The BEST Gluten Free Sandwich Bread EVER!

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I discovered last year that cutting gluten from my diet helped tremendously with my Crohn’s symptoms. You also know that I tried and tried to find a suitable gluten free sandwich loaf and was disappointed time and time again. My loaves were passable, but they weren’t great. They were either too crumbly or too gummy, or they had that off-flavor which characterizes so many gluten free breads. I’ve done my share of whining about the cost of store-bought gluten free sandwich loaves, and what’s worse, these loaves were not wonderful either. Far from it. We even did sourdough for a while, but I found that it sometimes gave me trouble.  I am so happy to tell you that I stumbled upon a recipe for the most delicious and versatile gluten free bread dough. We’ve made loaves for sandwiches with this dough. We’ve made pizza. (Yes, very good pizza!) This bread pairs well with a bowl of soup or stew. It would make fabulous buns for burgers or hot dogs. Cinnamon rolls are next up on the agenda. You can even roll it thin for crackers. You see, this dough isn’t like all the others I’ve tried. It’s not runny like cake batter. It’s dough. You can shape it. And it’s absolutely delicious! There’s nothing about this dough that screams gluten free. It’s incredibly crusty on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside (without being gummy). It reminds me of a nice loaf of Italian bread. My kids are begging me for a piece of this bread every time they think about it. The best part? You can mix up 4 loaves of this bread and store it in the refrigerator (for up to 5 days) until you’re ready for it. Hallelujah! We now have good bread again folks. And it costs me roughly $1 per loaf to make. I had to share it with you. For me, the sad part is that I’ve owned this cookbook for quite a while. I bought it before we were eating gluten free. I used it for whole wheat bread and didn’t give the book a second thought when we switched to gluten free. I wish I had. There’s no telling how much money and time I’d have saved. Store-bought gluten free loaves are a thing of the past for this family. This is the only recipe I’ll ever need. No more failed attempts!

Oh me, oh my! This gluten free pound cake is crazy good. The wheat noshers in my family didn’t even balk a bit. That said, it isn’t exactly like my grandma’s pound cake (which is made with white flour and white sugar, of course.) This version is made with whole grains and Sucanat (natural sugar), but don’t let that scare you off. I made this cake last night and it’s already half eaten by my family of four. It was fabulous this morning with a cup of coffee and some fresh fruit. Bliss. I’m absolutely thrilled to have pound cake again! I converted this recipe from here to be soaked in the Nourishing Traditions fashion.   Gluten Free Pound Cake (Soaked) 2 cups brown rice flour 1 cup kefir (OR buttermilk OR yogurt diluted with water to the consistency of buttermilk) Combine brown rice flour and kefir. Soak overnight. (12 – 24 hours) 3 sticks of butter, softened but not melted 2 cups Sucanat 5 eggs 1 cup tapioca flour 1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter) 2/3 tsp baking powder 1  tsp xanthan gum 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (OR almond, lemon, orange…) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour a tube pan or 2 loaf pans. With a mixer, cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add tapioca flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum to the soaked brown rice flour and mix until moistened. Slowly add this mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix until smooth. Add in almond extract (or your choice).  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  If the top of the cake starts to get really brown, you will need to lay a piece of foil loosely over it so that it can keep cooking internally without burning the top. When it is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a plate.  If you do it sooner, your cake might fall slightly. Unlike most gluten free baked goods, I have found that this cake is even better when enjoyed the next day. It is VERY moist on the first day. Enjoy! (Well, tomorrow is the big day for me. Any and all prayers would be most appreciated. I am very optimistic that this surgery will be successful. Blessings to you!)

I could never be a vegetarian

… and this is why. Oh-so-yummy, grass-fed, locally raised beef. Enough said.

Not only does it taste divine, but I also believe grass-fed meat (bone broth and butter in particular) has many health benefits. That’s not to say that we eat a large slab of meat at every meal. I’m also very frugal, and steak is a rare treat. We enjoy beans and locally grown organic produce in abundance. I make just about everything we eat from scratch. Yes, it takes up a good portion of my day, but I look at is as an investment in our health. I use my crockpot on the days I lack inspiration (or energy). It just feels right for me to be in the kitchen. I mill my own grain into flour, and I’m sure to soak all grains (and nuts and beans) before we consume them. We drive a considerable distance to obtain raw milk. I could go on and on about nourishing food and traditional food preparation methods, but I won’t. Suffice it to say that I really wish we’d been eating this way all along. Maybe then I wouldn’t have Crohn’s disease (DO NOT click if you are faint of heart!)… or be suffering with degenerative discs in my neck… or need 2 more cervical spine surgeries. Ugh! Enough looking back. I’m moving forward these days. I’ve been eating this way for a little over a year now. My digestive system is healthier than it’s been in a long time. We regenerate our bones at the rate of 20% per year. The way I see it, if I keep eating nourishing foods, in 5 years I can have new, nourished, healthy bones! Allow me to be a blessing to you – take my advice: get your own copy of Nourishing Traditions. Please don’t wait until you are sick to think about what you are putting into your mouth. My grandmother always told me, “You are what you eat.” And that’s the truth, my friends. “When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” ~Psalm 128:2 (NKJV)

