Gluten free Pumpkin muffins stuffed with cream cheese :)

Pumpkin muffins stuffed with cream cheese:

Preheat  oven to 325 F , 163 C.
Spray muffin tins with Pam cooking spray 
and then line with muffin cups.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 c. pumpkin
2 cups Bob's Red Mill gf flour
1 tsp gf cinnamon 
1/4 tsp gf ground cloves 
1/2 tsp gf nutmeg 
1 teaspoon gf baking soda
1/2 teaspoon  salt 
Philadelphia light cream cheese 
gf pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and pumpkin.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, spices and salt.
Gradually add dry to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Fill muffin cups 1/2 full of pumpkin muffin mixture. 
Add a tsp of cream cheese.
Press cream cheese down into pumpkin muffin mixture.
Fill muffin cups to the top with remaining pumpkin mixture.
Press a few pumpkin seeds down into the muffins top.
Bake for 20-23 minutes. 
...Makes 12 muffins

Banana chocolate chip muffins

Banana chocolate chip muffins:

preheat oven to 350 F /176 C

Combine in a large bowl:

3 large mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup e.v. olive oil

1 cup tight packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons gf vanilla extract

2 eggs 

1/4 teaspoon white vinegar

Whisk together in a separate bowl:

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup sweet white sorghum flour

1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour!)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and beat or stir until smooth.

add 1 c. chocolate chips or raisins
fill muffin tins 3/4 full
spray a 12 tin muffin pan with Pam and put in baking cups
bake muffins for 15-20 mins or until tops are firm.  Less time for mini muffins.

gluten free sticky licky cinnamon buns

• In a medium sized bowl mix:
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 T. sugar
• 3/4c. warm milk
• 1/2 c. warm(not hot) water
• mix well with a fork and set aside

• In another medium sized mixing bowl mix:
• 4 T melted butter
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tsp  vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla

• In a large bowl whisk together:
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (see note)
• 1/2 cup potato starch (not flour)
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2.5 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 c dry milk powder
• 1 tsp baking powder

After yeast is foamy, add all wet ingredients (both medium sized bowls)  to the dry ingredients,

blend using your hands for three minutes (or a fancy stand mixer...sigh..I don't have one...YES it is totally sticky..make it fun ;)

Spray a round 9" pyrex baking dish or square 9x11 pan with Pam

In a medium sized saucepan mix:

4T. butter

1/2 c. well packed brown sugar

2T corn syrup (I used white either is fine)

1 tsp vanilla

after sugar melts...add 2 T milk or cream

Pour into pyrex bowl or pan

1. Take a piece of plastic wrap about 2' long and lay it out on a slightly damp counter top, 
2. Lay the dough on top of the wrap.  Lay another piece of plastic wrap over the top of the dough.
3.  Roll the dough out (with the plastic wrap on top) to a square approximately 8″ x 16″.
4. Remove top plastic wrap. 
5. 
   
6. Filling:
7. mix 2 T. softened butter (not melted) with 2 T cinnamon and 1/2 c. tightly packed brown sugar and 1/2 c. rehydrated (soak in hot water until plump) raisins.
8. 
   
9. Spread filling mixture evenly across dough’s surface. Leave 1 1/2″ along one long side without any filling,
10. so you can seal your roll.
11. Starting along the long end, use the bottom sheet of plastic wrap to lift the edge of the dough and roll it up, forming a long cylinder. Start with the edge that has filling on it, that will be the centre of your finished rolls.
12. Using a long piece of dark thread (light colours can be lost in the dough), cut the long “cinnamon bun log” into 8 pieces, about 1 1/2″ wide. You can do this by placing the thread underneath the roll, crossing it at the top, and pulling the threads so they cross each other, pulling it through the dough.

Place slices into the pyrex dish/pan and allow to rise for 30 mins

Bake in a 350 degree F /177 degrees Celsius until brown on the top and firm to the touch..about 30 to 35 mins.  Place a cookie sheet under in case it drips and lights the oven on fire like mine did :P  when the buns are done..place a cookie sheet on top and flip the whole dish/pan over so the sauce oozes all over, making sticky licky buns.  NOTE: if they are still a bit soggy on the bottom (rawish) then pop them in the oven (still upside down ) for a few mins longer :)  Enjoy!!!

just like kfc...well close enough ;)

1 c. Bob's Red Mill all purpose baking flour, gluten free
1 T  baking powder
1/2 T. salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 T. paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 T. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. sugar


Mix  ingredients in a ziploc bag. Dip your chicken pieces in milk, place 1 piece at a time in the bag and shake to coat.  You can bake this at 350 OR deep fry it as a real treat !!Yum !!  I fry until almost cooked and the transfer to the oven for the last bit. Cook it how you like it :)

A tasket a tisket a yummy flakey biscuit!!!!

