Dusting Off My Dancing Shoes

Since I was sick the end of last year and the beginning of '07, I had to take a hiatus from Flamenco class. Well, I had to take a break from Flamenco dancing in general. I had some major respiratory issues going on, which left me out of breath even after some relatively mild exercise. Now that I'm better, I've been exercising more--which means the dancing shoes are coming back on baby!

I've been invited to perform with some of my classmates at a fundraiser for a local theater company. The event is two weeks away, which leaves me precious little time to get a few of my dances--and me--in fighting shape.The good news is that I still fit into my costumes. The bad news is that I'm hard pressed to find rehearsal time. Flamenco Dad is wrapping up his semester, which means finals, juries, and a rather lengthy research paper he needs to turn in. I'm practicing my routines wherever I can. Ayden has been getting a kick out of watching his mommy fold laundry, dust, and cook while doing the sevillanas, tangos, and rumbas. I'm rehearsing with my classmates this weekend, so I hope to be ready by then.

Orange You Glad...?

This is an orange cake recipe that I adapted from the Food Network website. The original recipe was posted by two chefs, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Back in the Food Network's infancy, these ladies had a wonderful cooking show called the Two Hot Tamales. The cake is a lovely olive oil cake, not too sweet and oh so moist. I know what you're thinking. "WTF? Olive oil in a cake?" Believe me, I was skeptical the first time I made it. But I'm so glad I put my skepticism aside and baked it; now I'm a believer too.

Orange Cake

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup olive oil

1 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Glaze, optional:

juice of 1/2 naval orange

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. corn syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease bundt pan and dust with a bit of sugar and gf flour. Beat the eggs with the sugar. Beat in the milk, oil and orange zest. In a small bowl, sift the flour with the xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture 1/3 at a time until well incorporated. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove cake and cool slightly in pan, then invert and cool completely. If using the glaze, combine the orange juice, confectioner's sugar, and corn syrup in a small bowl until thoroughly combined and there are no lumps. Drizzle onto cooled cake.

Note: The glaze really boosts the sweetness quotient of this cake. I've made the cake both with and without the glaze, and it tastes great either way.

Four

Today you are four years old. You entered this world kicking and screaming--and three weeks early. Your papi describes it as an "X-Files" moment. One minute I was lying on an operating table with a doctor looming over me; the next you were here, ready to take on the world.

The day you were born was one of the most joyful, yet scary, days of my life. I was thilled that the day had finally come, and that Zoe's little brother would finally be here. But I was afraid, afraid that the trauma that your sister suffered at birth would be repeated. A first-time mom, I waited for your sister's first cry, which did not come--not until days later. She was a baby born teetering on a precipice between life and death. And as your birth drew nearer, the hopes I had for you were simple: Please, God, let him be healthy. Let me hear that cry and know that he's alright.

I see elements of your dad and me in you everyday. Though make no mistake about it; you have a fire and personality all your own. You are one of the funniest kids I've ever met. You are a flirt, always knowing when to turn on the charm (Lord help me when you get older). You and your sister are best friends, and it shows. You run up and hug me for no particular reason, and it warms my heart.

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby boy.

Getting Over My Split Pea Aversion

I spent the first 30 years of my life avoiding split pea soup. Why, you ask? Two words, people: The Exorcist. The images of Linda Blair, with the head spinning and projectile...well, you know...were enough to leave me emotionally scarred, and repulsed by the sight of split pea soup. Once I finally got over it and gave the soup a try I realized that it was delicious.

This weekend we got hit with a downpour, and the rainy days left me in the mood for soup. I had a bag of split peas in the pantry, as well as a bit of leftover Easter ham in the freezer. Put 'em together and it was a perfect tummy-warming treat. Flamenco Dad had some for lunch today, and the first words out of his mouth were "Hell yea!" Appropriate.

Split Pea Soup

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 Tbs. garlic, minced

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 lb. dried split peas, rinsed and picked over

1 cup diced ham

10 cups water

1 Tbs. dried thyme leaves

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and sweat until onion appears transclucent. Add dried thyme leaves and stir for a minute. Add the ham, peas, and water. Bring ingredients to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour. Add pepper to taste, then salt as needed. Note that the ham may be omitted for vegetarian split pea soup.

