Better Homes and Gardens comes to our house, for reasons I am very unsure of, but it comes and sometimes it gets read and more often than not, it ends up in a pile to be recycled or cut up. I am making an effort to look at it more. They do have very sensible home decorating ideas. The recipes are hit or miss.
In the June issue I spotted a recipe for a Rosemary Lemon Drop. I read through it and decided immediately that I had to make it. Now would be a good time to say that I suffer from summer drink envy. Fun and festive drinks are just not my forte. I know so many friends who make fantastic sangria, tremendous ice teas, and great mixed drinks. I am not one of these people. I aspire to be one of these people, but currently, I am not one of those drink specialists.
This Adult Beverage, as E dubbed it, is very easy to make.
Here is what you will need for my version, which is a half version of what was in the June BHG.
1.5 bottles of white wine (such as Pinot Grigio, I personally think it would work with a nice medium sweet Riesling.)
4 lemons
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Peel the lemons carefully. You want to have the peel but none of the bitter white part. I think you could zest them, but I peeled them.
Combine in a pan and bring to a boil the sugar, water, lemon peel and three sprigs of rosemary. Boil gently for 2 minutes after the sugar has fully dissolved and then cool to room temperature.
Juice the peeled and now naked lemons.
After the sugar mixture has cooled, strain it into a pitcher or sun tea type container. Pour in the wine and the lemon juice. Stir and add 3 cups of ice (less if the ice is crushed.) Add in sliced lemons and the remaining sprig of rosemary.
Serve with or without ice in the glasses.
This also works with half lemons and half limes... (just saying!) It keeps for about three days in the fridge!
I do not advise drinking it before you go to graduation parties or weddings or dinner parties. It packs a punch. I tried to find the original recipe on line but with no success. I did make changes to the original and I think if you use a sweeter wine than what I picked, you might not want all the sugar syrup. I would say this is a "to taste call", add some syrup, taste and then adjust. You can always add more, you cannot take too much back out.
Happy Sipping! If you have a favorite summer adult beverage recipe, I am ALL ears, send it my way!
Showing posts with label yumm-o. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yumm-o. Show all posts
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The Chunky Monkey
I like to switch my breakfast up from time to time and I have developed the Chunky Monkey. This is great for when I want a bit more substance or am out of key veggies in my Green Monster.
1c chocolate soy milk
1c of ice, less if crushed
about a 1/4 c of chunky peanut butter (or your favorite peanut butter)
1 large banana
Blend in the vitamix until smooth
Now if you do not have chocolate milk or if your beautiful Little Fellow has drank all the chocolate soy milk, plain or vanilla work fine. I suspect dairy milk would work as would almond milk or even rice, although the rice milk I think would make it thinner. Depending on how ripe the banana is, you may need to add a tiny bit of honey. Also if you are out of chocolate milk, but have chocolate peanut butter handy, that works perfectly too...
I know you are all thinking-- wowza that is alot of peanut butter, but honestly, this is my breakfast. Generally my go to breakfast if lunch is going be several hours later. Also, I am not doing grains, so I am finding it takes more to fill me up. Adjust to suit your needs.
1c chocolate soy milk
1c of ice, less if crushed
about a 1/4 c of chunky peanut butter (or your favorite peanut butter)
1 large banana
Blend in the vitamix until smooth
Now if you do not have chocolate milk or if your beautiful Little Fellow has drank all the chocolate soy milk, plain or vanilla work fine. I suspect dairy milk would work as would almond milk or even rice, although the rice milk I think would make it thinner. Depending on how ripe the banana is, you may need to add a tiny bit of honey. Also if you are out of chocolate milk, but have chocolate peanut butter handy, that works perfectly too...
I know you are all thinking-- wowza that is alot of peanut butter, but honestly, this is my breakfast. Generally my go to breakfast if lunch is going be several hours later. Also, I am not doing grains, so I am finding it takes more to fill me up. Adjust to suit your needs.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Music Monday: Don McLean American Pie
This weekend felt more like fall than summer. Autumn is in the air. The kids and I went to a large farmer's market on Saturday. I love this market, it is big, with so much fantastic local produce. Lots to choose from, but it is crowded. If it were just crowded that would be one thing, but it is crowded with some of the rudest people I have ever run into. Three old ladies nearly ran the kids and I down, clamoring for melons. One older lady hit E in the head with a bag of produce, she was completely self absorbed. I am not sure how I feel about the families who come to this crowded market with their double stroller and two large dogs. Really? I am all for family time, but the sidewalks are so crowded and the dogs the size of ponies.
It wasn't all bad. We ran into some friendly dogs and we listened to some great live music. L was taken with the man singing and playing the guitar. We loaded up on the items I needed and and wanted. It was wonderful.
Now is the time of year when berries are a thing of the past and the first apples are appearing in our CSA. We are seeing less lettuce and more root veggies.
I think there is something decidedly American about apple pie.
