Gluten-Free Cat

Gluten-Free Cat is Moving!

2010-06-28T13:31:00.001-05:00

Blogspot was a great place to get my feet wet as I learned about the blogging world. But I will no longer be posting to this site.

Instead, you can find this blog at www.glutenfreecat.com. It's an easier address to remember, and you'll find that the site is very user-friendly.

So, bookmark www.glutenfreecat.com, add it to your blog readers, subscribe via an RSS feed, and keep following along! (It's the same old me rambling about the same things...fitness, health, life, and gluten-free living.) Thank you all for reading!

Heather
The Gluten Free Cat
(A Curious Girl in the Gluten-Free World)

It's Cherry Season!

2010-06-25T20:25:00.001-05:00

Don't you love the taste of a sweet, juicy cherry? I could eat them every day all summer long.

Cherries always make me think of summer visits with my aunt, because she always has a bowl of cherries in the refrigerator for snacking. The funny thing is that I hate cherry flavor. Maraschino cherries make me gag, sicky-sweet Dr. Pepper makes me shudder, and I remember choking down cherry-flavored cough syrup as a kid. But give me a bowl of fresh cherries in June, and I'm a happy girl.

This week we had a gluten-free guest in town, and I always get really excited about making a safe dinner for a fellow gf-er. For a few days she doesn't have to ask:

What's in this dish?

How did you prepare it?
Can I see the ingredients on the chicken marinade?
Are you sure the knife that cut the chicken wasn't the same knife that cut the bread?
Did you cut the lettuce for the salad on the same cutting board?
What's in the salad dressing?

She knows that everything in my kitchen is safe. She knows that everything I cook will not make her sick. She knows that she'll get a few treats that maybe she hasn't had in a while. And she knows that she won't have to turn down dessert.

Last night we had Elana's Cherry Blueberry Crumble. Right from the oven. Almost burning your tongue right from the oven. Almost, because the Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream from So Delicious brought the crumble to the perfect temperature.

Cherry Blueberry Crumble
from Elana's Pantry

Filling:
4 cups fresh cherries, pitted
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 T lemon juice
1 T vanilla extract
2 T arrowroot powder (I used tapioca flour.)

Topping:
2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup agave nectar

1. Place the cherries and blueberries in a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle the fruit with agave nectar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Then sprinkle with the arrowroot powder (or tapioca flour).
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, and salt.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the grapeseed oil and agave nectar.
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form the crumble, and then sprinkle it over the fruit mixture.
5. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes until bubbling. Then uncover the dish and bake for a few more minutes until the topping is golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

This is how it looked before it went in the oven.

We were so anxious to eat it that I don't have an after picture!

Thankfully, there were leftovers.

Yum.

Zucchini Bread, the Gooey Version

2010-06-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

What would you do with this?

That's what I asked the farmer at the Farmer's Market on Tuesday afternoon as I held up that funky looking squash that looked more like a UFO than a vegetable. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that our local farmers were going to set up at the market midweek, because their regular Saturday mornings are hard for us to get to with triathlon training. On a Tuesday afternoon, the Farmer's Market was a much quieter place than it is on Saturdays. There was no live music, no running children, no loud laughter and hoopla. Just a few farmers at a few stands, each with a small assortment of gorgeous vegetables. It was almost intimate, and it allowed me to ask a farmer about a strange-looking squash. I got to hear about how his daddy would only grow that kind of squash, and how one hundred years ago it's the only kind of squash that could be found around here. How do you cook it? Like any other zucchini squash.

I love summer squashes because they are so light and fresh, easy to cook, and frankly, I love the way they make your teeth squeak. After I picked up my blackberries and that one absolutely perfect tomato, I wondered what I was going to do with my zucchini. There were so many options; steaming, sauteeing, grilling... or I could make ZUCCHINI BREAD! That was an easy decision.

I used to hate zucchini squash, but I think I know why. Most of my memories of it are of well-steamed, limp, lifeless, flavorless mush that would tickle the back of my throat, triggering my gag reflex.

I must have had good zucchini in my childhood, because I know my grandfather grew it in his vegetable garden in the corner of our backyard in New York. My earliest memories of my Papa are of him bent over vegetable plants in his short-sleeved plaid cotton shirt, weeding around a zucchini vine or a tomato plant. Squatting in the garden in old black dress shoes and white socks, he cared for the plants that would eventually produce the food that would keep me at the dinner table far longer than I wanted to be there. I really hated vegetables, so I wasn't enamored with anything that Papa grew, except for the strawberries and the rhubarb that mom would make into a pie.

Papa's garden was a battlefield, and his fight was against an army of rabbits that lived in the neighborhood. They just loved to nibble the greens off the tops of his carrots when he wasn't looking. But since my grandmother had read Peter Rabbit to me at bedtime over and over and over again, I was always quietly rooting for the rabbits. Papa very much resembled Mr. McGregor as he ran after the rabbits with his arms flapping. Papa put up a fence around the garden, and the rabbits hopped over it. Papa made the fence taller, and the rabbits dug a tunnel underneath it. I thought for sure that Papa had won the battle when he buried the fence in a deep trench around the garden, but somehow the rabbits always found a way in. While Papa muttered and grumbled about nibbled leaves and stems, I giggled behind clasped hands and silently cheered for Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and of course, Peter, the boldest of them all.

I was eleven years old when I realized that I liked zucchini. We were sitting in the car at a grocery store parking lot, and I was hungry. My aunt had offered me a slice of zucchini bread, and I turned it down. Why would I want bread with vegetables in it? Aside from the pureed carrots that my aunt was feeding one of my baby cousins, that's all she had to offer. She peeled the aluminum foil off of a homemade loaf of sliced brown bread that had little green flecks of green zucchini in it. Gross. But as she nibbled at the bread, I got hungrier. As the baby finished her jar of baby food, my stomach started to grumble. Maybe it was the ravenous state that I reached, but I begrudgingly asked for a bite of zucchini bread, and to my amazement, it didn't taste like a vegetable. It was actually good! I think I asked for a second piece.

Today I wanted to make gluten-free zucchini bread, but I didn't want to make someone else's zucchini bread. I wanted to make my own. I like to experiment in the kitchen, and most of my cooking experiments turn out pretty darn good. But baking and cooking are two different things, and baking and gluten-free baking seem to be even more different. You really have to understand food chemistry to figure out how to make breads soft and light, pizza dough soft, yet flat and crispy around the edges, muffins more dense than bread, but not as heavy as hockey pucks. People have devoted a lifetime to discovering these secrets. The rest of us follow their recipes.

I came up with a recipe that I thought might work and divided the batter into two loaf pans. I added chocolate chips to one loaf. It looked beautiful on the outside, but the inside looked like this.

I had to try it while it was hot, and it tasted pretty delicious. How could I go wrong with melty chocolate? But when bread is right from the oven it's hard to tell if the center is done. Everything is mushy when it's hot. Did it just need some more time? I put it back in for 10 more minutes. I tried it again. (Yes, this is my second slice of zucchini bread.) Hmmm. Still a little gooey. Maybe it just needed to cool a little bit. I had the third slice when it cooled. Still gooey, and not just the chocolate.

The other loaf was also beautiful.

And the inside?

Soft, tasty, but gooey. (Slice four.)

Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to lighten up the bread by using applesauce instead of oil. Applesauce is gooey. Maybe, despite the fact that the toothpick came out clean, it just needed to stay in the oven longer. Maybe. How the heck am I supposed to know??? I'm a 3rd grade teacher and a fitness instructor, not a baker!

So, I made a few modifications and I tried again. I'll share this recipe, even though, the end result was similar.

Zucchini Bread

Dry Ingredients:
3 c. gluten-free flour (I used Pamela's Baking Mix.)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 c grape seed oil
1/2 c applesauce
1/4 c agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla
1 mashed banana
3 c shredded zucchini

Optional Ingredients:
1/2-1 c chocolate chips
1/4-1/2 c chopped nuts

Directions:
1. Shred zucchini with a food processor and place it in a bowl lined with a dishtowel. The towel will absorb moisture while you are preparing the batter.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, agave nectar, and mashed banana.
4. When the wet mixture is creamy, stir in the shredded zucchini.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Then add the optional chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Line two 9x5 inch loaf pans with parchment paper, and lightly coat them with cooking spray.
7. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
9. Slice and enjoy.

Makes 2 loaves of bread

And, guess what. It was still gooey.

So, I learned a lot today.
I learned how much I don't know about baking.
I learned how much I want to know about baking.
I learned that I really don't want to eat 5 slices of zucchini bread to figure out the perfect recipe each time I venture out on my own.
I learned that gooey zucchini bread really is tasty, especially when crisped up in the toaster oven.
I learned that tried and true recipes are there for a reason.
I learned that I need to learn to let some things GO.

The First Meal I Ever Cooked (With a Little Help from Betty Crocker)

2010-06-14T07:00:00.005-05:00

My favorite gluten-free blog is the first blog that I ever started reading. As the Husband always reminds me, I'm not interested in any new technology until it suddenly impacts my life. Blogs included.

I didn't care about email until I realized that I could instantly communicate with Sally, who was living in Japan, for free using my graduate school email account.

I didn't care about cell phones until my car was pulled into a ditch by icy, snowy roads in Buffalo.

I didn't care about the internet until I saw that there were teaching resources out there that others were just willing to share.

I didn't care about iPods until I learned that I could take my entire music library to the gym and teach a spin class with one.

And I didn't care about blogs until I finished Shauna Ahern's book Gluten-Free Girl, and I just wanted more. Finishing a great book always seems to leave me feeling sad and lonely, because I have to say goodbye to the characters who have become my friends. When I found out that Shauna's story would continue through this thing called a "blog", I just had to check it out.

Since then I've been enjoying her recipes, trying gluten-free products she recommends, and soaking up inspiration through her passionate writing. Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef is a must read if you love food, gluten-free living, and life in general.

Today, Shauna has challenged those of us with food blogs to post about our memories of the first food we ever cooked as kids. (And if you're wondering, this challenge came via Twitter, another communication tool at which I used to roll my eyes!)

Almost instantly I remembered a children's cookbook that I used to have, but I couldn't remember the name of it. Within seconds of Googling, this picture flashed up onto my screen and the memories came rushing back.

Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls was written in 1957, and I loved that book. As an eight-year old, I loved just looking at the pictures and reading recipes for wonderful foods like Pigs in a Blanket, Sloppy Joes, Ice Cream Cone Cakes, and Black Cat Cookies. I believe the first food I ever made came out of this cook book.

It was the French Toast recipe with these simple directions:

With beater blend 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Cut in half 6 slices stale bread.
Heat frying pan or griddle moderately hot. Grease with butter or bacon fat.
Pick up bread on fork, by half-slices. Dip both sides into egg mixture and put on hot frying pan or griddle.
Brown on both sides, turning with pancake turner.
Serve hot with syrup or jelly.

The directions were simple, and I'm sure the french toast was incredible. How could it not be? Of course, I had no idea that I shouldn't be eating bread with gluten. But apparently we had a lot to learn since the recipe calls for bacon fat and stale bread. Yum.

I have no idea what happened to my old Betty Crocker cookbook, but in 2003 they reproduced the 1957 version with the same pictures and recipes. So I can have a piece of my childhood back through Amazon for only $11.53! Oh, technology, how I love you.

Now it's your turn. What was the first food you cooked as a child?

Gluten-Free Granola

2010-06-13T14:03:00.000-05:00

Growing up, there was just one kind of granola in our home. It came in a box like this.

And only the grownups ate it. The unattractive brown box, the 100% natural claim, and the highly-persuasive Quaker man didn't exactly market to kids. Kids who had health-conscious parents ate Life, Cheerios, and Kix, unless we slept over at a friend's house. Then we were introduced to the evils of Captain Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Fruit Loops, and Frosted Flakes. Oh, how I loved Tony the Tiger.

Today there are many granola options available, most of which contain gluten, because their oats are not made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. I have found a few gluten-free granolas that I enjoy, but as with many gluten-free products, the high cost of $5-7 a bag prevents it from being on my weekly shopping list.

As does the high calorie count.

Yesterday, Karen commented on my peaches post saying that she lived on vanilla yogurt, peaches, and granola last summer. That just sounded so good, and so much better than my cottage cheese and peaches snack. Sometimes my low-fat mindset limits my food choices to the unimaginative. I couldn't get yogurt and granola off my mind.

And since I've been on a kick of trying new things and making things I'd normally buy, I now had my Sunday challenge. Of course, my granola would be gluten-free, and I did want to try to make it a little less fattening and less sweet than the commercial brands. There are tons of recipes to peruse online, and peruse I did. I learned that you can put whatever you want in your batch. You start with rolled oats as your base, add whatever nuts and seeds you'd like, and then you need a little something sweet and a little something wet to hold it all together. I opted for agave nectar as my sweetener, which is low on the glycemic index, and applesauce to keep it moist but cut down on the amount of oil needed.

It sure was pretty.

And tasty.

Granola Gluten-Free

Dry Ingredients:
5 cups gluten-free rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill.)
2 cups of chopped raw almonds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup golden flaxseeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used an organic brand that included pureed berries.)
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla
2 T canola oil

Fruit:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Then stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Spoon the mixture onto two jelly roll pans and bake at 300 for 35-40 minutes. Set the timer every 5-10 minutes and stir the granola, rotating the pans between the top and bottom oven racks to prevent burning or clumping.
5. When it reaches a golden brown color, cool the granola on the pans and add the dried fruit.
6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 12 cups

Thanks to Karen, I had a delicious yogurt and granola lunch.

I have a feeling that granola will be topping our protein shakes, cereal, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream... for weeks to come.

How do you like your granola?

Too Hot to Cook?

2010-06-12T17:30:00.001-05:00

It's 92 degrees in Nashville with a heat index of 100. I'm not cooking today. My morning was spent swimming laps and biking 20 miles as the numbers on the thermometer quickly rose to uncomfortable. Thankfully, my afternoon was spent in a cool movie theater with a friend. But tonight, there will be no cooking.

The first truly hot day of summer made this the perfect day for something that I've been waiting for all year.

The first peach of summer.

As a Californian, I am a summer fruit kind of girl. Apples, grapes, and bananas get me through the winter, but as soon as summer hits, I'm ready for peaches, plums, apricots, berries, and nectarines. To me, nothing screams summer like a juicy peach that sends sweet nectar running from your fist to the crook in your elbow.

Here's a healthy, naturally gluten-free snack to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Summer Peaches and Cottage Cheese

1-2 scoops of cottage cheese
1 sliced peach
fresh mint leaves
1/2 T. sliced almonds

You can even turn it into a dessert by using ice cream instead of cottage cheese. Now that's a sweet way to celebrate summer.

Enjoy and stay cool.

