Living Without - Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Mocha Chocolate Cake - Recipes Article

My Husband and I recently made a delicious GF Dairy Free Chocolate Mocha Cake, Recipe by Living Without. It reminded me of the classic "Wacky Cake" Recipe from wheat days of old. Click below for the recipe:

Living Without - Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Mocha Chocolate Cake - Recipes Article

A "New" Flour Mix

We are trying to eat healthier here at our house. We are cutting out meat, dairy and lowering our sugar intake. At the same time we are eating more of a whole foods, plant based diet which is better for everyone including my dear daughter with Celiac. Our six year old son was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in November, so now my husband and I are even more convinced we need to eat healthier, for our children's sake. I've been searching the internet in my spare seconds of time to find vegan, gluten free recipe ideas. Wow. Not much out there, maybe I'm just not seeing it... So you can imagine my excitement when I found this recipe for muffins. Not only was the recipe do-able but the post was about creating a whole grain gluten free flour mix. I didn't even know this was possible. What? Only 30% starches and the rest is whole grain? Amazing. Go ahead and check it out. I'm really liking the site and their recipe ideas.
As far as the said muffin recipe, I made it vegan by using homemade applesauce instead of the buttermilk. They were delicious! Next time though I'm going to cut down on the sugar-they were too sweet for us. 

Traveling Gluten Free? With Kids?

My husband and I have been traveling quite a bit with four kiddos ranging from 6 years old to 5 months. One of my children has Celiac disease. How in the world do I travel in the van for multiple hours, on a tight budget, with 3 picky (ok, selective) children? One of which is strictly gluten free?

Well, I've been taking notes these past few trips and I have some ideas. I would appreciate yours also.

(To make some of these ideas cheaper, you can make it homemade or watch for the sales!)

**Quick breads (I have found my daughter to enjoy GF banana bread, cranberry bread, etc for car food than any other bread. The bread tends to stay moister for a longer period of time than does the regular GF yeast breads.) Slather with butter, peanut butter, and/or jelly.

**Jell-O jigglers (Kraft brand will specify gluten containing ingredients on their food labels) or Knox blocks. Use the jiggler/blocks recipe not the regular jello recipe- it's too soft for the car. The jigglers hold together much better for little fingers.

**Chips (check ingredients, there are chips that are naturally gluten free.)

**Make your own Lunchables. Take rice crackers (or homemade) and cut up GF deli meat and cheese into bite sized squares. My four year old daughter enjoyed this as well as my six year old and my two year old. And it takes them longer to eat it, so great temporary entertainment for the car!

**Lara bars

**Fruit (gotta love grapes! Apples, peach slices, and canned fruits are great too.)

**String cheese

** GF Granola bars

**Yogurt (great for a snack or a breakfast car food, remember to bring a spoon, though, oh, and napkins/wipes.)

**Pudding (again, Kraft brand will specify gluten containing ingredients, or make your own. And again, bring a spoon and wipes)

**How about vegetables? Carrot sticks are practical, but my four year old doesn't particularly enjoy the texture. I tried the V-8 Fusion this last trip. It was a great alternative to just juice or water. My kids liked the Blueberry Pomegranate flavor. We also tried grape tomatoes. Loved 'em! Just be careful with the choking possibility. Slice them in quarters before hand and bring a fork and a bowl.

**Pre-cooked hot dogs work for a quick dinner.

**Jerky can be "if-ey", but we make our own venison jerky. Sometimes our GF daughter likes it, sometimes not...

**Applesauce

**Luna bars

**Popcorn!

**Fruit roll-ups and fruit leather tend to be on the sticky side.

**Does your child enjoy cold leftovers? GF mac n cheese is a fav.

**How about dessert? I try to stick with fruit. Filling kids with sugar when they are stuck in a small space isn't my idea of a good time. But there is a time for chocolate or some other nice alternative. Homemade GF cookies, frosting slathered on some GF banana bread is what I did last time, skittles or starburst is GF as well as Reese's peanut butter cups.

Some tips for traveling:

Bring a cooler. Definitely a must.

Bring plastic bowls. I bring three: one for each kid.

Bring forks and spoons for each child.

Bring lots of wipes. I wipe out each bowl after eating to reduce the cross contamination issue.

Bring a sense of humor and plenty of patience.

Plan out each meal and have ideas for snacks- it makes the trip go so much smoother.

Do some research on restaurants in the area you are traveling. It's good to be prepared!

And lastly:

Enjoy the trip! I've been told over and over: these days with our kids are short, so enjoy them!

Happy summer to you!

Video on Creating A Gluten Free Flour Mixture

I found this video helpful, not only does Jules Shepard explain her "secret" flour mixture, but it was fun watching someone else cook gluten free. Might find some good tips...

