Merry Christmas Cookies!!!

Alas... computer issues have kept me from posting far too long!  So I've confiscated hubby's laptop and uploaded some pics to the photobucket so I can at least give you a Christmas Cookie recipe. I plan on getting that man to help me figure this thing out this weekend so I can get back to sharing with you guys all the fun baking we've been doing for the holidays! 

I hope your time this season is peaceful and a little merry too. 

I tell you.  Cookies have been a delima for us.  When you can't use an egg in the mixture cookies just kinda fizzle (to say the least).  Well this holiday season I have discovered a new thing!!!!  COCONUT! (O.K. it's sort of an old thing..... but new to me!)  Coconut milk does a marvelous job in pudding mixes (rice milk just never cut and things were always a bit runny).  Coconut "oil" (which looks a whole lot like shortening) works just marvelous as... well... shortening! 

So for all you dearies out there who just can't tolerate the soy and dairy.... this ones for you!

[I adapted this one from a recipe for Pumpkin Cookies over at Karina's Kitchen....]

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(that actually have the texture of a cookie... yahoo!!!)

Wisk the dry ingredients together:

2/3 c. buckwheat flour

1/3 c. millet flour

1/2 c. sorghum flour

1/2 c. corn starch (or tapioca or potato)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. cinnamon

Beat the wet ingredients with the sugar:

1 c. canned pumpkin

3/4 c. coconut oil/shortening (or Spectrum Shortening)

flax meal egg replacer for 2 eggs (or eggs if you can) ***

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. brown sugar (or 1/2 c. agave)

Add in the dry ingredients and beat until combined:

Add in:

1 c. chocolate chips (sun chips if you can't do the regulars)

1/2 c. pecans/walnuts/or your favorite (or none if you have an allergy)

Mix in the addins.  Your cookie dough wil be soft and sticky.

Preheat the oven toe 350 degrees F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper/ or wax paper.  Oil your hands.  Drop golf ball size clumps of cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets.  Round and flatten with your hand (not too flat).  Press a nut on top of each cookie.  Bake 15-18 minutes until firm.  Cool on wire rack.

I don't know what the pumpkin does to make that dough smooth, but YUM!  We like more chocolate chips.

These actually taste and "feel" like a cookie!!!!  Woohoo!!! 

Tips: If you are not a buckwheat fan.... go with more millet and sorghum instead!

*** Egg Replacer (this amount for each egg)
1/3 cup of very hot water
1-2 tblsp. flax meal
Stir the flax meal into the hot water and let sit while you are preparing the other parts of the recipe.  Stir every little bit until you get ready to add it to the recipe.  It's best if it has time to become more like gelatin.  Oh!  And it's got lots of healthy stuff in there for you too!

Let's Talk Turkey!

Yep! It's that season.  I'm getting ready to do some major posting of recipes and menus for the upcoming holiday.  Be on the look out the next few days for some fun stuff.

For now... let's discuss "the bird"!

Fortunately, life has grown so much better for those going GF and watching other allergy ingredients.  Food processors are listing things on the label more and leaving out the wheat more!  Woohoo!!!!  So, dearies.... read those labels!  Not all turkeys are created equal... well, at least processed equal. 

The biggest issue are the additives.  Namely, that lovely 7-15% broth ("added for flavor"... right....) that can contain more than water.  Read the fine print, leave off any flavoring packs and have a happy turkey dinner!

Coming soon with all the fixings!

Hamentaschen (Feasts of Purim Cookies)

We are studying ancient history right now with the kids.  We've reached the Persian Empire days and it's been quite enlightening!  Floating bridges, conquering armies, the orginal postal system and.. ah, yes!.... the story of Esther (Hadas'sah).  The Feasts of Purim actually don't occur until February/March-ish... but we decided that since this is the season of Thanksgiving... why not!  We're a having our feast tomorrow along with making the Hamentaschen Cookies for the neighbors and finishing our "shoeboxes" for the poor (actually Operation Christmas Child... but it works).

I was totally excited to find a gluten free version of the triangle cookie (said to be shaped like the hat of Haman... "boo...hiss!"). 

Check out this website for more info on the Feasts and other interesting info.
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.htm

Hamentaschen

2/3 cup butter or Spectrum margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg  (we will use the flax-egg replacer)

1/4 cup orange juice (the smooth kind, not the pulpy)

2 cups GF buckwheat
1/2 milled flaxseed
1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

Various preserves, fruit butters and/or pie fillings.

Blend butter and sugar thoroughly. Add the egg (or replacer ) and blend thoroughly. Add OJ and blend thoroughly. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating buckwheat and flax seed, blending thoroughly between each. Add the baking powder and cinnamon with the last half cup of flour. Refrigerate batter overnight or at least a few hours. Roll as thin as you can without getting holes in the batter (roll it between two sheets of wax paper lightly dusted with flour for best results). Cut out 3 or 4 inch circles.

