A Byte of Life - Eat simply, Eat well

Banana Walnut Bread (gluten-free, dairy-free)

There is something about the smell of fresh baked banana bread that warms the heart and soul. “Summer”, and I use the term loosely, has started to creep around Seattle. Today is a balmy and overcast 70 degrees but whenever it’s grey I always get the cozy urge to bake. This weekend, we’re adventuring up to see my family and while I’m baking the bread for both my roomie and his mum who’s visiting us, I’m also baking this to surprise my dad.

Since I was a little girl, whenever there were bananas that were even one day past perfect my father would take my hand and guide me to the fruit bowl and say “Kate, you know what THAT means right!? … BANANA BREAD”!!! I always loved baking this for him, and filling the house with the warm smells of bread and seeing his joy as I would pull that loaf out of the oven, hovering as all good taste tester seems to do, barely waiting for it to cool before cutting thick slices and serving it up to one very happy man!

Like clockwork, whenever the weather in Seattle is grey, ahem most of the year, my ache to bake exponentially increases. Even if I don’t particularly WANT a baked good at that moment, sacrilege I know, I just can’t calm the urge until I’m mixing up the dough and filling the house with the smells of a bakery then fending off the taste tester as I try to pull it out of the oven.

Truth be told, I simply LOVE baking! For myself and more so for others to enjoy . While I can’t have you all in my kitchen this moment eagerly awaiting the “ding” of the kitchen timer indicating that fresh baked goodness is ready to being it’s futile attempt to cool before being devoured, I CAN share with you by posting this tried and true recipe!

This recipe yields one large loaf or three small individual loaves. Personally, I prefer to use smaller individual size loaf pans and because they’re easier to gift and look cuter on a plate (true story!). I’m not allowed to freeze bread in our house but these loaves freeze quite well for future rainy day enjoyment or to give as a hostess gift for a last minute dinner party! They also make great muffins!!

My loaves are in the oven now so here’s a sneak peek of THIS batch. (Photos below are previous completed batches)

Banana Walnut Bread
From:The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. flour (can use Whole-Wheat or Gluten-Free)
2/3 c. white sugar
1 tsp. double-acting baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. shortening
1 cup mashed bananas ( 2 ripe bananas)
1 small banana, cut into chunks
2 eggs
1/2 cup walnuts (my own addition)
1 fresh orange, squeezed (my addition)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease and flour ( or non-stick spray) your baking pan(s)
In a large bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients
Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender (or two knives scissor-fashion) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs
Stir in the remaining ingredients until just blended
Bake in pre-heated oven as directed below:
Large loaf pan: 55-60 minutes
4 Individual Loaf pans: 30-40 minutes
Cool in pan on wire rack
ENJOY!!!

Ratatouille

The obsession with Ratatouille started on our recent trip to Seville, Spain. We decided to meander the alleys and streets for the 30 minute walk from our flat to the city center . Bar Antigüedades caught my eye as an adorable little café from the exterior (of course…look at the photos!) and reading the menu board when we passed I made the mental note to come back for lunch. We did, and loved the Ratatouille SOOO much that we returned for dinner and had the exact same meal! It was so warm, hearty, tasty, flavorful and just… well… cozy! We ordered a bowl and cleaned and had I not ordered an actual meal I would have ordered another Ratatouille! As it was I had to refrain from licking the bowl since 1. it’s rude to do in public 2. we were sitting outside and I couldn’t sneak it 3. I’d be pegged as a ridiculous American for SURE! Three sadly legitimate reasons why I had to refrain from one last taste of the very miniscule remains of wonderful veggies. I vowed to make it once we got home.

