Bacon Wrapped Scallops

ingredients

* 6 slices streaky bacon
* 12 scallops, rinsed and drained
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Cut the bacon slices in half and wrap each half around a scallop. Use a cocktail stick to secure in place.
3. Drizzle lemon juice over scallops. Place on a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Serve warm.

Garlic Spinach

Ingredients

* spinach
* olive oil
* garlic
* salt and pepper to taste
* optional: halved olives

Directions

1. Sautee garlic in olive oil, add spinach, salt, and pepper.
2. Stir frequently until spinach is well cooked.

The Stress Eater Diet

Do you eat when you are upset? If you do, you may be a stress eater. Don't worry, you are not alone. Stress or emotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food, usually "comfort" or junk foods, in response to feelings instead of hunger. Many of us learn that food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. As a result, we often turn to food to heal emotional problems and to deal with stress. Why?

I was lucky enough to get a copy of 'The Stress Eater Diet' . It is a great book that will show you how to lower your stress level so you "stress less and lose more".

The Stress Eater Diet's Solution

The Stress Eater Diet is a revolutionary program that can help rid you of stress and control your weight via a proven nutritional and exercise regime. It will reduce stress eating while balancing your mood and increasing your energy. The Stress Eater Diet combines:

- Nutrition
- Stress Relieving Exercise
- Calming Techniques
- Serotonin boosting foods (activating calming mood sensors in the brain)

The Stress Eater Diet will transform your stress eating into healthy eating and to a lifestyle that helps sheds pounds and energizes your life. It also includes natural ways to boost your serotonin levels and help you lead a less-stressed, healthy life.

There is a very useful blog: www.stresseaterdiet.com/blog that offers up-to-date studies, tips, and information.

There is also a simple quiz that can help you to find out if you are a stress eater: www.stresseaterquiz.com

Gillian McKeith's Weight Loss Plan

Abundance Food List

Seeds:

* 1. Flax
* 2. Hemp
* 3. Pumpkin
* 4. Sesame
* 5. Sunflower

Nuts:
* 6. Almonds
* 7. Brazil nuts
* 8. Cashews
* 9. Chestnuts
* 10. Coconuts
* 11. Hazelnuts
* 12. Pecans
* 13. Pine nuts
* 14. Pistachios
* 15. Walnuts

Fruit:

* 16. Apples
* 17. Apricots
* 18. Avocadoes
* 19. Bananas
* 20. Bilberries
* 21. Blackberries
* 22. Blackcurrants
* 23. Blueberries
* 24. Cherries
* 25. Cranberries
* 26. Damsons
* 27. Dates
* 28. Elderberry
* 29. Figs
* 30. Goji berries
* 31. Grapefruits
* 32. Grapes
* 33. Greengages
* 34. Guava
* 35. Kiwis
* 36. Lemons
* 37. Limes
* 38. Mangos
* 39. Melons
* 40. Mulberries
* 41. Papayas
* 42. Passion fruit
* 43. Peaches
* 44. Pears
* 45. Pineapples
* 46. Plums
* 47. Pomegranates
* 48. Prunes
* 49. Raspberries
* 50. Redcurrants
* 51. Strawberries
* 52. Tamarind

Vegetables:

* 53. Asparagus
* 54. Aubergines
* 55. Avocado
* 56. Beet greens
* 57. Beetroot
* 58. Broccoli
* 59. Brussels sprouts
* 60. Cabbage
* 61. Carrots
* 62. Chicory
* 63. Cauliflower
* 64. Celeriac
* 65. Celery
* 66. Courgettes
* 67. Cress
* 68. Cucumber
* 69. Dandelion greens
* 70. Endives
* 71. Fennel
* 72. Globe artichokes
* 73. Horseradish
* 74. Jerusalem artichokes
* 75. Kale
* 76. Lambs lettuce
* 77. Leeks
* 78. Lettuce
* 79. Mangetout
* 80. Marrow
* 81. Mustard greens
* 82. Olives
* 83. Onions
* 84. Pak choi (or bok choi)
* 85. Parsnips
* 86. Peas
* 87. Peppers
* 88. Purple sprouting broccoli
* 89. Radish
* 90. Rainbow chard
* 91. Rocket
* 92. Salsify
* 93. Shiitake mushrooms
* 94. Sorrel
* 95. Spinach
* 96. Spring onions
* 97. Squash
* 98. Swede
* 99. Sweetcorn
* 100. Sweet potatoes
* 101. Tomatoes
* 102. Turnips
* 103. Watercress

Sprouts:

* 104. Alfalfa sprouts
* 105. Chickpea sprouts
* 106. Clover sprouts
* 107. Lentil sprouts
* 108. Mung bean sprouts
* 109. Quinoa sprouts
* 110. Sunflower seed sprouts

Beans:

* 111. Aduki
* 112. Black turtle
* 113. Borlotti
* 114. Broad beans
* 115. Butter beans
* 116. Cannellini beans
* 117. Chickpeas
* 118. Edamame
* 119. Flageolet beans
* 120. French beans
* 121. Green beans
* 122. Haricot beans
* 123. Lentils
* 124. Mung beans
* 125. Pinto beans
* 126. Runner beans
* 127. Soya beans
* 128. String beans

Grains:

* 129. Amaranth
* 130. Barley
* 131. Brown rice
* 132. Buckwheat
* 133. Corn
* 134. Millet
* 135. Oats
* 136. Quinoa
* 137. Red rice
* 138. Rye
* 139. Spelt
* 140. Wild rice

Sea Vegetables:

* 141. Arame
* 142. Dulse
* 143. Hijiki
* 144. Kelp
* 145. Kombu
* 146. Nori
* 147. Wakame

Condiments:

* 148. Apple cider vinegar
* 149. Brown rice vinegar
* 150. Miso
* 151. Mustard
* 152. Sauerkraut
* 153. Tamari
* 154. Umeboshi plum sauce

Herbs and Spices:

* 155. Agar
* 156. All spice
* 157. Aniseed
* 158. Basil
* 159. Bay leaves
* 160. Cardamom
* 161. Cayenne
* 162. Chervil
* 163. Chives
* 164. Cinnamon
* 165. Coriander
* 166. Cumin
* 167. Dandelion
* 168. Dill
* 169. Fenugreek
* 170. Junipe
* 171. Garlic
* 172. Ginger
* 173. Ginseng
* 174. Laurel
* 175. Lovage
* 176. Marjoram
* 177. Mint
* 178. Mustard seeds
* 179. Nutmeg
* 180. Oregano
* 181. Parsley
* 182. Rosemary
* 183. Saffron
* 184. Sage
* 185. Tarragon
* 186. Thyme
* 187. Turmeric
* 188. Vanilla pods

Fish:

* 189. Flounder
* 190. Hake
* 191. Halibut
* 192. Herrings
* 193. Lemon Sole
* 194. Mackerel
* 195. Pilchards
* 196. Pollack
* 197. Red mullet
* 198. Salmon
* 199. Sardines
* 200. Sea bass
* 201. Sea bream
* 202. Snapper
* 203. Trout
* 204. Whiting

Meat and Eggs (Organic):

* 205. Chicken
* 206. Turkey
* 207. Eggs

Superfoods:

* 208. Wheatgrass
* 209. Barley grass
* 210. Spirulina
* 211 Aloe vera
* 212 Borage
* 213 Cacao
* 214 Blue green algae

SAMPLE MENU PLAN

7:15am FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
Cup Warm Water with a squeeze of lemon
1 Cup Nettle tea

7:30am GO OUT FOR A FAST BRISK 30 MINUTE WALK
Work up a sweat.

8:15am BREAKFAST
Large Punnet of Blueberries
(If you want a second punnet, then go for it).

10:15am MID MORNING SNACK
ONE VEGGIE JUICE
2 celery sticks
1 cucumber
2 carrots
ADD SPIRULINA

12 Noon: GO OUT FOR A FAST 30 MINUTE WALK

12:30pm: LUNCH
Tuna fish on a salad bed of Spinach. If you wish, steam spinach for one minute. HOLD THE MAYO.
6 Cherry tomatoes
Heap Spinach leaves
Handful of Dill herb sprinkled throughout.
Squeeze raw lemon and or a dash of orange.

MID AFTERNOON SNACK
1 VEGGIE JUICE
2 celery sticks, 2 cucumbers

6:00pm: Dance to loud music for 20 minutes before dinner.
Go wild!!

6:30pm: DINNER
Small veggie juice 1 cucumber and 1 celery stalk
Miso soup with tofu pieces and scallions. You can buy Miso in packets. Just add hot water. Chop up a few scallions.
Organic Turkey or Organic Chicken with steamed carrots and broccoli and a tablespoon of Miso soup to moisten your white meat.
Big handful Mung Bean sprouts and herbal leaves.

9:00pm: EVENING SNACK
1 or 2 fresh RAW peaches


Losing Weight Through Diet

NOTE: For full details, refer to the book " You Are What You Eat "

Eat early. Late-night eating is a recipe for weight gain because the body stores more food during sleep.