Yearning for Yogurt

Question: has anyone out there tried to make their own soy yogurt? I'm wondering how hard it is to make. I found a website with instructions for preparing and culturing yogurt, but if anyone has their own experiences to share, I'd love to hear about them. Here's the website I found: http://www.soya.be/how-to-make-soy-yogurt.php. If anybody has other recipes to share, please do so--any advice is greatly appreciated.

Whoorl: Five Questions

Whoorl is one of my favorite blogebrities, a fabulous mama who lives near the beach in California with her hunky hubby and adorable little boy Wito. Whoorl started an interview chain today, and asked me the following questions. I've got instructions for participating in the interview if any internets out there are interested. By the way, before I go on with the Q & A, do yourself a favor and check out Whoorl's blog, www.whoorl.com. She's an excellent writer, funny as all get-out, and (like me) a total beauty product junkie.

1. What are 2 things you miss most about living in the city? I miss being able to take the subway ANYWHERE I want to go. I'm not a big fan of driving. For the first few years I lived in Florida, I had a car without air conditioning. Dealing with the humidity and extreme heat does not make for good hair. Also I miss walking through Central Park on Sundays with my husband. We always had fun, and my legs and glutes were uber-tight in those days. I know this is cheating, but I also miss seeing the Christmas windows at Barneys. And potato knishes. And...

2. Dream job (with a loving nanny) or a SAHM, which one? Definitely a SAHM. You couldn't get me back into business attire for a million bucks. I am NOT corporate material. Office Space is one of my favorite movies for a reason. Plus, I love spending all day with my kids. They are so much fun to be around. Unless you're talking about a day when my kids are making me crazy. Then it's nanny all the way.

3. Favorite dessert? It's those Godiva molten lava chocolate cakes from Morton's. How can you go wrong with chocolate cake that's got melted chocolate oozing out of it, with ice cream on top? I think I just drooled on my keyboard.

4. Do you have a secret talent? Well, I guess the flamenco thing isn't really a secret, so I'll have to pick something else. I make most of my own jewelry. I took African dance in college and it stuck with me. Oh, and I've got an amazing memory. I'm still trying to get on Jeopardy so I can whoop some ass on that show. Take that, Trebek!

5. What kind of cheese do you prefer on your burger, if any? I swear I did not know this question was coming when I planned my dinner tonight. I just grilled up some burgers for dinner. I made some with no cheese, since Zoe must eat gfcf. But I made some for E, his mom, and I that were stuffed with blue cheese*; heavenly doesn't even begin to cover it! My favorite has to be pepper jack cheese. I'm all about spicy, so my favorite burger has pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and jalapeno slices. Ketchup is a must.

Okay, so if any of you internets want to participate, send me a comment with "Interview Me" somewhere in the text. I'll respond by emailing you five questions. Update your blog with the answers to the questions. Include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

*edited to add: Many thanks go to the commenter who reminded me to share that blue cheese also contains gluten, so it's not just a casein issue. And, suffice it to say, that Godiva cake is not gfcf; though if I were to select my favorite gfcf dessert, it would be the Pineapple Upside Down Cake I wrote about in January.

On Top of Spaghetti

Last night I prepared a delicious feast of meatballs and gluten free pasta. My kids love spaghetti and meatballs, so I try to make it once a week. For the meatballs I use a combo of ground beef, pork, and veal, egg, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and a slice of leftover gfcf bread broken up into crumbs. I cooked the meatballs in a pan with a bit of olive oil (gotta love the EVOO), and then simmered in a pot of my favorite pasta sauce. I served the meatballs over Tinkyada Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta. Can I just say that Tinkyada has quickly become my pasta of choice for gfcf cooking? To me, it most closely resembles the texture and flavor of its gluten-containing counterparts. Fantastic!

I'm going to take a couple of days off from the blog--my own Spring Break, if you will. I'm getting ready for the little man's fourth birthday party. See ya!

