One of our errands this afternoon was the grocery store. And of course the one grocery store in town is set up so that one enters next to the bakery. Scooter immediately started suggesting that we get some cookies and then fixated on the donuts. So guess what I promised to make.
This is why I love the internet. I ran a search, sifted out the bakeries with ready-made donuts (great idea, but they wouldn't exactly be able to deliver by 6 pm), and skimmed over a handful of recipes before settling on this one.
As is usually the case, however, I didn't quite have all of the ingredients on hand and had to make some substitutes. So here is what my version looked like:
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk (with half a lemon added; I learned about this substitution from Alton Brown)
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 cups gluten-free flour (I used 2 cups of all purpose gf flour and 3 cups of brown rice flour, both from Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking soda (we have forgotten to pick up baking powder for our pantry)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon (also don't have nutmeg in the pantry yet)
I followed the basic directions for mixing, letting the dough rest, and frying. I pan fried them in about 1 1/2 inches of canola oil.
They turned out pretty well. The one problem I had was keeping the temperature of the oil just right, so there are a few that are very brown on the outside and a little underdone on the inside, though not badly. I made some donut holes too, although those were actually more prone to undercooking since they were fatter than the depth of the oil.
While tasty on their own, the donuts were even better when frosted with some Cherrybrook Kitchen chocolate frosting. We recently decided to give Amazon groceries a shot, particularly with some of the gluten-free products that we use a lot or can't get around here, and the frosting arrived today. Talk about timing!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Pot roast
We're having a snowy sort of day here. Just enough to make us change our plans (library and a few errands) and decide to hole up in our warm house today. I had already planned pot roast for dinner tonight, but now we get to enjoy its homey aroma all day long.
This is probably not something Scooter will even agree to taste, but less picky children might. I'll be popping a gluten-free bread mix in the bread maker in a little bit so that he can have his grilled cheese sandwich tonight.
Somewhere over on my other blog, there's a recipe for pot roast that involves French onion soup mix and a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup. It's an easy recipe and makes its own gravy, but there aren't any good gluten-free substitutes that I've found, so I'm experimenting with the following today (will update later with my verdict).
Crockpot Pot Roast
Ingredients:
Good-sized chuck roast or other cut that's good for slow-cooking (ours is 2 1/2 pounds--I expect lots of leftovers!)
Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, other veggies you might want to include
Broth
Salt and pepper
So far, it smells good and looks to be cooking nicely.
ETA: The roast was incredibly tender and tasty. Could have used a little more salt (can always add that per individual taste once it's served). Might also use less broth next time since the juices from the roast added quite a bit to the volume. Could probably get away with not browning the onions first, as I didn't notice them one way or the other. But overall, very tasty and filling, an entire meal in one pot.
This is probably not something Scooter will even agree to taste, but less picky children might. I'll be popping a gluten-free bread mix in the bread maker in a little bit so that he can have his grilled cheese sandwich tonight.
Somewhere over on my other blog, there's a recipe for pot roast that involves French onion soup mix and a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup. It's an easy recipe and makes its own gravy, but there aren't any good gluten-free substitutes that I've found, so I'm experimenting with the following today (will update later with my verdict).
Crockpot Pot Roast
Ingredients:
Good-sized chuck roast or other cut that's good for slow-cooking (ours is 2 1/2 pounds--I expect lots of leftovers!)
Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, other veggies you might want to include
Broth
Salt and pepper
- Chop up veggies. I used 3 medium-sized white potatoes, 3 ribs of celery, and 2 handfuls of baby carrots, plus half an onion.
- Saute chopped up onion until starting to brown. Set aside.
- Brown roast on all sides.
- Place potatoes on bottom of crockpot. Top with half of onions and then the roast. Put rest of onions on top of that.
- Put veggies around sides of roast.
- Salt and pepper as desired.
- Pour broth (I used a vegetable broth that's just veggies and spices--no ambiguous "natural flavors" or other questionable items) over the top. I filled the cooker about halfway.
So far, it smells good and looks to be cooking nicely.
