GF Chocolate Power-Punch Cake (Low Carb)

When I want something, I want it now and am willing to substitute crazy things if necessary.

This cake is one I literally threw into a bowl on a whim.  It consists of nut flours you will grind yourself and also contains eggs and dairy. Unless you have something against any of those, this cake is very nutritious, full of fiber and protein. If you don't have all the ingredients, substitute the equivalent.

Perfect to take the place of lunch, it's high in protein and fiber while low on net carbs.

GF CHOCOLATE POWER PUNCH CAKE (Low Carb) Serves Two

6 Brazil Nuts (finely ground)

1/8 cup walnuts (finely ground)
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 Tbsp Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp Flax Seeds  (ground)

1/4 tsp of Baking Powder

Stevia to sweeten to your taste
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
1 (round) Tbsp Ricotta Cheese

1/4 c. Coffee (brewed)

1 egg
1 Tbsp. Chocolate chips, if desired
1 tsp. Butter

Grind nuts as finely as you possibly can in whatever you have that can grind.  Food processor, coffee grinder, blender, etc...  Add all ingredients in large mug.  Stir well.  Add a bit of water, if it looks too dry and thick--it shouldn't be soupy.

Microwave in one minute intervals until completely cooked through (mines takes 3).  If necessary, turn it out onto a plate, once the sides have finished cooking and cook for another minute.  Now you have a nut cake that goes nicely with coffee. (Two servings).

Without chocolate chips, this comes to:  9 carbs, 4g fiber, 9g protein, 23 fat, 255 calories per serving. (Net carbs 5).

Perfect Low-Cost GF Flour Substitute

This flour substitute recipe was passed on to me from a friend.  That's the perfect way to find a new recipe--your friends are tried and true and you know their recipes will be too.

This works cup for cup for any recipe you want to bake.  So for every 1 cup of flour, you use:

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup cornstarch {Argo is GF}
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 tsp xanthan gum

that little recipe is equal to every cup of flour that you would need...so if you need 3 cups of flour, just multiply it by 3.   It's been used to make muffins, bread, cakes, and cupcakes--which all turn out perfect....much better than the GF mixes that stores sell.

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Below is the recipe for Classic White Cake from Food Network if you'd like to try out this GF flour substitute.  No one will ever know!

Classic White Cake

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 (9-inch) diameter by 1 1/2-inch deep layer pans or 1 (13 by 9 by 2-inch) pan, buttered and bottoms lined with parchment or waxed paper

Directions

The fine moist crumb of this cake complements any type of filling and frosting -- the perfect celebratory cake.

Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape bowl and beater often. Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and smooth top with a metal spatula. Bake cake(s) about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, remove paper and let cool completely.

Variation:

CLASSIC YELLOW CAKE Substitute 3 large eggs and 1 egg yolk for all of the egg whites above.

Gluten Free Lasagna

The lasagna was a BIG hit. It's not often that I cook a meal that all three of my kids want to eat seconds of. My oldest child won't stop talking about how much he loved it. My husband said I should post the recipe so here it is.

INGREDIENTS:
Lasagna Noodles:
1 1/4 c. rice flour
1/2 c. potato starch
1/4 c. tapioca flour
3 eggs
1/4 c. water

Sauce:
2 cans tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes (I prefer italian seasoned)
4 cloves garlic
2 T basil
2 T parsley
1 T oregano
2 T Romano cheese--shredded (optional)

Cheese filling:
12oz ricotta
16oz cottage cheese
5 oz. parmesan cheese--grated (more if desired)
Additional ingredient:
1 lbd Mozzarella Cheese Shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:
For noodles:
Mix dry ingredients, then add the eggs and stir. Add the water as needed. Add more water or flour as needed to form a stiff, not sticky yet soft dough.
I recommend rolling it very thin with a rolling pin on plastic wrap and just laying a large piece down for each layer. I did use my pasta machine, but next time I think I'll just roll it out. One helpful tip: I found that it sticks to everything but plastic wrap. I layed the pieces on plastic wrap then transferred them by laying the pieces on the lasagna plastic wrap side up and peeling the plastic wrap off carefully.

Sauce:
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Microwave the sauce in a glass dish for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool a bit.

For cheese:
Mix all of ricotta and cottage cheese. Stir in 2/3 of the parmesean and reserve 1/3 for topping the lasagna. I found that my ricotta was very unflavorful and seemed low quality, so I added 1 Tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of skim milk to the mixture.
Assembling the Lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
I used a large glass pyrex casserole dish. Start with a generous layer of sauce on the bottom then a layer of noodles. Next add a generous layer of the cheese mixture, followed by a layer of mozzarella, then a generous amount of sauce. Lay down the next layer of noodles, cheese mixture and mozzarella then top with the parmesean cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake 15 - 30 minutes longer. Cheese should be bubbly and toasted.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so to allow the juices time to reabsorb and solidify.

