Food For Thought

Recently I’ve been reminded of how impossible it is to concentrate when life changes are taking place.  Food preparation has gone from a fun little hobby that I dive into every once in a while, to a flat-out obsession this past month.  At the beginning of September we found out that Sean needed to eliminate dairy from his diet for health reasons.  I had no idea how much dairy we consumed until I had to cut it out.  It seemed I only had about three dishes out of the thirty or forty that I regularly prepare that were cheese-free.  I had to start thinking outside the cookbooks on my shelf.

Enter: the Library.  Seriously, one of my very favorite places to be on earth.  I even regularly visit libraries when I’m on vacation – not bookstores – libraries.  They are such happy comforting places for me, no matter how big or small.  But I digress . . . The point is that after grumbling and groaning about all our new limitations, I started making friends with the idea that great cooking could happen without dairy.

Then something tragic happened. Gluten had to get the boot, as well.  At least for me.  And since I am the main baker/chef/shopper/nutritionist in our family, gluten-loaded products are rapidly disappearing from our shelves.  As annoyed as I was about the loss of dairy, I actually cried over wheat.  I bake a lot of bread.  Really, really good bread.  And while I still make it for my family in all of its crispy-outside-soft-fluffy-goodness-inside glory, I cannot partake.  Sigh.  Enter: the library – again.

Two things have stood out to me throughout this shifting process.  The first is how obsessively stressed-out this change has made me.  I pour over cookbooks every free moment I have, even my non-free moments.  I am in a constant desperate search to find amazingly good food that my entire family can enjoy without feeling deprived of two of the main ingredients in the American diet (the third one being sugar, which we are also on guard against, but which can be replaced more inconspicuously).  I feel like I’m falling in love or something, but I know it’s not love because I don’t actually WANT to think about any of this, I just can’t help it.

And the second thing that has practically slapped me in the face almost everyday is how grateful I am for people who know how to cook with these issues and are willing share their amazing food.  I have found current (meaning they were printed in the last two or three years) gluten-free vegan cookbooks to be heaven-sent. I like the vegan ones because dairy is automatically eliminated (because it is an animal product) and they are masters at creating foods that feel like dairy (rich, creamy sauces, etc.), without the actual dairy.  They also tend to steer clear of refined sugars, which is a big bonus for us.  Basically, in a gluten-free vegan cookbook, I feel am knocking out three opponents with one punch – gluten, dairy and refined sugars.  Plus, they really know how to make vegetables appealing.  And they tend to be good students of nutrition, ensuring plenty of protein through the combination of grains and legumes.  All of that really appeals to me.
My very favorite cookbook of the moment is Chloe’s Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli.  And the book I credit with helping me discover all was not lost (I could make really yummy stuff without dairy and gluten) is Cooking For Isaiah by Silvana Nardone (she uses a lot of sugar, which we have to guard against, but her banana bread and chocolate chip cookies are easily the best I’ve ever tasted).
I guess I’m writing this post in the hopes that someone will find it helpful and comforting if your world seems to be crumbling like a gluten-free pizza crust.  I know that may seem a little dramatic, especially to those of you who have never had to undergo a dramatic change to your diet.  But it really is a big deal, especially when it involves keeping children happy.  That’s the part I agonize over more than anything else. 

I know it is for the best, though; my jeans are fitting better, and we’re all eating more vegetables and whole foods, and I simply feel better – much better.  I’m actually storing home produce this year because I can control the ingredients (which, as a side benefit, gives me that really happy proud-of-myself feeling). Now I just have to figure out how to stock-up a year’s supply of all those crazy gluten-free flours, or better yet, how to make some of them myself.  I hope you won’t mind a random food post here and there as we get used to our new way of life.  Happy cooking-baking-shopping-nutritioning to all of you.

Happy Cub Scout Birthday!

Last night was Djeryd's Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts. Scouting is celebrating 100 years this year, which is really kind of cool. All of the boys and their dads were supposed to decorate the cakes for refreshments. I baked the cake (carrot), made the frosting (cream cheese) and then shut my mouth. It was so hard not to say anything. I think they did a pretty good job for having virtually NO cake-decorating experience under their belts.

Because he is Djeryd, the cake had Lego Cub Scouts at a picnic table with a campfire.

Sean did a good job letting Djeryd design the cake and supporting him however he could (like slicing up those yummy chocolate fire logs).

I hope they do it again next year.