As we all know, I eat a gluten free diet, among other things. Pie for me flew out the window about 6 years ago. This is a pity, I grew up eating my grandmother's fantastic fruit pies. All summer long we had a variety of wonderful pies. H's mom made decent fruit pies also.
Since giving up working for the man, I have taught myself to make pie crust from scratch and experimented with various fruit fillings. I even made a pecan pie using some coconut nectar a friend gave me. None of this I can eat. Not even a tiny taste.
While I have perfected some decent gluten free baked items, many of which I have shared here, for the most part gluten, I have decided, is part of what makes most baked goods good. It is integral to their character.
But those apples.
Beautiful late summer apples. They are so good. So good and pretty that I hated to just default to apple sauce or make yet another gluten free apple crisp. I wanted an apple pie. So when I saw one of my Tweeps was experimenting, I thought I would try too.
The key I decided is in the flour mix. You cannot go straight rice flour or sorghum flour. It has to be a blend. Recently I bought a bag of Namaste Flour Blend.
This blend contains sweet brown rice flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, sorghum flour and
My first try I uses my standard double crust recipe and subbed the 2 cups of flour for two cups of this blend and proceeded normally. I then rolled out the crust and made no pan crust on the pizza stone, folded up the sides partially covering some apples sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and away we went.
It was too much crust, but it tasted good.
Yesterday, I decided for book club, I would try making a tart or as one of the very astute ladies in the book club pointed out, a galette. Again using the same plan as before, I made my normal pie crust using 2 cups of the Namaste flour blend and one stick of organic butter and adding 2 tablespoons of sugar. Then using the food processor, I add water by tablespoons until the dough begins to ball up. (about 6-7 tablespoons of ice water.)
I rolled this out on wax paper, carefully formed it in the tart pan and then popped in the fridge over night.
The hard part is rolling. This dough has no stretch. I normally get a double crust from this recipe when I use normal flour, but this same version using the gluten free flour blend is only going to yield one single crust. Gluten equals stretch.
Sliced apples the next day, layered them in the pan, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and dotted that with butter.
It looked so pretty.
Here is a before shot, just as I popped it in the oven.
and the after
The apples held up nicely, but released their juices, which blended with the sugar and cinnamon and butter to make a moist filling and the crust is perfect. The ladies at book club loved it and I thought it worked beautifully. My next step is to try for a real pie. I think I can do it. This flour blend seems to have what I need to make a short crust, which isn't crumbly.
So while you dream about apple tarts and apple pies and crisp, short satisfying gluten free pie crust, why not listen to American Pie by Don McLean. While this song is sad and wistful, I have always liked it. The gentleman at the market was singing it and L was dancing and that I think is the test of a classic, can it reach beyond the generation who created it? Does the music still resonate? Do we still think about it, even after he who created it faded from existence?
Kinda like apple pie??
It wasn't all bad. We ran into some friendly dogs and we listened to some great live music. L was taken with the man singing and playing the guitar. We loaded up on the items I needed and and wanted. It was wonderful.
Now is the time of year when berries are a thing of the past and the first apples are appearing in our CSA. We are seeing less lettuce and more root veggies.
I think there is something decidedly American about apple pie.
As we all know, I eat a gluten free diet, among other things. Pie for me flew out the window about 6 years ago. This is a pity, I grew up eating my grandmother's fantastic fruit pies. All summer long we had a variety of wonderful pies. H's mom made decent fruit pies also.
Since giving up working for the man, I have taught myself to make pie crust from scratch and experimented with various fruit fillings. I even made a pecan pie using some coconut nectar a friend gave me. None of this I can eat. Not even a tiny taste.
While I have perfected some decent gluten free baked items, many of which I have shared here, for the most part gluten, I have decided, is part of what makes most baked goods good. It is integral to their character.
But those apples.
Beautiful late summer apples. They are so good. So good and pretty that I hated to just default to apple sauce or make yet another gluten free apple crisp. I wanted an apple pie. So when I saw one of my Tweeps was experimenting, I thought I would try too.
The key I decided is in the flour mix. You cannot go straight rice flour or sorghum flour. It has to be a blend. Recently I bought a bag of Namaste Flour Blend.
| xanthan gum. |
My first try I uses my standard double crust recipe and subbed the 2 cups of flour for two cups of this blend and proceeded normally. I then rolled out the crust and made no pan crust on the pizza stone, folded up the sides partially covering some apples sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and away we went.
It was too much crust, but it tasted good.
Yesterday, I decided for book club, I would try making a tart or as one of the very astute ladies in the book club pointed out, a galette. Again using the same plan as before, I made my normal pie crust using 2 cups of the Namaste flour blend and one stick of organic butter and adding 2 tablespoons of sugar. Then using the food processor, I add water by tablespoons until the dough begins to ball up. (about 6-7 tablespoons of ice water.)
I rolled this out on wax paper, carefully formed it in the tart pan and then popped in the fridge over night.
The hard part is rolling. This dough has no stretch. I normally get a double crust from this recipe when I use normal flour, but this same version using the gluten free flour blend is only going to yield one single crust. Gluten equals stretch.
