Gluten Free Cornbread - Quick and Easy (Updated!!)

Sorry for inadvertently posting of a draft post... probably not a good read, was it?  Anyway, this is the complete post with the recipe details.
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In a wheat-free world, it is a struggle to find recipes for "old favorites" which don't just leave you longing for the original.  There are some really terrific gluten-free flour mixes out there, but as most of them contain tapioca starch/flour, we can't use those, either, so our baking possibilities are narrowed even further.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered Krusteaz Cornbread mix.  It is quick, easy, and contains nothing my family can't eat.




Still, I'm not a fan of buying box mixes if I don't have to, so when I saw how well the cornbread turned out using Krusteaz convenient mix, I went searching for a wheat-free recipe which was still quick and easy.  With a quick search, I found this terrific recipe from "Gluten Free Mommy".  (Have I mentioned I love the internet?)


GLUTEN FREE CORNBREAD
from Gluten Free Mommy


1 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
2 to 3 Tablespoons of sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt) together in a med. bowl and set aside.


Melt the one tablespoon of butter in a 10 inch cast-iron skillet or 8/9 inch round baking pan in the oven. This takes about three minutes. (Note: I just used an 8 x 8 pyrex pan.)


Swirl the butter around the pan coating the bottom and sides.


In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and 1/4 cup butter. Add this mixture all at once to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.


Pour batter into the hot skillet or baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm.


Nothing weird, fancy, or hard to source.  In fact, I ground my own rice flour in the Vitamix, so I only had to buy cornmeal.  Both my husband and my son were amazed how quickly this came together and how easy it was.  That said, the next time I make it, they've requested I alter the ratio of rice to cornmeal...they want more corn flavor.  With a recipe this simple, I'm more than willing to play around a little to give them just what they want.


Now, back to Spring Cleaning...


Have a great day!

Paleo Challenge - Days 10 - 16 - Green Eggs & Turkey

I know, I know...you probably think I threw in the towel on the 30-day Paleo Challenge, but you'd be wrong.  I did really well until Saturday (Day 13).  Why Saturday?  Because my friend had a party to celebrate her birthday Saturday afternoon and it seems like that party was a catalyst for a really rough weekend.   I went straight from the party to a not-so-paleo dinner with my kids, followed by a not-so-paleo Mother's Day lunch on Sunday (Day 14).  Woke up yesterday (Monday - Day 15), feeling pretty crummy.  Two days of off plan really messed with my energy levels, my mood, my digestion, and my sleep patterns.  Honestly, I wouldn't have believed it could have been so dramatic if I hadn't been so conscious of it.  Seriously.  When I say "not-so-paleo", that is what I mean...I didn't go back to my old ways, but there were more carbs (tortilla chips, potatoes) and some chocolate (M&Ms).  No baked goods, no pasta, etc.  Still, the deviations from the paleo food took their toll.

So, Days 15 and 16 have been all about getting back on track.  Day 15 was rough, but Day 16 (today) felt so much better.  My energy and my moods seemed much more in sync with my life load.  I am sure it had something to do with the amazing fritatta-like casserole from Paleo Comfort Foods.  Green Eggs and Turkey turned out to be a simple, easy meal.

I made a few changes to the original recipe:  instead of artichoke hearts (which my kids vetoed), I substituted mushrooms.  Also, I added a good-sized spoonful of garlic to the ground turkey while it was browning.  Also, I added the basil to the meat, rather than waiting to add it to the vegetables as the recipe dictates.  Other than that, I pretty much stuck to the recipe...it was easy and, again, surprisingly good.  As I'm becoming used to, my kids were pretty sure I was trying to poison them...right up until they took their first bite.  After that, they grudgingly admitted this was another successful paleo meal.  Pretty cool, right?

So, I fell a bit off the wagon last weekend, but I'm still sticking to the challenge.  I confess to being very concerned that I've completely derailed my 30 day progress, though.  Fingers crossed that I can come back from this and still have decent results at the end of the 30 days.  It kind of doesn't matter, though, because I've already decided to just keep going...I feel that much better eating this way. 

