Model City

I saw this cool Lego city at the model train show we went to this weekend. The skyscrapers mimic the ones in the downtown area. Unfortunately the lighting at the show was horrible, so no amount of adjusting my camera's setting would help the look of some of my pics. This is one of the best of the bunch. And as you can see our computer issues have been resolved so that I can upload photos to the blog. Now, back to the cooking!

Early Rising

My son woke me up at 5:00 this morning. Barely conscious, I dragged myself to his room to make sure he was fine. My husband, who by then was out of bed himself, said "Oh, he's fine. But he woke me at 4:30 to tell me he was hungry." I soon realized that we were not going back to bed anytime soon. Pretty disappointing, considering that I look forward to sleeping in until 7:00 on Saturdays and Sundays instead of my usual 6 a.m. wakeup. Yeah, I really do get up that early.

So I decided to make the best of things; take advantage of my early start time and work on some breakfast. Zoe was awake by then too and watched me as I made gluten-free, casein-free waffles. I got the recipe from Cooking Free, which is rapidly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks. Yesterday I picked up a waffle maker at Target and today I got the chance to use it. The waffles came out just right; light and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. It was heaven on a plate.

Flamenco Dad and I got into a discussion about good toppings and preparations for the waffles. Of course, pure maple syrup is the topping of choice, but there are other options too. I thought maybe next time I'd try a warm strawberry topping, especially since it's strawberry season here. Also, there's a diner in the area that serves a bacon-pecan waffle that my husband wants me to try and replicate. But my favorite (which my husband thinks is absolutely insane) has got to be fried chicken, a shot of hot sauce, and a then splash of maple syrup. I think it's funny that my Southern-raised hubby has never had fried chicken and waffles. I know that it's an odd choice for breakfast; but when I tried this for the first time I was hooked.

Sorry there is no picture of my delicious waffles. We're still having computer issues. And also? We inhaled them so quickly I didn't even stop to think about getting the tripod and camera ready so early.

Technology is a Fickle Friend, Part Deux

You may recall that back in the fall I was having issues with getting my photos to upload onto Blogger. Once I updated to beta those issues were worked out. Now we are having other tech problems here at the hacienda, this time due to a power surge. Our computers (mine and the hubby's), which are currently networked to one another, are not speaking to each other. Flamenco Dad's computer does not have internet capability either--due to said surge--which sucks because his computer is the one where our photos are stored. That means that until we get that network thingy going again I can't post pics on this site. Bugger! Unless I can sweet talk my husband into getting me a thumb drive. Hmm, maybe I'm onto something...

Now that I've got a headache from all that computer talk, I can talk about my husband's cool gig this week. He was asked to play with the Florida Orchestra this week for two performances of music from the score of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This is great for two reasons: one, we LOVED those movies; and two, having an opportunity to play with the orchestra is a great experience. He's gotten to work with some great conductors when playing with this orchestra, and this time was no exception. Unfortunately I didn't get to see these performances due to a lack of a babysitter--people would tend to frown on the idea of me leaving my kids home with a block of soy cheese, rice crackers, and some Welch's grape juice. So I stayed home and watched Survivor and American Idol (thank you DVR) after I put the kids to bed. I baked a loaf of gfcf bread for Miss Z and thought about Frodo, Gandolf and company--guess which movies I'll be watching this weekend?

Please Pass the Tums

This weekend we visited the phenomenon which is the State Fair. Ever been to one? The carnival rides, the games, the cotton candy, the fried EVERYTHING? Sweet Jesus, it had been years since I'd been to a state fair, and I forgot how much artery-clogging naughtiness there is to be found there.

We actually went to the fair for a show: Zoe's performing arts school was doing a show at the fair. Yep, that's right: my baby performed on a real stage in front of lots of people. Her group was really adorable. They performed a number to "The Hard Knock Life" from Annie, complete with buckets, mops, brooms, and cute little orphan attire. We were a very proud flamenco family. Zoe is a natural-born performer!

After the performance and after helping the studio people wrap stuff up there, we were starving. Fair food is a tricky thing, but I managed to find a few things that Zoe was able to eat: shish-ka-bob and kettle corn. As for me, I went for the holy trifecta of fair food. I had my first corndog in about 10 years, a funnel cake (I truly cannot recall when I last had one), and a GIANT lemonade. My mother-in-law then bought a bag of fried pork rinds, the remnants of which are sitting in a sack on my kitchen counter.

Now all that wickedness did wreak havoc on my non-gluten-sensitive self, in case you were wondering. I remembered why I went 10 years without a corndog--the indigestion is brutal! But we successfully navigated a trip to the fair without Zoe getting sick on gluten or casein, which we are all quite happy about. And I got to see my kid kick butt on stage. Sweet!!

Anniversary

Two years ago my fabulous mom married a great guy in a beautiful, Valentine wedding. Naturally, I couldn't post this lovely picture in the same post as my pancakes--after all, my mother deserves way more than to share top billing with pancakes! So, Happy Anniversary to my mom and her husband. I hope you are blessed with many more years of love and adventure!

My Yummy Valentine

Today I was jonesin' for some pancakes. Actually I've been wanting pancakes for breakfast for several days now. While at the health food store this weekend I picked up some buckwheat flour; I was inspired by a post I remembered reading a while back on Free to Eat. I contacted Lynn for some advice on making these, consulted with my copy of the Joy of Cooking, and made a few modifications. And today I was rewarded with some scrumptous gfcf buckwheat pancakes. Zoe is not home from school yet to try them, but Ayden has already eaten two of them. Considering that he's 3, I thought he'd hate them: after all, how many three-year-olds out there like buckwheat? But he really enjoyed them, and told me that I was "a good cooker."

Gluten Free/Casein Free Buckwheat Pancakes

1 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup rice flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar

1-1/2 cup almond milk

3 Tbs. canola oil

3 Tbs. molasses

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until combined--do not overmix. Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto preheated and greased griddle. Serve hot with maple syrup.

On The Mend

I am on the mend, after two months of dealing with what seemed like a never ending respiratory illness. It appears that a change made in medication triggered an allergic reaction that basically wreaked havoc on my lungs. Now that I am off the medication, my breathing has improved, and I'll be back to yelling at my kids in no time. As I told Lynn over at Free to Eat, my kids have been getting away with murder around here! LOL!

My stepfather is also improving, thank goodness. He actually spent close to two weeks in the hospital. The infection he contracted is a strain of staph infection, MRSA. It is what the medical community calls a "superbug" because it is resistant to many of the more commonly used antibiotics. Poor O now has to wear this apparatus--at least for the next two weeks or so--that supplies a steady stream of antibiotics to the affected area and keeps it closed to avoid a new infection. My stepfather actually has a hole in his side where this infection once lived. I cannot stress to people out there enough; if you have a wound that appears swollen or blister-like please get it checked out. This MRSA can eat away at flesh and rapidly travels throughout the body. It is also easily transmittable through casual contact; in fact, this illness is very commonly spread in hospitals. A hospital in Central Florida had about 40 people come down with it in the same hospital--only 6 people came in with the illness. Now that I've sufficiently scared everyone, I will say that my stepfather is getting better and stronger every day. He says he'll be back at the horse farm soon--he misses his babies.