Cornbread or 'Corn free' Cornbread

This is moist and delicious, and easy to make! (adapted from a recipe given by a friend)

1 Cup Cornmeal or Millet Flour
3 Tb White Rice Flour
3 Tb Tapioca Flour
2 Tb Cornstarch or Tapioca Flour
1/2 tsp Potato Flour
1/4 tsp Guar Gum or Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Sugar

2 Tb Oil or Butter
1 Egg
1 Cup Buttermilk or milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Combine butter, egg and milk in a small bowl. Slowly add egg mixture to flour until blended. Pour batter into greased 8" x 8" pan (glass is best). Bake 20-25 minutes.

Tip: Try muffin tins. Decrease time by about 5-8 minutes.

Gluten Free Waffles

2 Eggs
1 Cup Sorghum Flour
1 Cup Brown Rice Flour
2 tsp Guar Gum or Xanthan Gum
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
1 Tb Brown Sugar
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Tb Ground Flax (optional)

Beat well. Cook as regular waffles.

Gluten Free Pancakes

My family loves this recipe, yum yum. Try it with pumpkin and a dash of cinnamon...delicious!

2 Eggs
1 Cup Sorghum Flour
1 Cup Brown Rice Flour OR White Rice Flour OR a combination of the two
2 tsp Guar gum or Xanthan Gum
2 Cups Milk OR Buttermilk
1 Tb Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil OR Canned Pumpkin OR Applesauce
1 1/2 Tb Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Beat well. Cook as regular pancakes.

Joel's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Crisco
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar

1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 Cup Milk

1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Guar gum or Xanthan gum
1 Cup Sorghum Flour
1/2 Cup Potato Flour
1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 Cup Chocolate chips
1/2 Cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 Cup nuts (optional)

Cream together butter, Crisco, and sugars. Beat in egg, vanilla and milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix in Chocolate chips, plus nuts and berries as desired.

Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes

Let cool on pan for two minutes, then cool on wire rack.

Sorghum Bread

This is one of our favorite bread recipes!

[Please note: I live at about 500 feet above sea level so you may need to adjust water amounts]

Sorghum Bread (by Bette Hagman- “Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread” Cookbook, slightly altered by yours truly)

Dry Ingredients:

1 ½ Cup Sorghum Flour

Take a 3/4 Cup and fill it with 3 Tb of Quinoa Flour, fill the rest of the cup with Tapioca Flour; OR 3/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

¾ Cup Cornstarch

1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seed

1 Tb Xanthan or Guar Gum

½ Cup Dry Milk Powder or nondairy Substitute

¾ tsp Salt

2 ½ tsp Unflavored gelatin

1 Tb Egg Replacer

2 Tb Sugar

Liquid Ingredients:

2 eggs

3 ¾ Tb butter or margarine

¾ tsp Dough enhancer or vinegar

1 Cup + 2-4 Tb Water (more or less)

2 1/2 tsp yeast

If using an oven: Grease your chosen pan(s) and dust with rice flour.

The water temp will be different for hand mixing and for bread machines. For hand mixing have it about 110 F; for your bread machine, read the directions in the manual.

For both hand mixing and machine mixing, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl or the bowl of your heavy duty mixer, whisk the eggs slightly, and add the dough enhancer, butter (cut in chunks), and most of the water. The remaining water should be added as needed after the bread has started mixing, either in the mixer or in the pan of your bread machine.

For Hand mixing: Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients (including the yeast) a little at a time. Check to be sure the dough is the right consistency (like cake batter). Add more of the reserved water as necessary. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 3 ½ minutes. Spoon into the prepared pan(s), cover, and let rise in a warm place about 35-45 minutes for rapid-rising yeast, 60 or more for regular yeast or until the dough reaches the top of the pan. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 50-60 minutes, covering after 10 minutes with aluminum foil.

For Bread machine: Place the ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested in the machine manual. Use the setting for 1 ½ lb loaf, medium crust.

Granola Bar Recipe

(by Joel's Mom)

Liquid Ingredients:

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2/3 Cup Peanut Butter (creamy)

½ Cup Light Corn Syrup

½ Cup Margarine or butter, melted

2 tsp Vanilla

Combine in 3 qt pot. Heat through until blended.

Dry Ingredients:

3 Cups Gluten Free Oats

1 ½ Cups Chex (or Other Gluten Free cereal)

OR

If GF Oats are unavailable do 4 ½ Cups GF cereal

½ Cup Shredded Coconut

½ Cup Sunflower seeds

½ Cup Raisins or Craisins

2 Tb Ground Flax

2 Tb Sesame seeds

2 Tb Flax Seed

Combine dry ingredients. Stir into liquid ingredients. Stir well.

Add 1 Cup Chocolate Chips.

Press into greased jelly roll pan (about 11”x 15”).

Bake at 350 F for 15-22 minutes. (shorter time for Chewy, longer time for Crunchy) Edges will darken.

Let cool. Cut into squares and store in airtight container.