Food combine (book: page 78)

Abandon refined or processed foods (book: page 26)

Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Water is a natural appetite-suppressant. Note: Nettle tea is a great weight-loss tea as it supports metabolism and has diuretic properties

Avoid margarine, full-fat milk, cheeses and cow's milk dairy products. Some people may find these foods harder to digest, you might try grain milks instead.

Avoid sugar - it lowers the metabolism.

Cut out wheat (especially bread) because it contains a high level of gluten and many people are intolerant to gluten.

Eat the good fats and rubbish the bad. Good fats can be found in avocados, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, fish, nuts and vegetables. Don't avoid these foods. They are high in good fats that fire up your metabolism so that you can lose the weight and keep it off for good. Bad fats are saturated fats, as found in fatty meats, cheese and butter. They are very hard to digest, clog your arteries and lead to illness and weight problems.

Don't skip meals and always eat breakfast. You stomach and spleen are at their strongest first thing in the morning. You also have the whole day to burn off the meal. If you want to raise metabolism, you have to eat at that time. If you don't, a signal goes to your brain. The brain interprets food as being scarce. Stress hormones are then released into your body. Muscle tissue is then shed in order to lessen the body's need for food. When you eat later, your body releases more insulin to make more fat as food may be scarce!

Go on my Detox Day (book: page 140). Toxins are stored in fatty tissue. It is possible that if you are full of toxins you may have a higher fat to muscle ratio. So helping to rid your body of poisons and chemicals can only help improve weight management.

Do not go on fad diets. Dieting slows down the metabolic rate - this is the rate at which you burn up calories for energy. An excess of toxins can lead to them being stored in your fat cells. In this scenario the body will not let go of the fat cells until it is ready to let go of the toxins (this indicates the importance of detoxing). You lose muscle tone. You get depressed. Instead, go on my diet of abundance. Eat more than before but the right foods. (Book: page 82)

Exercise. Burn that fat. Exercise raises the metabolic rate so calories are used up faster. To get started, simply start walking - it is a great way to shift fat.

Get your metabolism going. First thing in the morning, drink a cup of warm water with a squeeze of lemon.

Cut out alcohol. It weakens your liver, the basic organ for fat metabolism. Beer and wine are also full of sugar, plus alcohol stimulates your appetite.

Take supplements. Most overweight people are deficient in major nutrients. There are also some other helpful nutrients that can help burn fat, increase metabolism and so on. Below is a basic list of important nutrients and supplements. I am not suggesting that you take all the supplements I mention at once.

Caponata Stew

Caponata is a Sicilian stew traditionally made with fried eggplant and served at room temperature. This version gets its rich taste from simmered vegetables.

Serves 6

Ingredients

* 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced (about 3 1/2 cups)
* 2 tsp. olive oil
* 1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
* 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
* 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (about 1 Tbs.)
* 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
* 1 28-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
* 1/2 cup dry red wine or 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 2 Tbs. capers, drained and rinsed
* 1 tsp. dried oregano

1. Place eggplant in colander, and sprinkle generously with salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño, and sauté 10 minutes, or until onion is softened and translucent. Add eggplant and mushrooms, and sauté 10 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in tomatoes, 1 cup water, wine, capers and oregano. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 50 to 60 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information

Per SERVING: Calories: 82, Protein: 3g, Total fat: 1.5g, Saturated fat: 0.5g, Carbs: 14g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 483mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 7g

Gingery Sweet potato soup

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized Sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into big size chunk
• Leek: ½ cup chopped (optional)
• 1 inch or 1 to 2 tsp Ginger, chopped
• Thai chili: 1 small (whole –if you don’t want spicy –you can fish it after it is cooked)
• 2 cups or more Vegetable broth or plain water

1. Put all the ingredients in the pot and cook until the sweet potato and leaks are soft. Take out the chili or leave it your wish! Make a puree with the hand blender and season with salt, adjust with water if it is thick.
2. Garnish with any herb you have around, cilantro will be fine!

weigh in

Well, I weighed in and lost anything at all!!! Oh well, I am still working on how to do this as a low carb and gluten free/dairy free. I didn't gain weight so that at least I can be proud of.

On a completely unrelated note, Princess Belle came home and asked for pancakes for Pancake Day. I looked up a recipe and made her some gluten free (NOT LOW CARB) pancakes that turned out really well. I also made a syrup that was extremely popular with her and Prince Charming (IT WASN'T LOW CARB EITHER)

Here is the gluten free Pancake:

Gluten Free/Casein Free Buckwheat Pancakes

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1-1/2 cup almond milk
• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 3 Tbs. molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until combined--do not overmix. Pour by 1/3 cupfuls onto preheated and greased griddle. Serve hot with syrup.

gluten free dairy free Syrup

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon gluten free margarine
1 tablespoon flavoring of your choice. (I used strawberry)

Stir and heat syrup until sugar is clear and it turns slightly golden. (about 3 or 4 minutes).

Foolproof Rib Roast‏

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (5 pound) standing beef rib roast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is on the bottom. Rub the seasoning onto the roast.
3. Roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside. Do not open the door. Leave it in there for 3 hours. 30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) to reheat the roast. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (62 degrees C). Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.

Gingery Marinated Beef Cubes

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon sesame seed
* 1/4 cup Gluten free soy sauce
* 2-3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon Splenda
* 1 teaspoon vinegar
* 2 green onions, thinly sliced (including tops)
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
* 5 tablespoons oil
* 1 1/2 lbs boneless beef sirloin or top round beef or boneless
beef chuck roast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* lettuce leaf (optional)

Directions

1. Toast sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat, shaking pan frequently until golden (about 3 minutes).
   
2. In a bowl, mix sesame seeds, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, vinegar, onions, cayenne and 1 T. of the oil. Add meat, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the next day.
3. Heat 2 more T. of the oil in a wide frying pan over high heat. Add meat, half at a time, and cook, stirring, until done to your liking when cut (about 2 minutes for medium doneness). Repeat with remaining meat, adding remaining oil as needed.
4. Serve with toothpicks, or eat the mixture wrapped in lettuce leaves.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, hard-cooked
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 c GF mayonnaise
• 1/4 t dill weed, dried
• 1/2 t dry mustard
• pimento strips - garnish

Directions

Halve 6 hard-cooked eggs lengthwise, remove yolks. Mash yolks; mix with mayonnaise and remainder of ingredients. Mix well. If too dry, add a bit more mayonnaise. Refill egg whites, using pastry tube if desired. Trim with thin pimento strips (optional).

Hard Boiled Eggs

Ingredients
12 eggs

DIRECTIONS
Place eggs in a pot; pour enough water over the eggs to cover. Cover and turn stove to high; bring to a boil; turn off heat and place pot on a cool burner. Let the pot sit with the cover on for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with cold water; transfer the eggs from the pot to the cold water. Replace the water with cold water as needed to keep cold until the eggs are completely cooled. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours before peeling.

Spicy Beef and Macaroni

(not low carb, but kid-friendly, easy, gluten and dairy free and too good not to share!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cup water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cup GF elbow macaroni
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 cup GF barbecue sauce

Directions

In a deep skillet, brown the meat. Add the diced onion and green pepper; cook until tender. Stir in water, macaroni and barbecue sauce.

Cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, 6 to 8 minutes

Hits at our house.

I tried GFCF Vegetarian Gravy yesterday for supper. I used it but made it non-vegetarian with ground beef, used cornstarch and added mushrooms. It was totally yummy! I would totally recommend it as a sauce for beef and broccoli served with mashed turnips. It was a smash hit with the whole family and definitely one I will be using again.

I am experimenting with new ways to use the nutritional yeast that I bought the other day. I really enjoy the flavor it adds to things and it makes up for the fact that I haven't been able to find any gluten free bouillon.

I am also really enjoying microwaved flax bread. It has been a great way to have sandwiches and toast for breakfast and such for only 3 net carbs.

Broccoli Crunch

The success of this salad hinges on the broccoli. Buy good-quality bright green broccoli with tight florets. Now that you have good broccoli, do your best not to overcook it - you don't want it turning to mush.

• 4 -5 cups tiny broccoli florets (and chopped stalks if you like)
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
• scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey (I am going to try a little splenda)
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 2 small crisp apples, cut into bit-sized pieces (if you aren't going to use the apples immediately, let them sit in a bowl of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon)
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup toasted or candied walnuts or almonds
• 1/3 cup pan-fried crunchy shallots*
• chives (optional)

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt as you would pasta water. Boil the broccoli just long enough to take the raw edge of - 10 or 15 seconds.
   
2. Drain and immerse it in cold water (or let cold water run over it). Drain. Set aside.
3. Make the dressing by sprinkling the salt over the clove of garlic. Smash the clove and chop, smash and chop - turning it into a paste. In a small bowl whisk the salty garlic paste with the almond butter, lemon juice, honey and olive oil. Add the hot water and whisk until light and creamy. Taste, make any adjustments and set aside.
4. In a large bowl gently toss the broccoli, apples, red onion, most of the shallots and nuts with a generous drizzle of the almond dressing. Turn out onto a platter and finish with the rest of the shallots and chives if you like.
   

