Love/Hate Relationship

Quinoa. I want to love it. It's good for you. It seems so exotic. It's on the upswing in the food world for its nutritional value and because it's a nice alternative to other side-dishes. But the truth is...I don't love it.

It's like that boyfriend you had in high school who you were really into, but who let you down. Alot. Even with other perfectly good guys around, you always thought that guy was the one for you. The one who on paper seemed like a great guy; handsome and funny, with a hint of mystery. But then he left you waiting for a phone call one Friday night too many, and you finally said "no more."

After the somewhat disappointing results I got after my first foray into the world of quinoa (see my post, "You Gotta Believe"), I promised myself that I would give quinoa another try. I figured, maybe it was my fault it didn't turn out right the last time. I believe in second chances. So yesterday I gave quinoa another shot at getting into my good graces. I bought a box of Inca Red quinoa and prepared it using a recipe from the Food Network's Robin Miller. She cooked the quinoa, then mixed in some roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Sounds good, right? Heck I even saw her make it on her tv show; it looked great. Why couldn't I have that?, I asked myself.

I cooked the quinoa per the package instructions, and roasted some garlic as it cooked. I prepped the basil, the red peppers, and gathered up my salt and pepper. Once the quinoa and garlic were ready, I combined all the ingredients, served myself a bit, and sat down to give it a try. The results?

Meh. Not what I thought it would be. I was let down--again. It tasted flat to me, even with all the tasty things I put into it. And the quinoa itself had kind of an odd aftertaste. Don't get me wrong, there were several things about this attempt that were better than the last. For one, I now know that I prefer the flavor of Inca Red over the plain white quinoa. Also, the texture was much improved over the last go-around. But I'm left wondering if I should give it another try. My husband, ever the optimist, said I should press on and maybe do some research on how the indigenous cultures of South America prepared it and try it their way. I'm not sure. Remember the whole "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" thing? Maybe it's time for me to just let the quinoa go and stick with rice, the grain that reliable, delicious, and has always been good to me.

Cooking? What's That?

There has been little home cooking going on here at Casa de Flamenco over the past few days. It's been sooo hot and humid, the last place I want to be is laboring in my kitchen. Last week I made some gfcf bread for Zoe (courtesy of one Gluten-Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza Mix) and some waffles, but other than that it's been leftover stuff from my freezer, fresh fruits and veggies, salads, and takeout dinner from some our local restaurants. Of course the good news is that the kids and I have been loading up on lots of fruits and veggies (always a plus), but I know my babies are missing the aroma of dinner cooking on the stove. Frankly, the thought of eating from a restaurant again tomorrow is not appealing to me at all. Even if it is from the yummy Indian restaurant near the beach.

I feel guilty.

Zoe asked me when I was going to make her some more gfcf treats--she's jonesin' for something, ANYTHING, baked from scratched with her mama's loving hands. I picked up some cookies, Pamela's Chocolate Chunk to be exact, but that did nothing for Miss Z. I'm thinking if it's not ridiculously warm this evening that maybe I'll make some peanut butter cookies for her and Ayden to enjoy. We're going on a field trip tomorrow to the children's museum, so we can take some cookies for the road.

Update: I have made the peanut butter cookies. And there was much rejoicing at Casa de Flamenco.

Kids Rock

This is what summer looks like at the rockin'est house on our block.

Who Wants a Beer Here?

I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I had to give this a try. Anheuser-Busch had gluten free folks doing cartwheels when Redbridge hit the market. It is the first sorghum beer, and I was curious about the flavor; I thought that wheat and barley were what made beer taste like beer. On Father's Day, Flamenco Dad and I took a drive to Total Wine & Liquor Warehouse. FD picked up some new Belgian beers he wanted to try, I got some Spanish wines and my bottle of Redbridge (oh, and some rum too. Hee-hee).

