Asparagus Basil Salad, Elana's Pantry and a nap.

Pooped.  That is all I can say about today.  Barely slept at all and am dying for nap time?  Thank God four year olds still nap!

Thought I would share a great web site and a recipe I love that I found there.  www.elanaspantry.com is an awesome site for gluten free eaters.  She had tried and true recipes.  I made the asparagus basil salad once last year and am buying some asparagus tomorrow so I can make it again.  Can't wait until summer so I can have home grown grape tomatoes in it!

ASPARAGUS BASIL SALAD

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and halved

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes

1 cup sliced basil leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Steam asparagus for 5-7 minutes until fork tender

2. Place asparagus, tomatoes, avocado and basil in a large bowl

3. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice and mustard

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

5. Serve

So yummy I ate most of it myself!

Well I am going to take a nap now.  Hope you all have a great day.  I may try a bread recipe this evening.  I'll share the recipe and results tomorrow if I get to it tonight.  God Bless!

A change in the name and other thoughts.

Well, I changed the name of my blog again.  I am trying to find one that no one else is using and Gluten Free Mommy was so I am trying Twins Mommy.  I would hope it isn't taken but who knows.

I am struggling today.  I am having my left shoulder tendonitis and  sciatica on the right side all the way down my leg.  I am also struggling with depression and anger issues.  I have been trying to use 5-htp for my depression but it doesn't seem to be working well enough.  I am going back on the prozac.  I don't want to but I also know that I am driving my husband crazy.  I am trying to deal with my anger biblically as I learned in couseling but am struggling to understand where the anger is coming from to begin with.  I know my chronic pain contributes to my depression which has always manifested in anger.  I also know that my cheating on gluten didn't help my pain and that it is going to take a while to fully detox from the gluten again.  I am also wondering if Diet Pepsi contributes to the pain.  I have been pretty much pain free for over a week and then had some soda yesterday and am hurting today.  I am going to test this theory by abstaining from any soda for a while and see if the pain gets better again.  I am trying to get away from my Diet Pepsi but it is my last vice.  I have at least cut way back.  I sure hope I don't have to give it up completely.

Hubby was awesome this morning and let me sleep in while he started breakfast for the girls.  He tried out a new pancake recipe I found on the Arrowhead Mills website.  We didn't use Arrowhead Mills brand for the recipe and I added 3 teaspoons more of the Stevia.  They turned out great though.  One of the best pancakes I have made so far.

FLUFFY GLUTEN-FREE BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

1 cup  White Rice Flour
3 tablespoons tapioca starch/flour
1/3 cup potato starch/flour
4 tablespoons milk powder
1 packet Stevia in the Raw (I use the bulk which is 1 tsp.  I used 4 tsp)
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
3 Tablespoons canola oil


In a large bowl sift all the dry ingredients together.  Whisk in eggs, buttermilk and oil until well blended and smooth.
Heat a large well oiled skillet or griddle over a medium high heat.  Spoon batter onto hot griddle and flip when batter begins to bubble and side are dry.  Continue to cook until pancake is golden.


One thing I have noticed with GF pancakes is that they are a little gummy even after cooking well.  I don't know if there is a recipe out there that doesn't do that or if it is just a trade off of gluten free.

Anyway, if anyone has suggestions for a way of controlling my depression more naturally I am all ears.

God Bless and have a wonderful day!!

Wow, two days in a row! I'm on a roll people!

Well, I spent several hours yesterday pouring over gluten free recipes I want to try.  I had no idea I had printed out so many.  No wonder the printer is out of ink again!  I did, in the process, find a few I had already made so I thought I would share one today that was very yummy.  I am not a fish eater for the most part, but this recipe hid the fish so well that I liked it and I can get the benefit of fish.  I think it would be great with chicken breast as well.

Flavorful Flounder

Ingredients:

2 pounds of flounder or sole fillets                   3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice                                3 tablespoons chopped green onions

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese                      1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Coat a piece of heavy-duty foil; brush with lemon juice.  Crimp foil forming edges to make a small "disposable" cookie sheet.  Place foil flat on the grill.  With cover closed on the grill, cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter.  Add Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, onion and salt.  Mix together and brush over fillets.  Grill for an additional 3-4 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Printed from allrecipes.com  submitted by: Tammy Sanborn

note: I did not have green onions so I finely diced some yellow onion.  It turned out wonderful!


As you know I am new to this blogging thing.  I have visited many other cooking blogs and have seen that they are able to post recipes that are printable.  I am hoping to have time to investigate and learn how to get all those cool things on my blog eventually.  For now, I am sorry to say, you will have to copy and paste to print it or write it down.  Patience is a virtue.

Enjoy the recipe and have a wonderfully gluten free day!  God bless!

Terrible! What I have learned being Gluten-free.

Wow, it has been forever since I posted.  I thought this would be easy.  Just spend a little time every other day or so writing about my experiences.  Posting some recipes or products I have tried, etc.  Just like Bible Study, I have found it easier to do other things.  Sad.

 I have been attempting the gluten free lifestyle for about ten months now.  It is expensive and hard after 41 years of eating wheat products.  I miss my soft bread, pretzels, cake, etc.  I love GF brownies but I have not found a really good sandwich bread, either home made or store bought that I really like.  Udi's is great for toast and I have found a French bread mix from GF Pantry that makes a great pizza crust but nothing is soft enough for a nice sandwich.  Needless to say I have cheated.  Bad move.  I am now, once again suffering with knee pain and foot pain.  I am slowly detoxing once again because I can't stand doing it quickly and having to give up all grains and fruit of all kinds.  I do know now that I have to stay gluten free for the rest of my life.  I have also started having stomach pain and gas since I cheated.  I guess I really proved to myself that I am gluten intolerant at the least.  I thought about being tested for celiac but I know you have to start eating gluten rich foods again for several weeks and that is something I am not willing to do because of the pain I know it will bring back.
 
So, what does that mean.  No more gluten for me, ever!  I am on the search for a GF bread, either home made, a mix, or store bought that I can have a good sandwich on.  I know they won't ever be the same as wheat based breads but there has to be something better than what I have had so far.  I am also on a quest to find a way to enjoy the GF lifestyle on a smaller budget.  I think it is horrendous that they charge so much more for a GF product.  I don't believe for a minute that it costs $2 more a can to make GF mushroom soup!!  The industry is just taking advantage of gluten free people just as they do with medicines and natural supplements.
     
I am also going to start using all the recipes I have printed from the many GF blogs I subscribe to.  I want to test them and share them if they are good.  I may even publish a few of my own.  I make a mighty fine sweet and sour chicken or pork that is GF and my family loves it.  My problem is I need to start measuring so I can actually write out recipes.  I think I am going to invest in a good food scale too since I have read that weighing your ingredients makes for better bread results.  Hmm, will have to talk to the husband about that one.
 
Well,  guess I will peruse the recipes and try something new today.  I'll let you know what I made and how it turned out on the flip side.  Oh, and one thing I have tried is Bob's Red Mill Brownie Mix.  Yummo!  I did, however, put it in a little bit smaller pan than called for so they would be thicker and chewier.  Turned out fabulously!

 Until next time, which hopefully won't be months on end, have a great GF day.