How-To: Gluten Free Quinoa Baby Cereal

I wanted to do a quick post on the Quinoa Cereal I have been feeding baby bug since I've had a few questions asked about it.  He's had some issues lately, requiring me to cut the rice cereal out of his diet, so we've switched over to this recipe instead. 

Quinoa is a high protein, gluten free grain.  It has a strong flavor, but it's grown on me and I've been eating it for years now in place of couscous and tabbouleh in salads, hot cereals, and more.  I'm really excited to have found an easy and fast way to prepare it so it is much more baby friendly than plain cooked quinoa. 

I have been buying these Quinoa Flakes and grinding them in my food processor until it is about the consistency of sand.  Then I cook it in small batches according the the package directions, about 90 seconds in boiling water.  I make two days worth at a time and store it in the fridge, and then I add pureed fruit and some of his usual milk before serving.  It is extremely easy, and I feel good knowing I'm giving my little guy something healthy, full of protein and fiber, and something that I hope he will continue to eat for a long time.  He loves it!

Also in the baby food category, I've been cooking up a storm... lots of other fun purees this week.  They should be posted tomorrow! 

Happily Gluten Free

I dont usually make it a habit to photograph my groceries... but today as I was unloading my bags from Trader Joes and Lassens I was trying to come up with an idea for Marvelous Monday.  It was staring me right in the face!  This is what I am thankful for!

Ten years ago when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, there was no such thing as gluten free labeling, waiters and waitresses looked at me like I was from another planet, and the closest thing I got to bread or crackers was something resembling cardboard.  Today, awareness of Celiac Disease is much greater and many companies are making wonderful and delicious gluten free foods.  I also feel very lucky to live in Southern California, where every diet is accepted and the majority of restaurants are familiar with our needs! 

So, in the spirit of looking at the positives in life rather than the negatives, I am thankful that living and coping with Celiac Disease today is such a delight and pleasure with so many products to choose from. 

Thank you Rachel for helping me remember this today on Marvelous Monday!

The Sandwich Crust and Pickle Diet

Every spring something draws me to want to get out in the crisp air and just breathe, exercise, and enjoy nature. The ground is cold, the soil is wet, the grass is green, and flowers are poking up everywhere. This year is no different. In fact, the draw is a bit more intense. I'm not quite pre-baby yet... I need to get rid of 8 pounds. Ugh. And I'm not good at diets. Chocolate is just too important to me. I cannot live without its pure and perfect, rich and dark deliciousness.

So, since I won't commit to a diet, I will go with this generalization: I just want to take better care of my body.

One of our biggest challenges as moms is eating the right foods at the right times, and preparing balanced meals for ourselves and our families on a regular basis. We are either running out of the house too fast to pack something, or so hungry by the time we've fed the kids, that we grab the first thing we see regardless of what it is. I find myself cooking separate meals for all four of us, which can cause a bit of a messy situation. By the time I've made my kiddos mac 'n cheese, I'm so hungry myself that I scarf a few spoonfuls of his noodles, eat a pickle from the fridge, a piece of bread or a tortilla with cheese, and a handful of chips. That's not the greatest meal, obviously.

Anyway, I have found the ANSWER. Seriously. I've found the answer, and it's not hiring a personal chef or moving into the deli aisle of Whole Foods. It all comes down to two little words. Plan Ahead. Now, if I knew how to guarantee the time to plan ahead each week, I'd be eating a perfect diet. It's not happening, but I'm working on it.

Here are my favorite tips for planning ahead. I'm going to be working on these for next few weeks. Now, I can't take credit for all of them. I found many of them HERE, on my favorite nutrition blog.

1. Wash and prep food after your weekly grocery or farmers market trip. Don't just throw everything in the fridge when you get home from the store. Wash and dry the lettuce for an easy salad later. Wash, peel and chop carrots, celery, bell peppers, etc. into snack size pieces and store in airtight containers in the fridge. (Here are some of mine for this week)

2. Take the prep a step further and divide veggies and dip, trail mix, pretzels, and cheese into snack size baggies or containers for easy lunch packing.


3. Have a cooking night once a week. Make a batch of rice or quinoa to use in stir frys or salads, cook up a pot of bean or lentil soup with fresh vegetables, make some low sugar blueberry or banana muffins, or some pumpkin pancakes for easy breakfasts. Add a couple good protein items as well, such as hard boiled eggs, tuna salad, or chicken breasts. If you make your own gluten free bread like I do, add this to the list as well.

4. Keep the pantry, fridge, and freezer stocked. Things like pasta sauce, canned beans, chicken broth, and tuna are lifesavers when you only have a half an hour to make dinner. Make sure to have some good crackers or tortilla chips, peanut butter, salsa, and salad dressing as well. Frozen chicken breasts can be tossed in microwave steam bags and are ready in minutes for a variety of recipes.

