Tag Archives: baking

Hey, I’m not Knitting but a Girl’s Gotta Eat!

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I believe that I’ve written before about my new “diet” without gluten. The concept was suggested initially by my doctor and supported by an herbalist whom I visited, all in an effort to help me get rid of this allergic cough that I’ve had forever. I sound like a two-pack-a-day smoker and I don’t smoke! I am also looking to drop the baby weight that I gained (nearly 27 years ago!)

I found a cheap-o cookbook (apparently it’s so cheap-o that I can’t find it anywhere!) about gluten-free and dairy-free cooking and, while I’m not living dairy-free yet, it had some good looking recipes and so I decided to buy it and bring it home. So far, I’ve tried two recipes.One for a “Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup” and another for “Soda Bread”.

The first, while it has come out (twice, now!) a little bit too thick for my taste, is a really yummy lunch or dinner (or both if you’re really lazy!) I added some steamed cauliflower for texture and thinned it a bit with some extra chicken broth. I think it will be even yummier tomorrow when I add some additional cooked lentils. I didn’t have chili powder so I substituted (not one for one, though) some cayenne pepper. Mr. N’ley thinks it would be good with some sausage … I think meatless is good but this is a family issue and best kept at home. 🙂

I’m not at all sure why the “Soda” bread is soda bread because it has no soda in it whatsoever. But, perhaps it mimics Irish Soda Bread … not sure, exactly. Suffice it to say, however that the bread came out quite well. It’s a bit sweet which surprised me  … until I realized that it had juice and four tablespoons of Maine’s best maple syrup in it. I like the bread a lot and when you’re living gluten-free, bread is something that I, at least, crave! There is quite a bit of fruit in this bread and that, combined with the sweetness, will make this a delish breakfast bread. Toasted with a little bit of organic Maine butter … mmmmm.

With that, there’s some Gifford’s ice cream in the fridge and I think I hear it calling my name!

PS – the book’s title is *** Wheat, Dairy & Gluten Free: over 70 delicious ideas published in 2010 by Paragon Books, UK. Good luck finding it! 🙂

*** Queen Bee’s note: I just got a much appreciated email from a caring reader who pointed out what I know but didn’t post any information about on the old posts. The book above uses Spelt flour which is a wheat product and not really gluten-free. It may not give gluten sensitive tummys as much trouble as wheat flour but if you’re really sensitive, you probably do not want to use this book or spelt flour. Be  safe! Use real gluten-free flours!

The way to a man’s heart …

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There are white caps on the lake this morning. When I look outside from the warmth of the wood stove, it looks (and sounds) a lot like the ocean. It’s a bit misty, too. Not a warm spring day in Belgrade!

We have a copy here of The Settlement Cook Book. Copyright 1944, the “Victory” (26th) edition published by the Settlement Publishing Company during WWII. Compiled by Mrs. Simon Kander. On the inside of the front cover is a lovely “autographed” photograph of Mrs. Simon Kander (if you click on the link above, there is a photo of the page!) who compiled the recipes and (not to worry) they’re “tested” recipes from “The Milwaukee Public School Kitchens, Girls Trades and Technical High School, Authoritative Dieticians and Experienced Housewives” … what a hoot!

As you may know, I love to bake. When I’m up here I like to use what we have around – much of which has been here for 50+ years. This cookbook is one of the things I love (and who’d ever have thought that it’s a rare, collectible book!) The big mixing bowl, is another. Anyway, I digress … Chapter One is entitled, “Household Rules” and it tells you all you need to know about keeping house – literally. Including, how to light a “modern” gas range, set a table, and how to make soap. One of my favorite recipes, though, is a recipe for “Scotch Scones” which I’ve used as the base of my recipe below and have adapted over the years according to what I’ve been eating. Since I’m now eating gluten-free, I’ll give you the basic scone recipe and then gluten-free!

Maine Blueberry “Scotch” Scones (best served warm with a cup of coffee or tea on a cold May day, inside by the wood stove when Lake Messalonskee looks like the ocean!)

2 cups bread flour (I use unbleached all-purpose flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter, cold!, cut into small cubes
2 eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup buttermilk or cream
1 cup Maine blueberries (frozen or fresh)
 
 
 
Wash your hands now and take off your rings … this gets messy!
 
 
 
Preheat oven to 350°.
 
