I’m Back! (Sort of)

Normal
0

Hi everyone

I know I haven’t been posting nearly enough and I do apologize.

Here’s the thing.

When I was first diagnosed, I was afraid to try anything too complex until I learned to cook and bake with gluten free ingredients.  So I started with things like corn bread and other breads.

Since then, I have learned that some of these ingredients are as harmful, or more harmful than gluten!

Corn, for instance.  Unless you buy non-GMO corn, you are ingesting an insecticide that is built into the corn itself! Thanks to Monsanto. Look at this article http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_26111.cfm

Soy is bad enough with the roundup built in but when it is processed, it becomes more toxic with the introduction of hexane.  Check out this link http://www.naturalnews.com/027880_soy_products_milk.html

You can, however purchase safe soy, as explained in the above article.

Processed sugar is really bad for you.  I have now started using palm sugar.

Check this link http://www.puregoodness.net/health/146-reasons-why-sugar-is-ruining-your-health/

Splenda, equal, and all those other artificial sweeteners are bad too as you will see when you read this article http://www.peertrainer.com/health/complete-guide-to-sweeteners.aspx

So, over the next few months, I will be revising many of my recipes.  I will be replacing the bad products with good and posting warnings with the recipes to encourage people to use organic non-GMO ingredients.

“Organic is expensive” you might say.  Poor health is more expensive.

This blog was designed to help those who need to be gluten free to have access to healthy, safe recipes (with a little junk food thrown in for fun) I want you all to look at the information I have given you, then do your own research and make a conscious effort to feed yourselves and your loved ones healthy (real) food.

Let’s not support Monsanto in their quest to thin out the population by poisoning us.

Please feel free to express your views on this subject too!  I welcome all comments.

With love,

Aunt Jayne

Planning for a Disaster

With all the bombings, threats, nuclear accidents, pandemic scares, crazy weather etc., I think it is wise to have a disaster plan in place.

You will need enough potable water (for drinking and making food) to last at least 72 hours, but you will also want enough water to flush the toilet, wash dishes, wash yourselves etc. (If you live near a lake or river, you might be able to get water there – but not in the case of flooding! When there is flooding, there is the chance of raw sewage going where it normally wouldn’t)

You will also need light. Candles are dangerous, especially around children or pets, so go with battery powered light.  You can buy flashlights that wind up to charge them and lanterns that run on battery power.  Be sure to have plenty of batteries on hand too.  Also, stock up on things like toilet tissue and feminine products.

You should also have a first aid kit on hand.  Plenty of  gauze pads, tape, bandages, cloth to make a sling, rubbing alcohol, a splint or two, Polysporin, an eye patch, scissors, baby aspirin (in case of chest pains), and pain relievers such as Tylenol.

If you have the space to keep one, a generator could keep your furnace running for warmth in winter months or your refrigerator in hot weather.Don’t forget to safely store some fuel for the generator.

Food is probably the most important thing you will need.

My friend Teri of Teri’s Gluten Free can help with this.

Simply go to http://www.glutenfreeemergencykits.com/

Teri’s Gluten Free offers several emergency kits;

24 hour – for 6 people

72 hour – for 6 people

30 day – for 6 people  and

1 year – for 6 people.

The shelf life on these items is 10 years!

Each item is vacuum sealed and the kits don’t take up a lot of space.

What about taste you ask?  I was lucky enough to sample several items.  The soups are just like home-made.  I took the banana bread and one of the soups to the fire hall I work at and they loved them! There are even scrumptious desserts! Teri is gluten free herself, so you know that all of the foods in these kits is safe and delicious.  Aunt Jayne’s Favourite?  The Gluten Free South Western Soup.

Teri’s Gluten Free also has mixes you can purchase for everyday use.  They are wonderful!  This is a great way to see how good the emergency kit foods are.

You might also want to keep some canned meats on hand.  Although, if your freezer stops working you may have plenty of meat that will need to be cooked.

