Welcome to My Blog

Time to get serious!

1. I need to lose the last 30 pounds to get to my goal weight.

2. I need to grow as an Independent Close To My Heart Consultant.

3. I need to start writing - prolifically

You are cordially invited to join me as I share my successes and obstacles, my thoughts and feelings, and my love of card making, scrapbooking and other crafty things.

I welcome your opinions, advice and inspiration.

Come ON! Let's GO!!


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Nutrition Challenge to Myself

So last night, after my pity party of having to be gluten, egg and dairy free, I got to thinking. How can I make this nutrition way of life more enjoyable? Food sensitivities has become an integral part of my life. Since finding out that I am sensitive/allergic to gluten, eggs, dairy, yeast, malt, bananas, carrots, asparagus, etc. and eliminating them from my diet, for the most part, I feel so much better. I do not have the digestive issues or asthma problems that I used to have .However,  I do have moments when I kind of stray from not having any food sensitivities and the same old problems flare up again. I have also found out that spiking my carbs and increasing my sugar intake can cause some major depression.

Who knew nutrition was so vital to our wellbeing? It affects everything...health - physically and mentally, performance, endurance, etc

So last night, after being less than perfect with my nutrition this weekend and feeling "blah" again...I got to thinking, how can I make this gluten free, egg free, dairy free way of life more enjoyable and bring back my happy self? Then I remembered this cookbook I had bought by Tammy Credicott called The Healthy Gluten-Free Life Cookbook ( 200 Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free and Soy Free recipes). The Cookbook I am Using She wrote the book because her husband had Celiac Disease. I decided that like Julia, in the movie From Julia to Julia - where she cooked all the recipes in Julia Childs cookbook - I would cook most of the recipes from this cookbook. (Some of them I can't yet...like Honey Glazed Carrots or Banana Bread - at least till I get to my goal weight - 30 more pounds - whoohoo!)

So I browsed through the book and chose a few recipes that I will make this week.
Blueberry Teff Scones
Mini Meatloaves
Holy Cow Short Ribs
and Balsamic Vingarette

Made a shopping list this afternoon and took myself off to King Soopers to find ingredients. What I couldn't find there I wound up getting at Whole Foods.
Came home and made the Blueberry Scones.  And did they ever turn out Deeeeeelicious!!!!

I love when I make a gluten free, egg free and dairy free recipe and it doesn't turn out taste free!
I am also really glad I had already invested in various types of gluten free flours. (I really recommend investing in gluten free flours if you are interested in gluten free baking and don't forget xanthan gum)  The only one I had to go buy was Teff flour - which is more of a grain - and loaded with protein.

The recipe made 12 scones. Me, JD and Kim tested one so I had 11 left - which I stuck in the freezer. In the morning, I will pop one out, put it in the microwave, add a dollop of my vanilla goats milk yogurt and cook two pieces of uncured bacon for my breakfast. Can't wait.

Anyways, for those of you who requested the recipe...here it is.

Teff Scones

Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Teff Flour
1 cup Sorghum Flour
1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanathan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients
1 c coconut oil melted
3/4 c organic evaporated cane juice or 1/2 c honey or pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c coconut milk or other nondairy milk of choice (I used almond milk)

Add in
2 c frozen fruit of choice (I used blueberries)

1. Whisk together dry ingredients
2. In a stand mixer, (I used my Kitchen Aid), mix oil and sugar together, add the vanilla
3. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the coconut milk to the sugar/oil mixture until off the dry ingredients and milk have been used. Mix well. The dough will be very thick, but should be moist and hold together. If the dough is crumbly, add 1-2 Tbsp warm water and mix briefly.
4. Add 2 c frozen fruit of choice and mix briefly to incorporate. Don't mix too long or the fruit will break apart and your mixer will whine because the dough is so thick! You can also knead the fruit into the dough by hand.
5. Scoop dough into approximately 2 1/2 inch balls, or about the size of a baseball... and place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
6. Press down on dough balls firmly with palm of hand to flatten slightly, making approximately 3 1/2 - 4 inch discs. Press more frozen fruit into tops of scones if you see bare spots that need more yumminess. Lightly sprinkly organic evaporated cane juice over tops of dough discs.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. When they are done, the edges should be ever so slightly browned and the center firm but giving to the touch.

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