Sandwich Bread

I haven't eaten a sandwich since I went gluten free. Well...I did try eating a chicken salad sandwich with that rice bread, but wasn't good. I found a recipe on seriouseats.com for sandwich bread. I made a loaf today and it turned out great. The bread isn't like "normal" sliced sandwich bread, but I am still excited to make a sandwich with it for lunch tomorrow. I searched today for other sandwich bread recipes (with great reviews) and hopefully they turn out great too.

Sandwich Bread

2 1/2 cups flour blend
2/3 cups cornstarch
2/3 cups dry milk
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 packet yeast which equals 1 tbsp
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I think you can exchange 2 tbsp butter instead for a better taste)
2 eggs

Mix yeast and 1 3/4 c warm water and set aside.  Mix together dry ingredients and then add the yeast mixture, oil and eggs. I used a hand mixer, but if you have a stand mixer remember to use the paddle attachment. Pour into greased 9 x 5 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Either slice and freeze or eat within 2-3 days. Do not put in refrigerator or the bread will become soggy. (I shortened the directions - if you want the original directions, click on the link above)

I mentioned in an earlier entry about cream of mushroom soup having wheat flour in it. Well, I thought I found one that did not have wheat in it, but I was wrong. I looked at the ingredients and there is no word that would suggest that there would be wheat in it and then at the bottom of the label it said in bold letters  contains: wheat, milk. I don't get it. I still used it to make a green bean casserole for dinner. Was I wrong to do so?

Chocolate Krinkles - Take 1

I love chocolate krinkle cookies! The first time I had one was at the Taste of Scandinavia restaurant in Shoreview, MN. I tried making my own...I tried a couple of different recipes, but they never tasted like Taste of Scandinavia's cookies. I gave up trying to make my own and then one day Ben's mom called and told me that she was at their (Medford, WI) farmers market and there were some Mennonite women selling baked goods. They had chocolate krinkle cookies! She said they were very good and the next time she saw them, she would ask for the recipe. Well...the Mennonite women never came back and Sally (Ben's mom) ended up "hunting" them down to get the recipe for me. Thanks Sally! Now I need a gluten free recipe.

After that long story...I found a recipe on Food.com. The feedback said that they were great and no one knew they were gluten free. The recipe was also similar to my original recipe, so I thought I would try it. I made a batch today. I titled this entry "chocolate krinkles - take 1" because they were good, but not great. My goal is to find a great recipe!

Tonight we ate dinner at "Dickeys BBQ" Owen's choice. My first time eating out gluten free. Ben and I shared a sandwich - I only ate the meat and then had a caesar salad no croutons.

I'm not going to mention my meals unless I have something interesting to share.

Endless Options

Today I researched more recipes. I definitely need a good recipe for:

Sandwich bread - I tried store bought rice bread and do not like it. I know I can make my own.
Artisan bread - I want a good bread that I can serve with meals.
Chocolate krinkles - My favorite cookie - I need to be able to have them gluten free.
Cinnamon rolls - The Arndts love their cinnamon rolls. It has to be possible to make a good gluten free option for me.

There seems to be endless options (recipes/websites) to look at. I appreciate it when people write feedback/ comment on a recipe or product they have used. It helps me to decide whether or not if it is worth my time or money. Since I want to make my own breads and baked goods, I don't want to waste my time or money on trying so many recipes.

Hopefully I found some winners...I will let you know how the recipes I found turned out.

Remember when I said to read the label? I was going to make a casserole dish that needed tomato soup (canned)...finds out that it has wheat flour in it. I already make some home made soups, but never tried making tomato soup. Now I will add that to my list of recipes to find. We have a full garden of tomatoes to use and I am sure it will be easy to make.

Meals:
Breakfast - green drink and raisin toast
Lunch - quinoa, chips and home made salsa and veggies
Dinner - scrambled eggs, bagels and bacon. I just ate the eggs.
Snack - gluten free chex cereal.