Day 3 - 30 Day Paleo Challenge

Well, we've finished Day 3 of our 30 Day Paleo Challenge.  It wasn't a perfect day...I confess that I caved and had a Diet Coke from my local Target food court.  I further confess that it was sooo good and I really should feel guilty, but I don't.  Not enough sleep, too much stress, and a killer headache weakened my resolve.  Other than that it was a terrific day for me.   I stayed Paleo in my eating, even resisting the temptation I'll tell you about below, and I hit the gym for my workout which went well.  Got a knew PR on my Front Squat, even with my messed up wrist.  I really can't complain.

For the kids?  The day wasn't so terrific, but we knew this day was coming and, as I explained to them before we started this journey, eating this way would be a lifestyle, not a life sentence.   They would need to allow for detours along the way and not beat themselves up over them.  Buttercup was tasked with bringing cookies to her youth group tonight and,while her cold/flu thing is too bad for her to to, she still wanted to make the cookies and get them to the other kids.  Part of her planning was pretty wise...she knew if she baked them, she want to try them.  So, she allowed for that.  She was willing to take the points hit and, as she told me, the cookies were fabulous.  If you're interested in a fabulous recipe for amazing chocolate chip cookies, you need to make Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Cookies.  You won't be disappointed.  According to the kids, they're as good as I remember them!

I tried something newish today.  Tonight we had our first-ever grass-fed beef steaks for dinner.  They were amazing.  Seriously amazing. Valiant barbecued it for us and did a fabulous job.  Even Buttercup, the girl who always says "no, thank you" to steak, was disappointed we didn't have more.  (And that was after I gave her a third of mine!)   The steak was accompanied by yellow squash and zucchini sauteed in ghee and seasoned with a little no-salt seasoning mix.  I finished off my plate with sauteed mushrooms and spinach, but the kids weren't interested in trying that.

Doesn't this all look good?  My mushrooms and spinach.

The sauteed squash.

And the plated meal. 

Look at the steam wafting off the squash!

 As you can see, we're not a bit deprived.

Oh, I saw a terrific interview with Bob Harper of the Biggest Loser discussing his conversion to the CrossFit way of life and how anyone of any fitness level and join in on the fun. 

Day 3 is put to bed...only 27 more to go!

This is Primal - Kiwi-Banana-Strawberry-Spinach Smoothie

A few of you have asked me for smoothie recipes and I've been stumped.  I don't follow recipes for my smoothies.  I use a few fruits, some spinach (or other greens), some coconut milk or water, some protein powder, and ice.  It can't be simpler.  (Looks like a strawberry milkshake, doesn't it?)

Today's smoothie had the following:

1 Handful of Baby Spinach
1 Kiwi (not peeled--peel yours if you're using a regular blender)
6 Strawberries
1 Ripe Banana
A couple scoops of protein powder (I use Vanilla Muscle Milk from Costco)*
1/2 cup of coconut milk**
Ice cubes

I threw them all together in the Blendtec (thanks again, Superman, for letting me buy it!) and, ta da, a primal smoothie sweet enough for the kids, but full of natural goodness for me.

A few thoughts...I use fresh fruit when I have it, frozen fruit when I don't.  I mix fruits to get the flavor I like and to keep things from getting boring.  Sometimes I put in so much spinach that my smoothie turns greenish and looks more like pond scum than food.  Tastes great, though, so don't be afraid to try it yourself.

*I'm trying to make certain I get protein in ever meal, so for me, the protein powder is a must...if you're just trying to come up with healthier snacks, feels free to leave it out.

**Any liquid will do, but coconut milk helps you get plenty of the "good" fats that we all need.  It is all about the ratio of Omega-3s to Omega-6s, but don't expect me to explain the details to you.  Just know that you must have good fats to keep yourself healthy (and to keep your weight in line!)

We've turned our lives upside down...

Almost six years ago, Superman and I left Southern California in an effort to transform our lives.  Looking back over the past five and a half years, I'd say we've done just that. 

