Huh

I just ate the crappiest hot dog in the world. No, seriously, it was awful. I think sweet husband bought them at Walmart. Or maybe from the sewer. Either way, it was gross, but I was starving because I had the worst day ever at work and only ate about 4 bites of gluten free spaghetti all day, so I ate the whole thing.

Anyway, case in point: The sewer dogs, made of probably rat (although they said "chicken," which wasn't in quotes, but should have been) actually said GLUTEN-FREE on the label. Good job, America! We're gettin' good at this here labelin' thang!

Also, I would just like to say that I made steak on the grill last night, while tonight, my hubby made rat dogs. I win!That photo just made me nauseaous. It made my thoughts a little too real. So, I made it teeny tiny. I think that helps.

The Sweetest Saltiest Thing

Sometimes you just need a date with your hubby.

After all, you did marry him for a reason, and it's nice to actually see him once in a while and notice all of those reasons and more! For example, when you got married, you didn't know you were marrying a sushi roll aficionado. Heck, you didn't even know you liked sushi!

Two years of marriage is barrelling toward us and about to zip past like a beemer on 270. (In non-rush hour, of course.) We're finding more and more that it's really easy to let life fly by without taking a break to hang out with each other, what with middle school English to teach, a new screen door to install, and cats to toilet train. (No, I'm not kidding.) But we sure to love to hang out with each other, and when we do, a sushi date is always in order.

Sushi is pretty easy to come by gluten-free. You just need to make sure to speak with your sushi chef. Be sure to do the following:

1. Ask the chef if the rice has any wheat starch or gluten added to it to make it stickier. Sometimes a hidden trick!

2. Ask the chef the rice was cooked with soy sauce. Most all soy sauce has gluten.

3. Check that the individual items do not include soy sauce or tempura in the dressings and such. Sometimes sushi rolls will have battered or fried pieces of fish. Simpler is better; be sure you know each kind of fish, veggie or other ingredient that will be added.

4. Bring your own gluten-free soy sauce. La Choy low-sodium is our favorite.

5. Go on a perfect, lovely, first real night of warm summer, sit outside and stare dreamily at your man.

Actually, that last step is optional. But I wouldn't miss it for the world!

Yum!

Delicious.

Totally delicious.

I even cooked mine in the super ease of the toaster over on my counter. They aren't cheap, but considering how much I love breaded crispy chicken goodness, and how much I've missed it, worth every penny!

Mothers' Day

My mama loves carrot cake.

I do not. In fact, I can never remember how to spell carrot. (Carrott? Carott? Good thing I teach English.)

Carrot cake (thanks, spellcheck!) seems to have a love/hate relationship with humanity. You either love it, or you hate it. And since my poor mama loves it, and the rest of our family loves chocolate, no one ever remembers her. This year, I was darned to remember her, and make some just for her.

I have to say, I was pleased with the result. I was not pleased with the carrots sprayed all over the my kitchen at the first use of the mini food processor I got as a wedding gift almost two years ago. (Clearly, I was made to write a food blog, what with my mastery of small kitchen appliances and all.) While I'm not carrot cake's biggest fan, I really liked this one. It earned contented sighs all around from gluten lovers and non-gluten lovers alike.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Adapted from: recipezaar.com
Ingredients
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white sugar *I used organic
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup potato starch*I used tapioca starch because I had it on hand
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3 tablespoons water *Huh, I forgot the water...oh well, it turned out fine!
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) *I used walnuts
1 1/2 cups packed grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)

For Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
drops of milk as needed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix well.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except for nuts and carrots. Mix well, being sure that no lumps remain in the batter.
4. Mix in carrots and nuts.
5. Pour batter into greased 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.Bake 45-55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center tests clean.
6. For icing: Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat very well. Add a few drops of milk as needed.
7. Spread icing on cooled cake. Eat and enjoy!

*Note: You can always choose to throw ingredients together willy-nilly, not really measuring or being careful. That's what I do!*

*I doubled this recipe, which I highly recommend. I then made a layer cake with two round cake pans. (Do you really call those silicone things "pans"? Man I love me my silicone, you can't burn anything!) I put a layer of cream cheese frosting in between. Yum!*

Happy Mothers' Day!

Brownies

The other day, I went on visit to Trader Joe's. I hadn't been there in a long while because I generally find their supply of gluten free items lacking. I figured I'd check and see if they had anything new. As I wandered the aisles, I thought to myself, "How can be the best wife ever and totally bless my husband and make him super happy? I know, I'll make him brownies! He loves brownies!"

Ok, fine. I was actually thinking, "Good crap, I really want a brownie. It is cold and drizzly and my head hurts from being around 13-year-olds all day and I really want a brownie. I wonder if I can get my husband to make them for me while I take an early evening nap?"