Try Something New Today: Rosemary Almond Flour Crackers

2010-06-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

Something has happened to me in the past few years. I'm trying things I never even would have considered trying years ago. I've taken on interests that used to seem dull to me. I've run five half marathons now, and I used to HATE running! I was the girl at the back of the pack being hollered at by the PE coach. I'm learning to bake and cook. I used to believe that food was just fuel and the more convenient that fuel the better. Make it quick, get it in, and move on. Now I'm experimenting in the kitchen, playing with flavors and textures, and learning to cook vegetables that I didn't even know existed. I'm training for my first triathlon. I never thought I'd have the physical strength and stamina for something like this or the desire to push myself to new limits. Am I growing up, or am I just seeing that there is a world of possibilities out there?

I remember watching Martha Stewart when I was home sick one morning, and she made cough drops. Seriously? Feeling absolutely horrible, I thought, "Who in the world would take the time to make their own cough drops? If I need a cough drop I'm going to buy a bag of them at the store for $0.99. I have better things to do with my time."

I still don't think I'll ever make cough drops, but I tried something new last night that was a stretch for me. Here's a sentence that I never thought would exit these lips.

I made my own crackers.

I really did! And it was easy. Super easy.

Crackers are definitely something that I'd just run to the store to buy. Crackers aren't a main staple in my diet. Being gluten-intolerant, I have my go-to brands like Glutino, Nut Thins, and Mary's Gone Crackers.

And I love that Costco now carries the gluten-free multigrain crackers. But, let's face it. Even when crackers are used as an appetizer, they aren't the focus of the hors d'oeuvres. The focus is on whatever we top them with -- rich cheeses; tomatoes and olives; hummus; cream cheese, honey, and pecans. The topping ideas are endless, and they take center stage, not the cracker. The cracker is typically just a shovel to the mouth.

But these crackers are all about -- the cracker. Sure, you can top them with anything you'd like, but the best thing about these babies is that they stand alone.

I never would have tried something like this without the direction of Elana from Elana's Pantry. I started with her almond flour recipe, added some flaxseeds, because I just love them, and I substituted egg whites for a whole egg, because someone got a free carton of organic, cage-free eggs that I paid for at the grocery store. Grrr.

Rosemary Almond Flour Crackers

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c. almond flour
3 T. egg whites
1 T. olive oil
2 T. finely chopped rosemary
4 tsp golden flaxseeds
1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Combine the almond flour, rosemary, flaxseeds, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix them together well with a wooden spoon. Then form the dough into one large ball.
4. Place the ball on a sheet of parchment paper, place another sheet on top of the ball, and roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and slide the bottom piece with the cracker dough onto a cookie sheet.
5. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares with a thin blade or pizza cutter. Use a thin spatula to create a little separation between the crackers on the cookie sheet.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep checking them, looking for a golden color with slightly crispy edges.
7. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 30 minutes on the sheet before serving.

This recipe made 16 crackers.

Of course, I burned my tongue because I had to try a hot cracker!

Delicious, delicious, delicious! And now that I have a base recipe for gluten-free crackers, think of all the experimenting I have ahead! How would chives taste in this cracker? Maybe a little garlic? Sundried tomatoes? Mmmmmm...a few sprinkles of parmesan cheese? The possibilities are endless.

The possibilities are endless for you too. What new things are you going to try this weekend?

FiddleCakes and Friendship on Friday

2010-06-08T15:44:00.000-05:00

You know that FiddleCakes, located on 8th Avenue South, is one of my favorite gluten-free spots in Nashville. Okay, it's not ONE of my favorites. It IS my favorite. Not only can I order any sandwich off their menu on delicious gluten-free bread, but I can enjoy gluten-free treats like cookies, muffins, and cupcakes. I can even special order specialty items like cakes for special occasions or even ordinary days that call out for a little celebration.

Sadly, FiddleCakes isn't located in my neck of the woods, so I'm resigned to visiting on weekends and vacation days. But thankfully, the summertime is top heavy on the vacation days thanks to the school teacher's calendar! So I get to visit my little slice of Heaven in Nashville a little more frequently. On Friday, my sweet friend, Andrea, and I had a Girl Day -- lunch, pedicures, and shopping. What better way to start Girl Day than at FiddleCakes?

Owners, Tasha and Lindsay, have done a fantastic job of turning this quaint little house into a European-style cafe or bakery complete with welcoming nooks where you can sit and enjoy their delicacies. When I see the rocking chairs on the front porch, it takes me back to my grandmother's porch with the wide, squeaky floorboards and the porch swing. Images of molasses cookies and homemade baked bread flood my memory. Suddenly, FiddleCakes' front porch is my new happy place where I can sip coffee and enjoy a gluten-free cranberry muffin in my sentimental reverie.

They've added some new picnic tables out front, but I haven't yet dined alfresco. It was a pretty hot summer afternoon, so Andrea and I opted for indoor seating.

You might too if you found seating that looked like this.

FiddleCakes isn't just a memory jogger, it's becoming a memory maker for me. I remember the exact table where I was sitting my very first time at FiddleCakes. I was bouncing and smiling ridiculously as I anticipated the arrival of a completely safe, gluten-free lunch. It wouldn't be an iceburg lettuce salad with plain boiled chicken and olive oil. It wouldn't be a regular menu item with all of the good stuff stripped off to make it gluten-free. This would be a sandwich, a bowl of soup, and a dessert ordered AS IS like any other normal person. Gluten-intolerant folks rarely experience such a normal pleasure!

I can remember sitting at this bar after completing a 10-mile training run in the pouring down rain with Andrea. FiddleCakes makes great, healthy recovery food for the meat eaters and vegans alike. After running 10 miles, calories just don't count. Sure, I'll have the Triple Chocolate Threat Cookie. (You HAVE to try them.)

I remember the time I sat in this corner with old friends from out of town. We picked up right where we left off, laughed about our early married years together, cried about hard times we went through including the death of a young husband and close friend. We shared our dreams for the future. And this was all over food. Delicious food that weds the heart and the senses to an experience that I'll never forget.

Friendship is sweet. But just like adding a sprinkle of sugar and a splash of cream to a cup of hot coffee, good food enriches the friendship experience.

I wasn't the only one making memories on Friday. Unknown to me at the time, Friday was also the 80th birthday of my friend, Gail's mother. Gail's mom is also gluten-intolerant, and I've raved about FiddleCakes to anyone who will listen, but especially to those that I know would truly appreciate their extensive gluten-free offerings. Gail had her first FiddleCakes experience earlier in the day, just hours before I arrived. And when I got home later that afternoon, I received the following message from her.

"My mom's 80th birthday party is today, and I went to FiddleCakes to get her a birthday cake, a few loaves of gluten-free bread, and lunch. She had the gluten-free ham sandwich with brie and the quinoa salad. I also had the quinoa salad, and it was DELICIOUS! The gluten-free red velvet cake was awesome, and she was so thrilled to be able to eat cake and bread! Thank you for recommending them. The women at FiddleCakes were so excited to be a part of her 80th birthday celebration. They were so helpful. Then when I got to Mom's she showed me today's paper, and there was a big article about FiddleCakes! I haven't had time to read it yet, but Mom was so excited to find out that there was a place that really catered to people who require gluten-free food. What a special treat for someone whose health greatly depends on eating gluten-free. I'm sure you understand."

Yes, I understand. I understand completely. That's what makes FiddleCakes such a special place.

On Friday's perfect Girl Day I had the Standard on gluten-free bread. There's nothing "standard" about this sandwich. Grilled chicken, provolone, spinach, roasted red peppers, and veganaise. Who would ever know that it was gluten-free? Because their grill is used for non-gluten-free food, they were willing to toast the sandwich on top of aluminum foil to avoid cross-contamination.

Just look at this happy girl with a mouthful of yum.

If you ever visit FiddleCakes without choosing a dessert, you have far more willpower than I do.

You know about my love affair with bakery display cases.

And while nothing in this case is gluten-free, it gets my senses ready. What I've really come for is in the back, well-protected from stray, gluteny crumbs. I've never actually been in the back, but I envision a special case lined with gold and sparkling jewels with a sign that says, "Precious Gluten-Free Treats". And I believe music plays when they slide open the glass doors to retrieve my selection.

You have to look at the menu board to choose your gluten-free treats. Have you ever seen this many gluten-free options at a bakery? It's so hard to choose just one! (Always order something for the road as well.)

Friday was definitely a cookie day. This is an Are-You-Serious-That-This-Is-Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Cookie. I still have no idea how they get their cookies to rise and stay so plump. They're beautiful as well as delicious.

It was the perfect ending to a great lunch and a perfect start to Girl Day with Andrea. The next time you need a special place for a special day, or if your ordinary day needs a twist of happiness or a splash of pleasure, where are you going for lunch?

Why Follow This Blog?

2010-06-06T17:02:00.000-05:00

I am humbled by the number of people who send me comments on Facebook, stop me at church or school to mention my blog, refer to my posts before my YMCA classes, or tell me over the phone or via email, Facebook, or Twitter that they read what I've written. Wow!

I thank you.

I started blogging because I'm a writer. I've always loved writing, but as an elementary school teacher, my passion became to inspire 8 and 9-year-olds to LOVE writing. If I can't write for a living, maybe I can inspire a few who will. MY personal writing has be relegated to the proverbial "back burner" as I've pursued my teaching and fitness careers. Thankfully, with today's technology, I don't have to write my thoughts, send them to a publisher, and wait for 8 months to receive a letter saying that they won't be publishing my writings at this time. Today, anyone can publish. That gives me the courage to write. But to whom?

This spring, I've written about things that I'm passionate about through this pubic forum. It all started as a private blog, but I've opened it up to Facebook friends, and now to the rest of you who either live gluten-free or love fitness and healthy living. I don't have anything to sell; I'm just excited about sharing my experiences with anyone who's willing to listen. I publish as "Dusty Whiskers", because I am Mama Kitty to two amazing little black cats, but in this day and age you have to protect yourself from ridiculous things like identity fraud. Most of you know who I am anyway...

More importantly, I want to talk to you. I want to hear what you think. I want to hear your thoughts about my posts, ideas, recipes, product and restaurant endorsements, and experiences. I want to hear from you. I want to know how you've tweaked my recipes, how I could improve mine. I want to know where some of your inspirations come from so I can be inspired too. I want to know what fitness endeavors your taking on. Let's talk!

And also, writers need feedback. Yeah, we're needy. The poor Husband has to deal with my complaints that I only have X number of followers. I can't tell you how excited I was when I had my first follower who wasn't required by genetic code to follow my blog. (Thank you, Mark!)

Also, because I want this to be a place of dialogue between people who want to discuss health and fitness. I don't want this to be a place where I post my thoughts to the air. I want this to be YOUR forum as well. What do YOU want to share? Do you agree with my ideas? Do you have others to share with me?

And, I'll admit it, because I'm a needy writer-girl. Yes, that's me. As soon as I hit the "publish" button, I start imagining those who will actually read my post. I can always count on Karen to respond immediately. As my college roommie and fitness aficionado, I know she understands my purpose and my neediness. But, in utter transparency, I confess that I check HOURLY for blog comments. I'm in desperate need of affirmation!

Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for responding via Facebook and email about my posts. But if you're willing to sign up to officially "follow" this blog (and/or the gluten-free cat fitness blog), I'd LOVE it. All it takes is registering and signing in when you want to engage in dialogue. (And of COURSE you can sign in as WHOEVER you want. "Dusty Whiskers" is already taken.)

Regardless, thank you for reading. I love you all.

9 Fruits - Healthy, Delicious Fast Food

2010-06-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

You all know that smoothies are a staple in my diet. For years, I've relied on my trusty Vita-Mix to whip up a quick breakfast as I'm running out the door, blend a pre-run smoothie to fuel me for a long run, create a post-workout recovery drink after teaching a strength class, and recently, to make green smoothies so I can reap the nutritional benefits of my organic CSA veggies when I don't have time to cook.

My freezer is always stocked with frozen strawberries and mixed fruit from Costco. But I also freeze my own fresh fruits just before they start showing signs that their days of being "fresh" are limited. Black spots on a banana bunch scream, "Freeze me!" Smoothies can be an incredibly healthy alternative to fast food when there isn't time to have a sit-down meal.

But what do you do when you are out and about and don't have time to go home and blend?

We used to go to Smoothie King, because in Nashville it was our only option. I missed the Southern California juice bars and smoothie shops and wished that Nashville would expand their horizons! Smoothie King was always a stressful place for me, but it was a necessary evil when flying from a fitness class to an evening event. I had already packed breakfast, lunch, and snacks for my busy day. Packing dinner too would have put me over the edge.

My first issue was gluten. It's always gluten. I had to give the guy behind the counter a quick lesson in Gluten 101, make sure that he thoroughly washed his blender, watch that he didn't put any glutenous syrups or powders into my smoothie, and repeat my order three times to make sure that my smoothie was made to strict specifications. I was a nightmare customer, I'm sure. But I've learned that being over cautious results in fewer I-can't-get-out-of-bed-because-I-didn't-want-to-be-a-pain gluten-contamination days.

My second issue was that there were very limited fruits or even foods in their natural state that were put into the smoothie. The first time I saw the water and ice base and watched as scoops of powders and squirts of syrups were added to the blender, I went a little OCD on the poor smoothie-maker. "What did you just put in there???" Milk? "Powdered milk?" Yep. (Did you know that powdered milk has oxysterols, which leads to the thickening of the walls of your arteries?) "And what was that red squirt?" Strawberry? "Strawberries don't squirt! I thought I'd ordered a smoothie with real strawberries!" He added a small scoop of frozen red balls. "Wait! What was that brown squirt?" Vanilla. "Is it gluten-free vanilla?" Of course, he wouldn't know. To be on the safe side I asked him to make the smoothie again without the vanilla.

My third issue was the overall calorie count and percentages of fat, carbohydrate, and protein in almost EVERY smoothie on the menu. I did find one smoothie that matched my nutritional needs, if I ordered it without the extra sugar and honey. (Why does ANYONE need to add sugar to a smoothie anyway? Isn't fruit naturally sweet enough?) My purpose here isn't to defame Smoothie King. I'm glad I had the option when I needed them. I'm just thankful that I now have an alternative that meets my nutritional requirements. It's part of my story.

And then I found 9 Fruits. (Can you hear the movie music?)

On my first visit to 9 Fruits I wasn't going to order anything. I was prepared to ask 800 questions in order to find out if it would be safe for me to drink their smoothies in the future. Kevin, co-owner of 9 Fruits, caught me off-guard by first, having more than a clue about gluten, second, assuring me that all of their products except for the granola were gluten-free, third, offering that they always use real fruit and 100% pure fruit juice, and fourth, by being an all-around pleasant person to talk to.

Seriously? I was speechless. His smoothies sounded like the ones I make at home. I had to taste one. I watched as Kevin peeled a fresh banana before my eyes.

I saw the carton of Coconut Milk that he poured into the Vita-Mix. No mystery powders there. When I questioned Kevin about the fat content of the coconut milk he brought the SO Delicious carton to me so that I could see the nutritional specs. An avid label-reader, I knew exactly what to look for. And he was right. We all need some good fats, and coconut milk has the perfect amount of medium-chain fatty acids which our bodies process quickly for energy. With my hyper-sensitive girl fat issues and my ever-important need for energy, this was a fantastic, healthy, non-dairy option.

