Gluten Free Adventures- A Continuous Post

I'll add to this post occasionally. 

10/16/14: "Oatmeal" cookies
The original recipe is here.

Here is what I did:
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/8 (ish) cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 TBS flax meal (ground whole flax in the coffee grinder) + 6 TBS water
scant 1/2 cup "sweet blend" (erythritol and stevia- a mix of different brands)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 TBS unsweetened applesauce

Directions: Preheat oven to 350*F. Line cookie sheet with non-stick material. Mix flax meal and water; set aside until gelled. In a large bowl combine all other dry ingredients. Combine oil, applesauce, and vanilla to the flax gel. Add to dry ingredients and mix until combine. 

Drop by spoonfuls onto lined cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or so. {I baked about 20.}

Result: I baked half of the dough to start with because they are small cookies. Due to the coconut flour (I'm sure) they were drier than I think the original recipe. I added about 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk to the remaining batter, and refrigerated it until the first batch were done baking. 
I flattened the cookies because they don't rise or 'melt'. They cook the way they drop on the sheet. I wanted to make oatmeal sandwich cookies. 
Why didn't I just use the recipe I have down the page here? Because I wanted something more 'on-plan' with THM. These cookies here would be an S or perhaps S-helper {bordering on crossover, maybe}. Whereas the others are not on plan because of the flours I used. 
Taste is yummy; texture is not so good. Crumbles way too easily.
Edited: After they'd cooled much, they stay together better.

Cream is just heavy whipping cream with stevia/erythritol blend and vanilla.
Edited: I put these in the freezer and yum. They are like ice cream cookies :)

04/30/14: Gluten free, yeast free, milk free oat bread

Long title for a bread. Easier to call it ...bread... Anyway. Here's the link to the original recipe- which I followed mostly.
Here's my tweaks:

3/4 cup oat flour {this is simply oats ground up in my coffee grinder}
1 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/4 cup sweet white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBS chia seeds
6 egg whites
1 TBS ACV
1 TBS honey

I also put the 1/4 cup oats on top. I couldn't figure out why it took so long to cook compared to the instructions on the original recipe. Silly me; I didn't copy the oat flour amount correctly. I only put in 1/2 what was called for! I used the sweet white rice four and cornstarch because I don't have tapioca starch. And I used egg whites because I have egg white powder and not so many whole eggs. I tend to improvise. A lot.

Result: I love the first loaf of this bread. Really. I made it on Sunday or Monday. Texture is really good and if I'd used what was called for with the oat flour it could have been even better! Taste was good. It went well with butter and made a yummy peanut butter sandwich. I didn't try it any other way but I'd think it would be good for a meat sandwich, too. 

I am making it again today. I tweaked the recipe again. I cut the sweet white rice flour and cornstarch in half and added 1 tsp gluccomannan. I also used only 1 TBS chia seeds and added 1 TBS flax seeds. I used the coffee grinder to make meal out of 1/2 TBS of each, so there would be a little crunch in the loaf. And finally I omitted the honey and subbed erythritol instead. {And for some reason I still forgot to make sure I put the right amount of oat flour.}

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04/11/14: Gluten free pizza using Bob's Red Mill GF Pizza Crust mix. 

I followed the instructions for the most part but instead of 2-12 inch pizzas I made 4-6 inch pizzas. I cooked them for a total of 20 minutes, with no toppings. I let them cool completely on a rack and then wrapped three for the freezer and one for the fridge for tonight. 

I topped it with homemade pizza sauce, goat cheese {definitely not a favorite but it'll work} and pepperoni. 

Results: The taste is fine; the texture is a bit tougher than regular pizza but okay. The only problem I had is that my heart rate accelerated after eating and I'm waiting for it to go back to normal. That's a biggie for me. Not sure why that happened. I only bought one package so I think I will see how it goes next Friday to see if it repeats. {Edited: I've not had it again yet. 04/30/14}

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03/30/14 (?): Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/4 cup gf flour
1 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
cinnamon, cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 TBS molasses
1/2 cup erythritol
1 egg + 1/3 cup egg white 
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375*F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you use aluminum foil, grease it first.
Mix coconut oil {I melted mine in the microwave}, erythritol, and molasses well. 
Add egg and egg white. Mix. 
Add 1/4 cup almond milk. Mix. 
Add cinnamon, cloves, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well. 
Add in flour gradually, stirring until combined. If it's too dry, add the rest of the almond milk. 
Stir in oats. 
Drop by spoonfuls onto lined cookie sheet. Press into cookie shape as these do not spread as the cook. Makes about 3 dozen.
Cook for 10-12 minutes. Cool for a minute or so on the tray, then transfer to rack to cool completely. 