Serves 4.

*Stir together the shallots, a splash of olive oil and big pinch of salt In a large skillet over medium heat. Stir every few minutes, you want the shallots to slowly brown over about fifteen minutes. Let them get dark, dark brown (but not burn), and if needed turn down the heat. Remove from skillet and onto a paper towel to cool in a single layer where they will crisp up a bit

Sicilian Vegetable Stew

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lb medium-size eggplants
• Salt
• 1/2 lb onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 lb ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 oz olives
• 1/3 cup vinegar of any kind
• 1 teaspoon Splenda

Preparation Method:

1. Wash the eggplants, cut them into small pieces, put them into a large strainer and sprinkle with salt. Set aside to drain for at least 1 hour.
   
2. Meanwhile, combine the onions with one-third of the olive oil in a wide, shallow pan. Cook until golden. Add the tomatoes, capers, celery and olives. Mix well and cook for 15 minutes, set aside.
3. Rinse the eggplant and dry completely.
   
4. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over high heat.
   
5. When the oil reaches its maximum temperature, add the eggplant pieces and fry until well browned. Drain. Stir the eggplant into the tomato mixture.
6. Sprinkle on the vinegar and Splenda and return to low heat. Cook until the vinegar completely evaporates. Serve either warm or cold.

Carbs:
Approx 8.5 grams carbs per serving.

Pancakes - Low Carb, No Soy

One word of caution on this recipe: I would suggest keeping the size of these almond pancakes on the small side. Larger pancakes have a tough time sticking together.

* 1 cup almond meal
* 3 large eggs
* 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1. Mix it all together until a batter forms.
2. Pour the batter onto a buttered or greased skillet.
3. Cook over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.
4. Top with low carb syrup, or fresh berries and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts
Recipe makes 1 serving
Calories 771
Total Fat 63.0g
Saturated Fat 8.3g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Total Carbohydrate 20.2g

GFCF Vegetarian Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup gfcf all-purpose flour (or appropriate amount of cornstarch)
  
• 4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 4 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
• 2 cups gluten free vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
   
2. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Stir in flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to form a smooth paste.
   
4. Gradually whisk in the broth.
   
5. Season with sage, salt, and pepper.
   
6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Easy Dairy Free Cheeze Sauce

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 2 Tablespoons soy flour
* 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 2 cups water, divided
* 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (try Dijon for a different, less sharp, taste)
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil (can decrease amount to 1/3 cup, if concerned about fat content)

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Whisk in 1 cup of water and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and bubbles.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the oil and mustard.
4. Return to the heat and gradually add the remaining 1 cup water.
5. Cook until thickened and bubbly, and it’s about the consistency of a nacho cheese sauce (or to your preference)
6. Spoon onto the pizza or lasagna and broil until golden.
7. Possible additions: green onions, dried minced onion, dried basil and/or oregano, a sprinkling of paprika, chili powder, ancho chile powder, etc. Be creative!

Note: nutritional yeast doesn’t automatically have lots of B12 in it, but it is often fortified with it. Make sure you ask your supplier when buying it, or check the label. Also, B12 is light sensitive, so keep your yeast cool and dark, and buying it out of open-lit bins probably isn’t a good idea if you’re using it to supplement your diet.

Shopping trip and Question

I went shopping today. I had fun roaming through the health food section and finding all sorts of things I want to try. I spent half my budget there, but I am excited. I have Nutritional Yeast, Guar Gum, Soy Flour, three different kinds of milk, and all sorts of things I haven't been able to find. I am trying to build up a pantry of things to have on hand that will make eating in a gluten and dairy free manner much easier. I even manaaged to stock up on extras of every day stuff like baby food and formula and eggs. I love days when I can actually feel like I am starting to rebuild the extras I had in my cupboard before I had start all over again in a gluten and dairy free way.

I am having fun looking for gluten free/dairy free/low carb foods. I am going to try to be as healthy as possible doing it. And I will share what I find. I will also find some gluten free/dairy free/non-low carb stuff for Princess Belle. (She is by far skinny enough and I would like her to up on a little weight). Do you want me to share those recipes as well??

Green Beans with Pine Nuts, Garlic & Basil

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, for about 2 minutes or until they are golden in spots. (Be sure to watch them carefully so they don’t burn.) Transfer the pine nuts to a plate and let cool.
2. Bring a shallow pan of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until just tender. Drain. Return the beans to the pan and add the butter and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and adjust seasonings to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and serve.

Thai Pork & Basil Stir-fry

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, and slivered
• 3/4 pound boneless pork, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, sliced
• 2 scallions, cut into 1" pieces
• 1/4 cup gf chicken broth
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon corn starch dissolved in (or use low carb thickener)
  
• 1 Tablespoon water

Directions
Place a wok over high heat until hot and add oil. When hot, stir-fry garlic and jalapeno until fragrant. Add pork and stir until no longer pink. Add basil and scallions; stir. Add broth, fish sauce and sugar; continuing to stir. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened.

Chops w/Garlic Pepper Rub

Ingredients

• 4 loin pork chops
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt

Directions

1. On a cutting board sprinkle salt on minced garlic. With the side of a chef’s knife, mash salt into minced garlic to make a paste.
2. Place garlic paste in a small bowl and add pepper and oregano.
3. Spread garlic pepper rub over one side of chops.
4. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, and when hot, add chops, rub- side down; seasoning tops with salt. Pan-fry until nicely browned, then turn over and brown other side.
5. Chops are done when meat is fairly firm when pressed and there are no red juices. Serve immediately.

Roast Pork Loin Wrapped in Bacon & Rosemary

Ingredients

• One 3 pound boneless pork loin
• 1 garlic bulb, roasted
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4-5 thin slices of bacon
• 6 long rosemary sprigs
• 6 thyme springs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Using a small knife, make 1-inch-deep slits all over the pork loin. Stuff each slit with roasted garlic. Season entire loin generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap bacon around pork. Tuck rosemary and thyme sprigs under bacon. Secure bacon slices with kitchen string.
3. Place roast in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 130°F.
4. Transfer pork loin to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
5. Discard kitchen string and herbs. Cut pork into thick slices and serve.

To roast garlic:
Cut about 1/4" off the top of a whole bulb of garlic. Rub all over with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Squeeze the garlic out from the skins.

Marinated Baked Salmon

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon steaks
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
  
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
  
• ½ lemon
• Fresh raw spinach
• 2 fresh raw leeks
• Fresh coriander.

Method:

1. Cut the leeks into approximately 12 chunks.
2. Steam or boil leeks for about 5 minutes to gently soften.
3. Rinse and dry the salmon. Place a liberal amount of fresh raw spinach in a shallow oven pan.
4. Place the softened leeks on top of the spinach. Then place the salmon on top of the leeks.
5. Mix the olive oil, minced garlic and grated ginger together; then brush it over the fish.
6. Keep extra amounts of the olive oil mixture on hand to brush the fish throughout the cooking process. Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the fish and spinach.
7. Place into pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for approximately 25 minutes. While cooking, brush the olive oil mixture onto the salmon every 10 minutes. If desired, squeeze over more lemon juice too.
8. Good if you serve the salmon with Avocado Cream Sauce. If desired, squeeze lemon juice too.

Avacado Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 very soft Avocados
• 2 stalks finely chopped fresh raw spring onions (I used green onions)
  
• ¼ tsp of coriander powder
• ¼ tsp seaweed seasoning (where do you get this? I left out)
  
• ½ tsp olive oil
• 3-4 tbsps 4 water

Method:
Place the water (approximately 3 tbsps) at the bottom of a blender
Then add raw avocados, spring onion, coriander, salt, olive oil and seaweed seasoning into the blender.
Using the blender, mix until all smooth and creamy.
The consistency should be a fluffy soft cream. Use this cream as a delicious topping for salmon.
The avocado cream sauce may also be used as a dressing for salad.

Getting better.

Things are going better right now. I am feeling more confident that I will find substitutes for the foods that I am missing. The way I feel makes a big difference.

I am going to be picking up some frozen fruit tomorrow so that I can make smoothies for treats for us. It will cure my sweet tooth and that will make me happy. It will be fine. I can do this.

I realized that I thought I had cut out soy but the cheese I have been eating has soy. So, I guess I better cut that out too for now to give my tummy some time to heal completely. I have to be careful, but I can do this. Reading labels is key.

Low Carb Wrap

Makes a flexible wrap for sandwiches or crepes. Could also be a thin pancake.
1 wrap

• 1 extra large egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon soy protein isolate

1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth batter forms.
2. Heat 7 inch non-stick skillet over medium high heat until pan is quite warm, but not too hot.
3. Pour batter into pan and immediately begin slowly rotating the pan to spread the batter into a thin layer.
4. Continue to rotate the pan until all of the liquid is set, but the top is still moist.
5. Flip the crepe/wrap to cook on the other side. This take only a couple of seconds.
6. Turn the cooked crepe/wrap out onto a plate.
7. Use as desired. Can sweeten the batter with low-carb sweetener if desired, then use as a pancake or dessert crepe.