Happy Easter 2007

These are the faces of happy kiddies amped up on Easter candy. Happy Easter everyone!

No Chocolate Bunnies

I'm getting a jump on my Easter dinner by taking care of much of the prep today. I just made a batch of gfcf chocolate brownies for Zoe to enjoy. My husband expressed his feelings of neglect that I have yet to bake him his carrot cake. I promise, it will be ready soon honey. It's one of the goodies that I have yet to modify for gfcf diets. But it's one of Flamenco Dad's favorites, so what kind of gal would I be if I didn't make it for him once a year?

Givin' Me the Finger

My instinct was to call this post "Mama went to Naples and All I Got Was This Gnarly Finger," but that's a mouthful. Besides, messages like that are best saved for souvenir t-shirts. Flamenco Dad warned me against posting a photo of my finger on my blog for two reasons. One, my finger looks icky. Two, this is supposed to be a food blog, and looking at this thing wouldn't make anyone want to eat anything. I then had a flashback to one of my dormmates in college who, while she was learning to rollerblade, would sit there are proudly show us each and every one of the scabs she got from her various rollerblading injuries. Even while we were eating in the dining hall. Seriously.

Long story short, I was helping my mom with one of the sliding doors which apparently could not close properly. We figured something was blocking either the track or the lock. While I was examining the lock to see if there was anything obstructing it, my mom used all her might to slam the door shut--not realizing that my index finger was in the way. So you see, my finger then became said obstruction. I screamed something that I have never in all my 34 years said in front of my mother in front of her, my kids, and my GRANDMA! Oh the horror! Thankfully, miraculously, my finger is not broken(though it does still hurt). My fingernail is purple/black in color, and it would appear that my fingernail is not long for this world. On the bright side, next time I paint my nails it looks like I'll only have to paint nine instead of ten.

Muy Caliente

After spending the weekend in South Florida, I found myself in the mood for some spicy Cuban black bean soup. I didn't get the chance to enjoy black beans and rice on our trip. In spite of the fact that I nearly broke a finger on this trip (details and a gross picture later) I decided to get cooking today.

I used a recipe from a delicious cookbook called The Daily Soup Cookbook, which has a wide variety of recipes from this New York soup shop. This soup is spicy! Did I forget to mention that the recipe calls for a diced habanero pepper? Yowza! It was delicious--I love me some spicy food. And in the great tradition of serving food with our food at this house, I had the soup with a tostada on the side and some chopped onions. Mmm...

A Steaming Hot Bowl of Scrumptious

Yesterday Flamenco Dad and I had the pleasure of meeting a visiting guitarist from Montreal who is performing at the college tonight. We took him out to dinner at a Thai restaurant near the hotel where he was staying. The restaurant was new to us--since we don't live in that part of the city--and it was rather small. But when we walked in we were immediately struck by the fragrant, intoxicating aromas of Thai cooking. While the men decided to have some yummy curries, I decided to keep it light and I had some Thai Coconut Soup with chicken.

Oh. My. God. It was one of the best bowls of soup that I've ever had the privilege to eat. The coconut milk and lemongrass gave it a lovely sweetness, while the chilis brought out just the right amount of heat. I never knew that what looked like a rather simple bowl of soup could have such a complexity to it. I have decided to make it my mission to replicate the dish so that I can have it whenever I like.

The cooking will have to wait until after the weekend. I'm off to visit my mom in her new house. The kids, my husband, and I cannot wait! The horses have been moved from the trainer's farm to my mom's property, and mom and her hubby have added two goats to their growing menagerie of animals. See ya!

Put Down the Teasing Comb

I know my blog is supposed to be about gfcf food, my life, etcetera. Well, you know what the tagline to this blog is...it's right up there at the top of the screen. But my friend Lynn wrote about something today that has frankly been plaguing me since last night. So I'm going to stray from my blog's theme for a moment and ask the burning question:

Sanjaya, dude, what the @#*& is up with that hair???