Sliced apples the next day, layered them in the pan, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and dotted that with butter.
It looked so pretty.
Here is a before shot, just as I popped it in the oven.
and the after
The apples held up nicely, but released their juices, which blended with the sugar and cinnamon and butter to make a moist filling and the crust is perfect. The ladies at book club loved it and I thought it worked beautifully. My next step is to try for a real pie. I think I can do it. This flour blend seems to have what I need to make a short crust, which isn't crumbly.
So while you dream about apple tarts and apple pies and crisp, short satisfying gluten free pie crust, why not listen to American Pie by Don McLean. While this song is sad and wistful, I have always liked it. The gentleman at the market was singing it and L was dancing and that I think is the test of a classic, can it reach beyond the generation who created it? Does the music still resonate? Do we still think about it, even after he who created it faded from existence?
Kinda like apple pie??
Monday, October 25, 2010
Meet my Big Blue Pot
Allow me to introduce the new to me, beautiful blue granite-ware, deep canning pot, with the riser insert.
I found this darling gem at a second hand collectible shop in downtown Deleware, Ohio while shopping with my mother. For $16.25. Quiet a bargain. For my first few canning attempts, I build my own, M*A*S*H style canning system with a galvanized bucket and aluminum foil. While it worked and the jars sealed and nothing exploded, I do not recommend this method, at all.
Canning you say, yes canning.
I know it is very domestic and Martha of me, but I have been up to my eyeballs in fruits and veggies. H and I decided on a CSA with Wayward Seed this year. One veggie and two fruit shares to be exact. We have feasted on all manner of fruits and veggies, at their peak of freshness and many we might not have ever tried otherwise.
What started me on this quest was the almost 3 pounds of plums we got. So many plums. So I tried a pickled plum recipe. The nice thing about Wayward Seed, is they give you cooking and storing ideas each week. I have yet to taste my pickled plums, but the jars sealed and I plan to crack one open this week.
Next was the concord grapes. Made my own grape juice. Going to try some of it soon also.
Now let's talk apples. Holy Cow do I have apples. I have made and froze some applesauce, but I have apples on top of apples. I have made apple pies, baked apples and apples something else. Still I had apples.
At the market, I picked up a copy of Edible Columbus. In it there is an article about canning and a recipe for Curried Apple Chutney. I thought, why not. I like chutney. I like curry and man do I have apples.
I made a few modifications. I used jaggery instead of brown sugar and I omitted the garlic and I used a high end, spicy curry powder instead of the run of the mill curry powder. Both I bought at my local Indian market. I left out the alspice and mustard seeds, as this curry powder can stand alone.
It was easy to make and I canned 12 .5 pint jars of chutney.
I ate the bit I had left over and let me tell you I was licking the plate, seriously, it is that good. This is going to be yummy for months to come. For this canning job I used my new pot and wow, the right canning pot makes all the difference. It made the job easy. The jars all sealed perfectly. I was able to process six jars at a time.
Today I decided to use up the sweet potatoes I got in my farm share and I made sweet potato butter. Recipe also from the Fall Edible Columbus Magazine.
I think I should note, I am not inclined to follow recipes exactly. It is pathological I suppose. I replaced the brown sugar with jaggery again, and I did not use my slow cooker, but instead cooked everything down on the stove. It yielded one pint jar and one half pint jar and a bit extra. This is velvety smooth and so super sweet.
The jars sealed just fine and I am looking forward to eating this all winter long.
I have a pile of apples still, so I think more pies are in order and more apple sauce. I ordered a bushel of apples from Hirch Farms and will pick them up this week. After that the fruit will be gone but I will have veggies until the beginning of December.
I never thought I would be canning anything, but it is easy and it does mean I can make foods which are safe for me to eat and enjoy. Since I have to make almost everything I eat, in order to avoid corn, wheat, gluten, eggs and dairy - I have become increasingly adventurous in the kitchen.
Now about that M*A*S*H still... eh maybe next summer.
I found this darling gem at a second hand collectible shop in downtown Deleware, Ohio while shopping with my mother. For $16.25. Quiet a bargain. For my first few canning attempts, I build my own, M*A*S*H style canning system with a galvanized bucket and aluminum foil. While it worked and the jars sealed and nothing exploded, I do not recommend this method, at all.
Canning you say, yes canning.
I know it is very domestic and Martha of me, but I have been up to my eyeballs in fruits and veggies. H and I decided on a CSA with Wayward Seed this year. One veggie and two fruit shares to be exact. We have feasted on all manner of fruits and veggies, at their peak of freshness and many we might not have ever tried otherwise.
What started me on this quest was the almost 3 pounds of plums we got. So many plums. So I tried a pickled plum recipe. The nice thing about Wayward Seed, is they give you cooking and storing ideas each week. I have yet to taste my pickled plums, but the jars sealed and I plan to crack one open this week.
Next was the concord grapes. Made my own grape juice. Going to try some of it soon also.