Result: Super yummy! I ate way too many. I put the leftovers in ziplock baggies in the fridge. After they get cold they are a little crumblier than fresh; still good!

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3/21/14: Tonight I want to try to make a gf pizza crust and then use cottage cheese for the cheese. I can tolerate cottage cheese but not regular cheese {go figure}. I really want pizza!

I will use the same gf flour I used in the drop biscuits that turned out so yummy. {Really, I am so making those again!} The crust recipe I normally use is as follows:

2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBS oil
1 TBS yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water

Directions: I use hot tap water in my pyrex liquid measuring cup and add the tsp sugar to the water. Next sprinkle the yeast on top. It usually falls into the water and starts to eat the sugar, and within 5 minutes there are bubbles. 

Put all other ingredients in a food processor with the dough blade. When yeast mixture is frothy- it's usually very frothy at just under 10 minutes- add to the flour mix. Pulse processor to get it going, then blend until a ball forms and doesn't stick to the sides. It doesn't take long at all. 

Dump dough unto a lightly floured board. Knead just a few times and then press into a pizza crust shape. Make it the size you want, or split the dough to make individual pizzas. That is usually what I do. 

To make the pizzas, put on a pizza stone or cookie sheet and add toppings. Bake at 450*F for 10-12 minutes. 

For my purpose, I only need 1/2 the recipe. I'll post again later with the result.

Results: Taste was great. The texture was 'wrong'. And I didn't follow the original recipe as written because I've read that it takes more gf flour than regular flour; also, it needed more water. Unfortunately, I added too much water at first. Next time {yep, it was good enough to make again *smile*} I will let the dough attempt to rise before baking; something I don't have to do with regular flour.

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3/17/14: I posted my 'drop' biscuits using the diy gf flour I made but I really need something that is a little more THM friendly. Next up is an attempt at Gwen's Easy Bread, but gf with what I have. Having made the Easy Bread before, I know it tastes good {at least I like it}. Here's to a yummy gf easy sourdough bread.

And... it isn't as I'd hoped. Here is the recipe I used {but I cut it down to half a batch}:

2 cups buckwheat flour
1 cup Millet flour
1 cup Brown Rice flour
1 cup Garbanzo bean flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp Glucomannan Powder
2 TBS Instant Rise Yeast
1 TBS salt 

Mix it together. Add:

3 cups warm water

2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

I mixed it and then let it rise. Then put it in the fridge as per Gwen's recipe. I took it out today and let it 'rise' {it did not} for 20 minutes. Preheated the oven and let it 'rise' 20 minutes more {it still did not}. Then baked for the time called for. It 'rose' about a half inch. Maybe. Photo below.

One thing I am sure of when it comes to gf flours: I do not like garbanzo bean flour. Love garbanzo beans themselves, cooked, canned, etc. Not the flour. Blech!

Result: Nasty. In the trash it went. It was a bit like vomit tasting. LOL. Just being honest here.

Greenhouse Garden Update 06.17.14

I'm so happy with my greenhouse! It's doing very well. For a while I was unsure how it was going to go but it's good. Here are some photos from today.

Basil

Beans

Spearmint

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Menu Plan Monday- 05.26.14

Menus are my friend. Without a menu there is chaos. Without a menu there are too man "every man for himself!" days. Here's the menu for the week, and some of my food ramblings.  

