com

Ingredients: whole grain brown rice, potato

The ingredients are interesting. Udis has all sorts of different tapioca ingredients from flour to syrup to dextrin. Udis is also the only one that contains yeast, and corn syrup solids. Rudis avoids the yeast and corn syrup all together, but uses corn starch as opposed to tapioca starch. Nature's Hilights is the simplest of all, with only two ingredients - brown rice and potatoes. So from a simplicity perspective, Niture's Hilights wins. But that simplicity comes with a price, as you will soon see.

Preparation

Both Rudi's and Udi's are fairly simple - top while frozen with your favorite toppings, and then bake - Udis for about 7 minutes, and Rudis for about 13 - 14 minutes.

Nature's Hilights is a little more involved. First you have to defrost the crusts completely. Then you need to brush with olive oil and prebake for about 5 minutes before topping. Once topped, you then bake for 10 minutes.

Here is where the simplicity of the Nature's Hilights crust comes into play. Because there are only two ingredients, this crust is EXTREMELY fragile. Pieces broke off one crust as I was pulling it out of the package. Once defrosted they are even more fragile so you definitely need to defrost directly on the cooking pan.

Taste

Both the Udis and Rudi's crusts taste ok for frozen crust. One challenge with the Udi's crust is that it takes only 7 minutes to cook. CF cheeses, such as Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella or Daiya mozzarella, take longer than that to melt. So you may need to premelt the cheese before baking if using the Udi's crust. This is not as much of an issue with the Rudi's crust with it's longer baking time. The Udis crust also seems to be a little thinner and thus you get a crispier crust than with the Rudis.

The Nature's Hilights crust is extremely bland. As a crust it is more on the crispy side, and the prebaking is insurance against having the center too soft and mushy.

Intangibles

One factor that is important to my children is size - they are growing after all. In that respect Udi's and Nature's Hilights win - they are about a 9" crust as opposed to about 7" for Rudis. Rudi's, as mentioned before, is a thicker crust though.

As for cost, all three are reasonably similar. They usually retail where I live at between $5 and $6, and they are sometimes on sale at one of the stores that stocks them.

The Verdict

In our house it is a split decision. My kids prefer Udi's, if only because they like the larger crusts. And they are ready in half the time of the Rudi's crust. Taste-wise, these two were about the same.

As for me, I prefer the Rudi's crust. It is a little softer to me, and I think it tastes better. Plus the longer time allows the toppings to cook more which I prefer as well.

One area where the kids and I agree - none of us liked the Nature's Hilights crust. It was too bland and brittle.

We will be sticking to Udis and Rudis, but how about you? Have you tried any of these, or is there another product that you like? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

Peach Pie

2013-08-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.

~ Mark Twain

I am going to keep this one short and sweet - this is the best pie I have ever made. And there were two things that made it possible.

The peaches of course.

And vodka.

The vodka is the key to a fantastic flaky crust. This is another great find by Christopher Kimball and the folks at America's Test Kitchen. One potential problem when making pie crust is that you need to use a fair amount of liquid, typically water, to ensure that you do not have a dry pie crust that won't roll out easily. However too much water can ruin the tenderness and texture of the crust when baked. Using equal amounts of vodka and water as your liquid offers two advantages. First, vodka itself imparts no flavor to the crust. More importantly though, vodka is 40% alcohol, which evaporates when the crust is baked in the oven. This means that you can have plenty of liquids to keep your dough moist and easy to roll out, but when the crust is baked, the alcohol portion of the liquid evaporates, leaving behind the perfect amount of liquid for a nice flaky crust.

According to America's Test Kitchen, another key to a good pie crust is the technique used to combine the flour and the fat (in this case, cf butter). By combining a portion of the flour with all of the cf butter to form a paste, and then adding in the remaining flour until just combined, you are virtually assured of getting the same size cf butter pieces in your dough each time, and a more consistent crust.

While the crust is based on this recipe from America's Test Kitchen (be warned, you may need a subscription to view), the filling is based on this recipe by Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen. What I love about this filling is that it is not overwhelmed by sugar - the peaches really stand out.

This pie was really amazing. I hope you give this a try. You will not be disappointed.

PIE CRUST
adapted from a recipe by America's Best Kitchen

Ingredients (makes one double crust pie)

You need 12 1/2 ounces of GF flour for this recipe. I used:

4 ounces sorghum flour
4 ounces brown rice flour
3 ounces tapioca flour
1 1/2 ounces potato starch

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

16 tbsp (2 sticks) cf butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery sticks)

1/4 cup vodka, cold

1/4 cup water, cold

Combine all the flours and the xanthan gum in a mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour mixture, the salt, and the sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cf butter and process until a paste is formed. Add the remaining flour and pulse until just combined. Place the mixture into a mixing bowl.

Sprinkle the vodka and water over the mixture. Using a spatula, mix using a folding motion until the dough is tacky and sticks together. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 1-inch thick disk. Cover each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

PEACH PIE FILLING

Based on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

5 to 6 large peaches, peeled and sliced into 1/4 in slices (you want about 6 cups sliced peaches)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar (your preference as to light or dark; I used dark)

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp tapioca flour or potato starch

Mix the peaches and lemon juice together in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients, making sure there are no lumps. Add the dry ingredients to the peaches and mix until thoroughly combined.

Make the Pie

Preheat the oven to 425°. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.

Generously flour a board or your counter with gf flour (I usually use brown rice flour). Remove the larger of the two dough disks from the fridge. Place on the board and generously flour the top. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch to 13-inch circle. Using your rolling pin, roll up the dough and lay it over the pie pan. Gently adjust the dough until it fits snugly into your pie pan, with at least a 1-inch overhang.

Spoon the filling into the pie pan. Do not overfill.

Using the same technique as above, roll out the second dough disk into a 10-inch circle. At this point you can either roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and lay it over the filling for a covered crust, or cut the dough into 1-inch strips and make a lattice crust. If you make a covered pie, make sure to cut several 'x's in the top of the crust to let steam escape. Crimp the edges together using your favorite technique (I chose to press down on the edges with a fork) and remove any excess dough. brush the top of the pie with cf milk (I used coconut milk)

Place the pie on a cookie sheet covered with foil to collect any juices that may leak from the pie. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°, rotate the pie 180°, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours before serving. This will allow the juices to thicken and make the pie less runny. For even thicker juices, place the pie in the refrigerator.

Grilled Pesto Chicken

2013-08-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

As men get older, the toys get more expensive.

~ Marvin Davis

First of all,I want to say a big 'Thank you!' to those who commented here and on the GFCF Experience Facebook page with links for my blogroll. I was able to add several new blogs - up to over 70 now! I will continue to search for new blogs to add, and will share with you all what I find.

Now, about my new toy...

I posted on the Facebook page a little over a week ago that I was finally moving into the 21st century - I had ordered a food processor. I had been making do with a box grater and a little electric chopper for a long time, but after spending nearly 30 minutes grating zucchini for yet another batch of zucchini bread, my wife and I agreed the time had come to move up in the world. We didn't want to just go and get the cheapest one we could find at Walmart, but we wanted one that would be reliable and last for many years, like our Kitchen Aid mixer (almost 15 years and still going strong). So I turned to my favorite source for reviews of kitchen equipment - the folks at America's Test Kitchen. And we got a good deal on their top choice - The Cuisinart Custom 14-cup.

Image courtesy www.bedbathandbeyond.com

Yes, THIS is my new toy! Definitely more expensive than the toys of my youth. Then again, in my youth there was no such thing as an XBox or an I-phone.