Now you might be asking yourself, how will I cook these things if there is no electricity?  Do you own a BBQ? Even if you don’t have a lot of space for a BBQ, you can get a propane camp stove.  Don’t forget to keep extra bottles of propane on hand too.  Never use your BBQ or camp stove indoors!! The carbon monoxide will kill you.

Last and least, you will want to have things to do as a family to help pass the long hours with no electricity.  I suggest playing cards, books and board games.  You can also make up your own games.  tossing balled up paper into a waste basket etc.

Let me know if you think of any other ideas and stay safe.

Love Aunt Jayne

Gluten Free PB&O Brownies

Gluten Free PB&O Brownies

My daughter made this recipe with real Oreos and they were such a hit, I decided to make a gluten free version.

These are best served warm

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg. K-Toos

Approximately ½ cup peanut butter

1 recipe of brownies http://wp.me/prAld-i3

 

DIRECTIONS

Make the brownie recipe in a large bowl and set aside.

Grease or line muffin tins.

Place a spoonful of brownie mixture in the bottom of each muffin tin.

Spread a generous amount of peanut butter on one side of each cookie and place in the muffin tin. (peanut butter side up)

Pour brownie mixture over top of each cookie to about ¾ full.

Bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes. (A toothpick inserted in the centre will come out clean) DO NOT OVER-COOK!

Planet Rice – My New Favourite Rice

I recently acquired several bags of Planet Rice lightly milled sprouted brown rice.

You might say that brown rice is brown rice. I beg to differ!

This rice cooks up light and fluffy every time.  I tried the traditional method of cooking in a saucepan on the stove top as well as in my trusty rice cooker and both methods were immensely successful.

Have you ever had a bag of brown rice with crunchy bits?  I have.

But Planet Rice lightly milled sprouted brown rice had nary a one!  I couldn’t believe it!

This rice works great in recipes too. (You can get recipes on their site)  I tried fried rice and rice pudding.  I tried it in casseroles too.  I also mixed it with wild rice and topped it with pepper sauce. (YUM!)  Next time I make cabbage rolls (soon) I will be using Planet Rice lightly milled sprouted brown rice.

I have been staying away from white rice because of all the media reports of high levels of arsenic and because I prefer the taste of brown rice.   But, as I said earlier – crunchy bits.  I am so happy that I have been introduced to Planet Rice!  I is my new favourite.

Visit Planet Rice today!

 

Food Colouring Substitutions

Those of you who know me at all, know that I HATE additives, preservatives and artificial colours and flavours.

Anyone who has food allergies or intolerance (Which includes most people with Celiac) should be very careful about things like food colourings. (Store bought Red is made from crushed beetles for example)

I just found a site that gives you the how-to on making your own food colourings.  This site has many other wonderful articles.

I hope you will check them out here:  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/natural-food-coloring.html

 

Gluten Free Too Busy to Cook Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 can diced tomatoes with herbs

2 cups frozen mixed veggies + ¼ cup diced onion

11/2 cups GF vegetable broth

¼ tsp basil

¼ tsp ground rosemary

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

 

 

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, bring the veggies to a boil in the vegetable broth.

Toss the tomatoes into a blender and liquefy.

Add the tomatoes and spices to the veggies and simmer about 10 minutes.

DONE!

 

Variation:

Add left-over chicken breast cut into cubes.

Use GF chicken broth instead of veggie broth.

 

NOTE:  I don’t normally like to use canned or prepackaged foods but as long as they are organic and GMO free, I will make an exception once in a while.

 

If you have the time, you can make this soup from scratch:

INGREDIENTS

6 large ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, skinned and put through the blender

1 ½ cups GF vegetable broth

½ cup green beans cut into ¼ inch pieces

½ cup fresh diced carrots

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped onion

1 tbs minced garlic

¼ tsp basil

¼ tsp ground rosemary

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

 

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients except the tomatoes.

Bring to a boil and drop heat to low.

Add the tomatoes.

Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve while hot

Gluten Free Nutty Fruit Bars

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups certified GF oats

1 ½ cups shredded coconut

½ cup ground almond

½ cup ground flax

½ cup hulled hemp seeds

½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds

½ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

½ cup walnut crumbs

½ cup chopped almonds

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup palm sugar

1 cup honey

2 eggs

½ cup tahini

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325ºF

Generously grease a 9” X 13” glass cake pan.

In a very large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.

Make a well in the center.

In a small mixer bowl, blend together all of the wet ingredients and pour into the well you made in the dry ingredients.

Using a spatula or your hands, mix well until all the ingredients are wet.

Press into the prepared pan. (I used a large piece of waxed paper with butter on it to press)

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes and cut into squares.

Cool completely and remove from the pan.

These are peanut free, delicious and full of fibre.  A great take along snack

A.J’s Care Packages Has A New Logo!

A.J’s Care Packages

Mucho Burrito – Has Gluten Free Menu Items!

50 Mapleview Drive West  Barrie, ON L4N6L4
(705) 739-6824

Or go to Mucho Burrito

My sister and I went to Mucho Burrito on Mapleview in Barrie for lunch today.  There are several items on the menu that are gluten free.

They offer corn tacos (hard shell as well as soft shell). In addition to that they also offer open burrito bowls and salad bowls
(traditionally served in a baked tortilla bowl), but for their gluten-free menu they prepare the same items (Open Burrito Bowls & Salads) in plastic containers.
In the meat options they offer chicken, steak and Chorizo sausage.

My sister and I shared a burrito bowl, a salad bowl and a chicken taco.  Large portions, with fresh ingredients, at a great price.  I will be back! (Maybe I’ll see you there)

The restaurant is very clean, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the atmosphere was very Mexican.

Special thanks goes out to Andy and Priya Gogia for hosting our lunch today.  They are a lovely couple.

 You can find the Allergen chart here

When you visit, be sure to tell the staff that you are gluten free.  Visit soon and tell them Aunt Jayne sent you!

 

Holy Crap! What a Great Cereal!

I was recently sent some samples of Holy Crap cereal for myself and two of the firefighters I work with.

Jim says it is very tasty (He is a man of few words) and Jack loved it.  Jack and his wife even tried tossing a bit into their muffin batter and they tell me it made the muffins more moist and delicious.

Myself, I love this.  You only need a small amount to be satisfied, but that small amount contains a huge amount of flavour and texture.  I tried it on coconut yogurt – YUM!  I also tried it with Almond milk – Delicious!

Holy crap is the brainchild of Corin Mullins, founder of HapiFoods Group of Sechelt.

“She wanted a cereal that was high in energy and could travel well. She did her research and developed Holy Crap cereal. The cereal’s main ingredient is Chia seeds. Chia contains 20% protein and more Omega-3 amino acids than fish oil. Other ingredients are hemp hearts, raisins and cranberries. Only a couple of tablespoons  added to milk or yogurt are needed to get the energy and antioxidant benefits.

The ingredients are purchased from all over the world but the cereal is manufactured and packaged right here on the Sunshine Coast. The company contracts with Tilly’s Galley to manufacture the cereal while they also use local businesses for their web site, design and printing. Corin and her husband Brian are the company’s two employees They hire a local person to help sell their products in Vancouver and at farmer’s markets.

The couple was recently  interviewed on the CBC television show Dragons’ Den. Other than revealing that fact, they are sworn to secrecy. They expect their episode to air this fall, but even they will not know the time until one week before the show airs.

Why the name Holy Crap? Corin says it started as a joke after a customer told her, “holy crap this is amazing!”. The name stuck and along with it’s sister sugar-free cereal, Skinny B, is sold at various stores on the coast.”

Another great Canadian product!

Have you tried Holy Crap cereal yet?  Why the heck not?

You can get it at many grocery stores, health food stores or on line at http://www.holycrap.ca