Then there was the fruit. Oh, the fruit. Right there, in the cold display case. Shiny, colorful, REAL fruit. Do you see anything squirtable in there?

Nope. Just REAL fruit -- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango, melon, peaches, pineapple -- and 100% fruit juice. How refreshing.

One smoothie was all it took. I was hooked. I now have a go-to place to get a safe, healthy, gluten-free smoothie that I believe in.

And speaking of beliefs, why do you think they call their shop 9 Fruits? The 9 Fruits website gives a great answer:

'Well, it stands for the 9 “fruits of the spirit” in the Bible. These “fruits” are positive character traits: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. We’ve dedicated our business to seeing lives transformed by sharing our two-fold message of physical and spiritual health.'

Although Generosity is not one of the fruits of the spirit, 9 Fruits has also donated free smoothies and discount coupons to my fitness participants during special events.

Today, I had the Peach Flamingo. Here she is, whirling in that beautiful Vita-Mix. (Do you know that my Vita-Mix is 10 years old and still works great? I replaced a canister two years ago, but since we use it at least once a day, it was time. Don't be scared off by the $400 investment. It's well worth the money. Isn't your health worth at least eleven cents a day? Or, you could just go to 9 Fruits. I'm sure a few of our housemates would have loved it if we had the extra sound buffer though! Right, Brit?)

If you have to hit the canister to get the smoothie out, you know it's filled with thick, delicious fruit.

The Peach Flamingo

Take it on the run, or sit and enjoy your smoothie at 9 Fruits. Since I'm constantly on the move, I usually take mine to go. But standing at the counter talking to Kevin while he makes my smoothie makes me feel like I've had a quick sit-down meal with a friend. If you have time to spare, there are tables and a window bar where you can hang out. Today there was a table of men having a business meeting, high schoolers sipping smoothies at the bar, and a couple who looked like they had just come from the gym and were looking for that perfect recovery smoothie. Kevin was happy to point them in the right direction.

As for me, my Peach Flamingo didn't last very long, and my empty sat in my cup holder next to the remains of last night's dinner, a Balanced Berry.

Thankfully, 9 Fruits has a frequent buyer reward. The next one's on Kevin.

Have you tried 9 Fruits yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

Memorial Day Veggie Burger Challenge

2010-06-01T14:55:00.003-05:00

Most of you know that I love a good challenge. That's why I love Melissa's Hot Yoga challenge, training for events, and trying new things. I'm always asking myself: How fast can I run? How heavy can I lift? How far can I push myself? How good is my best? Being born with drive can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse. Because you could always run faster. You could always have lifted more. You might be able to push harder. But is all that striving worth the effort? If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well. In the physical realm, it's also a race against time. Inevitably, we won't be able to push harder, run further, go faster. Eighty-year-olds don't win marathons. Priorities have a way of changing. That's just a part of growing up, maturing, and hopefully gaining wisdom.

On Memorial Day, I was faced with a challenge, but it wasn't a physical challenge (thankfully). It was a culinary challenge. Late Saturday evening, the Husband had a grand idea. Let's have a Memorial Day barbecue and invite anyone who might not have plans. We NEVER have Memorial Day plans, so we thought there might be a few other people out there who might enjoy a last minute invitation to a barbecue hosted by someone who loves to cook. Knowing that we had commitments for most of the day on Sunday, I knew I'd just committed to cooking for 24 hours, but that was all part of the challenge. The other part of the challenge...

What do you think of when you envision a barbecue? Hot dogs with ketchup and mustard, hamburgers topped with lettuce and tomato? Marinated steaks and chicken slathered in barbecue sauce? Maybe beef and chicken kabobs or possibly even ribs? I'm sure your picture is a carnivore's heaven. Unless you're a vegetarian.

Funny, the majority of the guests on our invite list were known vegetarians. But it was Memorial Day, and we have a beautiful deck and a Weber grill. We had to grill out.

The Challenge: Could I make gluten-free veggie burgers that would hold together on a grill, satisfy my vegetarian friends, and create enough visual appeal to make even my carnivorous friends curious enough to try them?

The Husband and I had a late dinner on Sunday night with two different kinds of veggie burgers. I'd never made veggie burgers before, aside from opening a box of Bocca Burgers and popping them in the toaster oven, and there was no way that I was going to present my vegetarian friends with untested recipes. "But you always try new recipes when we have guests," the Husband reminded me. Although I love the confidence that he has in me, this time I needed a trial run.

With a little googling, and modifications based on the inventory of my cupboards, I came up with two great veggie burgers.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 small chopped green bell pepper

- 1/2 cup chopped red onion

- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 egg

- 1 T. chili powder

- 1 T. cumin

- 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce

- 1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs

- grapeseed oil

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil with grapeseed oil.

2. In a food processor, finely chop the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then add the black beans. Pulse until the mixture is well-mixed, but chunky.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

4. Combine the egg mixture with the bean mixture. Then stir in the bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together, and divide it into 6 patties.

5. Turn the grill down to medium heat, place the patties on the greased foil, and grill them for about 6 minutes on each side.

These black bean burgers looked just like beef burgers. They were a little flatter, but one of our vegetarian guests asked me if they were the veggie burgers just to be sure. They are also spicy. Not just a little bit spicy, but REALLY spicy. If you prefer a milder burger, you may want to omit or lighten up on the chili garlic sauce.

The next burger had a completely different taste and consistency. It actually held together better than the black bean burger and had a light, summery flavor. I'd equate this burger with a light turkey burger. It was delicious with avocado, lettuce, tomato, and brocco sprouts.

Summer Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:

2 cans of chic peas

4 eggs

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 small onion

zest of one lemon

1 cup of brocco sprouts

1 cup of gluten-free breadcrumbs

grapeseed oil

Directions:

1. Combine the garbanzos, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the consistency is thick and slightly chunky.

2. Pour the bean mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, lemon zest, and sprouts.

3. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let it sit for a couple of minutes so that the breadcrumbs can absorb the moisture.

4. Make about 12 patties, place them on piece of aluminum foil coated with grapeseed oil, and preheat the grill on high heat.

5. Turn the grill down to medium and place the burgers on the grill. Flip the patties after 5 minutes. Cook the second side for about 7 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

I LOVED these burgers. Two of my non-vegetarian friends enjoyed them as well. My favorite sight of the evening was that of a double-decker carni-veggie burger created by a meat-eating friend. That said it all.

My challenge was successful! The vegetarians were happy, grilling was easy, and a few carnivores had a pleasant surprise. And I'm glad there are leftovers.

Do you like a challenge? What challenges you?

The Way to His Heart

2010-05-30T18:02:00.000-05:00

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. For the most part, my man could exist on protein shakes, bananas, and bowls of cereal. He'll enjoy an incredible meal that I make, but he'd rather spend time with me than enjoy the taste of the results of my three hours of cooking in the kitchen. So the way to his heart is definitely not through his stomach.

But I did learn, early on, that one of the ways to his heart was through chocolate chip cookie dough. Not chocolate chip cookies. Just the dough.

The Husband and I met at the very beginning of our freshman year of college. At the time, I had no idea what cooking or baking was about. And I also had no idea that I was gluten intolerant. The only cookie that I'd ever made from scratch was chocolate chip cookies using the Tollhouse recipe from the back of the Nestle chocolate chip package.

Well, I was quite smitten by a certain Man living in the dorm next door. So, I signed out my dorm kitchen for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon, made a batch of chocolate chip cookies for him, and sent the warm cookies up to his floor in a brown shipping box. Apparently, this certain Man wasn't the only one who enjoyed the aromatic package. I think half the floor wanted to date me after tasting those cookies. Maybe I ran out of baking time, maybe it was the fact that he kept a roll of frozen cookie dough in his dorm fridge, maybe it was that I knew his favorite ice cream was Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, or maybe it was just fate. But I also sent up a little extra cookie dough in a baggie.

Apparently, for the Husband-In-Training, cookie dough is the way to a man's heart.

Most women smack their husband's hands when they dip into the cookie batter. We just have an understanding. He gets the dough. I get the cookies. Win-win.

Last month, glutenfreegoddess posted a recipe for chocolate chip cookies using quinoa. I was instantly intrigued as quinoa is one of my staples. I use whole quinoa for side salads. I use quinoa flakes for a delicious hot cereal breakfast, but I've never used quinoa to make cookies. It was time to change that. I modified her recipe slightly, and I was really happy with the results. So was the Husband.

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from glutenfreegoddess

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the following dry ingredients:

3/4 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
1/2 cup Organic Quinoa Flour

1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 2/3 cups organic light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large measuring cup blend:

2/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Kahlua (definitely MY addition)

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until you get a thick, sticky batter. Then beat in two large eggs. Finally, stir in 1 cup of dark chocolate chips.

Cover and chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper. Now for the fun part.

I used a melon baller to get cute little uniform balls of dough, but you can roll spoonfuls of the dough between your hands to form the little balls. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and press down to flatten them slightly. (I placed the dough on the first batch too closely together and got a lovely cookie mass. These were quickly designated the Husband's cookies. He was happy to help.)

Place the pan in the center of a 350 degree oven and bake until they are golden in the center and brown around the edges - about 11-12 minutes. (GFG's recipe called for 21-22 minutes, but my cookies were ready much earlier.) Allow the cookies to sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Don't they look amazing?

They taste even better. If you happen to have any left after 24 hours, I recommend freezing them.

Whether you like the dough or the cookies better, this recipe is a keeper. Enjoy!

Loving Vegetarian Food...and Cake

2010-05-23T07:34:00.007-05:00

I am not a vegetarian, but I've had some great vegetarian experiences this week, both in my kitchen and out. I love animals, and I believe that they should be treated well. But I am not opposed to eating meat or animal products. I just think that we should be aware of where our food comes from and support those who provide animal products from hormone-free, well-cared for animals.

This was the last week of school, so there was very little cooking in the Whiskers' home. There was a lot of blending.

The one night that I did cook, I made a vegetarian meal. I was surprised at how time efficient it was. Chopping and cooking a package of tofu is much faster than dealing with slimy chicken breasts.

I had one more CSA veggie in the fridge and decided to make an Asian dish. Pak Choi is a Chinese green with a mustardy, spicy flavor. It's tender spoon-shaped leaves sit atop celery-like stalks. Chopped up, it makes for a delicious stirfry, and I was craving orange.

Asian Orange Tofu Stirfry

Stir Fry Ingredients:
1 head of pak choi
1 small head of broccoli
8 oz package of extra firm tofu
1 bell pepper
1 T grapeseed oil

Orange Sauce:
3/4 c water
1 T orange juice
2 T lemon juice
2 1/2 T gf soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T orange zest
1 1/2 T minced ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
dash of cayanne pepper
1 T cornstarch
1 T water

1. Make the sauce first, and then set it aside. In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, combine all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. Once the sauce boils, turn off the heat and let it sit.

2. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until it's smooth. Set it aside.

3. Heat the oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add tofu, fry for 5 minutes, and remove it from the pan. Place the vegetables in the pan, fry for a minute or two, and then add the orange sauce. Return the tofu to the veggie mix along with the cornstarch slurry. Cook for a a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Serve over brown rice. Who needs takeout?

This recipe definitely gets printed and filed in the over-stuffed recipe box. Thanks, Wheat Free Meat Free for the orange sauce recipe. It's perfect.

This week the Husband happened to be in East Nashville and remembered my post about Aunt April's Bakery as he saw The Wild Cow. April supplies The Wild Cow, a vegan restaurant with an extensive gluten-free menu, with their gluten-free bread and assorted yummy desserts. Because I have the best husband in the universe, he stopped in to pick up a slice of April's gluten-free Chocolate Heaven Cake for me. Considering that this was the last week of school, coming home to chocolate cake was an incredible treat. Kitchen happy dance moment.

This cake was beautiful.

This cake was moist and light.

This cake was...wait!!! Now, I trust my husband implicitly, so I'm not sure why I had to ask this. It just sort of popped out of my mouth after I recovered from the first delicious bite. "Are you sure this is Aprils' gluten-free cake?" There wasn't anything about this cake that said, "I'm gluten-free." The texture was perfect. The plate didn't weigh five pounds. The cake itself was light and airy. The frosting. Oh, the frosting. Excuse me while I take a moment here...

Yes, of course it was April's gluten-free cake. Of course, the Husband peppered the poor Wild Cow employee with questions about the cake, gluten, and cross-contamination issues.

The cake didn't last long. I'm lucky to have this picture.

On Saturday, I had vegetarian experience number two. We actually went to The Wild Cow for lunch. I loved that I got an entire laminated menu of gluten-free meals. No little star designating the three items on the menu that could be made gluten-free if I requested modifications. This menu was covered with options from front to back!

I highly recommend the Prince Fielder on April's gluten-free flax bread - marinated and grilled tempeh, avocado, tomato, sprouts, cucumbers, shredded carrots, onions, Vegenaise, and spicy mustard. Even the Husband ordered his sandwich on April's bread.

And the cold quinoa salad was fantastic. The dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and parsley made the quinoa taste like a picnic at the park.

So, am I becoming a vegetarian? No. But I have to say I sure felt clean and satisfied after my vegetarian experiences this week. There's just something about eating food from the earth that makes you feel alive and healthy. Now that school is out, maybe it's time for some vegetarian experimenting.

What are your favorite vegetarian meals?

Greens for Breakfast?

2010-05-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

Would you eat this for breakfast?

I just lost half of you, didn't I. (Brittney, you were gone when you saw the picture!)

I didn't mean raw.

If these greens look like the weeds in your front yard, you're on to something. They definitely resemble dandelion weeds, but they are not true dandelions. They are Italian Dandelion Greens.

So, would you eat them for breakfast?

I do not like green eggs and ham,
I do not like them Sam I Am.

But, seriously, what if they turned out like this?

This year, we've received so many greens from our CSA that were new to us, and my challenge has been to figure what to do with them while they were still fresh.

Of course, my default is to throw them in the Vita-Mix and make a green smoothie. But I'm trying to be a little more creative.

And I think we're all just a little bit healthier as a result.

Today I made an Italian Frittata, and I was inspired by two things:

1. The Italian Dandelion greens in the picture above.

2. The amazing looking muffin from Aunt April's Bakery that definitely needed a protein counterpart.

The frittata was quite easy to make. Here's my simple little recipe:

Italian Frittata

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of egg whites
2 whole eggs
1 clove of garlic
1 bunch of green onions sliced
1 bunch of Italian Dandelion Greens
2 tsps grapeseed oil
1/8 cup of shredded parmesan, asiago, and romano cheese blend
1 medium tomato sliced
fresh oregano leaves

1. Heat an 8-10 inch pan on medium and cook minced garlic and sliced green onions in grapeseed oil. After 1-2 minutes add chopped Italian Dandelion Greens and saute until they are soft.