ETA: The roast was incredibly tender and tasty. Could have used a little more salt (can always add that per individual taste once it's served). Might also use less broth next time since the juices from the roast added quite a bit to the volume. Could probably get away with not browning the onions first, as I didn't notice them one way or the other. But overall, very tasty and filling, an entire meal in one pot.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Connect the dots
As I have said to Trillian a couple times in the past few days, there has been a part of me that wished the gluten-free diet wouldn't work, that we could just call it quits and go back to eating all our usual old stuff. It would certainly be easier. Wouldn't solve anything, but everything would be easier.
But I can't ignore that there's been a difference. After years of being a low weight for his height, Scooter has been gaining weight. He's filling out and I can no longer count his ribs easily. If his gut is anything like mine, he must be feeling better too.
To add to all of this, Trillian was doing some research today that further supports at least the "gluten-free" part of the gfcf diet. Our internet research takes us to information on celiac disease, and Trillian found that there are some potential connections between some odd health issues I've long had and gluten.
The most interesting one is paresthesia. My extremities fall asleep very easily. Like I cross my legs and get pins and needles in my foot and lower leg within minutes. I cannot do anything above my head for more than about a minute at a time. Almost four years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, though I only barely fit the criteria based on tender points. The neurologist, however, felt that my paresthesia was much more severe than would make sense, given the level of my other symptoms. I had various scans, even allowed them to stick pins in me and run electrical currents through my body to see if there was anything impeding my nerve impulses. Absolutely no reason was found. No explanation. Just figure out how to live with it.
Turns out that there are people with celiac disease whose symptoms include paresthesia. So I'm waiting to see if this gets better if I stick to the gluten-free diet for several months. And then maybe that will be one way Scooter doesn't have to take after his mother.
But I can't ignore that there's been a difference. After years of being a low weight for his height, Scooter has been gaining weight. He's filling out and I can no longer count his ribs easily. If his gut is anything like mine, he must be feeling better too.
To add to all of this, Trillian was doing some research today that further supports at least the "gluten-free" part of the gfcf diet. Our internet research takes us to information on celiac disease, and Trillian found that there are some potential connections between some odd health issues I've long had and gluten.
The most interesting one is paresthesia. My extremities fall asleep very easily. Like I cross my legs and get pins and needles in my foot and lower leg within minutes. I cannot do anything above my head for more than about a minute at a time. Almost four years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, though I only barely fit the criteria based on tender points. The neurologist, however, felt that my paresthesia was much more severe than would make sense, given the level of my other symptoms. I had various scans, even allowed them to stick pins in me and run electrical currents through my body to see if there was anything impeding my nerve impulses. Absolutely no reason was found. No explanation. Just figure out how to live with it.
Turns out that there are people with celiac disease whose symptoms include paresthesia. So I'm waiting to see if this gets better if I stick to the gluten-free diet for several months. And then maybe that will be one way Scooter doesn't have to take after his mother.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Getting back to the kitchen
Wow, the Kitchen's gotten a bit dusty. This combination of moving and the holidays has meant a lot of time away from the stove, seeking out allowable restaurant foods and meals at relatives' homes.
Since Trillian and Scooter got to her parents', he's been pretty much wheat-free. We have not been quite as successful on the casein front. I discovered when I got here that the rice cheese they've been using may be lactose-free, but it has casein specially added. Unfortunately, there's very little available out here without casein, and the casein-free cheese just doesn't melt well, regardless of what the packaging insists.
I did a pretty good job of eating gluten-free while I was on my own, but gave in to temptation my last week and got a delicious wood-fired pizza from the cafe near us. The crust bakes up wonderfully, with those little bubbles around the edge and a thin bottom. My favorite version adds cheese, mushrooms, and truffle oil on top. Definitely not on my diet, but I couldn't help myself. And then had all the proof I needed that I should not be eating any wheat and should probably avoid dairy too.
For Christmas, Trillian and I received a bread-maker from her parents. The idea is that it will be dedicated to gluten-free baking. The Bob's Red Mill bread mix that we use can be baked up in it, and I'll soon be experimenting with regular recipes that I adjust for gluten-free flours.
