i love cookies. it's been difficult living without for the last couple of weeks, but i've found the perfect replacement for my family chocolate chip cookie recipe:
Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies by Gluten-Free Goddess
this simple and straightforward receipt produces delicious, nicely shaped, pleasantly textured cookies with a crisp edge and chewy interior. i made a couple of my own substituions: flax for ener-egg, Becel for the shortening, and i left out the milk entirely since the resulting dough was wet enough as it was.
she suggests rolling a tablespoon of dough into a ball and then gently flattening each ball on the sheet. i used a couple of teaspoons and dropped a large lumps (just over a tablespoon worth each) onto the sheet. this is so very much less messy! i also managed to double the number of cookies--she says the dough should yield twenty cookies, but i made just over forty perfect three bite cookies.
i highly recommend this recipe! 9/10
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
your cereal sticks to my teeth
Glutino's Gluten Free Cereal Apple & Cinnamon
the nutritional info for these corny Os compares across the board to other cereals except for the lack of fibre. if i had noticed that lack, i would never have bought them. fiber is the whole point of breakfast, as far as i'm concerned. and corn has never done it for me in that department anyway. everyone talks about how eating corn is like flushing a toilet, but no, not for me. has the exactly opposite effect.
fiber concerns aside, i do like the realism of the apple-cinnamon flavour and the sweetening, a combo of cane juice and honey, is delightfully subtle, something conventional cereals distinctly lack. the texture, though... blech. gummy on the outside and weirdly crisp on the inside. i'm not sure if my toothbrush will be tool enough to free my choppers from this coating.
6/10
the nutritional info for these corny Os compares across the board to other cereals except for the lack of fibre. if i had noticed that lack, i would never have bought them. fiber is the whole point of breakfast, as far as i'm concerned. and corn has never done it for me in that department anyway. everyone talks about how eating corn is like flushing a toilet, but no, not for me. has the exactly opposite effect.
fiber concerns aside, i do like the realism of the apple-cinnamon flavour and the sweetening, a combo of cane juice and honey, is delightfully subtle, something conventional cereals distinctly lack. the texture, though... blech. gummy on the outside and weirdly crisp on the inside. i'm not sure if my toothbrush will be tool enough to free my choppers from this coating.
6/10
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
recipe review among other considerations
i found an easy source of various alternative flours: my /many/ local Indian grocers. granted, the flours they supply have been processed in places that also process wheat. if this is a serious intolerance, i may have issues down the road, but i feel reasonably safe with today's purchase, which included sporghum, millet, brown rice, handva (mix of rice, pea, garbanzo, and lentil) and corn flours. with buckwheat flour, potato starch and xantham gum (gotta find guar gum somewhere) available at a mainstream grocer a couple of block down the street, i was all set to experiment with some bread.
Gluten Goddess' Best Gluten-Free Bread is a straightforward receipt with many pointers as to what i may have done wrong to end with a slightly gummy end product. i baked my loaf for an hour (her suggestion for high altitude baking, which we are not here in Edmonton, AB) and it's still overly moist in the centre and hardly browned on top. that said, the bread tastes and feels far superior to CeliMix's rice bread, i'm willing to try again. she notes that flax seed egg replacer might contribute to this, so i will keep that in mind for next time.
tomorrow, i hope to review a cold cereal i picked up today. i won't dream of replacing my Shreddies, but hopefully these O things fit the bill.