Sevilla...where it all began — Sevilla…where it all began

Of course, in order to make the dish I first had to find 15 recipes, make an entire Pintrest board devoted to my found ratatouille recipes (yes I’m that ridiculous organized..or maybe obsessive?). Of course I had to print out each recipe, lay them side by side, and pour over each minute difference and detail deciding which was the perfect recipe. Which was possibly closest to recreating the most incredibly wonderful cozy meal. My perfection was finally challenged by my need to make a grocery shopping trip and get ON with the actual MAKING of the dish so I picked one to use as a guideline because, and yes I’m a total girl, the picture looked the yummiest. The recipe that I landed on was posted on the blog A Lady in France.

A brief history of Ratatoulie. It is usually served as a side dish but can also be a main, which is how we eat it with some crusty potato bread. For protein, I usually poach an egg or sprinkle some cheese on the top.

The hardest part of this meal is letting it cook those last 30 minutes without devouring it from the pan! The house starts to smell of wonderful cooked vegetables and herbs.

Tips:

The Pan: be sure to use a large deep pan so that the heat and evenly distribute and cook
Saute each round of veggies VERY well! Once you add the tomato it’s really just melding of the flavors and not really “cooking”
Don’t go light on the canned tomatoes! This is what makes or breaks the consistency of the Ratatouille. If it seems like the stew is a bit dry add another can of tomates or a 25 oz jar of basil marinera sauce. You’ll realize the consistency within 5-8 minutes and you really need to add within the 5-8 minutes so the consistency and the flavors are able to meld correctly.
Cook all the veggies without a lid until you add the tomatoes. The veggies really need to breathe and have the heat to saute up.
Liquid: keep stirring to move the liquid around and assure that it’s not too liquidy. If it feels like it’s becoming more soupy than thicker stewey, turn the heat up and if it’s sticking to the pan turn the head down a bit.

Cucina de Kate Ratatouille

½ large onion
2 tsp (heaping) minced garlic
drizzle of olive oil (to cook the onions/garlic)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 good sized eggplant, cut up in to chunks
4 small zucchini, cut up into chunks
1 ½ tbsp. herbs de province
few fresh basil leaf’s
1 ½ c. diced canned tomatoes (I sometimes add a 25oz jar of 365 tomato basil marinera sauce)

Instructions

Heat oil in your large pan while you chop the onions and garlic. Cook until translucent.
Chop and add peppers. When they start to look a little cooked, chop and add the eggplant in medium chunks. I like them a bit larger so they retain some form as opposed to getting a bit more mushy when they’re smaller.
Keep stirring the veggies in the pan until they eggplant starts to look a little cooked, then chop up and add the zucchini. Again, I liked keeping my chunks a bit larger to add to the stew-type texture and avoid a must consistency.
Once the zucchini starts to look like it’s a little cooked, add the herbs and chopped basil and assure it’s all mixed together well. Then add the tomatoes. At this point you’ll have to keep an eye and stir frequently but you can multi-task and just remember to stir every few minutes.
Keep stirring and cook for another 30 minutes (or so) until all the vegies are tender…and of course taste along the way!

Serve with a protein (egg or meat) and some rustic bread (or omit if you’re gluten-free)

Dinner Table of Ratatouille with Rust Bread and Menage a Trios Red

Ratatouille with Rust Bread for Dinner — Ratatouille with Rust Bread for

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Birthdays are wonderful and they are especially for someone who LOVES to bake! Bakers invent holidays just for the opportunity to whip up some delicious treat! Growing up I was given the nickname “Martha Stewart” because I was the chick who showed up for every holiday with the corresponding cookie/treat. Gingerbread for Christmas, heart-shaped shortbread with pink and red frosting at for Valentines Day, Shamrock cookies and green frosting for St. Patty’s, Easter treats, May Day cookies, July 4^th something-or-rather, Halloween trick or treat bags… Thanksgiving…Birthday’s Cupcakes…Picnic Pies and never white frosting after Labor Day!

Well, that was “back in the day” (am I even old enough to say that!?) before food allergies became so prevalent. Now, a baker must be VERY aware of those that might not be able to join in the sugary delicious consumption of a well-baked treat. Well, those bakers that want friends do!