05.26 Monday 

B- Eggs & bacon with coffee or hot tea {S}

L- Lettuce wrap/meat sandwich with water or iced tea {FP or S/CO}

D- Turkey burgers and kabobs with water or tea {CO}

05.27 Tuesday

B- Savory Skillet Oatmeal with hot tea {E}

L- Quesadilla with GGMS or iced tea {S/CO}

D- Lean turkey sausage with kale over noodles with water, GGMS or iced tea {E}

05.28 Wednesday

B- Refrigerator Oatmeal {E}

L- BLT Sandwich/Salad with iced tea {CO/S}

D- Crockpot chicken- Italian with water or iced tea {E}

05.29 Thursday

B- Breakfast burrito with coffee {S/CO}

L- Sweet potato and salmon with veggies with GGMS {E}

D- Cheeseburger pie {S}

05.30 Friday

B- Cereal/ChocoMocho Shake {CO/S}

L- Leftovers 

D- Undecided BBQ OR chicken wraps {S or E/S or CO}

05.31 Saturday

B- Cereal/Eggs with coffee {CO/S}

L- Lettuce wrap/meat sandwich with water, GGMS or iced tea {FP or S/CO}

D- Undecided Something and potato salad {CO}

06.01 Sunday

B- Eggs with coffee {S}

L- Tuna tortillas with iced tea {S or CO}

D- Undecided

If you've read this far... just a clarification: some of the {designations} have more than one. If it has a "/" then it means at least one of the peoples in the family is having a crossover. And most likely it isn't going to be me. If it says "... or ..." then it means it can be either way depending on what's in it. 

Anywhere it says tortilla or something with a tortilla, that means 1/2 to 3/4 of the family will have store bought flour tortillas with who knows what in them, while 1/4 to 1/2 of the family will have a flax tortilla that I make in the microwave. Sandwiches have wheat bread for most of the family while I have lettuce to wrap mine. 

And I'm trying to make myself drink more water. Not just coffee morning, noon and night {wink}. I linked to the GGMS but I don't quite make it the same as the recipe. It's simple to make and, once you get used to it, it's quite refreshing. Here's what I do if I want it 'ginger':

• Prepare one cup of water for hot tea. Place lemon ginger tea bag in cup and let steep until the water is cold. I think the brand I have is Stash.
• Fill a tall cup with ice {I have nifty plastic cups with lids and a hole for a straw}. 
• Add 1/4 teaspoon Sweet Blend, or one packet stevia, over ice. 
• Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon ACV {this time around I have Bragg's; usually I have Heinz "with the mother"}. 
• Finally, pour cold tea over ice until the cup is 1/2 full. Fill the rest with water. 
• Or I will pour all the tea in the cup and add water as I drink it down. 

If I don't want the 'ginger', I simply forget the tea step and do the rest the same.

I recommend the THMamas Pinterest boards for ideas. I've been stuck in a rut for awhile now.

I read an article the other day, let's see if I can find it, about those with gluten 'sensitivity' but not celiac, are fairly imagining it. It's psychological. The article really made sense because it said that there probably is a sensitivity to something but it's most likely not gluten. The hype with gluten nowadays has programmed some of us to think that is the culprit. 

Gluten wasn’t the culprit; the cause was likely psychological. Participants expected the diets to make them sick, and so they did.- Steven Ross Pomeroy

I went gluten free (gf) for a year, with only an occasional mess up here and there. I have many 'symptoms' that went away when I was gf. However, some of those were coming back even though I was primarily gf. Now I'm not perfect {scoff} and there are times now- perhaps even a week- when I do indulge in stuff I feel I shouldn't have and then 'suffer' for it. It has just got me thinking...

How My Organizing is Going- Starting with Cleaning

It is going, really. I am getting organized. My first plan was to get my blogging on a schedule and organized but then I thought I'd like to have my physical, real life more organized first. My life is why I blog; not the other way around.

This is linked up with Hearts for Home Blog Hop

To start with, I wanted to get my cleaning schedule in order because our house, although not filthy, is beyond 'lived in', if you know what I mean. I would not really want someone to happen by with the way the cobwebs are hanging in the corners of the ceiling. Um yeah...

But I need a simple schedule or I won't follow through. Plain and simple. 

You'd think {okay I would think} that it's easy to just sit down and come up with a cleaning routine. I know what needs cleaned and I know that it should be done every so often. Or do I? Apparently not because I can't recall the last time I cleaned the baseboards {and they are looking pretty sad} or a lot of other commonsense places in our house. 

I sound lame to myself for telling this but I had to do some research of just what I should clean- and when. I used to have a cheat sheet for helping me know when/what to clean. It's been years since it's been seen. It was in a binder and last I looked, it was one of the only pages missing. Of course.

