Cinnamon Rolls [Whole Wheat, Low Sugar]

Drizzling maple syrup over the roll in stead of icing adds sweetness while keeping it natural.

 I've shared before how frustrating it is that Jackson doesn't like chocolate. Chocolate cupcakes, brownies, cookies, all that is so much easier to cook without eggs, but he just doesn't like it. He does love cinnamon, though, and I've capitalized on the power of that spice. It adds flavor and masks the 'health' of many things. For instance, my quickie go-to when we were doing the gluten free, casein free thing was to make cinnamon toast using a honey and cinnamon spread concoction with the gluten/egg free nearly tasteless bread available in the health food section of our local grocery store. He loved it, and I think it was the cinnamon. I still make him cinnamon toast, but I use wheat bread and butter now.

Something he considers a big treat is cinnamon rolls. Since I make these from scratch with yeast, they're more labor and time intensive than say muffins or pancakes. That's why he considers them a treat, they don't happen very often. I love how easy it was to healthen up the recipe and provide him something he loves that's good for him, too. Someday, when I get him over his texture issues with nuts, I'll add them to the filling for protein and crunch.

Here's the recipe:

Dough:
 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or one yeast packet)
1/2 cup warm water (between 90 and 105 degrees F)
1/2 cup scalded milk (it is very important that you scald the milk)
1/4 cup natural sugar (I use Florida Crystals organic cane sugar most of the time)
6 Tbsp organic butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 egg (I use my mom's free-range, corn-free eggs)
3 to 4 cups flour (I usually mix whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour in a 60/40 mixture. I've found that the more whole wheat flour I use, the more dense and less sweet the roll tastes, but obviously the more healthy it is. You could go more or less on the mixture depending on your purpose for the rolls.)

Filling:
My current go-to filling is homemade apple butter sweetened with honey. I've found that Cracker Barrel has a natural unsweetened apple butter with good flavor to use in a pinch. You could use a pumpkin or banana filling, too. If you're not using sugar and butter (like the usual cinnamon roll filling), though, you need some kind of fruit to make it work.

Apple Butter
 3 cups apple cider
2 lbs apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the cider to a boil. Stir in the apples and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently for about 1 hour or until the apples are tender. Remove the apples from the heat and mash. Stir in the honey and cinnamon. Return to heat and cook uncovered on low until thick, stirring often. Allow to cool before spreading onto rolls. You won't use all of this recipe on the rolls, so have a container ready to put the leftovers up in the fridge. I'm not a canner. So, I'm not sure this recipe is safe for canning.

Pumpkin Filling, combine ingredients and mix well.
1 15oz can pumpkin (not the pie filling, just the pumpkin)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

Directions:
Have filling prepared and cooled. Scald the milk and melt the butter (in separate containers).

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of the flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast. Mix in remaining flour 1 cup at a time until dough is easy to handle. On a well floured work surface, knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, cover and let it rise until it's doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

After the dough has doubled, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface. You're going for a roughly 9x15 inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough. You want to get enough on there, but not so much that it all squeezes out when you roll up the dough. Jackson likes cinnamon, so I will often sprinkle more over the filling after I'm done spreading. Beginning with the long side, roll up the dough into a log and cut 10-12 slices.

Grease and flour a round 9 inch cake pan like you would for baking a cake. Place the cinnamon roll slices close together and bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned. If you want to, you can use a bigger pan or a square or rectangular pan, place the slices close together and let it rise one more time (about 45 minutes) before baking. I'm always so tired of waiting by this point, I just put it in the oven.

Yummy!

For the 'icing' I just warm some maple syrup and pour it over the top. Jackson will eat it without the syrup or icing, too, especially if we're running late for school, and I like not having the stickiness in my car. The pumpkin filling is from my homemade pop tarts, and you could use the same icing recipe on these. You would probably have to double or triple it, though, to make enough for a dozen rolls.

Now, I'm going to have to make these while we're still on break.