Now let's talk apples. Holy Cow do I have apples. I have made and froze some applesauce, but I have apples on top of apples. I have made apple pies, baked apples and apples something else. Still I had apples.
At the market, I picked up a copy of Edible Columbus. In it there is an article about canning and a recipe for Curried Apple Chutney. I thought, why not. I like chutney. I like curry and man do I have apples.
I made a few modifications. I used jaggery instead of brown sugar and I omitted the garlic and I used a high end, spicy curry powder instead of the run of the mill curry powder. Both I bought at my local Indian market. I left out the alspice and mustard seeds, as this curry powder can stand alone.
It was easy to make and I canned 12 .5 pint jars of chutney.
I ate the bit I had left over and let me tell you I was licking the plate, seriously, it is that good. This is going to be yummy for months to come. For this canning job I used my new pot and wow, the right canning pot makes all the difference. It made the job easy. The jars all sealed perfectly. I was able to process six jars at a time.
Today I decided to use up the sweet potatoes I got in my farm share and I made sweet potato butter. Recipe also from the Fall Edible Columbus Magazine.
I think I should note, I am not inclined to follow recipes exactly. It is pathological I suppose. I replaced the brown sugar with jaggery again, and I did not use my slow cooker, but instead cooked everything down on the stove. It yielded one pint jar and one half pint jar and a bit extra. This is velvety smooth and so super sweet.
The jars sealed just fine and I am looking forward to eating this all winter long.
I have a pile of apples still, so I think more pies are in order and more apple sauce. I ordered a bushel of apples from Hirch Farms and will pick them up this week. After that the fruit will be gone but I will have veggies until the beginning of December.
I never thought I would be canning anything, but it is easy and it does mean I can make foods which are safe for me to eat and enjoy. Since I have to make almost everything I eat, in order to avoid corn, wheat, gluten, eggs and dairy - I have become increasingly adventurous in the kitchen.
Now about that M*A*S*H still... eh maybe next summer.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Simply the best cookies
These cookies are simply the best. They little, light and best of all crunchy. As is my complaint of late here on the Edge is they are a bit too sweet. If they cut the sugar a tiny bit these cookies would be perfect.
The irony is that my Whole Foods does not carry these cookies, but the Kroger by E's preschool does! The downside is I cannot stock up on these becasue I have zero will power where they are concerned and will eat them all in one setting if I do not pace myself.
It must be the crunch factor!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Another tasty find...
I found these at Whole Foods the other day! Raw Indulgence bars. Yumm-o! Now I know when most people see the words, "Gluten Free • Vegan • Wheat, Corn, Soy, Trans-fat, Cholestorol and Refined Sugar Free!" they immediately think - oh it will taste like paper. Add to that the words: Kosher, Non-GMO and nothing artificial and no preservatives and well - it must be yuck!
Me, well I think - hot damn - provided that there are no oats in it - then I might be able to eat that! Now I will agree at the outset that being able to eat something and actually wanting to eat it are totally different things. The Raw Indulgence Bars - Yeah - I want to eat them. Thus far I have tried the chocolate & cashew and the chocolate and raspberry. Very tasty. Soft and kinda chewy and they are sweet but not in an unnatural way - the sweetness comes from fruit and some Agave Nectar.
They are not overly high in protein, but they do have the healthy fat I need in my diet and they are portable. The double as dessert (hey come on my dessert choices are very limited!) and they make a great on the go snack or breakfast.
In theory I am behind the Raw food movement. I think we should focus on eating things with the least amount of processing.
So even if you can eat all the omitted stuff mentioned and then some - I still think these are worth trying out! They are very tasty - so tasty you do not miss what they have left out!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Nutty Flax bars
Well they taste good, I will say that, but they are hard as a rock. I followed the recipe to the letter - so I think next time I am going to up the amount of almond butter and spread them out in a more shallow pan - but I have to say I might be onto something!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Nutty Flax and Nutty Rice
I discovered Perky's Nutty Flax and Nutty Rice while standing in line at Whole Foods. The lady behind me had driven over an hour and had a cart full of the cereal. Now I have all but given up on cereal, since I cannot eat oats, wheat, corn and maybe barley (the jury is out.) So other than crispy rice and Honey and Rice Puffins - the choice is slim and well - I like to make my calories count and those choices are not all that nutritional dense. They also lack fiber!
Nutty Flax is packed with fiber and tastes good. The Nutty Rice has less fiber, but is crunchy and holds up to soy milk just fine. Very tasty with some fruit thrown in.
I just made the Nutty Flax cereal bars and while I have not tasted them yet - they look like an adult version of rice crispy treats and are healthy to book - raisins, almond butter and chocolate chips. I cannot wait to dive in!
Nutty Flax is packed with fiber and tastes good. The Nutty Rice has less fiber, but is crunchy and holds up to soy milk just fine. Very tasty with some fruit thrown in.
