Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Gluten-Free (Yummy!) Waffles

Recently, my husband has gone gluten free. He was officially diagnosed with Celiac disease (an allergy to wheat, rye, and barely, meaning that he cannot eat anything that contains them in any form, including standard flour) about 2 years ago, but was really resistant to switching his diet. However, after years of health problems that are likely caused by this allergy, he decided in early December to go gluten free (GF).

I have been incredibly proud of him over the past month of adjustment. Alan has a love for sweet treats and snack foods, and the fact that he was able to stay away from all of the cookies, etc. that were around over the holidays was impressive. So, in order to be the loving and supportive wife that he deserves, I've been slowly but surely searching out new recipes for some of our favorite baked goods.

Breakfast for dinner tends to be a go-to in our house for busy week nights. Everyone loves a good, hearty breakfast, but who has time to make waffles, eggs, etc. on the average morning? Not me! So, about once a month, we enjoy breakfast for dinner. Last week, I tested out a new waffle recipe that I found over at Passionate Homemaking, which uses brown rice as a substitute for flour. It can also easily be made lactose-free and vegan, and can be made the day before (soaking the grains overnight results in increased absorption of nutrients).

The overall verdict was really positive. We really enjoyed the taste of the waffles, and the recipe was incredibly easy to put together. A "one dish" meal is always a plus for me, and this recipe just calls for throwing things into a blender - super simple!

I do plan on soaking the grains overnight next time. Our waffles had a bit of a crunchy texture because the rice hadn't been soaked, but this was not a negative. Even if you aren't eating GF, you should try this recipe - quick, easy, and nutritious!

Blender Waffles/Pancakes

1 3/4 cups kefir 
2 T olive oil  
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brown rice (uncooked) 
2/3 cup grain = 1 cup flour
1 egg (optional if batter needs thinning)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp salt, to taste


1. Place first 4 ingredients in blender; blend at highest speed for 3 minutes. (The batter should always swirl about a vortex in the blender. If it doesn’t, slowly add more liquid until the hole reappears. This is the secret to light and tender waffles.)

2. Cover blender; let stand at room temperature overnight or 12-24 hours. (Optional if you want to soak for added nutritional absorption.)

3. Preheat waffle iron at highest temperature, or griddle on medium high.

4. If needed, add egg here.

5. Blend in thoroughly, but briefly the last 3 ingredients.

6. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron, sprayed with olive oil. Bake about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes in waffle iron until crispy.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Year, New Rules

On the last day of our vacation, Alan & I spent a good portion of the day putting the house back in order. Gifts were out, laundry needed to be done, and we were in need of a general straightening up. As we worked our way through the house, we made our way into Seth's room. (Insert general sigh here...) Oh, that boy. Now, let me be the first to admit that I was NOT a neat child. My room was always in total disarray, and "cleaning my room" usually translated to taking things out, only to end up distracted and playing. Seth is very similar to me in this way, although I think he tends to lean more on the side of dirty than disorganized.

Over the past couple of years, Alan & I have reached varying levels of frustration with toys left out all over the house, things being lost or broken, toilets not being flushed (!) and just a general sense of chaos. We have implemented a variety of strategies to help correct this behavior, and have had periods of success. However, with Seth now being 7 1/2 years old, it is truly time to instil these behaviors as a regular part of his daily life. So, while Seth was at school yesterday, we developed a strategy for 2012.

The first thing was to formalize our family rules. While we have general guidelines for our home, we had never taken the time to discuss specifics as a family, and write them down. In an effort to keep things simple, we came up with 7 rules that cover a range of behaviors. The rules were transferred to poster board and are hanging on the wall. Once we have lived with the rules for awhile, and are certain that we don't need to adjust them, we will create a pretty, printed version that will become a part of our home.



I also sat down and created three lists of tasks for Seth - one for the morning, after school, and the evening. Over dinner, we reviewed the lists, and added a couple of extra things that Seth thought needed to be included. The lists were then transferred to poster board, and hung on his bedroom wall. The hope is that Seth will be able to look at these lists every day to help him remember what responsibilities he has in our house.


