New Grocery Store Finds!

I can't believe this is the last day of January!!! Good greif!!! Where did the month go?!!?

We had spaghetti for dinner last night, and tried a new pasta sauce we found!

Antico Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

It was yummy!! Lots of flavour, and completely gluten and sugar free! A lot of pasta sauces have sugar in them, so it was exciting to find one that didn't! My mom usually makes a homemade pasta sauce, which is delish!!!! But we didn't have time to thaw it out from the freezer, or the ingredients to make it fresh, and it was nice to just have an easy jar to grab for once.

I also found a recipe yesterday for cauliflower pizza crust... haven't tried it yet, but I want to!

Have any of you ever tried it?? Let me know what you think if you have!

Some Things We Eat!

As you can probably imagine, my sugar allergy and my dad's wheat intolerance makes for some rather 'interesting' scenarios when it comes to deciding what to make for mealtimes.

It's taken us a while to find products that we can eat, because EVERYTHING has sugar in it! ... And it's so hard to find a reasonably good tasting substitute for wheat.

So here's a list of things that we have found in areas near where we live, and hopefully you'll be able to find some things in your local grocers or healthfood store, too.

Wheat or Gluten Free

Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour
INGREDIENTS:
garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, fava bean flour
-- We recently used this to make dumplings for on top of stew... yumm!!!! We also sometimes use this in the waffle recipe (you can see it here) --

Bob's Red Mill Pizza Crust *NOT SUGAR FREE
INGREDIENTS:
whole grain brown rice flour, potato starch, whole grain millet flour, whole grain sorghum, tapica flour, potato flour, evaporated cane juice, Xanthan gum, active dry yeast, sea salt, guar gum

Kinnikinnick Foods Pancake and Waffle Mix *NOT SUGAR FREE
INGREDIENTS:
pea starch, white rice flour, corn starch, sugar, tapioca starch, dextrose, defatted soy flour, while egg powder, KinnActive baking powder, inulin (it's a plant fiber), pea protein, pea fibre, fructose, salt, cream of tartar, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium carboxy methylcellulose, vanillin, guar gum

Quaker 100% Whole Grain 1 Minute Oats
FYI - PC Organics Quick Oats have a disclaimer on them of "may contain wheat"

Gluten Free Pantry Old Fashioned Cake and Cookie Mix *NOT SUGAR FREE
INGREDIENTS:
white rice flour, sugar, potato starch, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), Xanthan gum, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate

Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix *NOT SUGAR FREE
INGREDIENTS:
sugar, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lethecin, vanilla extract), cocoa powder, white rice flour, potato starch, corn starch, Xanthan gum, salt

Gluten Free Pantry Perfect Pie Crust Mix
INGREDIENTS:
white rice flour, potato starch, corn starch, guar gum, granulated honey, salt

Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix *NOT SUGAR FREE
INGREDIENTS:
white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, skim milk powder, whey powder, corn starch, brown sugar, guar gum, salt, yeast
-- Dad isn't a big fan of this, but I know other people who do like it --

Gluten/Wheat Free Pasta brands

Artesian Kamut Pasta (lots of different types)
Prairie Harvest San Zenone 100% Organic Corn Pasta (Dad's 1st choice! And also lots of different types)

Sugar Free

GoBio Organic Chicken Bouillon Cubes (6 cubes to a box)
INGREDIENTS:
corn starch, non hydrogenated palm oil, MSG free yeast extract, natural chicken and rosemary flavorings, roasted onions, chicken fat, chicken meat, tumeric, rosemary, celery, garlic, parsley
-- We find this to be a lot less salty then 'regular' stock bases, so you may need to add more then you normally would --

Kitchen Basics Original Beef Cooking Stock
INGREDIENTS:
beef stock, beef flavor (natural flavor, beef stock), vegetable stocks (carrot, leek, tomato, onion, garlic) sea salt, honey, thyme, pepper

Bragg All Purpose Liquid Soy Seasoning (I used this in my Sweet & Sour SMITH Meatballs recipe)

So there you have it! I hope this is helpful to you guys! I've also added links to some of the product homepages, if you want to do some extra research.

And as always, please remember to read the labels!! Because you just never know when the big-kahuna of some company is going to change things on us! It's happened before!

And let me know in the comments or email me, if you know of any other products that you like that are sugar/wheat free!! Let's share the wealth! :)

Easy Peasy Salad Dressing or Marinade

We LOVE this salad dressing recipe, and use it for all sorts of different things!!!

• dressing for salads
• marinade (awesome on chicken!!)
• dip (I like dipping veggies in it, or fish)

It's so versatile, yet so easy!

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup dijon mustard

Mix it all up and put it in a resealable container. It'll last in the fridge for... well, I don't know for how long! We always use ours up too quickly! haha We use an old honey squirt container to keep it in, so it's super handy!

Dress-ing to impress!

Sea Salt and what!??!

You may notice that in all my recipes, I use sea salt instead of just regular salt.

Guess why?

Yup, there is SUGAR in SALT! Can you believe it!?!?! I couldn't! I was baffled! And very frustrated! So yes, your typical table salt has sugar in it!

You have to read labels on everything!!! This is one of the very first things I learned!

As I mentioned in another post, Xanthan gum is another one of those tricky things that you don't realize is sugar.