I gotta say...this beer actually TASTED. LIKE. BEER. Shocking, I know. Again, I'm no expert in beers, so I'll leave the specifics like flavor profiles and such to the pros. But to me, the Redbridge had a flavor and aroma reminiscent of American beers like Budweiser or Miller. I have tasted some of the brews that Flamenco Dad bought, and while I'm not ready to buy case upon case of Redbridge (I did like the Belgian beers more), this gluten-free beer is a great alternative. We've got a buddy who is allergic to wheat and barley (and he used to love beer), so I'm going to recommend that he try Redbridge. Who knows, maybe his beer drinking days aren't quite over yet.

Happy Father's Day

What Does She Eat, Anyway?

I got an e-mail a few days ago from a friend who is looking for some helpful hints on what to feed her son. Mara is starting her son on the GFCF diet, and thought a primer on what to look for when meal planning/shopping would be beneficial. So, I looked in my cupboards to see what's on hand, thought about what my shopping cart usually looks like, and shared my findings. Since there are other folks out there who are currently wondering what Zoe typically eats, I thought I'd post this info online.

Since I am a bit on the OCD side, I prepared a nifty little spreadsheet for Flamenco Dad to refer to while I was on vacation. As some of you are aware I am not tech savvy--the mere fact that I was able to create a spreadsheet is something of a miracle. But what should surprise no one is the fact that I can't get a screen shot of the darn thing to appear on my blog.

Breakfast
GFCF Pancakes
GFCF Cereal, cold or hot
GFCF Waffles
Hard Boiled Eggs
Fried Eggs, prepared without butter

Lunch
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Soy Cheese Sandwich
Thai Noodle Soup
Hot Dogs
Toast with Jelly
Ham Sandwich
Turkey Sandwich

Dinner
GFCF Pizza
Any Meat + one or more of the following:
Fries
Frozen or Fresh Veggies
White Rice
GFCF Pasta

Snacks
Peanut Butter & Apples
Ice Pops
GFCF Cookies
Fruit
Maya Bars
Soy Yogurt
Carrot Sticks

Note that any sandwiches are made with GFCF bread, hotdogs are served w/o bun, cereals are served with soy milk, eggs are prepared w/o butter, the Thai Noodle Soup is a variety that is without milk. Please check labels--they are extremely important.

I'm compiling a list of favorite GFCF products by category to list on my sidebar . If there is a product anybody would like to nominate for the list of favorites, please feel free to email me. I welcome input from all foodies out there, so if you've got a favorite, make your voice heard and share with the group!

Nature is a Wonderful Thing

Thought I'd post a few more photos from my trip to the mountains. As you can see, there were many beautiful views to photograph. The first two are from our visit to Blowing Rock. It's funny because the rock actually looked much larger when we saw the photos on the brochure. We kept searching for it while standing on the observation deck...

Blowing Rock, NC

The view from the observation deck was lovely, as evidenced by this photo. What we didn't realize, however, was that while we were walking towards the deck...

Blowing Rock, NC

We actually walked passed the rock, which is in the photo above. It was small enough that we could have climbed it (even me with my limited climbing abilities).

Linville Falls, NC

We also hiked at Linville Falls, which has three trails of varying levels of difficulty. Last year I was here with Flamenco Dad and the kids, and it was lovely. It was also autumn, which meant it was cooler outside. This time, I looked like a drowned rat by the time I reached the end of the trail, that's how much I was sweating. Ick. But the reward for making it to the end was so worth it.

Linville Falls, NC

Even though I was a big old sweaty mess by the time we made it to the falls, I was pretty proud of myself for not giving up. After being sick and not able to breathe this past winter, it was good to feel like I was able to push myself to get to the end.

We spent lots of time enjoying just being in the outdoors, in the company of people we love and respect. I've known my friends for almost half my life now, and I really look at these women as sisters, as well as close friends. The girls and I spent tons of time gabbing away about everything. In fact, on Saturday morning we had plans to visit another mountain, but those plans got sidetracked due to the gabfest. We sat down to breakfast and started talking, but before we realized what had happened it was already 3 p.m.! And the three of us ended up looking like prunes after more than one lengthy chat in the hot tub. Did I mention this cabin had a hot tub?