It's big - 14 cup capacity!

It's quiet. Really quiet.

It's exactly what we needed.

It arrived last Thursday and I have been pretty much been destroying food with it ever since:

Pulverized veggies to put into a yummy turkey meatloaf. May have overdone the processing - but it was my first time.

Used a lighter touch and pulsed food into a fine chop for vegetable chili.

Used the dough blade to make a pie crust for peach pie.

Which finally brings me to the recipe I am sharing today - grilled pesto chicken.

I had never made pesto before - mainly because I didn't own a food processor and was too lazy to grind it up with a mortar and pestle. But I needed something to season the whole chicken I was planning to grill and conveniently enough I had some pine nuts in the freezer and plenty of basil growing in the front garden. And, of course, a new food processor. A few pulses later and enough was made to coat my chicken with plenty left over for pasta this week.

The pesto recipe I used was based on this recipe from a blog called Whipped. While I obviously could not use the parmesan cheese, the pesto still had amazing flavor and was the perfect marinade for my chicken.

I am laughing because you could probably take this picture and use it to represent almost any grilled whole chicken. But trust me, it was pesto. Along with some grilled corn on the cob from a local farm, and some green beans from our garden, it was a delicious Sunday dinner.

GRILLED PESTO CHICKEN
Pesto recipe adapted from a recipe at Whipped

Ingredients - Pesto

3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (I toasted mine at 350° for 10 minutes)
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the garlic in the food processor and finely chop. Add the basil, pine nuts, salt, and pepper, and process, keeping the processor on. While the ingredients are processing slowly add the olive oil and blend until all ingredients are incorporated. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze in ice cube trays.

Grilled Pesto Chicken

Rinse a whole chicken thoroughly inside and out and pat dry. Place the chicken on a plate. Take about 1/2 cup of the pesto and spread it over the chicken, including the back. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

The chicken is grilled using indirect grilling. For a gas grill, preheat the grill for 10 minutes, then turn off the center burners. Brush the grill grates with a grill brush. Carefully lift the grill grates with tongs and place a disposable pan (or a small cookie sheet lined with foil) atop the turned-off burners to catch any drippings. Fold up a paper towel and, using tongs, dip the paper towel in some oil and oil the grill grates.

Place the chicken on the grill over the drip pan. Brush any pesto left on the plate onto the chicken.

Close the grill and cook the chicken for 1 - 1.25 hours, checking for doneness after about 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should be around 160°. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes to redistribute the juices. Carve and serve!

Zucchini Bread

2013-08-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

Gardens are a form of autobiography.

~Sydney Eddison

I really hope that the above quote is true, because my gardening is in it's infancy and I have a lot more chapters to write.

As I mentioned yesterday, I planted a full garden for the first time this year. I've grown things in the past, like pumpkins one year, and corn another year, but I had never actually planted a "full" garden until this year. We planted tomatoes, carrots, green beans, lettuce, beets, radishes, cantaloupe, peas, peppers...

...and managed exactly one head of lettuce, and one radish, which went bad before we could eat it. Not exactly a bumper crop so far. We have tomatoes, but those are coming from plants my coworker gave me. And the green beans are coming after a late start. And we may have carrots in a month or so. So I guess it's not all bad!

The one thing that really is growing well is zucchini. Four mounds of healthy plants. And mound upon mound of zucchini. Big,giant zucchini. As anyone who has grown zucchini knows, it's the plant that keeps on giving. And even after you give a fair share to your neighbors and coworkers, and even if you need to keep one handy in case a bear comes after you, you still have plenty, and you need to find creative ways to prepare them. I've sauteed them with other veggies for breakfast, coated them with tapioca flour and fried them, grilled them, ground them and put them in meatloaf...

My kids HATE zucchini.

They hated it before I started growing it. And having to eat it fried, grilled, and in meatloaf hasn't exactly helped endear them to it. But this has:

Zucchini bread! What better way to get kids to enjoy veggies than to disguise them in a sweet treat!

The recipe I used was an adaptation of this recipe posted by Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes. It makes a fantastically moist and sweet bread that my kids just raved about. The recipe as Elise posted (and I am posting below) is for making two loaves of bread - I did try halving the recipe to make just one loaf but it did not seem as moist. So I just decided I need to go out and get a second loaf pan.

ZUCCHINI BREAD
adapted from a recipe by Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes

Ingredients (makes two loaves)

2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1 tbsp xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons gf vanilla
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted CF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two 5" x 9" loaf pans with CF butter or use cooking spray.

Combine the flours and the xanthan gum in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in the grated zucchini, and then the melted CF butter.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir it in. Then add the flour mixture a third at a time, mixing after each addition.

Sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg over the mixture and stir it in.

Evenly divide the batter into the two loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50 - 55 minutes, rotating the pan 180° after 30 minutes. Let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out on wire racks to cool completely.

Hello, World

2013-08-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time"

~ John Lubbock

It's time to start blogging again.

Admittedly, I never meant to stop when I did 10 months ago, meaning that I didn't just decide that the last thing I would write about is Plentils. But it just...happened.

Well maybe that's not true either.

It's pretty obvious looking back at my archive that my postings had become more and more sporadic. Maybe subconsciously I was telling myself I needed to step away for a while.

Regardless of the reason, I did step away for a while. And I did a lot of things in the absence of blogging. Coached my son's robotics team. Got some projects done around the house. Took some amazing trips with my family and found lots of places with yummy GFCF food. Took swimming lessons and started swimming regularly at the age of 47 (now 48). Started a garden for the first time ever and discovered that I can grow zucchini and pumpkins really well, but have to work on the other things.

But while I stepped away, others came. Many comments were left (which I will moderate soon I promise), and a number of people found The GFCF Experience on Facebook (I can't believe I am up to 380 followers - thank you!) and left many kind words - thank you.

The most important thing though, is that lately I have realized how much I miss sharing with everyone, whether it's a new recipe (good or bad), a new place to visit or product on the market, or just some new things I have found on other blogs that I think are worth sharing. I don't want to miss that anymore.

So hello everyone - I'm back and I have missed you. And I promise that I will have lots to share in the weeks and months to come. I hope that some of the things I share will help you have a better GFCF experience.

The GFCF Experience Product Review - Plentils

2012-09-26T07:44:00.000-06:00

I discovered a great new snack a few weeks ago - perhaps you have already tried them. They are Plentils, made by Enjoy Life. Gluten free, dairy (and casein) free, soy free, and free of 6 other common allergens, they are light, crispy, and delicious.

Pictures from www.plentils.com

The base for these chips is lentil powder. Enjoy Life touts Plentils as "Chips with Benefits", and it's easy to see why. Lentils are a food high in protein, dietary fiber, and folate while low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium. They are also a good source of essential minerals such as iron and manganese. A single serving of Plentils is a whopping 31 pieces (28 g), with an estimated four servings per bag, and only 130 calories per serving, and 6g of fat with no saturated fat. By comparison, a single 28 g serving of Lay's original potato chips (about 14 pieces) is 160 calories, with 10 g of fat with 1.5 g of saturated fat.

As you can see there are four varieties I have only tried two - the margherita pizza and the dill and sour cream. While I enjoyed the margherita pizza (a favorite of three of the kids) I (and my 3rd child) absolutely loved the dill and sour cream chips. In both cases the flavors meld together nicely - there is nothing really overpowering. And as I mentioned the chips are light and crispy.