My uncle also came home from the hospital, and he is feeling well. He has been placed on dialysis while doctors try to find a kidney for him. Members of the family who are physically able to be organ donors are being tested; and the hope is that someone will be able to either donate one to my uncle or give one to the organ bank. In the meantime, my uncle is resting at home and enjoying time with his grandsons while he waits for good news.

Use Your Noodle

Tonight my husband is working late, which means dinner for 4 at Casa de Flamenco. My hubby is a self-proclaimed carnivore; if a dish doesn't have copious amounts of meat in it, generally speaking he ain't interested. Since he wasn't going to be home this evening it was a good time to make this dish.

I had just a wee bit of leftover roast chicken from last night's meal, which I diced up. I soaked some rice noodles that I bought at the Asian market, and tossed that with the chicken, some stir fried onions, red and green peppers, garlic, celery, carrots, scallions, thai basil, and cilantro. I added to that some organic wheat-free tamari and thai sweet noodle sauce that I also picked up at the Asian market. I know it's a long list of ingredients, but the end result was tasty and lovely to look at (see photo). My children are more adept at using chopsticks than I am, so they went to town on this--and fast. I took a bit longer to eat my dinner but I enjoyed every bite of it.

Fluff Piece

After several days of being under the weather, it appears I have finally gotten my groove back and am in the kitchen again. I made these meringues because as much as I love them, I was not willing to pay five dollars a box for the ones I get at the natural foods store. I had all the ingredients on hand at home anyway, so I figured I should give them a try.

The only negative with making the meringues is that there is no such thing as instant gratification with them. You actually have to leave meringues in the oven overnight to finish crisping before you can eat them. Talk about an exercise in self restraint! These were wonderfully light, and the cocoa powder was a nice addition. I'll try the plain variety of these on my next go-around. This recipe comes from one of my favorite books, Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa Lewis.

I took a cup of egg whites (I buy Liquid Eggs) and a pinch of salt and beat in a bowl until foamy, then added 1/4 cup unsweetended cocoa powder. Then I added 1/8 tsp. of cream of tartar, beating until peaks began to form. I then added a cup of sugar, gradually, until stiff peaks formed. I don't own a pastry bag or decorating tips (yet), so I put the mixture in a large Ziplock bag, cut a tiny hole in one corner, and piped them onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I baked them at 250 for about 45 minutes, then turned off the oven and let them sit there overnight.

By the way, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BAKE THESE ON A RAINY OR HUMID DAY. They will turn all gummy and gross, definitely not good eats (Thank you Alton Brown). Remove from oven, keep in an airtight container--they'll last in there several days--and resist the urge to eat them all at one sitting.

Spicy Pineapple Chicken

I was browsing the Food Network site, looking for a different way to roast some chicken for dinner last night. Now it's no secret that I love pineapple--and tropical flavors in general--so when I found this recipe by the Two Hot Tamales, I knew I had found a perfect match.

I did not grill or broil the chicken, as the recipe recommends. I roasted the chicken pieces in a shallow pan at 450 degrees. I added some chopped red pepper and onion to the pan for some added color and flavors. In addition, I added some pineapple chunks to the roasting pan--a very tasty addition. It was delicious; served with a green salad, and it was a light, summery meal--not your typical winter fare.

Spicy Pineapple Marinade for Chicken
recipe from M.S. Milliken and S. Feniger

1/2 medium ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
8 chicken breast halves (with skin and bones)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons honey

Puree pineapple, jalapenos and garlic in blender until almost smooth. Add pineapple juice, lime juice, cilantro and lime peel and process until blended. Pour marinade into large glass baking dish. Add chicken, turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.

Prepare barbecue or preheat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 cup marinade into small bowl. Whisk in honey. Brush mixture over chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until cooked through, turning frequently.

Down

I've missed posting on this blog for several days (eight days to be exact), and I'm down about it. There are several reasons, some big, some not-so-big. I promised a mac and cheese post, and I will deliver--just not today.

I got sick again (big shocker), which means I've been ill with respiratory stuff off and on since before Christmas. As a result, I'm in a funk. I really don't like being sick--who does?--and so I go into what we refer to here as "hermit mode." It's bad enough that I tend to get kind of depressed during the winter months, but when I feed like garbage it just exacerbates the problem.

What's got me even more stressed is that both my uncle and my stepfather are in the hospital, and since I don't live close to either of them I get very confusing information from third parties (mainly my mom and my cousin), and it's all hard to digest. My uncle has had diabetes his entire life, and after a heart attack he suffered last week, it was discovered that his kidney function is down to 10%. Therefore, he needs a new kidney--stat. Relatives are lining up to see if any can be a donor (either for my uncle or the donor bank). So far we've not been successful but are continuing to try. In the meantime, once he is well enough to go home after his heart procedure--the doctors put in a stint--he'll be on dialysis until a match is found.

My stepfather was put in the hospital yesterday because of a wound on his hip that has now become infected and has begun to spread. He is diabetic as well; and as many diabetics, his body sometimes does not heal properly after injury. He's on some monster antibiotics right now, and the doctors are evaluating him to see what needs to be done to stop the infection from spreading. My mother is not certain what type of infection it is, but apparently is began to move quickly (first it was his hip, but it now seems to be traveling up to his arm).

Meanwhile, all of us at Casa de Flamenco wait to hear some good news. I'm hoping to hear some soon. I'm praying I hear some soon.

Mac and Cheese Help

Macaroni and cheese was one of the things that Zoe loved during her pre-GFCF days. And as much as I'd like to think that I've come up with substitutes for all her favorite things, this is one area where I've come up woefully short. I've tried to recreate mac and cheese three or four different times, and they've all been major "flopolas" (thanks to Lynn for that word--it very adquately describes my mac and cheese results). I've even tried a few boxes of mock mac and cheese; in a word, they stunk.

I've found some new motivation for trying to recreate this again. Alicat over at Something So Clever posted a fantastic recipe for a mac and cheese (not gfcf), which I made for lunch for Flamenco Dad, Ayden and me. Zoe was at school; I didn't want to make it while she was here and have to tell her she couldn't eat it. Anyway, Ali's dish was great--Dad says it's the best mac and cheese he's ever had--but it left me wanting to try this GFCF mac and cheese thing again. So I'm going to do some more research on this and see what I come up with this time. I'm also calling on all my gfcf buddies out there for advice. If you've made it work, please let me know; I want to give it another shot.

By the way, here's the link to Ali's site
http://somethingsoclever.blogspot.com

The Out-of-Towners

As I mentioned in my Saturday posting, last week was hectic. The week started with Flamenco Dad going out of town for a concert, which meant Mom was on duty 24/7. Then we got to spend lots of time with several out-of-town guests, which was great fun. The concert Dad went to was to see Pepe Romero, who is one of the greatest guitarists of our time. He is the gentleman chatting on the phone in the first photo (I'll get to that in a minute). My husband has been fortunate to study with Pepe in master classes in the past; and we've had the pleasure of getting time to socialize with him whenever he's come into town. When my husband returned home, we went out for dinner and drinks with Pepe and some of our other friends that are part of the "guitar circle" in this area.