I tried to explain to my husband what it looked like, and I came off sounding like Simon Cowell. It went a little something like this: Honey, if I'm being honest, he looked like a deranged cockatoo. After my husband stopped laughing at me, I rewound the show back to Sanjaya's performance (again thank God for DVRs) and there he was in all his glory. I was so perplexed by the whole thing that I had dreams about Sanjaya and his crazy hair. Crap, no wonder why I had such a horrible night's sleep. All I saw was this kid with cockatoo hair singing "Bathwater" way off key.

Opa!!

I found a delicious recipe for a Greek Lentil and Pasta in the current issue of Heart Healthy Living. Since I love beans and legumes--and since they are so good for you--I decided to give it a try. I made a few minor changes to the original recipe. The recipe called for an onion--I presume a white or Spanish onion--but I used a red one. Also the recipe called for a can of diced tomato. Instead, I used a can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. It was fantastic; a delicious lunch. And meatless! I'm not a vegetarian, but I think it's a nice idea to change things up and not have meat all the time. Besides, my doctor friends would say that eating too much meat has links to all types of long-term health risks. Wow, I think I'm really starting to take this health kick thing seriously!

Greek Lentil Pasta

5 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (2 1/2 cups)
1 large red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound dry brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 8-ounce cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
hot cooked gluten free pasta
olive oil

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven cook carrots, onion, and garlic in the 1/4 cup hot oil over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 to 35 minutes or until lentils are tender.
2. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper. Return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until desired consistency.
3. Cook your favorite gluten free pasta according to package directions. For each serving, top 1 cup pasta with 3/4 cup lentil sauce and drizzle with 1 teaspoon additional olive oil. Makes 12 cups sauce.

Meltdowns

When Zoe has a rough time, she is prone to having meltdowns. They don't happen as often as they used to--the gluten free/casein free diet has a lot to do with her success--but they are still tough to handle sometimes. When Zoe was a toddler her meltdowns would be comprised of hours of uncontrollable crying and screaming, and a heightened sense of urgency about the fact that everything needed to be just so. Now that she is older and more verbal, the crying and screaming have been greatly reduced; but oh man, she gets very rigid about things when she's having a meltdown.

The past two days have been a challenge. I think part of it is because Zoe's been off her typical schedule due to spring break. She's obsessing (rather loudly) over things that typically wouldn't get much attention from her; she's chewing on her clothing again; and she's doing a lot of "stimming."

Stimming, for those who have not been introduced to the term, is a common behavior of autistics. It's a self-stimulation behavior, and different kids have different stims. For many, it included things like hand-flapping and rocking in place. Zoe's stim includes rocking back and forth while squeezing her left hand and wrist with her right hand. If left unchecked, Zoe can do this for HOURS.

Truth be told, if her stim wasn't harmful to her body I wouldn't mind it so much. Parents of other autistic kids I've spoken to all say that their kids find comfort in it, since it helps them deal with their sensory integration issues. However, Zoe has caused damage to her left wrist and hand due to the stimming--even with us stopping to remind her to stop when we see the behavior. Ayden even tells Zoe to stop stimming if he sees her doing it.

These behaviors appear periodically, and the worst of it never lasts for long. That's something that I always keep in mind while we're going through it; that certainly helps me keep my cool (somewhat). Zoe is a child that's going through a transitional period, so I'm trying my best to remain calm and keep a positive outlook. Her classroom situation is gradually changing; and hey, she's growing up. Moving from childhood to early adolescence is tough on many kids. It's different for her because she has other social issues to work on, so it's tough for her to process these changes sometimes. Sometimes it's hard for parents too.

A Berry Good Spring

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd be eating delicious, ripe strawberries in March. I am blessed, because February-March is the height of strawberry season here in Florida. There is a strawberry festival in a nearby town, which just concluded last week. Yes, we went to the festival; no, I did not get to visit the booth where you make your own strawberry shortcake. Boo hoo.

It's always a good idea to eat seasonally and locally if you can. The flavors are just so crisp and refreshing. My mother-in-law's dear friend Amanda went strawberry picking today and was nice enough to bring us a rather large bowl of berries. Oh, how sweet they are. A lovely end to a lovely day.