It was a co-workers birthday a few weeks back and I immediately went into “Martha Mode”… “IF cupcakes just happened to show up on your desk what flavor would they be?” I inquired. “Not made by me” was the response…every bakers dream or dread! That is either the field of dreams to explore or a stress sentence of deciding what kind of baked good says what about you. Quickly I got over my female phobias (it’s true… women DO think of things like this!) and decided that I’d just make cupcakes that I’d be happy to take home if no one ate them.

Gluten & Dairy Free Vanilla Cupcakes Texture

Being mindful of both a gluten AND a dairy intolerance I quickly realized that I didn’t have a go-to cupcake recipe to suffice. So I did what any good, sound, logical baking blogger did and headed to Google! This recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and they were a HIT!!!! Not just… hey this doesn’t taste like a rotten breaded sardine but actually got compliments of “These are AMAZING!” Even the birthday boy was skeptical when I told him they were gluten-free (omitted the dairy free part…have to ease them into the idea you know) said they were, and I do directly quote, “DELICIOUS! I was worried when you said gluten-free but those are REALLY GOOOOOOOD!

I LIVE BY Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour for my gluten-free recipes so with that, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the ultimate go-to birthday baked good! It’s chewy and moist with the correct density and texture of a “real” cupcake while incorporating various intolerance’s. It’s pretty much amazing! I also love the other book from these authors and have it on the cookbook shelf, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

Culinate, who also posted this recipe suggested Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting or Not-Too-Sweet Blueberry Mousse for a topping but since I was short on time I just picked up a ready-made can from the grocery store and let people frost themselves. Okay…short on time AND lazy.

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
1 c. Soy Milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 c. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. canola oil
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Whisk the soy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a 4-5 minutes to get good and curdled.
Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain.
Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before frosting.

Taco Tuesday & Wine Parings

Taco Tuesday is a weekly tradition in our house. It’s healthy, easy to make, and delicious! Taco’s might be the ultimate meal, you can drink them with beer/wine/cocktail, are able to accommodate ANY dietary restrictions!! They can be gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, paleo, vegetarian, the list goes on!

I’m a FIRM believer that there is truly a good wine paring for ANY food! While taco’s might not instinctively have you reaching for the wine glass and adding to the cork graveyard, I wanted to explore some tacos and wine’s that others enjoy! So, I headed out to the blogoshpere and tweeted to enlist some help. Thanks to Menage a Trois Wines for posting on their Facebook page! (in case you missed it… I was last week’s Facebook “superfan” and first ever twitter Superfan! and was quite excited about it! Check out the post here. )

Now… ON TO THE TACOS!!!!

Our most recent Taco Tuesday was Black bean & lime taco (recipe here) with Menage a Trios table red wine. Of course, no taco would be complete in our house with out some grilled cabbage slaw. Simple, crunchy, incredibly flavorful and adds some extra veggie and spice to any taco! So delicious!

John Bell (Fashion Photographer, Seattle) Twitter Response: @johnleebell “pulled pork with sour cream…. Just got an idea to add cream cheese!”
A few followers asked to remain anonymous but wanted to share their go-to’s
“Grenache and halibut fish tacos and some shredded cabbage”
“I love a nicely chilled Gewürztraminer and some Spicy Chicken Tacos! Flour tortillas please!”
“Pinot Gris is very balanced and drinkable, pairs well with both fish and chicken tacos! You could even drink with a Carne Asada”
“A good full-bodied Merlot is GREAT with steak/beef tacos! Shredded beef, cheese, fresh avocado and tomato… melted cheese… mmm!”
“If you’re doing beef, try a Zinfandel, Rioja or Malbec”
“ANY taco goes with a good Tempranillo! ENJOY!”