With this journey has come quite a few surprises, though.  Five years ago, I committed to learn to cook from scratch.  I through (oops!) threw myself into it.  I got good enough that I could purge the vast majority of processed foods from our diet.  I actually became quite good at home-made bread, all kinds of baked goods, and could hold my own planning dinners around the vegetables from our own garden.  Sounds good, right? 

Well, it wasn't.  Despite purging the processed foods, using whole grains, and serving my family home-made meals rich in vegetables, we were struggling to maintain healthy weights.  Our energy was erratic.  Our sleep wasn't restorative.  Frankly, we weren't thriving the way I, as the mother, wanted us to.   But I was out of options...I didn't know where to turn next.  So, I did what ever self-respecting blogger does...I searched the blogosphere for help.


I started reading more and more about food...First, I found Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon introduced me to a new way of looking at food and health, but I wasn't a devotee...it didn't quite feel right.  Don't get me wrong, I learned a lot that I still apply, but it just didn't fit.  I was using "good fats" and I was trying to make sure we had clean food whenever I could.  Nothing really changed.  We were still bordering on chubby.  We joined Gold's Gym and kept at it.  Nothing really changed.  I didn't want to raise chubby children...I felt like I was failing.

I kept reading.  Eventually, I came across Mark's Daily Apple...a blog by Mark Sisson, the author of the Primal Blueprint.   I was so confused.  Primal living?   What was primal living?  Could this really be the answer I was looking for?  I kept reading and found myself even more perplexed.  The Paleo Solution:  The Original Human Diet?  Going paleo?  What had I stumbled upon?  I kept reading...

That was in February and since then, we've turned our lives upside down.  We've given up all grains...all of them.  Even the kids have jumped on board.  So, all those recipes I spent these past five years learning?  I can't use them.  Whole grain vs. all-purpose? Irrelevant.  Corn, Quinoa, Rye, Barley, Oats?  None.   Fusilli or spaghetti?  No, thanks.  Dairy is pretty much gone, but we still have cheese.

So, what do we eat?  Meat, Eggs, Fat (Coconut Oil, Ghee, Avocados), Vegetables and Fruit.  In February, we bought a Blendtec blender...we have a lot of smoothies...  We eat a lot of stuff that we've been told would make us fat and yet, we're not pushing chubby anymore.  In fact, I'm thinner than I've been in forever.  Buttercup is no longer complaining about her 12-year old body, and Valiant is quite trim.  My skin has cleared up.  My hair looks better.  Oh, and I'm sleeping really well.  (Hey, a good night's sleep is priceless!)

My results seemed almost miraculous...too easy to be true.  No counting calories, no crazy workouts (in fact, we barely went to the gym until three weeks ago, but that is another post), no weird food combinations.  We just gave up all grains and upped our protein intake and the weight came off.

I was so jazzed, I told my friends.  Two of them decided that they'd give it a try.  I like to think my results were visible, but I know my enthusiasm and energy was persuasive.   One friend has lost seven pounds in roughly a month (with no exercise) and another friend has lost four pounds in her first week.

All of this sounded so crazy to me, I didn't even know how to blog about it.  It seemed too much like a trick, like magic.  it is not...it is just a new/old way of looking at the way we fuel our bodies.   It might not be right for you, but I'm convinced that for my family, this is the answer we've been looking for.  The war I've been waging with my body is over, and it won.  I'm giving it the fuel it wants and it is rewarding me by giving me the shape I want...at 47!  35 years of body war over in three months.

Now we'll be sharing new kinds of recipes...sharing the successes and failures...especially sharing what works with kids, too.  We're looking at food in a whole new way...definitely turning our lives upside down.  I hope you'll come along for the ride.

Truly Random

Same days are notable, with all kinds of accomplishments you can point to at the end of the day.  You look down a list and see so many items crossed off and you can clearly see what you've spent your time doing.  Others?  Not so clear.

We've been having a few of those days here.  I've been busy for what seems like days, yet I don't feel that I have much to show for it.  Then again, I thought it would be fun to share a little of what has been going on at our house this past week.

I made yet another batch of this caramel corn...I think I might have a problem.  Discovering that I could have freshly made caramel corn in under 40 minutes has NOT been a good thing for me.