Thanksgiving Aftermath

We had two wonderful Thanksgivings, and I'm not actually going to blog about them, although I probably should. I thought I would take a moment to mention the Thanksgiving aftermath, however. The day after Thanksgivagain (Friday Thanksgiving with the Wilcox family, as opposed to Thursday Thanksgiving at the Hawkins' home) revealed the potential damage of preparing Thanksgiving dinner using an ill-fitted range. I won't go into all the details, suffice it to say our inherited stove is sort of a hodge-podge of inappropriate parts. To say it drives me crazy on a good day is an understatement. I am a woman who likes to cook, and likes to do it "right".

Back to my little story. Saturday evening I put a batch of cookies in the oven. After one and half hours the oven had achieved a maximum temperature of 330*. The cookies baked a little longer than called for (at a lower temperature than called for), but turned out okay. We resigned ourselves to replacing the element in the stove and continued to use the cook top. Until last night, when Sean thought he would take a look at the element needing replacement and get it ordered (still not done). In the process of removing the element (which for some scary reason seemed to only be brushing up against the necessary wires, as opposed to completely, tightly intertwined with the necessary wires), the element started breaking into pieces. It also gave Sean quite a little shock (electrically speaking) and he has decommissioned the stove until further notice.

Dah!!!! Suddenly my kids are asking for sweet breads, and I just want to make dinner, and maybe a batch of rolls or garlic toast. No dice. Stir-fry is not even an option. Oh, and pasta! But that's not stopping us. Oh, no. We can make waffles. We have a crock pot. I have even been considering pulling out the reflector oven from our emergency kit and whipping up some biscuits. (Don't anybody hold your breath on that last one.)

So, as far as Thanksgiving goes. I just want to say that I am grateful for a working stove - when I have one - and the possibility of a working stove on the horizon. I'm so thankful to have something to look forward to.

FHE: A Tasting Party

Along with songs, stories, and snowflakes, we drowned our kids in hot cocoa last night. My Activity Day girls and I are making little gift jars of homemade cocoa mix this week and I had to find out the best recipe. Enter: idea for a tasting party.

I made up six different kinds of cocoa, based on a single recipe. We had plain, cinnamon and mint - each made with two different kinds of sugar. While the kids cut snowflakes with Daddy to hang in their rooms, I set up the tasting table.

It was so much fun. My favorite part was the quiet after they each drank their swallows as they tried to decide if they liked the flavors and why. One was a doosy - cinnamon cocoa made with powdered sugar. It was surprisingly bitter (although it tasted fine with granulated sugar). All in all it was a very fun Family Night. And I am all set for Activity Days as a bonus!

Recipes

Sorry it has taken so long. Here are the much-requested recipes (and I seriously hope I am not violating copyright laws).

These croutons are wonderful in creamy, savory/sweet soups - like a squash soup. They are also addictive little munchies.

CROUTONS
From Capriel's Soup and Sandwiches
Makes 4 cups
(directions, not ingredients, modified slightly)

1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 baguette or loaf of sourdough, cut into 1/4" cubes

Preheat oven to 375*
In small bowl, stir together brown sugar and spices. Melt butter in microwave and pour over bowl of bread cubes. Stir until well coated. Then pour sugar/spice mixture over buttered bread and stir until well coated. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out croutons evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before storing. (*If your croutons need a little crisping up the next day put them in a 300* oven for 20 minutes, or so. Then let cool. They should crunch up quite nicely.)

LEMON-BLUEBERRY SAUCE
From an episode of Giada at Home
Makes enough for about three slices of cheesecake, double or triple as needed
(again, slightly modified by me)

Juice from one lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
(You can actually use one cup of any fruit you choose - I find the lemon-blueberry combination is amazing! (which I discovered quite accidentally while making lemon bars last summer during blueberry season - what does one do with all those fresh berries??))

Boil lemon juice (seeds removed) and sugar in a small saucepan over med-high heat. Boil for four or five minutes. Keep an eye on it so it does not boil over, stirring frequently. Stir in blueberries and bring back to boil, then turn off heat and cover for ten minutes. (You could probably keep the heat up and stir the berries a lot and it would be done sooner, but it will compromise the texture of the whole berries.) Ready to serve! I like it warm over cold cheesecake. YUM!

Bon appetit!

Catching Up

We rearranged the office last week and I lost my camera cable for downloading pictures (granted, it was only lost to me; Sean knew exactly where it was and got me all hooked up again). So now I'm good to go and feel a strange compulsion to actually take pictures again, and then actually post them. Amazing! I have been blogging out of an obligation to record my family's day-to-day history for the past few months, not because I actually wanted to do it. It is nice to be getting back to myself.