Put a dollop of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up the sides to make a triangle, folding the last corner under the starting point, so that each side has corner that folds over and a corner that folds under (see picture at right). Folding in this "pinwheel" style will reduce the likelihood that the last side will fall open while cooking, spilling out the filling. It also tends to make a better triangle shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown but before the filling boils over!

Traditional fillings are poppy seed and prune, but apricot is yum. Apple butter, pineapple preserves, and cherry pie filling all work quite well.

The number of cookies this recipe makes depends on the size of your cutting tool and the thickness you roll. I use a 4-1/4 inch cutting tool and roll to a medium thickness, and I get 20-24 cookies out of this recipe.

The resulting hamentaschen will have an unusual pumpernickel color, but they taste great!

Make sure the buckwheat flour you use is wheat-free/gluten-free! Sometimes buckwheat flour is mixed with white or wheat flour. The Hodgson Mill buckwheat and flax linked above are gluten-free and have reliable kosher certification.

List of Dates

Purim will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:

Jewish Year 5769: sunset March 9, 2009 - nightfall March 10, 2009

Jewish Year 5770: sunset February 27, 2010 - nightfall February 28, 2010

Jewish Year 5771: sunset March 19, 2011 - nightfall March 20, 2011

Jewish Year 5772: sunset March 7, 2012 - nightfall March 8, 2012

Jewish Year 5773: sunset February 23, 2013 - nightfall February 24, 2013

Meat Loaf with a Twist!

One night I was in the kitchen and running behind.  (Imagine that... seems more the norm.)  I had planned on hamburgers for dinner, but just did not want to roll out the patties.  Didn't want to stand there and flip... I was just in a non-conformist mood.  So I had this idea!  Meatloaf! 

Meatloaf is a word that has not been spoken in our household since tomatoes became a "no-no" in our main dishes.  I honestly had never known that meatloaf could be made without ketchup.  What to do?? I improvised and dug through my cabinets and concocted the following recipe.  It was truly not a beautiful main dish... being rather colorless.  (You can read here about my thing on colorful foods.)  I served it up to my family with some steamed broccoli on the side and held my breath!

My kids never cease to amaze me (on so many levels).  They scarffed that loaf down and asked for more.  I actually ended up making another for a Sunday meal at a friends house a few days later.  You just never know....

(This recipe could easily be adapted for your crockpot.)

I've posted my recipe and a copy of a completely different meatloaf recipe from the LivingWithout Magazine.  Both are sooooo yummy!

You Just Never Know Meatloaf

1 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey)
2 tbsp. dried onion flaked (or fresh)
1 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh)
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. gluten free oatmeal

Mush all this together in a bowl.  Knead until seasonings are completely mixed in.  Shape into a round "loaf" and place in large frying pan.  (I have surgical stainless steel pans that have "weighted" lids that help keep the moisture in and cook more evenly.  If your pans are not like this... just watch it a bit more carefully.)  Heat the frying pan on medium heat. You can brown one side of the meatloaf then flip it over or just leave it be.  It's up to your tastes.  I just put the lid on that baby and turned the heat down on low until it was done in the middle.  The oatmeal helped keep the moist loaf together.

Next time, I think I will shred some veggies and mix them in the loaf.  Anyway to get a veggie in a kid.

OK... if you WANT to... you CAN put ketchup on top!

==========================

This recipe comes from the http://www.livingwithout.com/ website.  (One of my fav magazines.)

Gluten-Free Meat Loaf
Serves 4

This unusual take on the classic American favorite contains no garlic, onion or peppers. You can substitute your favorite shredded vegetables in place of the broccoli and carrots. For a hint of sweetness, replace 4 tablespoons lime juice with an equal amount of orange juice.

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups mixed shredded broccoli stems and carrots
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup + 2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons apricot jam

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Put all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Knead with your hands or mix with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well blended.
3.Form meat mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake in preheated over for 35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve hot.

Each serving contains 622 calories, 45g total fat, 17g saturated fat, 3g trans fat, 159mg cholesterol, 14g carbohydrate, 182mg sodium, 1g fiber, 40g protein.

Recipe by Liz Scott.

Saving Money with Coupons!

I admit it.  I'm a couponer.  I love saving money.  I love watching the cashier's eyeballs pop out of their head when they tell me how much I have saved.  It is a rush that is hard to describe.

