GF Pound Cake with Balsamic Strawberries

Amazing! Divine!  Perfect!  Okay, enough about me :)  Now, that you have laughed really hard, if you have ever read any of my posts you know that I traditionally don't bake.  I am scared of it.  In the past I have tried and tried again, but even before I found out I had Celiac, baking was not something I was particularly good out, unless it was something I had been doing since I was a kid.

So, when I get the wild hair and decide it is time yet again, to waste expensive ingredients and try, I pray the end result is actually edible.  In this case.... WOW!  BOOM!! POW!!!  I DID IT!!!

Total Disclaimer:  This is not my recipe.  I found the cake recipe on Pinterest.  I will include the information from the webpage and the link also.  The only think I did to make it my own was to serve with Balsamic Strawberries.

Link:  http://glutenfreeeasily.com/perfect-pound-cake/

Author: Shirley Braden of Gluten Free Easily

 

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour **
• 1 ½ tsp xanthan gum**
• 1 ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup light olive oil
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 3 large eggs
• ⅔ cup full-fat coconut milk 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (Update: Reader Wendy lives at a higher altitude—6600 ft—and she adjusted oven temperature to 375 degrees, per her comment below.) Grease two loaf pans or grease and flour (use gluten-free flour) a Bundt pan.
2. Combine flour, xanthan gum, sea salt, and baking powder in an extra large measuring cup or separate bowl. Set aside.
3. Pour olive oil into large bowl, and slowly mix in sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
4. Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition.
5. Add milk. Mix 2 minutes. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing well.
6. Pour batter into loaf pans or Bundt pan.
7. Bake for 50 – 55 minutes.
8. If using a Bundt pan let set for 10 minutes before flipping to cool.  

** I used Authentic Foods Baking Mix with Xantham Gum included.  This means I left out the additional Xantham Gum. **

Balsamic Strawberries

1 lb Container Strawberries - washed, hulled and sliced

1/4 c 18 year Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbsp Coconut Sugar

Add all ingredients to a bowl, stir to combine and cover and refrigerate until just before serving.  

Non-Cooking: Buffet Transformation

After recently having to have some major home repairs done, including a wall taken down and put back up in my dining room, I have learned to have faith in myself in things other than cooking! I wanted to find a piece of furniture to make this dining room my own.  I was so excited that during another remodel project I discovered the local Habitat for Humanity Store in Albany, NY.  I was fortunate to find a solid wood buffet/dresser which was very inexpensive but yet in great condition despite the horrible color (green).  After begging a friend with a truck to help me go pick it up, I then realized how LARGE and HEAVY it was, but with a bit of determination and a couple of stops along the highway to adjust the drawers to keep from losing them we made it!

Before

After letting it sit in the garage for a couple weeks and searching out paint and what I actually wanted to do with it I discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  The closest location for me was Bennington, VT.  This trip included a local antique store (to purchase the paint), the covered bridges and local lore of the town and many pictures!

Upon my return, I pulled out the picture I was using as inspiration and I asked a friend if I could borrow a sander.  Yes, Heather used a power tool... I already had a cold, so why not add to it with a bit of dust!  I anticipated a quick sanding of the top to get the green color off and then I could stain the top a bit darker.  What happened was I discovered, 2 layers of paint on top of this amazing wood.  So I sanded to the actual wood.  Three hours later, sand in my hair I trucked to the hardware store.  I am fairly certain I scared the employee in the paint section, when I asked for stain and what type of paint brush I needed.  Then I told him I was going to put wax on the top so I did not need anything to seal the stain.

After 2 coats of stain, the wood absorbed everything I put on, so I decided to add one more to even it out.  The third coat made it!  While the overnight drying began I started removing hardware and painting the drawers and base of the buffet.  After a couple days of painting and drying the base and drawers were painted.  Finally I could move everything in doors to wax and have my garage back for my car.  :)

I followed the directions (which most of you know, I rarely do), applying a coat of clear wax, buffing and then applying a coat of dark wax.  This is a tedious process but made the outcome spectacular!