Wish You Were Here

I'm almost fully recovered from my weekend getaway with the girls. We had a fantastic time! It was the first time my girlfriends and I had gone away for a weekend in...well, ever. We're already talking about when we can schedule another getaway. There's much ground to cover, so the recap and photos will be broken up into two (or three) separate posts. On with the photos!

Blue Ridge Mountains; Blowing Rock, NC

The Blowing Rock was one of the stops on our visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Everywhere you looked, there was something beautiful to see. And considering that I live at sea level, the scenery at the higher elevation was a most welcome sight. There were miles upon miles of what appeared to be untouched mountains and trees. It took my breath away, literally and figuratively--it's tough to breath up there!

Duke University Campus

I toured the campus at Duke University for a bit while L stopped in to check on a few of her patients (although I think I would have made a darn good candy striper). Duke reminded me of what I used to imagine a college campus looked like. Love the stone buildings and the tree-lined walkways.

Stained Glass Window; Duke Univ. Chapel

Duke is home to a beautiful English Gothic inspired chapel. It has 77 stained glass windows like this one. The photo doesn't do it justice. I loved looking at the stained glass windows at church when I was a kid instead of paying attention to Father DiLorenzo(okay, I know I'm not the only kid who wasn't paying attention). Oh, and that reminds me--I'm supposed to go to confession.

Duke University Chapel

Here is the exterior of the Chapel. The portal features sculptures of some well known Christian reformers like Martin Luther, as well as Southern leaders like Thomas Jefferson. I was really blown away by how beautiful the campus at Duke was. Unfortunately I didn't have time to see more of it--we had to hit the road. It was a three hour drive up to the cabin, and we were hoping to make it before it got too dark. Well that didn't happen, but we got there just the same. More to follow...

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

My vacation starts at o'dark thirty tomorrow morning. I'll be gone before my babies wake up, so we had our good-byes this evening. Sniff, sniff--even though I know a good time is awaiting me, I'm going to miss my kids and, of course, Flamenco Dad. I'll be back here on Monday with a recap and pics. See ya!

Product Review: Sorella Bakery Biscottines

Every now and then a gluten free treat comes along that miraculously appeals to everybody in Casa de Flamenco. I think this week we hit paydirt. I visited Nature's Harvest, one of my favorite shops for gfcf food, and I stumbled upon these cookies. They're Sorella Bakery Gluten Free Biscottines (Vanilla). The company makes several varieties of these cookies, though I must be honest--I did not check the ingredients of the other flavors to confirm if the other varieties (like the chocolate ones) are casein-free as well.

I will say this; these are among the best gluten free cookies I've eaten. Ever. They have a light, airy texture. They're just crumbly enough to make them comparable to traditional biscotti. Oh, and they're fantastic with a cuppa joe. Zoe reluctantly agreed to share them with us; I'm so happy she did. Like most other premade gluten free treats, they are pricier than their traditional counterparts. But they are so worth it for a special treat every now and then. I'll be picking up more of these soon. Delizioso!

Visit www.sorellabakery.com, or check them out at your local natural foods store.

What Inspires YOU?

I'll be the first to admit that there are days when the motivation to experiment in the kitchen just escapes me. I've done very little gfcf baking this week, which has me feeling guilty--and my daughter hankering for some treats.

Today I thought I'd experiment with some muffins. It was a different recipe than I was accustomed to using (maybe not the smartest idea given my brief culinary hiatus), but I thought I'd give it a shot. I had some frozen cranberries and pecans laying around, so I put them to use with these muffins. I used a combo of sorghum, brown rice, and tapioca flours. The results? Well, they were not very sweet, but they were tasty. They reminded me of a hearty date and nut loaf I tried a while back at the health food store. Once I've finished tinkering with the ingredients a bit more I'll post the recipe. They are pretty though, and Zoe enjoyed them, as did Dad and Ayden.

I'll be cooking quite a bit over the next few days; I'm leaving Thursday for my girls' weekend, so I need to leave Flamenco Dad ready with a full arsenal of gfcf meals and goodies. That means I've got to shake off this funk I'm in and get cracking in the kitchen. When days seem long, and you don't feel like working in the kitchen, what motivates YOU?