Pumpkin Spice Whole Wheat Pop Tarts

I've made pop tarts at home before. I used store made crust and unsweetened jam. As long as I iced it with something, my kids were all over it, and I felt better about it being less processed with fewer questionable ingredients, not to mention the fact that my little guy with the allergies could have them. However, I'm trying to add more whole grain to the mix these days, and with my 5lb bag of whole wheat pastry flour, I decided to try my hand at whole grain pie crust. Right there on the bag of Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is a recipe for whole wheat pie crust. Only I didn't follow the directions exactly (you know me). I incorporated the chilled butter and ice water into the flour using my food processor, and I chilled it a little longer before rolling it out on my granite counters. I've heard that temperature (i.e. COLD) is as much a secret to good pie crusts as any ingredient. Since I'm not an expert, I'll just take their word for it.

Here's the recipe.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) organic unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
5-8 Tbsp ice water

Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. (It IS important that you sift the flour.) Cut butter into 12 pieces and rub into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a course meal with some pea-size pieces. (This is where I used my food processor, and I also cut my butter cubes much smaller, like 1/4 inch cubes). Sprinkle water over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time and knead lightly just until a dough forms. Form dough into a ball. Cut in half and press each into a disc shape. Wrap each disc in waxed paper or plastic wrap (I used wax paper and formed the 'disc' into a square so when I rolled it out for my rectangular shaped pastries, there would be less waste) and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling. (I chilled them for longer, about 45 minutes to an hour, I can never tell when I'm chasing kids.) Yield: 2-9" single pie crusts or 1-9" double pie crust (or 6 3x5 inch homemade pop tarts). Crust will bake alone with the filling for the pie or pre-bake at 375° F for 25-30 minutes. (We'll get to the oven temp and duration in a minute.)

Note: Now, I know this recipe calls for a lot of butter, but it's kind of a 'choose your poison' kind of thing for me. If you take both the fat AND the sugar out of a pop tart, you are left with cardboard. That's just all there is to it. Besides I agree with Michael Pollan that natural fats are not all bad. Our brains are made up of mostly fat, and our neurons are coated in the stuff. I have super active skinny kids. A little extra butter here and there, is not a problem in my book. Back to the recipe....

Now for the filling. I thought about using my breakfast roll filling which is essentially unsweetened apple butter, but I was feeling a little over all this Summer heat and thought something 'Fallish' would be good. So, I decided to use pumpkin for the filling.

1 15oz can pumpkin (not the pie filling, just the pumpkin)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well incorporated.

Here's the fun part. Assembling the pop tarts. I took pictures, but it was dark and as awesome as the lighting in my kitchen is, I couldn't get a good shot. So, you're just going to have to use your imagination.

Before you roll out the dough, heat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Generously flour your work surface. I used my granite counter because the stone is nice and cold, but you could use a cutting board or kitchen table. You will need a fairly large area to work, and don't skimp on the dusting flour. You don't want your pastries to stick and fall apart before you can get them in the oven. Roll the 'discs' into large squares about 1/8 to 1/16 inch thick. I have this handy little toaster pastry press from Williams-Sonoma (LOVE that place) that my mother-in-law gave me a while back, and it's just awesome for this. However, I did just fine with a knife and my fingers before. So, you can decide if you want to cut your pastries out first and then press them closed or if you're good at uniformity and proportioning, dollop your filling on one sheet and lay the other one on top before you cut and press. I cut them out first. Scooped a heaping teaspoon of pumpkin filling onto the bottom layer, covered each pastry and then pressed the sides together.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or one of those cool reusable baking liners (I don't have one yet). Lay each pastry on the sheet with a little breathing room. Don't panic if they're a little tight, they shouldn't spread. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Lay out on a wire rack to cool (I don't have one of those either. I just lift them by the aluminum foil and lay them straight on my granite counter). They'll be fine if they cool in the pan on the range.

Now for the icing. I got this off the Bob's Red Mill package, too. It was just easier than pulling out my go-to cream cheese icing recipe and down sizing it for this project. This one seemed small enough to use for this, and I'm actually confused as to how the proportions of this recipe could possibly cover the carrot cake in the recipe right above it....moving on. I did not use Margarine like the recipe called for, yuck! And, I warmed the butter and cream cheese until nearly melted before I added the sugar.