Gluten Goddess' Best Gluten-Free Bread is a straightforward receipt with many pointers as to what i may have done wrong to end with a slightly gummy end product. i baked my loaf for an hour (her suggestion for high altitude baking, which we are not here in Edmonton, AB) and it's still overly moist in the centre and hardly browned on top. that said, the bread tastes and feels far superior to CeliMix's rice bread, i'm willing to try again. she notes that flax seed egg replacer might contribute to this, so i will keep that in mind for next time.
tomorrow, i hope to review a cold cereal i picked up today. i won't dream of replacing my Shreddies, but hopefully these O things fit the bill.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
day 3 wheat-free
i'm not sure how i feel about this process. on the one hand, i see a lot of food that i really enjoy eating going into the mouths of my family and i feel sad because i cannot join them. on the other hand, i enjoy a challenge. i've been exploring the natural foods sections of the my local grocery stores because i've never really paid attention to the gluten-free offerings. i'm looking into creative recipes (brownies, i found brownies!!). i'm discovering new websites and blogs.
one such blog, The Gluten-Free Goddess has provided a wealth of information as well as some inspiration: she suggests that instead of wallowing about because i miss food i used to eat, i should try rejoicing in all the foods i get to eat. that last bit would be so much easier if i had taken the time to stock up on ingredients before leaping into this elimination, but i'm a do or die kinda chick. an empty of g-f foods pantry wasn't about to stop me once i realised that i needed to do this. i have since purchased some supplies and i would like to share my impressions of these products...
CeliMix Rice Bread Mix
this company operates out of Winnipeg, MB, which excited me because i was born there. birthplace coincidence aside, i can't say that i enjoyed the bread that resulted from this mix. Rice Bread has a very strange texture, one that i can't imagine would improve even i hadn't allowed the batter to over-rise. the bread is grainy and cannot sustain shape long enough for a simple sandwich to survive the distance between my plate and my mouth on the first bite. not good at all. even the weight of enough jam to make the flavour tolerable threatens to completely disintegrate each slice. not sure what i will do with the rest of the mix. maybe i can try mixing it with one of their other breads. i will let you know how that works out.
Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal
i enjoy hot cereals occasionally, but i have to say that i'm more of a cold cereal gal. when it comes time to challenge my body with some, i plan to pour a giant heaping bowl of Shreddies. that said, this hot mixture of corn, brown rice, white sporghum, and buckwheat was really very good. i added a little brown sugar and would've added raisins except that i had forgotten that we don't have any. oh well. tomorrow, i will add strawberries and bananas and see how that goes.
MI-DEL Wheat-free, Gluten-free Ginger Snaps
they taste just like cookies and i love cookies. if someone had served these to me, i would've never noticed anything out of the ordinary about them. very good. i'm eating one right now. mm mmm...
damn. i just read the ingredients and somehow i missed the egg-whites. i don't think i even read the list when i purchased them because most ginger snaps don't have eggs. duh. oh well. i don't think eggs are the problem, but i did want to eliminate them as well just because they are a common irritant.
my friends and family keep telling me that they hope that wheat isn't the problem, but i actually hope the opposite. despite the difficulty in avoiding wheat, i would rather know that i have a concrete nemesis as opposed to moving on to 'the next step'. i have no idea where to go from here.
one such blog, The Gluten-Free Goddess has provided a wealth of information as well as some inspiration: she suggests that instead of wallowing about because i miss food i used to eat, i should try rejoicing in all the foods i get to eat. that last bit would be so much easier if i had taken the time to stock up on ingredients before leaping into this elimination, but i'm a do or die kinda chick. an empty of g-f foods pantry wasn't about to stop me once i realised that i needed to do this. i have since purchased some supplies and i would like to share my impressions of these products...
CeliMix Rice Bread Mix
this company operates out of Winnipeg, MB, which excited me because i was born there. birthplace coincidence aside, i can't say that i enjoyed the bread that resulted from this mix. Rice Bread has a very strange texture, one that i can't imagine would improve even i hadn't allowed the batter to over-rise. the bread is grainy and cannot sustain shape long enough for a simple sandwich to survive the distance between my plate and my mouth on the first bite. not good at all. even the weight of enough jam to make the flavour tolerable threatens to completely disintegrate each slice. not sure what i will do with the rest of the mix. maybe i can try mixing it with one of their other breads. i will let you know how that works out.
Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal
i enjoy hot cereals occasionally, but i have to say that i'm more of a cold cereal gal. when it comes time to challenge my body with some, i plan to pour a giant heaping bowl of Shreddies. that said, this hot mixture of corn, brown rice, white sporghum, and buckwheat was really very good. i added a little brown sugar and would've added raisins except that i had forgotten that we don't have any. oh well. tomorrow, i will add strawberries and bananas and see how that goes.
MI-DEL Wheat-free, Gluten-free Ginger Snaps
they taste just like cookies and i love cookies. if someone had served these to me, i would've never noticed anything out of the ordinary about them. very good. i'm eating one right now. mm mmm...
damn. i just read the ingredients and somehow i missed the egg-whites. i don't think i even read the list when i purchased them because most ginger snaps don't have eggs. duh. oh well. i don't think eggs are the problem, but i did want to eliminate them as well just because they are a common irritant.
my friends and family keep telling me that they hope that wheat isn't the problem, but i actually hope the opposite. despite the difficulty in avoiding wheat, i would rather know that i have a concrete nemesis as opposed to moving on to 'the next step'. i have no idea where to go from here.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
my inner space
i have a big problem. i have no idea the source of my problem; however, i am intimately aquainted with its character. diarrhoea. itchy, dry eyes. swelling facial tissue. wheezing breath and a heavy chest. the reaction happens after i eat my evening meal. i've cut out milk and eggs to no effect. i've consulted allergists to no avail.
what i do know:
what i do know:
- in the last round of allergy testing, i responded to cumin (+3), coriander (+2), wheat and rye (+1), cats (+2), grass (+5), mould (+3), and birch (+3).
- my allergist has suggested eliminating wheat.
- my blood work came back clean, but gluten intolerance can return a false negative.
- my brother cannot eat oats without experiencing diarrhoea.
- the reactions are getting far more frequent particularly in the last year and especially in the last few weeks.
- i am afraid to eat.
first day of the elimination (almost)
also, birth of this blog...
breakfast:
rice with tsp of brown sugar, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. very yummy. must buy rice steamer
lunch:
a carrot and a celery stick spread with peanut butter.
supper:
8:08 major rolling stomach and completely liquid poo. 2 bouts already, another on it's way from the feel of things. i do not know whether this is from the cumin (which i haven't eaten for a while now) or from the soy sauce. could also be from whatever is still in my system. and, of course, this entire reaction could have nothing whatsoever to do with food intolerance.
must go shopping! i have very little easy to eat food in the house that doesn't not contain wheat. i very nearly ate a cookie and a muffin, not from lack of will-power, but simply out of habit!
breakfast:
rice with tsp of brown sugar, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. very yummy. must buy rice steamer
lunch:
a carrot and a celery stick spread with peanut butter.
supper:
- stir-fried mung beans--cumin (yeah, i know), black mustard seeds, ginger, red pepper, hot green chili, cauliflower, carrots
- rice
- soy sauce--it occurred to me after that soy sauce contains wheat. doh!
8:08 major rolling stomach and completely liquid poo. 2 bouts already, another on it's way from the feel of things. i do not know whether this is from the cumin (which i haven't eaten for a while now) or from the soy sauce. could also be from whatever is still in my system. and, of course, this entire reaction could have nothing whatsoever to do with food intolerance.
must go shopping! i have very little easy to eat food in the house that doesn't not contain wheat. i very nearly ate a cookie and a muffin, not from lack of will-power, but simply out of habit!
almost daily now
1 february 2010
made various phone calls, scheduled appts, etc. got CT scan
breakfast:
banana, soycream bar, coffee
lunch:
two homemade banana oat bran muffins, 4 egg omelet
cookie, coffee
supper:
homemade Kraft pizza with hot pepper, green pepper, pineapples, artichoke hearts (in oil), sundried tomatoes, feta, parmesan.