Menage a Trois Facebook Responses:

Sherry Smith “slowed cooked pork with a sauce made of jalepenos garlic lime juice and cumin anchote once it is cooked i drain sauce and pull pork off and serve with warm flour tortillas and red onions and home-made salsa served with red wine”

Brenda Hudson Mcrae “fish tacos, with advacado salsa and sour cream”

Bobbijean Blackinton “I can not take credit for my favorite tacos .. but in the summer I love these taco’s … so easy to triple or double depending on the summer gathering!!!http://www.patiodaddiobbq.com/2010/05/spicy-grilled-fish-tacos.html

Holly Le Du “I sautee finely chopped onions and raisins together for a couple of minutes, then add freshly ground beef with sea salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and a tiny bit of dried oregano. I put them in handmade tortillas (I prefer flour) with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and avocados and a homemade salsa. Sooo yummy!”

Tamasin Noyes “Mine is here, on my blog, and I would love to have it featured. Thanks in advance! http://www.veganappetite.com/2010/02/15-minute-chipotle-black-bean-tacos.html”

Spirited Shipper “Tacos are our favorite! We love tiger shrimp tacos with avocado, slaw, lime, and cilantro garlic sauce!”

Kim Smith Saghy “I think the Eagles Nest on Pier 39 in San Francisco has the absolute best fish tacos! And they will share their recipe.”
What’s YOUR favorite Taco and Wine mix!? I’ll be happy to keep updating the post as more recipes come in! Moral of the story… make tacos every tuesday and enjoy with some type of wine! 🙂 Life is better that way!

Wine Love: Menage a Trios

Oh Ménage a Trios…how do I love you? My evenings would not be the same without the nightly glass (or two…ish) to relax! No meal would be the same! My sangria would be naked!

I fondly refer to it as the gateway-red. Ménage a Trios is one of the most affordable and most delicious bottles of red wine you can find. If you have read my posts or follow me on instagram…you’ll notice the abundance of Menage a Trios in the photos! I seriously LOVE their wine! The table red is my no fail red wine for ANY meal, party, event or.. well day of the week! You can’t go wrong! Their rose is balanced and just sweet enough. Even their table white is a delight! Just had to make it rhyme BUT coming from a confirmed red wine drinker finding a white that I truly like is rare and to be celebrated!

Well I’m honored that not only did they post yesterday’s instagram photo of taco Tuesday in action (recipe STILL to come) on their Facebook page, but they also contacted me and asked if I would like to be their FIRST EVER TWITTER SUPER FAN!

Would I EVER!!! I’m HONORED! Pop the wine, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere and there will be celebration!! They’ll be announcing at 3pm so be sure you Follow them on Twitter to see the announcement in action and Like them on Facebook so you can check out their awesome fan photos and fun wall posts!! You’ll learn all kinds of fun ideas like the idea you’ll see at my next wine party! (see below)

“In honor of Wine Wednesday, let’s plan your next party – a wine party! There are so many options: blind wine tasting, regular wine tasting, food & wine pairing… We have an idea for a fun game you can play at your next party: Color one end of 5 corks blue. Fill a basket with 50+ corks (we know you have a lot!) and ask your friends to choose a cork. Those who pick the blue-end corks win wine charms or a corkscrew!”

What a day what a day! And wine Wednesday at that!! And, while I’m STILL excited about cooking up Ratatouille tonight for the first time, this announcement really takes the.. bottle!!

Cheers everyone! Happy Wine Wednesday & Almost Friday!!!

Facebook love from my beloved Menage a Trios

Taco Tuesday: Black Bean & Lime

TTTTRRAADDDIITTTIIOOONNNN!!! TRADITION!

“Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as… as… as a fiddler on the roof!”(Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof)

Oh, excuse me! I was just practicing my Fiddler on the Roof singing. In case you’re inspired to watch the intro video you can check it out here: Fiddler on the roof – Tradition.

