Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

2011 will be my first Gluten-Free Thanksgiving. Last year around this time I was having horrible stomach pains and decided that I would go on an elimination diet AFTER the holidays. Why would I want to give up cookies, dinner rolls, stuffing, cake, pie, crackers, and all the great food that comes along with giving thanks and opening presents? I didn't. So, I decided to eat all I could until January 2, then I would start my diet.

After eliminating gluten from my diet, I don't have stomach pains and my regular headaches went away. It has been great actually...although I do cheat occasionally because there are just so many good gluteny snacks! My doctor didn't understand why I would want to "eat socially" and therefore eat gluten occasionally. I wanted to say, "uh, hello, does nacho Doritos mean anything to you?!"

Anyway, besides the occasional 1/2 bag of chips or one home-baked cookie, I am doing pretty well. I have learned some new ways of cooking and I am experimenting with new recipes all the time. The only down sides are that I have not found a good pizza crust (although Garlic Jim's gluten-free crust is AMAZING, I haven't been able to make it myself) and I introduced eggs back into my baking. I have found some great gluten-free/vegan recipes but sometimes gluten-free items need eggs or else they just crumble. I still don't eat things like omelets or scrambled eggs because that grosses my shit out but I do have to crack an egg sometimes to make cupcakes.

So for this Thanksgiving, I have decided to make a few things so I hopefully don't eat other things with gluten. Plus, I am a vegetarian too so that means I need to make sure I have something I can eat. To Mr Pepperworth's family Thanksgiving I am bringing:
- My family jello with cranberry sauce, celery, and sour cream. But of course made with agar, agar because eating the horse hooves in jello is something I like to avoid. (p.s. although that jello combo doesn't sound great, omg, it is!)
- Gluten-Free Veggie Pot Pie. I made this a couple of weeks ago and it is hella good!
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake. I was going to go with pumpkin cupcakes but I made those and wasn't that impressed.
- Mushroom Gravy. No turkey drippings for muah.

With those things, I still plan on eating mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole (I'll have to live with the gluten in the soup to make that), and I will forego the yummy biscuits and stuffing. Those things I don't feel like making. Bread is hard.

Oh lordie, I'm hungry!

p.s. I am thankful for my mommy, my daddy, my husband, my sissy, my in-laws, my unborn niece/nephew, my babies, Gussy, my house, my job, my co-workers, my heat, my new fridge, my books, and my 7 year old laptop.

Kitten, it's been real...

As I sit here, there is a small black cat jumping half way up my drapes just for the hell of it. This cat's name is Kitten. Yes. This Kitten is Red's little baby. I have referenced him before (see number 5).

Kitten and Red have lived with us since July. They move out next weekend. It has been nice having someone (Red) else in the house to hang with. But, between you and me, that cat (Kitten) won't be missed. Red will be; Kitten, not so much.

Ya know, as I type this, Stanley sits on my lap nodding his head in agreement. He too hasn't gotten along well with his cousin.

I know, how could I, a loving mother of three dislike another's baby so much that I swear, squirt, and hiss at the sweet young thing?  Well, when I constantly have to chase the cat away, get the humping cat off my cat, or when I am telling it to shut the fuck up because YES, it WILL get dinner, just wait a fucking second,  my nerves get the best of me and I don't think fondly of Kitten. He is a bit, shall I say, f-ing annoying? But, his momma loves him, very much. When he sits on her lap and is loved, it's sweet. Kitten's constant, shrill meows are precious to Red. Only a Kitten a mother could love I guess.

So anywho, although Kitten keeps us on our toes and does make me laugh when he chases his own damn tail, I will see him go and probably not cry about it. Red, on the other hand, has been fun to be around.  I don't have to squirt her and she doesn't cry when she is hungry. Her, I will miss. It is nice to be with family.

But Kitten, I know you are my nephew and I do love you and hope nothing bad ever happens to you but....it's been real. Peace!