Pepe came back to our city to perform a benefit concert with The Romeros, which is a guitar quartet comprised of Pepe, his brother Celin, and his nephews Celino and Angelito. Celin and Angelito are the other two men in the top photo (Celino was a bit camera shy that evening). The concert was excellent--no surprise there--and afterwards we retreated to the home of some friends for a late evening of partying. As is true to form with musicians, they like to have fun. We stayed up till about three hangin' with the Romeros and friends.

The next day, my college roommate came over for dinner. She was in town for a conference (she lives in Virginia), and she stopped by for some home-cooked food after the last day of her event. Eunice and I hadn't seen each other in years. In fact, the last time we saw each other, Zoe was just a baby! We've kept in touch on a pretty regular basis over the years, but it was great having her here in person. I made her some Puerto Rican food, which she hadn't had since the last time I had her over. We talked for hours; she played with the kids; we gave her a brief flamenco demonstration. It was just like old times. We're planning a girls' getaway weekend with another friend of ours from UM; I'm so excited! I'm going to have to rest up--all this staying up late has worn me out!

Sunset

After an insanely busy week, we decided to hit the beach this afternoon. This photo was taken today; a beautiful sunset view of the Gulf of Mexico. Breathtaking, to be sure. The fresh air definitely helps to replenish a tired body.

Once the sun finally set, we hit a phenomenal Thai restaurant we know and we indulged in some delicious treats. The restaurant also has a great sushi chef. Zoe had sushi for the first time today, and she absolutely loved it. We feasted on spring rolls, curried fried rice, Thai beef with basil leaves, and some plum wine (well, the adults had the plum wine). The kids, exhausted from the activity and the long drive home, promptly went to bed. The adults will stay up late for tea, dessert, and maybe Saturday Night Live--if we don't pass out first.

Under Pressure

Someone was kind enough to give me a gift card for Bed Bath & Beyond for Christmas. Browsing through all the goodies they have to offer at that store is like porn for me. I bought a pressure cooker, which doesn't seem very exciting to some. But, the prospect of cooking at high pressure (which equals high speed) is very attractive to a young mom with two kids running about. According to the manual, the pressure cooker can reduce cooking time by up to 70%; today I put it to the test.

I bought a chuck roast yesterday at Publix, which is the meat I cooked today. Now, making beef stew is kind of a crapshoot here at my house; sometimes it's very tender, sometimes not so much. Today I browned the meat in a bit of vegetable oil with some salt and pepper. Then I added a bit of garlic and oregano, my favorite aromatics (carrot, celery, and onion) and a potato. I topped that with a bit of tomato sauce, clamped on the lid, and let her rip.

It was the most tender stew I have ever made. Now, it wasn't without it's issues; namely, it needed more seasoning. I did add some more salt and pepper to it after the stew was done, and it turned out just fine. I was concerned about adding too much seasoning up front because pressure cooking--according to the manual--does tend to intensify flavors. Other than that, the experiment was a great success: full, happy bellies confirm it.

Bed's Too Big Without You

Pardon my shameless use of a line from a Police song. Flamenco Dad is out of town--to see a guitar concert--and won't be back until tomorrow. To hear my friends tell it, I'm one of those rare birds who actually enjoys spending lots of time with her spouse. I'm not sure I believe them when they say they're actually happy when their husbands go away. It seems like they find it more fashionable to say it. But I'm not too proud to say that I miss my husband when he goes away (thankfully he plays locally more often than he goes on tours). I hope he enjoys himself on his trip; but I'll be thrilled to be the first to say "welcome home."

Presenting a Different Point of View

I stumbled upon an interesting essay while surfing for sites about autism. It was written by a man named Frank Klein; he is a high-functioning autistic man in his mid-30s. Klein's argument is that finding a cure for autism would eliminate what makes him him. Klein says that he is on board with finding cures for the painful aspects of autism; but that since being autistic is so closely tied into a person's identity, that curing the disorder is equal to destroying the person. Certainly a different perspective on curing the disorder. Anyway, I found it fascinating; I read some of his other essays and found them all to be interesting reads. Here is the link:
http://home.att.net/~ascaris1/dontcure.html.

Pineapple-Upside Down Yummy Goodness

So here it is: the bit of culinary yumminess that has my family smiling (See photo). I've made this twice so far: once for Christmas and once yesterday. It is a truly delicious treat, particularly for someone like me who absolutely adores tropical fruits. If a food has pineapple, coconut, or both in it, it's a pretty safe bet that I'm going to love it. And love it I do.

Please note that the recipe uses soy milk, but you can use either buttermilk(if you do dairy) or the nondairy milk of your choice (rice milk might be nice here).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 can (14.5 oz) pineapple rings in juice, drained

7-8 maraschino cherries

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups GF Flour Blend

1 tsp. xantham gum

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vinegar and enough soy milk to equal 3/4 cup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 10-inch pie plate or skillet and sprinkle with brown sugar evenly over bottom of pan. Place pineapple slices and cherries in pan. With electric mixer on medium, combine oil and sugar. Set mixer to low, then add in eggs and lemon zest .

In medium bowl combine flour, xantham gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine milk and vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk mixture to the egg mixture, alternating wet and dry ingredients. Pour batter into skillet and bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto serving plate.

Lemon Chicken

Last night I made a delicious lemon-rosemary chicken dish that was a big hit with my kids. Those of you who have children can attest to the fact that it's often impossible to please them at dinnertime. Anyway, I paired it with some rice and steamed vegetables. After all the holiday gluttony, it felt good to eat something healthy.

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. cornstarch
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes(optional)
parsley (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt, + more to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper

Filet the chicken breasts and season them with salt and pepper. Grate the zest of one lemon, then juice both lemons. Heat olive oil in a pan; then brown chicken in pan, about 3 minutes per side. Take chicken out of pan, and discard all but 2 Tbs. olive oil. Combine the cornstarch with the chicken broth. Add the garlic to the pan, followed by the rosemary. Once garlic starts to turn golden add the broth/cornstarch mixture, lemon zest and lemon juice. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and allow to simmer until chicken is cooked through thoroughly and sauce has thickened. Add more salt if needed. Garnish with red pepper flakes and parsley.

Holiday Recap, Part Three: Three Kings Day

Seems like an odd photo to post on this blog, I know. But it so accurately captures the raucous nature of our Christmas gathering with my inlaws that I had to post it here. This is my niece, Lisa, dodging a flying Christmas bow--thrown by my husband. That bow landed smack in between the eyes of my husband's aunt (gasp!), who at sixty-four has slower reflexes than the thirteen-year-old in the photo. Man, I'm so glad I put my camera on the tripod that day; otherwise, this picture never would have come out right.

We didn't get together on Christmas because some family members were out of town, and others had already made plans with their respective in-laws. So we decided to get together on Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, since it marks the end of the Christmas season for us.