Chicken Vegetable Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 2 – 14.5 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (which could be left out to lower carbs)
  
• 1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 – 15 ounce cans low sodium tomato sauce
• 4 tablespoon of Taco Seasoning (or to taste)
  

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; sauté onions, peppers and garlic with Taco Seasoning until vegetables are tender
2. Add remaining ingredients
3. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated

Soy Milk Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

• 1 stalk Broccoli
• 1 1/2 cup Soy Milk.
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Flour
• Salt and Pepper to taste.
• A spray of Canola oil.

1. Steam Broccoli to preferred doneness.
2. Spray a medium sized saucepan with Canola oil, to help keep the milk from sticking, or scorching.
3. Put the Soy Milk in the saucepan, and stir constantly, with a small turner, to reach the whole bottom.
4. Mix the Soy Flour with a little of the Milk after it has heated a little.
5. As the Milk heats, stir, and when it reachs a hot tempeture, pour in the Soy Flour and stir with a wire whisk to stir out any lumps that may be there.
6. After it starts to steam a bit add the Steamed broccoli and stir gently from the bottom of the pan, for this will stick if it isn't stirred from the bottom.
7. Makes two one cup servings.

I left out the soy flour and used frozen broccoli and added some extra veggies. I also added some soy cheese and some hot sauce. It was really yummy.

Number of Servings: 2

Nutritional Info
Fat: 3.0g
Carbohydrates: 6.0g
Calories:75.0
Protein: 5.3g

Soy flour cookies

A delicious lemon cookie made gluten free by using soy flour in place of wheat. Also dairy free.

Makes 20 cookies

• 3 tablespoons oil or melted fat
• 1/3 cup Splenda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon GFCF Vanilla or lemon extract
• 1 cup soy flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoon water

Mix together the fat and Splenda. Blend in the flavourings. Sift together the dry ingredients three times (to add volume to the flour). Add these to the fat mixtures. Add water and mix again. Form the dough into a roll. Chill for 1 to 2 hours. Cut into as thin of slices as possible and bake on a well greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Variations:

Drop cookies can be made with this recipe . You do not need to refrigerate the dough if you are making drop cookies. Form the dough into small balls as you would for peanut butter cookies. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with the tines of a fork and add 1/2 teaspoon of jelly to the centre of each cookie.

Thoughts

Doing Low carb goes relatively well with being gluten and dairy free. The only thing I am finding hard is the cheese. I am really missing it a lot. I really want to make a cheesecake too, but there is the cream cheese. Oh well, this will get easier, I know it will.

In the meantime, I am pleased to be cooking one meal for the whole family. It is low carb, gluten free and dairy free. Princess Belle gets lots of carbs all the other times of the day, although she gets a kick out of eating the same things as me and as long as she is eating healthy, I am cool with that.

I ordered a new cookbook that is for kid-friendly allergy recipes. I think it will be superhelpful in finding recipes for Princess Belle.

I am getting a bit stuck on recipes that are gluten free dairy free and low carb for suppers. I am kind of in a rut. I will have to go through my blog and see what strikes my fancy I guess.

As much as this way of life makes things complicated, I look around my house and see how much more I am getting done now a days and I know it is worth it and I know this will get easier with time.

Pepper Steak

This can be made with turkey breast tenders, chicken tenders, or - I'm serious here - ... Tofu!!! Of course if you are going to use Tofu you have to put it in last so it doesn't fall apart - but it's really not bad at all! Quite tasty actually!

Ingredients

• 3/ 4 lb. tenderized top round steak, (select grade - visible fat removed), cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 - 16 ounce can Italian style stewed tomatoes
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 / 2 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Sauté meat strips in a sprayed non-stick pan for 3 minutes.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except rice and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Check periodically to see if it needs water.
   

Beef with Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1 lb stewing beef
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 Tbls vegetable oil
• 1 lg onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
• 4 Tbls of the juice from the tomatoes
• 1 Tbls tomato paste
• ½ tsp allspice
• 1 fresh red chili, seeded and chopped
• 3 & 3/4 cups stock or water
• 1 lg eggplant
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the meat into cubes and season with ½ tsp of the thyme and salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 Tbls of the oil in a large saucepan and fry the meat, in batches if necessary, for 8-10 minutes until well browned.
3. Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and tomato juice and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the tomato paste, allspice, chili and remaining thyme, stir well, then add the reserved beef cubes and the stock or water.
6. Bring to a boil, cover and let the meat mixture simmer gently for 30 minutes.
7. Cut the eggplant into 1/2" dice. Stir into the meat mixture and cook, covered, for another 30 minutes or until the beef is completely tender.
8. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve hot.

Roasted Broccoli

Ingredient

5 cup broccoli florets
2 tbsp light balsamic vinaigrette
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

In a large resealable plastic bag; combine broccoli, vinaigrette and vinegar. Shake the bag to coat well. Arrange broccoli on lightly greased baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in preheated 400 F (200 C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender-crisp and lightly browned.

Serves 4

Chicken Wings Dry Rub

Wings are so juicy they squirt when bit into. PERFECTLY spiced, nice complex bite to it.
This is a dry rub grill recipe.

Ingredients:
* 12 chicken wings
* 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
* 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons onion powder
* 2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon thyme
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 1 teaspoon parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stir dry ingredients, combine with chicken wings in a plastic bag. Shake well and leave in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Place on preheated grill and cook for approximately 10-12 minutes or until done. Or just throw them in an extremely hot oven 450-500 until done.

On Princess Belle's new way of eating

So Princess Belle is doing well. We went out and got our hair cut the same way and she says we are twins. She likes that she has to eat the same thing as me, it makes her going gluten and dairy free a lot easier. She hasn't had a lot of complaints about it.

I told her that we are having fun trying new foods together. (I do give her more carbs than I get, but she hasn't noticed that.)

This morning we made microwave flax bread and I cut it into slices and made us egg muffins with rice cheese. We decided we didn't like the American flavored rice Cheese but we do like the pepperjack and we love love love the nacho flavored! I have three kinds of milk in the fridge to see which one I like the best to replace regular milk.

I am hoping to get some scales this month if I can swing it. I would love to know how I am doing weight-wise. It is so hard to stay motivated when I have no idea what I am accomplishing.

Muffin in a Minute

• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 packet splenda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of gfcf margarine
  

1. Put dry ingredients in a coffee mug (or bowl for different shape)
2. Stir
3. Add egg and butter. Mix.

Microwave 1 minute on high.
Take out, slice, butter, enjoy.

Serving size: 1

Notes: 1.5 net carbs
Per serving: 235 calories; 18g fat (63% calories from fat); 12g protein; 11g carbs; 223mg cholesterol; 284mg sodium

microwaved flax bread

• 1 ounce of melted gfcf margarine
  
• 2 medium eggs
• 8 TBSP. Flax meal
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
• 2 TB butter

Mix together and put in the microwave and nuke for 3 minutes.
This makes a fairly close-textured bread that tastes to like wholemeal bread.

About 570 cals for the whole recipe
Other info - whole recipe has
Total fat 48 gms
Carbs 18gms (including 15 gms fibre) - so only 3 net carbs
Protein 20 gms

NOTES:

• some people said it was eggy so you can use one egg. It comes out a little smaller with less egg taste. Reduce cooking time from 3 minutes to 2 when making it this way.
• If microwaved cakes/breads aren't to your liking, so bake it in the oven in a disposable mini-loaf pan for about 15 minutes at 375. After cooling slightly on a wire rack, sliced it into 4 slices, lengthwise. This doesn't have the wet-density of the microwave flax bread some have tried before.

Shopping thoughts

So, I am preparing to get the groceries that will enable us to keep Princess Belle on a Gluten Free Dairy Free diet. I know that first and foremost shop around the edges of the store, meats, fruits and veggies. I am still trying to sort out what she can bring for her lunches and snacks at school. This is all so new to me.

On top of that I am switching Prince Charming and I to low carb as well as gluten free and dairy free. Which makes grocery shopping even more complicated.

And, I have no idea what to do with all these gluten and dairy filled groceries left in this house. I can't have them up here in the kitchen where they are a temptation to Princess Belle. So I will either have to give them away or store them in the basement.

On the other hand, I am also worried about convincing Princess Belle not to trade her lunches and snacks at school. It will sabotage everything we are trying to do for her.

It would be easier to let her eat what she wants, but I want her to be the best her she can be. I would love for her symptoms to disappear and her life be easier. I hope that doing this diet will do that for her. I would love it if a year from now, she no longer looks so tall and slender. I would love for her to fill out a little and look healthy. I would love the bags under her eyes to disappear. I am hoping this will help.

Conversations in the glass castle

Here is a conversation that I had with Princess Belle. I have to say, it made me so happy! (and it made me laugh):

Princess Belle: Mommy did your belly get smaller?

Me: What do you mean?

Princess Belle: Well, before you looked like you still had a baby in your belly, but you don't anymore. Now you just look like Mommy.

Me: (in my head I am dancing a little jig and yelling woohoo at the top of my lungs) Well I probably did lose some weight in my belly.