I just made the Nutty Flax cereal bars and while I have not tasted them yet - they look like an adult version of rice crispy treats and are healthy to book - raisins, almond butter and chocolate chips. I cannot wait to dive in!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
YouBar Yummy in my Tummy!
I have grown a bit tired of the Lar Bars and decided to give these guys a try! In the easy grab and go granola bars arena it is hard to find a tasty DAIRY, OAT, WHEAT, CORN free choice. With YouBars, You can design your own bar and they will mail a box to you. It was easy - their website walks you through the process and offers recommendations and suggestions. The ingredients are well described, so I was not left guessing whether I could eat the stuff or not.
I did a combo of almond butter, chocolate, cherries, coconut and almonds. Yum! H even liked it ! I think I am going to re-order.
You can pay via paypal which is nice and they shipped them to me via USPS priority mail.
So it was a yummy treat today and I plan to try one again tomorrow.
Another Bonus - You get to name your bar. I called mine Coconut for Cherries.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
13 Great things about my trip to Baton Rouge
1. I got to see my good friend N and L & E got to play with J & J. We have not seen each other since they moved about 18 months ago. Which was too long - but we picked up right where we left off and I just enjoyed seeing them and their new home so very much!
2. The weather! It was lovely the entire week. A bit cool a few mornings - but the sun was out every day and the N is right - the sky this time of year in Baton Rouge is an amazing shade of blue. The clouds were puff white and it was perfect. It is has been almost 6 months of very cold and gray at home and I reveled in the warmth and sun. I will however note: On Sunday it was very warm very early in the morning and it was humid and I can totally - totally see why the summer is oppressive on Baton Rouge.
3. Crawfish. Ok they are serious good eating. Yum-O! We had them for dinner the first night in Baton Rogue and they rock. They are boiled and then you break the tail away from the body and eat the tail meat and then suck the fat and juice out of the head. It was spicy and messy and flavorful and I loved every single bite. N's husband is a native Louisianan and he knows all about the crawfish and was so glad that we enjoyed the treat. Now is the season and they are plentiful. We also bought them at this fish market which was a fun experience - with the life catfish tank and all sorts of fish and shrimp. I will also own up to a moment of sheer denseness. Typically you boil the crawfish with corn and tatters. So we got home and N put a small pot on the stove and began to boil water. Now we had bought 10 pounds of crawfish. They were not going to fit in the pot. I was perplexed. So I asked about that and N laughed and said, well they are cooked already. Didn't you smell them in the car? Duh! They had smelled so good in the car as we drove home - they were all ready cooked!
4. Alligator Bayou. This swamp tour is a great experience and wonderful learning opportunity for everyone - young and old. It lasts about 3 hours and it is a great way to learn about alligators and the swamp and the eco-system. Also as we were coming back towards the lodge - I got great pictures of the sunset. The nature is breathtaking and it is sad that so much of the swamp is disappearing. It is a great harmony of nature and home to so many creatures. It was well worth the price of admission and I would certainly do it again.
5. Everyone is rather friendly. Very nice and kind. I would not go so far as helpful - but polite to be sure. As an example. when we arrived in Baton Rouge, I took both L & E to the bathroom - which is normal and necessary. So by the time we go to baggage claim, apparently they had decided my bags were unclaimed. Now - there are very few people working at the airport and no one really wanted to be responsible for finding my bag and it was a bit of a comedy of errors chasing them down, but can I just say that I was called Ma'am alot and thanked for my patiences. Which while not overwhelming helpful, it is polite. N shared with me that logic rarely enters the equation in Baton Rouge!
6. The new mall and shopping area where Whole Foods is located. Very nice shopping and very pretty and with the weather there - outdoor shopping is very nice.
7. My kiddos were so well behaved. They were very good - even being off schedule and lacking a bit of sleep. I was so proud of them. They each got a new book when we got home - and they so deserved it. We had a rough flight home (details in another post) and they rose to the occasion - big time.
8. The Royal Standard. What a fun place to shop. Rooms of nifty and interesting things. N and I went there on Saturday and it was a truly great place to shop! I bought a few neat things.
9. Relaxation. The pace is slower in the south and we took full advantage. This trip was peaceful and quiet and at a pace that suited both the kiddos, H and I. A real plus!
10. The State Capital building. It is very tall and we went up to the observation deck and totally enjoyed the view. It is lovely. The same about the Levy. It is very nice and like a park and offers a great view of the river.
11. N & R's back yard! Complete with a pond and lots of trees and flowers. It is a lush paradise and it was so nice to sit outside and enjoy the Spring! No coat required.
12. The fragrance of Spring. The orange blossoms, the azaleas, lilacs and honeysuckle. All combined to make for a wonderful spring smell. I loved it. It was sweet and light and just perfect.
13. Baton Rouge is off the beaten path and it is interesting and I am sure there is more to uncover and it seemed to me to be growing and developing and in time it will have all the amenities of large city - I just hope that it keeps it small world charm. I love going somewhere where the pace is a little slower and I can just be. Baton Rouge seemed like that kind of place. Another plus - it is very close to New Orleans - you could make it a trip of two cities very easily.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Watch Out Martha the Gluten Free Mavens are running your direction!