Breakfast by the Doctor

I can't say I agree with this philosophy...because feeling well means so much to me.  Anyone who's lived in pain or felt awful for weeks or just not had the motivation or desire to keep going on, knows it's not worth making your self sick over yummy food.  But I do love Doctor Who and enjoyed this quote by Matt Smith.

And...it's gluten free.

The "Farm" Life

Yippy!  Spring is almost here in our first year of Big City Family goes Farm Folk...  I just wanted to share some pictures and update you on our baby chicks.

Daffodils are springing up everywhere!

We have quite an abundance of these buttery beauties.

A trail through the woods.

We started out with two cats.  Stars and Stripes.  But we were quickly adopted by the above kitty, which we named Impostor Stripes.  The original Stripes is napping below.

Resting peacefully--I had to animate this one.

Our baby chickies.  All grown up and ready to start laying soon.

This is Copper.

This is Roo.

The Field is turning green again.  It's time to get my seedlings potted and start the garden.


*************UPDATED WITH PICTURES OF OUR EGGS!!***********

Colorful eggs from our chickens.

This is what happens to mean roosters who try to peck children's eyes out...

A homemade egg basket--fresh from the field.

Little Miss Muffett...Not!

Sticking with the fairy tale theme, I'm moving on to Little Miss Muffett for breakfast.  A lot of celiacs struggle with good breakfast ideas...obviously--ask the average Americans what they eat for breakfast and 95% of the time it's going to be: cereal, waffles, pancakes, toast, bagel, muffins, biscuits, etc...
You're probably hoping that I'm not about to promote curds and whey.  It does sound gross.  Some scientists actually hypothesize that it was not the spider that truly scared Miss Muffett away, but the curds and whey itself.
Haha, but seriously, did you know that Ricotta and Cottage are made from curds and whey?

Cottage Cheese is the curd and Ricotta is made from the whey when all the curds are removed.    So combine these two and technically, you've got curds and whey...right?

"Way Out" Curds and Whey:

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons Cottage Cheese
Lettuce
Fresh Oregano--a few leaves
Fresh Basil--a few leaves
Cherry Tomatoes (or diced)
Sunflower seeds 1 Tablespoon
Bacon (Optional)
Portobello Mushroom--a few slices (optional)
1 teaspoon Romano or Parmesan Cheese
Fresh/dried Garlic--a pinch
Pepper--a pinch

Directions:
Layer a serving bowl with lettuce.  Scoop the cheeses on top--mix around a bit.  Add the other ingredients to suit your tastes.  Eat.  Fall in love with your food.

Sometimes I eat something that was so delicious that my glutton side takes over and demands "MORE!"  So...I decided to relent in a not so naughty way and share a few scoops of my Pepa's sweet pecans (organic!) with my family.  ....And sip on some Bolthouse Farm Mocha--sooo smooth and yummy.

Run! Run! As Fast as You Can!

Actually, let the gingerbread man do the running--your tummy can relax with this recipe.

We read the story of the Gingerbread Man this morning during a good thunderstorm.  It was the kind of day that made me feel something special was in order.  So we decided to make our own GF gingerbread man.  I knew my kids would love that.  And to get an idea of the size of this guy, look closely. those are almonds and raisins.  The eyes were chocolate chips and the nose was a peppermint (spearmint) just like in the book we read.

We used a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix.
Add:
1 egg
2 teaspoons of Vanilla
1 stick of melted butter
(a teaspoon or two of water if needed)


Now, the cake mix becomes a cookie mix.  Just add a teaspoon or two of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg and ginger and you have a sort of gingerbread dough.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix all ingredients.  On a  large foil lined baking sheet, put a ball for the head, a chunk for the body, arms and legs and smoosh and shape it into a gingerbread man.

For garnish use:
Almonds and other nuts,
Raisins, dried cranberries or blueberries
chocolate chips

Add eyes, nose, mouth, bow tie, buttons, arm and leg bands.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Allow to cool and ice if desired.

Icing:
2 Tbsp. Butter
1  tsp vanilla
1  cup powdered sugar
a few teaspoons of water as needed

Mix all until thick and smooth.  Put into an icing bag or ziploc freezer bag, which you can snip the end off of with scissors and use as an icing bag.

These are their disappointed little faces when they both suddenly noticed that his peppermint nose had melted and sunk into his head!  Hilarious.