Princess Belle: okay (runs off to play)

Me: What is her allowance? I need to double it.

Prince Charming: Mommy, she doesn't get an allowance. Double nothing is still nothing.

Me: Its a deal!

Prince Charming: Mommy that is not very nice (laughing)

Almond Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 c ground almonds
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 egg, separated
• a little water, coconut milk, or cream, if needed

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the egg yolk. If it's to thick, add a little water (or whatever) to thin it out till its a thick pancake batter texture.
2. Whip the egg white to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the mixture. Cook on an ungreased/lightly greased pan.
3. Makes enough for one by themselves, or two as a side dish.
4. Whipping the egg white makes them a little lighter, but you can skip that step if you like.

NOTE: I usually include the carb count when I know it. I am not sure of the carb count on these if anyone lets me know, I will share it.

Trying to sort this out.

I have been doing so amazingly well, but I do have one thing that I need to figure out. I am having a reaction to something I have first thing in the morning. I have a terrible suspicion that it is soy! The last couple of days after breakfast I have a terrible reaction. So either I am reacting to eating first thing in the morning in general, or I am reacting to my soy honey vanilla chai latte. Yesterday I left out the soy milk and just made a Honey Vanilla Chai tea. I still reacted. But, I checked the tea and it has soy too. So this morning I had no tea at all and I had no reaction at all. Now in a little while I will have a Honey Ginseng Green Tea, and I will see if I react to that. I hate the idea that I may not be able to have Soy either!!!!

Flourless Almond Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond butter/ or peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Splenda
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• sugar free marmalade or jam
  

1. Turn oven on to 350 fahrenheit.
2. Mix egg, sugar and vanilla in a bowl.
3. Then mix in almond butter and baking powder.
4. On a parchment paper covered baking tray make a thumb print in each cookie and fill with jam or marmalade.
5. Place in oven for about 12 min.
6. Allow cookies to cool and store in an airtight container

Sugared Walnuts

Makes about 2 cups of nuts. Plenty for the Sage, Walnut and Fig stuffing, plus some to snack on.

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 natural cane sugar (low carb use artificial sweetener of choice)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
• 2 cups walnuts, shelled

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt until well combined.
3. Fold in the walnuts, stirring until well coated.
4. Place in a sieve and allow to drain for a couple minutes before placing the nuts in a single later on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Roast for 15 minutes, until the nuts take on a golden hue and the coating has dried out quite a bit and hardened.
6. Remove from oven and cool

One more thing

To add to my excitement, after one too many calls from the school and too many months waiting for our next appointment with the doctor, we have decided to try Princess Belle out on a Gluten free dairy free diet to see if helps her out. Anything at all to improve life for her is worth it. I am just more than a little lost on how to do this for her.

I am at least lucky enough that she has broadened her horizons on which foods she will eat. I will have to stop having her get her lunches at school. I called them and after talking to them, I am convinced that they are completely unaware of what contains gluten. (They said that they could make some accommodations for a gfcf diet like leaving mayo off of her sandwiches!!) After speaking to them, I decided there was no way I could trust them with her diet.

So now I am off to research school lunch ideas. And other ideas on what to feed a gfcf child.

GFCF Low Carb 1-Minute Muffins

In a tea cup or other microwaveable one cup item:

1. Melt 1-2 tbsp of butter
2. Mix in

* 1 egg
* Sweatner to taste ( I like using 1 TBSP of SF Davinci Syrup or liquid splenda)
* Mix in 1/4 cup of flaxseed meal (and/or mix with almond meal, protein powder)
* 1/4 tsp of baking powder

3. Microwave on high for 1 minute*
4. Turn out and let cool

The muffin may look kind of wet at first, but it dries quickly as it cools.
Eat warm with butter or wrap cooled muffin in plastic to eat later.

*cooking time may vary depending on your microwave, avoid overcooking

Using butter and truly carb free sweetener, such as liquid splenda or DaVinci syrup:

239 Calories
19 gms fat
18 gms carbs
17 gms fiber
Resulting in 1 net gm carbs.

Banana Nut Bowl Muffin (or cake really)
1.5 Tbl coconut flour (low carb use almond flour)
1 egg (Large or better)
1/2 tsp banana extract
1-2 Tbl chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking powder (could probably use less)
1 tsp oil (possibly optional)
1-2 Tbl sugar (low carb use sugar substitute)

I put the dry ingredients (except walnuts) into the bowl and mix. Then I crack in the egg, add oil and extract, sweetener if it is liquid and stir vigorously. When it becomes like a thick paste add enough water to make it about the consistency of thin pancake batter. Coconut flour is THIRSTY stuff, is absorbs water like a sponge.

When it is well mixed add in the walnuts. Microwave for about 1.5 minutes until it stops looking wet on top and doesn't bubble. Do not overcook or it'll get dry.

Variations include using Da Vinci or Torani syrups instead of extract/water, using berries instead of walnuts. You can make savory ones using spices and slice it like bread. One can also add flax meal for various effects, but watch that it doesn't get dry.

GFCF Dairy Substitutions

Vegan Sour Cream (Tofu)

Ingredients

* ½ pound soft or silken tofu
* 2 T lemon juice
* 3 T canola oil
* 2 t brown rice vinegar
* ¾ t salt

1. Process all of the ingredients in the food processor until smooth.
2. Transfer to the covered container and refrigerate until use (up to four days).

Olive Oil Spread

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
• Calcium powder, if desired

1. Combine ingredients by blending or whisking. Refrigerate the mixture until cold and thickened. It will become almost solidified. Stir before using, this promotes a uniform texture/flavor.
2. You can also flavor the spread(i.e. garlic powder, a pinch of salt, herbs, etc.) This makes a really good garlic bread spread.
3. Note: if you want or need to make more at one time, do it in the food processor or with an immersion blender (hand blender). If you are on a yeast free diet you can skip the nutritional yeast flakes too, but you will have to add a little salt and/or herbs to make it taste closer to "margarine". It is not the additives that make it a spread but the blending which incorporates air. Adding the calcium will make it opaque like store bought margarines.

Non-Dairy "Cheesy" Sauce

Ingredients

* 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (not brewer's yeast or active yeast)
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon canola oil (optional)

1. Place all the ingredients into a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until it starts to thicken, then let it bubble for 30 seconds.
2. Whisk vigorously. It will become very thick.
3. Microwave option: Pour the mixture into a microwave-proof bowl; cover, and cook on high for 2 minutes. Whisk, then microwave for 2 more minutes, and whisk again.
4. Drizzle over pizza or other food and then broil or bake until a skin forms on top. Alternatively, refrigerate in a small, covered plastic conatiner for up to one week. It will become firm and spreadable. Spread on bread or quesadilas for grilling.
5. Note: The oil adds richness and helps it melt better, but the cheese still only contains 2.6 grams of fat per 1/4 cup.
   

Mock Ricotta Cheese

This can be used to replace ricotta cheese or other soft cheeses in lasagna, etc.

Ingredients

• 1 pound firm tofu
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt or rock salt

1. Combine 3/4 of the tofu with everything else and mash smooth, or use a food processor.
2. Mash in remaining tofu with a spoon to give the right texture.
   

Parma Pine Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1 ½ tsp. olive oil or flax oil
• ¾ tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

Puree in a food processor on pulse until cheesy looking. Use in place of parmesan in salads and or other dishes.
Ricotta Sub (Raw)

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups macadamia nuts
• soaked 2 or more hours
• ½ cup pure water (you may need more)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
• ½ tsp. Italian seasoning

Puree in a food processor until fluffy. Add more water as needed.

LOW CARB gluten free dairy free Lemon Chicken Marinade

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt or seasoned salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder or 1 1/2 Tbsp grated onion
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 minced garlic cloves

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Pour over bonelss chicken breasts or thighs, or put marinade and chicken in a ziploc bag.
3. Marinate at least 30 minutes; preferable 6-8 hours or overnight.
4. Cook on the grill!

Chocolate Protein Shake

• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup soy or almond milk (soy has more protein)
• 3-4 oz silken tofu
• 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp natural nut butter (peanut or almond are good)
• 1 tsp psyllium husk powder (for fiber and it also thickens the shake)
• sweetener to taste
  
• 1 scoop vegan protein power (like soy powder - Nature's Way Energy unsweetened, unflavored protein powder, I think is vegan)
• Ice

Apple Crisp

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup grapeseed oil
• ¼ cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 medium apples, peeled, sliced, then chop slices in half width-wise

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
2. In a smaller bowl, combine oil, agave and vanilla
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry
4. Place apples in a 2-3 quart glass baking dish (a pyrex bowl or an 8×8 square)
5. Sprinkle topping over the apples
6. Cover and bake at 350° for 50 minutes on low rack
7. When apples are soft and their juices bubble, remove cover and bake 10 more minutes to brown crisp
8. Serve warm

Serves 6

Scrambled Eggs and Ham Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 oz.) GFCF spaghetti (we use tinkyada rice)
• 2 cups diced GFCF ham (or chicken/turkey, etc.)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 eggs, beaten

1. Cook spaghetti until al dente & drain.
2. Place ham, peas and water in a large skillet
3. and simmer for 3 minuites.
4. Stir in spaghetti.
5. Pour eggs over mixture, cook until eggs are done.