WOW! I never thought I could have biscuits that DIDN'T taste like petrified play dough EVER again!! I found an amazing recipe for biscuits (thanks Sherri Rima) and I am going to share it with you :)  The all purpose flour that I used was Bob's Red Mill but be adventurous and try others if you dare.  This kind was good quality, cheaper and easier for me to find and NOT made with gritty rice flour...

Recipe:
2 c. all purpose Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
2 T. sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 T. Xanthan gum
1/2 c. shortening
1 egg
2/3 c. milk

Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt)
Form a "well" in the center of these dry ingredients. Cut the shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry knife or two butter knives until pea sized.

Whisk together egg and milk
Slowly pour wet ingredients(egg and milk) into the "well" in the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until just blended.

Spread some all purpose flour on a clean dry surface
Place the dough on the spread flour, roll the dough until it is 1" thick
Use a clean glass 2-4 inches in diameter to cut biscuits from the dough
Place on a baking sheet that was sprayed with Pam or another non-stick cooking spray
Bake in the 450 degree oven for 7 minutes...then lower to 350 and cook for 2 more minutes
This is what works for my oven...keep an eye on them and remove when they are light brown on top.
YUM!!! ENJOY!!!

The BEST fluffy chocolate chip cookie/muffin bars :)

As you can see from the picture, I barely had time to go and get my camera before these fluffy, muffin-like cookie bars were devoured!  I adapted this recipe fro the gluten free goddess (I love her) and it is SO easy and gluten free...

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit /177degrees Celsius

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

3 large  eggs

1/2 cup sunflower oil

2 tsp real vanilla extract

1 cup firmly packed  light brown sugar

2 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free biscuit and baking mix

1 c. Chipits brand semi-sweet chocolate chips (add to batter)

1/2 c. Chipits brand semi-sweet chocolate chips (sprinkle on and press into top before baking)

Mix all ingredients, in this order and spoon into a 10x13 baking pan sprayed with Pam cooking spray...it is thick and sticky.  Be sure to spread it evenly.  Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes...or until it is brown on top and firm but springy when you touch it.  

Cool and DEVOUR!!!   I secretly froze half of the cookie bars that remained for lunches the next little while :)

Adaptation, spoon bits of dough into mini muffin tins for bite sized muffin/cookies :)

Here we go!!!! TURKEY!!! and sandcastle stuffing :(

My family prides itself on the timeless stuffing recipe handed down through the generations...seriously...if people mess with the stuffing "THE DINNER IS RUINED!!!"   ;)   SO, since I am the designated turkey maker on holidays...  tonight I am making  the special recipe and crossing my fingers that it will pass as close to the real thing as possible...I WAS going to make bread and then toast it and grind the crumbs but I want to see if there is an EASY way to do it first... SO I bought rice breadcrumbs, (the same ones I use to make the AWESOME gluten free chicken/pork coating mix (like shake and bake only BETTER) and added a little extra butter (3/4 c. to two 500g packages of PaneRiso rice breadcrumbs plus seasonings).  I mixed the secret stuffing,  stuffed the turkey with the sawdust like material..closed it with skewers and prayed a little...
...well the result what pretty much what I expected...and you old-timers with this gluten free thing..are probably giggling at the gritty, sawdust-like stuffing I had to choke down...it eventually had about three cups of butter in it and I am sure we are all about to go into cardiac arrest...honestly, I have tasted better sandcastles...the turkey and gravy (used all purpose gluten free flour for that) and veggies were amazing...they call me the turkey master...but UGH  that  STUFFING!!!  I should not have been so lazy..EPIC FAIL...next time...BEFORE the Easter meal...I will bake the bread and make my own crumbs like I should have in the first place...sigh...maybe I can bread chicken with it...I will let you know...

