Someday You'll Thank Me

Amy's Gingerbread and My Lemon Sauce

2010-01-08T18:51:00.028-06:00

Around Thanksgiving I started craving gingerbread and began searching for a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free recipe. I read through lots of recipes. I tried one recipe and it had the consistency of dense, thick fudge, which was not what I was looking for. I kept looking and reading and searching recipes. It was a tall order, GF,SF,DF, and with the consistency of cake and brownies. I had resigned to the fact that on a GF, SF, DF diet I was not going to get to enjoy gingerbread like I like it.

I was surprised and delighted when my friend Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free posted a recipe for gingerbread that looked and sounded perfect and just what I was searching for.

The recipe calls for super fine brown rice flour and teff flour. I have every GF flour in my pantry except teff flour. I quickly shot Amy an email asking if another flour would work in place of teff flour. It just so happened she was just about to log off her computer. She graciously shot me an email back saying millet or amaranth flour should work just fine. I used millet flour and it does, it works just fine. The gingerbread is absolutely perfect and oh so divine!

I like gingerbread with warm lemon sauce so I made a sugar-free version using agave that is yummy.

Lemon Sauce

1/2 c. organic agave nectar
1/2 c. filtered water
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. organic butter
1 T. organic lemon juice
Scant 1/4 t. lemon extract
Zest of one organic lemon

Combine agave and water and bring to a slow boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 2-3 T. water and stir into slow boiling agave/water. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter, juice, extract and zest. Stir until well blended. Enjoy!

That is natural color from the lemon zest! Isn't it beautiful?
This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday's at Amy Green's Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Spinach and Grapefruit Salad

2010-01-07T15:26:00.009-06:00

My friend Amy Green at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free has requested recipes for grapefruit and I remembered I had this delightful salad recipe. I printed the original recipe from Hallelujah Acres website recipe archive last spring. When I made the salad the first bite and every bite after that told me I had come across a very surprising and refreshing combination of seasonal fruit and leafy green vegetables. The original recipe included cauliflower florets and used olive oil. I did not include the cauliflower and I preferred Balsamic Vinagrette instead of olive oil.

Spinach and Grapefruit Salad

One large handful of spinach leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
One avocado, cut into small chunks
One grapefruit, peeled and cut into chunks
Balsamic Vinagrette

Attractively arrange spinach, avocado and grapefruit on a salad or dinner plate. Drizzle with Balsamic Vinagrette.

Enjoy!

Aunt Sandy's Beef Stew

2010-01-06T19:15:00.015-06:00

This is Joel. Joel is my nephew, the fourth child and second oldest boy of my brother Stan and sister (in-law) Mary. They have ten children. Now the wonderful part is they live just two blocks down and two blocks over from us. Adrian goes over there as much as he can and loves all the activity. Joel came over here yesterday. When Joel walked in the door I was browning stew meat and he promptly said, "What are you making Aunt Sandy?" I responded and he didn't miss a beat, "Can I stay for dinner, I love your beef stew?" Now that is a ticket to an automatic "Yes." He ate two full bowls and then as he was leaving scooped three or four cookies off the counter and said, "Thanks Aunt Sandy, the cookies are good too!" We are blessed.

Aunt Sandy's Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs. all natural lean beef stew meat
1 med. organic yellow onion chopped very fine
7 c. filtered water
6 small organic white potatoes
6 med. organic carrots
Salt and Pepper

Brown beef stew meat in 2 T. grapeseed oil on medium heat with finely chopped onion and plenty of salt and pepper. Brown well and let the bottom of the pan get brown but watch closely because you don't want it to burn or your stew will have a burnt taste. Add 7 c. filtered water and stir the meat and brown drippings off the bottom of the pan. Taste and make sure there is enough salt and pepper. The broth should have a very good flavour. Let simmer on low covered for an hour.