 
 
Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter and with your hands, mix butter into flour mixture until it is all blended in by pinching it between your thumb and fingers. Flour will look like larger grains and no lumps of butter will remain. Add eggs and buttermilk and mix until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Toss dough onto a floured surface and pat or roll to a square about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into triangles about 2 inches across. (This time, though I patted mine into a circle 3/4 inches thick and cut it into large wedges.) Transfer to greased cookie sheet, brush with egg white, and sprinkle with your choice of brown sugar and cinnamon, organic raw cane sugar, cinnamon sugar, etc. (My traditional sprinkle is with Turbinado sugar but today I used brown sugar and cinnamon.)
 
 
 
Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
 
 
 
For the gluten-free version, substitute Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking mix for the flour and add 3/4 teaspoon of xantham gum but the rest of the recipe is the same.
 

Now, for a cup of tea and a bit of knitting … new on the needles this morning, the Queen Bee’s Tweed Boulette Blanket. My French daughter and her family are coming to visit after waaaayyy too many years and I’m worried that the baby, la boulette, will be cold. So, what does a good “grand-mere” do? … She knits one!

Off I go to knit and snack!

 
 

All My Bags Are NOT Packed

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Peter, Paul and Mary had it all … and they must have had some help if they always had their bags packed. I am not ready and here I sit at my desk, blogging away!

This little Yankee can’t waste a couple of rotting bananas so I had to bake some gluten-free banana blueberry muffins this morning. Killed two birds with one stone because I also used up the fresh Florida blueberries from Costco! And then I decided that a batch of “Mom’s Best” Granola was in order for the boy who’s turning 21 on Wednesday. His big gift will arrive on it’s own. I feel so lucky that we’re able to travel and that I can spend a couple hours with my “baby” on his special day.

All these years later, I’ve got some serious regrets that I didn’t wait until he was out of high school before I left Cincinnati. It would have only been a year … of course at the time, my head was reeling, my heart was wounded (and I was sure it was beyond repair) and I had this wonderful man who wanted me with him … or at least in the same town. I also thought that his father would “step up” and take the parenting seriously (since he hadn’t done too much of it when I was there). Not so much. What nobody realized – not me, not his/our therapist – was how much he was drinking and what a mess he really was. He could barely care for himself after my departure and he certainly didn’t do a great job of taking care of my son. I would never have left if I’d realized how poorly cared for my son would be – and that he was going to have to depend on friends on a regular basis. Neither did I realize how hurt he’d be when I left. I knew him as an independent kid who was seldom home. I was alone all the time in that big old house. Housing choices were not plentiful and it was expensive. But, today, looking back with my 20/20 hindsight vision, it would have been a good choice to stay for my son’s sake.

Over the course of the past four years, he’s graduated from high school, successfully completed (nearly) three years of an extremely competitive and demanding college curriculum and learned to brew beer in his apartment, cook like a professional chef, and dress to the nines. I’m really proud of the young man that he’s becoming and I hope he’s proud of himself.

I’m trying to do whatever it takes to rebuild a relationship with my boy. I love him more than life itself and I wish I could go back and un-do what I did. Sadly, it’s done and now I can only try to show him how much he means to me … even if it means spending an extra day or two in the car on an already long trip so I can have dinner with him on his 21st birthday. Happy Birthday (almost) Boy!

Passion … fruit?

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My baby RIPE Pineapple

I love to “cook” (translation – bake) and wanted to share a few recipes with you that are my favorites in this blog. While this isn’t actually a baking recipe, it’s one of my favorites!

Pineapple-infused Vodka

1 fresh, ripe pineapple
1 bottle cheap (or pricey) vodka

Peel and slice the pineapple and place the good stuff in a large plastic or glass container with a lid. Open the vodka bottle and pour the contents over the pineapple. Put the lid on the bottle and stash it in the refrigerator for no less than two weeks. Strain vodka, toss out the pineapple (taste it, it’s nasty now!) and keep refrigerated.

(I love this over ice, equal parts of pineapple vodka and pomegranate juice with a wedge of lime, squeezed.)

LOL!  … guess my priorities are enjoyment.

Lesson 1: I like to have fun … a cold beverage is lovely at the end of the day and I do enjoy one  … or two.
I am a (mostly) happy person and embrace life with an open heart and an open mind … and am truly blessed.

PS – the little pineapple grew in a pot at our front door. Right before we were to leave on vacation, we picked it and ate it. It was good. Thank you pineapple!