If you haven't guessed it already, my husband's family knows how to get wild at a party. I can only imagine if alcohol had been served; oh, the madness that would have followed! My husband's peeps are relatively laid-back, easy going types. Believe me, though, once the hubby and his brothers get together, their almost kid-like joie de vivre kicks in, and everybody has a blast.

We served a wide array of different Puerto Rican treats, including my mother-in-law's pasteles. They are similar to tamales, but they have a masa made of green plantains, green bananas, and other root vegetables. They have a delicious pork filling. My mother-in-law also made beef tongue, rice, and stuffed chicken breasts. I made some desserts--some gfcf, some not. Everybody left here full(to say the least) and happy. And at long last, I get to put my Christmas decorations away.

Ready for '007

I'll come right out and say it: I don't like resolutions. Every year I make 'em, and every year I break 'em. It usually takes all of two weeks for that to happen. And I keep making the same ones, which is hilarious; no wonder I keep getting that feeling of deja vu around this time of year. So, no more unrealistic goals for the New Year. I resolve to do the following, more realistic sounding things:

1. To practice living every day with an open heart and a patient mind (read: try not to strangle my kids when they accidentally flush a foreign object down the toilet--again).

2. To take better care of myself: body, mind, and spirit (no more of that lose 50 lbs. by my birthday-no matter what--crap).

3. To remember to tell my husband how much I appreciate his love and friendship every day.

4. To make that GFCF Pineapple Upside-Down Cake I made this Christmas more often. Okay, ALOT more often.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year.

Holiday Recap, Part Two: Home on the Range

A few days after Christmas, Flamenco Dad and I loaded up the kids and gear and took the L-O-O-N-G trip to see my family. My kids love visiting the family. Since they're the only grandchildren on my side of the family, that means they get spoiled. Alot. And since my family doesn't get to see the kids all that often, they get to ooh and aah over how big they've gotten while the hubby and I get a chance to sit around and breathe for a bit.

One of the fun things we got to do while visiting was to take the kids to see the horses my mom and stepfather just bought. They bought three horses, two males and one female, back in October. The horses are in the process of being broken (gosh I hate that term), so the kiddies can't ride them yet. But they did get to pet them, watch them get their exercise and get their baths, and roam around the farm and stables. The photo is of Zoe and Pretty, the female horse. Zoe got to spend a great deal of time with Pretty; and even though it looks like a sad photo, Zoe was really happy to be in the company of the horse. It seemed like she stared into Pretty's eyes for hours.

While the trip to visit my mother seems long, the good news is that it's about to get shorter. She's building a house about 120 miles closer to me, which shortens our drive to see her, her hubby, and my grandma. Hooray! It's nearly done; she and her husband are closing at the end of the month. My brother, who lives about five minutes from my mom's current home, will still be further away; but we can meet up at mom's, which is not a bad thing. We took a picture of Ayden in front of the new house. He was more interested in playing in the dirt than checking out the house. Hey, the kid's got his priorities, you know!

Holiday Recap: Part One

My holiday recap is quite late in getting here. And there is much to tell; so much so that I'll have to give it in installments. The photo above is on Christmas morning. Zoe is pointing to the plate of gfcf cookies and chocolate soy milk that we left for Santa. Apparently, he liked what we had to offer, because he ate it all except for one tiny part of a cookie. Santa was very generous this year--the kids had a blast this Christmas!

After the gift opening concluded, we got to work on our gfcf Christmas meal. It was truly delicious! I made turkey (I admit to being a turkey junkie), gfcf stuffing, sweet potato bake, sauteed spinach and veggies, and a gfcf pineapple upside down cake. We had some relatives over, and they didn't miss the gluten or dairy at all! In fact, when we told them (and after they noticed that Zoe ate absolutely everything on the table) they were quite surprised. My husband even commented this weekend about the fact that he likes some of the gfcf alternatives over their traditional counterparts. Yippee!

Anyway, more to follow. Tomorrow I'll share part II of the holiday recap: the visit to my family, and the kids' first trip to the horse farm.

I Forgot

I realized that I forgot to share a photo of my tree. This is what it looked like when we first decorated it. Notice the large number of ornaments in the lower half of the tree. Right at kid height, no?

The Countdown is On, Baby!!!

My children are officially busting at the seams due to their excitement over Christmas. The photo is from a party held at the clinic where Zoe receives her speech and occupational therapy. The people there do a wonderful job with Zoe, and every year they throw a fantastic party to celebrate another year of helping kids get stronger. I can't thank them enough for all their hard work and support.

It's been a challenging week before Christmas here. Everyone at Casa de Flamenco is sick. The kids have strep throat, hubby had some kind of nasty funk, and I'm afraid my bronchitis decided to rear it's ugly head again. Good news: the kids and hubby are on the mend. Bad news: I'm still wheezy, and I don't mean like "the Jeffersons".

We're sticking to a low-key holiday this year, and I'm so glad we made that decision. We're going to have just a few extra dinner guests, since my sister-in-law and her hubby and two kids will be joining us. I'm sticking to my guns about making a totally gfcf dinner; though I did give my sister-in-law the green light to bring a dessert of her choosing. I'm serving a turkey, gfcf stuffing (thanks to Gluten Free Girl for the recipe), sauteed spinach with peppers, sweet potato casserole, salad, and a gfcf pineapple upside down cake for dessert (recipe courtesy of Cooking Free). I'm thinking of making some type of holiday cocktail, like a cider or coquito(a traditional coconut and rum drink made for the holidays).

While our family has been recovering from being sick, we've spent a lot of time watching Christmas specials and Veggietales DVDs. It's been fun; I barely notice my dying Christmas tree anymore. I've got a few last minute people to shop for, and then I will be all set.

Joy to the World

According to the start bar on my computer, today is December 15th. My tree already appears to be dying. Yes, I've been watering it daily. No, I don't have it near a heater. WTF?? I'm probably overreacting (I'm been known to do that; shocking, I know), but I actually have reservations about turning on the lights for fear we're going to have a fire without a fireplace.

I'm having visions of us with a tree reminiscent of the one in "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Anybody have tips for trying to keep my tree alive until the 25th?

Versatile and Delicioso

Growing up in Puerto Rican home, I never had the pleasure of eating food prepared with this Harina PAN. This is a pre-cooked white corn flour which is used throughout Latin America in preparing a variety of dishes. The dishes have different names, but they are remarkably similar in their preparation and in their accompaniments. This flour, combined with some warm water and salt, comes together to form a masa. It's the same as how fresh tortillas are made. The masa is then shaped into round patties, and fried in a pan or griddle.

The yummy part comes when you slice these things open (like pitas), and fill them with all kinds of good stuff. In Venezuela, the patties are called arepas. Many people fill them with scrambled eggs and/or cheese. Believe me, it beats an Egg McMuffin by a mile. In fact, the arepa filled with egg and cheese was my first intro to this wonderful treat.

While I was a student at the University of Miami, I made friends with a lovely girl named Gabriela, who was born in Costa Rica but was raised in Venezuela. Gabi and I eventually became roommates, and one day she made this for breakfast. I made her swear that day that she would make this for me at least twice a week. Of course, she had to teach me how to make the dish as well. She did, but she found it funny that I had to be taught to put together corn flour, water, and salt.