However, I will be the first to admit that it is difficult to save money on a lot of the "special" foods we eat.  Rice and dried beans ... o.k., those are cheap.  But when you try to buy baking products or convenience foods.... wowzers!  Last night I ran into a store to buy some rice milk and my favorite brand had a coupon attached to the front.  Boy howdy, did I buy the rice and almond milk.  I came home with a boatload and my #3 child danced a jig in the kitchen when I unloaded them!  (He really likes his rice milk.)  I started thinking about coupons for other allergy-friendly food items.....

Today my mission was to locate healthfood type coupons.  Coupons that are not so common.  I actually found some sites that specialize in this sort of thing!

So, dearies... have fun looking, printing and saving....

Healthy Savers offers different coupons for different stores.  You can register for your location.
http://www.healthesavers.com/HealthESavers/Coupons.aspx?ViewAll=1

Mambo sprouts usually has a booklet in some healthfood chains.  You can also sign up for their email and have things mailed to you. (They have a Glutino coupon right now!)  Look around on their site because they mail samples and have contests and give-a-ways.
http://www.mambosprouts.com/sign-up.php

Hain is the parent company that carries several of the brands of GF products we use.  They have a free bi-weekly newletter that you have to sign up for.  You get the inside track recipes, special offers and promotionals.
http://register.myhaincelestial.com/sites/clientfiles/myhaincelestialregister/reg/submgmt_index.htm?sID=hp

Apple and Eve
http://www.appleandeve.com/coupon.php

Applegate Farm Coupon
http://www.applegatefarms.com/couponing/thankyou.aspx

Arrowhead Mills Promo... get free kitchen tools when you save the UPCs from their boxes.
http://www.arrowheadmills.com/whats_new/oxo/redemption_form.php

Sign up at Gluten Free choices and get a coupon...
http://www.glutenfreechoices.com/contact/family.html

$1.50 coupon at Eat Better, Live Better
https://secure.murgent.com/emopt/index.php?id=3586

Oooo... Barbara's Bakery stuff
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/barbarasbakery/newsletter.d2w/report

Cherrybrook Farms sends out coupons too!
http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/talktous/newsletters/index.php

$1 off Dreamfield Pasta!
http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/dreamfields-newsletter-signup.html

Food Should Taste Good Coupon (ahhh... sweet potato fries!)
http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/#/sweet_potato/

Laura's Lean Beef
http://www.laurasleanbeef.com/

This one is not all organic/healthfood, but you can scroll down through the list to pick and choose specific coupons.
http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/source/cp_clientlist.asp

This list isn't all that's out there.  You may actually have great luck by emailing your favorite company and they will send you coupons for the products you use.

Have fun and remember every dollar adds up!

Cornbread Girl

How to reduce your stress in 15 minutes a week!

I have a friend who sits down every Sunday afternoon with a piece of paper in hand. She looks at what is in her cupboards and freezer and makes of list of main meals for the week. Simple meals, but a menu none the less. (It’s just a piece of notebook paper, nothing fancy.) She then makes a little grocery list according to what other items she needs to complete the meals plus breakfast and lunch items.

My friend keeps her grocery bill at bay, is prepared for dinner each night and manages to take care of all the many children in her home (including the one with food allergies!).

She is my hero. Wish I were that good.

It really is such a simple concept. She only takes about 15 minutes to "plan". FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! And she is ready for the grocery store and coming week’s meals. Why, oh why, is that so hard for me??

Alas.... I am doomed for the need to feel "inspired" in the kitchen. [Was that a little too dramatic? OK... reality check...]

Seriously, when I STOP and PLAN.... it is amazing what a little planning will do. I think the reason I/we/most people do not plan is because we are just not trained that way. Unlike my friend who obviously had a much disciplined mother and is a disciplined personality type herself... most of us are fly-by-the-pants kind of people. Which can be good at times... but usually doesn't help in the day to day routines.

So, why am I writing about this in a food blog? Well, because... a little planning for a few minutes each week and you CAN feed your loved one healthy, allergy free meals and snacks. And possibly save some money in the process too.

So this week, make a resolution:

1) I WILL take 5 minutes and make an easy dinner menu plan for the week. I will put the menu plan on the fridge. (So as not to loose it… which I’ve done personally)

2) Then I will take 5 minutes and look in my cabinets and freezer to see what I have. (Now is not the time to clean out the cabinets… Resist~ all my fellow highly distractible personality types! Resist! You will get side tracked from your mission.)

3) Then I will make a short grocery list for items I need and put it in my purse/pocket/Day-Timer for when I go to the store. (There again, so you won’t get to the store and slap your forehead as you call your husband and ask him to find where you left your list….)

That's all! 15 minutes of your life.
Repeat for 3 more weeks and see how you did this month!