I tried something this year for Easter. I baked a lamb cake. It is a lamb shaped cake mold. H's mom did it every year. I skipped last year but decided this year I would give it a try. Then, because I am a crazy girl, I decided to up the ante and make it gluten free! Yep - I baked a cake that I can eat also. Now I have already tried this cake mix out (Whole Foods 365 Brand White GF cake mix) - on my brother for his birthday and it baked well. So I knew the cake itself tastes pretty good. So I had that going for me. The wrinkle this go round, would be, could this gluten free cake bake and bake correctly in the lamb cake mold. My MIL always made a sponge cake or something similar, never did she try gluten free.
I am pleased to say that it worked. It took a bit longer to bake than her instructions, but not too much longer. I was more than a bit apprehensive that the rice flour cake might crumble when I tried to remove it from the pan. I am pleased to say that it came out with no problems whatsoever. Furthermore, the lamb stood upright, without flaking or crumbling.
Another great baking moment. I found marshmallow creme at Whole Foods that does not have corn syrup in it - hence I can eat it also. I made a great frosting with butter, powdered sugar, and marshmallow creme. Yumm-o and easy and also sticky. All the better to attach shredded coconut with! (I am not really supposed to have the butter I guess - but it normally does not bother me - so a little bit will not hurt me. Now the sugar in all of this - well it could be deadly!)
Now as to taste - well I will get back to you on that detail. But is sure does look pretty!
Monday, February 4, 2008
1, 2, 3 Yummy!
I think I have shared my love of chocolate with everyone. I will also admit that at the 15 month of no wheat, no corn, no oats, no rye and no dairy - that I miss baked goods, sometimes. Not a lot and let's face it they are treats - but man - sometimes I want something that looks and tastes like food I used to take for granted.
Last night we attended a Super Bowl party and I baked 1,2,3 Gluten Free Brownies. Oh Wow! Out of this world good and gooey and creamy and totally free of dairy and wheat. Actually they are free of Gluten, Wheat, Corn, Dairy, Peanut and Tree nuts. But they are way high on chocolate and great taste.
Easy to bake and very yummy. I am not sure if I can get them locally - I bought them at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield, Ohio. I plan to start a hunting expedition soon! Wish me luck!
Last night we attended a Super Bowl party and I baked 1,2,3 Gluten Free Brownies. Oh Wow! Out of this world good and gooey and creamy and totally free of dairy and wheat. Actually they are free of Gluten, Wheat, Corn, Dairy, Peanut and Tree nuts. But they are way high on chocolate and great taste.
Easy to bake and very yummy. I am not sure if I can get them locally - I bought them at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield, Ohio. I plan to start a hunting expedition soon! Wish me luck!
Monday, December 10, 2007
From Iceland with Love
I have discovered chocolate from heaven. Well ok not heaven - but a small island which must be heaven for chocoholics like myself! NOI SIRIUS makes the best dark chocolate ever. It comes in bars - two of them wrapped in wax paper - like the ones above. They are wonderful.
Today however I found something even more wonderful. Hazelnuts covered in 70% Dark Chocolate. Little pebbles from heaven those guys. Yummy!
I have found this slice of chocolate heaven at Whole Foods. You can check out their website - but it is in Icelandic and I am not sure that is helpful to most of us.....
Friday, December 7, 2007
Polly want a cracker?
Well if Polly does not I sure would! Rice cakes are nice and I have found some I really like - but some things work better with a cracker.
Blue Diamond Nut*Thins are a rice and nut meal cracker which taste out of this world. They are crispy, crunchy and have a nice nutty flavor and the texture is great. You can also eat 16 crackers for 130 calories - give or take and that is not too shabby!
I eat them with Nutella, Hummus, Soy Cream Cheese, Fig Hazelnut Spread, and various Indian chutneys. I have tried them with salsa and well that was not a pleasant combo.
I prefer the Pecan and Hazelnuts varieties but in a pinch I will eat the almond ones. L & E also both like them, but I rarely like to share - I mean they can eat all the crackers in the world and I can eat these!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Good Karma - Indeed!
I have discovered Good Karma Rice Divine - sort of a cross between sorbet and ice cream - only dairy, wheat and corn syrup free. And wait.... it really really tastes good! I tried the very vanilla and I have to say that it has a nice smooth taste and is not overly sweet - which is a plus - the longer I eat foods that are not processed or lacking high fructose corn syrup I have noticed that I cannot tolerate anything overly sweet!
I also must say that it is not terribly expensive either. $2.49 at the local Sun Flower Market!
I asked H to taste it also - because honestly I have not eaten real ice cream in sooooo long - that I forget what it actually tastes like. H felt it was very good and had a texture not unlike low-fat ice cream. All I can say is it tastes like a dream to me!
I also must say that it is not terribly expensive either. $2.49 at the local Sun Flower Market!