2. Whisk together the egg white and whole eggs and pour them over the greens.

3. Sprinkle the cheese over the egg mixture and place tomato slices over the top in a circular pattern. Why? Because it's pretty.

4. Sprinkle fresh oregano on top.

5. As the edges cook, tilt the pan and gently lift the egg away from the side of the pan with a spatula allowing the liquid to run underneath the cooked egg. After about five minutes, if you're lucky enough to have a mom who got you a great frittata pan for Christmas, place the second pan with interlocking handles over the top and flip the frittata. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 3-5 minutes. (If you're working with a single cast-iron pan, put it in the oven at 400 until the frittata is firm.)

6. When you lift the lid it may just look something like this:

Slice into wedges and serve.

Green Eggs and Ham? Definitely not. I couldn't even taste the dandelion greens. Cooked with all of the other ingredients everything just tasted delicious.

Now for that blueberry muffin...or the part that I didn't inhale.

Yesterday, I introduced you to my new friend, April, owner of Aunt April's Bakery, the only 100% gluten-free bakery in Nashville. Besides being gluten-free, most of April's creations are dairy and soy free as well. She uses as much local produce as possible and strives to use ingredients without any major allergens. And if you have a special dietary need, April is willing to work with you to find something that you will enjoy. "If it can bring a little normalcy to someone's life, that brings satisfaction to me," she explained.

Those of us who have food allergies pass up muffins at brunches, in restaurants, over coffee. So we go a little crazy when we find a muffin that we can actually eat. Sometimes the gluten-free muffin isn't even great, but at least we've had a muffin. But then to taste a muffin as light and fluffy as April's is quite a treat. It would make April so happy to know that I floated around the kitchen in muffin reverie after my first bite.

Marcy didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about.

Thanks, Bountiful Blessings CSA and Aunt April's Bakery for inspiring a great breakfast. Thanks, Dr. Seuss for teaching us that eating greens for breakfast is a good thing.

Another Gluten-Free Bakery in Nashville!

2010-05-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl I was enamored with bakeries. Visiting corner bakeries with their glass-front cases bursting with jelly-filled donuts, muffins, cookies, brownies, scones, and fresh rolls was a rare treat, but that was only one of the reasons that bakeries were so special to me. Another reason is that I got to make a choice. I could choose any treat in the entire bakery case. Did I want chocolate or vanilla? Cream-filled or jelly-filled. Oooh, and what kind of frosting should I have, and would I choose sprinkles? Chocolate or rainbow? Once the decision was made, we'd walk out with sticky fingers and powdered sugar mustaches while nibbling on the best baked good in the entire store.

For those of us who are gluten-intolerant, bakeries are a thing of the past. Bakeries are now store fronts that initially bring back fond memories, but then they're followed by the disappointing reality that we will never enjoy a bakery again. Because if we at even a crumb of the sweet treats held within, we'd be sick for days, some of us weeks or even months.

There are several well-known gluten-free bakeries that have popped up within the last few years, but most of them are in large cities.

When my mom and I were in Chicago, we hunted down Swirlz Cupcakes because we heard that they made a different gluten-free option every day. After following the maps app on my iPhone through the streets of the city, we finally found it, and it was well worth the effort.

This is the picture that I took through the glass display case.

My 8-year-old niece didn't seem to miss the gluten.

When we're in New York City I always have to stop at Risotteria. Not only do I enjoy the chance to eat gluten-free pizza and breadsticks, but I get to linger at the display case wondering how many of the delicacies I can reasonably fit in my carry-on.

This cupcake didn't even make it out the door. And, no, I don't want to split it. Get your own.
New York City has another gluten-free vegan bakery called BabyCakes, but I haven't made it there yet. But just clicking on that link will send your blood sugar through the roof as the sweets craving rushes through your veins.

Well, Nashville, we no longer have to fly to Chicago or NYC to find a gluten-free bakery. We have not one, but TWO of them right here in our little city!

You know I'm a huge fan of FiddleCakes. In fact, the Whiskers Family likes to think that we keep them in business. The last time the Husband stopped in for his favorite peanut butter chocolate chip cookie there was someone new working behind the counter. When he asked if he'd ever been to FiddleCakes before, one of the owners beat him to his answer. "Oh, he's a regular."

This weekend I met a new friend named April. April is the owner of Aunt April's Bakery, Nashville's only completely gluten-free bakery, and I'm so excited to introduce her to you.

Many of you know April's baked goods because you buy them when you stop in at Matteo's for gluten-free pizza. The first time you saw her basket of goodies on the counter you were shocked that single servings of gluten-free cookies and brownies existed! Providing a safe, delicious, convenient dessert for you brings April so much joy. When she went gluten-free three and a half years ago, she realized that if she wanted a treat she had to bake an entire batch of cookies or a whole pan of brownies herself. There wasn't anyplace where she could just pick up a simple cookie. It was her husband who suggested that April start her own gluten-free bakery for that very reason. "I'm trying to help people with that convenience," April explained.

Some of you have ordered sandwiches on April's incredible gluten-free Flaxseed Bread at The Wild Cow in East Nashville. Ordering a sandwich in a restaurant like a normal person is a gluten-free person's dream. I've not yet been to The Wild Cow, but April did bring me a loaf of her bread to try. Take a look at this beauty!

You've seen pictures of MY bread attempts, so you can really appreciate this! Not only was it gorgeous, but it sliced like real bread.

It handled the weight of my sandwich fillings -- yummy Salsalito turkey, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.

And it even passed the gravity test.

But, best of all, it was delicious. It was so good that the Husband said, "I think this is the best gluten-free bread I've ever had." After another bite, he changed his mind. "No, I think this is the best bread I've ever had."

Even Marcy needed to know what we were so excited about.

You can also find April's products at Yolos Restaurant in Green Hills and The Green Wagon East.

Aunt April's Bakery does not yet have a storefront, but that's not slowing April down. She's baking and making deliveries all week long. You can even place an order by contacting April directly.

I have more to share about April and her amazing baked goods, but it will have to wait for another day. Time for an evening treat.

Now, where did I put April's gluten-free chocolate chip cookies? Oh, that Husband!

Faith, Hope, and a Whole Lotta Love

2010-05-16T17:59:00.002-05:00

I do not have a green thumb. That's why we only have one plant in our entire house. Herman. He was a housewarming gift from a very dear friend, and he has to be the hardiest plant on the planet, because he's lasted through seven years of sporadic watering, only one repotting, and plenty of cat pawing and biting. Poor Herman.

But in the spring, my thumbs take on a light green hue as I start dreaming of crisp lettuce salads with a sprinkling of fresh herbs. It's herb garden planting time.

With a merry heart, I was off to Lowe's. I was faced with potential flavors. I caressed leaves, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply. So many choices, so little room on my deck! I had my list of must-have herbs and tried to stay focused.

Once my cart was full of the required supplies, I could barely steer the cart. I wondered how in the world I was going to heave those bags of Miracle Grow into my truck. I know the bags look small in the picture, but they had to have weighed fifty pounds each. I managed the first two on my own, and as I was catching my breath and staring at that third bag wondering if my glutes or back would give out first, a man jumped out of his car. "Let me get that for you."

If he had asked, "Do you need help with that?" my pride would have answered for me. Thankfully, he didn't wait for my response and muscled that last bag into the truck.

I wonder how it feels to be someone's hero of the day.

So after a morning of some serious lifting, scrubbing, digging, planting, sweeping, washing, and sweating, I have hope.

I have hope that this basil will grow to spice up Thai stirfrys. That the pesto that I make will bring out the flavor of grilled swordfish on a hot summer night. That everyone who eats a salad in my home this will get a flavorful surprise when they find that hidden basil leaf amongst the other greens.

I have hope that there will be homemade salsa with that happy zing of cilantro. That there will be scooping and laughing, sharing meals and sharing stories.

I have hope that parsley will liven up an ordinary sandwich. That a sprinkling will freshen up a pot of brown rice or quinoa. That salads will sparkle and casseroles will giggle.

I have hope that there will be thyme-rubbed steaks and pizza with fresh oregano. That sauces will simmer and marinades will do their magic.

I have hope that there will be cool refreshment. That mint leaves will grace a scoop of vanilla ice cream with fresh raspberries. That they will float between the ice cubes in a glass of iced tea.

But I also have faith. Faith that God will use these feet to go where He would have me go. Faith that he'll use these hands to make things for those He brings my way. Faith that I will grow this summer in ways I might not have planned. Faith that these little plants will have a greater purpose.

This summer I'll be pruning and picking, watering and training.
But growing an herb garden takes more than just work.

It takes hope.

It takes faith.

And it takes a whole lotta love.

But isn't that what life is all about?

Hot Poppin' Sesame Seeds!

2010-05-13T21:17:00.006-05:00

Cooking in the Whiskers' household is always done under the watchful eye of Marcy. Her usual perch is on top of the refrigerator where she lays like a lioness, draping an arm over the door.

But tonight she wisely chose to observe a little further away from the stove. The upright piano is high enough for her to see over the counter, yet far enough from the flying sesame seeds.

Do you know what this is? It was my challenge for the night.

Tokyo Bekana. It's an Asian green. (Duh...Tokyo?) I'd never heard of it until we joined the CSA. At first I thought it was another bunch of leaves to toss in a salad, but it has quite a bitter taste. So I followed a tip from our farmer and decided to cook this one.

I figured that a dish of Asian greens had to have an Asian flavor, so after a little online research I knew that I couldn't go wrong with sesame, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.

You could use the following recipe to cook any Asian green, but I highly recommend the Tokyo Bekana. (I'm making myself laugh as I type about this obscure vegetable like I have more than one night of experience with it!)

Hot Poppin' Tokyo Bekana

2 T sesame oil
2 T sesame seeds
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 small pieces of chopped ginger
Mounds of Tokyo Bekana
2 T gluten-free soy sauce
1 T brown rice vinegar

In a wok, warm the sesame oil on medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir until you are overwhelmed with the nutty fragrance, the seeds darken, and you wish you had a spring roll.

Next, add the garlic and ginger, but watch out! The sesame seeds freaked out and flew out of the pan in all directions when I added the garlic and ginger. This was quite a surprise to me, but I persevered through the stings, and I stirred, yelped, and danced in front of the stove. All the while, Marcy watched.

After a minute, add greens by the handful, cooking them down. In 3-5 minutes they will still be a beautiful, light, spring green, and the stems should still be crunchy.

I served the greens with plain quinoa. The nutty taste complimented the Asian flavor of the greens, and it was especially delicious drizzled with leftover saute sauce.

I'd love to tell you that, in addition to learning about a new vegetable, figuring out how to cook it, and being amazed that I actually had all of the ingredients I needed in my kitchen, I also served Asian-flavored salmon with a orange, soy, honey marinade. Mmmm. Doesn't that good?

Maybe next time. We settled for leftover salmon that had been frozen for such a night as this.

Remember, this is crunch week. Six days of school to go.

So, the next time you're in the produce section of your local grocery store, pick up a bunch of Tokyo Bekana. Ha! Good luck with that one.

Seriously, have any of you seen this before?

What Does CSA Day Mean?

2010-05-12T06:33:00.000-05:00

It means getting a half bushel of the freshest greens I've ever tasted.

It means finding new greens and wondering what to do with them. What am I going to do with Italian Dandelion Greens?

It means we're having salad for dinner. It will be better than any restaurant salad, not because of the distracting toppings, but because of the goodness and richness of each tender leaf.

It means finding a new way to enjoy the last turnips of this season. Pureed Turnip and Potato Soup tasted of home.

It means strawberries for dessert. Not strawberry pie, not strawberry shortcake, and not strawberries dipped in chocolate either. Just strawberries that taste like sunshine and the sweetness of life.

It means using my senses. Feeling the tender leaves. Hearing the crunch of stalks as I chop. Smelling the richness of God's creation. Marveling at the array of color that comes from the ground. And tasting, tasting, tasting.

Pureed Turnip and Potato Soup

5 medium turnips
1 cup turnip greens sliced into strips
1 large potato
2 T unsalted butter
1 medium onion chopped
1 bunch of green onions sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 qt of vegetable stock
sea salt and white pepper to season

1. Chop turnips into 1 inch pieces. Peel potato and chop into 1 inch pieces.
2. Heat butter on medium-low in a soup pan and add minced garlic, chopped onion, and turnips. Cook, stirring continuously until onions are tender.
3. Add white wine, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. Smell that!
4. Pour the vegetable stock in the soup pot and add potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to pierce.
5. Remove soup from the stove and ladle into a blender or Vita-Mix. Puree in small batches and return puree to the soup pot.
6. Saute turnip greens and green onions for 2 minutes. Then add them to the soup.
7. Season with sea salt and white pepper.

Taste. Savor. Enjoy.

Everyone Loves Bread

2010-05-10T20:27:00.002-05:00

Everyone loves bread, especially when it's homemade. Every once in a while I hear someone turn down a dessert because they don't enjoy chocolate. That's pretty shocking, but I've never come across anyone who's said, "No, thank you, I don't care for bread." It's just unheard of. If they turn down light, steamy dinner rolls with a crunchy crust, they're either lying or they're on a low-carb diet.

So, when we first hear the news that we must be gluten-free for the rest of our lives, bread is the first thing that we mourn.

Five years ago, in order to bake a really good loaf of gluten-free bread, you had to buy 5-6 different obscure and high-priced flours, spend an entire afternoon in the kitchen, and hope and pray that the bread didn't come out of the oven resembling or weighing a brick.

We've come a long way since then. And while it may be a lot of fun to experiment and bake breads with a variety of flours, the realities of life can cut kitchen time down to a bare minimum. Scoop it, pour it, spread it, and inhale it.

Today, we have "go to mixes" for those weeks when we just need a loaf of bread in the fridge for sandwiches. One of my favorites is Gluten Free Pantry's French Bread and Pizza Mix. It's incredibly easy to make and is available at Whole Foods and most major grocery stores.

The mix has directions for using a bread machine, but I always prefer using the oven. It brings back memories of baking bread with my grandma. Grandma always used one large loaf pan, and she had two tiny loaf pans that she would entrust to my brother and me. After a few hours of kneading, rolling, rising, and baking, we each had our very own mini-loaf. We could hardly wait for it to cool before cutting a tiny slice. We'd watch with wonder as the pat of butter melted into a golden pool.

Grandma didn't have a Kitchen Aid. Grandma was also the most patient woman I'll ever know. She wasn't flying around the kitchen attending to five different things at once. No matter what she was doing, that job, or that person, received her full attention.

Today, the Kitchen Aid gets the kneading done quickly, but it takes away the joy of sticky fingers, flour up to the elbows, and the satisfaction that you can only get by working with your hands.

The Gluten-Free Pantry dough needs to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes. Plenty of time for multi-taskers to check a few more items off the to-do list.

Now, isn't that is a beautiful loaf of bread? Gluten-Free Pantry really knows how to make a great mix.

Some mixes don't turn out as well. Here's an example of a bread mix (which shall remain nameless) that had a mind of its own.

I still have no idea what went wrong with this one, but it sure made for a good laugh (and really huge sandwiches).