P.S.  Make sure you put cornbread on that list somewhere (even if it's corn free cornbread)

FREE PRINTABLES:

For the "techies" out there... here is a free menu planner.  Here is a free grocery list planner.
And for those who realy want to supercharge their savings, here is a grocery list envelope (where you can put our coupons in it that you need and your shoppers card).

Fun Rollup Sandwhiches

I must be "in the zone" this morning.  3 blogs in one day! Oh, yea. Enjoy!!!

Fun Rollup Sandwiches


Tortillas (corn or other flour depending on your needs)
Thinly sliced beef, ham or turkey
Rice/Soy Cheese (if you can)
Leaves of lettuce
Carrot shreds
Vegenaise (or your favorite no-egg mayo)
Mustard

This is a fun kid meal! Just lay out the tortilla and add your favorites. Roll it up, warm in the microwave for a few seconds. Let the yum begin!

Throw some fruit with it to make a happy lunch!

Guten Free Granola

Gluten Free Granola


1 c butter or spectrum “butter”
1 c brown sugar (organic is fun)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
8 cups gluten free oatmeal

Melt the butter and the brown sugar together in a large saucepan. Stir and let it simmer for a few minutes (2-3 minutes). Add the salt and cinnamon, then the oatmeal. Remove pot from heat and stir until all the oatmeal is coated. Use a couple of cookie sheets with sides and spread the granola mixture out and bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool granola completely on pan, then break up into pieces and transfer to a container with a lid that seals. You can add raisins, coconut or nuts too if you are not allergic to them.

So much better for you than boxed cereals and does not leave you feeling empty halfway through the morning!

What a guy...

.... my Honey that is.  He is a warm breakfast kind of guy.  I, however, am not a morning kind of gal.  I cook things the night before or on the weekend and freeze back.  He likes the challenge of getting up and cooking something from scratch even though he knows he's still gotta leave for work that morning.  My only contention is the dishes he leaves... but it's hard to complain when you're biting into a hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven muffin.  (Hot muffins.... hey!  I'll even do the laundry!!)

So today's offering is from my Honey. 

Honey's Multi-purpose Muffins

4 tbsp. milled flaxseed
1 tsp. xanthan gum
enough hot water to dissolve

Mix the above together in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Whip it together pretty well and set aside.  This is your "egg replacer".  (Or just happily use 2 eggs if you can handle them. )

1 1/4 c. sorghum flour (can use millet)
3/4 c. millet or buckwheat (or even half and half)
1 1/2  c. rice flour
1/2 c. corn starch (or potato starch or tapioca starch)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. oil (safflower, sunflower or your fav)
1 1/3 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Optional: 1 c. chopped fruit (cranberries, blueberries) or chopped nuts or coconut

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and sift together.  Then add in the remaining ingredients (including your flax mush mix) and mix well with electric mixer.  Oil those muffin tins really well and spoon batter into muffin tins.  Bake in a preheated oven (375 degrees) for 25-30 minutes or until browned and knife comes out clean.

Drizzle with honey or serve with jelly/jam.  Yum!!!!

This recipe is very versatile.  You can interchange flours according to your needs.  You can use rice milk or water for the moisture.  You can also add more sugar (for more of a dessert roll) or leave out some sugar and replace with some honey (just decrease the liquid a bit). 

My suggestion for those with "non-cooking honeys":  The night before put all the dry stuff in one bowl, the wet stuff in another bowl (except your flax mixture - you'll have to do that one as you need it).... dump and mix in the morning!

Let's talk saving time and money...

Just some random savings thoughts I had today while talking with a friend on the phone....

How do you save time in the kitchen??
How do you save money while saving that time in the kitchen??
How do you make it healthy in the process???

So, tonight while I had this mad dash in the kitchen I thought I'd share some things I do to make life easier...

1) Cook more than what you need.
        Tonight, I browned 2 pounds of ground beef even though I was only using one.  I just removed the extra browned beef to a separate bowl to cool and freeze back for another meal.  Really didn't take any extra effort since I was cooking the meat anyway.

        Of course, you can apply this to complete meals, like soup!  It's just as easy to make a whoppin' big pot as it is to make a small one.  Then you have another meal or bowls to take for lunch.

2) Beans are cheap.  Dried beans are really cheap!  Go ahead and put them in the crockpot at night before you go to bed.  Really!  Just put them in there with some water on low and tomorrow you will be glad you did!   I use them for whatever recipe that day and freeze back in family serving size bowls for other meals.

3) Buy things on sale.  A lot if you can.  I typically buy things when they are as close to 1/2 price as possible.  And I buy a LOT!  The freezer and a storage shelf in my pantry keep them handy.  One tip though.... don't buy a LOT of what you don't typically eat a LOT of.... trust me, I learned that the hard way.