I looked online for some help. Here is where I started: Pinterest. Here are the top sites I went to and saved printables to help me get organized with my cleaning:

• Upside Down Homeschooling- Cleanup Blitz Cards
• At the End of the Drive- Cleaning Box
• Joyful Mothering- Cleaning Schedule Daily, Weekly, Monthly
• Money Saving Mom- Free Customizable Cleaning Lists {it's the third on the page}
• The Time-Warp Wife- Housekeeping Schedule
• Freebie Finding Mom- All Inclusive Spring Cleaning Checklist by Room

After all of those, and many more I don't have linked, I decided to go with the very simple customizable Monthly/Semi-Annual Cleaning List from Money Saving Mom {fourth on the page}. They are half sheets, customizable to specific cleaning schedules. I really like the simplicity of them. 

I started my cleaning 'routine' on Thursday and have accomplished much. Since I've got a few days under my belt I feel confident I can move on to another aspect of organizing. Over at Organized Home, there are printables for a Household Notebook.  I might not use very many of the printables because I'm sure I can use plain lined paper for many of the sections. I probably won't have as much as they have listed either. 

That's my next project.

Taking Inventory and Stocking Up

This post is linked-up with Hearts for Home Blog Hop

There have been some points within the last 5 or so years that we have gone out of our way to make an effort to stockpile nonperishable items. We have done it twice since living where we do now. But that's all gone. It was so nice to have that reserve downstairs to fall back on. 

This month I have begun to stock up again. The shelves in the photo below were empty but for the big bag of rice on the bottom shelf.

What isn't in the photo: two bags of white flour, three bags of brown rice flour, 3 bags of buckwheat flour, 1 bag of white rye flour, 1 bag of dark rye flour, four bags of brown rice, a 50 lb bag of rolled oats, and a jug of laundry soap. All but the soap is in the freezer right now. I always freeze my flours, rice and oats for a long time before using it.

Things I still plan on adding include canned vegetables, bottled water and juices. Actually more of all of what is there. And more peanut butter. Definitely. Right now it seems that the majority of the items are tomato based, so I'll need to balance that out. 

I, once upon a time, had an inventory sheet that could be reproduced. I've since lost it and I was too unimaginative to make my own so I went to Pinterest to find one that was simple. For some reason I only downloaded the files and did not pin them so I can't link to any but the original board I started at. 

The one I decided to use, first because it had the least amount of color and second because of its wonderful simplicity, comes from Organized Home {Pantry Inventory}. It's hanging up in the photo. Eventually I will print off the Freezer Inventory one and work on that as well. We have some meat in the freezer right now but that's about it. 

One thing that needs to be considered when stocking up is the end purpose. I don't think I need to stock up for an end of the world scenario. Honestly, other than to have the extras so I wouldn't have to go to the store to get it {because I simply don't wish to drive there or because we don't have the money to buy the item, let alone the gas to drive!}, I haven't really thought of the long-term benefit of a pantry. I definitely should have. There have been times when I had to go without food at a meal so that the kids could get enough. I really don't think there's any need for that {granted it has been quite a few years since that, but still...}.

My husband thinks about it more than I do. He occasionally mentions that we need to get our pantry filled back up. When he was growing up his mom grew just about all their food, preserved it and stock piled {and he and his siblings helped I'm sure}. He is very conscious also about rotating the stock. We have only had to do that once in our pantry stocking experience since we've been married. It usually gets emptied long before anything gets too close to the expiration date. 

But this time we are going to fill it better and keep it longer. The way I started this time was to look at sales in the area and take advantage of those. With the exception of a few things, all of the items in the pantry were on sale. I will do that every so often and soon our pantry will be quite full, I'm sure. 

Do you stock up? 

What's your favorite method? 

What are some must include items that you would recommend?

Menu Planning Monday -04.21.14

So last week we switched some things around and had bbq on Friday instead of our traditional pizza. Here's this week's menu- always subject to change *wink* DH insisted on "no fish!" I say tuna fish doesn't count...

04.21 Monday

B- Bagels with cream cheese and orange juice {leftovers from Easter brunch at the church on 04/20} not on plan...at all

L- Tortilla wraps {S/CO} depends on how they are made; mine and dd's will be {S}

D- Chicken Alfredo with veggies {S} this is one that got switched last week and never got made; I think I mislabeled it as {E} last week...ooopsie. Definitely {S}.