Summer vacation is just around the corner, and I look forward to having time to putter in the kitchen, mix up a variety flours, add a little twist here and there, and open the oven door with hope and anticipation.

But for now, the Whisker's Family is in survival mode. Ten days of school filled with final projects, report cards, awards ceremonies, cum records, celebrations, field day, and packing up a classroom are ahead.

So, we are very thankful for good quick mixes.

What gluten-free bread mixes do you use?

New Home for Dusty Whiskers

2010-05-07T19:31:00.001-05:00

Yes, this is still Dusty Whisker's Blog. As the blog has taken on a life of it's own, I've decided to change the title, as well as the URL, to make it a little more accessible. Thanks for following me to my new home.

The Secret to Gluten-Free Living

2010-05-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

When people find out that I can't eat wheat, their eyes fill with pity, and they make comments like, "Oh, you poor thing. That must be so hard. I'm so sorry." Well, I'm not sorry at all. I love living gluten free. Yes, it's challenging. Yes, sometimes I wish I could just grab a bagel off the table at a luncheon. Yes, sometimes I'd love to order a meal at a restaurant without putting the waiter through an inquisition. But that's just sometimes.

Most days, I love it. But it didn't start out that way.

Five years ago, my mother told me that I should be tested for a gluten intolerance, because she tested positive, and there was a great possibility that I was also gluten intolerant. Gluten intolerance is genetic, and she carried the gene. Of course, my tests were positive, and I was instantly crushed. I went through the list of all of my favorite foods -- cereals, muffins, crusty breads, pizza, pasta, bagels, cookies, pies, brownies... I mourned that I'd never be able to enjoy them again.

Diagnosed family members pointed me in the right direction, shared their favorite recipes, and gave me lists of red flag words to look for on ingredient labels. Armed with my lists, I went to the grocery store to look at the ingredients in my favorite products. I was stunned by how many products, like soy sauce, listed wheat as a main ingredient. And then there were products that contained hidden gluten. One by one, I placed them back on the shelf as I found words like flavorings, modified food starch, malt, seasonings, HVP, and MSG, all which could contain gluten. I cried. I literally cried as I walked down the aisles, frustrated, defeated, and hungry. I was going to be hungry for the rest of my life.

Being gluten-intolerant forced me to get the junk out of my diet. For dinner, instead of adding Hamburger Helper to ground beef, I learned to cut up an onion and throw in a few diced peppers and tomatoes. My staple lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pretzels changed to brown rice, chicken, and veggies. And instead of Cheerios and milk for breakfast, protein shakes with milk, strawberries, and bananas became a morning treat. I found that most of the foods that I had to eliminate from my diet should actually have been eliminated long ago, because they were junk! And the changes that I was making were changes for the better.

Don't get me wrong, eating gluten-free doesn't mean that you are going to eat healthily. Within my first month I found out that M&Ms were gluten-free. Eating M&Ms by the fistful isn't exactly healthy. And there are a lot of gluten-free products out there that are made with even more sugar and fat than the wheat version. I was astonished to find gluten free cookies with twice the number of calories as a wheat cookie. And then there's the "oh my gosh, I actually found a muffin that tastes like the real thing" euphoria that quickly turns to frenetically devouring the entire container of muffins because you've been deprived for so long.

Today, gluten-free options are becoming more and more prevalent, and the quality of the products are improving both in taste and quality. It's been a long time in coming. So, you don't have to devour the entire plate of gluten-free brownies, because Whole Foods has their own Gluten-Free Bakehouse brand just a quick drive across town. You can stock up on mixes from The Cravings Place and quickly whip up a batch of cookies, muffins, or cupcakes to sooth a sweet tooth. One of my favorite sweet treats is Laura's Wholesome Junk Food (Better Brownie Bite-lettes). We are no longer living without.

I've found the secret to living gluten free. Enjoy naturally gluten-free foods like fruits, vegetables, potatoes, lean meats, rice, and nuts. And I mean enjoy them. Savor the flavor of a summer peach. Feel comfort in the fall from a butternut squash and apple soup. Grill a burger and top it with avocado and goat cheese. (With such rich flavors you won't even miss the bun.) Then experiment with some new grains like quinoa, buckwheat, montina, and teff. You might find that you like the nutty, earthy flavors better than that of wheat. Try some of your old favorite recipes using a gluten-free all-purpose flour. And find a few gluten-free treats so that you don't feel deprived. It's actually rather simple. Get the junk out, bring the wholesome food in, and allow yourself occasional treats. Even those who are not gluten intolerant will be much better off following that tip.

So, don't feel sorry for me. I'm not deprived. Living gluten-free hasn't just helped me eat healthier, it has expanded my world of food. There's my secret. Feel free to spread it.

When the Floodwaters Rise, Stirfry

2010-05-03T12:11:00.022-05:00

If you haven't turned on the news lately, Nashville is in a state of emergency. We've had 13.75 inches of rain, 9 fatalities, and over 600 water rescues. We've been cooped up for three days watching the deluge, rivers flowing just beyond our property line, as well as images on the TV and internet such as these.

I was on my way home from a church event when the water levels on the road started to get scary. Tornado sirens were sounding all around me. I was thankful that the Husband traded cars with me that morning. The Jeep's big beefy tires kept me anchored to the road.

Thankfully I made it home before the major flooding started.

This is the YMCA where I teach classes. Behind the building is the running path where I do most of my training.

This intersection is just miles away from our home.

Thankfully our home is built into a hill, so our yard only suffered a little pooling, but flooding all around prevented us from getting out.

So, what's a girl to do with a refrigerator filled with CSA veggies,

a brand new birthday gift from the Husband,

and time on her hands?

Stir-fry!

When your county is in a state of emergency, it's not a good idea to run out to the store for missing ingredients. So, I had to get a little creative. I placed all of my veggies on the counter and started grouping them. Which flavors would go together? This is what I came up with.

1. Golden Beet and Greens Stir-fry

Have you ever tried a golden beet? They don't bleed like red beets, they have a subtle sweetness, and they are a good source of potassium. The beet greens are actually more nutritious than the beets themselves as they contain twice the potassium. They're also exceptionally high in beta carotene and folic acid.

Beets, beet greens, and swiss chard sauteed in grapeseed oil with garlic and caramelized onions was not only delicious and nutritious, it was beautiful.

I asked the Husband to describe the taste. He said it tastes like stir-fried vegetables. Thanks.

When I asked him to focus on the golden beets he said, "It has a bouquet of beet, a distinct nose of beet, and an aftertaste of beetiness." Again, thanks.

2. Turnip and Greens Stir-fry
I don't think I'd ever had a turnip before joining the CSA. I'd seen the white and purple roots and passed them by. But Hakurei Turnips are a delight. They are perfectly round and pearly white. They are mild enough to eat raw or sliced on salads, but we've had a lot of salads lately, so into the stir-fry they went.

I started with the same minced garlic and caramelized onions combination, but this time I added some balsamic vinegar, green onions, turnip greens, and spinach. Tangy, sweet, and scrumptious.

3. Ginger Carrot and Mizuna Stir-fry
What is Mizuna? It's a tender, crisp, deep green Asian lettuce with jagged edges that tastes mild yet tangy. It is often found in mesclun mixes and is used in salads, soups, and stir-fries. I would have loved to have used fresh ginger root for this stir-fry, but flood waters made a run to the grocery store seem frivolous, especially when ordered by police to stay home. Thankfully, I had some bottled ginger in the fridge.

I sauteed chopped ginger, minced garlic, and onion in grapeseed oil, added carrots until al dente, and then piled on mounds of mizuna the last minute of cooking. The mizuna quickly cooked down to about a quarter of the size.

Sweet, sweet, sweet. The natural sugar in the caramelized onions and carrots mixed beautifully with ginger and fresh garlic.

It was a wet day. It was a creative food day. The house smells spectacular. We are well fed.

And we are thankful. We're thankful to be safe and dry. We are thankful for fresh, organic food. We are thankful for our farmers. We are thankful for the stir-fry meals that we'll be enjoying for the next three weeks.

Our prayers are with those who are still being rescued from the flood waters and those who are cleaning up the devastating damage.

Strawberries Day 2: Shortcake

2010-04-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

I accomplished my goal. We didn't lose a single precious strawberry. I did end up freezing one of the six pints from our CSA, but I know we'll enjoy those in a few weeks blended in smoothies.

After looking through various gluten-free recipes for strawberry pies, crepes, cobblers, and cakes, I decided that I had to go with the traditional strawberry shortcake for dessert tonight.

Recipes for gluten-free shortcakes were not hard to find, but Elana Amsterdam's almond flour Classic Drop Biscuit recipe looked so simple. And simplicity is important after a long day. Plus, every recipe I've tried from her cookbook has been a hit. Oh, and I do still have about 18 pounds of almond flour in my refrigerator. So this was an easy decision.

Strawberry Shortcake

Classic Drop Biscuits
(from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook)

2 1/2 c blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c grapeseed oil
1/4 c agave nectar
1 large eggs
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients and then stir them into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Drop the batter in scant 1/4 cups 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

I sliced three pints of strawberries, lightly dusted them with sugar, and then I actually made my own whipped cream. Yes, Cool Whip Girl has grown up. The Kitchen Aid worked extremely hard whipping the heavy cream. All I had to do was add a dash of vanilla and a few teaspoons of powdered sugar.

The biscuits were gorgeous.

I split the them in half, and after suffering from shock that the two pieces didn't crumble to bits, as many other gluten-free baked goods do, I layered the shortcake, strawberries, and whipped cream until my creation was almost too gorgeous to eat.

Almost.

The Husband and the Housemate decided that they would split this serving. But I had a sneaking suspicion that they would eventually decide to split a second one.

I was right.

I'm glad that I have plenty of ideas for our next delivery of strawberries from our CSA as we'll get six more pints in May!

Strawberries Day 1: The Challenge

2010-04-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

I picked up my half share of CSA strawberries yesterday. After excitedly bouncing up and down in the parking lot, marveling at their natural beauty, romanticizing about my farmers from Bountiful Blessings who lovingly picked six pints of berries just for me, I came back to reality. What was I going to do with all of these strawberries?

So I went to the deep pool of wisdom. Facebook.

Now, the Husband is very anti-Facebook, but he's a purest. He thinks it's ridiculous that I have 160 "friends". If I considered the true definition of "friend" he'd be right. I would definitely have a much shorter list, but the concept of "friendship" on Facebook is more loosely defined. I've enjoyed reconnecting with friends from the past, going a little deeper with people that I see for snippets of time throughout my week, and chatting weekly with people that I'd rarely get to communicate with otherwise.

Yes, so to my Facebook Friends I went with my deep question.

What are your favorite things to do with strawberries?

AnnMarie: "If they are as good as you are making them sound, EAT THEM just by themselves. Put your feet up and savor!!!"

Did you notice that there are only five pints in the picture above? I'm surprised that they made it home.

Becky: "I like them in plain yogurt or on top of cereal!"

Breakfast this morning was gluten-free Corn Chex with strawberries and milk. It was a sweet taste of the summer to come before running out the door to teach.

Courtney: "Cut them up on a spinach salad with cucumbers (if I'm feeling healthy), dip them in chocolate if I'm not."

Spinach salad. Of course! Why didn't I think of that? We had Strawberry Spinach Salad for dinner tonight.
Spinach, strawberries, red onion, avocado, feta cheese, pine nuts, and Briannas Blush Wine Vinaigrette. Recipe? Layer it and make it pretty.

And if I'd had any chocolate, a decadent dessert would have followed.

Karen: "Freezer jam. Put them on dutch babies. Eat them hand over fist."

I'm going to have to do a little research on this. The jam part, that is. I'm pretty proficient at the hand over fist method.

Brittney: "Collin make a mean strawberry crepe drizzled with chocolate as well as a YUMMY shortcake. You'd have to figure out a way to make them gluten free, but I know that is part of the fun for you! Oh, and what about margaritas? Duh!"

Oh my, two absolutely amazing options. There has to be a way to make gluten-free crepes. And I don't think I could make strawberry margaritas without sharing them with Britney and Collin! Oh, wait, maybe I could try.

Sue: "Shortcake. My mom's favorite."

Shortcake is one of my mom's favorites too! But my mom made strawberry shortcake with real whipped cream. I'm talking about the whipped cream that comes from a tub, not a carton. Cool Whip. I was quite disappointed the first time I had what others called "real whipped cream" to find out that it was flavorless whipped up milk. Ick. When the the first ingredients in Cool Whip are water, corn syrup, and HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, and not a single mention of dairy, I'd definitely turn my nose up at it today. But who knew better in the 70's?

Gail gave me one of my favorite responses. "A farmer's truck full of manure broke down in front of a mental institution.
Resident shouts through the fence, "What ya gonna do with that stuff anyway?"
Farmer: "Spread it on my strawberries."
Resident: "I know we're crazy here, but we put whipped cream on our strawberries." -Jan Karon, "Light From Heaven" [Mitford series]

So, my Facebook Friends came through for me. I've received some great suggestions, and I have a few ideas of my own. But now it's a race against the clock. How many strawberry treats can I make before the strawberries go bad?

I'll have to let you know.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-04-24T16:37:00.000-05:00

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…” Although I love roses and kittens, I have a few other favorite things that make me smile even more. And I got to experience four of these favorite things this morning.

1. Fun

Today I got to participate in the Country Music Half Marathon! Live music, excitement in the air, cheering crowds, strangers yelling encouragement, over 30,000 people focused on crossing the finish line... What could be more fun? My biggest fan, the Husband, traipsed all over town to document this fun.

We were under the threat of an impending tornado warning, which actually prevented some participants from finishing the Full Marathon, but standing in our corral with 1,000 other nervous runners, the temperature was perfect, and the forecasted rain hadn’t yet begun.

2. Friendship

Friendship just makes this life sweeter. And this year I got to run with my friend, Andrea. We’ve been friends for over ten years. We’ve taught school together, laughed ‘til we cried, found amazing deals at the mall, prayed for each other, traveled to New York City, and now, we’ve run a Half Marathon together. It was her first Half, she was still recovering from strep throat, but that girl did it! She finished all 13.1 miles, and I couldn’t be more proud. We committed to finishing together. We didn’t care how long it took, how scary the weather forecast was, how many hills we might have to walk. We were conquering this thing together. Running by her side was an honor.

3. Fitness

I’m so thankful for my ability to practice fitness every day. I love teaching my fitness classes, training for events, and encouraging others to try things that they never thought they could do. God gave us amazing bodies that are capable of more than we know.

Sometimes those bodies say, “Hey, that’s enough. I need a break. Not this season.” Sometimes they say, “Bring it on. Give me one more mile. Push harder!” And when they speak, we need to listen.

The Husband listened this year after painful IT-band issues, and I could see it in his eyes starting at 5:30 this morning. He was chomping at the bit at the start line, salivating as he jogged along next to us snapping pictures at mile 4., and riddled with angst as he cheered us on at mile 8 ½. But when he surprised us on the final stretch at mile 12, I just saw love and pride on his face. Yes, he wanted to be running this race with us. But this was a different race, and he was there for us. I love that man.