Morning:
After School:
Evening:

1.       Get dressed (with socks)
2.       Make bed
3.       Throw away any trash
4.       Eat breakfast
5.       Put away dishes
6.       Wipe up crumbs/mess
7.       Brush teeth & brush hair
8.       Shoes on


1.       Change clothes
2.       Kung fu uniform in backpack
3.       Lunchbox on counter
4.       Hang up jacket & backpack
5.       Shoes on closet door
6.       Homework


1.       Take bath
2.       Clothes in hamper
3.       Towel on hook
4.       Shower curtain closed
5.       Toilet flushed
6.       Brush teeth
7.       Put away toothbrush, etc.
8.       Sink rinsed out
9.       Check on tadpoles
10.   Pray




As we explained to Seth, these are the tasks that are expected of him. He does not earn anything for making his bed, for example, it is simply expected of him as a contributing member of our family. Likewise, Daddy doesn't earn anything for taking out the trash, that is simply a task that must be done regularly, and he is the person who handles the job. However, if one of us neglects our tasks, there are consequences.

We also created a list of additional tasks that need to be done on a regular basis. While Seth isn't expected to complete these, if he volunteers to do one, he earns 10 minutes of electronics time on the weekend. These jobs run the gamut, and include simple things like "get the mail" and "feed Clover", to more in-depth tasks like "clean the living room windows" and "give Marco a bath." Although we are less than 24 hours into this experiment, he woke-up motivated this morning. He completed all of the tasks on his morning list (with just a little encouragement to make his bed neater), and offered to feed the cat (an optional task). I'm hoping that the incentive of earning time with his DS or the I-Pod will entice him to complete his daily tasks, and help out more around the house.

We will see if this practice helps bring more structure into our daily lives. However, even if that structure is temporary, the practice itself was valuable. The discussions we had as a family were really good. We talked about examples of good & bad behaviors that would apply to each rule, we discussed what we expected from each other, and we came to an agreement on 7 guiding principles for our house. All in all, it was a great exercise, and I am really content with our final rules. 


Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Hallelujah, Cornbread!

There is something you should know about me...I'm a cornbread-aholic. I LOVE cornbread, and have been trying to find the "perfect" recipe for about the past 5 years. Periodically, I would get close. But I never seemed to be able to find the recipe that had the right texture (dense, but light), a nice crunchy crust with a soft interior, and the flavor combo of sweet and salty that just may be the best juxtaposition in the world. Until now!

Hallelujah Cornbread!


The original recipe (from Cooks Illustrated) calls for buttermilk, but I have only ever used kefir (it works perfectly). Kefir, is a cultured product, similar to a yogurt beverage in texture, but way better for you - and it is 99% lactose free. It has all of those good probiotics that help regulate your system and increase your immunity. Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking has some good info on the benefits, and a recipe on how to make it yourself. I buy ours, and it can be found in the milk section at your grocery store. The flavored options are great for breakfast, and the original can be used as a substitution for buttermilk in any recipe. Now, back to the cornbread...

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, and keep it in the oven until ready to cook.
  2. Whisk the cornmeal., flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Push the dry ingredients up the sides of the bowl to make a well.
  3. Crack the eggs into the well and stir lightly with a wooden spoon, then add the kefir and milk. Stir the wet and dry ingredients quickly until almost combined. Add the melted butter and stir until the ingredients are just combined.
  4. Pour the batter into the greased pan (watch out for splatter from the hot EVOO!). Bake until the top of the cornbread is golden brown and lightly cracked and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes.
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated (2004, America's Test Kitchen)

Hoppin' John, Spinach Salad & Warm Cornbread - YUM!


If you happen to have a cast iron skillet inheritted from your grandmother - I suggest using that! My granny's is likely seasoned with about 40 years worth of bacon and sausage from Saturday morning breakfasts, and I'm sure that makes it even better.

One more note: if your dog is notorious for counter-surfing, be sure to put the leftover cornbread in the pantry before bed...we did not. Imagine my disappointment when I found a small scattering of yellow crumbs on my carpet the next morning, and no cornbread in sight!

Monday, December 12, 2011

The past few weeks have been hectic, filled with holiday-prep and sneaking around doing various elfin projects. It may be a poor excuse, but that is my reason for being absent these past two week - holiday secrets!