And now, back to my post. On Monday we carved pumpkins. Strangely enough I did not remember to take a picture of everyone with their pumpkins when it was all done. Items of note were Erik's extreme disgust of pumpkin guts (shown above). I find this noteworthy because, being a little boy, Erik is fascinated by all things disgusting and dirty and gross - so why not pumpkin guts? This is baffling to me. Another item is Djeryd carved his very own pumpkin all by himself this year. "Big deal," some of you say, but it is a big deal because we don't have any of those fancy, safety pumpkin-carving kits around here. It's kitchen knives, or bust. I was terrified. Sean was pleased.

I also made my very first homemade cheesecake ever. It was so good! I've been making small batches of different sauces so we get a different flavor each time we sit down to a slice - strawberries, chocolate, and lemon-blueberry - delicious! It turned out really good, if I do say so myself. I only had one hang-up while making it. It is an English (meaning written in England) recipe and some of the ingredients (graham crackers - referred to as "digestive biscuits" (that term does not sound appetizing to me in any way)) were listed in ounces. Let's just say there was a minor miscalculation and an emergency trip to the store became necessary. It was all completely worth it, though. YUM!

Last, but not least, in the catching up category, I finished Djeryd's Halloween costume. The boy is set. I LOVE that gold satin. There is some beautiful (if I do say so myself) embroidery on the back. I don't want to give it all away just yet. I will be posting more pictures on Halloween with all the kids in full regalia. I wound up with a small hem problem that I have no intention of fixing, but that is my only complaint. I am extremely proud of this costume. I can't wait to show you more pictures in a few days.

A Return to Domestic Bliss

No pictures today; just happy, sweet feelings. It has been literally months since I have actually enjoyed cleaning my house, or thrown my creativity into making a meal. Morning Sickness seems to have officially departed (although I admittedly slept for two hours in the middle of the morning today). The curse seems to have finally lifted. I am delighting in washing windows, dusting and vacuuming. I'm back to adapting recipes to make them even more scrumptious than the original. I am enjoying making after-school snacks for my little ones. And Anna and I are getting out for a daily errand (just to get out of the house and into some fresh air). Life is good. Life is wonderful. And I can't stop smiling. Yippee for the second trimester!

May Day Festivities

May Day is one of my very favorite days of the year. What a wonderful thing to celebrate spring and flowers. We spent the day flying kites and crafting outside in the beautiful springtime weather. The kids pulled out their new kite for the first time and played for literally hours in the field, running back and forth, watching the bright colors fly high in the sky. After dinner the kids put on a May Day show full of jokes, songs, magic tricks and dancing.

The grand finale`. Happy May Day!!

Someone's In the Kitchen With Mommy

My two youngest have become very interested in culinary delights of late (could it be the inspirational viewing of Ratatouille?). We have been making all kinds of yummy things. Here are a few pictures of Erik teaching Anna how to properly blend the stir-fry sauce.

You'll notice her little hand is on his, and his little hand is holding her's in place so that she can get a feel for the motion. Aren't they so cute?

The steamy, delicious fruits (or should I say vegetables?) of their labors.

A Christmas for Carol #1

I hate German Chocolate cake. You must understand this first and foremost, or nothing that follows will seem extraordinary to you.

After reading my post about a homemade Christmas, my mother-in-law put in her request for a homemade gift for her for 2009. She asked for 12 months of Christmas service. Holy Smokes! So I agreed to do one service project a month for the next 12 months as a Christmas gift. Now mind you, she does not mean for the service projects to be for her, but in January it just turned out that way.

Last week I got a call from her asking me to make a German Chocolate cake for a party she was throwing. Having never made a German Chocolate cake and absolutely detesting every single German Chocolate I have had the misfortune to taste, I decided to take on the challenge.

What you see here are the fruits of 4 hours of cake labor. I had to make two cakes to get it four layers and big enough. Actual start to finsh time was 1:00pm to almost 1:00am - I got in four hours of cake time in-between dinner, kids, piano lessons, a visit to select Djeryd's new glasses, and a much needed 30 minute respite at the library (all by myself!!!).

But, oh, my gosh! it was so worth it!

My one disappointment is how the decorative icing turned out. I iced the cake at about 12:15 in the morning. The icing was still quite warm, and so did not hold its shape. All that hard work (and scrumptious taste) without the perfect packaging. Grrr. But, as they say, perfection is over-rated. Just eat the cake.

P.S. My husband, who hates coconut on anything said this is the best cake he's ever eaten. Here's the recipe link: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/09/german_chocolat_1.html