Mmm...Donut love!

Well I have been away battling a nasty cold since Friday but today I am feeling slightly on the mend. Over the weekend we worked on a new activity for the daycare, we created a rice box an indoor sand box of sorts. I purchased a 38L rectangular rubber maid tote, an 8kg bag of white rice, 4 bags of pinto beans, a bag of smooth rocks, and two bags of plastic animals put it all together in the box and presto indoor sand box! My Son loves it he added some of his cars to it and has been playing with it all weekend, all and all I spent was about $30 so I would say it was money well spent.

Today I am working on finishing my Valentine for my Son which I should have done this weekend but wasn't feeling well so now he is watching a movie and I am painting away. As a surprise for him I am baking some mini donuts which I have glazed with pink glaze they are Sugar Free well except the glaze and Gluten Free of course! Also for supper I am making Organic Gluten Free Chicken Quinoa Soup to help us battle this cold, I roasted an Organic Chicken last night and saved the juice from the roasting pan as well as some of the meat to make soup today. I didn't put any spices in the soup other than salt and pepper as I put Epicure Turkey Rub on the Chicken last night so the juice will carry that flavor.

Organic Gluten Free Chicken Quinoa Soup

All left over roast chicken juice
1 cup chicken meat, chopped
6 cups water
3/4 cup organic Quinoa
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks including leaves, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped (dice them if your kids don't like eating them)
1/2 cup frozen organic peas
1/2 cup frozen organic green beans
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in the pot and bring to a boil then simmer for one hour or until quinoa and veggies are tender.

Mini Cake Donuts

2 cups Gluten Free Flour Mix see previous post
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup organic unsweetened apple sauce
tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 rice milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp organic nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. lightly spray Donut Pan with cooking oil.
3. In a medium sized bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, apple sauce, agave nectar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
5. Beat until well blended.
6. Fill each donut hole 2/3 full.
7. Bake 8 mins or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Cool and remove from pan and dip into glaze. Decorate with sprinkles, nuts, shaved chocolate or coconut.


Glaze
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp hot water
2 drops Wiltons pink icing dye ( if coloring)

Dough and Ratatouille

Well I tried working on the play dough yesterday but with no success I just made slim so I went searching for another recipe to try and found one at this Site but still had to modify it. I liked that this one you didn't have to use the stove but it took some work to mix it up! Unfortunately it still came pretty sticky but the kids are having a blast playing with and called it "Gooey Mud".

GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON SCENTED NATURAL COLORED PLAY DOUGH

Ingredients

1 cup of almond flour or rice flour

1- 2 cups of corn flour/corn starch (it adds the stickiness) keep adding while stirring till you get the right consistency.

4 tablespoons of ‘cream of tartar’

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 cup of salt

2 cups of boiling water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Food coloring - I used beet dye for this and I put 2 Tbs which made it light pinkish.

Glitter, colored sand, or other bits and pieces to make the dough more fun! I used red glitter to make it fun for our Gratitude Day celebration!

Please remember that you can substitute regular flours for the equal amounts of Gluten Free.

Method

Mix all the ingredients in, then add the boiling water. Keep stirring until it form the right consistency.

Last night I made Ratatouille using a Rachael Ray recipe with some changes to make it Gluten Free. One thing we like to do in our house when having Ratatouille is to watch the Disney Ratatouille movie at the same time makes it fun for our Son!

Ratatouille with Quinoa

Start with the Vegetable Stock;

1 medium onion

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3-4 carrots, chopped

1/2 a bell pepper

2 Tbs basil

1 Tbs parsley

8-10 cups of water

Combine all ingredients together in a large pot, bring it to a boil and then let simmer for about an hour, strain the vegetables out and set the broth aside.

Ratatouille Ingredients

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbs Epicure Minced Garlic (Again you can use my consultant Deanna Osterbeck)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbs freeze dried thyme

1 can 28oz diced no salt tomatoes

6 cups of the vegetable stock from above

3/4 cup Quinoa

A handful of freeze dried parsley leaves

A pinch of freeze dried basil leaves

Heat the Olive Oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, egg plant, and zucchini. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and thyme and cook until softened, about 7-8 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and the vegetable stock and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Stir in the quinoa and cook till vegetables and quinoa are tender. Stir in the parsley and basil, and serve.

The boys eat theirs with french bread and we do like to add some Parmesan cheese on top as well.

