Life Tastes Good Again

My favorite gluten free cookbook

http://www.eatingglutenfree.com/cookbookinfo/

Many of these recipes are also available online. See left hand column for links from these great authors.

Make Ahead Gluten Free Flour Mix

Tips on Solving the Gluten Flour Mystery Mix

http://www.theglutenfreelifestyle.com/gluten-free-flour-mix.html

GF FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #1: A Flour Combo Works Best

A combination of GF flours is important to making a transitional GF Mix for breads and pastries. Rice flour is a cornerstone ingredient for much of GF baking, but if you simply substitute rice flour for wheat flour, you can create a gritty mess that will produce a product resembling that of a brick. For example, brown or white rice flour works well in combination with potato flour and tapioca flour. The fine powdery quality of potato starch flour makes the dough lighter helping to balance and smooth out the “gritty” texture of rice flour while tapioca flour helps prevent crumbling, assists browning and provides a chewy quality to your bread.

GF FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #2: The Flour Ratio Is Key

When combining GF flours for your mix, the ratios are also important because each flour has a unique texture and quality of absorption. For your GF Flour Mix, rice flour serves as a good base flour to which you add potato flour starch and “polish” with tapioca flour. Not all GF flour blends have to be made with rice flour as the headlining flour, but according to Carol Fenster of Savory Palate, Inc., potato starch usually comprises no more than approximately 33% of the mix while tapioca flour typically accounts for about 20% of your mix. While ratios of these flours can vary depending on your recipes, when you are making a GF Flour Mix in bulk for multi uses these proportions serve as a general guideline.

GF FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #3: The Flour Stretch Is Critical

Baking with gluten-free flours requires additional tender loving care to make it work. Without gluten, you do not have the key factor of pliability that helps you work the dough and keep the bread together after it is baked. So, you must add extendibility to your dough with xanthan gum, the most widely used “protein” replacement. Guar gum is an alternative to xanthan gum. But, once again, the mystery ensues when you ponder how much xanthan gum to add to your GF Flour Mix. Thankfully, Bette Hagman has already cracked the “stretch factor” case and recommends a specific formula for adding xanthan gum to your GF Flour Mix. According to Hagman: add ¾ teaspoon per cup of flour for breads; ½ teaspoon per cup of flour for cakes; and ¼ to ½ teaspoon per cup of flour for cookies. Because GF flours lack the stretchy protein known as gluten, in addition to xanthan gum you will need to add more leavening or protein to your recipe such as egg whites, gelatin, or dry milk powder. (Source: The Gluten-Free Gourmet Revised Edition by Bette Hagman, page 39).

Gluten-free Flour Formulas

Mix these flour formulas in the proportions given and use them to substitute cup for cup for all-purpose wheat flour.

General Baking Mixes - Simple Substitute
Mary Schluckebier, makes 1 cup

1 cup brown rice flour

General Baking Mix #1
Carol Fenster, cookbook author, makes 2 cups

1 cup rice flour
1/2-3/4 cup potato starch
¼ cup tapioca starch/flour

General Baking Mix #2
Carol Fenster, makes 9 cups

3 cups garfava bean flour
2 cups potato starch
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sorghum flour

Original formula
Bette Hagman, cookbook author, makes 3 cups

2 cups rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch/flour

Four Flour Bean
Bette Hagman, makes 3 cups

2/3 cup garfava bean flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup tapioca starch/flour

Many recipes that call for gluten-free flour mix work just as well or better using a blend of bean flours combined with other gluten-free flours. These blends are higher in fiber, protein and other nutrients, have a great smooth texture and are more filling and satisfying than rice-flour blends. Bean flours work best with flavorful recipes that complement and mellow the nut-like, slightly bitter flavor of ground beans. Bean-flour blends work especially well in cookies (chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, graham crackers), spice cakes (carrot cake, applesauce bars, banana bars) and spice muffins (apple cinnamon muffins, banana muffins, pumpkin muffins). Cover the mix and store in a cool place or the refrigerator.

Featherlight
Bette Hagman, makes 3 cups

1 cup rice flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup tapioca starch/flour
1 Tbsp. potato flour


Specialty Mixes

Pastry mix

Mary Schluckebier, makes 1 cup

1/8 cup potato flour
7/8 cup Ener-G Foods© rice flour

Cookie mix
Mary Schluckebier, makes 2 cups

¼ cup chickpea flour
1¾ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup sweet rice flour

Bread Mix
Mary Schluckebier , makes 2 cups

1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup potato starch
½ cup sweet rice flour
1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin

Birthday Cake Flour Blend
2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup potato starch
Mix together well and place in a dry container.