3 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp Margarine, softened (I used organic butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 cup powdered sugar (I use Whole Foods brand organic powdered sugar because they don't use corn starch as their anti-caking agent)

Using a wooden spoon (or a whisk like I did), whip the cream cheese, margarine (yuck, I used butter) and vanilla until smooth. Sift in powdered sugar (it IS important that you sift the sugar, especially if you are using a brand that uses a different anti-caking agent, the lumps are hard and plenteous, and they make for a lumpy ugly frosting), 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir until a creamy smooth frosting is achieved. (Again, I melted the butter and cream cheese to make it more like cookie icing.)

After the pastries have completely cooled, spread the icing over the top. Allow the icing to set. It won't completely harden like if you were using a high sugar icing, but it does firm up after it cools. And, enjoy! I'm telling you these things were so good, I almost didn't want to share them with my kids, and they were the whole reason I was attempting this recipe.

So, there you go. A much healthier, tastier option for that American breakfast staple.

PB&J and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil?

In a perfect world, where I have enough hours in the day to tend to my children's needs AND get the laundry done, I would make my own peanut butter, fruit preserves and whole wheat bread. However, since a PB&J sandwich is my new idea of fast food, it's important to have those things on hand in my pantry. I understand that store bought bread (the kind from the bread shelf not the bakery) is going to have to have some kind of preservative in it. Otherwise it's going to spoil pretty fast. And, I understand that for good preserves and peanut butter, you're going to need a good sweetener. However, reading the ingredient labels for these childhood staples is surprising to say the least.

Here's the list for Nature's Own Whitewheat bread (one of the few store shelf breads Jackson can have):

Unbleached enriched wheat flour [flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid (A B vitamin)], water, sugar, fiber (soy fiber and/or cottonseed fiber), wheat gluten, yeast, contains 2% or less of each of the following: calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, vegetable oil (soybean oil or canola oil), salt, soy flour, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, monoglycerides, calcium iodate, ethoxylated mono and diglycerides, calcium peroxide, datem azodicarbonamide), cultured wheat flour, guar gum, vinegar, ferrous sulfate, thiamin hydrochloride, monocalcium phosphate, yeast food (ammonium sulfate), soy lecithin, 050710

What happened to flour, water and yeast? Yes, that's all you really need for good bread; well, that and a $10,000 professional baker's oven, and a whole lot of time on your hands (i.e. waking up before the roosters). I have a bread machine and a dutch oven, and they serve our purposes just fine. I do not however have enough time (or appropriate morning personality) to bake enough bread to satisfy all of our cinnamon honey toast and pb&j sandwich needs.

Here's the list for regular Skippy peanut butter:

Roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed) to prevent separation, salt

Now, this fits in with my new love for anything with five ingredients or less, and it's corn free. However, hydrogenated anything isn't good. The funny thing is that this is our favorite peanut butter brand, and it has a natural version that we LOVE. It tastes the same. Seriously. So, why can't they just go all natural? Get rid of the hydrogenated junk.

On to the J's. Here's the list for Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly (what I used to buy before food allergies and HFCS awareness invaded my life):

Concord grape juice, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, fruit pectin, citric acid, sodium citrate

High fructose corn syrup isn't really a surprise ingredient in this list. However, the main ingredient is, at least to me. The main ingredient in this jelly isn't the fruit it's labeled after, but the juice. So, there's even less nutritional quality to this jelly than you would think from the label.

Now, just switching to organic or 'natural' isn't enough. Most of the preserves and jellies that I've looked at, even the organic ones, list sugar or fruit syrup as the main ingredient. I would personally rather see actual fruit as the main ingredient since that is how I would do it if I made my own. I've got to be careful with all that, though, because Jackson has texture issues with berry seeds or skins.

Organic peanut butter has, up until recently, been something you had to refrigerate and stir (two things that do not go well together), and the flavor just wasn't the same. However, now, there are some really great brands with yummy flavors that provide comforting labels for the ingredient conscious. One of Jackson's favorites is Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl (I know, he can handle raisins in his peanut butter but not seeds in his jelly. Crazy, right?).