But this outburst of song was inspired by the weekly taco Tuesday tradition that we have.This post was actually last weeks Taco Tuesday adventure but I got busy and figured I better get it up before tonight’s Taco Tuesday adventure (sneak peek: fish tacos are on the menu!). Our Tuesday tradition keeps menu planning simple and I love that I can pick up the ingredients on the weekend and just grab some fresh cilantro from the market on Monday/Tuesday (or heck even Sunday if I’m lazy!) and then everything’s pretty much ready to go when we get home. Because let’s be real, by the time you get home from work and get through chores/errands/working out/traffic/family/pets… the last thing you want to do is cook up some tedious elaborate meal! Well, maybe that’s just me so those of you that are with me… read on!

I am the more carnivorous eater in our house, but also dairy-free so we try to find meals that I can get excited about without featuring meat/dairy for the main protein focus. There are a few wonderful things about tacos. First, the word itself. Taco…ttaaccoooo…TACO! It’s just fun to say! But another very wonderful feature of the taco is that it’s the everyone food. A taco can literally be made that will please anyone! From the meat and potatoes crowd to the vegan or gluten-free eaters, a taco will always have your back. They can be (deep breath) meat free, vegetarian, gluten-free, meat focused, lactose free, diary free, corn free, (air), wheat-free, egg free, nut free, tree-nut free, soy free, fish free, paleo…they can LITERALLY feed ANYONE!

Another amazing thing about tacos is that you can make them with whatever is in the fridge! They can be as simple or elaborate as you desire! Paging through our new cookbook I received as a birthday present from our recent trip to Sonoma, I was remembering the wonderful pureed black beans from Elote Cafe. They…were…delicious!!! Between that and a ridiculous excess of limes in our house (I’m not sure why… maybe it has something to do with a reverse sock monster effect? Someone PUT limes in the fridge?! We also have a glasses gnome that sneaks in an puts their sticky little paws all over our glasses! But back to the point! We had a randomly large amount of limes and decided to use them up in this tasty taco Tuesday recipe! For texture, I pureed some of the beans and left some of them whole. And… since I’m obsessed with grilled corm we also did a few ears of corn!

So sit back, relax, maybe make yourself a delicious sommer sherpa and enjoy the tradition of taco Tuesday with us!! Stay tuned for tonight’s fish tacos recipe coming soon and let me know what your favorite taco recipes are! I’ll be featuring your suggestions in my Taco Tuesday Pintrest board!

Black Bean & Lime Tacos w/Grilled Corn

1 can black beans
1 spoon full minced garlic and juice
Cracked Salt & Pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste
2 limes, juiced (plus any additional wedges you want for garnish)
2 Ears Corn
Flour Tortillas (or corn for a gluten-free option)

Optional garnish/additions: Cheese, sour cream, grilled southwest cabbage slaw, avocado, Cilantro, jalapeño, chopped/grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, hot sauce/salsa, Elote, red peppers, radishes, fruit salsa

Soak the corn for 20 minutes then pre-heat the oven and wrap corn in foil and cook for 30 minutes. At that point I usually open up the foil and start to turn the corn every 5 minute to attain a good char. You can also use canned corn and heat on the stove if you’d like.
The beans usually take 10 minutes to prepare so when you’re ready heat the beans over the stove or in the microwave with the garlic, salt/pepper, cayenne pepper and juice of two limes. Once it’s thoroughly heated transfer to a vita mix blender and blend until creamy. You can also use an emulsion blender, potato masher, or food processor.
Slice the avocado and prepare the garnishes you desire
Heat the tortillas over open flame on the stove (or heat in the micro between two damp paper towels or in the oven wrapped in foil).
Spread out the black beans and garnish away!

Quick Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. I LOVE everything breakfast related…scones, muffins, breads, eggs, savory roasted veggies! There’s something so relaxing about a good cup of coffee to get your day started that can only be enriched by a delicious breakfast to accompany it! You might find it odd, then, that breakfast is one of the most stressful times of day for me during the week.