Experimenting

This morning, I decided to try an experiment. Since giving up gluten and dairy, I have given up my morning decaf coffee. I have switched to chai teas. They are yummy and relaxing. But this morning, after several nights of puppy and baby conspiring to keep me from getting a good night's sleep, I have a headache. A terrible headache. So, I am drinking a cup of coffee with my ibuprofen.

Since I have been dairy free, I have had some troubles finding a coffee creamer that is completely dairy free. (which is the reason for my switch to tea) I decided to give my "Our Compliments" Vanilla Soy Milk a shot in my coffee. It is actually pretty good. It has a flavored creamer taste that I kind of enjoy. It hasn't gotten rid of my headache yet, but at least the coffee was good.

Substitute for Sweetened Condensed Milk

This requires a safe milk substitute such as soy or rice, I bet potato would work too?

I've not tried this other than in pumpkin pie filling, but a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk can be subbed with 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup soy milk (or rice milk). I've also used rice milk and subbed the maple syrup with brown sugar and water.

Spring No-rolls

Adapted from an eggroll recipe, it does make a good filling for ricepaper rounds, but also a nice dish on its own or topping rice.

• 1 small head of cabbage (remove tough outer leaves and save for use as a compress.) grated or chopped into small pieces.
• 2 large handfulls of mung bean sprouts (soak in a bowl of water with 1/4 tsp vinegar, then rinse)
• 1 med zuchinni, grated
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 1/2-1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• soy sauce to taste* (Obviously, use appropriate sauce for your allergens)

Put 1 TBS sesame oil in bottom of large saucepan. Sautee onion and garlic lightly. Add all veggies, cook for about 15 minutes. Drain, add sauce. Serve over rice, or whatever. You can add slivers of tofu, or some kind of meat, or slices of "scrambled" egg if you'd like, too. And bell peppers make nice additions too.

Low Carb GFCF Breads

Low Carb Basic Flax Meal Focaccia Bread

This "focaccia" is baked in that style - flat on a sheet pan, and then cut up into whatever sized pieces you want. It works for toast, sandwiches, and other bready uses. It is "rough" in texture like heavy whole grain breads. Since it isn't made with wheat, it doesn't have the same kind of grain as wheat breads, but the carb in flax is almost all fiber. Flax is very useful on a low carb diet, as well as being amazingly good for you."

35 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 12

* 2 cups flax seed meal
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1-2 tablespoon sweetening power from artificial sweetener
* 5 beaten eggs
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/3 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Prepare pan (a 10X15 pan with sides works best) with oiled parchment paper or a silicon mat.
3. Mix dry ingredients well - a whisk works well.
4. Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.
5. Let batter set for 2-3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it's easy to spread.).
6. Pour batter onto pan. Because it's going to tend to mound in the middle, you'll get a more even thickness if you spread it away from the center somewhat, in roughly a rectangle an inch or two from the sides of the pan (you can go all the way to the edge, but it will be thinner).
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than flax already is.
8. Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want. You don't need a sharp knife - I usually just cut it with a spatula.
9. At 12 servings, each piece of bread has less than one gram of carbohydrate - .8 to be exact - plus 5 grams of fiber.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (57g)
Recipe makes 12 servings
Calories 184
Total Fat 16.0g 24%
Total Carbohydrate 5.8g 1%
Dietary Fiber 5.1g 20%

Very Low-Carb Hamburger Bun!

It sounds crazy, but the end result is amazing! This makes a wonderful hamburger bun, it tastes like a whole wheat bun. It's very sturdy and holds up well with all the juiciness of a hamburger with all the fixings. Note: you may need to add more ground flaxseed/flaxseed meal--the consistently of the "stuff" pre-microwaved should be thick and sort of pasty, like brownie batter, not liquidy.

6 min | 5 min prep

SERVES 1

* 2 tablespoons of melted butter
* 1/2 pinch salt
* 1 extra large egg
* 4 tablespoons flax seed meal
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Mix all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl or container.
2. Put the bowl/container in the microwave and nuke for 1 minute or until center is set.
3. It will billow up in the bowl.
4. Leave it in the bowl for another minute then turn it out on a cooling rack and let it cool.
5. Once it has cooled take a long bread knife and slice the bun in half and make your hamburger as usual.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (116g)
Recipe makes 1 servings
Calories 439
Total Carbohydrate 9.1g 3%
Dietary Fiber 7.6g 30%
Almond Herb Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups well ground almonds
• 3 eggs (whites)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon melted CF margarine
• handful of herbs of your choice chopped in food processor

1. Beat egg whites until peaks form.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients by hand.
3. Add egg whites to other ingredients and mix well.
4. Put into a prepared bread pan or pie plate.*
5. Bake at 325 F (163 C) until top is browned and inside is as dry as it will get without top burning. (If it's still moist inside you can slice when ready to eat and toast it slightly on each side.)

Poster's Notes: Using the bread pan will yield a taller bread but sometimes the inside remains a little moist. If it's still moist inside you can slice when ready to eat and toast it slightly on each side.

If one is making the almond meal at home, grind until nut butter consistency- choose you're consistency depending on what your stomach can handle.

Use fresh basil and parsley, to make it spicier add a glove of chopped garlic and 1/4 onion or adjust the herbs and spices to your own preference. .................................

Preparations

So, in my preparations for going back to low carb but continuing gluten and dairy free I am searching for various baking recipes I can find. I am doing pretty well and I will continue to share what I find.

I am also looking to see which are the best products for me to have around to make this easier for me. I really want to get to a healthier weight and now that I am feeling healthier, I am even more motivated to get this right.

Gluten-free, dairy-free cake

Because of the long cooking time, you can double the recipe. It is a wonderful way to use up over-ripe fruit!

¼ cup oil (olive or grapeseed are good optios)
3 large or 3 ½ medium-sized bananas or about 1½ cups of any fruit (apples, berries, peaches and various mixtures of bananas and fruits all work fine)
2 cups rice flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely chopped or ground nuts or seeds (ground almonds, hemp hearts and flax seed are good additions)
2 eggs
2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

Mix the oil with sugar, then beat in the eggs, vanilla and fruit mixture. Combine dry ingredients together, then add to the wet mixture. Beat until dry ingredients are moist. A 5-x-9 loaf pan works well. Bake at 325°F for one hour and 20 minutes.

GFCF Bread Dough

1 packet of RED STAR yeast (it's gluten free)
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 C Brown rice flour
1/2 C potato starch — or 1/4 C golden flax meal and 1/4 C tapioca
starch
1 T sweet rice flour –or extra brown rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
1 T olive oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
Mix the yeast, sugar and water. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Add a little bit of extra starch to be able to handle the dough
easily. (It's pretty sticky)

====

-Breadsticks/Pretzels- shape them either forming them by hand,
(rolling them like playdough snakes), or by squeezing them out of a
pastry bag. I used a ziplock bag with the corner cut off. A piece of
parchment paper rolled into a cone would have worked even better. The
ones we did by hand were more "rustic", so we smoothed out the dough
slightly with water dipped fingers. The ones we shaped with the
ziplock bag looked just like the one from the store.

-You can brush them with rice milk and sprinkle on coarse salt
for "pretzels"

- Add seasonings to the dough before shaping it into breadsticks:
onion powder, garlic powder, oregano leaves, basil…. or ?

-Sticky buns- I added a teaspoon of vanilla and a Tablespoon of sugar
to the dough when mixing it up. Pat the dough into a rectangle shape
on a cutting board. Spread a small amount of olive oil or palm
shortening on top and sprinkle brown sugar all over it. Cinnamon or
spices optional. Add golden raisins. Roll up the rectangle and slice
it into buns. Bake in a greased pan.

- Jam rolls - spread jam on the rectangle of dough and roll and slice
like cinnamon rolls.

- pizza crust - shape the crust. Let it rise for ten minutes. Bake it
for 8-10 minutes. Top with whatever you like and bake again until the
toppings are hot- probably another 10 minutes at least.

-sandwich buns - shape like hockey pucks less than 1/2 thick circles
or long shaped for hotdogs. They puff up while baking. Cool. Slice.
Enjoy.

==============

Preheat the oven to 400. Let the shaped dough rise ten minutes on a
parchment lined cookie sheet.
sprinkling the sheet with ground flax meal gives a nice "bakery" touch

Bake 10-15 minutes or until the outside of the dough is beginning to
show a little golden brown color. The breadsticks will be sort of
crusty/crunchy on the outside and bread soft in the middle. I baked
the sticky buns for 20 minutes. Sandwich buns about 18 depending on
size and thickness.