I also made these Pumpkin Oatmeal Scotchie cookies, but the reviews were mixed.  My neighbor and my daughter loved them, but my other neighbors and my sons didn't think they were very good. Me? Honestly, I probably won't make them again.   Read the ingredients and see if they're up your alley.

Oh, I won one million pounds via the Mercedes Benz Sweepstakes...I got an email notifying me.  Haven't gotten around to providing all the information they've requested, but rest assured, I was excited to see that I won yet another sweepstakes.

My friends gifted me with a gift card to Hancock Fabrics, so I'm finally making myself a new nightgown.  Do you like the flannel I picked out?  I'm not much of a plaid girl and baby prints aren't my think, either, so I struggled to find something I'd like, especially since I needed 6 1/2 yards of it!  Anyway, it is just about done...I'll show you the completed project tomorrow (fingers crossed).

Does this happen at your house?  When I opened the refrigerator, I discovered this little baby in my egg bin.  Not sure what to do with her, so for now she's still sleeping there.
 

Have you seen these Matryoshka Dolls made out of gourds at Gingerbread Snowflakes?  They are amazing. Seriously...I've never seen anything like it outside of a specialty shop.  Pam is so talented. (This is the picture from her website...she made it!!)

Oh...one more thing.  Remember our tiny little kitten, Bean? 

This is what she looks like now.  Same carrier, same cat.  She'll be 6 months old at the end of the month.  She still loves sleeping in the carrier, but, as you can see, she doesn't fit nearly as well.

Told you today would be random...have a great day!

Banana Crumb Muffins

I love bananas.  Seriously love them.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I can't eat them fast enough.  That means we get to have lots of good things like these Banana Crumb Muffins.

Banana Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 3/4 all-purpose + 3/4 whole wheat flour)

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cups white sugar* (we weren't paying attention and actually used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar...it turned out fine!)

1 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1 T butter

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease ten muffin cups or line with muffin papers. (I got eleven muffins out of mine.)

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. (My helpful tip here is to use ice cream scoop or a #20 scoop from a restaurant supply to fill your muffin tins...it makes it so much easier to get uniform muffins or cupcakes!)

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut the butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean.

Look at that crackled, crumb topping. It is so good.   Anyway, the kids say these are even better than Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins and that is high praise, indeed!

Semi Whole Wheat Waffles...

My friend Darcy Lee writes two blogs:  In This Season and Darcy's Kitchen Kapers .  If you haven't already discovered her, you should stop by for a visit.  She's just so gracious and I guarantee she'll have some good food for you to eat.  Just be sure to come by after work, as she's recently reentered the workplace and become an empty nester to boot!

Anyway, I shared Darcy Lee's original Whole Wheat Pancake and Waffle Recipe with you a while back (here).  It is really, really good and if you want a whole-wheat recipe, I still say you should try it.  Having said that, while Superman was home, I was looking to make waffles that were just a bit lighter, so I played with Darcy Lee's recipe and came up with the recipe below.  They turned out so well, that I stopped Superman from taking a bite and took a picture in the middle of breakfast!:

Semi-Whole Wheat Waffles
adapted from Darcy Lee's Kitchen Kapers

Makes 4 four-square waffles

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter - cooled
2 eggs

Directions:

Plug in waffle iron to pre-heat.  Pre-heat oven to 225F

Mix together all dry ingredients:  flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and soda.  Set aside.

Combine cooled melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs.  Add all dry ingredients and mix just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.

Brush butter on waffle iron and pour batter onto heated, buttered waffle iron.  Cook according to the directions of your machine.

Place cooked waffle on oven safe plate, cover with a towel and place in oven.  Cook the remaining batter, adding finished waffles to the plate under the towel to keep warm and moist.  Serve with butter and syrup!

(Thanks again, Darcy Lee, this recipe is amazing!)

Pita Bread/Flat Bread

I love pita bread.  I just think it is so cool to stuff your sandwich stuff into a pocket of bread.  I love the ratio of bread to stuffing/filling with pita bread.  Kind of like Goldilocks, you know?  Not too much bread like regular bread and not too little bread like a wrap.  No, a pita is just right.