reaction:
diarrhoea, upset stomach, itchy eyes, swollen throat
lasted most of the evening. this is about when my fear of eating hardened into something quite visceral. i did a lot of research and decided to begin a wheat-, oat-, dairy-, egg-, and sulphite-free elimination diet immediately.
made various phone calls, scheduled appts, etc. got CT scan
breakfast:
banana, soycream bar, coffee
lunch:
two homemade banana oat bran muffins, 4 egg omelet
cookie, coffee
supper:
homemade Kraft pizza with hot pepper, green pepper, pineapples, artichoke hearts (in oil), sundried tomatoes, feta, parmesan.
reaction:
diarrhoea, upset stomach, itchy eyes, swollen throat
lasted most of the evening. this is about when my fear of eating hardened into something quite visceral. i did a lot of research and decided to begin a wheat-, oat-, dairy-, egg-, and sulphite-free elimination diet immediately.
again?!
30 january 2010
went climbing
breakfast:
banana, soy milk, homemade banana oat bran muffin
snack:
cinnamon bun from MillCreek Cafe, americano
supper:
MAMA soup, red pepper, pretzels, orange juice
reaction:
went climbing
breakfast:
banana, soy milk, homemade banana oat bran muffin
snack:
cinnamon bun from MillCreek Cafe, americano
supper:
MAMA soup, red pepper, pretzels, orange juice
reaction:
- rolling stomach, itchy throat
- 10:30 more rolling, in bowels now, gas
- throat still itchy and eyes a little bit
- 10:38 giant dump; had 'that smell': vaguely oat-y, sick smell
once more into the breech
26 january 2010
activities:
by this time, i am wondering what's going on. i've never had this many reactions, minor or otherwise, in such a short period of time.
activities:
- dancing in the kitchen until 8:30~
- Chip was lovey dovey all day
- made bread
- tums
- kettle chips, sweet onion
- nutloaf
- red pepper
- carrots
- applesauce, sweetened, organic
- cucumber
- chocolate soy milk
- three 'after 8' sticks
- MAMA soup, contains MSG
- homemade bread with honey
- 1/2 honeynut oats
- cinnamon raisin bagel (Costco)
- Earl Grey tea, 3 cps
- 9:10 itchy eyes, swelling
- 9:12 took anti-histamine
- 9:17 nose itching, heavy chest
by this time, i am wondering what's going on. i've never had this many reactions, minor or otherwise, in such a short period of time.
a week earlier...
9 january 2010
breakfast:
breakfast:
- cheerios, soy milk, banana
- coffee, starbucks
- long island iceberg (moxie's)
- szechwan green bean appetizer
- diarrhea, smelled like oats
- some wheeziness, no swelling
in which my face swells to freakish proportions
15 january 2010
breakfast:
8:02
8:03
8:10
8:20
8:29
8:44
9:06
9:20--cheek appears swollen; Sara confirms
9:41--swelling is sagging down the cheek; skin feels tingly when touched. tummy is calm
10:11--i look like I've had a stroke; stomach feels empty
10:33--you can see the swelling a bit better in this light; eyes are very sore and red, skin very tingly.
the swelling did not disappear by midday as per usual; instead, my face was visibly distorted until evening Sunday (reaction began Friday night)
breakfast:
- 1 cinnamon raisin bagel;
- 3 eggs, w/ cumin, marjoram, green onions;
- 6 melba toasts;
- coffee with kahlua;
- orange juice
- basmati rice;
- Aloo Gobi--potato, cauliflower, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, hot pepper, turmeric;
- One a Day vitamin, Vitamin D3, naproxin--perscribed
- bowel unrest, bloating, wheeziness
- eyes began to get itchy
- tummy became more upset, no movement yet
- eyes itchier and began to swell--swelling continued
throughout the next hour and half - swelling increased and bowels moved--not yet diarrhea
the swelling did not disappear by midday as per usual; instead, my face was visibly distorted until evening Sunday (reaction began Friday night)
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