Living in Seattle I’ve grown accustomed to seeing grey drizzle outside which makes it THAT much harder to crawl out of a warm bed. Once I do finally drag my lazy butt out of bed the last thing that I want to do is race the clock to get out the door and off to start my day. The typical morning looks something like: WakeupgetreadygetbreakfastCOFFEEneedfood! This leaves me a ball of stress when it comes to breakfast during the week. I’m guessing I’m not the only one who needs some good, healthy and QUICK breakfast options! Well rest assured I’ve got your back!!!

Quick Breakfast Sandwiches from Macheesmo (Photo from Macheesmo.com)

I used to love grabbing one of the English muffin breakfast sandwiches from Starbucks because they were quick and mostly healthy. Until I realized one morning as I unwrapped that wonderful warm bag and got the first whiff of my toasted breakfast sandwich as I sunk my hungry little face into the sandwich…I have EVERY ONE of these ingredients at home! Why did I just pay $3 for something that I could have literally made so easily before walking out of the house. Getting on the budgeting bandwagon I decided that with some planning ahead I could have a delicious breakfast at home while staying budget and health conscious! It just takes a little planning ahead!

Off to the recipe boards I went googling, blog scouring, pintrest-ing away and here is a little showcase of the handiwork. Above you’ll see the English muffin breakfast sandwich from Macheesmo and I LOVE that he illustrates how you can make them ahead and freeze them! Such a time saver!! You can find the recipe here: Quick Breakfast Sandwiches from Macheesmo.

One of the best things I found to equip my kitchen for mornings was a little Egg plan! It was the PERFECT size for an English muffin breakfast sandwich! Simply heat the pan, scramble an egg and let it cook while toasting your muffin and continuing to get ready! SO EASY! One tip for the pan is that it can be a little larger than some English muffins so the egg will hang over the side of the bread a little which I actually don’t mind. Oh, and I’d only use one egg… two can get a little… souffle over the pan-ish! 🙂

My Pintrest Boards (if you need a little more inspiration):

Update: I JUST found 365 days of breakfast and I LOVE it!! LOVELY breakfast food photography that could make you hungry even after a Thanksgiving feast! I LOVE scrolling through their photos and getting some inspiration for breakfast meals!

And since we ALL love food pictures, here are a few other ideas for quick breakfasts:

Make your own fruit on the bottom yogurt cups — Make your own fruit on the bottom yogurt cup

Breakfast Banana Split with Yogurt and Jam

Gluten-Free 101

Pasta, Bread, Cookies, Pizza…

Why would you ever say goodbye to these wonderful LIFE staples!? Well, how about you find you’re allergic to gluten and they’re basically Krypontine to you?

When I first discovered as a teen that I was lactose-intolerant it was awful trying to navigate the lifestyle changes. Finding alternatives for my beloved milk, cheese and ice-cream were the least of my worries. Eating out became a nightmare, explaining that “it’s an allergy, not a preference” while fiercely praying that the kitchen might understand that I wasn’t TRYING To be high-maintenance and serve up my meal without any “special” presents from the kitchen. From helping a waitress to understand that yes that butter slathered on my toast might be delicious but it is still “diary” to learning how to navigate the hidden dairy in menus…food intolerance was frustrating and embarrassing to the extreme.

I state all of this only to lend validity to my statement, “gluten-intolerant friends… I UNDERSTAND your pain!” Whether it’s a choice to minimize gluten in your diet to an allergic necessity, the initial stages of gluten-free living will take work! I promise you though that like lactose intolerance you will learn what to look for and what to stay away from while embracing your choices as such and not as an ailment or your own personal “freak” button.

The may clinic has a GREAT article that lists gluten/gluten-free foods and what to generally avoid. Typically, you’ll need to avoid wheat, oats (unless specifically listed gluten-free), barley, rye, spelt and other flours. Gluten can reside in VERY obscure places so you will have to learn to navigate food labels. For example, beer and soy sauce contain gluten. As do many gravies, dressings and sauces. The Mayo Clinic Gluten-Free Article gives you a few great lists to read up on where you’ll find gluten and what to avoid.