In El Salvador, the dish is called pupusas. The patties are served as an accompaniment to a meat dish, usually either a stewed beef or pork, served with a delicious slaw. Now, I've been meaning to head over to this Salvadorean restaurant not far from me--and you'd better believe this is what I'll be eating. From what I've heard, Los Angeles has a tremendous array of Salvadorean restaurants to try; so if you're in that area, check it out.

I've been trying to figure out what a good American equivalent would be to arepas, to give people something to compare it to. I guess if you've ever had hoe cakes that's getting pretty close. Think of a delicious corn fritter, then slice it open and fill it with one of your favorite things. That's about as close as I've been able to get to an American version.

Tomorrow morning it's going to be arepas with scrambled eggs at Casa de Flamenco. My kids have renamed these crabby patties (a la Spongebob Squarepants). Hey, whatever gets them to eat their breakfast, right?

Rocket Man

We just got back from watching one of the coolest things I have ever seen: the space shuttle launch. We drove our SUV to an overpass on I-4 and rolled down the windows, and watched the eastern sky turn a vibrant shade of tangerine. We saw a bright orange ball ascend at breakneck speed, gradually turning into a streak of orange light. After travelling a few more seconds, the light turned blue, then white, as the shuttle joined the billions of twinkling lights in the sky.

To say that we were excited about what we saw would be the understatement of all time. My kids were cheering and just absolutely giddy with enthusiasm. My husband had seen a launch before, but for the kids and me, it was the first time. I've still got a huge perma-grin on my face; my kids are beyond thrilled. Zoe is on the other computer as I write this, looking at the NASA site, learning about the astronauts and the mission. Ayden wants his own rocket ship. I wonder if they sell one at Target?

*The photo above comes from the NASA website. Believe me, I'm not that good a photographer.

Clearly Marked for Your Convenience

My friend Azure called to tell me about a neat website called Jeeto (www.jeeto.com). They make all sorts of cute tees and patches and things for kids. What attracted me to this site is that they have a collection called the "allergy collection," which features t-shirts, patches, and stickers that will alert people of a food allergy. They've got gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut allergic even. For parents of kids, especially kids that cannot communicate to others what their allergies are, this could certainly be very beneficial. I can't even count how many times the day care gave Zoe cookies and milk, even though I provided them a list of acceptable and unacceptable food items.

I decided to send them an e-mail today to see if they would consider making a product that lists gluten-free/casein free (hey, kill two birds with one stone). Besides, since putting "dairy free" doesn't mean the same as casein free many times, I figured there'd be no harm in asking the folks at Jeeto. I'm curious to hear what Jeeto thinks about my proposal. Hopefully I'll hear from them soon--and I'll be sure to update on this site to let everyone know what they had to say.

And Because I've Got All the Gifts I Need

We took this photo on our trip to North Carolina in October. This particular photo was taken on our hike through Linville Falls. Surrounded by all the beauty around us, we had a perfect day together, enjoying each other's company and taking in all the scenery. I love this photo. I look at it, and am reminded that I have everything I'll ever need.

Because They're Just Too Adorable

My boys don't get much face time on this blog. And since I've been experimenting with getting photos to work on this thing, I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to show off my two favorite guys.

And We're Off!

I apologize for my lack of photos lately--since I updated to blogger beta (and subsequently had to change my password; don't ask), Photobucket went all wonky on me and won't let me post photos on here. I'm going to try using some of the "nifty" new features beta is supposed to offer and see if I have any luck with that. Gosh, I just have had no luck with this photo stuff. Anyway, I have a beautiful Christmas tree photo to share--eventually.

So prep is underway for our Christmas celebrations (plural). We're having a quiet dinner for five (DH, me, kids, and mother-in-law) Christmas Eve/Christmas Day; we're driving to my mom's on the 28th to do the holiday with my family; and we're having all the in-laws over to celebrate on Jan 5 (MIL and I will be cooking for that one). It is my intention to make our dinners at home completely gfcf so that I don't have to make a million different dishes. I've been inspired by other gluten free and gfcf bloggers (thanks, ladies), so I have faith that I can do it.

I'm going to do my best not to stress over the holidays. My husband and I joke that my major meltown of the year always happens sometimes between the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Orange Bowl; this year I'm going to try to buck the tradition and have a serene holiday and really enjoy the season without getting wrapped up in all the hooplah.

Now that my little guy is three, he is WAY into Christmas. And my daughter is loving teaching him the ropes of the whole naughty list/nice list. I must confess that I am using Santa and threats of lumps of coal as a motivator for good behavior. Okay, so mother of the year I'm not.

Play-Doh and Gluten Sensitivity

One of the most interesting "fringe benefits" of living gfcf means that your learn about some of the hidden places where common allergens are found. It's also funny when your friends report to you when they've found gluten & casein in unusual places. My friend Stephanie has become a gfcf detective over the past year or so that we've been friends. She is very inquisitive, always asking about the diet and what Zoe's food limitations are (Steph brings her kids over to play with my kids sometimes, and she likes bringing sweets for the kids occasionally).

She called me today to ask me if I was aware that Play-Doh contains gluten. I knew about it, but gluten doesn't bother Zoe if she touches it--only if she ingests it. Ayden likes playing with Play-Doh, but since he is not gluten sensitive I don't worry about it. Whenever Zoe comes in contact with it, or other gluten-containing clays, I make sure she thoroughly washes her hands with soap and water to avoid contamination. You know how it goes: kid plays with clay, kid chews own fingernails, puts fingers in mouth, you get the idea.

I gave Stephanie some more information to think about today, which has nothing to do with gluten. Steph's daughter has a peanut allergy, and Steph mentioned that she was going to go to Chick-Fil-A with her kids. Now, I LOVE Chick-Fil-A. Their fries are gluten free (Take that McDonald's and BK), and the fried products are fried in peanut oil, which is much healthier than the partially hydrogenated oils most fast food places use. But I had to tell my buddy about the peanut oil because of her daughter's allergies--I wanted to make sure she didn't get her daughter anything fried from there because of the potential for allergic reaction. So, it's grilled chicken and a carrot & raisin salad for her daughter.

Steph and I are destined to become the Cagney and Lacey of food detectives.

Back in the Saddle Again

Now that the revelry of the Thanksgiving holiday is over, it's back to business as usual here at Casa de Flamenco. I've given myself permission to wait another week before I start to obsess over Christmas preparations; so this week is all about having fun at home with the family and not getting all wrapped up (no pun intended) in holiday stuff.

I'm planning to bake a little something to surprise my daughter with when she gets home from school. About two weeks ago, I made Zoe and Ayden some delicious peanut butter cookies; I got the recipe from one of my favorite gluten-free bloggers, Gluten Free Girl. Her link is listed on the right. The cookies had just the right balance of crispness, chewiness, and melt-in-your-mouth yummines.

