Tree Street Grains Gluten Free Pancake Mix

Some of you may be wondering where I have been the last few days. Not that I want to bore you with my life's details, but I have been with my daughter after she was hospitalized with complications from the RSV virus. Nothing life threatening or even life changing, just life. But I am glad she is home now and very glad to be back in my own bed with clean clothes and a hot shower. Not to mention the gluten free food available at every turn in my home, which was sadly unavailable at the hospital cafeteria. It made me remember how frustrating it can be to try to eat as a celiac person sometimes. I was very grateful my husband brought me some Zone Perfect Fudge Graham bars to tide me over when every entree was either crusted with flour or a slice of Papa John's pizza. Here she is, cute and healthy as can be, in front of the world's dirtiest refrigerator. However, just because last week was spent not writing about food doesn't mean I don't have anything great to report to you. By a lucky accident, I have stumbled across a new gluten free pancake mix that is not only safe for celiac's but healthy as well. Saturday as I was making my weekly shopping trip to my local Harmon's store, I saw a cute man handing out samples of his whole-grain pancakes. "Hmm," I thought to myself. "I remember what it was like to be able to just sample any food I saw being handed out in the store." Sadly, those days are long gone. But happily, out of the corner of my eye I noticed that there were bags of mix that said "Gluten Free" on them. I, being me, raced over and grabbed a bag. The cute man happened to be David Cobia, the owner and originator of Tree Street Grains, a local Utah company that creates both gluten free and regular pancake mixes.

David told me about all nine of the grains he uses in his gluten free mix, including corn, millet, rice, sorghum, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, wild rice, and flax. He mills them a little coarsely so the pancakes turn out having a great whole grain texture and crunch. I made some of these yesterday and they were so delicious I wanted to tell y'all about them as soon as possible. David also showed me the aluminum bag he sells the mix in, which keeps the flax as fresh as possible for as long as possible. You can store it in the refrigerator for even longer shelf life. Here's the kicker: he told me he will even make up special batches for people who want certain ingredients removed, like salt or one of the grains if they are allergic to them. How's that for going the extra mile? For those of you who are lucky enough to live in Utah, Tree Street Grains Gluten Free Pancake Mix is available at all Harmon's stores. If you live outside of utah or just like to shop online, you can order some by emailing David directly at treestreetgrains@gmail.com. Support a local Utah business and buy some today! Even if you live in New Hampshire!

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Snacking: Boomi Bars

Snacking on the go when you can't eat wheat can require next to a Herculean effort sometimes. I am always looking for new ways to feel like I can stop at 7-11 and grab something and go. Although I can't stop at 7-11 for this little beauty, I can throw one in my purse when I know I have a busy day and not worry about starving to death.

These Boomi Bars seem to fit the bill: under 200 calories, chock full of natural ingredients, and tasty to boot.

The cute people from Boomi Bars sent me an Apricot Cashew flavored bar to try. I love how it has both crisped rice and puffed amaranth in it to give it a little bit of oomph, and the meatiness of the cashews gives it a hearty feel. I lvoe a toothsome bar of dried goodness! I'm a sucker for dried Apricots, and this bar has over one full serving of fruit packed into itself. Apparently they come in 13 flavors, like fruit and nut, cranberry apple, perfect pumpkin, pineapple ginger, and walnut date, so I'm going to have to try some more.

Check out Boomi Bars next time you are in your local health food store check them out or order some right online here.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Chicken Parmigiana

One thing you have to remember when working with me is: I tend to do things that are really similar to the real thing and call it good. If you haven't learned that yet, let me begin with primer number one: Fake Chicken Parmigiana.

It's not that it's not really chicken or not really parmesan cheese, it' just that I have five children and a picky husband and I can't eat wheat. So I put together a quick version of one of my favorite dinners and called it that so people would know about what it tastes like. Actually, I think the only difference is that mine is not baked. However, enough backstory and ON TO THE RECIPE.

First, I made a batch of Crusty Chicken and set it aside. While I was making the Crusty Chicken I boiled some gluten free noodles for me and some regular noodles for everyone else. When the noodles were done I drained them and plated them. I topped them with a Crusty Chicken Cutlet, then I poured some Prego sauce that I had warmed in the microwave (so gourmet!) and then shaved some parmigiano reggiano over the top and let it melt. That's it. So easy to put together, and on the table within 30 minutes. Mmmm. So good in the dead of winter.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Pasta Mama

There is a restaurant in West Hollywood, CA, called Hugo's that makes this fabulous dish for breakfast called the Pasta Mama. At least that's what I heard on an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network the other day. Although I've never eaten there, I love the Pasta Mama. It's this super easy breakfast of leftover spaghetti noodles, scrambled eggs, and parmesan cheese that anyone can make and is so filling and yummy that you will want to eat it every day, I promise. I decided to make this dish one night when my husband was out late with the fellas and for some reason I was completely starving at 9 p.m. so...out came the pots and pans and the gluten free Pasta Mama.

The difference between this dish and the regular version is that you cannot use leftover gluten free noodles, because they do not reheat well. I have never had success with warming up gluten free noodles, so I always cook small batches every time I want noodles. And I always ALWAYS use Tinkyada gluten free noodles. Trust me, they are the best.

So, here's how to make a Gluten Free Pasta Mama:

1. Cook a small portion of gluten free Tinkyada Spaghetti noodles according to package directions.

2. Whisk two eggs in a small bowl.

3. When noodles are done, drain and rinse under cold water.

4. Heat a medium frypan to medium heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil.

5. Add noodles and eggs to frypan when oil is hot. Stir to coat noodles with eggs and cook for 1-2 minutes until eggs are done.