“Peasant food” at it’s finest

I don’t know what it is about winter that makes me crave soups and stews, but I don’t fight it. My crockpot sees a lot of use this time of year. I throw in whatever meat I have on hand (yes, we eat meat almost everyday – but we keep our portions small) and pile on the root veggies, herbs, and seasonings. By that evening, our mouths are watering and the entire house is filled with the aroma of a good, wholesome meal. The best part? I haven’t had to slave over the stove all afternoon. I also crave beans and greens more this time of year. Beans are a wonderfully frugal meal option and they’re so easy to prepare. I soak dry beans overnight with a little ACV (to neutralize the phytates) and rinse them the next morning. Once they’ve simmered for several hours with a little sea salt, EVOO, onion, and garlic, they simply can’t be beat. I like to eat mine with a bit of sauerkraut. So delicious and nutritious! My digestive systems really appreciates it when I eat this way. It rewards me by not getting bloated, crampy, and miserable. A return to traditional foods and preparation techniques has benefitted the whole family. We rarely get sick with those nasty viral bugs that seem to go on a rampage this time of year. And, I believe I would have healthier bones if I’d been eating this way all along. But alas, all I can do is move forward. I’m grateful for the wake-up call of Crohn’s disease which made me realize that all the processed foods were harming my family. Now, I know. Now, I can nourish my little ones. And myself.

Gluten free apple oat muffins (soaked in kefir)

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a while now… thanks for the nudge, Diane!

These muffins are a family favorite and a (quickly disappearing) staple around here. I promise you can serve this to guests without apology. No one would guess that they are gluten free! They’re not too dense and they’re very moist and flavorful – attributes I accredit to soaking the flours overnight in kefir. Try it. You’ll be hooked, too.

Apple Oat Muffins

1 c. rolled oats (I use certified gluten free oats)

1/2 c. brown rice flour

1/2 c. millet flour

1 c. kefir

Combine above ingredients and allow to soak overnight (up to 12 hours)

The next morning, blend in the following ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 medium apple, unpeeled, cored, and grated coarsely

1/2 c. raisins (optional)

1/2 c. walnuts (optional)

After mixing all ingredients, fill paper-lined muffin cups until almost full. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done.

Don’t let the use of rolled oats scare you here. Soaking them overnight makes them tender and delicious. Really, you won’t notice that they are in the finished muffins. A nice variation we often enjoy is substituting 1 c. pureed pumpkin for the apple, no raisins, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ginger, and 1 tsp. nutmeg. So delicious! You may find you need to add extra flour if your pumpkin puree is too thin, which is often the case with homemade pumpkin puree. I usually add a little brown rice flour if needed.

***It’s important to note that gluten free batter will not be as thick as a whole wheat batter. Gluten free baked goods have a tendency to be dry if the batter is too thick. Always err on the side of more liquid than less liquid if in doubt. Often, the batter should be thin like pancake batter.

***EDITTED TO ADD: You may use buttermilk or yogurt diluted with water (to the consistency of buttermilk) in place of kefir.

Making kefir and a Banana Nut Bread recipe

Homemade yogurt + homemade granola + raw honey = BLISS!

This flavor combination makes my taste buds do the tango! And because all of the ingredients can be made ahead (or even store-bought if necessary), it’s a quick and easy breakfast for those mornings when you may be slim on time. We love it any old time!

I make crispy nuts every few weeks in the Nourishing Traditions fashion. Soaked and dehydrated, these tasty little gems go great in school lunches and they’re perfect for snacking, too. I use them in any recipe that calls for nuts.

They’re easily stored in mason jars until you’re ready for them… Yum! My jars don’t stay full for very long.

And, I can’t recommend more highly this recipe for soaked and dehydrated (in my oven!) granola.