Who Your Friends Are

I've been playing Russian Roulette lately.  I know McDonad's french fries directly contain wheat starch, so I never eat them   But I have been eating Burger King fries.  And that's okay, if they use a designated friar.

Unfortunately, I know my BK doesn't.  They don't even know what that means.  Sooner or later I was bound to regret it and this morning, I'm so nauseous and gassy that I'm very very sorry.  Maybe I have a stomach virus.  That could be my problem. But I know I started feeling lousy not long after I had supper last night.

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On a side note (not that I can stand the thought of food right now) it is worth mentioning that replacing the bun with a layer of french fries on the top and bottom of a burger is a satisfying--though messy--way to replace the bun.
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Sometimes in life, we have to come to terms with who our friends are and who our friends aren't.  In fact, I'd say it's a dire part of gaining maturity when we can discern this sort of thing.
The popular, wild kids who always want to party and stay up late having fun...probably not really your friends.

The vindictive punk that let's you hang out with them when they're bored--but always finds some way to get you into big trouble--is definitely not your friend.

The nerdy, geeks who encourage you to join Quiz-bowl competitions and computer club and study groups...good friend choices, right?!

Well...how would you categorize sugary treats like icecream?
Popular fun crowd.

Fried delights like donuts?
For me, that would be the vindictive punk that makes me really sorry afterwards.
Definitely not a friend.  More like an enemy.

Fruits, veggies, salads and the like?
Yep. You've got it now.  The nerdy friends that guide you down the right road and help you to have a brighter future.

Sugar is not my friend.

Gluten is certainly my enemy.

My true friends are the wholesome foods.

I hope I can keep that in mind this week and stop sneaking away to hang out with icecream, burgers and sodas.  The veggie bunch has been calling  me for way too long to keep ignoring.

Chickens!

We have had the exciting experience of raising baby chicks!  My industrious husband bravely attacked Craigslist for candidates and found 20 newly hatched chicks for sale not too far away.  He drove several hours to get them and I constructed a fabulously stylish styrofoam home for them, haha.  It was pretty redneckish, honestly and it sat IN OUR LIVING ROOM for 4 weeks (I promise we're not crazy, just dedicated).  But it worked and the baby chicks were sooo cute and funfunfun to watch.  Quite a mix of muts.

We first decided we wanted to raise chickens while we were still living in Los Angeles.  We watched Food Inc. and read You Can Farm, in which, the inhumane and unhealthy practices of the egg business are really laid out.  Yes, it's just as bad for the meat industry, but you have to start somewhere and we decided we'd like to start with eggs.  So, this should be a healthy and educational experience for the whole family.  And hopefully, not tooooo expensive.  It should get easier on the wallet, after we can start growing food for our chickens (corn, millet, oats, sprouts, etc...) But we use a LOT of eggs anyway, so this could be a good way to save eventually.

Since this blog is supposed to be about gluten free food, I'll close with my favorite GF way to eat eggs:
An omelet.  If you don't know how to make an omelet, please go to Youtube and watch Julia Child make one.  She is the queen, in that respect.  But I like to add onions, bell peppers, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese to mine.  Top it off with a bit of fresh salsa and it's even better.  Yes, I do have odd tastes.  It runs in my family like glitter and puff paint on a toilet seat.  :S

Overdue Post

After arriving in the south east,  I tried to start a garden, asap.  Arriving in mid August made my chances of seeing that garden come to fruit, very slim.  Broccoli, cauliflower, brusselsprouts, collard greens, Swiss Chard, butternut  squash, winter snap peas, and two unlikely candidates, donated by my mom:  a tomato plant and an eggplant plant.

Believe it or not, everything came to fruit!  I still have a hard time believing this because I'm still new to gardening and these things all seem like miracles to me.  My tomato and eggplant didn't do so hot, but they both bore a small bit of fruit.  Nothing is more satisfying than cooking and eating your OWN home grown vegetables.  Skimpy as they might have been...

One incredible blessing I've experienced is having my wish to find edible wild mushrooms, fulfilled!  One morning, my oldest son came in and showed me that he and daddy had discovered lots of big mushrooms in the back yard.  I knew what they were when I saw them:  Puffballs!  But I didn't know for sure if they were a safe, edible variety.  After a lot of researching and testing, we were confident that they were indeed edible and delicious.  So, I sauteed  some in butter and garlic and tried a tiny bit.  It was good and I had no unpleasant side effects, so that was the green light to eat more. My favorite way to prepare them was stuffed with mozzarella cheese,  GF breaded, pan fried and served with marinara sauce.   There was a large quantity of them--15 or so, all fist sized.  I shared them with friends and had them fairly often.  I can't wait to find them again next year.
We've also discovered a few places to buy gluten free products locally--Yippee!  Thank you Krogers and Wal-Mart.  But I still miss you, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods!

