Gluten Free Sandwich Bread

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Simply put, I can no longer eat, or use, any products containing wheat. Because I absolutely LOVE bread, and I am an avid cake artist, I have been mourning the fact that I can no longer consume, or play with wheat products. 

However, I have been motivated to find delicious recipes to take the place of the yummy baked good I once enjoyed.

I now present to you a recipe for an absolutely scrumptious gluten free sandwich bread. I owe all of the credit to Jeanne, at the Art of Gluten Free Baking. She is the one responsible for creating this wonderful recipe. I only modified it to make it work at the high altitude at which I live. 

One thing that I have learned about gluten free baking is that it is best to measure the flour ingredients by weight, rather than by cups. It makes a big difference in the final product.

Here is Jeanne's recipe, with the modifications I made to make it work at high altitude:

Ingredients
 
3 cups (420 g) Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
2 tsp xanthan gum (this is in addition to the xanthan gum in the flour mix)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons active dry yeast (I like Red Star) or fast acting yeast (either is fine)
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) warm but not hot (about 110 degrees F) milk (or milk substitute, or water)
2 teaspoons vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 extra large eggs, room temperature
*You will need a little extra olive oil and tapioca flour for the pan

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Oil and flour your pan. Place warm milk/water into a small bowl.  Whisk in 1 tablespoon of sugar until dissolved.  Whisk in yeast until dissolved.  Set aside to proof (get foamy and verify the yeast is working).
 
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment place: eggs, olive oil, and vinegar.  Beat for a few seconds to combine.  Add the yeast mixture.  Beat a few seconds more to combine.  Add the flour mixture.  Beat on medium high for 3 minutes.

Scrape mixture into your prepared loaf pan (it should be a thick batter) and smooth the top.  Place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until the dough  is just to the top, or a bit above the top of the bread pan.
  
As Jeanne suggested, I put the pan on top of the stove while the oven was preheating–this allows the oven’s warmth to help the bread rise.  Watch it–don’t let it rise too much.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  If the top of the bread is getting too brown, place a tent of foil over it.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes for a total of 30 minutes (*I only baked the bread for a total of about 25 minutes).

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Then carefully turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Here are some photos of the finished product. It didn't last long, as my kids loved the smell, flavor and texture of the bread!

A huge thank you to Jeanne, at the Art of Gluten Free Baking. I am in love with this bread! I know you will be too!

Easy Homemade Waffles

When I am working, breakfast time is generally crazy around our house. Getting three kids: awake, fed, dressed, hair done, teeth brushed, bags packed, and out the door before 7:00 a.m., is a nearly impossible task. However, I seem to manage to get everyone out on time, most days.

Being a teacher, I see how hunger affects my students ability to concentrate and learn. Therefore, making sure my own kids eat a good breakfast before school is of great importance to me.

My kids love to eat cereal. Thankfully, they don't really like cereals that are super sugary, so I don't feel too guilty about them eating it so often. But, I do feel better when I can give them a warm breakfast before we leave home.

That is why I really love the following waffle recipe. I can make the batter over the weekend, or even the night before (if time allows). I put the batter in the fridge, and when I am ready to use it, I just heat up my waffle maker.

Now, I don't always have time to make waffles in the morning, even when the batter is premade, so the best part of this recipe is that you can make your waffles over the weekend, and freeze them for future use. Then, when your kids want a waffle, all you have to do is pull them out of the freezer, and warm them up in your toaster!

If you do choose to freeze your waffles, the following tips will help you have. More successful experience:

1. Allow your waffles to completely cool on cookie cooling racks. This will help reduce the amount of condensation that collects on the waffles, and help to keep them from getting soggy.

2. Once the waffles have cooled completely, place them in gallon-sized freezer bags. You can stack two waffles on top of each other, just don't overfill the bags (or you will have squished waffles).

3. To freeze, lay your waffles on a flat surface in your freezer.

This recipe makes between 24-28 (5 inch) wafffles.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp. Baking Powder
4 tbsp. Sugar
3 1/2 cups Milk
2 Eggs
1/2 cup salted butter (melted)
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat your waffle maker.