Oh, and the hubby did not miss out on the cookie action, believe me. He ate several of them, accompanied by a ginormous cup of his outstanding coffee. My husband is a total coffee snob! He has beans shipped to him from the company we used to buy from in NYC; and he grinds the beans fresh every time he makes a pot. I've been officially spoiled to the point where I don't even make coffee anymore--his just tastes better.

I could use some coffee right now; too bad my husband already left for work.

Turkey Withdrawals

Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law's was lots of fun! The kids had a great time, the weather was nice (so we actually got to use the patio), and the food was delicious! It was a nice, relaxing day--especially since I had done all my food prep the day before (including all the gfcf goodies). I was very mindful not to overdo it at the dinner, so I didn't do the eat till I feel bloated thing. I was very proud of my show of restraint.

But there is one problem--I have no turkey leftovers. I love Thanksgiving, partly because I get to get my turkey on this one day of the year. Since I did not make my own turkey I am missing my leftover turkey for sandwiches, soups, and the like. My husband does not share my enthusiam (or zeal) for turkey, so when I told him that I planned on buying a small turkey to roast here, he just rolled his eyes and said, "whatever."

So today I'm off to the supermarket for a Thanksgiving redo. I figure I can get a small turkey, make a small batch of gfcf stuffing, some type of green veggie, and a nice dessert. Then after my family eats their second turkey dinner of the year, I can go to bed with visions of turkey pot pie dancing in my head; gfcf pie, of course.

Gobble Gobble

Today I'm taking care of all baking in preparation for tomorrow's feast at the in-laws' house. I've got desserts, both gfcf and not, and my homemade cranberry relish done--and it's only 3:30. Yipee! Tomorrow will be all about relaxing and enjoying time with my husband and kiddies. No stressing for me this year!

I'm not going to get to see my family (mom, brother, grandmother, stepfather, uncle) until Christmas, which is pretty sad. I haven't had a Thanksgiving with my mom in twelve years; I always had to work over the holiday, so making the trip to her was never an option. Now that I've transitioned into staying home full-time, I thought I'd get to have turkey with Mom. Alas, it wasn't meant to be this year, but hopefully next time. Actually she'll only be a two-hour drive from me starting in January, so the trip will be much shorter. Right now the long drive can be torture. Try driving for 6 hours with two rowdy kids and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Arroz con Gandules

I thought it would be a good idea to post a recipe for arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) since I raved about it in my last post. Trouble is, when I asked my mother-in-law for the recipe she gave me the response most lifelong home cooks give. "Oh you know, put a little bit of salt, water, rice to cover..." You can see where I'm going with this. The lady doesn't measure ingredients--ever! So what I decided to do was to take a recipe for the dish from one of my favorite cookbooks, and make adjustments based on what I've learned from watching the mother-in-law make it.

There are two Puerto Rican cookbooks in our home. One is Puerto Rican Cuisine in America by Oswald Rivera. The other is Cocina Criolla by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli. It was given to my mother-in-law as a wedding present back in 1960, and she still uses it. I'm fortunate in that she's been kind enough to allow me to borrow it from time to time. It's a real treasure. The book is in Spanish, so it takes me a few minutes to figure out some of the ingredients. I hear the book is now available in an English translation.

Arroz con Gandules
adapted from a recipe by Oswald Rivera
special thanks to Rebeca C.

Ingredients:
1 can pigeon peas (I like the Goya brand)*
2 cups rice
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 lb. salt pork, rinsed under cold water and diced
1/4 lb. lean cured ham, rinsed under cold water and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olives (with pimentos)
2 Tbs. capers
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tbs. dry white wine
salt to taste
2 cups water

*Note: If you decide to use dry beans, soak 1 lb. of beans overnight and cook until tender. Drain, setting aside 2 cups of the cooking liquid--you can use that in place of the 2 cups water.

1. Wash rice and drain.
2. Heat oil in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven. Brown salt pork.
3. Add ham and cook until golden crisp (on medium heat).
4. Add onion, peppers, cilantro, garlic,cilantro, olives and capers for about 5 minutes, or until onions begin to appear translucent.
5. Add tomato sauce and cook about 3 minutes.
6. Stir in rice, add peas, water (or reserved liquid), wine, and salt.
7. Bring to a boil, uncovered, until water begins to be absorbed by the rice.
8. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and let rice sit about 10 minutes prior to serving.

Ole!

The family and I will be gearing up for some Thanksgiving festivities here shortly. There are two things I like about Thanskgiving; one is cooking for family and friends, and the other is (no surprise here) that we party! And when there's a party that usually means dancing, so you can guess what I'll be doing come Thursday evening after I take my tryptophan-induced nap. This is a good thing, because I'll need some physical activity to burn off all the stuffing and pies that will no doubt be part of our family's celebration.

My husband's not really a turkey fan (sacrilege!), but his mom typically makes his favorite dish of hers, which is arroz con gandules. It's yellow rice with pigeon peas; the dish includes ham, onions, peppers, garlic--you know, typical Pilgrim fare. A Puerto Rican family's Thanksgiving dinner really isn't complete without it. And you thought mashed potatoes were the only way to go, huh? Did I forget to mention that the dish is gfcf? And my kids love it. Okay, I love it too--and nobody cooks it as well as my mother-in-law does (Sorry Mom).

What? No Pumpkin Pie?

I got a note from Zoe's teacher letting me know that on Monday, her class and the class next door are going to have a Thanksgiving feast. They're asking parents to send in ingredients for the dishes they (the kids) are going to help prepare. The teachers will provide the turkey and plates, etcetera. From what I was able to glean from the note the class will be eating turkey (gravy on the side), cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin pie, green beans and mixed veggies, rolls, and sweet tea. The teacher added on my note to let her know what Zoe could eat from the list, and informed me that I could send substitutes that are appropriate for my daughter to eat.

Man, I love her teacher. She's really good about giving me the heads-up on these things early so I can prepare. I'm going to need all the time I can get, because 99% of that menu is off limits to my kid.

My idea is to make some side dishes that I can send portions of to school and freeze the rest, so I can take them with us when we go to Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law's. Both the school Thanksgiving feast and the dinner with my in-laws will feature items that are either laden with butter or stuff that's got both gluten and casein. Hey, can't say I blame them; I loves me some rolls with butter, and don't even get me started on how much I love stuffing.

So here are some of the ideas I've come up with so far:

GFCF cornbread stuffing
Veggies with no butter
GFCF rolls
Chocolate cake

I know, pumpkin pie is conspicuously absent from my list. There's a good reason. Last year after my daughter realized that she couldn't eat pumpkin pie (which is a Thanksgiving staple), she insisted that I come up with a recipe for it and make one especially for her. After all, it's tradition! So I labored long and hard and made a delicious soy pumpkin pie with a rice crust. It looked, smelled and and tasted quite good. I put a slice of pie on a plate and handed it to my precious firstborn, she took a bite, looked at me and said, "I don't like it." She at that moment realized that she didn't like cinnamon; and seeing as how cinnamon is a major player in pumpkin pie, that meant no pumpkin pie for Zoe. Fortunately my husband and son eat anything I put in front of them; they made short work of that pie.