Moving...can't post now!

Sorry everyone.  We're deep in the process of moving from California to Tennessee.  We've been yard selling and packing for weeks.  I just can't even think of an inspired topic to blog about.  But I need brief escapes from the stress, so leave a comment with your blog URL and I'll come visit your blog!

Thanks everyone!

Product Review: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix is really pretty good!

I first picked this up because it was on clearance at the local Target store.

They had just put in a new grocery section and stocked it to the brim.  And it was SOOOO nice of them to have gluten free items!  I really can't express my gratitude enough when a store does this, but unfortunately, I'm not a big spender when it comes to processed gluten free products.  Apparently the other local Celiac/gluten intolerant/gluten sensitive folks aren't either, because Target ended up with a mega surplus of these types of goods.  So, hence, the clearance sale.  It was an awesome moment for me.  I bought two of these, plus three GF chocolate cake mixes and  a GF corn muffin mix.  I don't know why you would be interested in all of this, but maybe you are.  Maybe everyone secretly wonders what other people buy at the grocery store...  (I also bought paper towels and toilet paper, in case you're dying to know).

On, with the product review:  I didn't have a lot of faith that this would turn out to be amazing.   The mix really didn't smell very good, I have to admit.  I half wondered if it had expired, but the expiration date said 2012... 
It was easy to mix up, requiring only a cup and a half of water and 2 eggs.  Very nice.  I really didn't have much time, so I skipped the rising process and smooshed it (yes, smooshed it--note the odd split edges?) onto my pizza stone. 
I added a very thin layer of pizza sauce, so my picky eaters wouldn't have 'too much sauce' to fuss about then sprinkled it with mozzarella and pepperonies. 

One bag makes 2 nicely sized pizzas!  So, my family devoured the first one and LOVED IT.  My children give it rave reviews. 
The second one, I definately over cooked and it's all that was left by the time I remembered to photograph the poor, burned and clearly, cold pizza.

Gluten Free Skin and Hair Solutions

Some of us react to gluten in skin and hair care products.  Not to mention that using store bought products is often expensive and confusing because it requires a knowledge of chemistry jargon to understand the label.



ARE THERE INEXPENSIVE, NATURAL GLUTEN FREE SOLUTIONS?




I've spent the last couple of weeks testing out some natural DIY recipes for these types of products.  After several uses, I really can't tell if it's improving anything or better than the store bought types, but I definitely don't think they're worse.  And my head was never itchy like it normally is after using store bought shampoos.

So here are a few ideas if you'd like to experiment in your own kitchen.

GF Natural Shampoo:

Mix Baking Soda and water to form a paste.  And gently massage it into your roots while showering.  I tried a few different add-ins.  Cinnamon and cloves for scent. Lavender would also be great.

For Conditioner:  Rinse hair with a solution of 1 part apple cider vinegar and 3 parts water. Again, cinnamon and cloves make the smell much nicer--but over time cinnamon will lighten your hair and cloves can add a red tint. So be warned).

Natural hair Dyes:

For a temporary and natural brown hair dye, mix a few tablespoons full of yogurt with a few tablespoons of fresh ground coffee.  You can also add a bit of brewed coffee to thin it out.  Let it soak into your hair for about an hour.  Cover your hair with a plastic grocery bag and your shoulders with a towel.  This is a very messy way to die your hair, but it was fun.  Though my head smelled like stale coffee for a few days.  I found it amusing.

GF Hairspray (for blonds or for those who like lightening their hair):

Chop up half a lemon and half an orange.  Put these into a pot and cover with purified water.  Add 1 tsp honey and a pack of gelatin.  If you don't want to add the honey or gelatin, this recipe will still work.  Boil this mixture until it's reduced by half.  Cool and strain the liquid then put it in a spray bottle and store it in your refrigerator for one week.  Mine has lasted longer than that.  It works, but I don't want to lighten my hair, so I haven't been using it as hairspray.

GF Hairspray (for dark hair):

You'll need to buy, order or grow Comfrey.  Then you'll just combine a bit of it (1/4 cup) with water and boil it for a few minutes until you get a slimey green/brown mixture that you can strain and put in a spray bottle.  This is great for your skin and hair.  Comfrey is scientifically proven to stimulate cell regrowth.  You might need to add water to get the mixture thin enough to spray out of your bottle.  You could also leave the mixture thick and use it as hair gel for wet hair. I've noticed it takes longer to dry than store bought.