I Heart Toys-R-Us

We went to Toys-R-Us today so that Ayden could pick out more Thomas trains (good Lord, how many are there anyway?) and Miss Zoe could get some new Leapster software. As we walked up to the building we saw a humongous sign. From a distance it looked like it said "Autism" but I wasn't positive. Sure enough, it did say autism. Toys-R-Us is now the national sponsor for Autism Speaks International. Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now recently merged to become the largest foundation for autism research.

The world's biggest toy store is accepting donations and is sponsoring nationwide fundraising walks. The Flamenco Family completed a 5k for Cure Autism Now a year ago, and we're planning to do it again this year. For information on walks and other fundraising events in your area, visit Autism Speaks at www.autismspeaks.org.

Waiting Game

What is it that Tom Petty says in that song? Oh yeah, waiting is the hardest part. I practically had to wave the kids back with a stick when they saw what was coming out of the oven. "Mini pies--they're just like our size!" was what my little guy had to say about these tasty cherry mini tarts.

I used the recipe for gfcf pie crust that I got from the Wild Oats website, and filled the tarts with cherry Comstock Pie Filling. The filling had just the right balance of tart and sweet. And the crust has a great texture--it reminds me a bit of shortbread cookies. There was little time to get fancy and dust these with powdered sugar. They didn't even get to room temperature before the kids started to dig in.

Green: the Color of Spring

My kids never met a veggie they didn't like. Or, in the case of the edamame they had for an afternoon snack, a legume. We snacked on these all afternoon; all the while enjoying the beautiful day.

One Bite and I'm Back at Grandma's

Last night I made some yummy Puerto Rican fare, and today I had the pleasure of eating the leftovers for lunch. I roasted some pork(this time it was Boston Butt), which was prepared with a marinade of vinegar, olive oil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin. Then I made some steamed white rice. I served it with a side of pink beans, which was cooked in a tomato sauce with some diced potatoes, pimiento olives, and sauteed sofrito, which is a traditional ingredient in Puerto Rican stews and sauces. Everybody makes it a little different, but the basics are onions, peppers, cilantro, garlic and recao (when available) pureed in a blender with a bit of olive oil. That's it. My mother-in-law makes it in large batches and freezes it, or gives extras to my husband's siblings. Occasionally Becky will add some sweet chile peppers called aji dulce she finds at the Latin market. Recao is a green stemmed herb found in Latin or Oriental markets.

Spring Forward

Now that I'm done ranting, I can move on to much happier topics. Like the fact that we had Zoe's I.E.P. meeting at school today. For those of you out there that haven't dealt with special education before, and IEP stands for Individual Education Plan. Every year we have a meeting at school with Zoe's teachers, speech therapists, the school psychologist, and the school's language specialist. We determine where Zoe is as far as meeting her educational needs, and then establish goals and plans for the follow school year.

The meeting went extremely well. Everyone had comments about how wonderfully Zoe is doing in school and how much she has matured. She has never really had a problem with the academic stuff--she's got recall like you cannot believe and she's excellent at decoding and solving math problems. Her primary area of opportunity lies in the areas of socialization and behavior. It is very difficult for a child like her to sit still for a long period of time and work independently; but even that is improving greatly. She oftentimes has a hard time expressing herself verbally, particularly in times of stress or when she's having a rough day (like if she's accidentally eaten stuff not on her diet). Zoe's working hard to get better at that, and the results of her hard work can be seen every day.

The great news is that she has improved to the point that the team has decided to begin the process of mainstreaming her. She'll start to spend portions of her day in a "regular class" with kids in her grade who don't have her issues. The goal here is to see how well she copes in that setting, gradually increasing the amount of time she spends there (at a comfortable rate for her, of course) until the team reconvenes and decides she's ready to go full-time. The biggest difference between her current classroom setting and general ed is the class size. Currently there are seven kids in her class, with one teacher. The general ed classes at the school have as many as fifteen kids and one teacher.