4. Food

Nutrition is a key component of an endurance event. So I started the day with my power breakfast. This smoothie is the perfect combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat, and because it’s blended, it’s easy to digest right before a run.

Pre-Race Smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 T. peanut butter

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

ice cubes

Toss in the Vita-Mix, and you have quick, delicious fuel for the miles ahead.

After the race, we stopped at FiddleCakes (definitely one of my favorite things), because they gave out free cookies to anyone who ran the Country Music event today. Sweet recovery treat! Thank you, Tasha and Lindsay!

And then the grand finale. Gluten-free pancakes for lunch. I rarely make pancakes, probably because they instantly spike my blood sugar, I eat way too many, and then I regret it. But after running a Half Marathon you deserve a few extra calories.

Today I used Elana Amesterdam’s Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook and tried her pancakes.

Pancakes with Almond Flour

2 large eggs

¼ cup agave nectar

1 T vanilla extract

¼ cup water

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 T arrowroot powder

1 T grapeseed oil

I used my trusty Vita-Mix (for the second time today) to blend the eggs, agave nectar, vanilla, and water for 1 minute on high. Then I added the dry ingredients and blended until smooth. I heated the grapeseed oil in a large skillet on medium-low heat and then poured about 1-2 tablespoons of batter in the pan for each pancake. The outside of the pancakes browned much faster than the inside cooked, so it was challenging to tell if the pancakes were done. Elana says to “cook until small bubbles form on the top of each pancake; when the bubbles begin to open, flip…” Mine didn’t get bubbles. Maybe my pan was too hot.

Regardless, they were delicious. The Husband said that these pancakes were even better than “real” pancakes. (I bristle at gluten-free not being “real”. But what should we call the gluteny alternative?) They were nutty, light, and incredibly tasty. And despite the fact that I enjoy drenching my pancakes in maple syrup, I did not feel the spike in blood sugar that I’d normally feel with pancakes made with other flours. Have I mentioned that I’m loving baking with almond flour?

So, it was a fantastic morning, filled with a few of my favorite things. The rain (which didn’t start until mile 12) is coming down in buckets, I’m clean and warm on my couch, I have incredible memories, my tummy is happy, and I think I’m ready for a mid-afternoon… (You thought I was going to say “nap”. Ha! Silly friends.)

Running Traditions

2010-04-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

I've run the Country Music Half Marathon four years in a row, and this Saturday will be year five. Hopefully. Running the Half has been a yearly tradition that is filled with hard work, pain, joy, and anxiety. The Husband has been my running partner every year, another tradition that I love. A tradition that I don't love is the fact that just before the race, something usually goes wrong. That's just part of the game. We're already anxious about achieving a goal, but little things start becoming big things. Walking on uneven pavement makes me worry about twisting an ankle and ruining months of training. Tripping on a step would have just been embarrassing a few weeks ago, but now it's a major event. Did I just pull something? Walking past a sniffling, coughing child freaks me out. I can't catch a cold this close to race day.

Year one, I had EVERYTHING to worry about. Would I be able to run 13.1 miles? Where would the portapotties be? Was I the only one entering this race who wasn't a true runner? What if I had to walk? Thankfully, nothing went wrong. We finished with a respectable 2:10:48. It took me about 30 seconds after crossing the finish line to tell the Husband that I couldn't wait to run again next year.

Year two, the Husband and I trained faster. And nothing went wrong until mile two of the actual event. We made a major rookie mistake and went out way too fast. So, from mile 2 to 11 I was plagued with a stabbing side ache that wouldn't quit. It was the most miserable 9 miles of my life. And to top it off, the Husband and I got in a fight at mile 11. I wanted him to go on without me so that I wouldn't ruin his race. The ever dutiful Husband pledged to stay with me as I limped along holding my side. He FINALLY listened and ran ahead so that I could walk off the stitch guilt-free. Amazingly, I still finished in 2:00:03! I was thrilled with the huge improvement over last year, but the Husband finished in under 2 hours. Without me. I was jealous.

Year three, the tradition started even earlier. Two weeks before the race I was logging a five mile training run after school. There was no warning. One minute I was running along happily bouncing through the playlist on my iPod. The next minute I was stumbling as shots of pain reduced my stride to a hobble. I thought I was done. That's the year I met Josh Renkens. Believe it or not, after Josh's fine work, kinesio tape (affectionately called "heebie- jeebie" tape by the Husband), and a whole lot of prayer, I was able to start the race not knowing how much of it I'd be able to finish. Every mile was a gift. The family came to town that year, so Mom's cell phone number was written on the back of my race number just in case I had to call for an emergency ride to the finish line. I was thrilled to finish with a respectable 2:04:31.

Year four, the Husband and I trained harder and faster than ever. He made me run 400s in the dark every Wednesday morning for 12 weeks. I hated Wednesdays. Monday and Tuesday of every week were filled with anxiety because I knew that 400s were right around the corner. I whined, I complained, I cried, I said some not so nice things. But I wanted that under two hour time, even if I could just achieve 1:59:59... That year we finished in 1:55:33. Oh, it felt so good. I even thanked the Husband for the 400s.

Year five, the Husband and I decided to train for the full marathon. We trained through the coldest winter Tennessee has had in a very long time. Outside. We trained up to 12 miles. Outside. And we both got injured months before the event. We healed, we tried again, we got reinjured. The full marathon was not going to happen this year. But running the Half was just not nearly as exciting as the prospect of completing the full, and there was no way we were going to start training for speed again on injured legs to beat the 1:55 of last year.

And then there was Andrea. My sweet friend decided to run the Half and needed some company for her long runs. It has been a blessing to train with her all spring.

But, the tradition lives on.

The race is in four days. We're in the danger zone. Anything could go wrong. Today, it did. Andrea came down with a sore throat and fever. That's enough to knock anyone out for several days. But to endure the fever, recover, and then go out and run a half marathon is going to be quite a feat.

So, we are holding on to hope. We're praying for a quick recovery. It's all a part of the game we call "running". I just hope we win this time.

Olive-Rosemary Bread

2010-04-19T20:44:00.000-05:00

I haven't been very adventurous with baking gluten-free breads as I'm not a fan of yeast. (Actually, yeast isn't a fan of me.) Most yeast-free, gluten-free bread slices either fall apart, which defeats the purpose of bread for sandwich-lovers, or they are dense enough to double as a doorstop. I do enjoy the texture and taste of Anna's Gluten and Yeast-Free Bread Mix, but it was time to stretch my wings.

For the past few months, I've been experimenting with baking with almond flour. Every single recipe I've tried has been a great success. This recipe is straight from Elana Amsterdam's Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. The loaf was beautiful, it was delicious, and no one knew it was gluten-free.

Olive-Rosemary Bread

3/4 cup creamy almond butter
2 T olive oil
3 large eggs
1 T agave nectar
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary

In a large bowl, mix the almond butter and olive oil with a mixer until smooth. Then blend in the eggs and agave nectar. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. Blend the almond flour mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, then fold in the olives and rosemary. (Black kalamata olives would have been much prettier, but true to form, I didn't decide to make this bread until the last minute before guests were arriving. Green olives were available and still quite tasty.) Pour the batter into a greased 7x3-inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven. Let the bread cool in the pan for an hour before serving.

I've spread this bread with goat cheese and served it with a salmon dinner. Amazing. I've used it to make sandwiches, giving an ordinary turkey sandwich a gourmet flair. And I just defrosted and toasted a piece as an evening snack. Yum.

I haven't been able to find blanched almond flour locally, so I ordered from Honeyville. Sadly, my hero, Bob doesn't make his almond flour fine enough for Elana's recipes. I'll forgive him this one.

Napping is for Cats...and Other Normal People

2010-04-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

I don't nap. I have never napped well. I have never slept particularly well either. As a child, I dreaded the announcement of bedtime. Going to bed without feeling sleepy, just because the clock struck 8:00, was torture. I wasn't sleepy at night, so why would I want to sleep in the middle of the day?

When I was a toddler, my mother took me to the pediatrician and burst into tears. "She never sleeps!" The doctor ordered my mother to install a lock on the outside of my bedroom door, lock me in the room for a few hours in the afternoon, and take a nap herself.

Cats have no problem napping. In fact, they sleep anywhere between 14 and 18 hours each day. They can fall asleep at anytime. Anywhere.

On cozy laps.

In strange positions.

Even in the most uncomfortable places.

Snuggled together.

Or all alone.

I've never understood the need to nap.

When I first met the Husband, he would often fall asleep on a couch in the middle of the day. I thought that was strange. But I attributed it to the late nights of college students, especially college students in love who wandered the campus streets just to spend a few more moments together. I have to admit that I thought maybe he was just being lazy.

And then I met his family. At any given moment between noon and 8:00pm at least one member of his family of six was sacked out in the busy living room in an armchair or on the couch. And that was amidst conversation, televised football, the clatter of dishes in the kitchen, and some sort of brotherly wrestling match just inches from the napper's face. Maybe this strange need for napping was genetic.

I've tried to nap.

But I toss and turn. Just as I am on the edge of the edge of drifting off a car horn blares, a phone rings, someone speaks in the next room, an ant sneezes. I have just wasted an hour of my day, laying in a bed, without the refreshing end result of restful sleep.

On the one or two occasions that I actually fall asleep during an attempted nap, I wake up feeling horrible. No, worse than horrible. I feel like I've been hit by a truck and then run over repeatedly by the line of army tanks behind the truck.

My first thoughts are, "Where am I? What time is it? What day is it? What am I late for?" I think it's morning, and I'm thoroughly confused.

And then I try to move.

It's as if someone injected liquid steel into my veins while I was sleeping, and the bed is electromagnetic. After intense struggle, I swing my legs off the side of the bed and attempt to stand. Waves of nausea and dizziness make it nearly impossible to stumble across the room.

When I described this feeling to the Husband, his reply was, "That's how I feel every morning."

Not me. Every morning, I wake up before the alarm goes off. No matter what time it's set for, I am ready for that get-up sound. I don't think I'd ever really need an alarm set for the rest of my life, but it's there as a back up. So I lay in bed, waiting patiently, enjoying the final moments of quiet before the beep. Then I spring up and start the day.

Apparently not everyone is like that.

Well, today I had rare napping success. While reading, I felt the fluttering eyelids, and I took advantage of the freedom of an unscheduled Saturday afternoon. I closed the blackout shades, armed myself with my Brookstone eyemask and earplugs, and I dove into bed. I actually slept. And I woke up without an nap hangover. Victory!

But I wondered why.

An article called How to Nap from the Boston Globe helped me understand sleep cycles just a little bit better. Apparently, short naps of 45 minutes or less keep you in a light sleep stage, leaving you feeling refreshed when you awaken. Anything more than 45 minutes long takes you into a deep, slow-wave sleep stage, and waking up in that stage creates sleep inertia and that horrendous feeling of disorientation. Napping for 90 minutes to two hours, however, allows you to pass through a full sleep cycle, waking without ill-effects.

The article also claims that we are programed to sleep twice a day. The Husband will LOVE that research. There goes the laziness theory.

Am I a napping convert?

No, I think I'll leave the napping to the cats. But I sure do feel a little more refreshed today.

Why Banana Blueberry Muffins?

2010-04-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

"Oh, I'd be happy to bring banana blueberry muffins!" Why, oh why, do we offer to bring freshly baked goods? We work full-time and a half, we're leaving from work on a Friday afternoon for a weekend retreat, knowing that we won't even have the upcoming weekend to prepare for the following week of work. What are we thinking??? We spend more time prepping food for the weekend than planning our clothing to be sure that we aren't accidentally poisoned by gluten, but we offer to take the time to make homemade muffins for the weekend event. Why???

Because every other treat available at the event will make us sick.

Because our gluten-free alternatives will taste just as good, if not better, than any other item on the dessert table.

Because we know that baked goods made with almond flour are wholesome and more satisfying than products made with refined white flour.

Because we are committed to wellness.

Because maybe someone else will feel loved because a gluten-free option is available for them.

So, I bake on a Thursday night, knowing that I still need to pack, sleep for a few hours, and then teach 21 third graders all day tomorrow.

Thankfully, we have resources like Elana Amesterdam's Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook to rely upon. It may be way past bedtime, but homemade muffins are essential for the weekend ahead.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

3 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 T grapeseed oil
3 large eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 c frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir the bananas into the batter, then fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 35 minutes, until the muffin tops are golden brown. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 30 minutes, that is, after you've burned your fingertips and tongue sampling the first muffin out of the pan.

Fantastic 10:00pm snack. Fantastic breakfasts all weekend long.

Happy weekend, everyone.

Christmas on Tuesdays

2010-04-13T22:27:00.000-05:00

Every other Tuesday since October has been like Christmas in our home. Imagine getting a Christmas gift every other week that was beautiful, colorful, delicious, and incredibly valuable. For fourteen days it fed you, made you feel fantastic, stretched your creativity, and taught you something you didn't know before. And just when the novelty of your gift wore off, it was time to get another surprise gift. Who wouldn't love that?

We liked the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) when we first heard about it - supporting local farmers who grow organic produce. But it took a few years and the testimonials of friends to finally take the step beyond looking for local, organic produce in Whole Foods and visiting the Farmer's Market on our occasional free Saturday mornings. We joined the Bountiful Blessings Farm CSA as a little experiment. Would we save money? Would we be able to eat everything that came in the box? Would we like the produce?

Look at the gorgeous produce I picked up this afternoon. And we just receive a half bushel.

Extra radishes were available for the taking.

Does anyone know what in the world this is? Tomorrow I'll get an email entitled "What's In the Box?" I'll read the description of every single vegetable and play the matching game. Once I've figured out the name of each veggie in my delivery, it's time to figure out what to do with it.

We've roasted a lot of root vegetables this winter - squashes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, and onions roasted at 400 degrees with olive oil and sea salt. Comfort food.

We've had a lot of stirfrys with kale, bok choi, collards, Swiss chard, turnips, and beet greens. Thai Kitchen makes some great gluten-free sauces for stirfrying.

We've done a lot of research on what to do with salsafy, endive, escarole, mache, sorrel, pac choi, tatsoi, mustard, kohlrabi, and the list goes on!

We've had a TON of salads. Until we joined the CSA, I thought all lettuce tasted like...well, lettuce. Did you know that lettuces actually have flavor? And each type of lettuce has a different flavor? Fresh, organic lettuce that was picked the day before you put it in your salad bowl is amazing!

We've also had a lot of smoothies. Smoothies have always been a staple in our diet, but until this year our smoothies have mainly consisted of fruit. A fellow gluten-free foodie, and the man who keeps the aches and pains at bay, Josh Renkens, turned me on to green smoothies last summer and gave me the website of the Vita-Mix Lady. There are several veggies like spinach, kale, swiss chard, and collard greens that miraculously don't taste like vegetables when blended with other fruits.