Speaking of pies, I have been asked by my sister-in-law to bring some pies to her dinner. I'm going to be a busy girl come next week.

Drama at Casa de Flamenco

I didn't post yesterday; I'm disappointed because I'm really enjoying getting into the habit of writing on here daily. Believe me, it wasn't by choice. We've had quite a bit of drama here so I wasn't in the mood for writing (and I certainly didn't have time for it).

My husband was on his way to play at a wedding on Sunday morning when he was in an accident. The car he was driving (his mom's) was struck in the rear. By a DRUNK/STONED driver! Can you believe it? Here it is, 10 a.m. on a Sunday and some lady is drunk and hits my husband. Fortunately, my husband's injuries do not appear to be severe. He's got some neck and back pain but it certainly could have been much worse. The driver of the car was arrested at the scene, and her car was impounded. My mother-in-law's vehicle has damage to the trunk and bumper, and of course the insurance people always take longer than expected to resolve these things. Oh, and here's the bonus: the driver of the vehicle that hit my husband gave the arresting officer her insurance information--and according to that insurance company, she doesn't have insurance with them!

So we are in the middle of dealing with all sorts of insurance people, doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs (just kidding), and trying to navigate with one vehicle. We're still waiting for the insurance company to give my MIL a rental car, so I'm driving her and my husband to work and my daughter to her therapy appointments. Hopefully the rental situation will be settled today so I'll have one less person to drive around.

I'm just so grateful that my husband wasn't more seriously hurt in this accident; the car thing is quite low on my list of concerns, although I don't want my MIL to be inconvenienced by all this either.

I forgot to mention that my husband's $10,000 concert guitar was in the trunk of the car at the time of the accident. It appears to be working fine, although we're going to have it looked at to make sure there is not structural damage. My husband is more worried about his "baby" than himself.

Technology is a Fickle Friend

For some odd reason, Blogger does not like when I attempt to post more than 1 photo in a single blog entry. I discovered this by accident today, when I posted an entry with both the photo of this cake as well as the photo of my rocker kid (see below). If you viewed the entry in Internet Explorer, the photos appeared one above the other, and all looked fine. However, if you use Mozilla Firefox, the two pictures appear side by side, and it makes my blog look--well, funky. So I'm posting the picture of the cake separately so as not to upset whatever forces exist in the internet world that conspire to make my site look weird. I'm going to try to figure out why this crap happens, because it is annoying. If anyone out there has a good (simple) explanation for why this happens, feel free to let me know. I stress the word simple because anyone who knows me knows that computer stuff just isn't my bag, baby.

In the meantime, I'm going to just curse at my computer.

We Came to Rock

I thought I'd share a photo of my daughter with her new guitar. She is over the moon about this new instument--after all, it is PINK!! Zoe is psyched and ready to start her own band.

After she jammed for a little while, she celebrated by eating the last of her birthday cake, all by herself.

Fortunately, They Left Me Some

Today I made this delicious skillet cornbread, which we ate for breakfast. As my husband, kids, and mother-in-law dug in, my husband looked at me and asked, "Hey, did you want to take a picture of this for the blog first?"

What a sweetie.

We didn't devour the whole thing; therefore, here is the only decent photo I could get of my cornbread. It looked so pretty and round when it came out of the oven. And it was delicious.

This remaining bit of cornbread did not survive past lunchtime. My husband warmed it in the microwave, poured some honey on it, and dug in.

A Perfect Snack

I love Larabars. They have officially become my favorite snack. I am proud to say that, because most of the snack food I have eaten for much of my life is loaded with the trifecta of poor eating: high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and refined sugars. It took me a while to really start listening to my body; when I did, I realized (finally) that I was filling it with junk. To be fair, I do still occasionally dabble in junk food--after all, some of that stuff does taste really great. But I am learning with time that my body will stage a mutiny if I fill it with too much lousy food.

So, now I have found something that is delicious and healthy that I can eat and not feel bad--or sick--about. Those of you who avoid refined sugar will be happy to know that this raw food bar contains no refined sugar. In fact, most of these bars have 5 ingredients or less: and sugar is not among those ingredients. They all contain nuts, a great source of monounsaturated fats, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Larabars are a great source of fiber. They're gluten free, dairy free, and soy free. My favorite flavors are the Cocoa Mole' and the Cinnamon Roll. My husband says the Cherry Pie flavor is his favorite.

Tomorrow it's back to Wild Oats for me to pick up some more. I may have to start ordering them online by the case.

By Bread Alone

I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better today. So much so that I decided to bake a loaf of bread for Zoe. And seeing as she was out of bread, I figured it was time to make some; otherwise, she wouldn't have any for lunch tomorrow. The bread was quite good; it had a pleasant aroma and nice texture. The kids both liked the taste, which is good since they're going to be eating it over the next few days. The bread recipe comes from the book Cooking Free by Carol Fenster. I highly recommend it. The book is full of recipes for multiple food allergies and sensitivities including gluten, dairy, sugar, and eggs.

Happy Birthday My ***

Well, I promised myself that nothing would get in my way of posting every day during the month of November. That was, at least, until yesterday--when I was struck down by a stomach illness so severe, I likened the pain to the middle stages of active labor. Oh yeah, that's right--I said it. It was that bad. My mind remembered my Lamaze breathing, and it helped me yesterday. But only so much.

My dear hubby prepared for me what we not-so-lovingly refer to around here as a "dirt shake". It's a drink prepared using a powdered herb and husk mixture that we buy from an herb company that sells supplements from the Amazon. This shake is nasty; I'll spare you the details of how gross it is. The good news is that it helped settle my stomach long enough that I was actually able to get some sleep.

I still don't know where this virus came from---everyone else here seems healthy. It's possible that one of our party guests was ill and left me one heck of a party gift. It could just be that after all the hard work over the last week, my body finally cried, "Uncle!" I'm just hoping the worst is over.

A Warm Feeling In My Belly

This is my favorite thing to eat for breakfast these days. It's warm and comforting on a cool morning, and it's a great alternative to grits (my husband grew up in the South, so I've eaten more than my fair share of grits in the time we've been together). You can dress this cereal up any way you like. Personally, I like serving it with a little cinnamon and vanilla, a squirt of agave nectar for sweetness, and some chopped walnuts or almonds. Oh, and if I've got some raisins or dried cranberries or cherries, I might add those too. It's very chilly here tonight, so I'm pining away for something warm--I guess that's why I'm thinking about a hot breakfast even though it's 9:45 p.m. Ahh.

P.S.Tomorrow's Election Day, everybody. Make sure to get out there and vote!

Party All the Time

The birthday free-for-all was today, and all I can say is whew! Man am I exhausted. Playing hostess for close to thirty of our nearest and dearest is a tough job. My mother-in-law was kind enough to help with much of the cooking, but there was still plenty to do, from baking the gfcf cake and some other assorted goodies, to prepping the house, to schmoozing with our guests. I'm pooped! I haven't loaded the photos from the party onto my computer yet, therefore I will have to reserve the photos for tomorrow.