If you find these in your local grocery or natural foods store, please give them a try. They are really good. I hope I get a chance to try the other two varieties soon.

For more information go to www.plentils.com or www.enjoylifefoods.com.

The GFCF Experience Cookbook Review - The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carrie S. Forbes

2012-09-25T07:20:00.002-06:00

Fall is finally here! And while using a slow cooker is great year round, Fall seems to be the perfect time of year to dust it off if you haven't used it in a while. I mean, what is better on a crisp Autumn afternoon than a bowl of fresh chili or soup or stew made in your slow cooker?

How about a loaf of fresh bread. Or a cheesecake. Or a latte. All gluten free, and all made in your slow cooker. You can find recipes for these and more in the recently published Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carrie S. Forbes, published by Adams Media.

I have known Carrie for a number of years now. In fact, we pretty much started blogging about the same time back in 2007 - me here at the GFCF Experience, and Carrie over at the popular Ginger Lemon Girl. I am honored to have gotten to know Carrie over the past five years and more honored to call her a good friend. And as a person who loves to use his slow cooker, I have been anticipating the release of this cookbook ever since I preordered it back in March.

Carrie does a nice job explaining the facts behind gluten sensitivity and celiac disease and also how to start and maintain a gluten free lifestyle. She also provides information on using the slow cooker - how should you choose a slow cooker? Should you cook on high or low? How should you plan your mealks around using the slow cooker? And lots more useful information.

But what really impresses me about this cookbook is how Carrie shows off the versatility of the slow cooker. There are over 300 recipes in this book. Yes, Carrie does have a section on soups and stews and chilis, which to me are the slow cooker staples. But there is so much more, ranging from breakfasts you can start the night before and have hot and ready and waiting for you when you wake up in the morning, to appetizers like pineapple teriyaki drumsticks, to nutty snack mixes, to casseroles, to meat and poultry dishes, like this simple chicken and dumpling recipe I made this past weekend.

Carrie also offers a section on kid-friendly meals like a french fry casserole or a simple hot dogs and beans. Or how about some bread or dessert, made in the slow cooker? Carrie will show you how to do that too. There is also a section of meals that you can make using five ingredients or fewer, like a chorizo and potato casserole. And Carrie even provides several recipes for drinks, from punches to teas to lattes.

Finally, in the appendices Carrie provides information on gluten free resources and resources for slow cooker equipment.

One thing to mention is that while many of the recipes in this book are GFCF, this is not a casein free cookbook. Carrie does mention on some recipes how to substitute to make it dairy free but make sure to use the appropriate CF substitutes you like when making a recipe that calls for dairy.

All in all, this is a wonderful cookbook to add to your collection. I know I never realized that I could do so much with my slow cooker - and it's so simple! I highly recommend this cookbook.

Now I can't wait to make some slow cooker bread this weekend!

GFCF Mocha Apple Cake

2012-09-16T19:38:00.001-06:00

I am so ready for Fall.

I has been a long Summer here in Montana, or at least it seems that way. Normally by now we would have had some rain and some cooler temperatures, but we really haven't had any measurable precipitation in several weeks, and temperatures, while in the 70s and low 80s, are still several degrees above normal. Our summer fire season rages on as well. This past weekend smoke in Missoula made for unhealthy air quality that cancelled the kids soccer games and generally made it a necessity to stay indoors. And it doesn't look like it will let up for at least a couple of weeks.

While we don't have Fall-like conditions outdoors, it doesn't mean I can't dream about Fall. Recently I made two of my favorite Fall recipes - Ginger Lemon Girl's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and GFCF Mommy's Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake. But Fall is also the season for apples. And as much as I love my Mom's Jewish Apple Cake, I wanted to try something different. And this was about as different as you can get.

This is based off of this Mocha Apple Cake recipe that was published in Southern Living. The Southern Living picture looked fabulous, and the mix of ingredients was interesting. But the recipe reviews were not very kind - many people complained about the thickness of the dough and the dryness of the cake. I tried to mitigate these issues by cutting back on the amount of flour used by half a cup, and also by adding 1/4 cup of apple sauce. I also used CF semisweet chocolate chips instead of the milk chocolate candy bars as suggested by the recipe.

In the end, the batter still was thick, almost a cookie dough consistency. But the cake came out moist, with a fantastic blend of flavors.

Please give it a try. I think you will find it well worth your time.

GFCF MOCHA APPLE CAKE
Adapted from a recipe found in Southern Living

Ingredients

1 cup chipped pecans
1 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules (I used decaf)
1 tsp GF vanilla extract
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup GF all purpose flour* (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup brown rice flour*
3/4 cup tapioca flour*
*You can substitute 2 1/2 cups of your favorite GF flour blend.
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups peeld and diced Granny Smith apples (4 medium apples)
5 oz. CF chocolate (I used CF semisweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven 6 - 8 minutes until golden brown.

Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, instant coffee, vanilla, and applesauce together in a stand mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. Combine the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, combining until just blended. Add the apples, pecans, and chocolate, beating until just blended.

Spoon the batter equally into two greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans and spread evenly in the pans. Bake at 350° for 30 - 35 minutes or untila toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cook the cake in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and allow the cakes to cool completely on wire racks.

When cool spread the Buttercream Frosting (recipe below) in between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.

Buttercream Frosting

I made this frosting similar to the Browned Butter Frosting called for in the Souther Living recipe. Quite frankly, I am not sure how much of a difference the browning makes using CF butter but it does make it easier to combine with the powdered sugar and milk. And it did turn out delicious.

Ingredients

1 cup CF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup CF milk (I used almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I actually ran out of vanilla and used almond extract which worked well too)

Place the butter in a saucepan over medium to medium high heat and cook, stirring frequently, 6 - 8 minutes. Pour the butter into a bowl and chill for 1 hour until it solidifies.

Beat the butter and milk at medium speed in an electric mixer. Reduce speed to low; gradually add the sugar. When the sugar is just combined increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 5 minutes or until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add the vanilla or almond extract.

The GFCF Experience in Redding CA

2012-09-05T06:38:00.000-06:00

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay Exposition Center, Redding CA

I spent the past two weeks in Redding California on my first ever fire assignment, gathering and disseminating information about smoke from the wildfires in Northern California.

The Ponderosa Fire - August 18, 2012

It was challenging and long hours of work for 16 days but a fun and rewarding experience. It was also a chance to get a GFCF experience in a place I had never been before. I had looked online on Urbanspoon and Yelp to get some ideas about where I could eat, but there weren't too many options. So I was a little apprehensive - how would I be able to maintain the GFCF lifestyle while I was there, especially when I would not be able to cook for myself, having only a refrigerator and a microwave in my hotel room?

It turned out to be better than I expected, thanks to some wonderful people where I was working and a few choice places to eat. Here are highlights of some of my GFCF adventures.

Trader Joe's. We do not have a Trader Joe's in Missoula so the one in Redding was a first for me, and the first place I visited when I was in town. If it is indicative of other Trader Joe's in the country, then I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Maybe it was just my expectations, that it would be like Whole Foods or the Good Foods store we have here in Missoula. But quite frankly they had just as much GF specialty products at the local Safeway right by hotel. Still, I was able to find a premade salad that did not contain any cheese (quite a feat actually),some Earthbalance buttery spread, and some GF bread and natural lunchmeat to make sandwiches for lunch. And some Udi's bagels as well. The bagels became breakfast every day given that the only things GFCF on the continental breakfast menu at the hotel were hard boiled eggs and fruit.