Let cool on wire rack and slice. They keep well in freezer or fridge
for a few days if they last that long.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Breakfast Bar

GFCF Breakfast Bar

Ingredients

• ½ c honey
• ½ sunflower seed butter (peanut butter also will do)
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 3 c gluten-free rice cereal (like Barbara's)
• 1/2-1 c chopped dates, or pureed
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2-4 tbsp ground flax

1. Grease 13 x 9 pan - Spectrum organic shortening. is good.
   
2. Mix honey, nut/seed butter and sugar into pan and bring to boil. Then stir for a minute or two.
3. Add other ingredients.
4. Mix well.
5. Pour/scoop into greased pan and use spatula to press down.
6. Use pizza cutter to cut into squares after 10 mins. Let cool.

Nutritional Info
Fat: 6.9g
Carbohydrates: 31.7g
Calories:190.3
Protein: 4.1g

Number of Servings: 12

GFCF Basic Pudding/Custard

Great on their own or in a pie shell, there are an unlimited number of flavours and uses for puddings/custards.

Here's a basic recipe that can be flavoured any way you like. One thing to note is that if you flavour with anything acidy... like lemon... you will need to put a heat-proof glass bowl over a pot with boiling water and use a wooden or plastic stirring device. If you do the acid flavours directly in the pot, it will pull out the flavour of the pot and you will end up with metal flavoured pudding. Yuck!!

Throw this (double batch) all into a pot (or glass bowl) that is not yet on any heat:

• 8 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk (you can use two cups of any type of 'milk')
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup arrowroot
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Whip it up with a wisk. Place on burner (med./high heat). Stir constantly for about ten minutes so that you don't end up with a special kind of scrambled eggs (until bubbles form) .

Take pot off heat (turn off heat), continue stirring so that the bottom doesn't start turning into scrambled eggs.

Enjoy warm.
Enjoy over top of cereal.
Enjoy over top of stewed fruit and nut dish.
Chill and turn it into a cool pudding or pie filling.
The list is endless.

Low Carb, Gluten Free, Dairy Free Snacks

Since I am preparing to go back to low carb and as I mentioned yesterday, I am a little lost on gfcf low carb treats, I did what I always do when a food issue has me stumped. I researched. I hunted and thought and looked through all my low carb recipes to see what would fit. And lucky me, below I have listed what I have come up with so far. I am of course still searching and would love to know about any suggestions you may have, but in the meantime, I thought I would share what I have found:

Mug O’ Cake

* 2 Tablespoons organic golden flax meal, freshly ground
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon stevia extract (or to taste - each brand is different) (I am trying 2 - 3 Tbsp Splenda)
* 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 large organic egg
* 3 Tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, melted
* 2 Tablespoons water

In a 4 cup measuring cup, place all the dry ingredients and whisk together with a fork or small whisk.

Add in wet ingredients and whisk briskly to fully incorporate ingredients until smooth.

Microwave:

Use glass measuring cup, or any microwave-safe 16 ounce cup container. I like to use over-sized (16-ounce) coffee mugs. Microwave uncovered on HI for 2 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve in mug.
Enjoy!!

Low Carb Almond Cookies Recipe

25 min | 5 min prep

SERVES 16 -18

* 2 cups almond flour
* 1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
* 1/2 cup softened butter (I use diary free subsitute) (if you want cookie that holds together a little more easily replace 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 l)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, omit salt here)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 egg (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Using and electic mixer blend softened butter for a minute. Add remaining indredients and mix together.
3. Form dough into walnut sized balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheet. The oil from the butter and almond flour grease the sheet as the cookie bakes.
4. Bake for 5 minutes. Press down lightly with fork, then continue to bake another 18 minutes. The cookies do not brown.
5. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes before removing.
6. For a more festive look, you can drizzle a little melted chocolate (sugar-free, of course) on top.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (10g)
Recipe makes 16 servings
Calories 52
Calories from Fat 51 (98%)
Total Carbohydrate 0.1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0.0g 0%

Low Carb Snickerdoodles Recipe

1½ hours | 15 min prep

SERVES 8

* 1/2 cup butter (I use diary free subsitute)
* 1 1/2 cups almond flour
* 1 cup Splenda sugar substitute
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 2 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on
2. medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
3. Add about half the flour, the 1 cup Splenda, the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
4. Beat until thoroughly combined.
5. Beat in the remaining flour.
6. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
7. Combine the 2 tablespoons Splenda and the cinnamon in a small bowl.
8. Shape dough into 1 inch balls (should make about 30 balls).
9. Roll balls in the Splenda-cinnamon mix and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Low-Carb Wheat Thins

These are great with dips, spreads, and soy cheeses. Because they're made with almond flour, they're low-carb and soy-free.

30 min | 5 min prep

SERVES 5 , 40 crackers

* 1 egg white
* 1 cup almond flour
* 2 teaspoons Splenda sugar substitute
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Transfer dough a silicone mat on a cookie sheet.
4. Cover with waxed paper and roll out with rolling pin, glass, or can. The dough should be quite thin and of an even thickness.
5. Remove waxed paper and sprinkle with additional garlic salt, if desired.
6. Score dough into squares using a pizza cutter (don't press, or you'll damage your silicone mat).
7. Bake for 15 minutes and check to see if crackers have started to brown. If the edges have started browning, remove those crackers, then put cookie sheet back into the oven.
8. Check crackers at 5 minute intervals, removing any that are thoroughly cooked.
9. Let cool completely and store in airtight container.

Low Carb Pancakes With Soy and Coconut Flour

If you do not like to use soy flour, I'm sure you could substitute almond flour in this recipe. These are slightly dense. You may need to add a few spoonfuls of additional coconut flour to thicken the batter.

25 min | 5 min prep

SERVES 10 , 10 small pancakes

* 1 cup soy flour
* 1/3 cup coconut flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon stevia powder (more if you like a sweeter pancake)
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups soymilk (vanilla)
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Mix wet ingredients and mix dry ingredients.
2. Pour wet into dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
3. This batter will be thicker than normal pancake batter.
4. Cook in pan/griddle on med heat with oil. (it will not 'bubble' like regular pancakes).
5. Flip when underside is browned.
6. The middle of these pancakes will feel a bit soft on the inside. Once cooled a bit, it will firm up.

Berry Crunch Top Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cage-free organic eggs
1/2 cup erythritol or preferred sugar-free sweetener
1/2 teaspoon pure NuNaturals stevia extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup lite coconut milk
1 cup blueberries or raspberries
oat flour, for dusting (optional)

For Crunch Topping (optional):
2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening or unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons golden flax meal
2 tablespoons erythritol
1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon stevia extract

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mash together the ingredients for the topping with a fork, then stick it in the freezer while you make the muffins. Whisk together wet ingredients plus the erythritol in one bowl. Stir together the dry ingredients in a different bowl. Add the wet to the dry ingredients, whisking until incorporated. Coat berries with a light dusting of oat flour (to keep them from sinking), and gently fold 3/4 of them into the batter. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full, and sprinkle remaining berries over the tops. Pinch off bits of the cold topping, dropping them over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Let cool until lukewarm, then turn muffins out of the silicone muffin cups (if using) so the tops are facing down. After completely cooled, store in baggies or tupperware with paper towels.

About being GFCF and doing low carb.

I am fairly confident I have this whole GFCF thing sorted out. I understand what I can and can't eat. It really isn't that complicated. I just have to be aware and eating out is difficult.

It does mean that I have to take it into account when planning my weight-loss regime. I am going back to low carb next grocery day. My only concern is I can't think of one single sweet-type treat that I can make that is low carb but also gluten free and dairy free. I am kind of stuck on this one. After induction, fruits are allowed, so I could make smoothies with berries and soy milk. But I can't think of one single induction sweet/dessert type thing that is gluten free and soy free.

I have a little something sweet every day. Before going gfcf, I would make mock danishes as my treat or little cheesecake type desserts with splenda. But now I am at a loss. I will do more research to see what I can come up with.

I am open to any suggestions you may have.

Soy Whipped Cream (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

I haven't tried this one, but it sounds great.

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup soy milk
* 1/2 cup canola oil (also try 1/4 cup to cut fat)
* 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (I use splenda)
* 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract (if you use vanilla soy milk, you an omit this)

Directions:
Place soymilk and 1/4 cup vegetable oil in blender. Blend at highest speed and slowly drizzle in remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Blend in maple syrup and vanilla, add a little more oil if necessary to thicken. This makes enough topping for one pie, or crisp, or angel food cake, or, well you get the picture.

Cashew Sour Cream (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free)

A dollop of this "cream" is great to tame a firey soup!

Ingredients:

* 1 cup raw cashews (must not be roasted or salted)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
* Juice of one small lemon

Directions:

Cover cashews with water and soak for a few hours, or overnight. Pour off all water, and place nuts in food processor. Add 1/4 cup cold water, salt, vinegar and lemon juice. Puree for 3-4 minutes or until completely smooth and creamy in consistency. Use in any recipe that calls for sour cream.

Cashew Sour Cream (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free)

A dollop of this "cream" is great to tame a firey soup!

Ingredients:

* 1 cup raw cashews (must not be roasted or salted)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
* Juice of one small lemon

Directions:

Cover cashews with water and soak for a few hours, or overnight. Pour off all water, and place nuts in food processor. Add 1/4 cup cold water, salt, vinegar and lemon juice. Puree for 3-4 minutes or until completely smooth and creamy in consistency. Use in any recipe that calls for sour cream.

