Mmmm..."Bread"

Thanks to this book, I made my first loaf of sandwich bread last weekend! I hate cookbooks...but I love this one.

I picked it up ages ago because I wanted something IN MY HANDS (aka not on the Internet) full of great "paleo" recipes. Grain free, gluten free, whole food kind of stuff. And it had to be simple. I'm not so good with recipes in general, and really terrible at the ones with lots of ingredients, and steps, and special tools. Blargh!

I marked the "sandwich bread" pretty much immediately, and BFF seemed excited to try it as well. But I have been putting it off. Why? Cause I'm lazy, that's why. And also..umm...nope, just lazy!

And then I had a bit of time to spare on a Sunday afternoon, and I was procrastinating washing dishes and this seemed like the perfect task for that! And look at how PRETTY my bread turned out!

Ingredients
3/4 cup almond butter, smooth
6 eggs
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup golden flax seed, ground
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 4 x 8-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease well with coconut oil. Getting the parchment paper to stay in the pan was the hardest part of the recipe for me, which is amusing because I used to have a job in paper crafting!

2. In a large bowl, blend the almond butter, eggs, honey, coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar with an immersion blender.
I am in love with my immersion blender. In. Love.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flax, coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix the dry into the wet the immersion blender works great for this (...in love...), pour into the greased and lined loaf pan, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

The flavour is slightly nutty thanks to the almond butter, but not overwhelming. And the honey adds just the right amount of sweetness. It's moist, and dense, and so far it's amazing for sandwiches and snacking!

I have a feeling that I'm going to want to make a loaf every week. Even Dude gave it his approval! I mean...look at this sandwich.......

Yes please!

Homemade Take Out

I've got another simple dinner for you to try, and it is inspired by a couple of my favourite fast food items. This is Taco Time Mexi Fries meets New York Fries Veggie Works.

And you can also adjust quite easily for kids who don't like cheese....except when they get it in their head that this version doesn't taste quite the same as the "real" fast food version and so ipso facto it's not as good and they're not going to eat it any more.

Damn!

Recipe...for those of you so inclined...

Frozen tater tots..."cooked according to package instructions"

Ground beef, cooked & seasoned with chili powder & garlic powder, with a little tomato paste/sauce added near the end of cooking for more flavour & texture, yo!

Diced tomatoes & green onions

Sour cream or Greek yogurt

Grated cheddar cheese

Salsa on the side

Adjust quantities accordingly, to, like, you know, how many people you are feeding.

later loves

Breakfast for Dinner

Another of my go-to easy dinners is breakfast! I mean, what's easier/better than bacon & eggs? Really, what is? I'm thinking nothing, but what do I know...

And when I say "& eggs", I mean I throw whatever veggies I have on hand in the pan with two eggs and some water, steam them just long enough that the whites are solid while the yolks are still runny, and scoop it on to my plate with some goat cheese & avocado. I guess that's getting kind of fancy, but it's still super easy! And delicious, let me tell you!

And sometimes I have a little wine (or beer...surprise surprise) with dinner, but I would never have wine with breakfast! Well, "never" is a strong word...

Dude doesn't like eggs, but he loves "french toast waffles". I'm living the lie for as long as possible! Hopefully at least until he moves out...

Oh. And don't forget the bacon. HA! That's funny....forgetting bacon. Talk about something that could NEVER happen!

photos taken Tuesday, January 15, 2013

later loves

The Town of Gluten

So I jumped online while dinner was cooking last night, to write up this post, and I had NO posts scheduled! I don't think that has happened in a long time! And then I read the previous post....and wow....that was pretty heavy. Yikes!

Well, this one won't be. Like, at all! We're getting back to BEER!

My local liquor store finally got in a new gluten free beer. So I just had to pick it up while I was in the other day. Glutenberg is a pale ale from Montreal, actually. It contains millet, buckwheat and corn instead of the regular gluten-full ingredients. It also contains candy syrup, demerara (whatever that is) and quinoa.

And I am not a fan. I should have known better, because usually pale ales do not sit well with me.

(Lucas wants to make sure you understand that this is my "I don't like it" face! And he's right!)

Thank goodness I bought a second 6-pack of something better. A Big Rock "Brewmaster's Edition" named Saaz Republic Pilz. It is quite tasty, and pretty to boot!

later loves

p.s. A quick Google search reveals that demerara is a type of brown sugar. Either that, or a region in South America in what is now Guyana. Word of the Day!

I love me some Chia!

I got turned on to chia how? I think it was a couple of paleo sites. It's a great grain-substitute for those of us going grain and gluten free. Chia is actually a seed. Remember those chia pets sold by the infomercial? Same thing, my friends! Add liquid, and the seed puffs up and becomes a delicious pudding/cereal.

Chia has everything good in it that you could ever want in your body. It's a high (high) source of fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein. And all you need are a couple of tablespoons to get your "daily recommended" dose. Or so says "S" at work! And if you don't trust "S", then you can just go ahead and google it yourself. I'm not going to go into all the nitty gritty here, but I will give you my opinion on the stuff, cause I know you're just dying to hear my opinion!

It is just so damn good!!