Basic List of Gluten Free Foods

Beans, seeds, nuts
Eggs, Soy and most dairy products
Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated)
Fruits, vegetables
Rice, Corn/Corn Meal, Flax, Quinoa
Gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, bean), Hominy (corn), Amaranth, Arrowroot, Buckwheat, Tapioca, Millet, Teff, Sorghum

So, now that you have a basic list of what your new best friend foods are, let’s dig into the FUN part!! Thankfully the now mainstream nature of food allergies has done wonders for the food industry. No longer does gluten-free mean “taste and texture of cardboard”. I LOVE giving my family and friends treats that are gluten-free and/or vegan only to tell them afterward that the cookie they just ate was in fact gluten AND diary free! I have to give a little humor here and share a name with you that you may here now that you are on a gluten-free path: glutard. Pronounced glue-tard. Definition: one who can not process gluten. I have my version also: lactard. Pronounced lack-tard. Definition: one who can not process lactose. (if you can’t laugh at yourself what’s this world coming t0!)

Shout out

Here I have to pause and give a shout out to my wonderful local Flying Apron Cafe who has been helping glutards and lactards like ourselves enjoy cakes, cookies, muffins and savory dishes for years now! Their commitment to quality and TASTEFUL food paved the way for much of Seattle’s gluten-free progress and I’m forever grateful! If you’re not located in Seattle you can STILL enjoy their amazing food thanks to the new recipe book Flying Aprons Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book.

Our Tried and True Recipes
There have been quite a few requests for gluten-free recipes on the blog and we’ve been enjoying some wonderful gluten-free recipes that I’ve been posting on the Gluten-Free page as we try them! Also I wanted to highlight a few great sites for you. If you have any that you discover on your gluten-free journey that you’re loving PLEASE write and let me know so I can include them in this list! This is a journey for ALL of us to share and I’m happy to update this list as more resources that you find to be “tried and true” surface!
Update: I’ve also created a page dedicated to living gluten-free which you can view here: Gluten-Free Living

Recipe Inspiration

elana’s pantry includes many gluten-free as well as paelo recipes for everyday foods that you may have thought were “off-limits” due to dietary restrictions or lifestyle changes. She also includes substitution’s for making recipes gluten-free which I found incredibly helpful! There truly is a science to baking and keeping the right ratios of ingredients to retain the right consistency and taste.
cannelle et vanille has a long list of some really wonderful looking gluten-free goodies from sweets to savories, breakfast to dinners and everything in between you’ll find some great inspiration for gourmet gluten-free cooking
one of my go-to sites for natural and healthy living is Whole Life Nutrition which contains a plethora of recipes for not only gluten-free living, but also cleanses and natural living recipes, tips tricks and plans (they also have a section of the elimination diet which might be helpful for you to read up on if you’re newly gluten-intolerant)
gluten-free goddess is an EXCELLENT blog about all things gluten-free and some lovely food photography as well!
gluten-free girl and the chef is a fun site with recipes and videos for a gluten-free lifestyle
another site i love, 101 cookbooks, has some great gluten-free recipes that you can take a look at and their photos are truly inspiriting!
Whole Foods is my go-to market for gluten-free baking and cooking. They also have awesome recipes and menu ideas posted online!
PCC Natural Markets also has online recipes, tips for gluten-free living as well as aisles stocked with products and friendly staff that can help you on your journey! Go wander for a few hours and you’ll find some treats!
Search Results for Pintrest Boards titled Gluten-Free Living (I have not clicked through and verified that all recipes listed are gluten-free. I’m merely providing a way for 4 more hours of you day to dispensary while you get lost in Pintrest!)

And there you have it wonderful friends! A VERY swift gluten-free 101 guide! PLEASE contact me if you have specific questions, need recipe help, have a recipe or resource to share!!!

Cheers to delicious living!!!

Today I Will…

Simply put.. happy three day weekend everyone!!!