What I did today:

Crock pot the pintos this morning (2 pounds of pintos!  That's a lot of BEANS!)
Lunchtime... rice and pintos... because they smelled soooooo divine at that point of the day. (I noticed my neighbors tend to come by more often when my crockpot has been on most of the day... hmmm...)
Dinnertime.... those same beans purreed (or just smooshed) in with beef and seasonings for soft tacos. 

I put back 1 pound of browned ground beef in the freezer for another meal.  I put back 2 more family size bowls for 2 more meals on the pintos!  Woohoo!  Half of 3 more meals already done!


Do you have any savings (time or money) tips????  I'd love to hear about them!

Que rico!!!

Well, I would have had a picture to post tonight... except... well, it is best to take pictures of the food BEFORE your kids and hubby come in all hungry as bears ready to eat! 

Note to self: start dinner sooner and take pictures fast!

I had planned this yummy Soft Taco dish tonight. The beans were a simmering this morning in the crock, the beef was happy in the frig.  Then life happened.  So about 30 minutes before we needed to eat (and in the middle of a completely non-food related project) I realized dinner must be served!

So I ran to the kitchen, threw that package of ground beef in the micro, pulled out paper plates and bagged salad, and looked for an alternative to nicely pan browned corn tortillas. Fritos it was!  (not the healthiest thing in the world to eat, but all corn... no soy, no wheat, no potatoes, no... well, you get the picture)

So as the hungry bears walked into the house looking for their porridge (oops, different story) dinner, the ground beef and been browned, the pintos smashed in to the beef with the seasonings and a bowl of fritos and salad were ready to rock the sides. 

Here's a yummy recipe that you can feel free to alter to the tastes ( and time constraints) of your hungry bears at your house.

Burrito/Soft Taco Filling:

1 lb. ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)
onion
garlic

Brown these together in a frying pan, then add in the following:

2 cans pinto beans smooshed (or some cooked in your crock pot that morning)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cilantro
1 tsp. oregano (or italian seasonings)
1 tsp. salt
[you can just add in a taco seasoning mix and can of tomatoes if you aren't dealing with night shade food issues; read those labels for "msg" though! ]


Add this yummy filling into a hard taco shell, or your favorite soft shell (burritos or corn tacos) or just serve them over corn chips if you in a hurry! :o)

Throw a big green salad on the side to make life healthier and your hungry bears will shout.... "DELICIOSO!!!"

Corn Bread Girl in a Gluten Free World

That's me.  I grew up in the country where everyone had a garden and my grandma made the best cornbread out there.  Cornbread and beans... cornbread and milk... cornbread and Sunday dinner.... cornbread and homemade soup....

Forget yeast rolls baby, there is nothing like warm cornbread out of the oven with a slab of butter on it.  Better than dessert.  The only thing that could hold a candle to my grandma's cornbread was her "cat-head" biscuts!  Of course, we all had to learn to make them.  Mama made cornbread... I made cornbread [and biscuts]....

I think one of the reasons my Honey married me was for my biscuits and cornbread. Then it happened!  My Honey went and "got sick."  Cornbread and biscuits went out the window for a long time. 

Oh, I tried.... tried to make those yummy breads by altering those recipes... but, alas... unless you like sandpaper, you would have never eaten those culinary offerings.  All those years of training in my grandmother's kitchen learning to perfect the art of southern bread gone to waste.

Until now....

I've discovered buckwheat and sorghum baby!  Woohoo!!!

I made some cornbread to go with our soup the other rainy night.  It disappeared faster than the steam rolling off it from the oven.

Quick Corn Muffins
1 c. sorghum or buckwheat flour
1 c. corn meal (or corn flour if you like it more "cakey")
1 tsp. baking powder

Mix these together in a bowl.

1 tbsp. milled flax seed
hot water

Place the milled flax seed in a measuring cup.  Add enough hot water to it to fill up the cup the the 1/4 cup line.  Stir this and let it sit a bit.  Then stir again.  It will become gel-like.  (This is your egg replacer.)

1 c. rice milk

Add the flax gel mixture and rice milk into the dry ingredients until well blended and not lumpy.  Corn bread is a bit thicker than cake mix... but you don't want it too dry. 

Spray your muffin tins with some oil and pour the mix in.  Bake for about 20 minutes in an oven at 375 degrees.  This makes about 12+ corn muffins.  If you have kids... go ahead a make a double batch.

Serve these with butter or soup... or just slap some jelly/jam on them and make them dessert.  MMmmmm....

Grandma would be proud!

Allergy definitions...

Have you ever been told your child (or yourself) doesn't have a "real allergy"??   Ummmm... define "real". Funny thing is, when you are sick, who cares what it is called?!

