Trifecta

Last night, around 6 p.m., I started working on my Easter dress. For those of you who don’t know me, or who might have forgotten, I’ve a sewing maverick and I can not be stopped! Although we had only been back on solid ground for 24 hours, I was ready, poised even, to knock out a beautiful 60′s inspired frock to wear to church. Although I did get it done in a shocking three hours, we were still on West Coast time and therefore we overslept and missed the earlier of the services. Thus, I was frazzled and slightly discombobulated, but the dress still looked great. In the future, however, I will not make a dress out of taffeta. It looks lovely, but it shows every little flaw and that is not ideal when you’ve had three kids and you’ve just spent a week drinking wine and eating seafood. So, until next year, here is the beautiful dress I made for this year’s Easter celebration.

~M

There is a new Facebook app that polls users to see how many states they have visited; who knows, maybe it’s old and I’ve just recently seen it, but the point is it’s mind blowing once you really think about it. Some people have never been a mile outside of the city limits, while others have traveled near and far. In my life I’ve been to: Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Washington State, Washington DC, Maryland, Oregon, Hawaii, and St. Thomas. This list does not include the states I’ve touched down in briefly while traveling to my final destination. My children have been to at least half of the states mentioned above and I’m sure they will visit many more in the years to come.

Honestly, I never dreamed that I would travel around North America, or even want to, considering before I met Chris I was perfectly content to stay in Austin, TX. Chris opened my eyes to many things, some of them preposterous to me at the time, like living in Kuwait, and some of them breathtaking, like traveling to the Maldives. Now that we have three kids in tow, it’s nice to slow down the pace and enjoy some domestic vacations while the boys still enjoy family time.

This spring break kicked off our North American tour with a bang. We hopped over to the West Coast where we saw just about everything there was to see in San Francisco. It was a fantastic trip! The boys enjoyed every minute of it, and Chris and I truly enjoyed the time we all had together. It was peaceful, in a way, maybe because the entire focus of our vacation was US. We didn’t have family to see, friends to catch up with, we didn’t have a schedule or an agenda. We just wanted to get the most out of our time in sunny San Francisco.

Among the aquarium, center for the sciences, Alcatraz, shopping, China Town, more shopping, wine tasting, and snuggling we got a handful of precious pictures. I’ll let the photos narrate our trip. They can certainly do it better than I can. I hope you enjoy these snapshots as much as we enjoyed the adventure.

~M

This weekend we decided to take it easy, which was a good thing because I ended up with the stomach bug on Saturday. Still, Friday night was extremely productive as I recreated Bone Fish’s amazing Bang Bang Shrimp! This was super easy and oh so yummy. Basically, I dredged the shrimp in GF flour and popped them in my fryer for five minutes until they were golden brown. I tossed them with a firecracker sauce I prepared out of Thai chili paste, soy sauce, and mayo and served them as an appetizer. They were delicious and super easy!

Saturday was a wash, but today I started to feel better. After I finally got up off the couch, I stammered into the kitchen to try my hand at heart shaped peanut butter and chocolate candies. I did both a milk free/GF version and a dairy version. They were AMAZING! The recipe is so simple: 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup peanut butter, a table spoon Earth’s balance, and a table spoon of milk. Blend together until you’ve created a play dough consistency. Melt the chocolate, adding a drop or two of oil to soften it up. Prep the heart shaped forms with a chocolate layer and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator and place a small ball of peanut butter mixture in each mold. Cover the tops with more chocolate and allow to set up in the fridge. Pop the candies out of the mold and you have yummy peanut butter chocolate treats for your Valentine!

~M

Tonight I had the hankering for some homemade doughnuts and some nice crusty Italian Artisan bread; both of which are difficult to make when working with GF/DF ingredients. But, I had a solution…BEER!

I had thought about this on numerous other occasions when I was reading about leavening GF flour…Apparently, there isn’t a lot of loft in flours that are low in gluten so you typically have to add vinegar or extra baking powder to help build the air inside the dough. I’ve tried that and I never seem to get a truly lofty product; not to mention, it always taste a little off. So, tonight I decided I would try another leavening agent: Beer. Now, for those of you who are truly allergic to Gluten you should not use every day been, but there are gluten alternatives–GF beers have been poplin up all over the place. But for my little experiment I just used the beer we had on hand.