Gluten Free Flour Mix 2

Contains milk powder.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk powder
1 cup tapioca starch
2 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch
1 tbsp guar gum

Gluten Intolerance - Celiac Disease

Gluten intolerance or celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder passed down through families. When a person with celiac disease eats or drinks anything containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, or sometimes oats (including medications), the immune system responds by damaging the lining of the intestinal tract. This damage affects the body's ability to absorb nutrients.

Though the symptoms may appear similar, gluten intolerance is not a food allergy but rather an inherited autoimmune disease. The body's immune system mistakenly identifies gluten as harmful. This leads to inflammation and damage in the small intestine. A food allergy to wheat results instead in an allergic response, with symptoms such as itchiness and rash.

Damage to the small intestine can occur when a person with gluten intolerance consumes even a small amount of gluten. Symptoms can include abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The intestinal damage weakens the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition and related conditions, such as weight loss, osteoporosis and infertility. Patients may also face increased risk of conditions including diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus, rheumatoid, arthritis and some cancers.

It is important to note that although some people with gluten intolerance suffer severe symptoms, others have no symptoms. People who do not experience symptoms, however, may still suffer damage to the small intestine.

Diagnosis of gluten intolerance usually involves blood tests and may include a biopsy of the small intestine.

The GF diet is a life long commitment and should not be started before being properly diagnosed with CD/DH. Starting the diet without complete testing is not recommended and makes diagnosis later more difficult. Tests to confirm CD could be negative if a person were on the GF diet for very long. A valid test would require reintroducing gluten (a gluten challenge) before testing. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disease and confirmation of CD will help future generations be aware of the risk of CD within the family.