Poor Simon

Pre-Weekend

Right now I am home alone (if you are a burglar and you are reading this right now, please don't come get me) and I should be a) making dinner b) cleaning the table, kitchen, bedroom, or livingroom c) turning down the rice that is boiling on the stove or d) walking the dog. But...I don't really want to do any of those things.

I also don't really want to make a real post.

I have about 4 posts lined up but they are waiting for pictures. But getting those pictures onto the computer and edited isn't something I really want to be doing right now. I'd rather just talk about how I am not doing it.

I just got home from work. It was a long day with a break in the middle but I was gone from home a long time and now I am tired. Plus, I am still home alone so there is no one to do anything for, such as a) find something b) feed  c) punch or d) clean.

Today at work we had a lot of kids but they were pretty much all precious. Although there was a squirt bottle at the front counter that we use for cleaning things and I had to hold myself back from squirting kids probably like 5 times. If a kid a) didn't say please b) threw something on the floor c) played tag where they weren't supposed to or d) asked me what time it was, I had to take 10 deep breaths and hold my twitching fingers away from the trigger. Once I did squirt a kid. It was super satisfying. He must not have told his parents because I didn't hear about it.

Anywho, I think I am done for now. I have decided to eat something and think about how I must make myself get up and go to the gym tomorrow. This a) cookie b) french fries c) fried rice and d) snickers aren't going to magically make my butt smaller. (And yes, I know half those things have gluten so I probably have to go clench my stomach in pain here pretty soon.)

OMG, I think we are out of french fries. Fuck me. I guess I will just go lay on the floor and cry and wait for the gluten to catch up with my digestive system.

Playing Hostess

A couple of weekends ago I co-hosted a baby shower for a Ferndale friend. I was in charge of the games and food. My games were unique and my food was obviously divine. I may not be able to do laundry, clean a shower, or wash my car but damn, I can sure whip up a mean chip dip and cupcake.

And, I would like to show it off. Naturally.

I made deviled eggs.

I made cucumber sandwiches.

I made gluten-free carrot cupcakes.

I made chocolate brownie cupcakes.

goodies bags made by my co-host

It was a good shower and baby will have some great clothes and toys when he/she is born. Which should be very soon. Hopefully I get over my cold soon too so I can see the babe when he/she enters the breathing world!

These Brownie Cupcakes are amazing, by the way. In fact, I would like to provide everyone with the recipe. You can make these vegan easily. They aren't gluten free but I will work on that asap!

Brownie Cupcakes
makes 13-15 cupcakes
adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

INGREDIENTS
2/3c semisweet chocolate chips
1/4c plain yogurt
1/2c cherry preserves (black or red)
1/2c milk (I use vanilla soy)
3/4c sugar
1/2c canola oil
1t vanilla extract
1/2t almond extract
1/4c cocoa powder
1/2t baking soda
1t baking powder
1/4t salt

Frosting:
2T melted butter or margarine
1/4c cocoa powder
3T milk
1t vanilla extract
1 1/2c powdered sugar

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin pan with liners and spray each bottom with oil.
2. Mix together yogurt, cherry preserves, milk, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. There should be no large chunks although the preserves with still be floating around which is all right.
3. Melt chocolate chips in pan on stove. Heat slowly while stirring until all chocolate is melted.
4. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the yogurt mixture. Mix thoroughly with hand held mixer and mix for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
5. Mix in melted chocolate until well incorporated.
6. Fill the liners 3/4 of the way full with batter.
7. Bake for 24-26 minutes. The tops may look semi-shiny and undone but that is all right.
8. Take out of the oven and let them sit in the pan for 5 minutes.
9. Take cupcakes out of the pan and finish cooling on a rack.

To make frosting:
1. Beat together butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla.
2. Add sugar in cupfuls and incorporate well before adding more.
3. The frosting will be semi runny, runnier than normal frosting, but that is all right, it will "dry" like frosting on a brownie.

Enjoy!