One thing TJ's had that I fell in love with was their herbed popcorn. Mmm!!!

Chipotle. This is another national chain that does not have a presence in Missoula, but I had heard from a good friend that it was a good place to eat and GFCF friendly. And so it was. What I loved was that I was able to order online exactly what I wanted and when I would pick it up, and it was there ready to go when I arrived. I stuck with the burrito bowls that can be customized with whatever you desire, but the crispy tacos are made with corn tortillas, and along with the salads can be customized GFCF as well. And the chips and guac are made fresh every day. If there is one near you, give it a try!

Red Robin. We do have a Red Robin in Missoula, and the kids love it when we go there (free unlimited refills of drinks and french fries!). So I knew what I was getting when I went to the one in Redding. What I really liked about my Red Robin experience was how knowledgeable the wait staff were about food allergies (one of the waitresses who served me was GFCF herself). All I had to say was that I was eating GFCF and they knew exactly what I could have and how it needed to be prepared. If you have never been to Red Robin, they do have allergy-freindly menus for most common food allergies. And most Red Robin's now I believe offer GF buns for your burgers, or of course you can get them lettuce wrapped. My favorite - the Royal Red Robin with no cheese on a GF bun with unseasoned fries.

Applebees. Being honest here, the less said about this the better. First the good - unlike when I had checked out Applebees in years past, they now have allergen information posted on their website for most common allergens. And I was able to get a grilled shrimp and spinach salad that was GFCF. Now the bad - it wasn't very good. It was mostly spinach with just a few shrimp and a TON of red onion, which I cannot tolerate. So as much as I was able to get the red onion off to the side, I must have missed some, as I was sick later that day. Suffice to say, and maybe unfairly, I think I have eaten my last meal at Applebees.

And, other than a trip or two to Safeway for some fruit, that was the extent of my visits to places that would be considered more national in scope. I ate Chipotle twice and Red Robin twice, and salads from Trader Joe's twice, and the one salad from Applebees. So what did I do for the other 9 days? Well, I had at least one meal from a local establishment each day - by local I mean one that is limited to maybe a few places in California. Or, in some cases, one found in only a handful of states. Here are some of the places I ate:

In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out Burger is a California institution that is also found in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Utah. And while in California, I had to try it once. The menu is simple - burgers, shakes and fries. The GFCF menu for me is even simpler - lettuce-wrapped burger with no cheese and fries. The burger was really good. The fries? Well...the limp fries just didn't appeal to me. I am sure it is just my personal taste - I prefer nice crispy fries. So In-N-Out Burger was a bit of a mixed bag for me. But at least I can say I tried it.

Burrito Bandito. The place where I was working ordered lunch for everyone each day. Still, not knowing the area or the restaurants, I could never be sure if I could have anything from where they ordered. So I always packed a lunch for myself, and if I could order lunch, well then I already had dinner prepared! Fortunately for me, the people where I worked really went out of their way to help me find things I could have from the lunch menus, even bringing something special in for me a couple of times.

One of my favorite places they brought in was Burrito Bandito. This is a local establishment with only four locations - in Chico, Anderson, Redding, and Red Bluff - with a menu much like Chipotle in that you can get crispy corn tacos and burrito bowls that you can customize however you want, making GFCF ordering easy. And everything is made fresh daily as well. As for the taste, it was as good if not better than Chipotle. I really enjoyed it a lot.

Grilla Bites. Grilla Bites was a real highlight of my trip. It is a restaurant chain with locations in Redding and Chico, CA, Ashland OR, and Snohomish, WA. Grilla Bites specializes in offering organically grown and sustainable food, utilizing locally grown or raised products as much as possible. The menu is extensive with lots of sandwich choices as well as a fresh salad bar and soups. And most everything can be made GFCF, using GF bread and eliminating the cheese. I ate dinner here twice, having a wild salmon burger and a portobello burger with no cheese. Both were really, really good. But the highlight for me was the smoothies. I had a vegan tropical smoothie both times that was out of this world. The only challenge I saw was that they did not have equipment dedicated to GF or GFCF cooking - for example, the panini press was used for both GF and non-GF breads. So there is a risk of cross contamination. In reality though, this is a common theme amongst all the places I mentioned here.

If you are in Redding, or Chico, or Ashland, or Snohomish, I recommend giving Grilla Bites a try.

The Best Little Sandwich Shop. With over 150 different types of specialty sandwiches on the menu, you could eat here for almost five months and not get the same thing twice. Of course, you can also do as I did and just create your own. Any sandwich can be made on gluten free bread, and just hold the cheese for a GFCF meal. Chips and drink included. This place is really popular for lunch and dinner; when I arrived to get a GFCF sandwich one night, they had just finished up a massive dinner run. The sandwich was good, the people were really friendly, and at $5, it was a good deal.

Cheesecakes Unlimited. Now you may be wondering how a place call Cheesecakes Unlimited ends up on a GFCF blog. I mean, obviously the cheesecakes are off limits. But that salads are not. And the salads are amazing. My favorite was the glazed walnut chicken salad, without the feta cheese that it normally comes with, and with a champagne vinaigrette. Simply delicious. They also have offerings such as a Crab Louie salad and an artichoke shrimp salad that sound wonderful too.

Smoky Sunset over the Sacramento River

All in all, the GFCF Redding experience was a good one. With most places, there is likely a risk of some cross contamination from using common equipment, but all the places I mentioned were accommodating and were happy to honor special requests like no cheese or other dairy products with the meal or drink. If I ever find myself in Redding again, whether on a fire assignment, or on my way to Lassen Volcanic National Park, or to Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, or maybe on my way to see Mt. Shasta, I know that when in Redding, I do have lots of GFCF options from which to choose.

The GFCF Recipe Experience - Grilled London Broil with Red Wine Marinade and Beer Battered Onion Rings

2012-08-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Have I ever mentioned the I am a PBS food show junkie?

I don't have cable or satellite, but with my indoor antenna I can still get several channels of TV, including a couple of PBS channels and Create - a PBS channel dedicated to cooking, crafts, home improvement, and travel. One of my favorite PBS chefs is Steven Raichlen, master of the outdoor grill. His shows, Barbeque University and Primal Grill, show you how to basically make anything on the grill. My family even got me his Barbeque Bible cookbook for my birthday last month, full of over 500 recipes on how to grill everything from meat to seafood to dessert and salad. He basically shows how to grill anything.

Well...except London broil.

Maybe it's in there by another name, but I didn't see it.

Or maybe I just assumed that London broil is a cut of meat, when in reality that is not true. London broil is actually the method used to cook the meat. Originally, London broil meant taking the and pan frying it, then cutting is cross grain to serve. Later, the term referred to the common preparation today of marinating the meat first before grilling. Traditionally, flank steak was the meat used, but these days the cut could be top round or any other lean cut of beef, which would typically be tougher if not for the marinade. And often it will be labelled as London broil in the store. Which of course now we know just is a clue on how you should prepare it.

My memories of London broil go back to my childhood, when my father would use a red wine marinade to prepare the meat. While I don't exactly know what else he used as part of the marinade, I want wanted to at least try and make something similar for my family. The marinade I made is based off this recipe posted at www.savoringeverybite.com. I think what is nice is that you can probably vary the flavors as you choose. I think you could use other herbs besides thyme if you prefer. And you could do onions (like I did) or shallots in place of scallions. So it's easy to make it your own!