I asked H to taste it also - because honestly I have not eaten real ice cream in sooooo long - that I forget what it actually tastes like. H felt it was very good and had a texture not unlike low-fat ice cream. All I can say is it tastes like a dream to me!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Love in a Pint...
Ok, so I had the crushing revelation recently, that most sorbet and sherbet has corn syrup in it. Corn syrup is a no no.... you know, corn. In the begininng of this scary food issue thing, I had not cut out corn syrup - now I am.....
Grrr. Can I eat nothing cold and creamy? I gotta say while there is some reasonably tasty soy based ice cream out there, it is not that easy to find and I worry about eating too much soy.
So I had resigned myself to being freezer dessert free. Not so! Hello, Woo City! I just tried their Peach Amaretto Sorbet. Oh was that heaven on a spoon. Very peachy and with the hit old almond. Yummy! I had never heard of Woo City before, but I picked this up at the new Sun Flower Market. As much as I love Whole Foods - their selection of sorbet and non dairy ice cream is a bit lacking, thank you very much....
So, I am going to go enjoy my peachy spoonful of heaven!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Coffee & Eggs
I happen to like coffee. I also like tea. At one point in my life I liked tea more. Now I have to say, it depends on my mood. Typically we drink decaf in the morning at breakfast. (H to keep the blood pressure down and me, well I kicked caffeine while with child and decided not to go back.) H likes it with lots of cream and I do to. I would like to drink it black and I have to limited the cream. It is about the only time allow myself any dairy. I have tried the fake cream, but it is vile. So I go for the real think every few days.
The rest of the day I drink tea - either hot or iced.
Now that said, I can make tea no problem. But coffee, yeah I am terrible at brewing coffee. Every time I try it is a mess. I either use too much or not enough. H always makes the coffee and when he is not around I do without. I am not sure what it is. When I was working, they made a point of keeping me as far away from the coffee maker as possible.
The same thing with boiled eggs. With my eating plan, eggs are a great option. I can eat eggs. I, until recently, could not boil eggs to save my life. In fact this is a funny story. The first time I ever made boiled eggs, H and I were living together. I wanted to make Deviled Eggs and to do so, you have to start with boiled eggs, so I put a pot of water on to boil, once it was boiling, using a large spoon, I lowered the eggs in one by one. Ouch, the hot water splashes up and the eggs all cracked. I had egg white floating in the water everywhere. It was a mess. I was so upset.
H comes home and asked me what I was up to. I tearfully explained what I was trying to do and once he settled down and stopped laughing his ass off, he explained ever so sweetly that one starts the process with cool water and eggs in the same pot. Huh. I was so embarrassed.
Now that said, I have far from perfected this. I tend to boil them too long. H, well his are always perfect. Just right. Not even a hint of grayness. He does not even time them. Me I set the timer and hover around. Yeah, gray city!
So, the moral here. If you want coffee and a boiled egg, plan on coming round when H is in town - otherwise how about some herbal tea and an omelet.....
The rest of the day I drink tea - either hot or iced.
Now that said, I can make tea no problem. But coffee, yeah I am terrible at brewing coffee. Every time I try it is a mess. I either use too much or not enough. H always makes the coffee and when he is not around I do without. I am not sure what it is. When I was working, they made a point of keeping me as far away from the coffee maker as possible.
The same thing with boiled eggs. With my eating plan, eggs are a great option. I can eat eggs. I, until recently, could not boil eggs to save my life. In fact this is a funny story. The first time I ever made boiled eggs, H and I were living together. I wanted to make Deviled Eggs and to do so, you have to start with boiled eggs, so I put a pot of water on to boil, once it was boiling, using a large spoon, I lowered the eggs in one by one. Ouch, the hot water splashes up and the eggs all cracked. I had egg white floating in the water everywhere. It was a mess. I was so upset.
H comes home and asked me what I was up to. I tearfully explained what I was trying to do and once he settled down and stopped laughing his ass off, he explained ever so sweetly that one starts the process with cool water and eggs in the same pot. Huh. I was so embarrassed.
Now that said, I have far from perfected this. I tend to boil them too long. H, well his are always perfect. Just right. Not even a hint of grayness. He does not even time them. Me I set the timer and hover around. Yeah, gray city!
So, the moral here. If you want coffee and a boiled egg, plan on coming round when H is in town - otherwise how about some herbal tea and an omelet.....
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Sometimes you do just really need a cookie...
L used to say when she was a bit younger that she "needed" a cookie. I used to patiently correct her - "No, honey you want a cookie. There is a difference."
Well, after a bit over 6 months being wheat-free - I have to say that she was in fact right. Sometime you do just need a cookie. I mean I miss crunchy. (Ok, wheat free cookies are not crunchy, but that is a different story.....) I miss the round shape. I mean cookies are really great.
Well I have to say, after trying many and being disappointed, that I have found something, that is very good. Not going to replace TollHouse any time soon, but they are good and they do fulfill that need for a cookie.