About Xylitol for baking

There was some questions on Facebook about Xylitol and it was mentioned that it can cause GI upset after doing some reading I have found that it is safe to use in small quantities and to start out with small amounts and see how you react to it. For me I have been fine so far as have the kids but my recipes don't call for a large amount. I have found one Site that explains Xylitol which you may want to take a look at. Also looked it up in my Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book and this is what they have to say; "Xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol, is also a safe replacement for sugar and will not increase blood sugar. Some people prefer the taste of Xylitol over stevia - this is an individual preference. The main sources of commercially produced Xylitol are birch trees and corncobs. In the form that comes from corn, the grain of the corn is never used. However, people sensitive to corn might look to other forms of Xylitol or use stevia instead. Note: Xylitol is typically sweeter than stevia; therefore, less Xylitol is needed when you would otherwise use sugar or stevia.

I also looked it up on Wikipedia too and here is what they have to say;

Xylitol

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Xylitol[1]
IUPAC name (2R,3r,4S)-Pentane-1,2,3,4,5-pentol
Other names 1,2,3,4,5-Pentahydroxypentane; Xylite
Identifiers
CAS number	87-99-0 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL96783 Y
Properties
Molecular formula	C5H12O5
Molar mass	152.15 g mol−1
Density	1.52 g/cm³
Melting point	92-96 °C
Boiling point	216 °C
Related compounds
Related alkanes	Pentane
Y(what is this?) (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Xylitol crystals

Xylitol (from Greek ξύλον - xyl[on], "wood" + suffix -itol, used to denote sugar alcohols) is a sugar alcohol sweetener used as a naturally occurring sugar substitute. It is found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, oats, and mushrooms.^[2] It can be extracted from corn fiber,^[3] birch, raspberries, plums, and corn. Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds the food energy.

As with other sugar alcohols, with the exception of erythritol, consumption in excess of one's laxation threshold (the amount of sweetener that can be consumed before abdominal discomfort sets in) can result in temporary gastrointestinal side effects, such as bloating and diarrhea. Adaptation, an increase of the laxation threshold, occurs with regular intake. Xylitol has a lower laxation threshold than some sugar alcohols, but is more easily tolerated than others such as mannitol and sorbitol.^[4][5]

Xylitol is an organic compound with the formula (CHOH)₃(CH₂OH)₂. This achiral species is one of four isomers of 1,2,3,4,5-pentapentanol.

So in conclusion I think it is safe to use in small amounts and if you don't want to try or have unpleasant symptoms change it in my recipes for Agave Nectar, Stevia, or Sugar Cane.

Gluten Free Chocolate Play Dough

So yesterday I received a link for a Valentines day idea instead of celebrating Valentines Day will be celebrating Gratitude. The kids will be making Gratitude cards for their parents and I have a little bag of treats that I will be sending home with them in gratitude of them being such great kids at my house! We are very excited and so to kick it off today I made Gluten Free Chocolate Play Dough for them to play with, it is just resting on the counter but is smelling really good! So if you have a large group you may want to double the recipe and if you want to make it non-Gluten Free just change the two flours for the same amount of regular flour. So without further delay here it is!

Homemade Gluten-Free Chocolate Play Dough

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup cocoa

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon palm shortening

1. Mix together dry ingredients in medium saucepan, add water and palm shortening.

2. Stir over medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes, until playdough forms a ball.

3. Let cool and have fun! It usually does it good to sit for an hour or two before they play with it and store put it in a container with a lid.

New Recipes to try out!

New Gluten Free Flour Blend to try;

5 Cups Brown Rice Flour
3 Cups Sorghum Flour
2 2/3 Cups Potato Starch
1 Cup Corn Starch
1/4 Cup + 4 tsp Potato Flour
1 tbs + 1 tsp Xantham Gum

This makes about 12 cups flour so you can half it but keep the same amount of xantham gum to try it out. I used this blend to make the following two recipes.