5. Post a tentative meal plan on the refrigerator. It doesn't have to be a list of every meal, but do include lunch and snack ideas so that when you are starving and brain dead, you'll grab the tuna salad and lettuce wraps rather than the crusts you cut off your kids grilled cheese sandwich.

6. Have a no-fail recipe collection. Keep a little binder or recipe card holder in your kitchen with your favorite no frills, quick, and easy recipes. Make sure to flag the ones that are easily made out of pantry ingredients!

Here is one of my favorites:

Chicken Tortilla Soup
One medium onion
1-2 Cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil
One box of Trader Joes Chicken Broth
One can of diced tomatoes with green chiles added
One can of Trader Joes Chicken Breasts in Broth
Dried Cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, if desired
Tortilla Chips
Sour cream, cheese, and avocado for topping

Pour a little olive oil in your soup pot and set to medium heat. Chop and drop the garlic and onion, and saute until softened. Add broth, tomatoes, cilantro, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and add canned chicken. Return to a simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and serve over tortilla chips, topped with cheese, sour cream, and avocado. Enjoy!


Link to my menu plan for the week (yes, I actually type these things up, and yes, I am a bit crazy)

Gluten Free Info for Lucas and I

I have had a lot of requests for info on my gluten free diet lately so I wanted to put something together for friends and family who are interested in helping out when Nathan arrives. Lucas also finally had his celiac testing done and he does have the gene for the disease, so we have to keep him on a gluten free diet as well. Poor Ryan is the minority in our house now!

Here is some basic information:


First of all, here is what we CAN eat:

• Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated)
• Most dairy products (check yogurts and dairy drinks for other ingredients)
  
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Rice (except for rice pilaf or most boxed rice mixes)
  
• Potatoes
• Gluten free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato)
• Gluten free pasta such as rice pasta sold at Lassens, trader joes, and other health food stores
• Corn - corn tortillas, corn chips, polenta
• Beans and Legumes
  

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We cannot eat wheat, rye, oats or barley. There are many forms of these grains and they are listed below.

• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Farina
• Graham flour
• Semolina
• Durham
• Bulgur
• Kamut
• Kasha
• Matzo meal
• Oats
  
• Spelt (a form of wheat)
• Triticale

Wheat is the tricky ingredient here, it can be found in many foods that you would not suspect it. Here are the common foods to avoid:

• Breads
• Cereals
• Crackers
• Croutons
• Pasta
• Cookies
• Cakes and pies
• Soups
• Gravies
• Sauces (including soy sauce)
• Salad dressings
• Beer
• Candy
• Imitation meat or seafood
• Processed luncheon meats
• Self-basting poultry

Gluten can also be hidden in many food additives and other items, here are a few more things to avoid:

• Food additives, such as malt or malt flavoring, modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein
  
• Medications and vitamins that use gluten as a binding agent
• Lipstick and lip balms
• Toothpaste
• Postage stamps
• Play dough

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For more info.....

On what local restaurants have gluten free food:
http://www.venturaceliac.org/restaurants.htm

On the gluten free diet:
http://www.celiac.org/

Zucchini Mania!

Our garden is completely overrun with Zucchini right now, the plants are huge and we have tons of squash to eat! I have been trying to get creative with recipes, and was inspired by a friend's blog recipes last week to try out some new things.

Early in the week I made Zucchini Fries, gluten free and breaded with rice flour, cornmeal, italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. They were crispy and delicious! (Sorry, they got eaten too fast to take a picture)

Next I tried Cream of Zucchini Soup, which as super easy to make. I just sauteed onion and zucchini in olive oil, added some chicken broth, and then pureed it in the food processor. After it was pureed I put it back in the pot and slowly added some whipping cream (you could use milk or half and half for lower fat) and then topped with grated romano cheese. It was delicious and only took about 20 minutes to make.

A Zen Like Attitude about Food

My apologies to anyone reading this blog on a regular basis... I have been writing a lot of random crap lately, a little too much whining and too much personal stuff.. Maybe its the hormones, always making me think. I'll try to do better. Well, after tonight. If you are sick of my rambling, just go ahead and skip this one!

I have been struggling lately, with following my restricted diet. I have no problem following the gluten free diet. However, I am not supposed to be eating dairy and soy, and I am NOT behaving in that category. I've been thinking, "I'm pregnant, I can eat what I want, when I want, if it makes me feel better at the time." So, I'm eating so much dairy - frozen yogurt, cheese on everything, everything I am not supposed to do. I'm drinking chocolate soy milk cause we have it in the house and it looks good. It is ridiculous! It all tastes delicious at the time, and with my finicky appetite lately I've just been eating what I can. But later, when I start feeling even worse, I wonder if I'm feeling worse because of what I ate earlier.