For the doughnuts

2 tablespoons of dry yeast

1/2 cup of hot water

1/3 cup splenda

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons Earth’s Balance nondairy spread

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup beer

1 tsp Kosher salt

3/4 cups egg beaters

3 cups Pamela’s Pantry GF bread flour

Method

I added the yeast to the hot water and allowed to proof for ten minutes. I added the sugar to the yeast mixture and then I added the GF flour to the wet ingredients. I turned on the mixer and added the soy milk and melted butter, along with the beer and eggs. I mixed on a medium setting until fully incorporated and then I poured the mixture into a large plastic bag. I used the plastic bag to pipe the dough into the doughnut molds and I popped them in the oven at 350 F for 12 minutes. After they cooled, I dipped them in dairy free chocolate that I melted in the microwave and put cute heart sprinkles on them…Delicious!

The bread was eaten easier!

 

GF Artisan Bread

2 tablespoons yeast

2 cups hot water

1 cup beer

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups Pamela’s Pantry GF bread flour

Method

Proof the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes. Add the beer, flour, and salt. Keep adding four until the dough pulls slightly away from the bowl when mixed. Stop mixing and cover with a cloth. Let proof for two hours. Spoon the sticky dough onto a cookie sheet, baking stone, or skillet you’ve dusted with cornmeal. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown. Let completely cool before cutting.

NOTE: This is the closest GF bread I’ve ever put in my mouth. It is airy and light, but crunchy too. Just heavenly!

~M

It’s been a while since I was roused with inspiration; a year to be exact. Nevertheless, when if finally hits it’s like a tornado or an explosion, completely uninhibited and with reckless abandon.

Yesterday I decided to dig through the mounds of fabric I have sequestered away in the tiny closet in my sewing room. I stumbled upon a beautiful silk from India and decided I was going to pair it with a tunic pattern and pray for success. From start to finish the project went off without a hitch. Everything fit nicely together, even though I was missing the back pattern piece. I used the front pattern piece, made a few adjustments, and to my surprise it worked–it doesn’t always work this well, BTW. The tunic was so lovely that I wore it out last night to dinner and received complements from strangers.

So, this morning after church I wanted to try my hand at another shirt, but I was admittedly sluggish. Perhaps lazy a better adjective to describe my current mood, but I still wanted to create something. I hopped on Pinterest and started poking around and to my amazement I found the cutest embellished T-shirt idea. Within 15 minutes I had produced another adorable top to wear with jeans or snuggle pants, whichever suites my mood. Yes, creativity is a gift, when it finally deciders to grace you with its presence.

~M

This weekend we had some friends over for dinner and I decided to resurrect my crab stuffed chicken breast. I suppose I forgot about the dairy that went into my crab stuffing and my sauces, but after trolling the Internet I finally found a recipe that I could adapt to be completely dairy free. I’m going to keep trying because, although it was tasty, it wasn’t my old favorite and even as I type I can think of ways to improve this dish. I served the chicken breast with my new favorite grain, polenta, and some broccolinie (sp).

The meal was satisfying and low calorie, but the company was the highlight of the night. For the first time in years, Chris and I are branching out and really bonding with other couples; which was exactly what we needed. Here is the recipe for my Spanish crab stuffed chicken with spicy chili sauce (the sauce could have been spicier).

Spanish Style Crab Stuffed Chicken Breast

-4 chicken breast

-one can lump crab meat

-one can fancy crabmeat

-two table spoons mayonnaise

-1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs

-Juice of one lemon

-1/2 tsp Paprika

-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

-1/2 tsp cayenne chili powder

-1 egg

-1/2 onion finely chopped

-1/2 red pepper finely chopped

-1/4 cup corn or pine nuts

-salt and paper to taste

Method

Mix the crab, gluten free bread crumbs, mayo, lemon juice, spices, and egg until it holds its shape. Lay the chicken breast on a flat surface and butterfly them by slicing into the side of the breast. Be careful not to go all the way through the breast. Open the breast up flat and generously stuff with the crab mixture. Fold the top flap of the chicken breast over the crab stuffing and position in a baking dish. Sprinkle all of the crab stuffed breast with paprika for color. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook another 10 minutes to brown.

Chili Sauce

-Bring two cups of chicken stock to a boil and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of corn flour. Thicken the mixture and remove it from the heat. Pour it out into a bowl or container. Add a tablespoon nondairy margarine to the pan and slowly melt. Making a rue, add a tablespoon or two of gluten free flour to the butter. Brown the flour on low heat for a few minutes. Slowly add the thickened liquid back into the rue, whisking as you add the liquid. To this base you can add 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 cayenne pepper, 3 to 5 tablespoons of HOT salsa, and two table spoons of roasted hatch green chili (which I did not add, but plan on adding in the future). Simmer until thoroughly heated and set aside.

