Monthly Archives: June 2011
Miss a Tweet this Week? 2011-06-26
- Field Trip and School wind up! My house smells of sinful vanilla toffee GF mini cupcakes! mmmmmm Now the… http://fb.me/LV1kyIHK #
- Gluten Intolerance VERY real! Even when tested negative for celiac! http://fb.me/11C6rRndH #
- Good beginner Info video! ( products are American
but info is good! ) http://fb.me/XgMirLSc #
Gluten in Sunscreen?
For some people, even coming in contact with wheat can cause epic rashes and reactions so with summer here…. Ya. Lotions and sprays start to come into question. Sunscreens? Sadly… yes, many! more
Quick Tip of the Day?
Ever wondered how much of that Xanthum Gum to use? Here is a quick rule of thumb.
For every cup of wheat-free/gluten-free flour use:
Cakes – ½ teaspoon Xanthan/guar gum
Pizza & Breads – 1 teaspoon Xanthan/guar gum
Cookies (most of them) – ½ teaspoon to no xanthan/guar gum
Carrot Cake Balls
Carrot Cake Balls are not something to make in an evening on a whim after work when you’ve got dinner on the go, and kids homework. However, if you have a Saturday, or don’t mind taking two evenings….definitely worth every minute. The basic ball recipe goes as follows:
1/2 a cake recipe, baked and crumbled up after cooled
1/2 an icing recipe or 1/2 of a store bought container
mix together and freeze for about 1 hour
form mixture into balls and re-freeze on parchment paper on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes
dip in melted chocolate and refrigerate until fully cooled and chocolate has firmed.
Feel free to put sprinkles in the cake and icing mixture, or after dipping (although this has to be done quickly since the balls are cold, therefore the chocolate starts to harden right away)
Now to make the ones in the picture, you do need Carrot Cake, it’s my favorite, my fiancee’s favorite and my stepdaughter’s favorite, that’s how we ended up making these. Here is the greatest Gluten-Free Carrot Cake:
Ingredients:
- 2 C sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 C light olive oil OR your favorite vegetable oil
- 2 C all-purpose gluten-free flour mix*
- 2 t baking soda*
- 2 t gluten-free baking powder*
- 2 t cinnamon
- 1 t salt*
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 1 C chopped nuts
- 3 C freshly grated carrots
- Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C
Use two round 9-inch cake pans, one 9×13 pan or 36 muffin cups for this recipe. (If using cake pans, lightly grease and place a circle of parchment in the bottom of the pan for easy removal. Use paper lining cups if making cupcakes.) - Cream sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl with an electric beater or stand mixer.
- Add oil and vanilla and beat just until smooth.
- In a separate bowl combine gluten-free flour mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until blended.
- Stir in grated carrots and nuts.
- Pour the batter into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. (For muffins, reduce baking time to 30-35 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test.)
- Cool on a wire rack.
Icing
- 4 T unsalted butter
- 1/2 pkg cream cheese
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 – 3 C powdered sugar
- While cake or muffins are cooling place butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
- When cake is cool frost.
* The Gluten Free flour mixture that I use is Bob’s Red Mill Biscuit and Baking Mix. This flour mixture already contains Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Xantham Gum and Salt. Therefore those ingredients can be left out of this recipe. If you are using an all-purpose flour mixture that does not contain those ingredients, ensure you do not omit them or you will have problems. If you are using a mixture that does not contain Xantham or Guar Gum, ensure you add 1 teaspoon of Xantham Gum to the dry ingredients.
Also note that when I make a 9×13 cake with this recipe, it falls in the middle. This is a fairly dense, VERY moist cake that everyone loves.
One last thing to remember is to check the ingredient listing on ALL of the items you use for your cake, including the Icing Sugar, Baking Soda and Baking Powder for any gluten products. The manufacturers are sneaky, and not afraid to insert it where it’s least expected.
OH! And don’t forget to enjoy….these only lasted 24 hours in my house, and even at the neighbours barbecue, EVERYONE enjoyed them without even realizing the cake had no gluten in it.
How do YOU keep swimming?
I have never been one to ‘go with the flow’, as my parents remind me regularly, but fighting against the current can be exhausting. Battling upriver against the torrents of media, big corps and societal norms of high car, over processed, and sugar laden ‘staples’ are noble goals but they need the support of fellow swimmers. The current is deep and ohhh… sooo comfortable!
What tools do YOU use to keep on track and to keep the Gluten Free &/or Sugar Free momentum going in your house?
Miss a Tweet this Week? 2011-06-12
- Get Growing ! My Boys are STOKED! http://fb.me/SEJomvLn #
- OOOO Awesomeness! I have appliance envy! http://fb.me/Lkv8ucCA #
Just keep swimming… Just keep swimming…
In today’s markets/societies, convenience and processed foods are the staple! Commonly available educational materials on healthy eating include and even promotes many of these convenience foods as part of a ‘Balanced Diet’. I am still stunned and amazed at the information I see coming home in my kids hands or doled out to adults as gospel. Corporate sponsorship of ‘educational programs’ often placing the fox in the hen house and our children and homes are filled with mixed messages. However, there is a small but mighty wave of change rippling through. The movement away from pop tarts and pasta platters is encouraging but ever battling.
Packaged nutrient deficient delicacies on the market (Count Chocula was my childhood favorite… followed closely by BOOberry) end up in our homes for two reasons. 1 – Ease 2 – Cost/quantity ratio These are hard reasons to overcome as the validity is understandable. At a time when we are pinching pennies and watching ‘cut backs’ and ‘ recessions’ in the news, feeding a family of bottomless pits scares parents more than property taxes! Trying to cram food in their mouths while racing from work to the endless myriad of organized sports and activities takes the skills of a NASA launch team! Time and Money are very motivating factors!
So what are 5 things we can do to over come this?
1) Menu Plans to avoid waste and save time ‘wondering what’s for supper’.
2) Get the Kids involved in the shopping lists to avoid the ” I don’t Like those!” battles when making lunches.
3) EDUCATE - Kids, adults, and ‘professionals’ are all humans and awareness is huge!
4) Be Prepared for being weak! Keeping temptation foods out of your house is important for those days you ‘just can’t do it!’
5) HAVE FUN! - No one likes a food nazi! Keep the atmosphere light, the food delicious and spirit playful!
Most of all…. Don’t give up, Join Up! Find like minded individuals to help keep the energy going.
Good Eatin’s to you!
Summer Sweeeeet!
Trying to make kids sugar free is like turning a horse into a ballerina. Yes, lipizans can… kinda.. but it’s a hell of a lot of work and always just a ‘kinda’ state of being. That said.. there has been some successes there too. more
What others have to say!