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks, not too small, not too big. Peel carrots and slice into 1/4" slices. Add potatoes and carrots to meat and broth and simmer 45 minutes to an hour or until vegetables are tender. Meat should be very tender and broth should be slightly thick (very slightly). Taste one more time before serving to make sure it is seasoned just right. Enjoy!

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday's at Amy Green's Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.

Red and Black Bean Chili

2010-01-03T17:14:00.019-06:00

My family knows that black and red are practically my trademark. It started in First Grade with my first pair of red shoes. Then in the 70's right after high school. I painted my bookcase high gloss bright red and made black and white gingham check curtains for my bedroom windows. It only snowballed from there. I chose red whenever there was a choice. Then over the years black became more and more of a fashion and decorating hot item. Our townhouse is decorated throughout in black and white with splashes of red here and there. We drive a black SUV with white (actually champagne) interior, I just couldn't commit to gray. I just seem to look at everything and see black and white with a little red. It's no surprise then that for New Year's I would make:

Red and Black Bean Chili

1 lb. lean all natural ground beef
1 med. organic red onion
1 28oz. can organic whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
1 15 oz. can organic red beans
1 15 oz. can organic black beans
Pinch organic cayenne pepper
1/4 t. black pepper
1 t. sea salt
3/4 t. organic ground cumin
2 t. organic chili powder

Mince red onion very fine. I used my mini food chopper. Brown ground beef with onion and salt and pepper to taste. After meat has browned taste it and make sure it has enough salt and pepper so it is well seasoned and tastes good. Then use a colander or strainer and drain well.

Puree' canned tomatoes. Drain red and black beans well. Combine all ingredients and simmer on low heat covered for 30 minutes. Stir and taste and add chili powder if you like more spice. Simmer on low heat for another hour. Stirring and tasting occasionally and adding chili powder for more spice if desired. I tend to like very mild chili.

You can also brown the meat with onions, puree' tomatoes, drain beans, then put everything in your crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

My First Cookie Experience

2010-01-01T14:03:00.000-06:00

I can remember making cookies for the first time when I was about 9 years old. It was a Saturday afternoon and my Mom was out, probably at the grocery store. My Dad was watching us. It was really fun when he was in charge. I mean he was always in charge but when he was "babysitting" we basicallly could just play and he watched car races or baseball on TV, attentively keeping an ear and eye on us of course.

I was needing something to do, or felt a tinge of hunger, I don't know which, but I came in the house and presented my Daddy with a bright idea, "Can I make some cookies?" He said yes!

I knew the recipe was on the back of the chocolate chip package. I got out a big bowl and proceeded to measure and dump the ingredients into it one by one. When I got down to the instructions I started reading and realized I was supposed to mix together the sugar, eggs and shortening before adding the dry ingredients. Since I didn't do this I knew I had made a mistake. I ran into the living room and asked my Daddy if I could throw it away and try again. He said, "Yes". So instead of mixing it up and dealing with the inconsequential error. I, in my naivete scooped the entire contents of the bowl into the trash can and started all over.

I don't remember actually baking the cookies but I do remember the cookie dough being just like Mom's when she made them. I probably baked one sheet full of cookies, got my fill of cookie dough and then left the rest. As I ran back outside to play I was very satisfied with my "success".

I don't remember this part but my Mom probably finished baking the cookies and also cleaned the mess. She was good about not wasting food and cleaning up. I have no doubt she saw the partly mixed cookie dough in the kitchen trash too, but she didn't say anything.

I continued making cookies for the next 40 years and then realized that as much as I love cookies I've either got to stop eating them or find a healthful alternative. Thanks to my food blogging friends I am finding recipes for cookies that are the same but so much better nutrition wise and in my opinion even more delicious and satisfying.

I made these Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies the other day. They are Vegan, Gluten and Sugar Free. The recipe comes from Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.

The delightful thing about these cookies is Mike likes them too, in fact he couldn't stop eating them. That made me feel good, and, well, satisfied with my "success".

