Gluten Free Bread review:

Today I received my order from Gluten Free Mall. (Featured to the right of the blog).  I was pleasantly pleased at how fast I received my order, within four days to be exact. All my products were intact, the box was packed with bubble wrap, and even had a small freezer bag to keep my candy bar from melting. That's what I call service.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post I had ordered two loaves of bread from Bfree to try, and then give a review on them. A white loaf, and a brown seeded loaf. I have never tried their products before, actually never heard of them either until I found them at the Gfree Mall. 

If you have read my blog for any length of time you will know I am somewhat a bit picky about my gluten free bread. I have tried throughout the years many store-bought loaves and most of them have been tasteless, had a bad mouth feel, or just too expensive for my budget. Hence is why you will also notice many gluten free bread recipes posted here. Some oven recipes, some recipes using a bread maker. We all have busy lives and therefore don't always have time in the kitchen to bake, or else we prefer baking more enjoyable treats, like cookies and cakes.... guess that explains the few extra pounds I've noticed lately...

The loaves were exactly what I was hoping for! First let’s start with the white loaf. It reminds me of the WONDER bread I grew up eating. It kind of has that spongy texture that I remember more than the exact taste of the bread itself.  Yet it did not disappoint. I toasted it and smeared it with just a little butter so as to get the real taste of the bread. I found that the crust toasted quicker than the toast itself, so I just turned the toaster a little lower and toasted a second time to ensure it was toasted all over. 

The crunch was even, the mouth feel is almost to the perfection as if I was eating regular gluten bread. It is a nice thin slice, which is good, as the slices are actually a little longer than a loaf of regular white gluten bread. All in all, I would give this 4 1/2 stars, but only because the brown seeded loaf exceeded my highest expectations!

The brown seeded loaf has that chewiness that a regular gluten wheat bread might have. It toasted perfectly on my toasters lower setting, The edges were crunchy, the center moist and chewy, and the flavor I have to admit was the best flavor of any gluten free bread I have tried in years. So, I definitely give this loaf a 5-star rating!

The carb and sugar count in the brown seeded loaf is also lower, so my husband being a diabetic, says it’s even suitable for him to eat. He really enjoyed the flavor and crunch it had also. So, I guess hands up its a winner for both of us.

I really must say that if you haven’t tried Bfree's breads yet you are really missing out. If you can find them in a store local to you, I suggest giving them a try. If you can't find them locally you can purchase them to the right of this page in the Gfree Mall. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with their goodness.

Until next post,

Sharon

 

Gluten Free Linner.....

Ok. I know you are curious as to what exactly Linner is. Well to my 44-year-old daughter it’s a combination of lunch and dinner. Therefore, the combination gets its new founded name of Linner. She has many shortened names for pretty much everything but that’s a story for another time.

Today my husband wanted me to try a new recipe for him that he found in a magazine. Since he is diabetic, he is trying really hard to not eat as much meat. Hey, if its gluten free, then I'm all ears! It was actually one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, so I happily enjoyed the feast with him as well. He was one happy camper. Well, we don’t actually camp, but the recipe is sooooo easy that you could actually make it when camping. The only fresh item you need is spinach, all the other ingredients are spices and canned garbanzo beans. It was quick, tasty, and filling.

Now I have not really ever been a big fan of spinach, but the spices and beans blended so well together that the bitter taste of the spinach actually played well off of them. I pride myself on trying to make things easy when it comes to meal planning since most of my time always seems to be taken up trying for that fresh loaf of bread, or dessert, that tastes so much like what we were all use to eating in a gluten infected world, yet gluten free. I’m sure you can relate to that!

We don't always have time to make bread, cookies, or cakes when life is so hectic. Raising kids, working, being grandparents, or even just daily chores. So, to help you out I have added several new Affiliates to my site to help make your hectic life a little easier. Gluten Free candies, cookies, breads, mixes, and all that you need can be found there. Even Amazon has products for a gluten free lifestyle along with bakeware, home decor, clothes, pretty much everything you need can be found without leaving your house. I do make a small commission if you purchase from one of the sites but you are NEVER charged anything extra to use them. It helps pay for the cost of managing the blog to help you on your gluten free journey. I have actually ordered a few gluten free products myself from the sites that I personally haven’t tried yet, and will be giving reviews on them once they arrive. A few of them are breads.....Please, please, Pretty please let them be eatable!!!!!!!

Well onto the recipe. Not only was this easy, it is about a 9-minute recipe from start to finish. Yes, I said 9 minutes! It’s a protein rich meal so no need for meat, plus it’s not only gluten free but diabetic friendly as well. 

 

Beans n Greens:

Calories: 310       Protein:  15g       Carbs:  42 g       Fiber:  13 g       Fat:  11 g       

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 (15 oz) can no salt added garbanzo beans (drained)

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teas ground ginger

1/4 teas freshly ground black pepper

1 (5oz) package fresh baby spinach leaves

1/4 teas salt

1. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the garbanzo beans and all spices, except salt. Stir to coat.

3. Add the spinach and salt. Cook while gently stirring until beans are heated and spinach is just wilted, about 2 1/2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

You could actually add 10 oz of spinach if you would like to as the spinach looks pretty sparce after wilted but it will change the nutritional info.

That’s it! I made a nice side salad to go with it and a slice of gluten free bread to top it all off. Delish! Enjoy.

