Buckwheat - Gluten Free -- Grass Free

 Buckwheat, which is actually not in the wheat family at all, has somehow gotten a bad rap over the years. I personally have avoided it basically just because it had the word "WHEAT" in the name itself. Actually it is "NOT"  on the list of gluten free flours we must avoid if gluten sensitive, or if you have celiac disease. It is in fact, not even in the grass family, which I now have to  avoid because of allergies. 

It's hard enough when being sensitive to gluten, or allergic to wheat, because that eliminates a lot of baking flours for our use. Yet to be allergic to grasses also sets a whole new game into effect. Most gluten free flours with which with we bake fall into the family of grasses. Like oats, sorghum, rice, amaranth, cornstarch, etc. There are not many left on the table for those of  us who also have grass allergies. Yet that will be another post for the future.

Buckwheat however is a pseudocereal. It has been grown as a crop in China dating as far back to 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. A crop with an end use like a cereal, but is not in the grass family. It is a seed that is consumed as cereal grains but doesn't grow on grasses. Other common pseudocereals are quinoa and amaranth.So it is not only gluten free but also not in the grass family! It is a great cereal option for those of us who like a nice warm bowl of cereal for breakfast or even a light late night snack. I must admit I was skeptical to give it a try as I grew up loving cream of rice or cream of wheat on a cold winter day. Cream of wheat is definitely in the wheat family. Cream of rice is in the grass family! It is a loose, loose, situation for me! Or so I thought.

So I ventured off course this morning and gave cream of buckwheat a try. I was amazed at the taste and texture! Is was a cross between the texture of oats, and the taste of oats and rice all rolled into one. With a warm mellow sweetness that I fully enjoyed. The earthy taste was ever so slight and it didn't have the grittiness cream of rice usually has. Also I tried macadamia nut milk for the very first time also which had a smooth silky texture, not nutty at all! 

Oh by the way....Macadamia nuts are actually not nuts at all, but a seed! Kind of like the fact that a tomato is not actually a vegetable at all, but actually in the fruit family. Yet be aware that if you have nut allergies you could possibly also be allergic to macadamia nuts as well....Funny world, hu? 

I used unsweetened plain macadamia nut milk as I like the natural taste of foods.  I find almond milk to be to nutty of a taste for my liking lately. I want my milk to taste like milk, not a vanilla sunday :] Either way I found the cereal to be everything I had hoped for and more. I used the "pocono heart of buckwheat"  brand and will probably stick with their brand, as as the saying goes, "Why ruin a good thing"! Right?

I will be doing much more research over the course of weeks to come as I am working on a gluten free, grass free, flour blend with which to bake with. Oh, did you also know SUGAR is in the grass family also???????  Allulose to the rescue! Well I guess I have dropped enough bombshells on you for today , so with that I will close.

Until next post ,

Sharon

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus...

Trying again...n Enjoying Breakfast

 Well since my last post a few days ago I have either been on my computer, or phone, searching, and searching, and searching. If I am going to go for this with all my heart then I am determined to get it right this time. As I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts, my faithfulness to my GF diet has really gone by the wayside.Thank God my faithfulness to the Lord is still going strong. Not only do I have to pick and choose for a GF diet, but also for kidney issues as well. Its a balancing act to be sure : (

I have had many ups and downs recently. There has been sickness in my family. Family ties have been tested, along with financial testings as well. I guess I have been putting these other problems before my own personal health. Needless to say...I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!

Not only will I be getting back on a GF diet but I will also be trying new GF flour blends to eliminate any grains, flours, or starches that come from the grass family as well. Seems I also have a grass allergy from what I can vaguely recall. Mmmmmmmm...So since most of the flours and starches I have been using these past years are in the grass family,  it is now back to "The drawing board" as my husband would say. I will be asking my Doctor to run a new series of allergy tests since it's been many years since my last testings. Then possibly more adjustments will have to be made, but at least I will have a better starting point.

So with that said, I would like to share a favorite recipe with you that doesn't call for any flour or starches at all. It is a recipe for a handy spice, and will be one I think you will enjoy having on hand. It is a GF recipe without a lot of fuss, but truly makes the best homemade sausages ever!  I don't know about you, but I am tired of paying such high prices for breakfast meats at the grocery store. Reading labels and knowing that the extra additives are not what I personally want to put into my body. 

This homemade spice blend makes a big batch, and you only use 4 1/2 to 5 teaspoons per pound of meat. If you think it might make too much for your family to make at once, just cut the recipe in half. It stores well with all your other spices, so either way its a win, win...Did I mention homemade, so it's not filled with all those extra fillers n additives...

Homemade sausage seasoning:

1/3 cup seasalt (use real salt here, helps in curing)

1 T ground mace

1/4 cup ground rosemary

1/4 cup ground sage

2 T ground thyme

6 T garlic powder

1 1/2 teas cinnamon

1/2 cup date sugar OR coconut sugar

Put all ingredients in a jar or sealed container and shake well. Use 4 1/2 to 5 teaspoons for each pound of fatty pasteurized pork or lamb. ( you can try ground hamburger or turkey here but I can't guarantee the results as I have never tried either personally) Mix well into the meat and refrigerate. It taste better after a few days of curing in the refrigerator, but can be used right away if desired. 

Note * The sugar content comes out to about 5 grams per pound of meat.

Make into patties and cook in a skillet  over low/medium heat until browned and cooked through. Taste great with eggs and a small side of fruit.

I hope you enjoy. 

Sharon

3 John 1:2

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

New Year...New Beginning

 Wow..another year! Hard to believe that this past year has come and gone. Seems like just in the blink of an eye, an afterthought, and it has gone. 365 days of days n nights gone so fast...I'm also another year older, and hopefully wiser.

I will be the first to admit that I don't think that even one of my past New Years resolutions were kept. To be honest, I don't even remember what they even were. Funny sometimes how you just get so caught up in the everyday things in life, that life just seems to take you on this roller coaster ride that you never even hopped on board to ride. I personally don't even like roller coasters, as heights make me nervous. 

This year is a new chance at a better beginning. Hopefully I can pay attention to my health more seriously than last. As I mentioned years ago, when I first began this blog, I have a wheat allergy. No, I have never been tested for Celiac disease, but over this past year I believe I have found that even a allergy intolerance can be a pretty heavy load to bear.

Mood swings, depression, outbursts of anger, food cravings, especially all things sweet, have really taken a tole not only on my emotional being, but also on my physical health. I am tired all the time, sad most of the time, and always craving things that I know are on my "DO NOT EAT LIST".

So, with that being said let's start this "RIDE" again together. We will start from the basics. If you are new to this way of eating the best way to begin is by purchasing items that state they are Gluten Free on the box, or container. Look for signs underneath the products on the shelves in the stores stating that they are indeed Gluten free. Most stores offer this nowadays. Even stores like Meiers, and Whole  Foods have a section in their stores designated to gluten free products. That's a good starting point.

There are many products I have tried over the years that I have liked, some, not so much. In the future weeks I will be listing some of my top likes and some of my not so likable ones. Yet remember, everyone has different likes and tastes, so your opinion in the end is the only one that really matters.

I will be posting more tomorrow. Yet for now I wish you and yours a Blessed and Prosperous 2024!

Love, 

Sharon

"The old has passed away, behold, the new has come."  Isaiah 43:18-19