The Maker's Diet

My book, The Maker's Diet, arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. I mentioned before that I was ordering it and that I would share bits and  pieces about the book as I read it. (TMD in the "title" of my posts will remind you that it is about this book)

The author, Jordan S. Rubin wrote the book to share his personal journey from sickness to health. Long story short, he was active and healthy up until college. Then his life changed. He was severely sick all of the time. At a height of 6'1", he went from 180 lbs to 145 lbs and then at his lowest point, 104 lbs. He was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He tried all types of diets, medications, treatments, and visited multiple doctors but  nothing worked.  Family and friends thought he was not going to die. Last resort,  his dad had found this black powder that had a special type of probiotic or friendly bacteria in it..."vital, friendly microorganisms that have been largely wiped out by the pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers used on America's farm lands, by pasteurization, and by modern man's disdain for all microorganisms." Besides adding the black powder to his diet, he began to eat a "biblical" diet consisting of naturally fermented milk, organically raised, free-range, or grass-fed meats, ocean caught fish, natural sprouted grains, and organic fruits and vegetables. After 40 days on this new diet, he gained 29 lbs and then gained more than 50 lbs after 3 months.

"His mission is to help people who are sick regain their health and to help the healthy flourish even more."

I don't have Crohn's disease even though at one point I thought I did, but I do have a digestive problem that needs to be fixed. In this book it says "that according to some literature, an incredible 85 percent of Americans have suffered from some kind of digestive problem." Going gluten free has already made a difference in my life, what else can I do to make it even better? Reading this book might give me the answers. He said in the book, "The best way to cure a disease is to never get it."

Meals:
Breakfast - green drink and raisin toast
Lunch - left over meatloaf and mashed sweet potatoes
Dinner - left over chinese food

I need to get back to trying new recipes!

Just Ask

For dinner tonight, we ate Chinese Food. I know that some soy sauces contain gluten, so I called the restaurant and asked if they had anything on the menu that was gluten free. The lady I spoke with said that their eggs rolls and the chicken chow mien are gluten free. She also told me that they could make any of the stir frys gluten free.  All I had to do was ask. I never thought that I would be calling restaurants asking them what items on their menus were gluten free or if they could be made gluten free. (The last time Ben was at a Baja Sol, he saw a sign that said "we can make anything gluten free.") We ordered the egg rolls and cashew chicken which they made gluten free. Everything was very good.

For a snack today, I wanted cereal. We have some small boxes of corn flakes. I assumed that corn flakes would not have gluten in them because they are made with corn. Before I ate them, I searched online and googled corn flakes gluten free. I found out that one of the ingredients is malt flavoring with has gluten in it. Again, read the labels carefully!

Meals:
Breakfast: Green drink and raisin toast
Lunch: I made grilled cheese with the rice bread. It tasted better toasted up. Sweet potato chips with hummus and veggies.
Dinner: Cashew chicken and egg roll

Happy Birthday Mom

Actually, my mom's birthday is tomorrow not today. Ben is out of town this weekend with friends and I don't like staying home alone, so my mom came over to stay with  us. I wanted to make her a nice birthday dinner and dessert. I found a gluten free brown sugar glazed turkey meatloaf and chocolate cake recipe.

So far it has been fun trying new recipes and they have all been tasting great! Eating gluten free is not so bad...

Brown Sugar Glazed Turkey Meatloaf (glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com)

1 3/4 lb ground turkey
1 small onion diced
1 medium carrot diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 c ketchup
1 tbsp molasses
1 egg
3/4 c gluten free bread crumbs
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine together onion, carrot, garlic, ketchup, molasses, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Blend together with ground turkey. Spoon  the meatloaf mixture into a standard size loaf pan and firmly press into place, smoothing and rounding the top of the loaf so that the sides are lower than the edge of the loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven 40 minutes. Meanwhile, make the brown sugar glaze.

Brown Sugar Glaze

stir to combine:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey mustard

After 40 minutes, remove the loaf from the oven and spoon glaze on top. Bake additional 30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

This recipe turned out great! It was very good. I had never made a meatloaf before. I will add this to my favorite recipes cookbook.

Another great recipe...

Chocolate and Cinnamon Birthday Cake (The Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free Cookbook)

3 oz good chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 cups millet flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place chocolate , butter or margarine, cinnamon and boiling water into a microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave. Stir until smooth and then stir in the sugar and beaten eggs. Blend flours, baking powder and soda and then add to wet ingredients. Pour into greased 9 1/2 inch spring-form round cake pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick come out clean.

This cake turned out great! It has a different texture than a normal cake, but it was very tasty! Top with your favorite frosting. I served it with ice cream.

