Congratulations to commenter #26. As chosen by random.org, Susan R is the winner of the Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour!
It’s been incredibly busy around here lately, but I promise I have some good stuff in store.
November 19, 2009
November 12, 2009
Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour and Giveaway!
It’s (nearly) the end of the year and we know it (anyone else feel like singing a little R.E.M.?). Well, at least my schedule seems to know it.
You may be wondering how a stay-at-home-mom’s schedule can become so complicated.
When you figure it out, please let me know.
One of the things we’ve been doing lately is trying out the Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour.
Did you know that coconut flour has some serious fiber content?
It is also really high in protein.
You may look at this and drop your jaw at the fat content. I did, too. But remember that moderation is key.
Some people absolutely love baking with 100% coconut flour, but I’m not completely sold on the idea. I have found that in many things, coconut flour works best as a part of the flour mix, not the whole.
And, a tip for all you “test” bakers out there, don’t try something for the first time with a recipe that you might not like even without the new product.
Because I did.
I had a bunch of bananas migrating south, and thought it would be a good idea to make coconut flour banana muffins.
Did I mention I don’t generally like bananas? Yeah, apparently, my brain didn’t mention that to itself.
Andy thought the muffins were okay. The kids, however, really liked them. Since we don’t often have the optimal levels of fiber in our diets, I had them stick with one muffin a day. Probably a good idea for you, too, if you aren’t used to high fiber.
Now, when we used it as a coating for fried fish (not a deep-fried batter), I really liked it. It browned nicely and had a nice crunch to it. It seemed to have a faint hint of the tropics, but not really a coconutty flavor, after fully cooking. It tasted great with some large Kosher salt sprinkled on it during cooking.
I have a few friends who often use coconut flour in their regular baking mix for the nutritional value, and have heard nothing but wonderful things from them.
Perhaps you would like to experiment with coconut flour in your cooking or baking.
Tropical Traditions will give one lucky winner a 2.2 pound bag of Organic Coconut Flour! Just leave a comment telling me which recipe you think you would like to try first. Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions newsletter and leave me another comment for an extra entry.
This giveaway will end at 9 PM central on Thursday, November 19, 2009.
It seems that there may be some FTC rules for bloggers; I will have to look into this. But for now, Tropical Traditions has asked that I provide this disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
November 3, 2009
Make My Party Gluten-Free!
I had this terrible realization the other day, that I had never shared about Corice’s first birthday party. I feel like such a slacker mom (you’d probably think so if you’ve seen my nearly-abandoned family blog).
Throwing a gluten-free party is not hard. No one will even miss the gluten.
While a cake is generally the standard at a birthday party, it is not necessary. You could have cupcakes, brownies, cookies, or even an ice cream sundae bar. If you choose to have a cake or cupcakes, decide if you want a theme and how much time and effort you want to put into decorating. There are now many bakeries that are creating gluten-free cakes and cupcakes, and you may be closer to one than you think.
Corice’s room is decorated with ladybugs, and my sister-in-law found this pan nearly a year ago. We decided it was a must for the first birthday. I wanted to do pink and brown, instead of the regular red and black (quite frankly, I don’t like trying to make red icing). I also wanted the icing to be flavored – strawberry and chocolate. When it came time to make the cake, I just did not have the energy or desire to do the 10 million stars, so what you see is my easy-way-out of decorating.
At your next party, do you want to serve food? Do you want finger food or a meal? There are many easy ways to serve gluten-free food at a party (and many that are complicated, too, if that is what you are looking for). We decided on a nacho bar. I had pre-cookedand frozen some ground beef, so when it was party time, all I had to do was defrost the meat and place it in a crockpot with the appropriate seasonings. A large can of Rico’s cheese sauce in another crockpot (and shredded cheddar for my dad, who does not like cheese sauce), a bowl of diced tomatoes, a bowl of shredded lettuce, and a bowl of diced chives, evens out the offerings over some tortilla chips. It could be a taco bar, too, but I find that nachos can be easier to eat with less mess.
Other serve-yourself-bars could include a potato bar with all the fixings (served in margarita glasses for a fancy touch), or a make-your-own pizza bar. Prebaked individual-sized crusts and bowls of toppings makes for a fun and tasty activity for children (and adults).
GF taquitos, little smokies, deviled eggs, and fruit and vegetable trays are finger foods that are easy to prepare. A little more work can give you pigs in a blanket, a tasty treat for anytime.
Don’t be afraid when it is time to throw a gluten-free party. It is a safe and great way to celebrate, and it does not have to be hard. So don’t stress, and have fun.
November 2, 2009
Delightful Pear Crisp
My pear tree o’erfloweth. Well, technically, it is my parents’ pear tree, but I’m the one who takes care of it.
I decided to pick some pears yesterday for a friend of mine who is about to give birth to her 7th child. I told her 12 year old daughter that a pear crisp would be an easy and delightful dish to make.
So delightful, in fact, that I decided to make my own, with a little something snappy.
Delightful Pear Crisp
7 large pears (ours are Kiefer, a crisp kind of pear), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
12 gf cinnamon disk candies, crushed
1 cup gf oats
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
6 TBS butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together oats, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Add brown sugar and mix. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly (by hand) to achieve a nice crumb texture.
3. Place pear slices into a microwave- and oven-safe baking dish (approximately 9×13) and sprinkle with crushed candies. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (for crunchy pears) to 4 minutes (for softer pears).
4. Sprinkle crumb topping onto pears.
5. Bake for approximately 30 min.
6. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Serve plain, or with ice cream or whipped cream.
The picture really does not do it justice. The pears turn a really pretty pink from the candies.
This was a real big hit with my family. Braden said we should make this on Christmas Eve, so that we can leave some out for Santa. Andy promptly texted me to remind me that Santa will not be here on Christmas Eve, but at the fire station.
I could eat this all night. I won’t…
Speaking of eating all night, did you all have a safe and happy Halloween? We had a pretty good pre-Halloween trunk-or-treat at church. I took my ladybug fairy, a pirate, and Obi Wan Kenobi.