A couple of weeks ago, in one of my many online shopping trips, I found a book that I wanted to buy for Seth & I to read together. After trips to three (!) area bookstores, I found what I was looking for:

Click here for more info

We've been reading this every morning for the past week, and have really enjoyed it. Like the name says, the devotions are short and simple. When I wake up, I call Seth to come and join me (he is, by nature, a VERY early riser, and is already up and dressed). We snuggle in bed, and read the devotion together. The lessons are short, and consist of a kid-friendly translation of scripture, a "real-life" analogy and application section, and then a 2-3 sentence prayer that applies the days lesson. The format is great, and we typically spend about 10-15 minutes reading and talking each morning. It has been such a great addition to our morning routine, and I'm hoping that we are able to maintain the practice throughout the year.

There are many (many, many, many) options for kids when it comes to Bible study, devotions, real-life applications, etc., but" Day by Day" stood out for many reasons, and I'm glad that I went with this one. First of all, I love that the lessons are meant to be short. While we take longer than the 7 minutes implied by the title, I was specifically looking for something that we could do in the mornings before school, without adding stress or a "let's get this done so we can go" type of feeling. These lessons fit the bill perfectly. Also, when I looked at the book, the first lesson I saw fit Seth perfectly...

"Laughing and playing with friends can be fun. Being with your family can be fun too. But when no one else is around, it's easy to get lonely and sad. Jacob felt lonely until God showed him that he wasn't really alone."

This is something that the Peanut struggles with. He loves to be around his family, and it is tough for him that he is always apart from someone...when he is with us, he misses his mother, and when he is with her, he misses us. At age 7, we still maintain a pallet on the floor of our bedroom, where Seth can be found every morning. He typically wanders in around 2am, just wanting to be in the same room as us. We welcome this, and I always want my children to know that if they need me, I am available - even if that means just being in the same room. This lesson reinforced what we always tell Seth - you are never alone.

2011 school pic (with vampire costume bow)

I'm excited about continuing the lessons, and to time spent in bed with my little man, talking through things that will help us both grow in our faith. Because, really, who wouldn't want to spend more time with that guy? :-)

Friday, December 9, 2011

{this moment}

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

(Inspired by Soule Mama


Monday, November 14, 2011

Super Easy Meatless Monday

Like so many of you, we are doing our best to reduce the intake of processed foods, increase our veggies, and decrease our environmental footprint. One tactic that addresses all three issues at the same time is Meatless Monday. We eat a vegetarian diet at least once a week, although, our Meatless Monday is just as likely to be a Meatless Wednesday.

The great thing about this is that it starts our week off on the right foot. I've noticed that when we eat vegetarian meals on Monday, I am much more conscious of our veggie intake the rest of the week. Like all of my other week night cooking, I try to focus on simple, fast, and nutritious recipes that please the whole family, and also provide us with a balanced plate. (Speaking of which, don't you just love the new "food plate" that replaced the pyramid? It is so much easier to understand, and doesn't include "meat" at all, but rather "protein.")




Tonight we will be having one of my favorite Meatless Monday Meals - baked sweet potatoes (which some nutrition experts call the "most perfect" vegetable) with a mixed green salad topped with feta and pecans. It is so easy to prepare, but I've found a way to make it even easier! Being at work all day, I don't want to wait an hour for oven baked potatoes when I get home. I really don't like the results of microwaving potatoes - they seem to turn out so pitiful, with wrinkly skin - it's just sad. Enter the crockpot!

I've found that by prepping potatoes normally (punctured with a couple of holes to allow steam to escape, and then briefly rubbed with butter or a small amount of EVOO), I can wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil, place in a crock pot, and cook on low for about 4-6 hours. The result is a perfectly baked potato, and dinner that is ready to eat within minutes of getting home. Combined with a large salad of spinach/mixed greens, and anything from our produce drawer, we get a delicious, nutritious, quick meal, that is also incredibly inexpensive.

Check out The Produce Lady for more info on health benefits
  
Some Benefits of Sweet Potatoes:
  • Excellent source of vitamin A, which is important for eyesight and healthy skin.
  • Good source of vitamin C, which helps wounds heal and helps the body resist infection.
  • Full of dietary fiber, which helps regulate the digestive system and lower cholesterol.

*Tasty Tip: Recent research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes. That is equal to a tablespoon of EVOO, or about 1/2 T of butter. Sounds like a good reason to top your sweet potato in a nice dollop of real butter - not margarine...that stuff scares me!

Let's end with a quote from the amazing Julia Childs..."If you're afraid of butter, as many people are nowadays, just put in cream!"