Ooops.

So, in all my industriousness, I decided to make a turkey soup. I had some turkey bones and stuff in the freezer. I threw some chicken broth, some veggies, some tomatoes and some turkey bones in the pot. After I got it started, a light bulb went on over my head, I had stuffed those turkeys. There was stuffing all over the bones. I COULDN'T EAT MY SOUP!!! And here I was craving a nice big bowl of soup! UGH Sooooo frustrating!! So I threw in the last of my barley and served it to Prince Charming and Princess Belle for supper.

I do so much of my cooking on auto-pilot. Things almost jump into the pot by themselves. It is those automatic moments that keep jumping up and biting me in the butt. I really have to be aware of everything I have left in my house from my pre-gfcf days.

Cornbread and Cornbread Stuffing

Cornbread
The cornbread recipe is from Gluten-Free Kitchen by Roben Ryberg. Make this a day ahead.

1 cup milk substitute of your choice
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 tsp vinegar
1/3 c. potato starch
1/2 c. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbs gluten-free baking powder
3/4 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg, oil and vinegar. Mix well. Add all other ingredients and mix well, being sure to remove any lumps. Batter will be thin.

Pour batter into a greased 8"x8" baking pan. Bake 28-32 minutes, until cornbread tests done with a toothpick and top is lightly browned.

Cornbread stuffing
from James Beard's American Cookery

5 Tbs. butter (I use olive oil)
3/4 c finely chopped onions
1/2 pound well-seasoned sausage meat. Be sure to check that this is dairy-free, there is often dairy in processed meats.
the liver of the turkey, finely chopped
4 cups of coarsely crumbled cornbread
1/4 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 c. Madeira wine
1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

Saute the onions in the butter until pale gold. Remove to a mixing bowl. Add the sausage to the skillet, break it up with a fork, and let it cook several minutes over medium heat. When it is lightly browned, add the chopped liver. Brown it for 2-3 minutes with the sausage meat, and add it to the onions in the bowl.

Add the cornbread crumbs, salt, pepper (pecans, if using) and the rest of the seasonings. Mix well with the hands and add the Madeira. Taste for seasoning and stuff the bird or cook it separately.

This is yummy, and so good that no one will think it's allergy-friendly! Enjoy your holidays everyone. Peace and blessings

Spicy Asian Shrimp

1 1/2 lbs shrimp, large
3 ea green onions -- chopped
1/4 c lime juice
1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
2 tbsps rice vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
2 clove garlic -- finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger -- minced
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsps sesame oil
oil for baking pan

Mix all in glass or plastic bowl, except oil. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Heat oven to 400. Spray or oil 13 x 9 x 2 pan. Arrange shrimp in single layer. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot w/ toothpicks.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving: 60 Calories; 2g Fat (23.9% calories from fat); 10g
Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 87mg Cholesterol; 187mg
Sodium.

Jalapeño & Lime Hummus

From Karina's Kitchen. (Thanks Karina!)

1 16-oz. can chilled chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
Juice of one large fresh lime
2 tablespoons peanut butter, cashew or almond butter
3 cloves fresh garlic
2 heaping tablespoons pickled jalapeños
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
Pinch of cumin, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Pinch of sea salt, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Makes about 3 cups.

Serve with gluten-free Buttermilk Flat Bread, Savory Grain-free Crackers or blue and gold corn chips. Also fab with carrot sticks.
This naturally gluten-free hummus is a fab dip with crisp fresh veggies, but it's also tasty as a side with a plate of roasted vegetables and brown rice. It's a lovely way to add a complementary protein to a vegan meal.

Delicious Gluten-Free Bread

From Karina's Kitchen:

Most gluten-free bread recipes rely on eggs for texture and rise. Not this one. Not only is this tender crusty bread dairy-free and rice-free, it's egg-free, too. I baked it in my Breadman bread machine.

First- whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside:

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup millet flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast- or rapid yeast

You'll need sesame seeds for the top- or hemp seeds; set aside for later.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the bread machine pan:

1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cup warm water (at 110 degrees F)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey or raw agave nectar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Ener-G Egg Replacer for 1 egg whisked with hemp milk

Gently pour the mixed dry ingredients on top of the liquid.

Set your bread machine program for 1.5 loaf medium crust. I used the gluten-free cycle on the Breadman; if you don't have a gluten-free cycle, I believe a rapid rise cycle will also work.

Here's a few tips and notes on how I made this new recipe.

• Having all ingredients at room temperature helps.

• Water should be 110 degrees F.

• Yeast should be fresh- check expiration date.

• After a minute or two of mixing, open the machine and scrape down the sides of the pan with a spatula to help incorporate he flour; I had to do this twice.

• After the mixing/kneading cycle was finished I checked the dough and with wet fingers pressed the top down to even out the shape.

• I sprinkled a generous tablespoon of sesame seeds all over the top.

• When the machine beeped "done". I immediately removed the pan from the hot machine, and within a minute released the bread from the pan (if you don't do this, it steams and gets a wee bit soggy) and placed it on a wire rack to do the thump test. The thump test reveals if it's done. It should sound hollow when tapped.

• I thought the sides were a tad soft so I placed the naked loaf directly into the oven- on the center rack- and turned on the temp to 350 degrees. I baked it for another 12 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it. When I tapped the bread it sounded hollow. Done.

• Cool the loaf on a wire rack. Slice with a sharp serrated knife.

• This bread would make fabulous burger buns.

• A note regarding altitude. I bake at high altitude- so I used only one egg's worth of egg replacer; you may need two.

• Readers sometimes ask if they can lessen either the oil or the sweetener in a recipe- in this case, I'd suggest, no. What really makes this bread tender and not crumbly is the give it gets from the honey and oil. When you don't use eggs or butter, you need to boost the stickiness factor- and flavor. That's why I use good tasting olive oil and honey (agave would work).
  

This yummy bread was not only the most successful egg-free yeasted bread to date- the taste, texture and tenderness make it one of my all-time top faves in gluten-free bread land. It didn't crumble. And it didn't taste ricey (well, there's no rice!). The combination of sorghum and millet with potato starch imparts a springy bread texture that reminded us both of our favorite ciabatta bread recipe from our pre-gluten-free days.

Next- I'll be making other flavor versions of this basic recipe, so stay tuned.

If you don't have a bread machine:

Follow the instructions for whisking together the dry ingredients.

Proof the yeast in the warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) and a teaspoon of the honey/agave (add the yeast to the water and honey stir; allow it to get poofy).

Add the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients; add the olive oil, remaining honey/agave, cider vinegar and mixed egg replacer (or egg); beat until a smooth batter forms. I use the word batter because gluten-free bread dough is more like batter than dough.

Scrape the dough into a 1.5 pound loaf pan (or 7 to 8-inch round cake pan for ciabatta style) and smooth evenly (I use wet fingers). Top with sesame seeds. Loosely cover the pan and allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes in a warm spot.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. When the oven comes to temperature bake the bread until it sounds hollow when thumped. This might be anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes, and even up to 60 minutes if you're at higher altitude. Lower style round pan loaves will bake at 30 to 40 minutes, usually.

If you like a crusty loaf, remove the bread from the pan and return it naked to the oven for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color.

Cool on a wire rack.

Gluten Free Eating and blogging

Since going on this gluten/dairy free journey, I have found that the help provided by other bloggers has been invaluable. I wasn't aware that so many people out there were also living this way as well. I have been actually excited reading recipes that I had thought were going to be forever out of my reach now.

As I continue on this journey, I hope to get to be a healthier me, with a happier stomach and a more rested outlook. I will try to share more of it with you. In the past, I have used my blog as a sort of on-line cookbook where I store all my favorite recipes and all of those that I can't wait to try. While I still intend to share my recipes, I am enjoying sharing my other thoughts as well. As I find new and wonderful recipes, I will try to share my source as well (as long as I kept a record while I was collecting information and recipes on my hard-drive)

Right now I have to go get some breakfast. I find supper fairly easy to do gluten free, but coming up with breakfast and lunch and snacks takes more thought. I am new at this and I don't have a handy repetoire of gluten free, dairy free favorites to fall back on yet. With time I guess that will come.

Thursday Thirteen - symptoms before going gluten free

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Thirteen symptoms Twisted Cinderella felt of Celiac (Gluten intolerance). Since I was recently asked what my symptoms were before going gluten free, I figured I would share them this way. bloating and horrible cramping of my abdomen back pain diarrhea (especially after eating certain foods) and gas dehydration exhausted/no energy at all. It would take me all day just to get the dishes done depression extremely dry skin Muscle cramping in the legs random unexplained rashes previous diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome joint pains (I felt like I was a old lady with painful joints a lot of the time) chronic sinus problems I would have strong reactions to foods while eating out and my reactions seemed to lesson somewhat as I began to limit certain foods. When I went completely gluten/dairy free, they disappeared entirely and when I tasted a little to test, I had a horrible reactions again.

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