As her mom, I'm so eager to see her be challenged because I know she is a very capable student. However, I also grapple with wanting to protect her. I worry about her being able to do well in a different class setting. I don't want her to get frustrated and then have school be a negative thing for her. My baby is growing up. She is literally changing before my eyes, which is sad and exhilirating at the same time.

Diss-missed

Up until yesterday I could say that, goody-two-shoes at heart that I am, I had never been kicked out of anywhere. That all changed yesterday, when my husband and I were summarily dismissed from...get this: a pediatrician's office! Wow, are my husband and I rebels or what?

It all started innocently enough. Due to a change in HMO, we were forced to pick a new pediatrician for our son. We love the present doctor (who also treats Zoe), but we were told we needed to change docs if we wanted the insurance company to pay for Ayden's medical care. So we reluctantly went to the new doctor's office for the initial visit yesterday.

As eager as I am to jump right into how rude and inept Dr. Personality was, I should explain something very important. Right now, my son is not yet vaccinated. I know that is something that bothers many people, but there are multiple reasons for this. First, we were concerned about autism since we already have one child with the disorder (if you already have one child with autism, your more likely to have other children with it than others), and we fear vaccines could have something to do with it. Second, we have a family history of seizures brought on by adverse reactions to vaccinations. This history includes our own daughter and several other family members. Third, we feel that it's an enormous amount of chemicals to inject into a small child, whose body may not be ready to accept them. So we decided to wait until Ayden is a bit older to begin shots. Our current doc is okay with it, and a growing number of physicians say they are becoming more accepting of patients who choose to wait.

So we get to Dr. P's office, and while we are waiting we become very aware of her behavior towards the office staff as well as other patients. It seems she was absent the day they taught bedside manner at medical school. And apparently she was never taught that it's not nice to be snippy to people who are helping you and/or working for you, i.e. your employees. We get into the exam room after Ayden was weighed by a nurse, had his finger pricked to check his blood, and provided the required urine sample. Dr. P walks into the room, doesn't introduce herself, says hello, and rudely tells me (without even looking at me BTW) that I'm about a month early to give Ayden his shots. I explain that we are delaying the vaccines and my husband starts to explain to her the reasons why, which I have listed above. This doctor yanks her stethoscope off and (cutting my husband off) tells us that she doesn't treat anybody who is not vaccinated. She then gives us some speech about how she disagrees with everything we say, all the while giving off a vibe that says, "You two have got to be the dumbest people ever! Don't you know that I'm a DOCTOR, for Christ's sake!"

My husband asked the doctor three pivotal questions. 1. Does that mean that aside from people with medically-necessary reasons for not vaccinating that you also do not treat people with religious objections (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses)? 2. It is written anywhere in this practice's procedures that you refuse to treat people with religious and medical objections to vaccines? 3. If not, would you put that in writing? The doctor then said that she does not discriminate against Jehovah Witnesses, she just doesn’t accept them as patients. She stated (with a raised voice) that her policy is not listed in the office’s procedures, and that she would not put it in writing. Then she scooped up our son’s chart, said good-bye and bolted out the door. She promptly scooted over to her phone and said that she was calling the HMO and telling them that she wanted our son transferred to a different doctor. We told her not to bother; we’ll just do that ourselves.

My husband and I kept our composure the whole time. We didn’t want to upset Ayden by arguing with the doctor, even though she had absolutely no problem going there in front of a child. Also, we expected that we might encounter some resistance to what we had to say. But this lady went apeshit on us, which was completely unprofessional and rude. Hey, if she wanted to refuse to take my son so be it. Truth be told, I’d rather crawl naked across a bed of rusty nails than take my son back to see that lady. Not because she disagrees with me, but because I refuse to be treated that way.

You Gotta Believe

I have been told by more than one internet foodie that quinoa is must-try. And I even went as far as to buy some from the natural foods store a while back, but for some reason I never got around to trying to make it. Well, determined to try some healthier fare, I decided to try to make some today.