Meals:
Breakfast: Green drink, banana bread and an egg
Lunch: Chicken salad, chips and salsa
Dinner: Brown sugar glazed meatloaf, mashed sweet potatoes and spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese, walnuts and poppy seed dressing.

Flour Blend

Today I made gluten free banana bread. I love banana bread...I could eat it everyday for breakfast. I usually make it a couple of times a month. After I would eat it, I felt "off." Not bloated, but different. I used to think it was the bananas (weird I know) but now I know it was from the flour. I found this recipe on www.tasteofhome.com.

What is a flour blend?  It is a mix of gluten free flours or starches that you substitute instead of regular flour. There are many types of blends - it all depends on your preference and what you are making. I made an all-purpose blend. Other kinds: High-fiber, high-protein, or self-rising flour blend. (livingwithout.com)

All-purpose flour blend - you can double or triple this recipe to make as much flour mix as you need. It is important to store in tight container in the refrigerator until used.
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cornstarch or potato flour/starch

Banana Bread

2 cups  all-purpose flour blend
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade provided by my in-laws)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c  chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 c chocolate or white chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
In large bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir in walnuts and/or chocolate chips.
Transfer to two 8in x 4in loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake 350 degrees for 45 -55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

I didn't know what to expect when I took the bread out of the oven. I couldn't wait for them to cool...I had to try a slice. Yum...they were good! Ben, Owen and Landen agreed.
              
Meals:
Breakfast - Green drink and raisin toast - yes, boring, boring. Maybe an egg tomorrow?
Lunch - Chicken salad sandwich. When I was at the Fresh and Natural Foods store the other night, I also purchased a loaf of rice bread. I was excited to eat a sandwich again. It was very dry, not light and fluffy like normal bread. I still ate it...wasn't that bad. I do want to make my own bread. I hope to find some good recipes to share - if anyone out there has one for me to try, I'll take it!
Dinner - We took dinner to our friends, Paul and Lindsey, who recently welcomed their 4th son, Sawyer. I made a beef roast, jello with  mandarin oranges, a tortellini spinach salad and served it all with Hawaiian sweet rolls. It was hard not to eat a roll or the tortellini.

Read the Labels

Years ago, I started to read food labels. I checked for the amount of sugar, fat, calories, and serving size a product provided. It is amazing how much sugar and fat is put into our food and/or drinks. I mentioned in "my story" that I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my daughter Lia. I had to count my carb intake...so I had to read every label. Now becoming gluten free, I need to read labels more carefully.

Tonight for dinner, I made cranberry chicken. I wanted to make a green bean casserole to go with it. A key ingredient for this dish is cream of mushroom soup. It has wheat flour in it! I had no idea. I thought gluten was only in types of breads and pastas. Gluten can also be found in soy sauce and salad dressing. As I come across other products with gluten in it, I will let you know.

After dinner, I went to the Fresh and Natural Foods store in Shoreview. I bought different types of gluten free flours (brown rice, millet, potato, and tapioca). I want to make my own bread and baked goods. Tomorrow, I am going to make banana bread.

Meals:
Breakfast: Green drink. Now I am adding ground flaxseed to it. Flaxseed offers benefits of fiber, ALA(alpha-linolenic acid, protein and SDG lignans. Fiber promotes regularity, supports normal functioning of the digestive tract and can have a positive effect on cholesterol. ALA is an omega-3 essential fatty acid that supports heart health, and helps to maintain beautiful hair, skin and nails. SDG lignans are phytonutrients that exhibit antioxidant properties and can have a balancing effect on hormones. (taken from info on package) You can also add it to baked goods.
Lunch: Left over chicken curry, cheese, and chips and salsa.
Dinner: Cranberry Chicken, fresh green beans, vanilla pudding salad with pineapple and marshmallows. Yes...pudding is gluten free - at least I believe most of them are.

Cranberry Chicken 

(tonight I halved the recipe) below is the full recipe

Chicken - you can either use 4 boneless chicken breast or 8 thighs.
1 can whole cranberry sauce (I used left over sauce from the turkey burger night)
4 tbsp Lipton Onion Soup mix. I messed up...it has barley in it...I only used 2 tbsp...remember, I am still learning.
You can either put in all in a crock pot and cook on high for 2-4 hrs. Or you can cook stove top in a large sauce pan covered with a lid until chicken is cooked through.

