Baking gluten free is not hard, BUT does [...]]]>
Baking gluten free is not hard, BUT does require a bit of an understanding of how the various ingredients work before tinkering. A couple of things to renember along the way include:
Bread
I have been playing around with bread flours, and found a combination that I think makes a nice sandwich bread that also has enough nutritional value that makes it worthwhile. Millet and sorghum are the key ingredients here. I came up with one combination using garfava flour that is great in terms of texture and taste, but am finding not everyone likes the “beany” flavour, even in moderation, so this iteration was an attempt to find a non-bean alternative. You can see the inside of the loaf here, which has a nice open texture, stayed nice and pliable overnight on the counter, and toasted up nicely.
The second recent experiment was to come up with recipes for chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies that were gluten-free and vegan. I was playing around with a couple of shortening options, and decided to take pics of the chocolate chip cookies made with EarthBalance buttery sticks, as well as those made with coconut oil.
I really like the taste of coconut oil, but it does tend to make the baked goods a little unruly, flatter and crunchier at the edges, whereas the EarthBalance helps make a rounder, puffier cookie. For comparison, here’s the two, with the coconut oil cookie on the right. Note that both tasted good, but hubby decided he doesn’t like the coconut oil version.
I also have what I think is a great recipe for gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies, regardless of whether you need to eat gluten-free or not. I realize that not everyone can tolerate oats, but for those that can, just make sure you use oats that are labelled as certified gluten-free.
Finally, I have been looking for a basic muffin mix that would be gluten-free, but also dairy-free, and could be doctored with different fruits and spices for easy to make variations. The first iteration relied on about 25% garfava flour, again, to boost the nutritional content of the muffins, but not everyone appreciates the bean! Another trial with another grain mix resulted in this muffin which uses quinoa flour as well as sorghum. The verdict was that it is tasty, but not as “bouncy” in texture as the garfava. The quinoa is also quite a pronounced flavour, which I like, but may not be for everyone.
As per one of the observations (small changes make big differences!), this version of the muffin, while tasty, was definitely dryer than the version with garfava flour. I am thinking about adding a small amount of coconut flour to help make it a tad moister.
And so, I leave you to go tinker some more, but first, here’s a gratuitous cute pic of Eric!
]]>He went in for surgery on Friday, and by mid-day, he had had the operation — major surgery, in what are normally touchy areas of his body. When we picked him up on Friday evening, he appeared to be ok — groggy but somewhat alert. He had received some meds in with his IV cocktail, so we bundled him into the car and went home. Kimi was very relieved to see him back, although was very confused by his smell and the fact that he was wearing a buster collar.
After about 2 hours at home, it became apparent that poor Eric was experiencing pain. We ended up calling the hospital and getting a scrip for some pain meds for him. We found out after the fact that the dosage on the label was about 1/2 strength that we could have been giving him. We were giving him more frequently than the label recommended, and they were only giving him a bit of relief, so, after a sleepless night (for Eric and me!), we called the hospital again to see about alternatives. He ended up going back in the hospital for the day, for the vet to check out his back end and make sure nothing was getting infected, as well as come up with a better pain management strategy.
Back home again last night with Eric. He now has a patch on his side (one more shaved spot!) that is supposed to provide continuous delivery, and she sent us home with some sedatives. Some of his troubles were definitely pain related, but given that he is a Shiba Inu, some of it is definitely being compounded by anxiety. The sedatives are supposed to help a bit with the anxiety.
Another long night last night, but he appears to be more comfortable, but still experiencing a bit of pain. He is eating and drinking now, so that’s a good sign. Once he is having a bit less pain, we are going to try the homeopathic anti-anxiety drops in place of the sedative. Shibas are stubborn, and even thru the haze of the sedative, Eric is still quite PO’d that he can’t chew on things. He’ll wake up and thrash around a bit trying to reach his nether regions, and then give a big huff before settling down again. It’s going to be a long couple of weeks while the stitches heal!
The moral of the story, is Shibas + Anxiety + Pain = Meds are your friend (for your Shiba, not you!). The vet said she’s now X-referencing in all her Shiba client files!
In between Eric-care, I’m trying to get the rest of the tomato plants in the ground as this is our big garden weekend here in Canada. Stay tuned for another garden walkabout — the beds are getting filled in gradually, and it’s finally starting to feel warmer.
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