The cake I baked was delicious! For the sake of saving time, I bought a mix from Wild Oats; it was Pamela's Chocolate Cake. I added one extra egg to the mix, as the directions said it would make for a lighter cake. It definitely did! It was moist and flavorful, not too heavy either. I coupled it with a homemade frosting I made which I colored pink per my daughter's request. The frosting is pretty simple:
1/2 c shortening
1/2 cup cf margarine (or all shortening)
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. corn syrup
2 Tbs. soy milk
and one teeny tiny drop of food coloring

Oh, I forgot to mention that sometimes I will add just a tad of almond extract for a change in flavor. You could probably do the same with peppermint extract, though I've never tried it--my kids aren't too big on mint.

One other thing--my daughter got one gift that was a HUGE hit in this house. My husband is a musician (classical guitar) who started out like many other musicians--playing in a rock band that he started with friends (He still owns his electric guitar, and plays is for fun--and a few gigs--from time to time). My daughter is learning to play classical guitar as well. A friend gave my daughter an electric guitar for her birthday. And not just any guitar--it is a Fender Squire with Hello Kitty on it! Oh, and by the way, it is pink! My little girl says she is ready to rock out with her dad--and says she wants to start a band too. Hilarious, and so cute!

"C" is for Cookies

Yesterday I went to my local Wild Oats store to pick up some of our usual fare, but I decided to grab two or three new things to try. I'll be sharing reviews of these products as my kids, husband, and I try them. One of those items has already been tried--and promptly devoured--by my daughter, so I guess we know which item to review first.

Nana's Chocolate Munch Cookie Bars have become kiddie crack in this house. They are gfcf, but they also have no refined sugars, no hydrogenated oils, no cholesterol, no eggs, no soy, no corn, and no cane or beet products. I know, I know; I wondered what was in them too. They are awesome! They are sort of a cookie/brownie; they're dense and chewy. My son found it a little dry, which is true--it tended to crumble a little bit more than I expected it to. My daughter loved them--in fact, she ate four of the five bars that came in the package (My son and I shared the other one). My daughter happily ate them, all the while dipping bits of cookie in her glass of soy milk.

Sadly, my hubby did not get to sample these; he'll just have to wait till I get another box. Poor guy, all he got to do was ogle at the empty box and wonder what sinful goodness used to reside inside.

Tomorrow we are having a birthday party for my daughter, my husband, and me--all our birthdays are in the first week of November. I'm making a gfcf chocolate cake for the occasion. I'll share the details after the party.

Birthday Girl

Today, my little girl, you are nine years old. I knew my life would be forever changed by your entrance into this world, but I didn't know how much. Everything I know about being a parent I learned by just being your mom.

I'm still learning.

Adopting a gluten-free/casein-free lifestyle for you was an important decision in helping you achieve better health. It was a tough transition at the beginning. But you've always been a trooper; and with the exception of a few missteps, you've been gfcf for nearly five years. What a journey it has been. And because of that incredible--and sometimes very challenging--journey, this blog was born.

Thank you for being such a terrific kid. I'm very lucky to be your Mom. Happy Birthday.

Thai Curry Beef and Coconut Rice

Today is my husband's birthday; he is officially OLD (just kidding, honey). In honor of my beloved, I made one of his favorite dishes for dinner tonight: Thai Curry Beef and Coconut Rice. Coconut milk is gluten free, and it makes a great base for the curry sauce. By the way, you can use chicken instead of beef if you're staying away from red meat.

Thai Curry Beef

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. of beef for stir-fry
1 red pepper, julienned
1 yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
a handful of cilantro, chopped
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1/2 to 1 Tbs. red curry paste*
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 Tbs. Fish sauce (available in the ethnic foods aisle of your market)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken stock

In a large saucepan, combine coconut milk and curry paste and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the fish sauce, brown sugar, chicken stock, and beef. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Add the vegetables (reserve cilantro for garnish) and cook for about 5 minutes more, or until beef is cooked and veggies have reached desired tenderness. Top with cilantro. Serve with coconut rice (see below).

*Let your taste preferences be your guide when using curry paste. We like our food spicier here, so I use a full Tbs.; you can get away with less and still get great flavor. Personally, I would not use more than 1 Tbs. for this dish. If you want it spicier, you may want to add hot peppers to this dish.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups Jasmine Rice
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk, plus enough water to equal 3 cups of liquid
1 tsp. salt

Bring coconut milk, water, and salt to a boil in pot. Add the jasmine rice and bring back up to a boil. Cover and turn the burner down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Pizza! Pizza!

I'm a Brooklyn girl, born and raised. If there's one thing Brooklynites know about, it's pizza. There were no fewer than 20 pizza joints within a three-mile radius of my high school. I was more than a little bummed out at the prospect of depriving my kids of such a tasty treat. After all, cheese + tomato sauce + bread=heaven (add some yummy toppings and we're talking ecstasy).

My favorite gfcf reference book, "Special Diets for Special Kids," has a recipe for a pizza (see below) which I make regularly for the kids. You can buy a gluten free pizza crust mix if you don't feel like making the crust from scratch. The Gluten Free Pantry makes a nice one. Make sure that when you buy the cheese for this that you check the ingredients carefully. Many alternative cheese products contain casein, so be careful.

Pizza

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Rice flour
1/4 oz. GF quick rise yeast
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Xantham gum
1 1/4 cup Warm water
1 Tbs. Honey
3 Tbs. Olive oil
1 cup Pasta sauce
mozzarella style soy cheese
Cornmeal ( if tolerated)
Your favorite pizza toppings

Combine flour, yeast, salt and xantham gum in a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup of the water, olive oil and honey. Work the dough with your hands (it will be soft and crumbly). Add just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup of water to hold mixture together.

Knead the dough in a bowl for five minutes. Cover, and let the dough rest for ten minutes.

Lightly grease a 12" pizza pan and sprinkle with a small handful of cornmeal. Flatten dough into a round disk and press dough into pan.

Top the pizza with sauce and your favorite toppings, then bake in a 425 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.

I know I promised a photo of this pizza today, but I am still recovering from Halloween, so I'll try to photograph and post it tomorrow, when my hands are steadier(once the sugar buzz has subsided).

Post Every Day You Will

Tomorrow is the start of National Blog Posting Month, or NaBloPoMo. My mission is to post every day for the next 30 days. If you are interested in joining the rest of us wacky bloggers in this challenge, visit www.fussy.org. The link is just to the right.

November 1 is pizza day on this blog, so I'll be making and showing a photo of the gluten-free/casein-free pizza my kids love. It should be noted that my son is not on the gfcf diet, but he loves the pizza anyway.

Until tomorrow, may the force be with you.

Banana Bread by Flamenco Mom

Yes, people, better late than never; here is the photo of the banana bread I made and discussed in my earlier post. If you knew about the ordeal I had to go through to even get this picture up, you would understand why I feel like having a martini at 11:27 in the morning!!! Sweet Jebus, do I hate technology sometimes.

Now that I have a wee bit more understanding of how this works, I'll be better able to post photos on this site. I'm participating in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), so expect to see many more photos, recipes, and the like over the next month.

Oh, crap, where's the gin?