Anyway, as my dear husband's doc said to him one day... "Man, it doesn't matter what the label is.. YOU can't eat it!" Nuff' said.

I was surfing and found these great definitions from a website in Canada (here).  So maybe when someone tells you that your food issues aren't "real"... you can give them a little medical lingo to explain.  [Oh!  And don't forget, this website isn't a medical one... you still need to talk with your doc about food issues.]

Food Intolerance definition: Intolerance refers to the absence of specific chemicals or enzymes needed to digest a food substance. Intolerance is not a disease or an allergy as it does not trigger an immune response involving antibodies.

Sensitivity definition: Food and environmental sensitivities refer to an adverse reaction when the body is exposed to a sensitizing factor in the environment or in food. It does not involve antibodies, but may involve other aspects of the immune system (increased intestinal permeability or a leaky gut). Most food and chemical reactions are considered sensitivities.

Allergy definition: Allergy refers to the immune system's hypersensitivity to an offending substance involving elevation of specific antibodies due to antigen stimulus. It is an immune system reaction to a substance that other people find harmless. Allergic reactions are classified into two categories, immediate and delayed, up to 72 hours. They can range from mild to severe which can cause anaphylactic shock.

Eat healthy, live well....
The Cornbread Girl

Apple Pie !!! Yea Baby!

So my Honey had a hankering for some REAL pie.  You know, the kind made from apples from the orchard (not a can).  I was busy... but my 12 year old volunteered for the task (anything for sugar in his life).

Let me tell you... there is no faster way to teach your pre-teen age child to cook than to set them onto making dessert.  Now that I know he can cook (and follow directions)... guess who I'll expect more cooking from.

Pie, baby...Pie!!!

The Crust:

1 2/3 c. brown rice flour

1 2/3 c. sorghum flour

1 tsp salt

1 tblsp + 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum

1 lb. butter (or 1/2 butter & 1/2 coconut shortening/oil)

1/2 c. chilled water

Combine flours, xanthan gum and salt.  Cut in shortening/butter until you get those little small balls of dough.  Then add in the chilled water to dampen the mixture.  We just put the entire bowl in the refrigerator to chill the dough.  (If you are a professional chef there are more professional ways to do this.  Alas, with four kids... we "git'er done" anyway we can.)

I have not had great success in rolling out gluten free pie crusts.  If any of you have, please feel free to leave me your tips.  We just oil our pans and "hand press" the flour right into the pie pan.  This dough will make you 3-4 crusts.

The filling:

4 medium apples peeled (or not) and sliced

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. brown sugar

4 tblsp. sorghum flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 tblsp. butter

Mix everthing in the bowl.  Place filling in crusts.  Place top crusts on if you like.  Bake for about 45 minutes.

Then go jog for that 45 minutes to work off what you are about to eat. Can you smell it.  Hmmmmm......

Note: you can make this diary free if you substitute the butter with coconut oil/shortening or margerine in the crust.  Substitute oil in the filling for the butter.  We just never touch margerine.

Happy Fall Ya'll!!! 

Love, The Cornbread Girl

Tomato Free "Tomato Sauce" and Spaghetti!

Looky-looky!!! My boy is happy! He has his favorite dish... SPAGHETTI!


Gluten-free noodles and Tomato FREE "tomato" sauce!!!

I have tried tomato free sauce for my sweetie before. They are usually beet based, really sweet..., and really purple! Just not quite... "tomato saucy" enough for my taste.

So tonight, I had this wild hair..... I see the sweet potato just innocently sitting in the veggie drawer.... I wonder????

Here is my latest concoction! According to my dear son... "It's PERFECT MOM!" So, I am a happy woman.


Tomato Free Spaghetti Sauce

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped (or canned)

1 handful of carrot, peeled and chopped (or canned)

1 beets, cleaned and slice (or canned)
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parley
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. garlic

You can do these two ways: faster or slower

Faster: open those bad boy cans up and throw them all in the food processor, puree your frustrations away. Then dump them all in a saucepan on the stove with the ground beef (cooked) and seasonings. Simmer on low until your sauce is not so purple and the seasonings have time to flavor the veggies. (10-20 minutes)

Slower: peel and chop those fresh veggies, then process them in a Cuisinart (with some added water as needed) until you have a nice mush. Dump this in the saucepan with the beef and seasoning (and a little extra water if needed), stir together. Simmer until you have a nice yummy smelling sauce (apprx. 20-25 minutes).

What I actually did tonight: It was a combo. I do not tend to have beets lying around in my fridge. Therefore, I slurried up my carrots and sweet potatoes and added them in with the canned beets in the pan. It really gave the sauce a "thickness" that just canned veggies do not give. Know what I mean? You could even just steam your veggies in the microwave to soften them up first. Lots of options. Fun! Fun!