Coconut Macaroons

2009-12-29T23:27:00.000-06:00

I didn't get all the special food and goodies made for Christmas that I wanted. In fact I got very few of the special goodies and food items made. It was only Mike and me this year and neither one of us wanted to have too many goodies in the house so it really didn't matter. Except I missed the baking and cooking that I am used to doing for the holidays. Tonight, since I had the ingredients, I decided to go ahead and make Coconut Macaroons. I found a recipe on the internet that uses honey instead of sugar. The recipe was submitted by Sarah Shilhavya. I do not have a website address. I used agave nectar instead of honey and inserted a whole raw almond into the cookie mound before baking them and then topped the cooled macaroon with a good amount of melted chocolate as she suggests. This is Sarah's recipe.

Classic Coconut Macaroons
By: Sarah Shilhavy

3 c. shredded coconut (I used organic unsweetened)
1 t. almond or vanilla extract (I used almond)
1/8 t. salt
2/3 c. honey (I used agave nectar)
4 egg whites
1 t. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350* F.
In a medium bowl, combine coconut, extract, and salt. Stir in honey until well combined.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into coconut mixture along with cream of tartar.

Scoop mixture firmly into a cookie scoop and press unto a greased cookie sheet as you drop it (the idea is to compact the balls). Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until browned. (Watch carefully and don't let them burn)

Cool cookies on cookie sheet and top with chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

3/4 c. chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
1 1/2 T. coconut oil
1 1/2 T. butter
1 T. brown rice syrup (I used honey)
1/4 t. vanilla extract

Combine chocolate, coconut oil, butter and syrup in a double boiler and melt gently. Once mixture is smooth add vanilla. (I had to add about 2 T. boiling water to get the chocolate thin enough to spoon it on top of the macaroons)

I halved the recipe and made 14 macaroons.

Then I had some left over chocolate so I added coconut to it and dropped it by small dabs and then pressed an almond in the center.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Amy Green's Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Something Special

2009-12-28T23:18:00.000-06:00

I wanted something special for Christmas breakfast. Something cinnamony. I was hoping to make gluten-free cinnamon rolls. Kelly at The Spunky Coconut posted a very intriguing do-able recipe that uses unsweetened applesauce to sweeten and spread on the rolled out dough before slicing it and rolling it up into individual rolls. I had the recipe and the ingredients and the plans to make them late Christmas Eve evening so they would be ready and waiting for Christmas morning. Well, Christmas Eve morning I wanted something quick and special and cinnamony. I've been craving cinnamon lately. I am enjoying a cookbook written by Elana from www.elanaspantry.com The Gluten-Free Almond-Flour Cookbook and I knew she had a coffeecake recipe that I thought would be simple and quick. I was right. It's now December 28th and I am finishing the last piece. What I like about almond flour and coconut flour besides being grain-free is the fact that recipes made with these flours get more moist and more flavorble with each passing day. The coffeecake has walnuts and currants in it. Currants are baby raisins. I didn't have any so I used regular raisins and chopped them fine. I also chopped the walnuts very fine and it was really good. The topping is sliced almonds, agave, grapeseed oil and cinnamon. After I spread the topping on the cake batter I noticed all the almonds were covered with the cinnamon mixture so I sprinkled some dry almonds on top just for looks. It's beautiful and delicious and has been for four days now. Since I was only cooking for Mike and me this Christmas I did not need the cinnamon rolls in addition to the coffeecake so the recipe is still out and waiting for New Year's Weekend. I'll let you know.

The Perfect Breakfast

2009-12-19T23:16:00.000-06:00

If you click on this link you will be taken to a post I posted in my life experience blog, "A Little Bit of Heaven". There is a picture and a few comments there on what for me is a perfect breakfast.