Melt butter in a small bowl, or sauce pan. Set aside.

In a large-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Mix thoroughly, and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, preferably a bowl with a spout, combine milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix gently until eggs are well incorporated.

Add the liquid mixture into the center of your dry ingredients. Carefully blend all ingredients until there are no large lumps. You will see bubbles begin to from when the mixture rests, this is when the batter is ready to pour.

Carefully fill each section of your preheated waffle maker. Do not overfill your waffle maker, or you will have a gooey mess on your hands. After a few rounds, you will know just how much batter makes the perfect sized waffle, in your machine.

Serve your waffles with syrup and a variety of toppings (e.g., fresh fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, nuts, etc...).

Enjoy!

Hulk Smoothie Recipe

I LOVE smoothies! Visiting a smoothie establishment used to be one of my favorite things to do each week. However, one can quickly empty the pocket book when buying smoothies for a family of five.

After looking into high-powered blenders, I decided to purchase a Vitamix, so that I could make smoothies for my family at home. One of the biggest benefits of having my own smoothie maker is that I control the ingredients that my family will enjoy.

I know that many parents have success in getting their children to drink their fruits and vegetables in smoothie form. I haven't been so lucky. My children have watched me make enough smoothies to know that: I almost always add spinach, there are usually one or more ingredients they wouldn't eat on their own, the color of the end product isn't always pink (a color they associate with good tasting smoothies).

I have found a way to combat the aversion my children have to drinking the smoothies that I make. I will be sharing my secret in a future post, so please stay tuned...

Onto the recipe for my Hulk Smoothie. This is a great breakfast smoothie. It is thick, and filling. If you don't prefer a thicker texture, you can always add some water to thin the smoothie to a consistency of your liking.

Ingredients:

5 Nectarines (peeled, and sliced)
1 c. Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 c. Cooked Quinoa (I make this smoothie when I have leftovers from dinner)
1 Handful of Fresh Spinach
1/4 c. Craisins
2 tbsp. Ground Flax Seed
1-2 c. Ice

Directions:

Place the ingredients in your blender. I recommend using a high powered blender for making smoothies. They do a much better job of blending the ingredients into a smooth mixture, and the motors are built to handle larger volumes of food.

Begin blending on the lowest setting, and slowly increase the speed of the motor to the highest setting.

Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour into your favorite glass, and enjoy!

*Please note: My smoothie recipes generally serve a family of five. With two larger servings for the grown-ups, and three smaller child-sized servings.

Quinoa Turkey Bake

Have you jumped on the quinoa bandwagon? If you haven't, you may want to try quinoa sometime in the near future. Quinoa is a nearly perfect food. It is nutritionally balanced, making it a great choice for: athletes, those who are trying to lose weight, individuals with an intolerance for wheat (as long as you purchase quinoa that has not been packaged in an environment where cross-contamination may occur), and just about anyone seeking to add an additional healthy food into his/her diet.

Introducing quinoa into my children's dietary repertoire hasn't been without its share of kinks. First of all, quinoa looks a lot different than rice, it has a different texture, and it's flavor is in a league of its own.That being said, the more I make it, the more my kids eat it without complaints.

I have recently started searching for quinoa recipes, and you can find my growing recipe list on my Pinterest board dedicated to, quinoa.

In the hopes of creating an edible meal, I decided to experiment with some of the ingredients I had on hand, and a little inspiration from some casseroles I once made with brown rice.

Ingredients Needed: 

1 1/2 C. Uncooked Quinoa
2 1/2 lbs. Ground Turkey
5 Handfuls Raw Spinach (chopped)
1/2 - 1 Whole White Onion (chopped)
4-5 Cloves Garlic (chopped)
1 10 3/4 oz. Can Tomato Soup
3/4 Soup Can of Water
1/4 C. Plain Bread Crumbs
3 C. Grated Colby Jack Cheese (you may choose to substitute other types of cheese)
1 15.25 oz. Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 tsp. Dried Basil
1/8 tsp. Dried Thyme

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop spinach, onion, and garlic (to your chunkiness liking). Cook quinoa according to the directions on the package. Cook ground turkey until juices run clear, and meat is fully cooked (do not overcook the turkey, or it will be dry). Once the quinoa is done, add the cooked ground turkey (I combine these ingredients in a large mixing bowl). Add a bit of olive oil to the pan that you used to cook the ground turkey. Once the olive oil is heated, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Saute the onions and garlic until they are lightly browned. Next, add the chopped spinach into the pan, along with the onions and garlic. Saute the spinach until it becomes slightly wilted.