04.22 Tuesday

B- Eggs {S}

L- Tuna sandwiches {CO/S} it's {S} when using either the coconut flour flatbread or the low-carb tortilla

D- Hamburgers and baked beans {CO} if I used lean beef I might get this to {E} but marking it {CO} for now

04.23 Wednesday

B- Cereal {CO}/Oatmeal with cottage cheese and berries {E}

L- Quesadillas {S/CO}

D- Sweet potato with sausage (crockpot) I'm not sure if I could make this an {E} or if it will be a {CO}

04.24 Thursday

B- THM Pancakes {E}

L- Brown rice Tabouleh {S/CO?}

D- Porkloin (crockpot) with Brussels sprouts {S}

04.25 Friday

B- Cereal {CO}/Muffin in a mug {S}/Oatmeal with cottage cheese and berries {E}

L- Egg sandwich {CO} mine will be {S} using coconut flour flatbread

Tea-time: 

D- Pizza! {CO} this will most likely change during the summer time since it'll be too hot 

04.26 Saturday

B- Muffin in a mug {S}/Eggs {S}/Oatmeal {E}

L- Salad with cheese {S}

D- Soft tacos {S/CO}

Dessert: 

04.27 Sunday 

B- Eggs {S}

L- Meat and cheese sandwich/wrap {CO/S}

D- Chicken with veggies {E} I'll use chicken breast

As I make these menus I notice how many {S}, {E}, and {CO} there are and am very thankful that with THM's principles each meal is a reset. I think though that I need to try for more {E} meals. Next week. I'll think about that next week. 

Menu Plan Monday 04.14.14

Got the plan made this afternoon before shopping. 

04.14 Monday

B- Crepes {S} ds had honey on his; dd and I had Greek yogurt and stevia {ours were better *wink*}

L- Leftover enchiladas from Sunday {CO} I had oatmeal with blueberries and cottage cheese {E}

D- Cheeseburger Pie {S} It's in the book under Evening Meals. I changed it some by cutting the recipe in 1/2, and subbing 1/2 of the called for mayonnaise with Greek yogurt. Served with salad for dh and I; corn on the side for the kids.

04.15 Tuesday

B- Light White Blueberry Muffins {S} In the book under "Muffins, Breads, and Pizza Crusts"

L- Lettuce wraps with either turkey or ham, cheese, mayo, mustard {S/FP/E} I might make some Trim Healthy Pan Bread for {E} sandwiches if they want something "more" to their sandwich.

D- Taco Salad {S} the kids and hubby will most likely have corn tortilla chips and cheese with theirs; I just have the salad, meat and Greek yogurt pretending to be sour cream. I might have a couple chips...

My lunch; kids opted for lettuce wraps. 
It was super yummy! I had two of those by the way.

04.16 Wednesday

B- Cereal {kids}/Oatmeal with berries and cottage cheese {E}

L- Quesadillas {S} or {CO} for ds with a regular tortilla

D- All Day Lentil Soup {E} I might make biscuits for the family, which would make this a {CO} for them...will see

04.17 Thursday

B- Super Grains cereal OR Oatmeal with berries and cottage cheese {E}

L- Bean and cheese burritos {CO} I eat just the filling without cheese which usually makes it {E}

D- Italian Style chicken (crockpot) {S} In the book under Evening Meals, Clever Crockpot Meals

04.18 Friday

B- Cereal {kids}/Eggs {S}

L- Salad with meat and cheese {S}

Tea-time: Fox is going to make fudgy brownies- definitely not on-plan! Perhaps some Friday I'll make the Special Agent Brownie Cake.

D- Pizza {CO}

04.19 Saturday

B- Cereal {kids}/Eggs {S}

L- Meat sandwiches {CO} I will make mine with the Trim Healthy Pan Bread for {E} since I don't put on the cheese and can go without mayo every so often.

D- Chicken Alfredo (crockpot) with veggies {E} another "in the book" choice, under Evening Meals, Clever Crockpot Meals

Dessert: Ice Cream! in the book- Tummy Tucking Ice Cream {E/FP}

04.20 Sunday

B- Eggs {S}

Brunch at church- Pastries, bagels, fruit (I can only hope), juice, coffee, etc.

D- Leftovers (there better be some!)

That's the menu for this week. I made sure we had some different things to try. Thankfully we are blessed with plenty of chicken in the freezer; many dinners with chicken. 

We have been trying to curtail our 'junk' eating during the week. The weekend is for that now- but not too much! I'm trying to be flexible with some THM desserts, some off-plan desserts. 

Today I made tea with THM Sweet Blend instead of sugar. It's good...but it'll take some of the family some getting used to *wink* Only 2 TBS and it tastes like sweet tea! 