Plate the chicken next to the polenta and pour the sauce over both the chicken and the polenta. Add your green vegetable and voila, dinner is served!

I’m really enjoying taking the time to experiment with food the way I use to. It’s exciting and delicious. Although I miss bread terribly, I’m finding many alternatives to satisfy me.

~M

 

Last weekend was the Pinewood Derby. I won’t embarrass myself by admitting that I didn’t know what the pinewood derby really was. Nor will I admit that I thought the pinewood derby referred to a race of life sized cars the boys made out of cardboard boxes and coat hangers. I will say that I’ve now been enlightened and I know understand the scale of the pinewood derby, which is much less intimidating than I originally thought.

Traditionally the boys will all make their cars. The parent is responsible for “helping” the cub scout cut their block of wood, but ultimately the boys are responsible for all of the fine tuning. John decided he wanted to make a koi fish car; which, is exactly what I would expect of John. So, he and Chris designed this beautiful little fish body, Chris used several tools to cut the body out of the wooden pinewood derby block, and John painted the fish–from spots to scales.

As tradition dictates, the scouts are to weigh their car in the night before and leave it with the representative until the next day. This ensures that no one cheats…I mean, do we really have to go to these lengths? Anyway, the next day the boys all convene at the venue and prepare for their race.

Our race went by fairly quickly. We only have seventeen members in our charter troop, much less than the one hundred members our brother pack has actively participating. Therefore, the whole race took less than an hour, which I was completely thankful for considering the other pack’s race took THREE HOURS!

The experience was fun, quick, and relatively painless. John didn’t win ANY of his races, but he seemed to think he did. I wasn’t about to burst his bubble. He has the rest of his life to realize defeat. This time I decided to let him ride the wave of success, even if it was a complete facade.

~M

You know it’s true love when you think you have a five head and your husband thinks you’re beautiful…Or, when your husband thinks he is hideous and you think he looks pretty darn sexy. We are always our worst critics and the lighting in a brewery certainly doesn’t help us look our best, but no mater how seedy the lighting or the location, it’s comforting to know that we both still have that loving feeling!
~M

This weekend we had friends for dinner and I decided we were going to go all out with a Tapas themed dinner party. This is the second time I’ve tried a kid/adult dinner party that is segregated (kids eat first, parents eat later). It went off without a hitch and the food was amazing.

We started the evening cooking and chatting over a cocktail or two. My girlfriend and I fussed around the kitchen while the men looked after the kids and bonded–it really was cute to watch them We ordered pizza for the kids, fed them, and sent them off to watch KFP II, while we arranged dinner at the adult table. The menu was simple: bacon wrapped dates, calamari, spanish shrimp, beef and sausage empanada, and a Spanish tort. Everything was AMAZING, probably the best meal I’ve made in years. We devoured every single morsel on the table. After dinner we enjoyed some gluten free chocolate cake and a nice game of pool. I’m inspired to do a lot more entertaining in 2012 and I decided I had to share some of the recipes with you so that you too could recreate this fun and festive evening.

Spanish Tort

-Three potatoes

-1/2 a carton of egg beaters

-1/2 an onion flash fried

-1 table spoon of salt and a dash of pepper

Method

Slice the potatoes a quarter of an inch thick and layer the bottom of a pie plate with one layer. Sprinkle heavily with salt and repeat. After you’ve finished three to five layers, pour the eggbeaters over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Flash fry onions that have been sliced thin and sprinkle the onions on top before serving.

**Most recipes call for cheese, but it works just as well without. So delicious!

Beef and Sausage Empanadas

-1/2 pound ground beef

-1/2 pound hot sausage

-1/2 onion chopped thick

-1 potato cubed

Dough

-1 cup Pamela’s Products Bread flour (GF)

-3 tablespoons of shortening

-3 to 4 tablespoons of ice water

-1 tsp of salt

Method

Saute beef, pork sausage, onion and potato in a tablespoon of olive oil. Meanwhile prepare crust in a food processor. Add flour and shortening and pulse until incorporated. Add a teaspoon of salt and pulse briefly. Add two tablespoons of ice water to the mix and pulse until it forms a tight ball. Ideally you would chill the dough, but I just dusted my work surface with flour and went to town. I rolled out golfball sized dough balls into flat sheets, placed a tablespoon of filling in each and folded the dough around the meat mixture. I placed them on a cookie sheet and baked them in the oven, 350 F, for 20 minutes. You can brush them with egg to make them shine.