I think smearing your pita bread into some hummus gives you just the right combination of chewy and creamy in every bite.  The problem?  I don't like store-bought pita bread.  Never have.  I like home-made pita bread...the kind you find in restaurants that have gyros and falafels on their menus.   I don't go to a lot of those, which means I don't have pita bread very often.

Up until now...  (Pita and egg-salad...yum!)  Now I have the power of pita at home. 

One of my friends in "real life" gave me an awesome recipe for pita bread last week and I couldn't wait to try it.  Actually, we were kind of trading recipes...I gave her the English muffin recipe and she reciprocated with her pita bread recipe.  Seems like a fair trade to me.

With no excuse other than I wanted to, I gave her recipe a try and it was fabulous.  I confess to having messed something up and most of my pitas didn't rise to form pockets, but the flat bread I was left with was so good that no one cared.  The entire batch was gone in about ten minutes. Seriously, they were that good. 

Oh, did I mention that the recipe was simple, too?  Well, it is.  See for yourself...this is the recipe exactly as she gave it to me.  (And, see?  A few of the pockets did rise and give me pita bread...I felt so special.)

Pita Bread
by Myshell

Ingredients:

1 T. active dry yeast
1 T. sugar
1/2 c. warm water
4 c. bread flour
2 t. salt
1 c. warm water
1 T. olive oil

Preparation:

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 c. of the warm water and set aside, covered, for 15 mins.  Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 c. of warm water.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a well in the center.  Add yeast mixture and salt water.  Knead with hands for 10 minutes in the bowl.  Add olive oil and continue to knead until all oil is absorbed.  Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.  Punch down the dough and knead for 5 mins more.

Preheat oven to 350 F, and lightly oil baking sheets.

Take pieces of dough slightly larger than and egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3/8 to 1/4 inch.  (For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough).  Prick the bread with a fork in several places.  *note - this causes a flatbread, if you want pockets, don't prick.  (I didn't prick...I don't know what happened.)

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350F on the lowest oven rack for 2-3 mins.  then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 mins.  *  Note:  I find they taste so much better if they are brushed with a little melted butter or olive oil and seasoned with a little garlic salt before baking.  Remove from oven and place on a tray covered with a clean dishtowel, with another clean towel on top.  When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in plastic bags in the fridge, or frozen.

Before using/eating, brown on both sides in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes.


P.S.  Did I mention I'm making another batch today?  It was that good.

Chocolate Chocolate-Chunk Muffins

With Superman gone, I'm not baking as much. Firstly, he's not here to take Friday Delight to work with him every Friday morning, so I'm not scrambling to come up with yummy office treats for his oh-so-willing Guinea pigs. Secondly, he's just not here, which leaves only the 3 of us to eat anything I make. While the kids would be more than willing to eat any treat I whip up, I am trying to keep their diet somewhat sane, so my baking has been cut way back.
This recipe from Brown-Eyed Baker has been sitting on my recipe stand since I first saw it on February 10. (She posted it in January, but I was a bit behind in my blog reading.) Anyway, I've been waiting for an opportunity to make it. An impromptu gathering last evening gave me the perfect opportunity. As I anticipated, these muffins were good...seriously good. I didn't change a thing...the recipe was terrific just the way it is.

Chocolate Chocolate-Chunk Muffins
from Brown-Eyed Baker
(makes 12)

Ingredients:
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (see note)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter and half the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat. (Um, yeah, about this step: I just used my microwave and melted the chocolate on the low power setting...it worked just fine.)

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Do not overmix the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. (Mine stayed in the oven too long and were a bit dry. Certain unnamed children forgot they were the ones tasked with pulling them out of the oven because I was stepping out...oops!)

Note: The bittersweet chocolate was difficult to find in my area and while I did find it, I think you could easily substitute semi-sweet for it. You'll end up with a sweeter muffin, but my neighbor Mr. R doesn't care for dark chocolate and wanted these muffins to be sweeter. His wife, who loves dark chocolate, thought they were very chocolate-y and wouldn't change a thing.