In Scooter's case, we're still generally looking for substitutions. This is part of why we're allowing the cheese with casein right now--he'll eat grilled cheese sandwiches on the special bread we bake up. We haven't found an acceptable chicken nugget yet (I've got the next candidate baking right now). We're also searching for burritos and pasta that he'll eat. He had started wolfing them down at preschool. The burritos had been a favorite for a long time, though he has never liked the version we make at home, even when he was still getting wheat and dairy and even though we followed the cook's directions.
For me, this has been an experience of re-envisioning what I eat. I am not so enamored of the available breads or other baked goods that I've made a direct substitution. Instead, I am eating differently. With the leftover ham and turkey (from two holiday dinners), I've been eating the meat on its own, not in sandwiches. I've had acorn squash and baked sweet potatoes in the place of the usual casseroles; despite those casseroles calling to me (the sweet potatoes are beyond decadent!), I have found the more basic versions quite satisfying. Instead of holiday cookies--and boy are there good ones here--I've focused on the candy canes and dark chocolate. OK, so I plan on cutting way back on the sugar once the holidays are truly past.
Once we're settled into our new house, I'll be making a few more changes and experimenting more. In the meantime, I'm going to try to share some of the recipes I've been enjoying.
Since Trillian and Scooter got to her parents', he's been pretty much wheat-free. We have not been quite as successful on the casein front. I discovered when I got here that the rice cheese they've been using may be lactose-free, but it has casein specially added. Unfortunately, there's very little available out here without casein, and the casein-free cheese just doesn't melt well, regardless of what the packaging insists.
I did a pretty good job of eating gluten-free while I was on my own, but gave in to temptation my last week and got a delicious wood-fired pizza from the cafe near us. The crust bakes up wonderfully, with those little bubbles around the edge and a thin bottom. My favorite version adds cheese, mushrooms, and truffle oil on top. Definitely not on my diet, but I couldn't help myself. And then had all the proof I needed that I should not be eating any wheat and should probably avoid dairy too.
For Christmas, Trillian and I received a bread-maker from her parents. The idea is that it will be dedicated to gluten-free baking. The Bob's Red Mill bread mix that we use can be baked up in it, and I'll soon be experimenting with regular recipes that I adjust for gluten-free flours.
In Scooter's case, we're still generally looking for substitutions. This is part of why we're allowing the cheese with casein right now--he'll eat grilled cheese sandwiches on the special bread we bake up. We haven't found an acceptable chicken nugget yet (I've got the next candidate baking right now). We're also searching for burritos and pasta that he'll eat. He had started wolfing them down at preschool. The burritos had been a favorite for a long time, though he has never liked the version we make at home, even when he was still getting wheat and dairy and even though we followed the cook's directions.
For me, this has been an experience of re-envisioning what I eat. I am not so enamored of the available breads or other baked goods that I've made a direct substitution. Instead, I am eating differently. With the leftover ham and turkey (from two holiday dinners), I've been eating the meat on its own, not in sandwiches. I've had acorn squash and baked sweet potatoes in the place of the usual casseroles; despite those casseroles calling to me (the sweet potatoes are beyond decadent!), I have found the more basic versions quite satisfying. Instead of holiday cookies--and boy are there good ones here--I've focused on the candy canes and dark chocolate. OK, so I plan on cutting way back on the sugar once the holidays are truly past.
Once we're settled into our new house, I'll be making a few more changes and experimenting more. In the meantime, I'm going to try to share some of the recipes I've been enjoying.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
An experiment
Observation: On some days, Scooter has a noticeably harder time controlling himself than on others. We have not been able to trace this to specific activities.
Hypothesis: Since he is still consuming some gluten and casein at school, maybe his out-of-control days coincide with the days when he eats the most wheat and dairy there.
Experiment #1: We've been able to keep Scooter gfcf on weekends. But a weekend ago, I broke down and ordered pizza when Trillian did. And then we gave in and let Scooter have some too. For the rest of the afternoon, he was bouncing around in ways we haven't seen for several weekends.
Experiment #2: We went to a birthday party yesterday and, because I just couldn't get myself organized enough beforehand, we threw caution to the wind and let him have whatever. Fast food chicken nuggets on the way out, a few bites of cheese pizza and cake and ice cream at the party. Today, not only has he been bouncing off the walls, he also had several accidents--forgot to go to the potty when he needed to, couldn't quite make it there when he did remember. This is something that hasn't happened for a while now.