Gluten free chicken coating ("Shake and Bake " )

I use the crispy PaneRiso breadcrumbs...mostly because they are the only ones I can find for less then $7 a bag...sigh...and dump the crumbs I think I will need to cover the chicken I wish to cook (about 1/4 c. per leg/breast...and 1/8 c. per thigh)  into a ziploc bag and add poultry seasoning, garlic powder (or salt ...if using garlic salt then just don't add table salt) Add about 1/2 T. per package of crumbs for each seasoning...and 1tsp of salt.  close the ziploc and shake.  Add a piece of chicken (this is especially nice when first dipped in gluten free Italian dressing),  close and shake the bag and lay on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Bake chicken at 350 until done (about 25 mins for 6 pieces of bone in chicken or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius)  Cool for about 5-8 mins and ENJOY!!! My kids like this with gluten free alphabet shaped fries or mashed potatoes :)  To make chicken nuggets..just chop breasts into bite sized pieces and shake in the same manner :)

is was and always will be...gluten free

Remember those peanut butter marshmallow thingies we got at friend's houses at Christmas time ???!!! (Well maybe your Mom or Dad made them...mine didn't.. but I just recently found the recipe and it is SOOOOO  easy!!!  )

Peanut butter marshmallow squares:  (lol or Mini marshmallows with GRAVY)

In a medium sized saucepan melt over medium heat (use a double boiler if you have one)
      1c. KRAFT peanut butter (Kraft labels all of their products with a warning if they are not gluten free)
      1/2 c. butter (or margarine...I like butter :P   )
      1 whole 300g package Chipits brand butterscotch chips

Let this cool for about 10 mins
Spray some Pam cooking spray in a 9x9 baking pan
stir in 3/4 package KRAFT fruit flavoured marshmallows...about three cups
spread this mixture in the pan and place it in the freezer for 55 mins
set out for 5 mins to thaw and ENJOY!!! (they are good frozen too)

FLUFFY BREAD FLUFFY BREAD FLUFFY BREAD!!!! woot woot!!!

This bread FINALLY tastes SOOOOO good...not a speck of rice around...

In a medium sized bowl:
Mix 1 packet rapid dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
with 1 1/4 cups warm water (not hot)
and 1 tablespoon sugar




In a large bowl:
whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside:
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour 
1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/2 cup GF oat flour (I grind gluten free oats in a spice mill)
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/ 1/4 teaspoons salt


In another medium sized bowl:
Mix until frothy: 
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs
Add the bubbly yeast mixture to the egg mixture and then mix into the  dry ingredients.

Mix together with a fork for about 90 seconds until well blended

The dough will look closer to a muffin batter than bread dough, soft, but not cake batter wet.
move dough to a bread pan sprayed with Pam and allow to rise in a warm place until it doubles

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F /177 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.

This bread is just as wonderful three days later <3.  Store in an airtight container.

adapted from a recipe by the gluten free goddess :)

Grind this bread after toasting to make gluten free stuffing :)

pizza...yum...bread mix yuck..

Well the Celimix rice bread mix as a a bread was an EPIC FAIL at my house (no offence) BUT as a pizza dough it was enjoyed by all!!!  I mixed the recipe as printed on the bag..let it rise for a little bit (about 20 mins) and then used Pam cooking spray on my new pizza pans (a little splurge) and spread the dough (with copious amounts of rice flour on my fingers...)  added prego sauce and gluten free pepperoni (Freybe's) for our little people and salami (Freybe's gf), peppers, and extra cheese for ours...I tried cooking it for 10 mins but it was still a bit mealy so I put it back on for 10 more mins. at 350 degrees Fahrenheit /170 degrees Celsius...YUM  my 5 year old ate 4 pieces!!! All of the children were excited to have PIZZA again!!! On another note...I was reminded by a special friend ...NOT to focus on trying to find substitutes for my faves from my glutenous past...but to focus on fresh new foods for our healthy future :)  Thanks Sheri <3

Bread that tastes like bread ??? Success???

Yesterday I decided to try yet ANOTHER bread recipe..I picked up some new all purpose flour from the new gluten free bakery...I think it's base was brown rice flour so the bread turned out a light purplish grey colour..with specks in it that looked like kiwi seeds...but when my second youngest (the reason for our switch away from gluten) said WOW!  It's BREAD!!!  I knew it would be a hit...I have a few more to try and who knows what it will be like now that it is cold...but she identified it as bread...so here is the recipe...