Serve over gluten free noodles or spaghetti squash and watch your kid's face light up!

Servings: I do not know... we never seem to have leftovers no matter how much I fix.

Hint: Make your kids eat their salad while waiting for the sauce to finish cooking. In addition, make sure you fix yourself a plate before you let them serve themselves! I tend to make a big pot of sauce and freeze some back for another meal or two (saving much time in the future).

Great Northerns!

I have discovered a new thing. Yep... yet another "new" thing. White beans.


I suppose that growing up in the South influenced my genre of edible beans. I can smell them now, those beans in a big pot simmering on the cast iron stove. We did not use humidifiers in the wintertime, we just cooked a pot of beans and the steam “humidified” the house in the process. We had lima beans, butter beans, butter peas, pinto beans. Of course, the beans were always served with corn bread [buttermilk cornbread at grandma’s house]. Ah, those were the days.

My honey, on the other hand, grew up in the North. His favorite beans seem so foreign to me - lentils, split peas, etc. I am not sure I had ever tried a lentil before I married. I am not sure he had ever learned to eat cornbread with beans for a meal before we married.  Marriage can be such a good thing.
In addition, I never knew what a “great northern” bean was. I never even realized that white beans were the main ingredient used to make all those tons of baked beans eaten at every church gathering and picnic. In my mind, the color of a bean ranged from green to brown or purple. Funny what we seem to overlook in life.

Alas, in our multiple-allergies world, I have rediscovered white beans. They have a mild flavor that just picks up the seasoning of whatever you are cooking them with. Alone in a bowl, the kids will not touch them. However, mix them in with some seasonings and maybe some protein and there are no leftovers to be found after a meal. You can even use the dry beans and throw those babies in a coffee grinder to make some “bean flour” for instant thickener or for high protein flour. My favorite thing has been to make “cream of bean” soup… replaces the dairy and wheat laden “cream of mushroom/chicken/celery” soups in so many recipes. A little water, bean flour and your favorite seasonings and “Viola’!” you have soup!

So dearies…tonight’s offering was made because I had left over chicken in the fridge along with a mess of great northerns. I threw a salad and apple slices in to round things out. I then had to make a plate for my honey before the kids licked the skillet clean. Enjoy!

Great Northern Quick Skillet Chicken
2 cooked chicken breast (or used canned gluten free)
½ white onion
1 tsp. dried Garlic
1 tsp. Salt
Cooked Great Northern Beans (about 2 cans)
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Parsley

In a skillet, throw in your chicken, onion garlic and salt. Sauté it a bit. Then add in the beans and other seasonings. Simmer for about 10 minutes. (I added a little water while simmering…. Because my beans needed it.)

Serve with a salad, rolls or rice.

Serves 4 (if you have hollow-legged growing children)
Serves 6 (if you eat normal portions)

Good nutrition is like a rainbow... sort of

You ask why?  Why is there a picture of dried split peas and lentils mixed together in my bowl?

Well it all started back in elemtary school.  Really!  When one day in nutrition and health they informed us that it was very important to have a variety of food.  Then they explained how our plate should be filled with a "rainbow of colors".  I came home armed with my new knowledge and inspected dinner every night according to it's colorfulness.  My family wasn't impressed.  To this day I still get snickers when I talk about how colorful some dish of food is.  [Families can be so supportive sometimes.]

Well, I am always on the look out on how to try to add in some fiber and beans in our diet.  They are so good for you.  Good for you and cheap!  And there I was all happily browning some ground beef with onion, garlic, carrots.... and realized... I forgot to soak the beans last night!  And, no, there weren't any in a can in the cabinet either.  What to do?? 

I dug through the cabinets and there I spied them..... Lentils!!! The amazing little bean that doesn't have to be pre-cooked.  Twenty minutes bubbling on the stove and yummy dinner would be served.  So there I was measuring out those cute little (yet non-colorful) beans.  Then I spied a small amount of green split peas.  Nice little brightly colored green peas.  "I shall just mix these in with the lentils and add some nice color to the soup." I said to myself.  [bad idea #1] Then I poured them in...... and one small brightly colored split pea dropped out and rolled onto the floor.  I stooped to pick it up......

Then it happened!  "NOOOOOOOOO!"  [Flashbacks started playing in my mind.]  How could I have done this???!!!  Didn't I remember???

The kids are running through the kitchen at this point.  "Go outside!  Go outside right now and take your brother and play!.... No forget setting the table... out!"