The beauty of London broil is that it is simple to prepare and relatively inexpensive. And it does make for great leftovers. I actually doubled the marinade and grilled two top rounds at the same time ( I had a value pack) so there are lots of leftovers for lunch and dinner this week!

LONDON BROIL
adapted from a recipe at www.savoringeverybite.com

Marinade Ingredients (for one ~2 1/2 lb piece of top round or flank steak)

2/3 cup red wine (I used Shiraz)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard (I use McCormack's)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium-sized onion, diced
1 Tbsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Place the steak in a gallon-size zippered bag. Combine all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the steak. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of four hours or up to overnight (the longer you marinate the meat, the more flavor).

Preheat the grill to high heat. When the grill is heated, clean the grates with a wire grill brush, then oil the grates using a wadded up paper towel held by tongs and dipped in oil. This will prevent the meat from sticking.

Remove the meat from the marinade, making sure no pieces of onion or garlic are sticking to the meat (you can pat the meat dry if you choose, but I didn't). Place the meat on the grill and grill for 8 to 12 minutes. Flip the meat and grill for 6 to 10 minutes on the other side, or until a quick read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers a temperature of 130° to 150° (depending on how well done you like you meat - 150° would be roughly medium). Remove the meat to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the meat across the grain to serve.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Unlike the London broil, the beer battered onion rings does come from a PBS chef. Hubert Keller is the owner of Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, and Fleur in Las Vegas, and Burger Bar in San Francisco, Las Vegas, and St. Louis. He also hosts Hubert Keller: Secrets of A Chef on PBS.

The onion ring recipe was featured in his Burger Bar cookbook. I happened to catch him making them on his show last week and thought they would be the perfect side dish to my London broil. And the perfect use for that last Redbridge in my refrigerator.

Here is a link to the recipe on his website:

http://www.hubertkeller.com/recipes/pdf/Hubert-Keller-Chef-Recipes-219-B.pdf

The conversion to GFCF is really simple. Just use your favorite GF beer (as I mentioned I used Redbridge) and your favorite GF all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose flour). The real key to me is the egg whites. Make sure you whip them to nice stiff peaks and fold them in until thoroughly incorporated.

I set up a cast iron skillet on my grill's side burner and fried the rings outside while the steak was grilling - thus avoiding heating the house too much on a hot summer day. I sliced my rings about 1/4" thick. Don't be afraid to get messy! Dip your rings in the batter and then place in the hot oil and keep turning them with tongs until golden brown on both sides - about 2 - 3 minutes per side. When done, place on paper towels to drain and immediately season with salt. Place the finished rings on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 200° oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

With a simple salad, this was a wonderful Sunday dinner enjoyed by my entire family. I hope you enjoy it as well.

The GFCF Experience Back to School Guide. Part III - Communications

2012-08-09T09:06:00.001-06:00

I talked about the food in Part I. I talked about art projects in Part II. Now, in the final part of the GFCF Experience Back to School Guide, I'll talk about what ties this all together - communications.

Making people aware of your child's GFCF needs at school may be the most important thing you do. You can make their lunches for them and provide GFCF art supplies, but what about special occasions, or what if there is a substitute who may not be aware of your child's needs? These and other situations make communications essential. Here are four ways you can communicate.

The IEP

If your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with the school, make sure that your child's special dietary needs are explicitly written into that document. This is your contract with the school, and adhering to your child's dietary needs is one of the services that the school provides. In our daughter's IEP, we not only have language outlining her dietary needs, but when she was younger we also put in a requirement that she takes two snack breaks a day, as at the time this helped her in school. Now in middle school, there are no "official" snack times, but we still provide a box of GFCF cereal bars or a bag of GFCF treats for when unexpected situations arise. And GFCF is still a part of her IEP.

The Letter

When our oldest was diagnosed with autism, and we started the GFCF lifestyle, we made a conscious decision to make all of our children GFCF as well. We believe that the GFCF lifestyle holds benefits for all of them. Since our oldest is the only one of our four in school that requires an IEP, we needed another way to communicate our dietary requests for the other three.

What we do is draft a letter each year to our children's teachers, outlining their dietary needs and addressing any special request issues. Here is what our letter looks like in general:

Dear [Teacher],

Here is some information concerning [child], including dietary needs and contact information. Please share this with all who may work with [child] in the classroom, including parent helpers and substitutes.

[Child]'s is gluten free, casein free, which means no food or other things (such as Play Doh) made from gluten-containing grains, and no milk-based (cow, goat, etc) dairy products. The list of unacceptable products is quite long, but there are also a lot of acceptable foods. A good resource for this diet is http://www.gfcfdiet.com/. They have lengthy lists of acceptable and unacceptable items.

We will provide all snacks for [child], as well as any treats for birthday parties. We will also provide substitutes for Play Doh and any food that is used in arts and crafts projects. We request at least 24-48 hours notice so we can prepare what is needed.

If you would like to keep something on hand that [child] can have, here are some suggestions:

· Any fresh fruits and vegetables
· Skittles or Starburst
· Sorbet, or 100% fruit popsicles (with the exception of Haagen Daz)
· Envirokids cereal bars (except chocolate)
· 100% fruit leather
· Marshmallows
· Corn or rice-based pasta (for use in crafts)

In terms of drinks, water is preferred, but we also do 100% fruit juice. Obviously, no cow or goat milk, but rice, soy, and almond milk are acceptable substitutes.

We also request that you make our child's dietary restrictions known to the other students (and parents of students) in the classroom, and emphasize the importance of not sharing their food with [child] unless specifically permitted to do so.

If you have any questions concerning a particular product, please do not hesitate to contact us. [insert your contact information here].

We are looking forward to working with you this school year.

Sincerely

This letter is important because it is written instruction that can be included in the information provided to substitutes and others who may work with your child. We have had success working with all of our children's teachers concerning the GFCF lifestyle.

Labelling

Bec at Mainely Musings, the person who compiled the terrific list of GFCF art supplies that I used as a reference in Part II, also posted some tips she uses in her GFCF school situation. You can read her post here.

One of Bec's great suggestions is the use of labels. She labels her son's lunch box and backpack to let people know that her sons is gluten free/egg free. She places the labels in several places, just to make sure people get the message. In Bec's words, "I figure it is okay to hit people over the head with the fact that he has a special diet as long as it means he stays healthy."

Make Your Children Aware of Their Diet

Finally, make sure your children understand their dietary restrictions, and the importance of only eating the food specifically provided for them. This will hopefully lessen the desire to share food or accept unacceptable foods from others.

This is definitely not easy, though, especially with younger kids. On more than one occasion over the years, our now 10-year old would come to us crying because a few days earlier she had eaten some food her friend had brought which was not GFCF. She knew the food was not on her diet, but she did it anyway.

One thing that helps is to provide specific GFCF substitutes for what the other kids are having. If a child is bringing cupcakes to school for a birthday party, send a cupcake with your child too. If kids are making pizza for a class party, then make sure you send pizza for your child. If they are having an ice cream party, be sure you send GFCF ice cream and not popsicles. In this way, they are having the "same" thing as the rest of the class.

_____________________

I would like to close this series with a couple of tidbits:

Collectively, my children have spent 24 years in school. Over that period of time, we have had only one parent who has actively taken an interest in the diet, and has actually gone out of her way to make sure that when it was her child's snack day or birthday, she provided a snack that our child could eat. So please don't expect other parents to be mindful of your child's GFCF needs.