Menu Plan Monday 04.07.14

Another week with a menu. I had one almost done {uh, not really; there were many meals missing} but Lee set me straight: "What's with all these crossovers!?" Yeah, I had to redo it. She's happier now {*wink*}

04.07 Monday 

B- Coffee cake {made by Fox; um yeah, totally "off plan"}

L- Grocery-shopping-get-fast-food {eh hee hee...we had Subway}

D- Hamburgers, minus the bun, with salad {S}

04.08 Tuesday

B- Super Grains hot cereal {E} I'll have coffee, black with stevia- oh! now that THM is carrying their own, I can actually drink my coffee without 'cream' of any kind *smile*

L- Lettuce wraps with turkey or ham, cheese, mayo, mustard, maybe some tomato {E without the cheese; S with}

D- Fried fish with creamy veggies and cheese rolls {S} all from THM; I'd love to give you page numbers but I have the Kindle version

04.09 Wednesday 

B- Eggs {S} with bulletproof coffee! I've been trying to cut down...

L- Taco salad {CO} 

D- Mac and cheese {CO} I might attempt the Macafoni and Cheese in THM but ...they really like my homemade mac and cheese; it might not be safe to switch it; for me...? not sure what I'll have.

04.10 Thursday

B- Waffles {off plan} Fox is making these and he insists they be 'regular'

L- Quesadillas {S} I'm "planning" on making low-carb tortillas for these but I don't know that either of the kids have ever had one. 

D- Crockpot spaghetti sauce chicken {E} maybe with brown rice on the side?

04.11 Friday

B- THM Pancakes {E}

L- Tea-time: assorted fruit, cottage cheese and tea {E}

D- Homemade pizza! {CO/off plan} I think I might just have one too. It's been a long while since I have. 

04.12 Saturday

B- Cereal {CO}/ Eggs {S}/ Muffin-in-a-mug {S}

L- Tuna tortillas {CO/off plan} haven't decided what I'll have.

D- BBQ {S}/ Chicken soup {S} weather dependent and both of those could end up being E depending on what kind of meat we use...
And we're going to have dessert after dinner. It will be the Basic Cheesecake or Tummy Tucking Ice Cream {both from THM}. I got the idea from a family at church that only has sweets on the weekends. 

04.13 Sunday 

B- Eggs {S}

L- Salad with meat and cheese {S}

D- Enchiladas {CO/off plan} I am not having these; oatmeal for me. Yum.

Snacks are the same as usual. 

I am definitely trying to make out menus more diverse. It used to be we had fish, burritos, spaghetti and pizza once a week. So that's 4 dinners always the same every week! Yikes! No wonder hubby vetoed spaghetti... and he's not big on fish either {unless it's tuna tortillas- yum}. And perhaps adding a tradition of a dessert on Saturdays to go with our already established tradition of homemade pizza on Fridays.

Menu Plan Monday 03.31.14

It's so good to have a plan. When we have a menu, then grocery shopping is so much easier as well. 

Here's the plan for the week:
03.31- Monday
Breakfast: Cereal (CO), Eggs (S), or Oatmeal with real fruit jam (kumquat) and 1% cottage cheese (E) {something for everyone- this meal really wasn't 'planned' but this is how it turned out. Fox had cereal; Lee had eggs; I had oatmeal.}
Lunch: Tacos with pico de gallo (CO) {I went without tortilla for an S, with a dollop of 0% Greek yogurt- yum!}
Dinner: Lemon Dijon Garlic Pepper Tilapia with "Fancy" Green Beans (E), a slice of bread and butter on the side for hubby and Fox (CO)

04.01- Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal (E) {the kids might not have it like I do, with fruit and cottage cheese- their loss}
Lunch: Salad with meat and cheese (S) {I skip the cheese for an E}
Dinner: Tuna tortillas (CO) {I don't eat this at all because of the cheese we put in the mix and the tortillas; instead I will have ...?}

04.02- Wednesday
Breakfast: Eggs (S)
Lunch: Grilled cheese with Light Tomato Soup (CO) -chapter 20 THM {for me instead of the grilled cheese sandwich, it will be 1/2 a piece of rye toast with Greek yogurt in place of butter (E)}
Dinner: Salad of some kind... this is prone to change since they didn't have any salad when I went shopping today