Krispy Kreme Donuts

A wise man once said, a flute without holes is  not a flute and a donut without a hole is a danish. Ty Webb Caddyshack. 

Remember when the twin cities had Krispy Kreme Donuts? We ate them pretty often, they were so good...they would just melt in your mouth. I haven't had a Krispy Kreme donut since they went out of business.

My parents just got back from Omaha, NE visiting family and friends. Omaha, still has Krispy Kreme Donuts. The other day, my mom called (from Omaha) and asked if she should bring some donuts back for us. At first I said no, but then quickly changed my mind. I knew Ben and the boys would want them. Today, my parents brought the donuts to our house. I wanted to eat one so bad...but I told myself that I would be fine and better off not eating one. But...all day long they (the donuts) kept calling out to me. I believe that this was the first time I have resisted a donut...I am very proud of myself.

I need to fine a gluten free donut recipe! I will let you know when I find one.

Meals:
Breakfast - Green drink with raisin toast
Lunch - Quinoa with veggies (yes, I need to find other lunch options. I want to make my own bread so I can have sandwiches again) Yes, I can buy gluten free bread, but it will be fun to be able to make my own.
Dinner - I made Chicken Curry. I got this recipe from Jenn Rhyner. She made it the best.

Chicken Curry Recipe

1/2 onion sliced
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
Chicken - you can use a cut up whole chicken, or 2-3 cups diced chicken. I used left over chicken from our dinner the other night. Sometimes I buy a rotisserie chicken and dice that up.
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c chicken stock
handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
dash of red pepper flakes

Directions:
Saute onions in olive oil in a large sauce pan. When onions start to become translucent, add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, and tumeric. Stir together. Next add the chicken. Cook until chicken is done (unless you added pre-cooked chicken) then wait until warmed through. Stir in the yogurt and then wait until it separates and then add the chicken stock. Let the chicken stock reduce and let the mixture thicken. Add the rest of the ingredients and serve over rice. makes 4 servings.

I served it with naan bread (an Indian flat bread) you can find it in most stores by the baked goods. I bake it in the oven 400 degrees about 15-20 minutes. I, of course, didn't have any, but Ben, Owen and Lia did. Ben eats his with butter and cinnamon sugar.

Another day of feeling good. It is now 9:00 pm and I have been awake since 5:00 am (due to a screaming child...Landen) and I still didn't need a nap. I am of course tired, but not exhausted like I used to be.

My jeans fit again

My favorite pair of jeans fit me again.

For the past couple of months, I haven't been able to fit into my jeans comfortably. My daughter Lia was born in December. After she was born, I didn't wear jeans mainly because I had a c-section and they were uncomfortable to wear and because I still had the weight to lose. Nursing helped me lose all the baby weight and I was so happy to wear my jeans again. When I stopped nursing, I gained some weight back. If I wanted to wear my jeans, I had to squeeze into them. Then came spring and summer and didn't worry too much about fitting into them. Now that fall is approaching, I am determined to fit into my jeans.

I started to work out...run and do the Jillian Michaels 6 week ab workout.

After 3 days of eating gluten free (not being bloated by the food I eat) and doing the ab workout, I can comfortably fit into my favorite pair of jeans!

Meals:
Breakfast - green drink and raisin toast.
Lunch - quinoa with veggies, feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
Dinner - I made turkey burgers (sorry I forgot to take a photo). Ground turkey mixed with green onions and grilling seasoning. I topped them with cheddar cheese and whole cranberry sauce. Ben put hot sauce on his. They turned out great and very yummy. Ben said he would eat these more often. Even the boys enjoyed them. I served the burgers with corn, chips and salsa.

Again, another day of feeling great and not needing a nap.

Day 1 Friday August 19th - A New Beginning

Today starts my journey of eating gluten free.

For breakfast, I had my green drink. The first one I had was one my friend Jenn made one for me. She made it with water, a banana, spinach and parsley. It was good. For today, I tried using chocolate almond milk, a banana and spinach. It was so thick, I had to add water. I felt full after drinking it. I usually eat cereal (which I love) but then would be starving by mid-morning. After the green drink, I wasn't hungry, but I still ate a handful of almonds to keep me satisfied until lunch.

Now I needed to get organized. I started to make a list of food and meal ideas that I could have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For dinner, I wanted to make meals that the whole family could eat. Lunch ideas were just for me. I came up with some great ideas. It will just take some extra planning and preparing to make it work. I typed up my ideas and put it in my cookbook holder.