Conclusion: I have not been quite as willing as Trillian to attribute recent changes in Scooter's behavior to the gfcf diet, but I think maybe I've been swayed to her way of thinking. Particularly convincing were the multiple accidents today; he has been so good about this, even in the face of a varying schedule, that the previous day's change in diet seems like the most obvious explanation.
Possible further experiments: Once we move, we'll be able to complete the switch to an entirely gfcf diet. One thing I am particularly interested to see is if we can determine whether the gluten or casein has a worse effect on him. If, as Trillian and I suspect, the gluten is the main culprit, we might actually be able to create pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches that he is eager to eat.
Hypothesis: Since he is still consuming some gluten and casein at school, maybe his out-of-control days coincide with the days when he eats the most wheat and dairy there.
Experiment #1: We've been able to keep Scooter gfcf on weekends. But a weekend ago, I broke down and ordered pizza when Trillian did. And then we gave in and let Scooter have some too. For the rest of the afternoon, he was bouncing around in ways we haven't seen for several weekends.
Experiment #2: We went to a birthday party yesterday and, because I just couldn't get myself organized enough beforehand, we threw caution to the wind and let him have whatever. Fast food chicken nuggets on the way out, a few bites of cheese pizza and cake and ice cream at the party. Today, not only has he been bouncing off the walls, he also had several accidents--forgot to go to the potty when he needed to, couldn't quite make it there when he did remember. This is something that hasn't happened for a while now.
Conclusion: I have not been quite as willing as Trillian to attribute recent changes in Scooter's behavior to the gfcf diet, but I think maybe I've been swayed to her way of thinking. Particularly convincing were the multiple accidents today; he has been so good about this, even in the face of a varying schedule, that the previous day's change in diet seems like the most obvious explanation.
Possible further experiments: Once we move, we'll be able to complete the switch to an entirely gfcf diet. One thing I am particularly interested to see is if we can determine whether the gluten or casein has a worse effect on him. If, as Trillian and I suspect, the gluten is the main culprit, we might actually be able to create pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches that he is eager to eat.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Muzzy el grande
When we go and stay with Trillian's parents, Scooter likes to watch Sprout, prefers it now over Noggin, which is what he used to watch. While I like the programming on Sprout (for the most part), I don't like that there are commercials. Not a lot, not as much as most channels, and they're mostly aimed at parents.
But this is how Scooter found out about Muzzy. The funny thing is that he didn't ask for it right away. Instead, a couple weeks after we got back home from our August visit, he announced that we needed to go to the store to get Muzzy. He was not happy with our explanation that it wasn't available at just any old store. In fact, one has to order it special. Plus, it's a bit more than we would want to just shell out. Level I costs $199. And that's before you consider adding on the interactive CD-ROMs and Level II.
Somehow Muzzy came up when talking with a friend--a friend who happens to have the Spanish DVDs for Level I. Since Spanish is the de facto second language in the US and we're moving to an area with a decent-sized Spanish-speaking population, we have borrowed them. Scooter loves the program. And now, after a handful of viewings, he will announce every once in a while, "X is Spanish. It means Y."
Now Scooter has had some exposure to the idea that there are different languages. We have a number of French children's books around--most of them I purchased for myself many years ago--and he had picked up snippets of French and Spanish from books and television. And he went through a period when he would have me read Where the Wild Things Are in both French and English before bed. But I haven't wanted to push second-language learning since he has had some language issues.
On the other hand, he has been very receptive lately, coinciding with a sudden upsurge in English language skills. In addition, I think that listening to the new sounds has been helping him improve his ability to process sound and figure out how to mimic. I'm sure that there is some explanation of how this is exactly what he needed, I could probably even find it if I so desired right now.
I'm still not entirely sure if we'll go the route of purchasing an entire Muzzy set, though the fact that he's watching it repeatedly--and understanding--makes me think I need to consider it much more thoroughly than I did before.