04.03- Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal (CO) {for me it'll be oatmeal (E) or eggs (S); depends how I feel that morning}
Lunch: Sammies (eggplant, meat and Swiss cheese sandwiches) (S)- chapter 20 THM {Fox doesn't like eggplant so he'll have a meat and cheese sandwich on wheat bread (CO)}
Dinner: Fake Hot Wings {this is the Boneless Wings in THM- chapter 21} with ...? The kids want biscuits which I find to be an odd combination. Usually we have veggies on the side. {It will probably end up a CO meal}

04.04- Friday
Breakfast: Egg and sausage "muffins" (S)
Lunch: Loaded Fotato Soup (E) -chapter 20 THM {FP for me, no cheese wedge and added Greek yogurt}
Dinner: Pepperoni and olive pizza! Homemade every Friday. (CO) {I usually eat oatmeal (E)...I know so boring; good thing I love oatmeal!}

04.05- Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal (CO) for the kids; eggs (S) for dh {eggs (S) or oatmeal (E) for me}
Lunch: Salad of some sort...again this might change.
Dinner: Something from the freezer...undecided

04.06- Sunday
Breakfast: Same as Saturday
Lunch: Chicken wraps (CO) {I will have an "egg" sandwich (S) using 2 slices of Coconut Flour Flatbread and mayo. I use almond milk, and yes, I use the Parmesan cheese.}
Dinner: Porkloin, mesquite bbq flavor with mashed potatoes (CO) {I'm going to make some Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes -chapter 22 THM- for myself and whoever wants to try it for an S}

Snacks can be {All the cheesy ones are for the kids, not me.}: 
raisins/string cheese
yogurt/raisins
yogurt/coconut
apple/peanut butter
apple/yogurt
wasa crackers/string cheese
wasa crackers/cheese wedge
apple/string cheese
cottage cheese/fruit
yogurt/almonds
yogurt/peanut butter

So that's the week's menu. Sometimes we switch the meals around if we aren't feeling like what's set for the day. Ah, yes and always there is water, water, water, and tea :)

Note:
S= Satisfying
E= Energizing
CO= Crossover
Find out more about THM by visiting the website.

Aldi Saves Money...Overall

I do most of my shopping at Aldi. I really like the store. For the most part, everything I need and want can be found there and at a lower price than other stores. The other things I just go without or make an every-so-often trip to a different store. When I first started shopping there I had this niggling feeling that the products were less than what you get at other stores. But no; the package says it's the same. It can't be less. No.

Or is it?

I went today to do some quick shopping; picked up toilet paper, cat litter and {hopefully} yummy chocolate for tea-time tomorrow. All necessities of course *wink*. 

The toilet paper looked the same...for the most part. I do a squeeze test when buying paper products like tp, napkins or paper towels. The tp is a necessity, the others are rarities. I felt the tp this time and just felt that it wasn't up to par with what I'd bought before. Don't be silly; it's the same brand, the same amount, same everything. You're just being silly!

I had a couple rolls from when I bought it last time. Uh huh. I was right- the rolls are smaller...or something. What've they done?! 

I don't buy orange juice at Aldi because dh says it's watered down. And of course there are some things that can't be found at Aldi {specialty products like baking powder and cocoa powder apparently}. 

It's just toilet paper, right? It cost $6.99 for an 18 pack that supposedly compares to 36 rolls, and with "10% more than Angel Soft" {which I never buy because it definitely isn't worth the money}. Is it a silly thing to worry that we're not getting quite what we think we are if it is saving us even a little money? The Aldi is closer than some other stores that cost more, so I save gas as well as at the checkout. Eh, well...like my dd said, it gives me something to talk about other than just books on my blog...

What's your experience with Aldi?

Gluten Free Drop Biscuits

Yay! I got my order of gf flours yesterday...and then the power went out. Go figure. Today I have made three batches of all-purpose flour to try out. Here are drop biscuits I made from "Experiment #1".

Flour ingredients: 

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/8 cup millet flour

1/8 cup buckwheat flour

1/8 cup quinoa flour

1/8 cup sweet white rice flour

1/2 TBS + 1/2 tsp glucomannan powder

Biscuit recipe:

1 3/4 cup flour above

1 TBS baking powder

1 tsp salt

6 TBS cold butter, cubed

1 cup almond milk -plus enough water to make a 'drop' biscuit dough consistency

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450*F. 