Tolerable bread: 

If you don't have a bread machine, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

• 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 ½ c. water (hot tap water, but not too hot, or the yeast will die)
• 2 ½ cups Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
• 2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1tsp. salt
• 2 eggs 
• 1 ½ Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 
  
  1. Mix the yeast and the sugar in a small bowl. Blend with a fork and set aside until it starts to bubble...about 5-10 mins.
  2. Combine the flour, xanthan gum and salt in a large bowl, making sure it's well blended.
  3. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and vinegar until the eggs are a bit frothy.
  4. The yeast should be bubbly by now, so you can add all of your wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed. You don't need to knead this dough. You'll notice with gluten-free mixes, it's more of a cake-like consistency.
  5. If you have a bread machine, you can dump it in there at this point and cook on the 80 minute setting. You don't need the paddle. If you don't have a bread machine, place the bowl in a warm place with a towel over it.  Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size. Then place it in a loaf pan and cook until a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
  Add butter and ENJOY!!!
  Today I will try this recipe and another using regular gluten-free all purpose flour..

The quest for bread that doesn't taste like gritty playdough...

I guess the key to gluten free living is to change my thinking somewhat.  I can NOT try to make my diet the way it was by finding gluten free substitutions...as I have been doing...I need to start a journey with gluten free recipes and learn a new way to cook and live ...leaving my old ways behind...Here is the story of my ongoing quest for tolerable gluten free bread...
     I started out by trying those breads in the freezer section of the grocery store...ewwww...except for Udi's hot dog buns..toasted they are heavy but CLOSE to the real thing...and the okay  bagels from Glutino...again they MUST be toasted..
     Then I went onto bread mixes...also hugely disappointing ...except for Celimix bread mix which isn't very good for bread but definitely YUMMY for pizza crust!!  I made the bread recipe following the package directions and after letting it rise, drenched my fingers in rice flour and spread the dough on a pizza pan...it is VERY sticky and has a consistency of thick toothpaste but with the flour on my fingers I spread it and then added Daddy's special spaghetti sauce...(see recipes),  cheese and Grimm's gluten free lunch meat (salami, pepperoni etc...) and Mozzarella cheese...My family LOVED it!!!
     Next I started surfing the net for the "best bread recipes"...the $45 hot dog buns was the best bun type recipe so far...tolerable and even yummy right out of the oven...not so good two days later....I tried a few others but have not been pleased...ONE.. I didn't even eat :(   I have started to notice the the old school gluten free people try to avoid potato and tapioca flours and go more for the starches...some recommend psyllium husk be added and many make their own all purpose flour blends...
     I even drove many miles/km out of my way to find a bakery ...one bakery said gluten free but when I got there I found that she meant wheat free...not necessarily gluten free...only wheat gluten free...WHAT???   the other bakery (just opened two days before) only had baked goods so far..but WOW! cupcakes that would rival any other cupcake and brownies that were perfect!!  I purchased some of their all purpose flour and went in search of more online recipes...sigh...why cant my middle daughter eat rice cakes???

an incredible restaurant !!

I like to give credit where credit is due so her it is...I recently won a gift certificate from a soccer fundraiser (football for my UK friends) to a restaurant in S.Surrey called Uli's    http://ulisrestaurant.com/    and almost everything on their menu can be made gluten free or vegan!!! The burgers are to DIE for and the little frites (teeny fries) are STILL on my mind.   The waiter bonded us with the food and the restaurant and it was classy and casual at the same time.  We even met the chef !  Amazing food and they are even going to sell us some of their gluten free buns (YUM!)  

You would think a CHILDREN'S hospital would know better..