Amy Green of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free created a recipe for gluten-free biscuits that I just can't get enough of. I haven't missed bread that much since going gluten-free but I have missed English Muffins or biscuits for breakfast. Until.....Amy posted her recipe. The original post is for savory biscuits. They are made with fresh parsley and chives and they are amazing. For time sake one morning and because I couldn't wait I made them without the herbs - fabulous; crunchy on the outside, flaky on the inside, buttery and slightly salty. They freeze well so I just take one out of a freezer ziploc and pop it into the toaster. Wonderful!

Chive & Parsley Cream Biscuits
By: Amy Green

This is a picture of these wonderful biscuits. I used a 3" biscuit cutter and I could only eat a half of a biscuit. I noticed that since going sugar-free, gluten-free; I'm not hungry all the time, I'm satisfied with less, and I stay satisfied longer. The next time I made them I used a 2" biscuit cutter and they were just as beautiful!

Sick All the Time!

2009-12-18T18:35:00.000-06:00

Not too long after we were married my husband noticed and commented, "You're sick all the time." Ugh! Not what a newlywed wants to hear.

Well, I'm not sick anymore! Mike has helped me get to the bottom of what was making me sick and why? He's a research guru and will research for hours until he finds an answer that will work and then continues to research to make sure that's the right answer.

We believe the bottom line cause is low iodine, and low stomach acid, i.e. leaky gut, poor digestion. (I've already been working on that). And from what he's reading getting my iodine levels up will normalize everything which in turn will kill candida, eliminate heavy metals, elimiate food allergies and chemical sensitivities and even heal my digestion and malabsorption but I'm also going to need some HCL for that. Now if it will just restore the discs in my back. He says it will. He also found some excercises that are helpful.

When I get totally healthy without chronic, itis everything I still want to continue to eat gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free and limit the grains. I'll just be able to go somewhere and eat whatever is served without the risk of getting sick.

The iodine we use is SSKI from Dr. Jonathan Wright's website. You can get Lugol's from a local Health Food store but SSKI from Dr. Wright is much more powerful and really what the body needs to heal and restore.

The iodine plus a gluten-free, sugar-free, grain-free, dairy-free diet is healing me and keeping me healed.

What I like about Amy Green's website is that she prepares a variety of everyday dishes and she uses lots of vegetables. She has a very interesting and honest account of her journey with food called "Finding Balance with Food" that is very sincere and inspirational. She has maintained a 60+ pound weight loss for over 6 years now.

I was curious about Ratatouille after seeing the Disney/Pixar movie by the same name. Amy Green has an awesome recipe that is a lot of fun to prepare, and is just as wonderful every day for a week. I ate it over rice noodles and I LOVE IT! Here's her recipe;

Ratatouille
By: Amy Green at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free

Believe me, this is good and well worth the effort. I knew I would be the only one in my family eating it so I halved the recipe. It was delicious and I took some to my Mom and then ate the rest for four days. I added brown button mushrooms because I had some but wouldn't normally eat mushrooms because they feed candida. Also, I had never had eggplant and while it was fun to prepare (I looked the how to up on google) after the third or fourth serving I accepted the fact that I didn't like it. So if you don't eat Ratatouille because you don't like eggplant rest assured it is just as delicious without it.

This is a picture of this recipe when I made it. My little digital camera did not capture the beautiful contrasting color.

I Love Chocolate!

2009-12-17T21:52:00.000-06:00

Actually, one of the first culprits I discovered in my quest to not get sick all the time, was sugar. I thought I was hypoglycemic, at least I had the symptoms. So I gave up sugar, as far as I knew. I really didn't think to look for hidden sugars. But giving up sugar meant giving up chocolate. I, believe it or not, did give up both sugar and chocolate for about 2 years. I didn't feel a whole lot better nor was I any healthier.

Honey and carob were just not doing it for me. Before I knew it, sugar and chocolate were back in full force. I turned to sugar and chocolate for emotional and motivational reasons. I ate sugar and chocolate sometimes all day long.