So go check out the Alternative Baking Company. They sell VEGAN cookies and 2 varieties of WHEAT-FREE cookies. The vegan cookies are naturally dairy and egg free. Which is good for all of us with food issues!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Pizza could kill me...
Well not really but S thinks I should have a T-shirt made that states just that. Pizza could in fact send me running to the bathroom for an extended period of time or make me feel like I wish I were dead. (which frankly I did not know how bad I felt - until 5 months ago and now I know I did in fact feel ultra crappy - compared to now - where I feel like I could take on the world!) It could also give me a rash.....
No this post is some free marketing for my new favorite treat! Trust me there is not alot to pick from when one is maintaining a dairy-free, wheat-free, rye-free, and corn free diet.
But boy have I found something that is as satisfying as say a big slice of cake or pie.
Vosges - Haut-Chocolat - Exotic Candy bars. Yummy! They come in all sorts of flavor combinations. The chocolate is rich and smooth and the dark ones are not bitter. I have personally fallen in love with the Red Fire Bar and Creole. I have only tried the dark varieties as they tend to be dairy free.
Now I must say that they are not cheap - so do not get all hot and bothered when you look for them at your local market - but seriously - they are worth the investment. I mean a little bit goes a long way!
No this post is some free marketing for my new favorite treat! Trust me there is not alot to pick from when one is maintaining a dairy-free, wheat-free, rye-free, and corn free diet.
But boy have I found something that is as satisfying as say a big slice of cake or pie.
Vosges - Haut-Chocolat - Exotic Candy bars. Yummy! They come in all sorts of flavor combinations. The chocolate is rich and smooth and the dark ones are not bitter. I have personally fallen in love with the Red Fire Bar and Creole. I have only tried the dark varieties as they tend to be dairy free.
Now I must say that they are not cheap - so do not get all hot and bothered when you look for them at your local market - but seriously - they are worth the investment. I mean a little bit goes a long way!
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Death by Chocolate....well sort of
You know some days are just better than others. Yesterday in general was a good day, until after diner when I tried to bake my brothers birthday cake. I got L & E settled down, and then set out to bake a flourless chocolate cake. I am on a wheat-free, corn-free, and dairy-free regime and my bro is working hard to lose some extra pounds. So I thought this might be a good choice for us all. (I figured the leftovers could go home to the bros housemates!)
So I grabbed my trusty mix-master, chopped 12 oz of yummy chocolate, melted some butter and beat the snot out of 6 eggs with sugar. (Let's face it, it is always better to beat stuff up with sugar, right?) I lined my springform pan with parchment paper - so my cake would have a smooth top and since this was a special birthday - I went ala Martha and made a stencil out of parchment - "30" that's right - he is 30! I was going to put powered sugar on top using the stencil.
I was living large......
So I beat the eggs and sugar, folded in the melted chocolate and butter and filled up my spring form. Popped it in the over and settle down with some tea, to watch some television as it baked.
So 15 minutes into my rest break, I hear this "Pop, whoosh!".... think it is outside and keep on resting. Then I start to smell this awful burning chocolate smell. (Ok, strange the cake is supposed to bake for an hour!) Go into the kitchen to check it out - Yep, you guessed it, cake everywhere all over the oven. One big, huge, gooey cake eruption & explosion. Yikes. So I switched off the oven and let the thin layer of cake left in the pan cool and cleaned up the best I could.
Needless to say the cake was well -- Toast!
So I served Girl Scout Thin Mints and Raspberries - because really - chocolate in any form is really ok! (I refrained from the cookies and went right for the dark chocolate I had tucked away!) Everyone seemed happy and chocolate satisfied!
Happy Birthday, little brother :)
So I grabbed my trusty mix-master, chopped 12 oz of yummy chocolate, melted some butter and beat the snot out of 6 eggs with sugar. (Let's face it, it is always better to beat stuff up with sugar, right?) I lined my springform pan with parchment paper - so my cake would have a smooth top and since this was a special birthday - I went ala Martha and made a stencil out of parchment - "30" that's right - he is 30! I was going to put powered sugar on top using the stencil.
I was living large......
So I beat the eggs and sugar, folded in the melted chocolate and butter and filled up my spring form. Popped it in the over and settle down with some tea, to watch some television as it baked.
So 15 minutes into my rest break, I hear this "Pop, whoosh!".... think it is outside and keep on resting. Then I start to smell this awful burning chocolate smell. (Ok, strange the cake is supposed to bake for an hour!) Go into the kitchen to check it out - Yep, you guessed it, cake everywhere all over the oven. One big, huge, gooey cake eruption & explosion. Yikes. So I switched off the oven and let the thin layer of cake left in the pan cool and cleaned up the best I could.
Needless to say the cake was well -- Toast!
So I served Girl Scout Thin Mints and Raspberries - because really - chocolate in any form is really ok! (I refrained from the cookies and went right for the dark chocolate I had tucked away!) Everyone seemed happy and chocolate satisfied!
Happy Birthday, little brother :)
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