But this is how Scooter found out about Muzzy. The funny thing is that he didn't ask for it right away. Instead, a couple weeks after we got back home from our August visit, he announced that we needed to go to the store to get Muzzy. He was not happy with our explanation that it wasn't available at just any old store. In fact, one has to order it special. Plus, it's a bit more than we would want to just shell out. Level I costs $199. And that's before you consider adding on the interactive CD-ROMs and Level II.
Somehow Muzzy came up when talking with a friend--a friend who happens to have the Spanish DVDs for Level I. Since Spanish is the de facto second language in the US and we're moving to an area with a decent-sized Spanish-speaking population, we have borrowed them. Scooter loves the program. And now, after a handful of viewings, he will announce every once in a while, "X is Spanish. It means Y."
Now Scooter has had some exposure to the idea that there are different languages. We have a number of French children's books around--most of them I purchased for myself many years ago--and he had picked up snippets of French and Spanish from books and television. And he went through a period when he would have me read Where the Wild Things Are in both French and English before bed. But I haven't wanted to push second-language learning since he has had some language issues.
On the other hand, he has been very receptive lately, coinciding with a sudden upsurge in English language skills. In addition, I think that listening to the new sounds has been helping him improve his ability to process sound and figure out how to mimic. I'm sure that there is some explanation of how this is exactly what he needed, I could probably even find it if I so desired right now.
I'm still not entirely sure if we'll go the route of purchasing an entire Muzzy set, though the fact that he's watching it repeatedly--and understanding--makes me think I need to consider it much more thoroughly than I did before.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Cobbling together cobbler
Trillian and I are throwing a dinner party in just under two weeks. I've invited my two best friends from the department and my friend from the school where we both used to teach, along with their significant others, to have dinner at my house. It'll be one of our last chances to socialize before Trillian and Scooter head down to the grandparents' for the holidays (I'll follow along a few weeks later), and we also want to introduce my former colleague and her husband around.
I have been debating the food for this party, particularly whether or not I will stick with a totally gfcf menu. In addition, one guest has a nut allergy and one is a vegetarian.
I've already decided to make dinner-proper vegetarian, offering meat along with cheeses as an appetizer. I will add some rice crackers to the other crackers on the platter and can just not have any cheese, so that course is fine.
This evening, I thought that maybe I'd try a cobbler, substituting gfcf ingredients in the biscuit part. I improvised even more, in that I have a gfcf baking mix, not a separate flour. So I simply didn't add the baking soda or powder. Then I used my dairy-free butter substitute and rice milk and proceeded per the recipe.
The result? Hmmm...
I've noticed that gfcf baked goods tend to be a little grainier than those made with wheat flour. With the mixes we use, the flavor tends to fall within the expected range for such items. But definitely grainier. And that was definitely the case with the cobbler topping. I could also taste that the flour was different. Not awful, but not something I want to have huge servings of.
I won't be serving that for dessert. I may, since Scooter won't want it anyway and I'm a big girl who can decide for herself about the gluten, go ahead and make the regular recipe; cobbler just seems perfect for the season and I can make most of it ahead of time. But this isn't ready yet for its gfcf debut!
I have been debating the food for this party, particularly whether or not I will stick with a totally gfcf menu. In addition, one guest has a nut allergy and one is a vegetarian.
I've already decided to make dinner-proper vegetarian, offering meat along with cheeses as an appetizer. I will add some rice crackers to the other crackers on the platter and can just not have any cheese, so that course is fine.
This evening, I thought that maybe I'd try a cobbler, substituting gfcf ingredients in the biscuit part. I improvised even more, in that I have a gfcf baking mix, not a separate flour. So I simply didn't add the baking soda or powder. Then I used my dairy-free butter substitute and rice milk and proceeded per the recipe.
The result? Hmmm...
I've noticed that gfcf baked goods tend to be a little grainier than those made with wheat flour. With the mixes we use, the flavor tends to fall within the expected range for such items. But definitely grainier. And that was definitely the case with the cobbler topping. I could also taste that the flour was different. Not awful, but not something I want to have huge servings of.
I won't be serving that for dessert. I may, since Scooter won't want it anyway and I'm a big girl who can decide for herself about the gluten, go ahead and make the regular recipe; cobbler just seems perfect for the season and I can make most of it ahead of time. But this isn't ready yet for its gfcf debut!
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