My daughter who has Celiac disease (our eight year old who has Down syndrome) ALSO has a heart condition.  She has already had two open heart surgeries, one at three months and one at 6 years.  This Monday I got a call about the results of a portable heart monitor she had worn and apparently her heart rate is about 45 on average..it should be 90...The rate goes down to 30 at night and her heart even STOPPED BEATING for 2.9 seconds at the time of the test when she was asleep...SCARY stuff!  The doctor asked us to bring her in for surgery for  an immediate pacemaker implant...just two days later on the Thursday.  My hubby just started a new job and I run a small Montessori daycare from our home so you can imagine the stress.
I was not sure what to expect diet-wise so I packed food for both of us that was gluten free as well as our own dishes and cutlery and hand soap.  The surgeons were not sure if there would be any medicals items that contained gluten and went to look...I am sure the freezing cream had gluten as she reacted to it with a big rash...the surgery went well and when we returned to the room I looked up the soaps and sanitizers that the medical and cleaning staff would be using and asked the nurses to avoid lotions and possibly wear gloves around our daughter.  Luckily the Johnson's baby shampoo and Laura line soaps and microsan hand sanitizers were gluten free :)  (I Googled them )  They already had Dawn liquid dish soap in the kitchen so all was good...UNTIL breakfast came the next morning...She was given a LACTOSE FREE breakfast of oatmeal, toast and lactose free milk product...I returned it and she was given eggs and milk and rice crackers..I had little faith about cross contamination so she ate gorilla munch cereal, applesauce and yoghurt from home :)  I find that life always sends my family little surprises and setbacks...food related and otherwise so we just plan ahead and be proactive so we have a backup plan and sometimes I just have to let it go and trust that if she is exposed a little bit at least I tried the best I could...my sister told me to relax a bit and not be so crazy about this Celiac thing...as she called it... I said NO...I would NOT compromise my daughter's health ..and asked her to think about it this way...I said that I wondered if her child had a life threatening peanut allergy..if they would let one speck of peanut related products in the house..or any pan/appliance that came into contact with peanut butter around their child's food...would they ask kids/adults to wash their hands upon entering and be sure to check restaurants and labels more carefully ???  Then I also compared Celiac to diabetes...I asked if they would they give their diabetic child one speck of sugar if they could avoid it ???  That quieted her comments instantly..But honestly..who cares what anyone thinks about our diet choices...this is our life decision and it is what works for US!  We, as a family of 7,  have committed to this gluten free home to make a safe "home-base" for our daughter.  Family and visitors  will need to follow our restrictions in our home and do as they please in theirs.   We can bring her gluten free food when we visit or go to parties etc.   I CAN'T  and WON'T try to change others..I can only educate and just set boundaries and follow what we have decided as a family <3

Daddy's special Spaghetti sauce

Ingredients:
1 to 1.5lbs/ .5 to .75 kg of ground beef, chicken or sausage
(for vegetarian substitute 1 c. grated zucchini or 2c. fresh spinach)
1 c. chopped bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 stalks of celery
1 can of mushrooms (sliced pieces drain off water and discard)
1 large jar Prego spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or one tsp. of pre-chopped garlic from a jar


Brown 1.5 pounds of ground beef or ground chicken or sausage meat (breakfast sausage squeezed out of the casing is our fave) in a large pot or electric frying pan set at medium heat.
Chop: onions, bell peppers, celery into bite sized chunks and add along with garlic to browned meat and continue frying for 5 to ten minutes. Cover the pot/pan and stir regularly
Add 1 jar or Prego spaghetti sauce with mushrooms and also the can of mushrooms with the water drained off.
Replace lid and cook at med/low heat until veggies are soft, stirring occasionally.

Serve over brown rice or corn spaghetti cooked as per package directions and RINSED WITH COLD WATER.
Use this sauce in our Gluten free lasagne recipe :)

Gluten free YUMMY meat lasagne

Home-style meat lasagne (for vegetarian option  substitute grated zucchini or cooked spinach or both for ground beef.  ALSO good with sausage meat or ground chicken)

Ingredients:
Alternating layers of:
Daddy's special spaghetti sauce (see blog for recipe)
Brown rice lasagne noodles cooked as per package and RINSED with COLD water.
Cottage cheese mixture (cottage cheese mixed with one egg and 2T fresh or 1T dried parsley)
Grated mozzarella cheese

In a 9x13 pan spread two layers of lasagne noodles placed with no spaces in between the noodles.
Spread sauce over the noodle layer (about 2inches/5cm worth).
Add another layer of noodles.  Spread the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles.  Add another layer of noodles and top with another layer of sauce. Cover with a GENEROUS amount of grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a 350  F / 176 C   oven for 30 to 35 mins.  Let stand for 35 mins.
ENJOY!!!  YUM!!

Daddy's fajitas or tacos seasoning mix

My hubby had a turn to cook gluten free and decided to make fajitas...with chicken...a family favourite...the dilemma ???  Which taco seasoning mixes had  gluten in them ???   We knew the brown rice wraps  were amazing...WAY better than whole wheat  and they thawed on the counter in less than 10 minutes...we knew the chicken was safe..thighs were the most juicy...remove the skin and chop off the meat...red peppers and onions were good too...this is now our family's FAVOURITE seasoning (works for tacos too) and  is made by combining these ingredients..

Daddy's fajitas seasoning  mix:
3 T. all purpose Gluten Free Flour
2 T. chili powder
1 T. salt
1 T. paprika
1 T. sugar
1/2  tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed/whole red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cumin
mix all ingredients together and save in a resealable bag or container.
makes three servings of fajitas or tacos


To use:
Add 4T of mix (equivalent to the amount that would be in a store bought packet) and a cup of water to browned meat and cook at a simmer until it thickens :)
If stored in a cool dry place, mix will last for about 1 year