Fun With Animals

We visited my mom and her hubby this weekend. As if there aren't enough animals on mom's property (horses, goats, sheep, and a recently rescued labrador), we decided to take the kids on a field trip to the local zoo. The kids had a blast!

Anyway, I got a little camera crazy at the park, so let's get on with the photos, shall we?

Watch as Zoe gets into a staring contest with an ostrich with an attitude:

The bunnies were oh so friendly! Also, it helped that my kids were feeding them banana chips:


This toucan was sooo ready for his closeup! After I took this shot, he proceeded to get in the way of the other toucan in the cage, to the point that I never got a clear shot of his roommate. Talk about a camera hog:

Never in my life have a seen an iguana as big as this. He also decided to ham it up for the camera. I wonder if the William Morris Agency is representing these guys:

I kept waiting for the iguana to bust out a bottle of Lubriderm lotion, but it never happened. Maybe next time.

P.S.--do any of you internets know why my text is looking all smooshed together? I can't figure it out. I know, that's not surprising given my lack of techie skills. I've given up trying to fix it today, so please forgive me if the text looks a bit wonky.

School's Out for Summer

This morning when I woke Zoe up, her first words were the following: "Summer 2007--The wait is over!!" Gee, think she's excited about school being out or what?

I decided that the best way to get through summer vacation was to develop a plan to keep the kids active, so I picked up a book called The Family Manager's Guide to Summer Survival. It was written by Kathy Peel, and it's full of great ideas to keep the wee ones from being bored, as well as help for setting goals for the summer.

What I find great about the book is that it helped me to look at the different ways I can help my children grow over the summer. Yes, we need to work on helping Zoe develop her writing and math skills; and we want to help Ayden with school readiness. But we want to also promote developing better social skills, get the kids more physically active, and get them to be more responsible around the house. And we want fun!

Tomorrow we're kicking off the summer with breakfast together as a family. I'm making gfcf waffles! (Zoe gets a kick out of that statement--she tries to say it like Donkey in Shrek). Then it's off to the library, and maybe the park. The kids want to have a guitar lesson with their dad in the afternoon--sounds like a full day already! Did I mention my kids still wake up at 6 a.m. even in the summertime?

Have You Seen This Man?

Internets, did any of you see this man on "Dancing with the Stars" last week? For those who have not seen him before, his name is Joaquin Cortes and he's a rock star in the Flamenco world. He performed on t.v. last week, and he was fantastic! Oh. My. God. This man can dance like nobody's business! And don't even get me started on the long hair. Yum.

The Special Mother

I received this via e-mail yesterday from a friend whose child was just diagnosed with Autism. I had read this essay once before, and I think other moms of special needs kids may have seen it before, but it's certainly worth sharing with all of you. If you have a friend with a special needs child, you may want to pass it along.

The Special Mother
by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit.

This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth; son. Patron saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

"Forrest, Marjorie; daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia."

"Rutledge, Carrie; twins. Patron saint, Matthew."

Finally He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," smiles God, "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it."

"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has her own world. She has to make her live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect - she has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps - "selfishness? is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word'". She will never consider a "step" ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle, and will know it!"

"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice....and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side".

"And what about her Patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid-air.

God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."

Sushi Anyone?

Yesterday Zoe and I took a trip to our favorite Asian market in search of ingredients to make our own sushi. Zoe digs sushi, particularly California roll (I know it's not technically sushi since it's not raw, but Zoe likes it--so who am I to tell her otherwise?). And I received a set of sushi making and serving materials for Christmas, so it was time to get cracking.

I already had some of the ingredients at home (sesame seeds, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, wasabi, tamari--I am the Queen of Condiments, after all), so all we needed from the market was some sushi rice, crabmeat, and the nori for rolling. I used the recipe that appears in Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook, replacing the soy sauce for a wheat-free tamari. It was easier to prepare than I thought. Initially the prospect of making sushi seemed daunting; but now that I know how to do it, we'll be making this more often. Everyone loved it, especially Zoe--who was a big help in preparing the rolls.