The results were mixed. I think I overcooked it or put too much water in the pot because the texture of the quinoa was quite mushy--I'm not sure, but I don't think it's supposed to be that way. That said, the flavor was very good. I liked the nutty, earthy flavor of the quinoa. I prepared a dressing of lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, and salt; then tossed the quinoa with the dressing, along with black beans, corn, green peppers, and cilantro. It wasn't perfect, but I was left wanting to try to make quinoa again--so that's something of a victory, no?

*I should mention that the photo in the background is one of my favorites. It was taken eleven years ago (cripes, I can't believe it's been that long) when my husband graduated from grad school.

What to Wear, What to Eat

Today I am raising the white flag. My body has officially decided to cry uncle and tell me that it's time to ease up on the sweets and fatty foods.

My "fat pants" are now too tight.

Those of you who are familiar with the term know exactly what I mean. I know of more women who do this than men, but if you're a guy and you own fat pants please do not feel excluded here. Like many women, I own clothes in more than one size; they're kind of like my added security for times like post-Christmas, when I'm feeling a bit more more than usual. Also, when I'm dealing with things like PMS--it's comforting to feel like you can breathe in your clothes and can avoid the dreaded "muffin top."

Now let me go on record and say that my fat pants comment is in no way meant as an attack on people of size. In fact, by definition, my not-so-fat pants are still larger than that of any hot babe you would ever see on tv. Believe me, Eva Longoria I am not. And truthfully, I don't want to be. I do, however, recognize the fact that the better I get at managing my weight and health the better chances I have at living a longer, healthier life with Flamenco Dad and the kids.

I post many recipes for sweets on this site, primarily because it's those things which present some of the biggest challenges for people who eat gfcf. Many people miss their favorite treats, like cupcakes or homemade waffles. But I'm going to make an effort to post more recipes for items that are gfcf, tasty, and healthy too. Fear not, there will still be a place for desserts and other treats on this site. My kids would stage a full-on mutiny if I didn't bake sweets for them every now and then.

Because Anytime is a Great Time for Pie

Mmmm...tasty. Many thanks to the folks at Wild Oats; I found a recipe for a delicious, flaky crust on their website. They have an entire collection of recipes devoted to gluten free cooking. Not all the recipes are casein free, but I have found many that are that I'll be adding to my repertoire here in the kitchen. Check them out at www.wildoats.com.

What IS in your food?

Inspired by my buddy Lynn at Free to Eat--and fueled by my hankering for pie--I decided to contact Bird's Eye Foods to ask whether their Comstock brand pie filling is gfcf. I e-mailed them this morning, and here was their reply:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us about Comstock Pie Fillings.
All of the Comstock pie fillings are gluten free. The modified food starch listed in the ingredient statement is corn starch. All of our fruit pie fillings are casein free. You will want to avoid the cream pie fillings, as some of them contain milk.

We value you as a consumer and appreciate your concern.

Sincerely,

Consumer Relations
Birds Eye Foods

I was wondering what to do with those cans of cherry pie filling my mother-in-law bought. Of course, by the time Bird's Eye got back to me I had already cranked out one apple pie, which I'll post shortly. Next up after that is cherry pie baby!

Lemon Love

I know Valentine's Day was last month, but I am in love. In love with these lemon poppy seed muffins I made today. I took a standard muffin recipe, modified the ingredients a bit so they were gfcf, and fifteen minutes later I had a light, fluffy muffin--so not like the hockey pucks I've made in the past.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free flour mix
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus enough soy milk to equal 1 cup
2/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin tins. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, xanthan gum, and poppy seeds. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix--the batter will be slightly lumpy. Fill muffin tins to 2/3 full, and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Serve warm or room temperature. Makes 15 muffins.

The Waffler

So what's a girl to do at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night? When the kids are asleep and the man is out having male bonding time with his brothers...why, you make waffles of course! I realized that I wouldn't be in a waffle-making kind of mood at 6 in the morning tomorrow; so (eager beaver that I am) I decided to get a jump on my morning routine. I bagged the finished treats in individual Ziplock bags and tossed them into the freezer. I'm loving these and so is the rest of the Flamenco familia.

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.