Add the onions, garlic, and spinach into the quinoa/ground turkey mixture. Gently stir ingredients together. Next, add one full can of tomato soup. Mix together, and then fill the tomato soup can 3/4 of the way full, with water. Add the water to the mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs into your casserole mixture, and blend well.Gently add, 2 cups of grated Colby Jack cheese, and 15.25 ounces of black beans (drained and rinsed). Mix in 1/4 tsp. dried basil, and 1/8 tsp. dried thyme (you may want to add more, or less, spices to meet your specific taste requirements). Mix all ingredients until well incorporated.

Make sure that you spray your casserole dish with olive oil BEFORE you add your quinoa mixture.Lightly scoop your casserole mixture into your casserole dish. Do not pack the mixture into the dish too tightly. Sprinkle 1 cup of Colby Jack cheese on top of your casserole.

Place casserole into preheated 375º oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until casserole is warm, and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

*Please Note: 

My family felt that the casserole could have used a little bit of spice/zing. So, I suggest that you might add a little salsa, or chipotle dressing to the top of your individual serving of Quinoa Casserole.

Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Buddies

Where do I begin? 

Oh yes, I have been reminiscing about one of my most favorite childhood snacks, chocolate covered frozen bananas! I remember that the only time I ever sunk my teeth into these scrumptious treats was when my mom took me to Disneyland. This was an occasion that only took place a few times, but memorable enough for me to want to recreate the deliciousness that is encapsulated within such a simple dessert.

You may have noticed these little goodies in the freezer section of your local supermarket. However, they are pretty pricey! 

Here I will provide step-by-step instructions on how to create two forms of these delectable yummies, for way less than you can purchase them at the store.

*First, how to make chocolate covered peanut butter banana buddies. 

Ingredients Needed:

2 large bananas
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips, (or chocolate of your choosing)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (optional)
A few tablespoons of peanut butter (I used, Adams All Natural Peanut Butter)
Toppings: (sprinkles, crushed peanuts, mini m&m's, crushed peanut butter cups, etc.)

Materials Needed:

A Cookie Sheet
Parchment/Wax Paper
Plastic Wrap
Sucker Sticks or Toothpicks

Step 1:

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside of your cookie sheet. 

Step 2:

Peel and slice your bananas into rounds that are about 1/4 of an inch in thickness. Place your banana rounds onto your parchment paper, and then put a dab of peanut butter in the center of half of the rounds.

Step 3:

Next, place a plain banana round on top of each banana topped slice (Note: I tried to match up each round so they were about the same size).

Step 4:

Insert a sucker stick into the peanut butter of each banana buddy (Note: You can use toothpicks in place of the sucker sticks, and remove them after dipping. However, I like the sucker sticks because it makes the banana buddies easier for my kids to eat.).

Step 5:

Cover the peanut butter banana buddies with plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer for 2 hours.

Step 6:

Prepare your toppings. My kids chose non-pariels, crushed peanuts, and good old sprinkles. Mind you, if I were to make these for guests, or another event, I would have selected more elegant, and color coordinated toppings.

Step 7:

When you are ready to coat your peanut butter banana buddies, begin to melt 6 ounces of chocolate. You can use a double-boiler, the microwave, or place a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. I used the double-boiler method. 

As your chocolate melts, stir in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. You do not need to use the coconut oil, but it does help to produce a, "Magic Shell" effect when you coat your frozen peanut butter banana buddies.

Step 8:

Coat your peanut butter banana buddies. You will need to move at a swift pace to ensure that you: evenly coat each banana, get the toppings to stick, and keep the chocolate coating melted enough to coat all of your banana buddies. (I like to coat my banana buddies near the stove. I keep my top pan tiled over the bottom pan of the double-boiler, and I use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate onto the banana buddies.) 