You Made a Mother Out of Me

Mother's Day at Casa de Flamenco was lovely from beginning to end. I woke up to find Zoe hovering over me with one gift wrapped in newspaper, and another tucked neatly in a paper sack. All the telltale signs of gifts prepared at school--some of my absolute favorite gifts to receive. This keychain was among the gifts Zoe gave to me. Zoe, Flamenco Dad, and Ayden also gifted me with several goodies I had been eyeing at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (Oh, how I love that place!). I got a stick blender, which also has a whisk and mini food-processor attachment. Also I received a kick-ass Santoku knife and bamboo cutting board. I know some folks out there wouldn't consider the kitchenware a good gift idea for a mom. After all, I'm already in the kitchen all day. But I loves me some kitchen tools. Besides, flowers won't last very long, and candy isn't really a good option right now; I am on a diet, remember?

Flamenco Dad prepared a delicious breakfast for us all, complete with his coffee. I swear, I still don't know how he and I both make coffee the same way--but his always tastes better. My sister-in-law, her husband, and their two teenage daughters came over for dinner: which we ordered in. My hubby decided that neither his mom, his sister, or I should have to cook on Mother's Day. I'm telling you, that man is a keeper.

I've already put my gifts to use. In fact, I used the stick blender/food processor to make a fantastic white bean spread, which I served with toasted bread (for the gluten eaters), and veggies (for the gluten free eaters). This recipe comes from the lovely Giada de Laurentiis of The Food Network. It's fresh, creamy, and was a great appetizer. I've got some leftover, which I'm going to use in a vegetarian sandwich.

White Bean Spread

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Have a Pizza Love

I've been a naughty, naughty blogger for the past several days, no? It's still smoky, hazy, and gross outside--and I'm a little tired of it. Okay I'm a lot tired. I've spent very little time outdoors and cabin fever is setting in. Every time I say that I think of the scene in The Shining when Shelly Duvall's character see's Jack Nicholson's manuscript, which read "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" about eleventy million times. Fortunately I haven't gone that over the edge, but I'm definitely a bit antsy.

I baked this pizza yesterday, and I'm really bummed about not being able to photograph my creation out in my yard. I love having the bright, natural light just steps away from my kitchen door--but it just is not fit for man or beast outside. Boo hoo.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Flamenco, Fire, and Smoke

We had a great show on Sunday. Lots of people showed up to the fundraiser, which hopefully means lots of money raised. I got to try out my new flamenco skirt, which my mother-in-law helped me sew. Actually, she did most of the sewing. Until we started the skirt project I hadn't even sewn a button or a hem, let alone a full skirt with three rows of ruffles. Three! This was not a beginner's project, I don't care what it said on the pattern. Whatever; the skirt turned out great, and I love the color. It's a really pretty turquiose, which looks very vibrant on stage. I'm going to have Flamenco Dad snap a few photos of me in it, which I will post as soon as they become available.

The show went very well. My husband was kind enough to volunteer his services, so he played a few flamenco pieces for the audience. He accompanied me for a dance, and I did two dances with my classmates. The ladies I dance with are twin sisters, and they did a dance called a tanguillo which was very well received. The audience was wonderful! They really enjoyed the show. In fact, a few people inquired about having us perform for other events. My husband made a few business contacts as well.

I live in what many people would say is their dream location. People LOVE Florida. However, right now we are dealing with some nasty air quality conditions. There are wildfires burning in northern parts of the state and southern Georgia, with winds sending smoke directly at us. Schools are cancelling outdoor activities with kids because of the smoke(that means no P.E. outside today). Our local news outlets are warning those with heart or lung problems, the elderly, and children to stay indoors. That means that yours truly is stuck inside, at least until tomorrow--unless it rains before then. So, I'm cooking tonight--there has been quite a lack of cooking going on here lately, hasn't there? Hopefully I'll be breathing freely and taking lovely food photos tomorrow.

I Read The News Today

Zoe gets major kudos today for a job well done. She came home and surprised us with news that she was an anchor on the school's morning program. When I was a kid, there was no such thing as a school morning show, much less one with students working on it. Our district schools have morning announcements on closed-circuit tv, and my baby got to read the news today. Great job, Zoe!