Hell, I love it so much I gave some to a best bud for her birthday earlier in the month. Some may say that's a cheap cop-out of a birthday present. But I prefer to think that I am helping to make her the best Kara she can be. And also, keep her regular.

Cause that's what friends are for!

later loves

p.s. I hear Costco has big bags of it for a decent price, but since I shun that place like it is a plague carrier, I have had to spend more on it. Although, it's on sale at Planet Organic this month. I might have to stock up!

p.p.s. Yes that is a fruit cocktail fruit cup in there. With extra cherries. Sometimes you just take what the pantry has to offer!

Mon-Something-Or-Other

I think this is my favourite "Gluten Free Beer Trial" so far. Mongozo. By the bottle.

A pilsener...I am a sucker for a pilsener. Am also a fan of buzzwords such as: "fair trade" & "organic". You're speaking my language friend. Too bad they sell it by the bottle, and not the case.

I even got my "crazy face" on for this. #goodtimes

later loves

A Beer to Start the Weekend

BFF & I went out for beers last week. It was supposed to be coffee, but when he said "y'know, we could find a patio and have a drink..." I immediately agreed (I might have said "whoopee") and we headed to Local Public Eatery for some beers on the patio.

Gluten-plenty beers, I might add.

I like the amber beers. I just do. I tried a Yukon & a Granville Island, both reddish and ruddy in colouring and flavouring. Nom nom nom.

This latest gluten-free selection did not pass the test.

You might remember my previous review of a La Messagere beer. The red one. That was a tasty one.

This one was practically colourless, and the flavor was only so-so.

Definitely not going back on the grocery list.

But it was a nice partner to my "Fuel Up Eggs" lunch last Friday. And it was very light and easy-drinking. But with more flavour than a more mainstream light beer. So if you like those big-name beers (you know who I'm talking about), but you prefer gluten-free, this would be a good option for you!

later loves

Gluten Free Beer Trials - Part Three

This is the third in a (hopefully) never ending gluten-free beer trials in my house. I've already got another one on deck for next week!

This one is all Spanish, all the time! And "estrella" means "star" in Spanish, which me-likey! It's a lighter coloured beer, and has a little more bitter taste to it compared to the Bard's and La Messegere.

And on the Lisa-scale of rating beer, it gets about a 7? I dunno. It was okay, but not my standard preferred flavour. And it only comes in a 4-pack.

But it seems to be the beer of choice at my "local" liquor store. They re-stocked this one, and I promptly bought them out of the other brand! HA!

later loves

More Beer Please!

Bard's was good, don't get me wrong, but I thought I would at least try all the other gluten-free beers out there before I settled on "my brand." Oh lord...there it is...I'm a beer snob. Oh well. If Wil Wheaton can do it, then so can I!

Lora recently tried the blonde version of this brand, (and so did Nadine, but she doesn't have a review I can link to...wink wink) but it's labelled as a pale ale, which I don't enjoy, so I thought I would grab the "red ale" instead. Not like I know the difference or anything.

I really enjoyed this one as well. I would have to compared them side-by-side, but I would say it is very similar in taste to the Bard's. Maybe a little darker in colour.

I know I am a total weirdo for drinking my beer with a straw and ice, but shut up! Who asked you anyway!?!

Also, I sort of feel like I have the wardrobe of a 20-year-old boy nowadays. Or maybe it's just this outfit. Let's everyone give props to my new, exclusive "Fashion Un-Able" photographer Lucas "The Dude" Kercher. He is getting better at not taking a photo of the floor, and he really seems to enjoy it!

later loves

P.S. One more thing on the list of weird stuff that contains gluten, i.e. wheat protein: LUNCH MEAT. I bought my standard brand of lunch meat the other day ("Natural") and now it's got a little label at the top that reads "gluten free." Why on earth would anyone need to add wheat to lunch meat!? Anyhoo...at least now I know and can be more vigilant.

Adventure in New Beer

So, being on a sort-of, try as hard as I can gluten-free diet means I cannot, should not drink traditional beer. GASP! I can go without buns, and crackers, and all that processed shit that gets wheat added to it for no particular reason (salad dressing!?), but beer? The booze of the gods!?

Thank Heavens there are some gluten-free beers I can get my hands on!

Now, I know zero terms in beer-describing lingo, and couldn't tell you if there are notes of caramel, coffee, or camel in this particular brand. All I can do is read the label with you...a standard practice of mine when confronted with an unknown scrapbooking supply as well. It is made with sorghum. I can buy it at the liquor store by my Mom's house. And it is tasty.

Try pairing this lovely selection with a little "light" sci-fi reading and some chips & guac. Yeah...pretty much all my beers get paired like so. What can I say? I am a creature of habit!

Speaking of Gluten-Free...I stumbled upon (thanks for once Facebook) my high school lab partner's awesome blog the other day! Lora chats about her adventures in gluten-free at the Gluten Free Shak. AND she has been "reviewing" some gluten-free beer beverages there, so I am going to keep my eyes peeled and my mouse at the ready for more of those. (She also makes cute crafty things...this is the company I keep and apparently have always kept!)

later loves