It is seriously good! I make a half recipe every two weeks and it fills up 2 quart size mason jars. I like to keep a jar in the car for snacking – it helps me resist the temptation to eat unhealthy foods when I get hungry. And actually, I just LOVE to eat this granola! It’s delicious and nutritious.

The first time I made it, I soaked my nuts right along with my oats and dehydrated everything together. This last time, I added crispy pecans to the finished granola… I like it better this way. You can really taste the nuts. I also added a generous amount of raisins to the finished granola. When making half the recipe, I use 1 cup of honey substituted for the date paste Wardeh uses to sweeten the granola. Just laziness on my part, but it turned out great! My yogurt came from an Amish family who makes it from raw cow’s milk – so, so, good. One day, I’ll be brave and try Amanda's method for making yogurt. This granola recipe sounds more complicated than it actually is… give it a try!

Oh, my… pumpkin pie!

There’s been a fair amount of this going on around here the past few weeks…

I haven’t met a winter squash I didn’t like. So far this year, we’ve enjoyed Blue Hubbard (new for me this year), Acorn Table Queen, Butternut, Delicata, and that sweet little pie pumpkin up above. We enjoy it as a side dish or as pie (of course!)

Here’s the recipe for the pumpkin pie filling from Nourishing Traditions (see my sidebar) and this is a decent gluten free pie crust recipe. Let me warn you though, I was not able to roll it out the way the recipe suggested (maybe I didn’t – okay, I straight up did not let it spend enough time in the fridge). I ended up squishing it into the pie plate much like you would for a graham cracker crust. And the next time I make it, I will probably pre-bake the crust a bit. One other difference was that I used raw cow’s milk in my filling along with freshly prepared pumpkin flesh… DELISH!!!

Nourishing Traditions Meatloaf (gluten free version)

This meatloaf is so good! I must admit, I’ve always been a big fan of meatloaf. My mom has a wonderful recipe that I’ve made for my own family for years now. What I like about the Nourishing Traditions recipe is all the added vegetables that are tucked inside it!

Seriously, look at all those veggies! And every member of the family eats this dish with glee… (mama is smiling.)

I adapted the original recipe to suit our family’s needs: gluten free rolled oats were substituted in place of the bread crumbs, I omitted the chili flakes (for the kids), and kicked up the cracked black pepper. I chose to use a mix of ground turkey and ground beef in equal amounts, and I omitted the ground heart and fish sauce (mainly because I didn’t have these ingredients on hand).

 

This is the meatloaf all ready to go into the oven. IT’S SO GOOD!!!

If you’d like to give the recipe a try yourself, you can find it recipe here.

A busy season (and I’m still here!)

I’ve had an incredibly busy season around here the past few weeks. Actually, I quite literally bitten off more than I could chew!

I’ve been teaching a bible study, attending another, substituting for Daniel’s class, planting my fall garden, learning to cook without gluten (more on that later), and trying to maintain my sanity while keeping up with all of my usual chores… WHEW! I’m still here. Tired, but here.

I must tell you that I feel incredibly blessed. I have wonderful friends and family (thank you to those who asked about me!), a little homestead in the making, and access to good nourishing food – truly a blessing.

Last week, one of our girls laid a gigantic egg (look at the top middle photo above) that had a double yolk. It was destined to become an egg and cheese sandwich. So, so delicious. And, I’ve been absolutely delighted to find out that giving up gluten didn’t mean I had to give up bread.

I was frightened at even the thought! We LOVE brownies, muffins, and bread. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

I’m now soaking ALL my grains (even though they’re gluten-free) and it’s made a tremendous difference. Before, I would soak if I remembered to, but not always. (Shame.) I just didn’t understand how truly important and necessary the process was. And I’ve been sick not realizing that it could be SO EASILY remedied. Now, I’m meticulous in the kitchen. It’s made a difference in my health. You can read about preparing nourishing foods here. (Do yourself a favor and check out the link.)

I’m making bread (I’ll be trying sourdough with gluten free grains this week) and crackers and yes, BROWNIES! All with gluten-free grains. It wasn’t as hard as I imagined it would be, and I’ll be sharing my new favorite recipes with you soon. I’ve long loved lacto-fermented veggies such as sauerkraut, but now I’m learning to enjoy kefir (thanks Diane!) and kombucha as healthy additions to my diet. I feel better than I have in a very long time.

Here on the homestead, life is good. God has blessed us with a few fall tomatoes (with more vegetables forthcoming), fun times spent together in the great outdoors (now that it’s finally cooled off a little!), and hope for the future. Did I mention we’ll be getting goats soon? Oh, my goodness!