6. Add 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese and 1 T fresh parsley and stir into noodles. Immediately dish up the noodles into a bowl or large plate.

7. Eat and get full.

Happy eating!

Can You Tell What Time It Is?

A picture is worth a thousand words...

You know what time of year it is just by seeing my breakfast, don't you?

My inconsequential tip of the day: When I hard boil eggs I draw cute little smiley faces on them with marker to distinguish them from their raw counterparts. I figure if I'm forced to eat them then I may as well be happy when I peel them.

Happy dieting!

New Year, New Food Attitude

This holiday season I took a much needed break from blogging and thought long and hard about what I wanted to do this year with my food goals. My mind went from one spectrum to the other, simple to gourmet, complicated to microwaveable. I even contemplated posting about dinners in 3 minutes or less, but really, who wants to write about drive-thru food? Anyway, the conclusion I came to was this: food comes, and food goes, and you just have to be along for the ride.

When I struggled through those first eight weeks of learning a new diet and a new way of eating, I was pretty stressed out. I obsessed over every ingredient, becoming a gluten ascetic and denying myself any questionable ingredient without doing any kind of research on it. I cooked the same five things over and over. And when I found a new ingredient, I welcomed it into my OCD world by eating it ad nauseum simply because I was so thrilled to find a safe food. I lived a long time like this, thinking I was the queen of gluten free because I was the queen of denial. "Never again will I eat french toast!" I muttered. "Chewing gum is bad for me!" I cried. "I must find special vitamins!" I bellowed. But living that way is not fun and it is definitely not realistic.

Don't get me wrong. I am in no way telling people to go ahead and eat a little gluten. No sir. If that's the one thing I learned from my years of restricted thinking, it's that you HAVE to be vigilant with your ingredients. However, my attitude towards food is completely different now than it was seven and a half years ago. Now, instead of pining away for a recipe that I can't eat anymore, I jump into the kitchen and experiment, not afraid of bad results. And there have been plenty of bad results, believe me. I have also had plenty of successes. And life is good. I have learned that you have to try the bad to find the good and never give up on finding that substitute for a long lost ingredient you used to love and crave. And sometimes, I have found things I like better than the original, believe it or not.

I'm still trying to make the perfect meat loaf, and I really struggle with homemade rolls, but I'll get there. It's one step at a time, one day at a time, and don't worry about the rest. Reaching and learning and growing and questioning are the only way to really feel confident and comfortable with this food life we have to lead. And the only way I'm going to get there is to be in that kitchen, playing mad scientist and willing myself to be brave with flours from new grains, new spice combinations and different recipes to try. The more I do it, the easier it gets. So my challenge to you this year? Cook more. Try more. Be willing to fail in your kitchen. And don't forget to leave a comment for everyone else so we can learn from each other's successes and failures. Because really, you can't have one without the other, can you?

Happy eating!

Santa Loves Me

This is the post in which I brag about all the wonderful gluten free things that Santa brought me, and shamelessly tell you all about the products I love and think you should buy, too.

First of all, through my handsome and cute husband, Santa brought me a fabulous new set of knives. You know it's time to get new knives when you only have one steak knife in your block and the only knife that cuts worth a darn is the bread knife. I had my heart set on Wusthofs, but now that I've used my Henckels I've become a fan of them, too. If you don't have good knives out there, break down and at least buy one good all purpose knife to cut your veggies, fruits, and huge Hershey kisses with. You will never regret the money you spent on a good knife. I can slice an orange like I'm slicing a banana. Dicing potatoes? A cinch. Even the scissors are deadly sharp. Good knives? Ask Santa for some.

Then, through my good friend, Mo, Santa and the elves replenished me with a huge supply of Trader Joe's Gluten Free Loaded Fruit and Nut granola, which you may remember from this post. The day the box came I didn't even wait to unpack the whole thing. I ripped open a bag and poured myself a bowl and ate it there, amongst the packaging and UPS slips. If you eat gluten free and have yet to try this, go to Trader Joe's and buy two bags, one for you and one to mail to me. This stuff came in handy when we went on our trip to St. George this week. While the family was eating cinnamon rolls and french toast and other such gluten-filled goodies, I was content in the corner with my bowl of granola. And it's only 270 calories per serving, another bonus for most of us this time of year.

My husband also bought me a new Calphalon frying pan. I shudder to think how much Teflon I've eaten in the last year from the nasty cheapo versions I've been cooking on. When you can see metal on the bottom of your pans, it's time to upgrade, people. This pan has hardly been in the cupboard since I got it on Christmas Day. It is heavy and has a handle that won't get hot while you're cooking. And let's talk about the non-stickiness of it. So dreamy. A side note: If you got Calphalon for Christmas, too, remember to always hand wash them, never put them in the dishwasher, and never use a metal utensil in them.

The other thing Santa brought me was from myself. I totally splurged and bought the Cuisinart 11 cup chrome food processor at Costco two days before Christmas. At $149.99, it was the best deal I could find. Not counting the $35 enrollment fee, mind you. Let's just let that part slide. I have been borrowing my friend's food processor, and let me tell you it stresses me out to borrow other people's expensive small appliances. Not that she was using it, mind you, it's just a little bit like having 800 library books at your house knowing one day they are due and you'd better not break their bindings or spill orange juice on the pages. So now I'm looking forward to making all kinds of food preparation easier on myself.

Lastly, Santa brought me a bunch of happy kids, one patient and loving husband, and a lot of loving kindness from the people I love. Here's to you and hoping Santa loves you,too.