I was reading Karina's Kitchen awhile back, and she said something about trying to have a zen-like attitude about her food. That really stuck with me. I really want and need that. I need to not be upset at the foods I cannot eat. I really just need to be at peace with it. I need to not want those foods anymore. I need to separate from them. But I don't know how to do it exactly. I've been doing it for 10 years with gluten. Why can't I do it with the rest of the foods? In some ways I think it is harder, because I already had so many foods taken away from me when I found out about celiac disease. I feel like that is such a huge restriction, it's not fair to have even more restrictions on top of that. Maybe it's because I don't get instantly sick from eating them, like I do when I eat gluten. Maybe it's because I don't want to stick out even more in social situations by telling people I am allergic to pretty much everything that exists. Who knows what it is, it's probably a combo of a lot of things. One thing is for sure though, I need to come up with a way to deal with it. I am going to have a zen like attitude about it! (ha! we'll see...)

Mom's Pesto Recipe

I've also had requests for my mom's pesto pasta recipe from Luke's birthday party..... here it is straight from the chef herself... just add your choice of pasta and you have a delicious dish! We use gluten free rice pasta, but any will work. Thanks Mom! she didn't know I'd be posting her directions on my blog when she sent me the email... ;-)

Spinach Pesto

Here is what I put in it. Frozen spinach, I thaw it and squeeze all the liquid out really well. I used the frozen bag from trader joes.
In my Cuisinart I put garlic (as much as you like), lemon juice (as much as you like from a fresh lemon), Parmesan cheese, (I usually use pecarino cheese but I was out of it, Parmesan has a milder flavor). I usually just add as much as I want for flavor and texture, I also added a few basil leaves, but you could also use Italian parsley leaves too.

After you get it all in there add a little salt and a good olive oil. Blend while adding more olive oil until it is all blended finely. I usually store it in a jar for up to 2 weeks.... just make sure you cover it in olive oil to keep it fresh. Each time I take some out for pasta or pizza I add more olive oil to top it off in the jar. Pine nuts are really good in it too. I didn't put any in the kids dish because of possible allergies. But if you can, try pine nuts for a great roasted flavor and it adds a little protein to the sauce. I buy pine nuts at trader joes and roast them myself in a nonstick skillet over low heat YUMMY! Good luck and have fun! You can't mess this up its all to your taste.


***Note from Suzanne - The "adult" version used primarily basil instead of the spinach, and included pine nuts. There was also diced chicken, and roasted pepper, eggplant and tomato included. ***

Holiday Candy Recipes

I have gotten many requests for the recipes I used to make both the peanut butter cups and toffee at Christmas and Luke's birthday... here they are!

Chocolate Almond Toffee

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

(recipe taken from allrecipes.com - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Toffee-Ever---Super-Easy/Detail.aspx)


Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
• 4-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each), coarsely chopped
• Colored sprinkles, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until smooth; set aside.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter; stir until smooth.
Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper-lined miniature muffin cups. Top each with a scant teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture; top with another teaspoonful of chocolate mixture. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 dozen.

(Recipe taken from tasteofhome.com - http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Homemade-Peanut-Butter-Cups)

Thanksgiving Blessings

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful, and it made me remember everything I have to be thankful for. However, this year was unlike any Thanksgiving before.

As a kid I remember going to my grandma's house for thanksgiving, with my aunt, uncle, and cousins visiting from the bay area. We would watch "Home Alone" over and over again, walk to the park up the street to play, and enjoy a delicious meal. My favorite part was always the black olives.... I'd load them up on all ten fingers and eat them one at a time. My grandma always had an extra olive dish just for me.

The last few years as myself, my brother, and cousins grew older, we celebrated at my parents house with whoever was available to come. We transitioned to gluten free thanksgivings, as all other meals had become. We had fun with new recipes for stuffings and pies, and always had the delicious turkey and fun family time.

Then I married Ryan, and we started having 2 thanksgivings each year, one at each of our parents house. We spent half the day at one house eating a full turkey day meal, and then moved on to the next house to eat yet another full turkey day meal. We would leave stuffed, but happy to have had the time with our families.

Next came Lucas, and this year, a couple months before Thanksgiving I started thinking... I wanted Lucas to have a big Thanksgiving with everyone he loves. Just as I remember big happy family thanksgivings as a kid, I want to give him memories like that as well. So Ryan and I decided to join our families for a big Thanksgiving! Needless to say, it was a blast! We had so much fun with everyone together. Boys watching football, girls in the kitchen, kids playing in the living room with grandparents on their tails, music coming from down the hall once the instruments had been broken out, and most of all, lots of smiles, hugs, laughter, and good food.

I'm proud to say we pulled it off, with lots of help from our parents of course. I'm not embarrassed to admit I was freaking out about the

turkey (my first time cooking one) when my mom hadn't arrived when she said she would... Anyway, it was a wonderful experience, and I hope we can do it again in the future.

Here are some fun pictures...

The Jaeger family... (clockwise from the left) Ryan, Bill, Alan, Kylan, Kelly (and Alek), Patti, Sylvia, Me, and Lucas

The Malmin/Weber family... (clockwise from top left)... Ryan, Dave, Andy, Kevin, Brian, Jenny, Elle, Judith, Barbara with Lucas, Suzanne, Matt, and Sam lower center.