Mix flour well beforehand; add baking powder and salt. Mix. Cut in butter until resemble coarse crumbs. Add almond milk and water until desired 'drop' consistency is reached.

Grease cookie sheet. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for about 17 minutes, until golden brown on top. Makes 15-18 biscuits. 

I chose to use almond milk so that I could eat these {butter, occasional cottage cheese and smidgen of greek yogurt is all I can seem to tolerate}. After all I am the only one that is choosing to be gf in the house. I would have used all almond milk but I ran out before I'd reached the right consistency. Water worked just fine. 

These were very yummy. I am so surprised, honestly. This is the second or third time that I have tried to make gf biscuits that I didn't end up throwing away. Nutritionally, I'm not sure these are wonderful but I can definitely see myself eating these occasionally. 

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php 

I would like to experiment some more to lower the fat and raise the protein. And I might increase the baking powder, or use a combination of soda and powder. But really these were yummy. The kids even liked them *wink*.

Homemade Toothpaste Because I'm Getting Cavities!

No, I don't think my store-bought toothpaste has given me cavities. I blame that completely on evening junk food binge eating. Which by the way, I shouldn't be doing anyway. York peppermint patties are definitely my favorite. Mmmmm... But moving on...

My dh told me that there's no way to get rid of cavities. He told me to make an appointment with the dentist. The dentist that doesn't have the proper equipment to take comfortable x-rays; the dentist that misreads the x-rays and wants to fill a tooth that doesn't have a cavity; the dentist that can't communicate with each other and gives an amalgam filling when a composite is requested- twice. No. I will not. Well, if I am to the point where I cannot fix it myself because the tooth is rotting away and stabbing shooting nerve pain is incapacitating me...well, then I'll consider it. 

My first step was cut out all sugar. ALL sugar- including honey. I don't eat foods that have sugar in the ingredients. I rarely eat processed foods anyway so I know what's in my food. I'm even considering cutting fruit since I don't eat it very much anyway. I do eat berries with cottage cheese (both have 'sugar') occasionally though so I'm still on the fence about my berries. And I'm working on getting some more calcium in my diet. I don't eat dairy very much {love cheese! but it doesn't love me} but I think I'll withstand a rumbly tummy in exchange for some tooth strengthening calcium. I'm also adding dolomite powder in my oatmeal. Next I made my own toothpaste.

I don't have anything against store-bought. We've used it for years, and we aren't picky. Perhaps that's part of the problem. I did have a toothpaste once that was to strengthen the enamel on my teeth {one dentist seemed to think I had overly acidic saliva- ew} but it caused my teeth to yellow. I'd heard about an at-home tooth whitening routine that just used peroxide and tried it for one whole week {uh, well, kind of sporadically that week}. I'm really not sure of its benefits. I've also done oil pulling...for maybe a week. I have commitment issues apparently. 

Next...homemade toothpaste. I've made it before and just ran out less than a month ago and have been using store-bought paste. {I'm sure it's coincidental that my cavities have shown up and I've been using store-bought toothpaste since I started eating those yummy York patties night after night, and a few during the day.} I don't recall where I found the original recipe but it can be Googled {or better yet, use Swagbucks and get bucks for searching} and there's many a recipe to be had. Here's mine {and I just have this nagging feeling that I'v shared it before but can't find it!}:

1/2 TBS coconut oil

1/2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp vitamin E

1 TBS baking soda

1 TBS calcium magnesium powder (dolomite) 

1/2 to 1 tsp salt

stevia to 'taste'

I just mix all ingredients together really well in a small container with a lid. Honestly, the measures here are for your benefit; I don't really measure. I guess. I would love to have some essential oils to put in it to make it taste better but I've not had any yet. The recipe I found also had added minerals, which some day I may add as well. 

When I go to brush my teeth, I do have to dip my brush in the paste. I'd prefer to be able to glop it on like a store-bought tube, but eh, it'll work!

And as for dh's comment that I can't get rid of cavities- I've already seen an improvement in one. It is ... less. Works for me! 

**Disclaimer: I have no idea if it is possible to reverse cavities or not. I am not afraid of the dentist but in general prefer to not go to doctors, especially since our family's personal doctors will prescribe man-made drugs before even considering alternatives. I am not advocating not going to the dentist. I'm just not going. And in case you didn't already know, I am not a doctor nor do I have adequate knowledge in the area of medicine or dentistry for you to take anything I say as medical advice. There, I feel better.**