I suddenly remembered why I hadn't used that last small amount of brightly colored green split peas.  The last major hive outbreak we had with our then 2 year old had been from him eating a dried pea off the floor.  A floor we had swepted and checked and thought was o.k.  Somehow those little floor crawlers can sniff out a crumb of food from 3 houses down... particularly if they are allergic to it!

So I had sent the children out as I swept up the floor and my heartbeat slowed down.  Then I thought, I'll just separate those peas from the lentils.  [bad idea #2]  Ten minutes later..... frustration set in.  Beans are cheap.  I took this picture, then threw them out!  The risk was not worth those few cents of beans.  Next I proceeded to rinse another batch of lentils for the soup.

Alas, who thought fixing dinner would be so stressful!
Note to self: clean out the cabinets!  And throw out things we don't use anymore.... even if it is colorful!

For you.... a yummy fall soup that is great for when you forget the soak the beans overnight.

Lentil and Beef Soup:

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. garlic salt or chopped garlic (to taste... I like a lot)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Throw this all in the  pot and brown away. 

1 c. carrots, chopped

Throw these in as you get them chopped, and stir your meat mixture.

1 c. dried lentils
1 pinch thyme (opt.)
1 bay leaf (opt.)
4 c. water

Bring to a boil, then cut the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or until those non-colorful lentils are soft.

Serve over some brown rice, or a baked potato (if you can) or GF corn bread.  Yum!

'Tis the season of candy!

Since there will be lots of candy being passed out in the coming week. I thought I'd give moms a chance to share their favorite allergy friendly candy. [and candy alternatives] Please post your ideas... and leave me "some love".

Here is a great list to start you off from Allergy Moms. They list 99 potentially safe candies that you can pass out on Halloween.

Remember to read every label. Some candies utilize different recipes for different sizes and flavors.

If you can handle corn syrup... an inexpensive alternative is those little packets of "fruit snacks". Or for a little more money you can go organic and all fruit and choose the new fruit leathers/snack alternatives.

One friend on an adoption forum I'm on suggested giving out those little glow sticks instead of candy. [Then you might even save some money on those nice dentist bills also!]

Help! My kid has multiple food allergies!

Well dearies... here it is. I finally have done it. I have gone and started a blog for those of use who live in the world of "let me check that label before you give it to my kid!". Maybe I should just say the world of "Please don't bother trying to feed us... we'll bring our own food!"

Unfortunately in the allergy world one does not simply have just one allergy. It would be far to easy to cope with one allergy! [sarcasm] One genetic "tendency" seems to link to other "tendencies" until all the "tendency" possibilities send moms like me into a hive induced itch thinking about it. Most people tend to have multiple allergies. Well, most people also tend to have multiple children also... with some of the same genetic "tendencies" I might add. Therefore, you end up having to deal with...

Little Johnnie can't eat eggs and wheat... Oh, Suzy can't have wheat and all gluten products... but wait Junior is sensitive to dairy... and on it goes.

How does one cook for a kid with multiple allergies?
How does one cook for a family with various allergies?
Will my kid starve before we figure out what food they can eat?
How can I cook for my whole family and not make separate meals for everyone?
Do I have to buy all those strange ingredients?
Will I ever be able to afford my grocery budget?

I have spent many hours typing or talking with other moms (and sometimes dads/grandparents) about our allergy experiences over the last decade plus, how we coped [are still coping] and things we learned to make life good for us. Many family and friends have suggested writing a book or teaching a class to share the information and encouragement that we have learned along the way.

Well, there is a book in the making and I shall keep you guys posted on the progress of that. But, here on the blog I would love to just share....
... recipes, information.... stories of other families and what they've learned...
... and encouragement!

So, sign up on the feed, follow on blogger, become a face book fan... and hold onto your hats dearies.... we are blogging baby!

Some of our story...

In a nutshell, we went through about 7 years and over 21 surgeries and a complete career change during our discovery of what was making my dear husband [and subsequently our children] sick. Part of the problem was gluten enteropathy [intolerance of gluten by the digestive system]... which led to "leaky gut syndrome"... which led to more food allergies.

We were fortunate, we caught his issues before they were at their worse. Then we made changes. And he got better.

Over the years, some of our children have struggled with other food allergies/sensitivities. One has even gone through a bout with juvenile arthritis. Each time we have learned "new" things about health and nutrition and generally eating better.

I have to say that the first 2+ years was just completely overwhelming. We threw a lot of food away. We tried many things... converting recipes, new flours, expensive snacks, "cardboard cereal" [as my children called it], etc.

This is my effort to blog about our experiences... our foods... our emotions... and maybe help someone along the way.

I love helpful comments and love to post others experiences too! I love linking to other sites that have great info!  I just love this bloggy stuff!  So leave me some love and have fun surfing...

Cornbread Girl (Teri)