There are so many interesting things you can make from home with things in your kitchen if you're willing to research it a bit first.  Cinnamon and honey lighten hair (overnight).  Paprika can be used as a very light and natural red hair dye (substitute it for coffee in the above mentioned recipe). Turmeric can be used as a paste to stop unwanted hair growth when applied to the place you wish to use it.  Cloves also add a tinge of red to hair. Chamomile Tea can intensify the golden hues of blond hair.  All this without using harsh chemicals.  Personally, my skin is very sensitive to harsh chemicals.  Cleaning products eat me up.

Be sure to use caution.  You don't want to find out that you have a horrible allergic reaction to something after you've used it all over your face or head.  Test it before-the inside of your elbow is a good place.  My general rule is that a burning sensation is a warning from your skin to wash it off immediately.   No store bought face products that I ever felt a burning sensation from turned out to be beneficial to my skin.  Most often, my skin looked burnt or began chaffing later as a result.

Sprouting Lentils

I'm currently on a health kick--they come and go for me.  I've been making blended fruit/veggie drinks that are a cross between fresh fruit juice and a smoothie.  I call this a Smoojie.  Just put whatever fruits you have on hand (even carrots and apples work, if you don't mind the texture) in your blender and liquefy them.  Then drink with a straw.  

I even tried fresh tomatoes, onion and garlic with basil, one day.  Which was...interesting.  Like tomato juice.  Not too bad.  Full of antioxidants, I'm sure. 

I've also switched to Sea Salt and Stevia and tried to cut down on my family's intake of both.  Some studies show that excess iodized salt and processed white sugar can block your body's absorption of important nutrients and 'destroy your health'.  I KNOW, the article says the same thing about coffee, but I conveniently ignored that part.  You gotta start small, sometimes...

Another, actually fun, thing I'm trying out, is growing sprouts:

These are the lentils that I sprouted.  They're not the tastiest thing on the planet, but they're very healthy.  One of my children will eat these, the other two seem uncertain, but find it to be a fascinating process.

This is the Youtube.com video that I followed to make mine.  I love this couple.  They're very...lively and remind me of The Wiggles for some reason.  :D  After living in Los Angeles for seven year, I reeeeeally enjoy seeing cheerful people once in a while.

If you'd like to know more about growing sprouts, this is a great video for learning about the nutritional benefits of sprouts.  It's also filled with beautiful pictures of various types of sprouts.

This is NOT me, in the video, by the way.

Now, if I can just get myself started exercising a little bit... :S

Grilled Orange Teriyaki Salmon

This recipe was inspired (as always) by what I had on hand at the time of it's creation: Salmon, oranges, soy sauce, garlic, steak seasoning and butter.  My children actually love this!  I wouldn't bother sharing the recipe if it hadn't passed their approval rating.  I'd just post about the failure (see Dirt Cake and Mercury).

Ingredients:

1 orange, thinly sliced

fresh/frozen salmon for 4

1/3 stick of butter (about 3 Tbsp)

1/3 c. soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/3c. sugar

3 Tbsp sweet cooking mirin--sake (optional)

1 tsp steak seasoning

Dash of onion powder

Dash of seasoning salt

Dash of pepper

(onion powder or whatever else you desire is also fine)

A hot grill

Aluminum foil

Directions:

Layer out two long sheets of aluminum foil.  One on top of the other.  These should be wider and longer than your salmon, so that you can bunch the sides up around it like a package to go on the grill.

But first, place your salmon on the foil and sprinkle on steak seasoning, seasoning salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings.
Slice your butter into thin pats and dot the salmon with it.

Slice your orange into thin wedges and layer them along the length of your salmon.

Now fold up the edges of the foil until they meet in the middle.  DO NOT close or seal the foil.  Leave it open a bit to breathe.  The oranges will keep it moist.

Place on a hot grill (400F) for about 10 minutes.  This depends on how thick your Salmon is.  Fresh Salmon will remain pink even after cooked, but it will flake easily with a fork when done.  Try not to overcook your salmon.  It will still be edible, but much less desirable!  

In a microwavable bowl or sauce pan, combine the sugar, soy sauce, sake and minced garlic (and ginger if desired).

Boil until reduced to a syrup.  This is teriyaki sauce--for future reference.

After the salmon has cooled a bit, you can drizzle this over the fish.  You might also want to serve some in a bowl so that more can be added, if desired.

Serves 4. I served this with rice, steamed veggies, a green salad and roasted sweet potatoes.

Enjoy!