Talk soon,

Sharon

 

Zucchini "Noodles"

 

Servings: 4 | Prep: 35m | Cooks: 10m | Total: 45m

 

 Today I thought I'd share a quick and fresh recipe. My daughters garden is really starting to produce, and she has an over abundance of zucchini which she has been sharing. I really like zucchini and find it light and refreshing during the hot summer days. This recipe is kind of like zucchini spaghetti, but without the sauce. It’s not very time consuming and just light enough that you don’t feel overly full when done eating. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

INGREDIENTS:

6 zucchinis

1 clove minced garlic

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons margin

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, can use Romano if preferred

salt and pepper to taste, or omit

DIRECTIONS:

1.Cut zucchini into thin noodle like strips. I use a regular potato peeler for this, but a mandoline works well also. Toss with 2 teaspoons of salt, and place in a strainer to drain for 30 minutes.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the zucchini, cook for one minute. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process.

3. In a large skillet heat the margarine over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and minced garlic, cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese and enjoy.

I find this dish pairs well with a light meat such as grilled chicken breast.

NUTRITION FACTS:

Calories: 141 | Carbohydrates: 10.4g  

| Fat: 9.9 g | Protein: 5.6g | Cholesterol: 4mg

Enjoy, 

Sharon

 

GF Bread Mix

 

 Hi everyone. Wow! Who would have thought such a small bathroom would take so long to refinish. It’s been a while since I have had the time to post on the blog, and for that I apologize. I finally got to make that loaf of bread I promised, and since I haven't had time to try a loaf from scratch, I used a mix by White Gold and want to give you my thoughts on it.

First the main flour on the ingredients list is white rice flour. I have been wanting to try more rice free flour mixtures, but a promise is a promise and at the moment this is all I had available so here are my thoughts:

The really great thing about this bread flour mix is that you do NOT have to have a bread maker with a gluten free setting because the directions call for the BASIC bread setting! First impression was good so far. It is also a certified Gluten Free mix.

Secondly the mix is already premeasured so all you have to do is add in the other ingredients which everyone pretty much has on hand. Milk, eggs, salt, apple cider vinegar, 1 envelope dry yeast, soft butter or oil, and sugar. Put the liquid ingredients in the pan, pour in the dry ingredients, set the basic bread setting and walk away till done. Excellent so far, I’m impressed!

OK. Now comes the best part. The taste test. If you have bought gluten free bread you probably know most are either very expensive, or very dry and tasteless. This loaf was bendable, moist and has a mild sweet taste. I did not taste any yeast at all. My husband who is a diabetic likes to try out the things I bake, and although he is not on a gluten free diet, he enjoyed the texture and taste.

It does have a somewhat moist, almost tacky feel to the touch which I have found to be true of most homemade gluten free breads I have tried. However, you probably know by now if you have been gluten free for anytime at all, that this is true of most gluten free breads you make from scratch.

If toasting you need to keep a watch on it as it will brown in the toaster fairly quickly. I found this to be true also when making grilled cheese sandwiches. However, the bread keeps its moistness during either of these processes and does not crumble nor become dry inside. I used my bread slicer so my slices were rather thick so I’m sure this needs to be factored in.

I haven’t tried making French toast with it yet but I am sure that with the texture of the bread that it will be a great success. My husband has tried it as grilled cheese sandwiches, toast with jelly, and really enjoyed the taste and he is a pumpernickel bread kind of guy so this is great praise for the loaf. I think the only thing I might try differently is to leave it inside the bread maker after is quits baking for approximately another half hour before taking out to set on the rack to cool. 

It freezes well and although the bag states that it can be frozen up to 2 months. The only drawback is that it does have a little more sodium in the mix that I would prefer since I do have CKD but with that said it was delicious in flavor and texture and so therefore, I give it a 4 1/2 stars.

You can purchase this mix from Amazon. It’s under $8 and I believe worth the price for a fresh home baked loaf. If you purchase it and give it a try, please leave a comment on the site and let me know your thoughts. 

Until next post. Have a blessed day!

Sharon

 

Trying for that perfection..

 Hi everyone. I know that a week ago I promised you a delicious bread recipe. Well Im still trying to find that perfect recipe, and loaf. Its been a very busy week here with having a new vanity installed in our bath along with laying a new floor and so my attention has been a little helter skelter to say the least. 

I promise to try and get back in the kitchen next week when things settle down to continue on my bread baking journey. Being off GF for over three years now and getting back on track is really like starting over. Im finding it alot harder then the first time around because now I also have to maintain a kidney friendly diet as well. Its like suddenly being in a foreign country and not speaking their language! There are many recipes on the site that I hope will keep you busy until then.

So till next post, Happy GF eating!

Lee

Getting Restarted:

 Hi everyone. Its been along time since I have posted for several reasons, years in fact. Four years ago I decided to quit eating gluten free for a number of  reasons. Since then I have lost weight, gained weight, had my gallbladder removed, found out I have had kidney disease for many years of which my Dr neglected to inform me, had panic attacks, and have now gained weight in my belly area. Its been a roller coaster ride to say the least and I am sick n tired of being sick n tired!

So its a new beginning. I will be restarting a GF diet to see if this once again will alliviate most, or all of my symptoms. I was diagnosed in my thirties as having a wheat allergy. I guess this may not mean that I have Celiac disease, but may be enough to give eating gluten free another try. So today is the first day of starting my new journey. 

I am digging out all my former GF recipe books, retrying some of my favorite recipes from the past on my blog, and moving forward trying some new ones to share with you all. Since its been awhile I am basically starting from scratch. If any of you have any recipes you would like to share on the blog just let me know. After all, we are in this togethor.

Since I now know I also have kidney disease most of the recipes will hopefully be low sodium, low potassium, and low phosphorus, a feat in its own. Juggling both types of eating is going to be a task but hopefully one I can master with perserverance. I hope you will stop by often and rejoin me on my journey.

I will be working on a bread maker bread today and tomorrow that I will be hopefully sharing with you by the end of the week. Until then, have a blessed day!

Apple Honey

 Hi everyone,  I'm back after a much needed rest