For lunch I ate chicken salad that I bought from Fresh and Natural Foods (they have a wonderful deli). I also ate veggies and dip and some sweet potato chips. After I ate, I didn't feel bloated. Great feeling. So I decided to keep a journal of what I have eaten followed by how I felt afterwards.

For dinner if was just Lia and myself. I ate Quinoa (a highly nutritious gluten free seed - whole grain) I bought it from Costco and it's Organic. It is very easy to make. It's like making rice. 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. I added cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and feta cheese. To make it even better, I added balsamic vinegar. I good eat this every day it is so good.

Before dinner, Lia and I went to the grocery store. I was craving Noodles and Company. My favorite dish is the Penne Fresca with chicken. I had called the restaurant to see if I could substitute rice noodles instead of penne noodles and they said yes. But...I ended up not stopping. At least I know I can still order my favorite dish.

At the end of the day, I felt great. I am very excited about this new way of eating. It is not as hard as I thought it would be.

Day 2 Saturday August 20th

I weigh myself every morning. After the first day of my gluten free diet, I lost 1 1/2 lbs.

For breakfast I had my green drink. This time, I didn't blend it and just mixed chocolate almond milk and the powder. Yuk - not a good idea, but I drank it anyways. I think I will go back to blending it with a banana. (Jenn gave me the idea to use a banana because it gives the drink a smoother taste - thanks Jenn).

I love to bake and try new recipes. When I had the time, I sat at the computer and started looking up gluten free recipes. I came across another blogsite called glutenfreegoddess. She had a lot of wonderful ideas that I would like to try. I also found a website called Living Without - it is also a magazine that my friend Rachel uses and enjoys. There are endless resources available.

I did find a banana bread recipe from taste of home website that I will try and will let you know how it turns out. I need to get a couple of ingredients before I can make it.

My mother-in-law gave me a cookbook years ago called The Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free cookbook. I looked through it again and found a brownie recipe. I decided to make it for dinner.

For lunch I had chicken salad, sweet potato chips, pickles (I made myself) veggies and dip.

For dinner, I baked a whole chicken, had a spinach salad with strawberries and feta cheese with a balsamic vinaigrette, white rice and fresh green beans (from in-laws garden). I also made the brownie recipe that I found and they turned out very good.

Here is the recipe: (When I post a recipe, I will also include a photo)

Chocolate Brownies (from The Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free Cookbook)
1/3 c butter or margarine (if dairy free)
3 1/2 oz dark chocolate. I didn't have dark chocolate so I used 1/2 c choc chips instead.
1/2 c raw sugar - gives a chewy, crunch texture
2 eggs beaten
1/2 c rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Mix in beaten eggs, then add rest of ingredients. Pour into 8x8 greased pan and bake for 30 mins. Best eaten when warm. Serve with ice cream - or my husband put frosting on his.

I will definitely use this recipe again. No need to buy the box mix anymore.

After a whole day of eating, I didn't get bloated or feel tired. I usually end up taking a nap at the same time the kids do in the afternoon and so far I haven't need one. I even had enough energy to work out. I am doing Jillian Michaels 6 Week Six-Pack. I am determined to have a flat stomach. This is my second week in. I am feeling good and the workout is getting a little easier to do. I am also interested in trying the Zumba workout or the Hip Hop Abs workout.

I need a gluten free egg dish recipe

Okay... now I am up to date Sunday, August 21st.

Today for breakfast I had my green drink. But this time, I blended it with water, a banana and raspberries. Best one yet. I also ate gluten free raisin bread and gave some to Lia. I pray that she didn't inherit my digestive problems. I'm working on making her diet partial gluten free. Ben has an iron stomach, so hopefully both Landen and Lia inherited his genes.

For lunch I ate the chicken rice salad that I prepared the night before. I also ate veggies and dip.

For dinner we brought food to our friends the Carpenters. They just welcomed their third baby, a girl. I made a sausage egg dish, a blueberry crumb cake and fruit salad. The egg dish required croutons. All egg dishes have some type of bread in it. I thought I could make part of it without the croutons, but it didn't work out. I ended up bringing a chicken spinach salad to eat. I need to find a gluten free egg dish recipe or just gluten free bread.

Another day of feeling great and having more energy.