http://www.gfutah.org/GettingStarted.htm

Household Tips for Vinegar

Household tips for Vinegar
Heinz® Vinegar

1. Milk cows organically -Clean milking equipment with unperfumed dish detergent followed with a Heinz Vinegar rinse. Pipes, hoses, and bulk tank will come out squeaky clean without any odor, lowering the bacteria count.
2. Kill bacteria in meats -Marinating meat in Heinz Vinegar kills bacteria and tenderizes the meat. Use one-quarter cup vinegar for a two to three pound roast, marinate overnight, then cook without draining or rinsing the meat. Add herbs to the vinegar when marinating as desired.
3. Dissolve warts -Mix one part Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar to one part glycerin into a lotion and apply daily to warts until they dissolve.
4. Remove stubborn stains from furniture upholstery and clothes -Apply Heinz White Vinegar directly to the stain, then wash as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.
5. Grow beautiful azaleas -Occasionally water plants with a mixture of two tablespoons Heinz White Vinegar to one quart water. Azaleas love acidic soil.
6. Relieve arthritis -Before each meal, drink a glass of water containing two teaspoons Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar. Give this folk remedy at least three weeks to start working.
7. Kill unwanted grass -Pour Heinz White Vinegar in crevices and between bricks.
8. Remove corns -Make a poultice of one crumbled piece of bread soaked in one-quarter cup Heinz Vinegar. Let poultice sit for one-half hour, then apply to the corn and tape in place overnight. If corn does not peel off by morning, reapply the poultice for several consecutive nights.
9. Clean the hoses and unclog soap scum from a washing machine -Once a month pour one cup of Heinz White Vinegar into the washing machine and run the machine through a normal cycle, without clothes.
10. Cure an upset stomach -Drink two teaspoons Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup water to soothe an upset stomach.
11. Kill germs on bathroom fixtures -Use one part Heinz Vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray the bathroom fixtures and floor, then wipe clean. Clean soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains. Simply wipe the surface with Heinz Vinegar and rinse with water.
12. Deodorize the air -Heinz Vinegar is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room.
13. Relieve itching -Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with Heinz Vinegar straight from the bottle.
14. Clean lime deposits and calcium sludge from an automatic drip coffee maker -Once a month fill the reservoir with Heinz White Vinegar and run through the brew cycle. Rinse thoroughly with two cycles of cold water.
15. Relieve a sore throat -Put two teaspoons of Heinz Vinegar in your humidifier.
    Soothe sunburn pain -Apply undiluted Heinz Vinegar to the burn.
16. Clean food-stained pots and pans -Fill the pots and pans with Heinz White Vinegar and let stand for thirty minutes. Then rinse in hot, soapy water.
17. Clean rust from tools, bolts, and spigots -Soak the rusted tool, bolt, or spigot in undiluted Heinz White Vinegar overnight.
18. Turn a chicken bone into rubber -Soak a chicken bone in a glass of Heinz Vinegar for three days. It will bend like rubber.
19. Prevent bright colored clothes from fading -Before putting the article in the washing machine, soak it in Heinz White Vinegar for ten minutes.
20. Keep a garbage disposal clean and smelling fresh -Mix one cup of Heinz Vinegar in enough water to fill an ice cube tray, freeze the mixture, grind the cubes through the disposal, and flush with cold water.
21. Clean a toilet bowl -Pour in one cup of Heinz White Vinegar, let it stand for five minutes, and flush.
22. Clean dentures -Soak dentures overnight in Heinz White Vinegar, then brush away tartar with a toothbrush.
23. Remove perspiration stains from clothes -Apply one part Heinz White Vinegar to four parts water, then rinse.
24. Deodorize a room filled with cigarette smoke or paint fumes -Place a small bowl of Heinz White Vinegar in the room.
25. Cure the hiccups -Mix one teaspoon Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup of warm water, and drink.
26. Eliminate odors from used jars -Rinse peanut butter and mayonnaise jars with Heinz White Vinegar.
27. Condition dry hair -Shampoo, then rinse hair with a mixture of one cup Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar and two cups water. Vinegar adds highlights to brunette hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes soap film and sebum oil.
28. Clean mineral deposits from a steam iron -Fill the water tank with Heinz White Vinegar. Turn the iron to the steam setting and steam-iron a soft utility rag to clean the steam ports. Repeat the process with water, then thoroughly rinse out the inside of your iron.
    Remove light scorch marks from fabrics -Rub lightly with Heinz White Vinegar, then wipe with a clean cloth.
29. Repel ants -Use a spray bottle or mister filled with a solution of equal parts Heinz Vinegar and water around door jambs, window sills, water pipes, and foundation cracks.
30. Keep drains open -Pour one-half box of old baking soda down the drain followed by one cup Heinz White Vinegar. When the bubbling stops, run the hot water.
31. Prolong and brighten propane lanterns -Soak new wicks for several hours in Heinz White Vinegar and let them dry before inserting. Propane lanterns will burn longer and brighter on the same amount of fuel.
32. Remove decals or bumper stickers -Soak a cloth in Heinz Vinegar and cover the decal or bumper sticker for several minutes until the vinegar soaks in. The decals and bumper stickers should peel off easily.
33. Deodorize a wool sweater -Wash sweater, then rinse in equal parts Heinz Vinegar and water to remove odor.
34. Prevent lint from clinging to clothes -Add one cup Heinz Vinegar to each wash load.
35. Prevent ice from forming on a car windshield overnight -Coat the window with a solution of three parts Heinz White or Apple Cider Vinegar to one part water.
36. Prolong the life of flowers in a vase -Add two tablespoons of Heinz White Vinegar plus three tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water. Stems should be in three to four inches of water.
37. Prevent cracked hard-boiled eggs -Add two tablespoons of Heinz White Vinegar per quart of water before boiling to prevent the eggs from cracking. The egg shells will also peel off faster and easier.
38. Clean windows -Use undiluted Heinz Vinegar in a spray bottle. Dry with a soft cloth.
39. Eliminate unpleasant cooking odors in the kitchen -Boil one tablespoon of Heinz White Vinegar with one cup of water.
40. Remove wallpaper -Mix equal parts Heinz Vinegar and hot water. Use a paint roller to wet the paper thoroughly with the mixture. Repeat. Paper should peal off in sheets.
41. Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet -Blot up urine, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts Heinz White Vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry.
42. Relieve a cold -Mix one-quarter cup Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar with one-quarter cup honey. Take one tablespoon six to eight times daily.
43. Deodorize a stale lunch box -Soak a paper napkin in Heinz Vinegar and leave it inside the closed lunch box overnight.
44. Prevent soapy film on glassware -Place a cup of Heinz White Vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher, run for five minutes, then run though the full cycle. A cup of white vinegar run through the entire cycle once a month will also reduce soap scum on the inner workings.
45. Unclog a shower head -Unscrew the shower head, remove the rubber washer, place the head in a pot filled with equal parts Heinz Vinegar and water, bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes.
46. Relieve a cough -Mix one-half cup Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar, one-half cup water, one teaspoon cayenne pepper, and four teaspoons honey. Take one tablespoon when cough acts up. Take another tablespoon at bedtime.
47. Retard patching plaster from drying -Add one tablespoon white vinegar to the water when mixing plaster to slow the drying time.

"Heinz" is a registered trademark of H.J. Heinz Co.

New Pandemic Article

Caring for Family During a Pandemic - Part 2, by Carolyn Nicolaysen