Monday, February 11, 2013

Loose the wheat...loose the weight?

I must admit that when I first started this wheat free adventure I was determined to loose more weight than I have, but here is the whole story....When I was in high school I weighed in at around 112 pounds, not bad for someone who is only 5' 2" tall...I use to get teased that if I turned sideways that I would disappear. At the time it was quite embarrassing....

Then I had three daughters within a 9 year sprint, and the extra baby weight wasn't as easy to loose after the third child, as it was with the first two. As the family grew so did I. It was tough living pay check to pay check, and pancakes seemed to become a staple for dinner at least once a week, along with lots of pasta...No sympathy please, I am sure there are those reading this that have experienced the same somewhere along the line.

What I am trying to say is this. Switching from wheat to gluten free living can still have its drawbacks. YES your body thanks you for not poisoning it with all that gluten, but many gluten free foods are still loaded with unwanted carbs, so if its weight you want to loose you must be careful in your eating habits.

I prefer baking with rice flours as I find them more suitable to my palate, but yes, they have more carbs and less fiber, that say for instance bean flours, or almond meal. I however, find that bean flours are not handled well by my body, so I tend to avoid them if at all possible.

I have definitely lost weight since going gluten free. I am down on a average of 10 pounds in any given week. To some that might not seem like much, but to me it is a weight that I am comfortable with. I am not much into exercise, finding that typing words on my computer isn't doing much for my waste line, but I am comfortable with that.

My husband has always tried to push regaining that 112 pound goal into my head, but this is HIS ideal weight for me, not mine! I would like to see him at the weight he carried when we first started dating....but I won't hold my breath for that one!!! ( Sorry Hon )

As my father use to say..."The only way to loose weight is to push your chair away from the table". I have learnt over the past year to incorporate some better eating habits and choices into my life. I have given up soft drinks totally, and try to drink more water. I eat more veggies, whether fresh, frozen, or canned. I try to limit my bread intake to two slices per day, depending on my meal plan.

I am, I must admit a sweet addict, and realize that if I totally cut sweets out I might possibly loose more weight, but life is to short to give up all those things which give you pleasure. Although I very rarely eat candy bars anymore, I do bake and sample products that seem to give me my needed "sugar fix'.

Moderation is the key to everything in life. Breaking bad habits does not happen over night, but they can be broken. Slow and steady wins the race! So don't give up, hang in there and try something for a few weeks before you even think of giving up....You and your body will be glad you did. Above all do this for YOURSELF, with your goals in mind, and not someonelse's!

Remember to watch for excess carbs, and eat sweets in moderation. Even gluten free sweets have calories!!!    :)

Have a blessed gluten free week. Until the next post.

Sharon

 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Brownie recipe results...and CONTEST!!!

OK, finally the tweaking is done, and I am writing to share the results with you. I really had one final way I wanted to try the recipe, but as hard as this is for me to say......"I just got brownied out!"

Before I share the recipes and results with you I do however have a few tips for you. First, do not be afraid to cut recipes in half. The first brownie recipe I tried was very "buttery" tasting and although I like the taste of butter, it seemed that is all I actually tasted. So for starters, cut recipes in half, that way if you really don't like the results, you have less waste...

Second tip is, if you find a box mix that really appeals to you and you don't mind paying the extra cost for it, then you are in a win - win situation. I don't mind experimenting with recipes as I love to tinker in the kitchen, but it is not for the faint of heart, or pocketbook!

Now on to the recipes and results...I have cut the original recipe in half, so each recipe yields a 8 x 8 square pan of brownies.

Brownie recipe #1:

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon xanathan gum

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, except sugar.

In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed with a electric handheld mixer. Add eggs, then beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients, add vanilla.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 9 squares.

This recipe was one that you might find served at a fine 5 Star restaurant, topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce. I personally however found that the butter flavor over powered the chocolate, so therefore I would rate this recipe 3 Stars.


Brownie recipe #2:

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon xanathan gum

1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, except sugar.

In a large bowl cream together the sugar and canola oil on medium speed with a electric handheld mixer. Add eggs then beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients, add vanilla.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 9 squares.

This recipe was better, but still was lacking that "brownie" taste I was looking for. I would give this recipe 3 + Stars.

Brownie recipe #3:

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon xanathan gum

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4  cup chocolate syrup
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, except sugar.

In a large bowl cream together the sugar, vegetable oil, and chocolate syrup, on medium speed with a electric handheld mixer. Add eggs then beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients, add vanilla.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 9 squares.

Its definitely getting there!!! I would rate this a 5 + Star, as the chocolate flavor was greatly improved by adding the chocolate syrup. It had the taste, texture, and consistency of wheat laden brownies, but NO gluten. These froze well, and tasted even better after freezing. Having a hard time leaving them in the freezer, if ya know what I mean !!!

Brownie recipe #4

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon xanathan gum

1  10 OZ bag dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, except sugar.

In a large bowl cream together the sugar, vegetable oil, and melted chocolate chips, beat on medium speed with a electric handheld mixer. Add eggs then beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients, add vanilla.

This will be a thicker batter so spread evenly into pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 9 squares. In this recipe I omitted the cocoa, and chocolate syrup, and replaced them with the melted dark chocolate chips. You could use milk chocolate chips if you like, but it would definitely lighten up the chocolate flavor here.

* Tip: When melting chocolate chips place in a microwavable bowl and use 20 second increments, stirring between each, to assure all chips are melted and do not burn.

This brownie had the taste,  and consistency of wheat laden brownies, but dried out a little when frozen. I would rate it 4 Stars.

Now for the contest: One lucky winner will receive :

8 x 8 square baker
1 pound bag of white rice flour
Hershey cocoa powder
Spatula
Mixing bowl


There are 3 ways to win.

#1: Become a follower of this blog for a entry.
#2: Follow this blog on Pintrest ( button at top of blog)
#3: Try one of the recipes for the brownies and leave a comment on what you might do to improve it.

I wish you all the best of luck! Here's wishing you a great wheat free week!!!
Sharon


 

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