The first is one from Cooking for Isaiah that I modified.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Gluten Free

1 Cup Gluten Free Flour Mix (see above)
3 tbs Bernard Callebaut Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup all vegetable shortening at room temperature
1/2 Cup Organic Demerara Sugar
1/4 Cup Xylitol
1 Large Egg at room temperature
1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
2 tbs Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients and set aside.
2. In a large bowl and using a mixer beat together the shortening and the sugars until fluffy about 2 mins. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and apple sauce. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients and then stir the chocolate chips.
3. Using a tbs drop the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown at the edges, 10-12 mins. Let cool for 5 mins than transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Gluten Free, Diary Free, Reduced Sugar, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

1 2/3 Cups Gluten Free Flour Blend (see above)
2/3 Cup Xylitol
1 Tsp Epicure Pumpkin Pie Spice ( you can enter my consultant Deanna Osterbeck when ordering)
1Tsp Baking Soda
3/4 Tsp Sea Salt
2/3 Cup Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1 Cup Pure Pumpkin Puree
2/3 Cup Rice milk
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup or less Mini Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line your 36 cup mini muffin pan with mini paper liners.
2. Combine all your dry ingredients in a medium bowl, whisk and set aside.
3. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a large bowl and gradually stir in the dry ingredients until well blended then add the mini chocolate chips and stir.
4. Spoon the batter into your prepared mini muffin pan, until cups are about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean, about 12-14 mins.
5. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

These two recipes are my first time baking with Xylitol instead of traditional sugars so far I can not taste the difference but my pregnant friend is on her way so we will see what her taste buds have to say. The reason for changing the sugars is that Xylitol is suppose to be healthy for our bodies because it is plant based and are bodies are able to break it down better and use it versus traditional sugar that our bodies cannot break down as well. I think the problem with my chocolate chip cookies before was in the flour blends and the sugar I was using Sucanat in place of brown sugar and it changes the taste so this time I used the Organic Demerara in place of brown sugar and it seemed better just a little grainy but that worked just fine. I hope you enjoy these two recipes and please leave me a comment and let me know how they worked for you and your family.

Joy and Hope

I had intended to blog about something completely different today but then as I logged into Facebook this morning I was greeted with a surprise, a friend of mine that I have met through a infertility support group IVF.ca brought home a healthy baby girl after 2 miscarriages and one little girl losing her fight for life at 3 months. This friend has been an amazing support to me through my miscarriage and our struggle to come to terms with our family as is and our decision to move forward with adoption as a means of completing our family. This friend has amazing strength she kept going to achieve her goal even after so many heart breaks and in the end she has brought home a beautiful healthy little girl and completed her family. Her story gives me hope and keeps me going and believing that our little one is out there and one day we will find her but until then I will continue to pray for you and so is your big brother. We look forward to the day that we can too bring you home and hold you in our arms our precious little one! To read this friends amazing story please take a look at her blog On the Wings of Angels. I will leave with this for now and I pray that her story will inspire you and bring you hope today as well.

Some links I wanted to share

I get several links a day through various blogs and Facebook so I had promised to share some. The first one my Son insists is the most important to share is TVO Kids it has all kinds of great kids shows a couple of our favorites are Dinosaur Train and Peep and the Big Wide World Show those are just a couple their so many more. As I had mentioned we previously stopped our cable service for budgeting reasons and also to better control the amount of TV being watched by our Son, it really is great to see him playing so much more! Another is a Site I came across yesterday they have a monthly 3 dimensional paper Calendar craft that they email out the Site name is Curiosity and also found their site a link to some great Handy Manny paper crafts for our kids. The last one I wanted to share is a craft we are going to do here at the daycare it's a paper mache bowl that I really want to make with the older kids just have to gather some of the supplies. I am also going to take some time and explore that blog further for more ideas. I have been spending a lot of time lately reading about different methods of learning and exploring different ways of helping children to learn about their world.

So for supper last night I took the easy way out and made pancakes for supper it was a nice treat to our Son who loves them however until last night I had not discovered a recipe that was Gluten Free that my family would like kind of like the elusive Chocolate Chip Cookie. I had picked up several recipe books from the library and have been trying some of the recipes out. Last nights pancakes came from Incredible Edible Gluten Free Food for Kids by Sheri L. Sanderson.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients
2 Cups Rice Flour
1/3 Cup Tapioca Flour
2/3 Cup Potato Starch Flour
3 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Buttermilk powder
2 Eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups Milk
4 1/2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Vanilla
Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and buttermilk powder. Make a well by pushing the ingredients to the sides of the bowl.
2. In another bowl, mix the eggs, milk and oil.
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and combine well. Do not over mix.
4. Drop by 1/4 cups onto a hot griddle or pan. Cook until the pancakes are dry on the edges and bubbly. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown.

Makes 18-20 5 inch pancakes. You can freeze your leftovers for a quick breakfast just reheat in toaster or microwave.