One of my best memories was when our oldest was 4 years old and was invited to a birthday party at a classmate's house. We always call ahead and alert the parents about our children's dietary needs, and they are usually more than understanding. But on this occasion, the father was unaware, and was giving out non-GFCF candy to the kids. When he went to give some to Helena, the rest of her classmates screamed "NO!" as loud as they could. That's the power of telling classmates about the diet.

I hope you have enjoyed this series, and have found the tips I presented to be useful. I would love to hear from you! Please leave your comments on this series, as well as any tips of your own you are willing to share.

As always, thanks for reading!

The GFCF Experience Back To School Guide. Part II - Art

2012-08-07T06:49:00.003-06:00

In Part I of this series I talked about the obvious - school lunches and snacks. Here, in Part II, I talk about the insidious - school art.

My rude GFCF awakening when it comes to school art occured when my oldest was four years old. It was an IEP meeting, and the teachers were showing me some of her work. One of her art projects was a design made by gluing pretzel sticks to some construction paper. When I asked why pretzels were used, since they knew she was GFCF, they replied that it was ok because she wasn't eating them.

It never occured to them that my daughter, like many young children, liked to put her fingers in her mouth. And after touching pretzels and getting some of the crumbs on her fingers, well one thing could lead to another, and...
This is not the only instance of food being used as part of art projects. Every year, at least one of my children makes a "gingerbread house" around Christmastime. They do this by gluing graham crackers around a "cleaned" single-serving milk carton and then decorating with different candies. Not exactly a GFCF paradise.

I'll talk more about the use of food in art later, but first, let's look at the more common way gluten and casein may make their way into school art - through art supplies.

All About the D'oh

How do you keep Kindergartners and 1st graders occupied at school? Give them some Play D'oh! At least, that's what they do at my children's school. Play Doh is the teachers best friend. At the beginning of the day, during art time, at open houses, etc. Play Doh seems to be the craft of choice to keep children occupied. What's not to like about Play D'oh!

Well, Play D'oh is not gluten free. It's made with wheat flour.

Fortunately, there are a couple of options. Crayola Model Magic is GFCF and can be used in place of Play Doh (be careful...Crayola dough is NOT GFCF...make sure you get the right product!). Moon Dough is also GFCF, and a company called Colorations markets a GF dough (another company, Lakeshore, has discontinuted their GF dough line).

Or, have some fun and make your own Play Doh! It's easy! Here is the recipe:

GFCF Playdough Recipe
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tsp. cooking oil
food coloring

Place all the ingredients in a pot and cook on low heat, constantly stirring, until a ball is formed. Remove from heat. When cool, pat until smooth. Store in a plastic bag.

Note that doughs made by common art suppliers Ross and Rose Art are NOT GFCF.

But Silly Putty is GFCF...

A Sticky Situation

Now that we've tackled Play Doh, let's look at another sticky product - glue. There are some glues that can be made from wheat flour (the simplest glue recipes are just a mixture of flour and water). But fortunately, the most common glue products available - Elmer's glue and glue sticks - are GFCF. Ross glue products are also GFCF.

There are other adhesives that are used in art class as well, like stickers and tape. All have the potential to contain gluten, but there are some that are certified gluten free:

3M brand tapes, including Post-It notes and Scotch tape
RoseArt brand stickers
Sandylion brand stickers
Smilemakers brand stickers

Paints for the Little Picassos

On our school supply list every year we are asked to buy paints. For the most part, paints are gluten free, EXCEPT for finger paints manufactured by Elmers and Ross.

Companies with acceptable paints include:

Crayola - all paints (including the finger paints)
Palmer (all paints)
Prang (all paints)
Ross (EXCEPT finger paints)
Elmers (EXCEPT finger paints)

Mark(er) it Down

Of course, what would art class be without pencils, pens, markers, and crayons? Fortunately, pretty much all common brands are GFCF, so draw away!!!

Paper Mache

I can remember doing paper mache when I was in school in the 1970s. But I had never included it before in this list, simply because my kids have not done it in school. Nonetheless, paper mache usually uses some sort of wallpaper paste, which contains gluten. And given how messy it is, it would be easy to get that paste all over you and inadvertantly ingest it.

Fortunately, Alison at Sure Foods Living published a recipe to make your own paper mache paste - mix 2 parts GF white glue with one part warm water. Then dip your paper pieces in this. Alison also mentions a company called Claycrete that sells a recycled newspaper product you just mix with water and mix like clay.

Food Art

One time, I saw an art museum display which was an entire living room suite made from cheese puffs. The flies loved it...

Seriously, food is commonly used in school art projects, whether it be milk cartons to be used as bases for gingerbread houses (not to mention the gingerbread), or macaroni to make necklaces, or even pretzels used as tree limbs. So how does one get around these obstacles in a GFCF manner?

Milk Cartons. You need to make sure the cartons are thoroughly rinsed before use. Even better: provide a carton from home that had your favorite GFCF substitute (like soy milk). I am not sure if you can purchase unused milk cartons - does anyone know? Or alternatively, forego the milk carton and do it freehand!
Macaroni. Most supermarkets these days carry GFCF macaroni that can be used as a substitute.
Pretzels. You could substitute Glutino pretzel sticks, but that's costly. Alternatively, slice carrots into little sticks and use them instead. It gives the little masterpiece a terrific splash of color.
Candy. Fortunately, there are planty of candies, like Skittles, Dots, and (most) candy corn, that are GFCF and perfect for that little decorative touch!

As for the Gingerbread house, please check out Karen at Only Sometimes Clever's Gingerbread cookie recipe. She made a GFCF gingerbread house using this recipe that won first prize in a local competition a few years ago!

If All Else Fails

So what if there is no way around your child using a GFCF product in art class? Here are two suggestions:

Wear gloves. A set of latex or rubber gloves will allow the child to do the art project without having the GFCF product touch them.
Participate! If you know your child is going to be doing a special art project at school involving a GFCF item, ask if you can come in and help. I did this when my daughter made a gingerbread house and we had a great time building it together.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do, though, is communicate, and communications will be the subject of Part III of this series.

As always, thanks for reading!

I would like to acknowledge Bec at Mainely Musings; she has a terrific post listing many GFCF art supplies, and where I found much of my information. Please visit her post here for a complete list.

Do you have a special hint or tip for having a GFCF school year? I would love to hear about it! Please leave a comment to this or any of the posts in this series.

The GFCF Experience Back to School Guide. Part I - The Food

2012-08-06T06:16:00.001-06:00

Where has summer gone? I mean, I realize I have taken a rather extended vacation from blogging, but it seems like it's only been a few weeks instead of a few months. And yet here we are in August. Almost time for school again.

Since 2008 I have annually posted a three part series with hints and tips to help parents and children have the best GFCF school year as possible. While my children don't start school until the last week of this month, I know in some places school is starting soon, or may have even already started. So I decided to try and get this series posted a little earlier this year. In Part I below, I talk about the obvious - the food. In Part II, I talk about the not so obvious - art supplies. And in Part II, I talk about something of critical importance - communications.

Part I - The Food

For GFCF parents, the new school year can be a source of trebidation. While I cannot attest to the way public schools were when I was a child (I went to parochial schools), it seems like these days more emphasis is placed on schools to provide food for the kids. And this goes beyond lunches - my children's school offers breakfast and snacks as well. Not to mention that teachers like to use food as rewards for good behavior or other achievements - ice cream or pizza party anyone? And while schools may place certain restrictions on food, like the ban on nuts in the classroom at my children's school, that doesn't seem to apply to GF or GFCF foods.

