Scheduling Conflict

Good afternoon!! If you've found yourself here because of Pinterest or Twitter posts on gluten free, sugar free living, then welcome!  If you're here because you know I've been neglecting my blog and you're hoping for some good things, well - welcome also, and know there's more recipes coming!

I started school and decided to work outside my home a little.  All these things collided at once and my blog suffered.  I'm also starting a new business, and soon, my website will be linked here if anyone is interested - it will have a natural focus on the beginnings of life.   I may start to post bi weekly, just to slowly get back on my feet.  In the world of blogging that's almost suicide, but with everything going on, it's how things are going to work right now.  I love food, cooking and healthy living and love supporting others on the same path.  This is passion and purpose for me and tying all these things together in life seems the way for me to go.  I need to get through school and bring my business up to speed in order to complete the circle.

I was supposed to start yoga instructor training this year, but didn't have the money or time for it.  I'm considering doing that in the spring now, if possible.  It's something I've wanted to add to my life for years and the opportunities are in front of me and hopefully will be part of my life plan!

As a welcome back for anyone who was following (or would like to! just click follow! I'm also on twitter and pinterest!) I have a super easy, very surprisingly wonderful recipe for bread.  I can hear everyone thinking,  "Ugh! Bread!  So difficult!  So much wheat!  So much on the 'no' list!"   AHA!  But this one isn't!  You'll be glad you tried this one.  I was.

It has a rich 'nutty' almost rye flavor.  It's very very moist and good, but the secret is the baking time.  I will post the original recipe website, and then give you my run down as usual.

http://satisfyingeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/easiest-bread-ever.html

Easy Almond/Peanut Butter Bread

1 cup natural almond/peanut butter, smooth
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (if PB already has salt, you can omit)
2 servings Stevia (to taste, more if you want sweeter bread)

1. Blend all ingredients in large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute.  
2. Pour into a loaf pan lined with foil for easy removal.  I used a 8.5X 4.5.  This makes the bread rise a little higher.
3. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (Times will vary based on different ovens.  Just don't over bake or it will be dry).
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Then remove foil and cool on rack.

First, this is such a great, satisfying bread.  Very delicious and rich.  My suggestions are such:

1. Watch your baking time like a hawk.  This is the key.  If you dry it out, it's just going to be icky and then you'll feel like it didn't turn out.  It does great right around 22-28 minutes if using a loaf pan.  I used a bundt pan (so we could have little circle sandwiches) and it required even less time, about 15 min.

2.  Use organic, no sugar added, creamy almond butter.  I know she says use peanut butter, but almond has a much lighter taste and just works really well with this particular bread.

3.  Get over the no flour aspect.  It doesn't need flour.  Really.

4.  Yes, use a little stevia even if you're going to be making ham and cheese.  It works, just trust us.

5.  Add the vinegar last.  I put all the ingredients together, mix well in my mixer and then add vinegar, mix again then dump it into the pan and into the oven stat.  Mine was pretty fluffy.  Not overmixing once the vinegar/baking soda reaction hits, is another key.  Get it blended in, then put it in the oven.  Some recipes try to replicate this by dumping a can of soda in the bread (YUCK!) but this works well, you can't taste it, and it's free of high fructose or any sugars and additives (WIN!)

Good luck and welcome back!

In the Kitchen

It didn't start just one day. I didn't wake up so sick I thought I was dying and then decided to get help. It was a long process of "what is going on?" and "why do I feel like I'm running to keep up but always falling behind?" In Dec. 2010, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. This, another on the long list of things I've been given as diagnosis since I was 16. Luckily, or unluckily, at least they didn't add another medication to my daily routine. Wohoo! Gluten is the offending protein; I'm told and avoid that to live a long healthy life. My particular case was caught as a result of malnutrition. I was starving to death, trying to eat and never getting anywhere. I also have blood sugar issues - blood sugar roller coaster with a disastrous crash at the end. They said to cut out bread, pasta, pancakes, and soy sauce.

I wonder how many people even think about the amout of wheat they eat in a day? If you've ever listened to health or nutrition gurus they tell us to eat a "colorful palette" or varied diet. Diets rich in one thing is always a bad thing. So, why is America and many other places, eating so much wheat? Go into your cabinets, grab something in a box and tell me if wheat is on the ingredients. Do you have bread in the house? Cereal? How often do you eat that in a day? Here is a sample of a typical American menu for a day:

Breakfast:

Cereal with milk, OJ, toast and butter, maybe an egg.

Lunch:

Turkey cheese sandwich, apple, soda, granola bar

Dinner:

Pasta with tomato sauce, cheese, green beans and garlic bread.

Now, I'm being seriously generous with the "healthy" menu here. Many people have just the cereal, or a pop tart for breakfast, school lunches are notorious for bad things, and dinner could be just a McD stop away. This was the diet that was killing me. Too much sugar, and too much wheat, a combination that made me feel like I had been placed in a corner. Everyone else got to socialize, have fun, go to parties. I was stuck to the side, trying to avoid the pies, lasagnas, dips and sushi. GASP. Sushi.

I love cooking, I've always liked playing with food. There's nothing better than finding something you like and sharing it with friends. Food's always been my thing. Until this year. And something changed. I didn't want to eat anymore. I just didn't want to socialize. It wasn't any fun. It wasn't enjoyable. Meals consisted of meats, vegetables and dairy. Imagine for one moment never ever being able to have a slice of cake, a piece of pie or a cookie again. Or just a piece of toast for that matter. Then something hit me one day. I just wanted to be normal. And, for the most part, people are horribly brainwashed as to what "healthy" is. Hint: Listen to those people who say eat a varied diet.

More and more people are being diagnosed celiac. And wheat happens to be a huge staple in our very much NON varied diets. Fast food is wheat bun and meat patty with wheat filler. Fries are fried in oil with wheat stabilizer. Sauces and flavorings have wheat fillers and thickeners in them. This is just "normal" food. Not the cakes, pies and crackers that are obviously made with flour and sugar. There is sugar in bread. Obesity is a huge problem too (no pun intended,) perhaps we have a correlation.

So, here's where I start. I have searched the web for recipes that are sugar free gluten free and I'll give those people credit if I loved their recipes. Otherwise, this is just me, not being cornered anymore.