Spicy Shrimp

-1 to 2 pounds of raw shrimp peeled

-2 tablespoons red peper flakes

-dash of cumon

-1 tablespoon Hungarian Paprika

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

Toss ingredients and marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature. Sauté until pink. Serve.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

-12 Dates

-12 pieces of bacon

Method

Roll Dates in bacon and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Fried Calamari

-5 Calamari Tubes

-GF Flour

-1 Egg

-Oil to fry

-Spicy marinara sauce to dip

Method

Chop calamari tubes into rings. Marinate rings in eggs for 15 minutes. Drain egg and transfer calamari tubes to a bag of flour. Seal the bag and shake until completely coated. Have your oil hot. I use a mini fryer, which I LOVE, but you can use any pot with an inch and a half or more of oil. Make sure the oil is hot–at least 320 F. Gently place the calamari rings in the oil and fry for 8 to 10 minutes (until golden brown and any meat showing is white). Drain on a paper towel and serve with some marinara sauce for dipping.

~M

 

As you might remember from posts past, I love me some pita! Chris and I can do any number of things with it and one of the most frustrating parts of going gluten/dairy free is the lack of good bread available. I’ve experimented, surfed blogs, thumbed through books, all to no avail. I have made some of the nastiest bread you could imagine and I had all but given up my search for a gluten free flour combination that wasn’t primarily rice flour (which does not make good breads). Low and behold I found an all purpose gluten free flour that is PERFECT!! I bought a bag of Pamela’s Products Bread Mix (GF of course). Now, I must preface this post with one important detail, some of Pamela’s other products contain MILK, which is what I’m actually allergic to (hence the very uncomfortable tush that currently is crying because I ate a delicious piece of birthday cake last night at a little get-together). I personally have a bit of a problem with products that are intended for a sensitive audience, yet still include other products that may also cause irritation. Nevertheless, I picked up the bag of flour, surveyed every single word on the ingredient list, and crossed my fingers. When I got it home I was impressed, it behaved exactly like flour. There wasn’t any mealiness to the mixture and it worked well with the other ingredients in my pita recipe. Still, I wasn’t convinced that it would actually work.

One of the challenges of Gluten Free baking is that the flour is very fine, almost too fine and it doesn’t absorb the liquid properly. It also has a hard time rising, which you can combat with apple cider vinegar and extra leavening agents. But this flour was the closest thing I’ve seen to real wheat flour since I made the switch nearly three months ago! After letting my dough balls proof for about half an hour, I rolled them out and cooked them on a griddle. Voila! PITA!!!!

I’m so excited about this find. I plan on ordering tons of the stuff because apparently not every store cares all of Pamela’s Products. I’m tempted to climb the stairs and try some chocolate chip cookies! Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Michelle’s Pita Recipe

-3 cups flour (GF in this case–Pamela’s Products All purpose Flour)

-4 tsp yeast

-1.25 cup warm water

-1 tblsp sugar

-2 tblsp shortning

-1.24 tsp salt

Method

In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and water. Allow to ferment for several minutes. Add the flour to the yeast mixture and slowly incorporate with a bread hook or by hand. Melt the shortening and add the salt to the shortening. Add the shortening to the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix. Once the dough is lifting from the sides, stop mixing and cover with a cloth. Let proof in the bowl for 30 minutes to an hour (longer if you have time). Remove the dough from the bowl, hand kneed, and partition dough into balls smaller than a tennis ball, but bigger than a golf ball. Put a bowl over the dough balls and let them rest/proof for another thirty minutes. Use the same flour mixture to dust your work surface and rolling pen. Roll the dough out on a floured surface and place them immediately on a hot griddle (I use a flat griddle that I heat on medium heat for a good 10 minutes before starting). Place the dough on the griddle and allow them to bubble before you turn them, this will give you a wonderful flat side and a nice bubbly side. Once they are covered with air pockets flip them and let them cook for a minute or two longer.

I use this recipe to make flatbread for sandwiches, to make naan, and to make pita. It is delicious with hummus, curry, chili, or as a pizza!

~M