Remove your peanut butter banana buddies from the freezer. The bananas should not slide down the sucker sticks. If they do slide, then you will need to keep them in the freezer until the bananas stay up on their own.

Hold one banana in your non-dominant hand, and drizzle the chocolate over the banana buddy with your dominant hand. You will need to turn the banana buddy upside down, and tap of the excess chocolate. To ensure a smooth coating, turn and tap the banana buddy as the chocolate begins to harden. 

When you can see that your chocolate is beginning to set, take your banana buddy to your coating station (I line my counters with several pieces of overlapping parchment to ensure easy clean up). Quickly sprinkle the topping of your choice over your banana buddy. Be sure to turn the sucker stick as you sprinkle. This will help you to coat each side of your banana buddy. Don't forget the bottom! This step takes some practice, but after one or two, you will be able to tell when your banana buddy is ready to be topped.

*Helpful Hint*: I use a piece of green foam core to place my banana buddies in to set up. You can purchase this at your local craft store.

Step 8:

Display your peanut butter banana buddies, or place them on a clean sheet of parchment and place them back in the freezer for 3 to 5 days. 

I like to use the green foam core, a decorative bucket, and tissue paper (or other filler) to display my peanut butter banana buddies. It makes for a cute centerpiece for a birthday party, or other special event.  Keep in mind, displaying your banana pops is an unnecessary step, and should only be done if you have the extra time.

*Second, how to make chocolate covered banana buddies.

Ingredients Needed:

3 large bananas
12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips, (or chocolate of your choosing)
2 tablespoon of coconut oil (optional)
Toppings: (sprinkles, crushed peanuts, mini m&m's, crushed peanut butter cups, etc.)

Materials Needed:

A Cookie Sheet
Parchment/Wax Paper
Plastic Wrap
Extra Long, and Regular Sucker Sticks or Toothpicks

Step 1:

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside of your cookie sheet.

Step 2:

Peel and slice your bananas. I sliced 2 bananas in half, and the third banana into rounds that were about 1/4 of an inch in thickness. Place your banana halves and rounds onto your parchment paper, and insert a sucker stick into each banana. 

Step 3: 

Cover the peanut butter banana buddies with plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Step 4:

Follow steps 6-8 from above.

Step 5: 

Display your chocolate covered banana buddies, or place them in the freezer for 3-5 days.

Step 6:

Enjoy your chocolate covered/peanut butter banana buddies. 

They are super delicious!

*Other yummy variations...

Use Nutella, or your favorite yogurt instead of peanut butter.

Freeze your bananas, dip them in greek yogurt, refreeze, then dip in chocolate.

*Make yummy chocolate crumbles with the leftover chocolate...

Step 1:

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside of your cookie sheet.

Step 2:

Spread the melted chocolate onto the piece of parchment paper. You can add any leftover toppings before the chocolate sets.

Place the chocolate filled cookie sheet into your freezer for several hours.

Once the chocolate is frozen, remove it from the freezer and break it into bite-sized pieces.

Put the chocolate bits into a zip top freezer bag, and place back into your freezer for future use on ice cream sundaes.

Nobody's Perfect

I am starting this blog because of recent media posts about the stress that women, especially moms, feel to be perfect. We are living in the do it yourself, make it cute, and put up the front that you are the best mom in the world era. Well... I myself have fallen prey to this trend, and quite frankly, I really don't have time for it all. So I am beginning to simplify starting now.

I am a mother of three beautiful children, a wife, a full-time school teacher, and a little bit of everything in between. I work endless hours, and I can't seem to keep up with it all. My laundry is always piled up, there are toys everywhere, dishes are in the sink, and my car well... (let's just call it what it is), a disaster area!

No one is perfect, and I am tired of trying to live up to my own far fetched expectations. From now on, I am going to do what is within the realm of possibility for my time constraints, my budget, and most importantly my sanity.

Within this blog, I will be sharing fun and simple ideas to inspire you to spice up your life at home, with a lot less stress.

Enjoy!