I hope that you enjoyed something other than a cooking and/or Celiac post!  This was so much fun and I wanted to share it!  :)

After

Fresh Fruit Water

If you are anything like me, you could probably drink more water.  It would be better for you and you would probably feel much better!  I have realized, especially during the winter, when the temperature is sub zero, my skin and my body feels even drier.  But I don't want to drink water.  I want to drink anything but water.  After willing spring to get here, and buying some fruit that wasn't necessarily as sweet as I would have wanted (and seeing all types of pictures on Pinterest) I created all types of flavored waters on my own!  I drank all of them and more this week!  It was a total hit and became quite the joke at my office with all the trips I made to the fridge to refill my cup :)

I recycled glass pasta sauce jars that are 24 oz each.  I made 5 jars and 1 plastic pitcher that I used in the morning and the evenings when I was home. 

2 strawberries - thinly slices
4 fresh mint leaves
1 orange - rinsed and sliced with skin on
1 lemon - rinsed and sliced with skin on
2 limes - rinsed and sliced with skin on
2 pieces of pineapple
Filtered Water

Jar #1 - Strawberries and Mint
Jar #2 - 2 slices Orange
Jar #3 - 1 Lime
Jar #4 - Pineapple
Jar #5 - 2 slices Orange and Lemon
Pitcher - Rest of Citrus


I used my Brita to fill each jar and the pitcher with filtered water.  Since the jars are 24 oz, you are already getting a head start of water.  I refilled each of the jars 2X a day and they lasted in the refrigerator 3-4 days.  I don't know if they would last longer but I drank them that quickly. 

** I use Organic Produce when I am going to use the skin or when I purchase it the grocery store.  I try to support the local farmers markets but in the winter that brings me mostly potatoes :) **

Share & Enjoy!!

Buffalo Roasted Chick Peas

In case it hasn't been apparent, I went thru a "buffalo everything" phase.  It could have been because of the amount of football I was watching or because I was trying to eat something besides chicken but I have found that I love, love, love these buffalo chick peas!  They are super simple and very filling.  I promise you will be making a double batch the next time!!  Hope you share & enjoy!

1 large can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1/8 cup Franks Red Hot

Preheat oven to 400. Drain and rinse the chick peas.  Add them to a cookie sheet.  Drizzle the Franks Red Hot over the chick peas.  Shake the pan to coat.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Toss and bake another 15 minutes.  Remove and let set for 5 minutes.  Serve with Ranch or just plain.  

** You can add the chick peas and the Franks Red Hot to a ziploc bag and shake for a more even coating.  I just find it to be more clean up, so I just roll them around on the pan for a bit before I put them in the oven. **

The Journey to Wellness...

Three years ago went to visit my family in Texas, I did not have any idea how drastically my life would change.  There is no way to express how thankful I am for the help that my friends and family have provided me since the MD said "In order to find out what is wrong with you, you will need to start on an elimination diet immediately!"  Thankfully the elimination diet was only for 6 months and after that I was able to go to a strictly Gluten Free (GF) diet with some other minor modification.  It truly is Mind over Matter!  Looking back on the past three years I have accomplished so many things:

• Started Working Out:  This is part of my new life!  When I don't work out, I don't feel good, so I work out 4-5 times per week.  Whether I am in the gym, walking the neighborhood, going for a hike, or running, I try to find  away to be active! 
• Running:  This is an accomplishment in itself :)  For the girl who even in high school was held back by fear of everything, I never thought I could do this!  I may not do it as fast, or in the time that others do it, but I do it!  That is what matters!! I even run 5K's and a 4 miler for time on July 4th! 
• Made New Friends:  I have made friends in the most random places... restaurants when I have to ask for a GF menu, places that I shop because people have noticed the changes in me and more!
• Learned to Speak Up:  Someone said to me the other day, when he says he has Celiac people look at him like he has the plague.  Celiac is NOT contagious!  But, there are so many people who are curious.  Learn to educate them.  I learned to share my story and the resources that I have found along the way.  If I can help one person to feel better I have made a difference. 
• Just because it is Expensive DOES NOT make it taste better: Early in a diagnosis, most people (myself included) think everything GF has to be expensive.  This is not the case.  Fruits, veggies and lean means (nothing added) do not have to be expensive.  Buy what is on sale and shop smart.  When it comes to purchasing pastas and other products such as cereals and bagels, etc., shop around.  Buy a variety of items and try them.  Find which ones are your favorites.  If it happens to be an expensive one, then buy it, but that is not always the case. 
• Adapting:  I have learned to adapt in more ways than one.  I feel so good when I learn to adapt old recipes into something that I can eat and they actually taste good :) 
• Health:  Healthwise, I feel wonderful!  I have so much energy.  I do things three years ago I would have never even thought about doing!  I am so thankful that food is my biggest battle! 
• Best Accomplishment to Date: With all the changes that I have made, I have lost 90 pounds!  I never thought that this would happen.  Taking each day one day at a time and realizing that some days are good days and some are not as good in this battle to be healthy and maintain the weight loss are the most important parts of this... don't give up and keep going.  One.  Day.  At.  A.  Time!!

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me the last three years!  Your kind words, prayers, encouraging thoughts, emails, messages, letters, and phone calls have been so much a part of helping me make it this far!  I am thankful to have each and everyone of you in my life! 

Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples

A fall day that includes sunshine, a light breeze and apple picking with friends is pretty close to as perfect as you can get!  The challenge begins when you arrive home and realize that you now have way more apples than one person can eat and now comes the time to decide what to do with all of these apples.  I have searched high and low for ideas.  So far, I have eaten quite a few, shared with friends and I am perfecting the art of a Cran-Apple Crisp.  That is for another day though.  I found a recipe on Pinterest that was for a Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples.  Of course, true to my style, I could not leave well enough alone and follow the recipe exactly so I made it my own :) 

3 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tbsp. butter
2 cups GF Oats
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c sugar
2 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
2 cups water

Add everything to the crockpot and stir together.  Cook on low** for 8 hours.  Makes about 6-8 servings. 

** If you crockpot cooks at a fairly high temperature on low and has a warm setting cook on warm.  My "low" temperature will make liquid bubble, so I started it on low for about an hour or so before I went to bed and then turned to the "warm" setting for the rest of the night.  It was perfect in the morning.  **

Share & Enjoy!! 

Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti (NO SOUPS!)

I am sure that if you look back through my posts, there is probably at least one other one for Chicken Spaghetti in the list!  This is because I love it!  When I was in high school I started making it and everyone would ask for it... Now, this recipe has evolved because the thought of eating all the soups with the sodium and gluten, the processed cheese and who knows what else just doesn't appeal to me anymore!  It doesn't mean it's bad, it just means it is bad for me!  So after a variety of tries, I think I have found one I really like.  It uses fresh veggies and has a bit of a bite :)  If you don't like it super spicy, it is super simple to tone down!  I hope you enjoy! 

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 - 8 oz container baby bella sliced mushrooms
1 medium white onion, small dice
1 large poblano pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can Rotel with Lime (or Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes)
1 small jalapeno, sliced (you can take the seeds/membrane out and slice)
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp dried cilantro
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
black pepper
4 oz cream cheese **

Add everything to the crock pot in the order listed, starting with chicken and ending with pepper.  Cook on high for 3.5 hours.  At the end of the 3.5 hours, add the cream cheese, in pieces and stir to incorporate.  Cook for 30 more minutes. 

Cook one pound of pasta separate and serve the Chicken Spaghetti mixture over the pasta. 

Since going GF in 2010, I have learned that adding the pasta to the crockpot usually turns into a huge mess!  So, I choose to serve this over the pasta and it is a simple dish with very limited prep time!

If you are not a fan of spice, exchange the Rotel for Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes and make sure to seed and remove the membrane from the jalapeno (or leave it out all together).  This has very good flavor and I will be making this all winter!  Share and Enjoy!!