So, this was our dinner tonight. There is no way that the Husband would ever succeed in choking down that many vegetables in a meal, a day, or even two. But he'll drink it. Why? Because it's delicious, not to mention incredibly good for you.

(The Husband's first taste test had to be done with eyes closed, because I'm not sure that he'd ever try a smoothie that looked like a shamrock shake.)

But doesn't this look delicious?

If you asked me for the recipe it would be next to impossible, because each green smoothie is different, but here's an example:

Green Smoothie
1 cup of milk, coconut milk, or almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/3 frozen banana
1 1/2 cups frozen fruit
1 tsp flaxseeds
10 almonds
two huge fistfuls of greens (start with spinach)

Blend in the Vita-Mix for a minute pushing the greens down with the tamper. If you don't use frozen fruit, add ice on top of the greens. It helps push greens down to the blades and makes a thicker smoothie.

I'd say that our CSA experiment has been a great success. Have we saved money? I have no idea. I'd never buy half, no MOST of the produce that comes from our CSA. I definitely buy less produce at the store. Have we been able eat everything that comes in the box? Just about. There have been a few busy weeks when cooking hasn't been a priority. And that's when the Husband says, "Throw it in the Vita-Mix." Have we liked the produce? Definitely. What's not to like about fresh, delicious, organic vegetables? I didn't expect to eagerly await Tuesdays. I didn't expect to love the challenge of cooking new dishes. I didn't expect to love our farmers, the sweet people who grow our food. But Christmas on Tuesdays is full of unexpected and bountiful blessings.

All Good Things...

2010-04-10T18:23:00.000-05:00

It's all been good. Very good.

Good food.
The gluten-free scene isn't quite up to par at Seagrove Beach, but I was very impressed with the availability of gluten-free pizza from Pizza by the Sea. The dough was prepackaged and frozen, so I'm not THAT impressed, but at least it was available. Based on the website claiming "best kid-friendly dining"...we opted to order takeout!

Our best gluten-free dining experiences actually came from picking up fresh fish at Goatfeather's Seafood Market, and cooking in.

Although Fish Out of Water came in a close second.

Good company.

What a blessing it was for us to enjoy time with the Husband's parents and my mom. Our short time together left us all wanting just a little bit more. And isn't that the best way to end family time?

And what a trooper my mom was! She rented a bike to keep me company on my 11-mile training run. She called it "role reversal". After running by my side while I learned to ride my first two-wheeler, it was my turn to run alongside her as she enjoyed riding her beach cruiser.

And of course, 35 mile bike rides, rooftop conversations, and walks along the beach with the most amazing, thoughtful, handsome, best friend a girl could ever ask for just makes any vacation...better than good.

Good scenery.

God's creation is astounding. Sky, water, and land -- He uses those three things to create an infinite number of artistic experiences for His glory and our enjoyment every single day. How many combinations can He come up with?

I'm in awe.

Good training.

Miles and miles of beauty in which to run, bike, and play. The half marathon is two weeks away. I missed my training partner this week, but Mom did a great job as road crew!

Good times.

G Bud and Alley's Taco Bar - What beach vacation would be complete without a little Mexican fiesta time? None, according to these California girls!

It was my turn to ride alongside the Husband as he got in his training run. Some people like to sleep in on their vacations. I know. I don't get it either, but it's true.

Good resting.

Okay, so I did very little sitting on the beach, although the beach was only 150 yards from our house, but sitting is not my forte. I did truly rest. I did truly "let down", and I know many of you who know me well will be proud of me for that.

But during the times I did sit on the the beach, I saw dolphins breach, I looked at the perfect horizon and was not at all surprised that the people of 1492 thought Columbus was a total freak, and I thanked God for who He is and for His incredible blessings.

But all good things...mmmmmmm.

But if they have to come to an end, what a good ending.

Excercising on Vacation - Get Out and Have Some FUN!

2010-04-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

Vacation is all about getting away. But there are some things that I just can't get away from. One thing is exercise. Why? Because I love it. Because it's fun! The first thing on my mind when I wake up is what type of workout I'm going to start my day with. Scratch that. The last thing I think of before I go to sleep at night is what I'll do to exercise the next day. There, that's a little more honest. And yes, that's even on vacation. The husband says that vacations are for resting. True, but some of us rest a little better after getting the endorphins flowing.

I love my gym -- the whir of the treadmills, the clanging of the weights, and the energy in the air as everyone is bustling about to meet their fitness goals. I love my group fitness classes and the participants even more. We work HARD together, and there's a feeling of camaraderie when you go through intense exercise together, especially when you accomplish things you never thought you'd be able to do!

But on vacation it is nice to have time away from the gym and to work out for me. I've had the best workouts this week. A coastal town has miles of roads and beaches, with gorgeous scenery, and built in air conditioning blowing in from the sea. No mirrors, mats, or HVAC this week.

Monday started with long runs on a coastal road. Tuesday started with a 24-mile bike ride with the husband. I'll be thinking of that bike ride for weeks to come during 6:00am spin classes! Wednesday was back to a good training run and a great walk along the beach with Mom. Since jellyfish were lining the wet shore, and I have a serious fear of jellyfish stemming from a bad childhood experience with a Portuguese Man o' War, we opted to walk, or march, in the deep sand. Wow, does that work the hamstrings, calves, and glutes!

And then there was Thursday. Oh, Thursday. I've been envisioning this workout for months. Seriously. I have a great 75 minute Vinyasa Flow Yoga CD by Baron Baptiste. I loaded it onto my iPod for times when I'm away from home and just need to start my day right. But the best thing about Thursday's yoga workout was that I set my mat up on the rooftop deck just as the sun was starting to take the chill out of the air. And this is what I got to see during my practice.

Unbelievable.

It's possible that I will never again be satisfied with another yoga experience.

And, savasana, or final relaxation pose, looking up at this sky left me giddy with excitement for the day.

So, at the close of this day, what do you think I'm considering?

That's right. Will tomorrow hold another long bike ride winding through more beach towns? Should I get that 10-mile training run out of the way before Saturday? Hmmmm.

I do know that whatever I choose it will start my day off right, it will be fun, it will be refreshing, and it will lead to rest.

And here's a funny little video that the husband took over his shoulder while biking. Exercise should always be FUN!

Which Red Snapper Was Better?

2010-04-07T18:12:00.000-05:00

All of my favorite vacation spots are on the coast. For my past two spring breaks we've been able to vacation on the Gulf Coast, a completely new experience for this West Coast girl. I had no idea that sugar-sand beaches existed this side of the Caribbean.

Last year while vacationing at Sea Grove Beach, we picked up two pieces of grouper at a local fish market, I waved my magic wand, and the husband and I had the most amazing restaurant meal without the restaurant.

I'm a firm believer that if you start with delicious, natural ingredients, you are going to come up with an amazing meal. With these ingredients, how could I go wrong?

So after a few appetizers and happy fiddlin' in the kitchen, we had a memorable meal. And isn't that what meals should be? Memorable?

This year I hoped to recreate a memorable experience for the family. But this time we picked up 2 1/2 pounds of red snapper at that same fish market. Why red snapper? Is it because I'm a fish connoisseur? Um, no. I chose red snapper solely because behind the glass of the fish case, it just looked like a perfect blend of the salmon that I'm used to cooking at home and the swordfish that I'd order at a restaurant. I've had red snapper in restaurants before, but never when it had been caught six hours before serving.

Mom and I washed and chopped. And I made a salsa with the following ingredients:

3/4 cup diced red onion
3/4 cup diced mango
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 small diced tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 yellow pepper diced
juice of one lime
salt and pepper

The man at the fish market directed me to cut the fish into serving sizes before baking. That was wonderful advice. His suggestion of cooking the fish at 325 for 15 minutes was not accurate at all, which resulted in mushy, overdone rice. Next time, I'd cook the snapper at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until it's no longer pink in the middle.

Before we left home, I bought a delightful seasoning in a grinder called Carolina Seafood Blend from Fresh Market which contained an assortment of spices including allspice, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and chili flakes. I dusted the snapper with the seasoning blend and layered wedges of sliced red onions and lemons atop the fish and baked it until it was eventually cooked through. Topped with my homemade salsa, it was a delicious entree. We'll call it Tropical Snapper.

Note that this picture was of the husband's plate, the picture taken as an afterthought, not necessarily arranged for a picture-perfect blog post. But if it's slopped on a plate by a man, and it still looks good, that's a darn good meal.

I attained my goal. It was a restaurant-worthy meal for the family. And happy birthday, husband!

The next evening we went to a local restaurant called "Fish Out of Water".

Don't ask me how you can go to a restaurant on the Gulf, with an ocean view, just before sunset, and not order fish, but three out of the five in our family managed to do so. I did not. What did I order? The Red Snapper. "But you had that last night..."

Blah, blah, blah. I'm at the beach. I created an incredible meal with red snapper. Now I wondered, "What would the experts do?"

This red snapper was pan-seared, baked, and served on a bed of cauliflower with a curry sauce, grapes, and raisins. Oh my FREAK! It was amazing.

Of course, I was asked, "Which red snapper was better? Last night's or tonight's?" How can you compare a tropical island entree with an Indian-flavored entree? It's like comparing a chocolate mousse with a creme brulee. They are both delicious for different reasons.

Of course, THIS plate was created for visual appeal. Don't you DARE compare this picture with the picture of MY red snapper. Just know that it was in every way as delicious as mine, but in every way different. That's what I love about food and cooking. You can use the same main ingredients, but with a few twists of a lemon, dashes of spice, and a flare of some beautiful fruit or vegetable that God created, you have a unique masterpiece. A memorable meal.

So, which red snapper was better? It's impossible to tell. Each one was memorable.

And I can tell you that each one was followed by memorable moments.

And one happy girl.

Cake, Please, But Hold the Gluten

2010-04-06T22:10:00.000-05:00

We all love cake. Chocolate cake, Angel Food Cake, Bundt Cake, Black Forest Cake, little cupcakes, carrot cake, Lava Cake, pound cake, Red Velvet Cake, shortcake, sponge cake, and the mother Seven-Layer Cake. But those of us who are gluten intolerant have to decline almost every piece of cake that's ever offered to us. Cake is also the apex of most special occasions. "You're not leaving, yet, they're about to cut the cake!" How could I have even considered such a thing? There's birthday cake, wedding cake, anniversary cake, going away cake, graduation cake, King Cake, Christmas cake... So, those of us who have to say "no thank you" to cake offerings feel just a little left out at most celebratory events.

As gluten-intolerance awareness increases, more and more options are available to those of us who require a gluten-free diet. Only a few years ago, most of us were mixing alternative flours, experimenting to find that perfect gluten-free baking mix that would approximate baking with all-purpose white flour. Today, gluten-free cake mixes are packing the shelves of health food stores and regular grocery stores alike. We can open a mix, add a few eggs, oil, and milk, and a celebratory dessert is just 30-35 minutes away.

When I was at Bob's Red Mill in January, I picked up a package of Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix. So when packing for our spring break trip, I tossed it in with the other essential kitchen supplies. A cake mix was a necessity as we'd be celebrating the husband's birthday. I had never used this cake mix before, but it would have to do as he wasn't getting a cake made from scratch on vacation.

I also picked up a box of Chocolate Frosting Mix from Cherrybrook Kitchen, another product I had never tried before. I'm a serious label reader. You have to be when you're gluten-intolerant. You also have to be when there are ingredients like high fructose corn syrup that evilly cling to every package that lines our grocery store shelves. When a box of frosting has only four ingredients listed on the box, and I can pronounce every one, I'll give it a try.

The cake was a cinch to make. I baked the batter in two 8-inch round pans, and they came out beautifully. The frosting was just as easy, and it would have been easier if I'd had access to my KitchenAid mixer instead of the hand mixer that sent chocolate powder flying around the room. After Mom did a beautiful job of frosting the cake, we were ready for the taste test.

Of course, the gluten-free girls LOVED the cake, but we were a little biased. We had made the cake. We also haven't had "regular" cake made from wheat flour in years, so it's hard to remember what the "real thing" tastes like. The ultimate test is always when a nongluten-free person takes their first bite. I can see it in their eyes as they raise the fork to their mouths. Skepticism. How can a cake taste good without white flour?

One bite was all it took to wipe a few skeptical looks away. The combination of creamy chocolate and vanilla could not have been more balanced. The consistency of the cake was light, but it held together, unlike some gluten-free products. Once again, thanks Bob. You haven't failed me yet. And I will definitely be using Cherrybrook Kitchen products in the future.

As evidenced in the picture, the cake was a hit.

So, happy birthday to my sweet husband.

And I'll take my cake, but please hold the gluten.

On Letting Down

2010-04-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

Getting ready to go on vacation, on top of the regular responsibilities of everyday life, is always quite an ordeal. Everything has to be well thought out, because the trip has to be perfect. I only have spring break once a year, and I've looked forward to this trip since last April.

The preparation comes long before the packing. Even clothes worn the week before vacation can not be the clothes I'm intending to pack. Nonetheless, laundry is done every night of the week. Yes, for two people. The house must be in order, pet needs cared for, bills paid, and then there's the packing. It's a gradual process that starts with trying on everything I own, imagining the types of activities I might engage in while gone, creating outfits, consulting weather.com, and pairing shoes and accessories with every fashion option. Does everyone else have a shoe suitcase? Normally, two thirds of what I pack in my suitcase isn't worn. But it sure feels good to be prepared for everything.

This spring break we headed for the beach with a goal of letting down. After the rush to prepare, picking up Mom from the airport, packing the truck, making lunches for the road, borrowing a bike rack, and strapping the bikes to the truck, we all let out a big sigh as we finally hit the highway. (And this was after two Easter services and a stop at Starbucks for a quick change into comfy travel clothes.)

Letting down is hard for me. With how tired I ususally am upon beginning vacation you'd think that it would be easy. You'd think that a seven hour road trip would start the relaxation process. But arriving at my longed for destination always puts me in an excited tizzy. I'm bouncing off the walls excited to finially be here...so what should we do first?

Unpack! I absolutely love unpacking the suitcases and organizing everything into the dresser drawers of someone else's condo. Get those suitcases out of sight. This week, this place is mine.

Food! What are we going to eat? Are we going out? Should we stop at the grocery store and cook in? Since it was Easter Sunday, we didn't have many choices, so off to a restaurant we went. (Horrible experience, but this post is NOT about that.)

Today, I finally started to let down. Well, after a six-mile run that is. I snuck out of the house early enough not to be missed, but late enough to have felt like I slept in. Running along the flat, coastal road while dodging beach cruisers gave me that little bit of "me time" I needed to start my day.

Then I sat. I really sat. I sat and talked with my family. The husband, his parents, my mom, and I just sat on the third floor deck and talked with cups of coffee and ocean breezes lifting weight from our shoulders. The husband had to have been proud of me.

What's the plan for the day? There isn't one.

What time should we... Any time we feel like it.

Yes, he was definitely proud. He rarely hears those words at home.