Are there any things that you guys have wondered, "Is there sugar in this?" Ask me in the 'comments', and I'll try to answer you!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is a recipe that traditionally has all sorts of sugar in it! But, not when you do it my way!! :)

Sweet & Sour SMITH Meatballs

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pepper and a pinch of ginger
1/4 - 1/3 cup of fine oatmeal (enough to make the meatballs stick together)
1 egg
1/2 cup maple syrup (you may use less than that)
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp tomato sauce (we use Molisana pureed tomato sauce)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (we use Bragg All Purpose Liquid Soy Seasoning - it's sugar free!)
1 can drained pineapple chunks (make sure they're not "in syrup"), or you can use fresh pineapple

Mix hamburger, onions, salt, pepper, ginger, oatmeal and egg together. Shape into balls. Brown in a frying pan and drain off the fat. Combine syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple chunks and add to the meatballs. Let that simmer for about 15 mins, and then add the cornstarch (mixed in 1 Tbsp. of water) just before you're ready to serve.

Serve it over rice with salad or your choice of side! Bon appetit!

Recipe Requests - Belgian Waffles

I'm so excited you guys!! I've already had so many requests for recipes, I'm more than happy to oblige!!! Keep them coming!

Today's request is for Waffles!!! For this recipe you'll need a waffle maker. Here goes!

Belgian Waffles

Combine:

2 cups flour (we use kamut and rice, or you can use a flour substitute - we get one at our local heath food store)

4 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

In a separate bowl, combine:

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)

1 3/4 cups milk

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. When you're batter is mixed nice and smooth, and your waffle maker is warm, add 1/3 cup of batter to each section (we have a square waffle maker that makes 2 at a time), and cook according to your maker's directions!

These are so good and fluffy!! You'll actually want to get up for breakfast... maybe ;).

So, what is it?

It was brought to my attention that bran contains gluten... woops!! I'd completely forgotten about that!!! Sorry guys!! I'm still learning, too!! And trying to remember it all!!

This is what I found out...
"A kernel of wheat grain contains three parts: the germ, endosperm and bran. The endosperm, which makes up about 83 percent of the kernel, is typically ground into white flour. The tiny, high-fat germ portion contains the plant embryo, and is usually removed during processing to extend the shelf life of the flour. The bran, or tough outer coating of the kernel, is also removed during the manufacturing process for white flour. All three components contain a plant storage protein known as gluten."

That being said, today I'm going to tell you more about sugar! That sweet little tidbit we all love! Or, as in my case, love to hate!

Sugar comes in many forms... you have your typical baking sugars, white, brown, raw and confectioners (or icing.. you know, the one on donuts that make a mess of everyone :) ), and then there are other sweeteners, like honey or maple syrup (these are the two that I can actually have). Did you know there are a TON of other names for sugar though??? Here's a few that I know of and that I need to watch out for:

-corn syrup
-turbinado
-molasses (no gingerbread cookies for me :( )

-demerara
-glucose
-sucrose
-sucralose
-sucanut
-Splenda (even sugar substitutes you have to be careful of!)
-invertase
-maltitol (you have to watch for this one... it's often in things that are labelled "sugar free")
-dextrose

We bake bread at my house in a bread maker because there's sugar in store-bought and bakery breads (it makes the yeast 'work'). We use maple syrup as a sweetener instead, and to help it rise, add something called guar gum. We used to use Xanthum gum, but guess what!?!?? IT'S MADE FROM SUGAR!!! See??? There are so many sneaky things!!

If you wanted to try to make my Chocolate Bran Cookies recipe from yesterday's post, you could substitute the bran for fine oatmeal, or even just more specialty flour. As long as they're thick enough (but not quite your usual cookie dough consistency).

Are there any other 'fancy' sugar names that you guys know of!??!

Chocolate Bran Cookies

Don't let the title fool you!! I know a lot of people who hear the word "bran" and think "Grandma Food"... but these things are goooooooooooodd!!!

Chocolate Bran Cookies
Ingredients:
6 Tbsp margarine
6 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 cup brown sugar (I used 3/4 C maple syrup)
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups flour (I used 1 c Rice flour and 1 1/4 c kamut flour, there's lots of combos you could use.. I just experimented :) I bet you could use all rice, or add some tapioca or potato flours) 1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup wheat bran (ended up using 3/4)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix margarine with applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the cornstarch mixture. Mix in cocoa, then baking soda and baking powder, then salt, then flour. Add the wheat bran little by little (while mixing) until desired consistency (a little less stiff than your regular cookie dough.) Plop spoonfuls of the batter onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the tops are fairly solid. They're so soft!! Almost cakey :) Yummo!!!! Serves: 2 dozen cookies.

I'll warn you, they look like... well, "droppings" when you make them... but they taste delicious!

Happy Baking!

Starting a'New!

New year, new resolutions, new blog!

So I've decided that this blog needed to be something that was helpful to other people... something that would be of benefit to ordinary people!

Drum roll please!!!!! :)

Guess we can start with what this blog will be about! So, here's my story.

Over a year ago, I was having a really hard time with breakouts, all over my body, to the point of hives!!! It was embarrassing of course, but it was also painful! My sister told be about a naturopath that she had taken my nephew to after he was literally COVERED in ecsema as a baby (poor kid, looked like a little burn victim!). The "doctor" was able to tell my sister what to change in his diet, and what not to feed him, and within a month his skin was completely clear! Music to my ears of course!

I booked an appointment with the same lady, and she told me I was allergic to sugar! RATS!!!!!!! haha You can imagine how THAT news went over!!! Well, after being completely, and I mean TOTALLY sugar free for over a year, my skin has been soooo much better!! And if I do accidentially have sugar, I'll know within a couple of days!

Besides my skin clearing up, I also noticed I had a lot more energy, and I lost 20 lbs! :) Major bonus!!

Well, just when things started to get "normal" again, we found out from the same "doctor" that my dad had a wheat intolerance! Sheesh!!!! Needless to say, any form of food preparation is an experiment at my house :) But one that we're learning from!

Hopefully, some of the recipes and information I share on here will be of benefit to you!! And please feel free to share any helpful hints that you've learned if you have either of these... shall we say... little annoyances!