Thus, my brownie mix quest began. When I walked over to the baking section (because Heaven only knows just how much I was NOT going to do this brownie thing from scratch) I was dismayed to find it to be so miniscule. And yet, low and behold, they had ONE (yes, ONE) gluten-free mix, and it was for brownies! I had no idea if they would be any good, but did I care? No way. Brownies I wanted and brownies it would be.

























Trader Joe's, let me just say, you blew me away! I seriously commend you. These just might be the best gluten-free brownies I've had, including the ones I make from scratch! They are very, very simple and whole in term of ingredients as well. The two flours are my pride and joy, sweet rice flour, and amaranth flour. I need to experiment with amaranth more! (By the way, quick tip: Whenever you try something gluten-free and pre-packaged, be sure to check out the ingredient list. Heck, you probably do this automatically anyway, or at least you should. It's a great way to pick up some good idea for flours and ingredients for homemade foods.)

I did add an extra egg (the recipe only calls for one, but that seemed skimpy to me for a nice, fudgy brownie), some chocolate chips and walnuts.

The best part? Guess how much the bag was? No, you'll never guess. Only $2.99! Great job, TJ's! It drives me crazy when gluten-free brownie mixes are six bucks. C'mon, people, seriously. Back in my gluten heyday I could grab a mix box on sale for a dollar. There is no need to sucker punch me with a six dollar price tag, it's just annoying.

Happy eats!

Magic Banana Bread

Ever have some of these sitting in your fruit bowl?

Honestly, I get kind of excited when I do!
(Please note, I did not take this photo. I wish I did though, because it is beautiful, and the plate or counter underneath is even more beautiful.)

Why? Because it means one thing: BANANA BREAD.


Here is the recipe that melts my husband's heart (or maybe tastebuds?) every time! I love banana bread, and it's something that really can hold up a great texture even without gluten. Some folks have even said they like the texture more!




Eat this stuff warm out of the oven with some butter (if you're me) or peanut butter (if you're my hubby) and you're golden.




Magic Banana Nut and Chocolate Bread
Adapted from celiac.com

About 1 cup ripe bananas (I usually use 3ish bananas.)
¾ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (you can go without, but it's better with!)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (Nestle chocolate is gluten free)
1/2 cup walnuts

Combine the bananas, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer bowl (I love my Kitchen Aid!), and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and mix well. Slowly add the rice flours, then the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well, then add the oil . Add the chocolate chips and nuts last

Pour batter into loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for around 45 minutes or until done. I like mine nice and moist, so just make sure the top is golden and a fork inserted comes out without uncooked batter.

Now watch it disappear! (Get it? MAGIC banana bread?) Teehee!

Thumbs Way Up...

...for Old Ebbitt Grill in DC!

I LOVE it when I go to a restaurant and the waitress is fully aware and knowledgeable about gluten and other allergies. Last night, I met up with some special friends from out of town at Old Ebbitt. I'd never been there, but after checking them out online (a good measure for anyone with a food intolerance) I realized they are owned and operated by Clyde's.

Oh Clyde's! Your always gorgeous, super classy locations and incredibly delicious, though pricey, food never ceases to amaze me!

Old Ebbitt was built in 1856 and started as a boarding house. Though uprooted several times, it is currently located on 15th between F and G streets. It's about a block from the White House, and thus has served as a place of hospitality to many historical figures. The location and history definitely make it a fun stop for tourists.

Last night, something happened that has never happened to me before. As I perused the menu, the waitress announced that the soup of the day was split pea and ham, and my heart lurched. Mmm...sweet and salty, smooth and chunky favorite soup...mmm. I told her I would like a cup of the soup in addition to my steak salad, as long as it was gluten-free. The woman then pulls out a list of ingredients right from her little note pad and reads it to me right there! Everything was whole and natural, and let me tell you, that soup was good.

My friends had suggested ordering a crab and artichoke dip appetizer, but I had zero expectation that I would be able to eat that, which was why I ordered the soup. The waitress came back a bit later and said it was fine! That is actually a sign of a quality restaurant, no fillers or thickeners in items like soups and dips; they let the natural, quality ingredients work their magic. The wait staff then brought the dip with some veggies, and brought another little plate of bread out later, to point out that it was kept completely separate.

The restaurant really made every effort to ensure everything was perfectly safe for me to eat, and clearly, I was impressed. The restaurant was utterly packed when I got there at 5:45 on a Wednesday, and was quite possibly even busier when we left after 8. The whole place is beautiful, with excellent artwork covering the walls. It is definitely a winner for tourists and locals alike.

Great food and great atmosphere, but even better conversation and friendship. How many times have I said it; isn't that what enjoying a great meal is really about?

(Side note: I have also been to the Clyde's in Rockville and Northern Virginia, though it's been a couple of years. Both restaurants are also equally huge and beautiful, and every time I've had a great meal. Check them out!)