Letting down sounds easy, but it's hard. I like to be prepared. Grocery shopping has to get done. Otherwise, what are we going to do when we're hungry? And of course, Mom and I have the extra issue of being gluten intolerant. We can't just rely on food that happens to be around. We have to make sure we have gluten-free options available. So, yes, we did grocery shop, and we did stop at a fish market for fresh red snapper, and I did make a gluten-free birthday cake for the husband's birthday celebration (a week early), and I did make an amazing dinner without my favorite kitchen gadgets. But in between all that, and in the midst of it, I also began the process of letting down.

I looked at my stacks of magazines and smiled. I'm going to have time to read them this week. not today, but soon.

I closed my eyes for a few moments. It wasn't a nap, it was a moment. But maybe by day four I might actually take a nap.

I walked on the beach. The pace may not have been leisurely, but maybe tomorrow will be a little slower.

Oh, and I ran another four miles later with the husband to keep him company. So, that wasn't really resting, but I'm in a process here.

All a part of letting down.

'Tis I, Whose Sin Now Binds Thee

2010-04-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

'Tis I, whose sin now binds Thee,
With anguish deep surrounds Thee,
And nails Thee to the Tree;
The torture Thou art feeling,
Thy patient love revealing,
'Tis I should bear it, I alone.

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Epic Fail? What Do You Think?

2010-03-30T20:24:00.000-05:00

So, tomorrow is the Volunteers' Breakfast at school. All year, they've read with children, organized PTO events, assembled bulletin boards, shown up when teachers were at their wits end, provided Teacher Appreciation Days, and what do we award them with? A pen wrapped in cellophane and a breakfast that will last as little as 15 minutes, as several teachers will have to run to car duty, bus duty, babysitting duty... or maybe as long as 30 whole minutes, as we all need to pick up our children promptly at 8:20 in order to teach the 6 hours of lessons planned within the 3 1/2 hours of actual instructional time allotted to teachers in the 7 hour day the children spend in school. Hmmmmm...

So, tonight (after grading papers), I wanted to do our volunteers right by baking a delicious gluten-free cinnamon pecan bread for the Volunteers' Breakfast. I used the Namaste Gluten-Free Bread Mix and added cinnamon, sugar, raisins, and pecans. Great idea, but then I got preoccupied with...blogging. A little less time on the computer, and it would have turned out perfectly. But the computer desk is a whole floor above the kitchen, and once I smelled the cinnamon, it was a little too late.

A little crispy for a celebratory breakfast, but not too crispy to be sliced, frozen, and made into french toast a few weeks from now.

So who do I turn to when all else fails? I wish I had more of a spiritual answer, but it's Bob.

Bob from Bob's Red Mill, that is. Bob and I are tight. He's been supplying me with gluten-free mixes and flours for five years now. And we are especially close since I met him at the actual mill outside of Portland that bears his name.

Bob's Red Mill is a whole grain store in Milwaukie, Oregon that produces more than 400 products, including a full line of certified gluten free products and an extensive line of certified organic products. Thankfully, I can find Bob's products at my local Whole Foods and Kroger stores.

http://www.bobsredmill.com/

But when I met Bob and thanked him for his dedication to the gluten intolerant community, he sincerely just wanted to know what I was doing at his mill. He loved I was there because of a college roommate reunion.

So, tonight, it was Bob to the rescue. I had a package of gluten-free Bob's Red Mill cornbread mix in the cupboard. I whipped up a batch, spooned the batter into muffin tins, and dotted each muffin with fresh blueberries.

Twenty minutes later, I learned a valuable baking lesson. Always fold the blueberries into the batter, otherwise your muffins look like they're sprouting blueberries.
They aren't pretty, they are definitely cornbread muffins with blueberries floating on top, but nevertheless, they are delicious.

Thanks, Bob.

And if no one else selects them out of the vast array of dishes at our Volunteers' Breakfast, I know at least three people that will enjoy them at the Whiskers' Household over the next few days.

Thank you, Volunteers, for all you do for your children, for your teachers, and for the future of our country. Thank you, Bob, for your vision, for your sweet grandfather spirit, and for your dedication to quality gluten-free products. Thank you, Karen, for showing me that Bob's is more than just a package on my grocery store shelf. (And for being an amazing friend.)

Epic fail tonight? Not a chance.

Birthdays Are Beautiful Things

2010-03-29T20:01:00.000-05:00

Birthdays are beautiful things, but I especially love my birthday because it comes every year at the perfect time. Signs of spring are just starting to appear, summer is only one short school quarter away, a much needed spring break is right around the corner, and then there's Easter. Preparing for Holy Week through church services, choir rehearsals, and devotionals leading up and through my birthday is a personal tradition.

Who doesn't like to be celebrated? As a kid, I can remember counting the days until it was finally my birthday. Not only was I thrilled with the idea of being one year older, but it was a day all about ME! Everyone in my world knew that it was my birthday. And if I happened to go somewhere where someone didn't know the significance of the day, it was quite appropriate to announce, "Today is my birthday!" Now, truly, everyone in my world would be up to speed, and we could get on with celebrating.

I remember becoming an adult and going about the business of the day, going to work, running errands, taking care of business just like it was any other day and thinking, "Hey, no one knows that it's my birthday! There's something wrong with this!" But I couldn't just walk around like an eight-year-old announcing, "Today is my birthday!" I sure wanted to though. Becoming an adult was like holding in a big secret and pretending it didn't matter.

Thankfully, as a third grade teacher, I live in the world of eight-year-olds. And to a certain extent, the teaching profession attracts those of us who'd really like to be stuck in those single-digit years for the rest of our lives when everything was magical, fascinating, and lovely. But since I work at an elementary school, on my birthday, I could walk up to any person, child or adult, and announce, "Today is my birthday!" and I'd be properly and sincerely greeted. But even in our school world, an announcement is hardly necessary.

We all know each others' birthdays, how long until they'll arrive, and feel a quiet sadness for those who have "summer birthdays". Our birthdays are listed on the classroom wall along with other crucial information like parts of speech, multiplication tables, capitalization rules, and the names of the seven continents. We count down to birthdays, we graph the birthdays of our classmates, we sing and dance over cupcakes and juice boxes multiple times a month. Birthdays are a big deal!

And they're an even bigger deal if you are the teacher. Student whispers are hushed when the teacher walks by, giggles are shushed as they surreptitiously pass handmade cards to be signed, room moms bring cupcakes for that "surprise" party even though that one child spilled the beans days ago. Today, I got to wear a tiara and a birthday pageant sash. How many grown women get to do that on their birthdays?

Being gluten intolerant, I always feel so loved when someone who understands the issues involved makes sure that I'm taken care of. In the food realm, this birthday was a Love Fest! The husband took me out for birthday dinner at Midtown Cafe. The first words out of the waiter's mouth were, "I hear that you have a gluten allergy. You can order anything from our menu, and we'll make sure to make it gluten-free." A friend brought cupcakes for my entire class this morning. But my treat? PF Chang's gluten-free chocolate dome. Oh my!

Then for lunch, my room moms traveled all the way to Nashville to pick up lunch for me at my favorite gluten-free sandwich shop and bakery - FiddleCakes. Chicken salad on gluten-free bread that actually stays together and an amazing butternut squash soup were out of this world delicious.

Oh, but there's more. At the end of the day, those very same room moms brought cupcakes for the kids. Yes, this was the second batch of cupcakes of the day. (We are big on cupcakes in the elementary schools.) But these cupcakes were ALL made gluten-free. My students loved watching me eat a cupcake for the very first time. They loved eating something that not only their teacher could eat, but they tasted better than the white flour cupcakes that they eat all the time. Imagine a third grade boy asking for the recipe!

They weren't just good. They were amazing.

So, did I mention that FiddleCakes is my new favorite gluten-free treat supplier? When I got home after teaching a sculpting class, that incredible husband of mine showed up with this.

And I can honestly say that it was the best-tasting chocolate cake I've ever had.

And now you're wondering if it's possible that one person can consume so much chocolate in one day...

Birthdays only come once a year. That's what makes them so special.

And thanks to all of you for making it such a delightful day (both the big people and the little ones).

Tomato, Tomato, Tomato Meat Sauce

2010-03-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is a long, 10-mile run, and what's a girl to do to prepare? Stock up on carbohydrates with a pasta dinner (using gluten free pasta, of course). Normally, I'd brown some ground turkey, mix in a little turkey sausage to enrich the flavor, pour a jar of organic tomato sauce over the top, and spice it up with a few shakes of crushed red pepper. A quick and easy pre-run meal with just the right amount of protein and carbs.

But tonight the sauce had more of an organic feel. It was definitely homemade, but not in the traditional sense of the word. It just kind of grew from my poor planning...or was it my pure creative genius?

It started with the two pounds of frozen turkey that thawed on my counter all day. Thinking back, when the woman behind the meat counter at Whole Foods said, "Would you like that wrapped separately?" I should have said yes. But the brick of meat finally thawed, and it didn't take me long to realize that browning two pounds of turkey plus the contents of two sausage casings wasn't going to fit in my largest fry pan. Sometime between transferring half of the meat to a second pan and sauteing a whole onion with a few cloves of garlic, I realized that my single jar of pasta sauce just wasn't going to be enough, unless I wanted moist tomato-flavored meatballs for dinner.

With the mountain of turkey browned, and the contents of the pasta jar looking pitifully inadequate in the saucepan, I began looking around the kitchen for anything that resembled a tomato to increase the volume of my sauce. Thankfully, I had a can of fire-roasted whole tomatoes in the cupboard as well as a small can of diced tomatoes. They doubled my sauce, but the mound of meat still looked overwhelming. I rummaged through the refrigerator to find an old jar of pasta sauce that still had about a half cup of sauce clinging to the bottom. I hesitated, but opened the jar and took a whiff. Smelled fine to me, so the old sauce was quickly swirled into my new sauce on the stove. As I was about to close the door to the fridge I saw a tupperware of leftover pizza sauce from last weekend's homemade pizzas. How different can pasta and pizza sauce be? In the pot it went along with the last splash of organic tomato juice. The produce drawer held one lonely tomato that I quickly diced and added to the mixture, and the sauce suddenly looked healthy, bubbly, and ready to receive the meat. The sauce was the exact consistency I was hoping for.

The corn pasta drenched in tomato, tomato, tomato meat sauce was incredible. The tomato flavors deep and rich, perfectly seasoned with basil and oregano, mixed well with the hint of spicy sausage. And it's a good thing too, because we'll be eating tomato, tomato, tomato meat sauce for weeks to come.

Frittatas for Fun

2010-03-20T17:51:00.000-05:00

After a long run on Saturday mornings I always look forward to the recovery meal. What good is nine miles of calorie burning if you can't refuel afterward, right? Today, recovery came with a spinach, tomato, and goat cheese frittata.

Sound fancy? Not at all. Williams Sonoma makes it quite easy with their frittata pan - dual pans with linking handles make it easy to flip the pan halfway through the cook time. The frittata stays together making you look like an expert chef.

Sound fattening? Nope. The base is mostly vegetables and egg whites. Saute spinach, chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, and red onion in a little bit of grapeseed oil until tender. Then pour about a cup and a quarter of egg whites mixed with two whole eggs over the veggies in the pan. Dot the top with pieces of goat cheese, and you're well on your way to a healthy meal.

Sound time consuming? Not at all. Five minutes on each side. Even a ravenous runner can wait that long.

Sound delicious? You bet.

A Little Bit of Carrot Soup

2010-03-16T20:13:00.001-05:00

It's funny how a little bit of this and a little bit of that can come together to create something entirely exquisite. For the past three days, my colleague has been eating curried chicken salad for lunch. While the rich, creamy, deep yellow color has faded a little by the day, my desire for curry has increased exponentially. Mix that "little bit" with the fact that I picked up my CSA delivery of organic vegetables this afternoon, and they just happened to have extra carrots just pried from the ground yesterday. "Take what you'll eat." With a family of four, and only two of them being of the carrot persuasion (the other two being of the kibble and fresh meat persuasion), how many carrots could I take in good conscience?

On the way home I imagined a carrot soup that would chase the chill from my legs, the fog from my brain, and the boringness of the same old carrot-topped salad from my routine. I could almost taste it, but I wondered how I could make it. These days, you don't have to wonder very long. The solution was soon at my fingertips with a few taps on my iPhone.

Allrecipes.com has an amazing recipe called Curried Carrot Soup. The only credit I can take is that I put aside the quiz I had to write, the clothes I had to pack for tomorrow, the lunches I had to make, and the laundry I should have put away to make this simple, delectable meal. I also had to make a few substitutions as this was not a "stop at the grocery store for ingredients" type of day.

It brought me to tears. Seriously, eyes burning, I cried as I sauteed one chopped onion in two tablespoons of grapeseed oil. Adding two tablespoons of curry intensified my curry craving as the aroma flooded the room. Our housemate even surfaced from his studies to say, "How do you expect me to get my work done when you're cooking something like that?" I fed a few pounds of carrots to the food processor and poured the perfect little carrot circles into the soup pot. Once well-coated in carmelized onions and curry, I added four cups of chicken broth. The recipe called for vegetable broth, but maybe the little bit of that made all the difference. After 20 minutes of simmering, just long enough to pack lunch, I used our Vitamix to puree the carrots and onions. It probably would have saved time to pour the puree into another bowl until everything was smooth as silk, but I opted to pour the puree back into the simmering pot and play a fishing game with a slotted spoon until I had almost all of the carrot floaters captured. I added one more cup of water, gave it a stir, and set it to simmer.

Just in time too. The garage door opened, and in walked that husband of mine. I assumed that the intoxicating smell of curry would wash the grime of the day from his mind, and he would instantly be transported to culinary heaven. "Want some carrot soup?"

"I'm not really a carrot soup kind of person," was his reply. Thankfully the joy of the process and the hope of the outcome was strong enough to prevent a girl hissy fit. And because he was hungry, and it was ready, he gave it a shot.

It was definitely the best soup I have ever made. And it may even be the best soup I've ever had. Creamy, rich, spicy, and sweet in every spoonful warming the body and spirit. All from a little bit of this and a little bit of that. And even the husband liked it.

Curried Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* 2-3 pounds carrots, chopped
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup water, or as needed

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in the curry powder. Add the chopped carrots, and stir until the carrots are coated. Pour in the vegetable broth, and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer the carrots and broth to a blender, and puree until smooth. Pour back into the pot, and thin with water to your preferred consistency.
3. Taste, close eyes, and smile!
Adapted from allrecipes.com.

Curiosity and the Cat

2010-02-27T06:56:00.000-06:00

When you think of curiosity, you can't help but picture a cat. Slinking around, nose to the ground, tapping curious bumps in the rug, investigating a new bag left on the floor. Cats have a wide range of interests, but what do they really become experts at besides sleeping, eating, and of course there's the art of manipulation. I've found that I'm a little bit like a cat. I'm curious about a whole lot of things. There just isn't time to become an expert in one area, because just when you're learning the fine nuances of... Oh, look, a string!