In the four years since I first posted this series, there seem to have been some improvements at my children's school. They do offer a "veggie patch" (aka salad bar) now, and my children did take advantage of that occasionally last year. But aside from that, the regular lunches do not have very many GFCF options. And of course your school may not even offer the salad bar. What I am trying to say is that what I have recommended since 2008 I believe still holds true - provide everything.

Don't trust the school to accommodate your child. BYOF (Bring Your Own Food).

Most, if not all, public schools, as well as some private schools, offer some sort of school lunch program (our school also offers a school breakfast program). As part of the National School Lunch Program, schools can receive reimbursements from USDA for providing what USDA considers a "nutritious meal" for children. USDA has even published guidelines to help schools plan healthy breakfasts and lunches.

The catch to all this is that in order for schools to receive their reimbursement, meals have to offer the following four components at each meal:

meat/meat alternates
grains/breads
fruits/vegetables
milk

This is not good for the GFCF experience, as the grains will almost assuredly have gluten, and of course milk violates every principle of CF living (although, to be fair, my children's school does offer Silk soy milk).

That is why it is most important that you provide lunch every day for your child. Doing so allows you to have control over what they eat, which, at least for me, provides great peace of mind. The typical lunch we send for our kids looks like this:

Some form of meat or other protein (my oldest loves peanut butter on GFCF bread or celery, and the school does allow nuts in the lunchroom)
GFCF chips or pretzels
fruit and/or veggies
an occasional "trail mix" (GFCF cereal, raisins, and GFCF chocolate chips)
a drink (we have used water bottles, 100% fruit juice boxes, and Silk soy milk or almond milk single serving boxes.).

Another area where it is important to provide food for your children is snacks. At our school, Kindergartners and 1st graders take turns providing snacks for the entire class every day. Now these are supposed to be healthy snacks, but healthy snacks can include crackers, pretzels, and goldfish. Rather than have all the other parents worry about an exclusive snack just for our child, we just send a snack every day (plus, our experience is that very few parents will knowingly provide snacks our children can have.). When it's our turn to send snacks for the class, we send a GFCF snack for all to enjoy! Some snacks we have sent in the past include:

the aforementioned trail mix
popcorn
freshly baked GFCF banana bread
fresh fruit or veggies
Envirokidz Cereal bars

For our older children, we have worked with the teacher to keep a box of GFCF cereal bars or a bag of treats on hand for time when the teacher wishes to reward the class or some unexpected situation arises. I have noticed that with the incidence of celiac disease or gluten intolerance on the rise, teachers seem to be much more accommodating and understanding of our children's dietary needs. But again, your experience may vary.

For special occasions, such as birthday parties, we have requested a 24-hour notice so we can prepare a special treat for our child in lieu of the class treat. Often, we can find out what the parent is planning on serving, and we can make a GFCF version for our kids.

Finally, back to our school's nut free classroom policy - it's important to verify if your school has any food restrictions like that so that you can plan appropriately for your child.

As you can see, with a little bit of planning, you can have a successful GFCF school year - in terms of food. In Part II of this series, I will talk about a more insidious area where the GFCF diet comes into play - art.

As always, thanks for reading!

Do you have a special hint or tip for having a GFCF school year? I would love to hear about it! Please leave a comment to this or any of the posts in this series.

Hope in the Face of Mesothelioma

2012-04-30T07:31:00.002-06:00

Today I am featuring a very special guest post. 6 1/2 years ago, just after the birth of her daughter, Heather was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Today, she is cancer free and is spreading her message of hope. Heather asked if she could guest post on this blog, and I am more than happy to comply.

You can read more about Heather's story here. And please visit www.mesothelioma.com/blog for more inspiring stories from Heather and other mesothelioma survivors.

by Heather Von St. James

People always told me that I am an optimist. I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 36, and my lifelong optimism saved me more than ever before.

I received the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma on November 21, 2005, only 3 1/2 months after the birth of my only child. The last thing I or anyone else expected at that moment in my life was a deadly cancer diagnosis. On one hand, I could blame God and engage in both rage and self-pity, or I could fight cancer with the same optimism that I always had. I decided to fight so that I could raise my young daughter.

Being diagnosed with cancer is not a simple thing, as many cancer survivors already know. Cancer is a terrible diagnosis, but it did change my life for the better in some ways because of the fact that I did choose to fight it. I chose optimism over fear in the hope that it would ease the suffering of others diagnosed with mesothelioma because a diagnosis of mesothelioma often steals hope. My own hope came from speaking to one of the world's leading mesothelioma doctors, to whom I was referred. I found out that my tumor would be removed on Groundhog Day in 2006, so I named my tumor Punxsutawney Phil, and we later referred to Groundhog Day as Lungleavin Day because that is the day that my lung literally left. We now celebrate Lungleavin Day every year as a reminder of hope and life triumphing over fear.

I met some of the most astounding people because of this cancer diagnosis, and I would not have met them otherwise. I met fellow survivors and fighters, their families, and individuals seeking to generate awareness about mesothelioma. Unlike some other hot topics, mesothelioma does not receive a great deal of media attention aside from the occasional commercial on daytime television. I would not know these people if I had never received my diagnosis, but I now consider them all to be dear to me. My cancer diagnosis gave me a purpose, and my purpose is to spread hope.

The GFCF Recipe Experience: Shaker Lemon Pie

2012-04-25T11:21:00.000-06:00

Back from a far too long hiatus with a new recipe, inspired by my son.

My son, like his dad, loves watching cooking shows. And he, like his dad, loves the shows produced by the America's Test Kitchen folks. On a recent episode of Cook's Country, he saw them make a Shaker Lemon Pie, and ever since he has been begging me to try and make one.

What makes this pie unique is that you use every bit of the lemon in it, save the seeds. The Shakers, when they originally made this, would slice the lemons paper thin and then macerate them in sugar for several hours if not overnight - the longer you did it, the less bitter the pith would become. Then they would mix with the other ingredients to from the custardy pie filling. The cooks at Cooks Country discovered that at least 24 hours of maceration was required, and they wanted to speed up the process. So they came up with an ingenius solution - squeezing the juice from the lemon slices and then simmering the slices for 5 - 10 minutes. The result - removal of the bitterness without any maceration time!

Another note from the Cooks Country cooks - the addition of corn starch to the eggs is critical. It helps stabilize the eggs and prevent them from curdling in the oven.

One thing I discovered - a mandolin slicer is almost essential if you want to achieve paper thin lemon slices. If you do not own a mandolin slicer (and I don't) you can use another Cooks Country tip - place the lemons in the freezer about 30 minutes prior to slicing. This will firm them up and make it easier to slice thinly and evenly. Even doing this though, I still found it difficult to achieve consistent paper thin slices. Maybe I need to work on my knife skills!

This pie is relatively simple to make and full of lemon flavor. I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did.

(The original recipe is available for free at the Cook's Country website. You need to go to the website and search for Shaker Lemon Pie, and then enter your email address to see the full recipe.)

SHAKER LEMON PIE
Adapted from a recipe found on Cook's Country by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1 double crust GFCF pie dough (click here for my adaptation of Carol Fenster's recipe)
3 large lemons, sliced paper thin and seeded
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 large eggs
1-2 tbsp CF milk (I used almond milk)

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Roll out half the pie dough and line the pie plate with the dough. Place the lined plate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Squeeze the lemon slices through a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl. You should collect about 6 tbsp of lemon juice (add additional lemon juice as needed to make 6 tbsp.). Place the squeezed slices into a saucepan along with 2 cups of water. Bring the slices and water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the slices for 5 - 10 minutes. Discard the water.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, 4 tbsp of the lemon juice, and the softened lemon slices. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

In a separate large bowl whisk the cornstarch and the remaining lemon juice. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Slowly combine this mixture with the lemon slice mixture. Pour this mixture into the chilled pie shell.