About 8 years ago when I began this latest and most successful transformation toward being healthy I gave up sugar and chocolate again and found I was addicted. I actually went through withdrawal. I was only able to give them up for awhile, maybe a year.

Six months ago I got serious, forever this time. I realized that it was not just sugar and I finally accepted the fact that my body can not stay well if I consume, gluten, grains, sugar and dairy. Eating gluten-free, sugar-free has kept me well. The bonus is that I do not crave sugar and chocolate and instead of feeling hungry all the time I feel satisfied all the time.

I found out that it is sugar that makes me sick and not chocolate. Soooo, I eat chocolate, in moderation, of course.

Ali, at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen posted this gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cupcake recipe. I made it as soon as she posted it and it is delicious.

Milk Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Agave Frosting
By: Ali Segersten

These are delish! I'm sorry I do not have a picture of the ones I made. They really didn't last long enough to take a picture. Ali has a picture with the recipe. Mine were not as professional looking as hers are because I'm not yet proficient with a decorating tube. But they were evey bit as good I'm sure. Amy (my Amy Joy) loved the frosting. I halved the recipe which made 9 cupcakes.

My First Gluten-Free Success

2009-12-17T02:31:00.000-06:00

Gluten-Free flours are tricky. I found out I just couldn't take a familiar recipe and replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour. They have different properties and the recipe just won't turn out. Thanks to my favorite expert, Amy Green at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, I made this cupcake recipe of hers and I love it. It was easy, I love carrot cake anyway and it can be either a desert or a muffin for a snack or for breakfast. And it's not only gluten-free it is sugar-free. This was Amy's first gluten-free success and thanks to her efforts it was my first gluten-free success as well.

Carrot Cupcakes
By: Amy Green

I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Mix the first time I made these and they turned out very well. Amy has a gluten-free baking mix which she created that works beautifully in everything I have tried it in.

It Started in the '80s

2009-12-17T02:04:00.000-06:00

In the eighties when I was a thirty-something mother of four grade school-aged children I, like most mothers wanted to do the very best for my children and do every thing I could to make sure they grew up healthy and strong. There was a movement, at least I first became aware of the movement at that time, away from the Standard American Diet (SAD) of white sugar, white flour, white rice, white bread, etc. So I began, still using my tried and true recipes but substituting whole wheat flour, honey, herbs for salt, etc. You get the gist. Well, the result was a lot of edible but merely tolerable main dishes and deserts. I can still hear my dear children, "Oh Mom, not carob!" We survived.

In the nineties, the late nineties early two thousands, I realized I was chronically sick and that it was food that was making me sick. Thus for the past nine years I have been on a quest which up until a few months ago has been a roller coaster ride trying to determine what is was exactly that was making me sick.

Long story short, it's sugar, gluten, grains and dairy. Six months ago I discovered food blogs and they are a God-send. For the past six months I have been purchasing ingredients and trying various recipes. Some have been keepers and I've made them several times and others have gone right into the garbage disposal.

The food blogs host food carnivals and in order to participate it's helpful to have a blog to post a recipe and then it's carnival etiquette to link back to the original carnival host. Recipes are shared with others and bloggers are networked and get a lot more exposure. It's kind of a neighborhood the way neighborhoods used to be.

One of my blogosphere friends Linda, at The Gluten-Free Homemaker suggested I create a blog so I could post a recipe and link back or she said just post the recipe in the comment section (of the host blog). I did that but it took up so much room. She made creating a food blog sound so simple. I decided to try, so here it is.

I've entitled this blog "Someday You'll Thank Me" because if history repeats itself, my children will someday need delicious, tried and true, healthy recipes for themselves or my grandchildren. Right now it might seem eccentric, or silly for Mom, Grandma or Aunt Sandy (me, depending on who's talking) to prepare and consume different food than everyone else in the family, but when my children, grandchildren or my nieces and nephews need this wholesome, healing food, it'll be posted here and they'll thank me (hopefully).