Brush the edges of the pie shell with almond milk or other CF milk. Roll out the remaining pie dough and place it on top of the shell. Trim any excess dough and crimp the edges together to seal. Brush the top crust with almond milk. Using a paring knife, cut four vent holes into the top crust.

Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375° and bake an additional 20 - 25 minutes. Remove the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Mom's Vegetable Soup

2012-01-18T07:19:00.001-07:00

If only I had known the reaction in advance...

Home made vegetable soup was one of our wintertime staple foods growing up. Either my mom or my grandmother ("Little" Grandmom) would make it - a big pot of wonderful vegetable beef soup, served with a loaf of fresh sourdough rye bread from the lady at the Trenton Farmer's Market. There was always a huge cut of beef that would simmer with the stock and vegetables all day until it was super tender. I can still see "Little" Grandmom carefully eating the broth spoonful by spoonful, until all that was left in her bowl was a piece of beef and the vegetables.

As for me? I usually took as few vegetables as possibles and held out for the beef...

Seriously, it was a meal I looked forward to, and one that I have been dying to try and make. And this past weekend I finally did.

If only I had known the reaction in advance...

This is a really simple soup to make, from the stock all the way down. It is time consuming in that both the stock and the soup simmer for several hours, but not time consuming in that you are constantly watching over it - just bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and let it go. Or, as I did, let the slow cooker do all the work.

And consider this recipe a jumping off point for you; one of the great things about soup is that you can make it to suit your own tastes. I used stew beef, but you can do like mom and "Little" Grandmom did and use a piece of chuck roast. Don't like beef? Use chicken. Or turkey. Or seafood. Just make sure you make the appropriate home made stock. For a vegan variation just use a vegetable stock. Once your stock is made, just add your favorite veggies (and meat if you desire), and your favorite herbs and seasonings, and let it go. It's that simple.

I thought the soup turned out great IMHO.

If only I had known the reaction in advance...

MOM'S VEGETABLE SOUP
Adapted from a recipe by Mom

Ingredients

Okay, I am going to forego the traditional ingredient list here, because success to me is not so much the ingredients as it is the process. So here is the process, based on how I made it with a beef stock.

1. Make the Stock.

To a stock pot or your slow cooker add a beef soup bone (available from most grocery stores or butcher shops). To that add 16 cups (one gallon) of water, one medium size onion (quartered), two stalks celery (cut into three to four pieces), two carrots (peeled and cut into two to three pieces), and one or two bay leaves. If using a stock pot, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 - 6 hours. If using a slow cover, cook on low for 12 hours or overnight.

The trick is to extract as much flavor from the marrow of the bone as possible to maximize flavor.

If you don't want to use meat just make your favorite stock - chicken, veggie, mushroom, seafood...

2. Strain and Skim.

When the stock has finished cooking pour the stock through a collander into a second pot to remove all the veggies and bay leaves. Cover and let the stock cool, then place in a refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

After cooling, use a slotted spoon to skim the fat from the top of the stock. Pour the stock through a fine mesh strainer (to remove any remaining solids) into a slow cooker or stock pot.

3. Make the Soup.

Now comes the fun part - add what you like to your stock!

For vegetable beef, I use about 1.5 pounds of stew beef, though I wish I had used a piece of chuck roast.

Then I added veggies:

2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, snapped and cut into 1 inch pieces
about 1/2 cup diced cabbage
1 medium onion, diced
1 (15 oz. can) diced tomatoes, with juice

I also added some basil - about 1 tbsp dried. Then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Of course, add whatever veggies you like - corn, lima beans, cauliflower, broccoli...

Not using beef? No problem! Use chicken, seafood, or just veggies, depending on the stock you made and your own personal taste.

Anyway, once you've added your veggies, cover and start cooking! For a stock pot, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until the vegetables and meat are tender. For the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, then increase the heat to high and cook for another 2 hours, or unitl the meat and veggies are tender.

4. Serve and Enjoy!

I hope you like it if you try it. I know I did. But my family? Well, if only I had known the reaction in advance...

- one looked at the the tomatoes and said "Ugh!"
- one saw the onion and refused to eat it, but blamed it on the soup being cooked in the slow cooker.
- one just looked at it and said it didn't look appealing.
- one is 5 years old who has never liked soup, so she had a sandwich instead.

Then there was my daughter Helena, who matter-of-factly proclaimed, "Seems good to me."

Thank you Helena, for the vote of confidence. As for the rest of them, here is what I have to say:

:-)

Adopt a GF Blogger - Cassidy from Cooking Gluten (& Dairy) Free

2012-01-09T07:22:00.001-07:00

In my last post I mentioned that I was going to adopt Cassidy from Cooking Gluten (& Dairy) Free, and here it is!

Cassidy's blog is a recent discovery for me, and a welcome one. In addition to some wonderful recipes she also features the main products she uses - she primarily uses almond flour and coconut flour for example - and she also has great sections on dairy and cheese substitutes and dining out - short summaries of what can and cannot be had at several restaurants.

My discovery of her blog came at the right time. I had, since before Christmas, been craving a pineapple upside down cake - funny in that I had not even had one in probably over 20 years. But, as they say, it must be kismet, because low and behold that was one of the first recipes I saw on her blog! Here is a link to Cassidy's version, and here is my version:

Now admittedly, I had to make a few adjustments - most importantly, her recipe called for a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and I only had a 12-inch skillet. So I took a chance and upped every ingredient by roughly a third. I also subbed out the flour - I used 1/2 cup each Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose flour, tapioca flour, and brown rice flour. Much like the ranch dip, I used canola mayo instead of Vegenaise and used about a cup instead of upping that by a third.

It was my lucky day at first, since it managed to barely stay in the skillet while baking. But then...

...since it was a 12-inch skillet I could not just flip it onto a regular plate so I had to try and flip it out onto a charger which would have worked fine except that thos 12-inch iron skillets are kind of awkward and when it flipped it never quite made it all the way over and some of it fell off the side...

..and that's why you see a slice instead of the whole cake!

This cake was fabulous. So much so that my kids and I (well, mostly the kids) devoured the whole thing before the day was done! It also led to my Sister-in-Law (after sharing the link to Cassidy's recipe on Facebook) to create her own version which subbed flax meal (I think) for the eggs, which she said was fabulous as well. Have to get that recipe...

So you see Cassidy, your recipe inspired more than just me! Thanks for sharing so many wonderful recipes and information on your blog - I can't wait to try more!

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The GFCF Experience Reviews...The Everything Gluten-Free Baking Cookbook by Carrie S. Forbes

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The GFCF Experience Product Review - Plentils

The GFCF Experience Cookbook Review - The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carrie S. Forbes

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The GFCF Recipe Experience - Grilled London Broil with Red Wine Marinade and Beer Battered Onion Rings

The GFCF Experience Back to School Guide. Part III - Communications

The GFCF Experience Back To School Guide. Part II - Art

The GFCF Experience Back to School Guide. Part I - The Food

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Mom's Vegetable Soup

Adopt a GF Blogger - Cassidy from Cooking Gluten (& Dairy) Free