The bread is the tough part. Yes. There are whole wheat versions out there that will have whole wheat flour as the first ingredient, but you're likely still going to see things like sodium stearol lactylate (a dough conditioner) and calcium propionate (a preservative).

Our favorite sandwich bread, Martin's 100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread, has some things in it that I would rather not be there, like soybean oil and those pesky dough conditioners and preservatives. However, it really is the best tasting whole wheat bread out of all those plastic wrapped mass produced loaves. Like 'my kids never noticed when I switched to wheat bread' tasting. So, for now, it's the best option for us. That is unless a bakery decides to open near us or I decide to start waking before dawn and dedicate an entire day to bread production only to watch it mold by the end of the week.

So, this is how we do PB&J in our house. Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, Welch's Natural Spread, and Martin's 100% Whole Wheat Potato Bread.

Homemade Nuggets

 

Chicken nuggets are a staple in most kids' diets. If you've got a food allergic kid, though, it can be tough to find any that are both safe and tasty. I gave up on that whole idea and figured out how to just do it myself. Now, even my non-allergic kids prefer my nuggets to Chick-Fil-A's. I've found that the key to good nuggets is buttermilk.

You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs or tenders. Cut them into about 1 inch chunks (I use scissors for that, makes it much more precise). Then place them in buttermilk to soak for at least 30 minutes (in the fridge). If you're cooking a pound of chicken and using a pretty good size bowl, you shouldn't need more than a cup or so of buttermilk. You can use soy milk to go dairy free, or even mix up a vinegar/salt brine to soak them in (just like your Holiday bird). You'll get the same effect just a little different flavor. While they're soaking, mix up your flour and seasoning.

For a pound of chicken, put about a cup of flour into a ziploc bag or bowl. Use self-rising flour (always natural and unbleached) for the 'extra crispy' crust, and all-purpose for the 'original' crust. You can go gluten-free and use rice flour, too (add a tsp of baking powder to the mix for more of an 'extra crispy' like crust). Add about a teaspoon of seasoning (recipe below), close the bag and shake well, or if you're using a bowl, whisk well to evenly distribute seasoning.

Start heating your oil to about 375 degrees F. You don't have to have a fryer to do this, and since I hate to reuse the oil when I fry meat, I usually fry these in my iron skillet anyway. You want to put enough oil to fill the pan about a half an inch or so deep. You can test the temp with a fry thermometer or wet your fingers and sprinkle some water in the pan. When it bubbles and sizzles you're ready.

Once your nuggets have soaked a little while, take them out of the buttermilk and put them dripping wet into the bag or bowl with the flour mixture. Shake them up or toss them well to get an even coating.

Once your oil is hot, drop the nuggets in one at a time, if you're frying in a skillet. You don't want to over crowd them. They'll make the temp drop in your oil a little, and if you put too many in at once, they'll stick together and end up greasy.

Let them cook for about 2-5 minutes on each side. Until you get used to frying, you'll need a meat thermometer to make sure they're done (about 165 degrees F). It is especially hard to tell when you go gluten free because the rice flour doesn't brown like wheat flour. Try this a few times, though, and you won't need the thermometer anymore.

Let them cool completely, but don't let them sit too long (they'll get soggy). Place them in a freezer bag and place in your freezer. When you're ready for a quick nugget meal, pull what you need out of the freezer and cook them in your oven. 400 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Seasoning

We like it spicy, and the more 'red' you put in the flour (especially if you're going gluten free), the more yummy your final product will look. You can add a little extra paprika and leave out the cayenne if you're worried about it being too spicy.

2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all the spices in a ziploc bag or tupperware container. Mix well. Store for up to 3 months or so.

Marshmallow Protein Bars

I didn't like all the interesting ingredients in my favorite store bought protein bar. So, I decided I would try to make my own. The only thing is I didn't know how to bind it without adding the unpronounceable junk they do at the manufacturer. I was making Rice Krispie treats for my kids for the Fourth of July, so I decided I would use the other half of the marshmallow mixture and see what happened. The bars turned out REALLY good in flavor, but that's just too much sugar for it to be a 'healthy' snack or workout fuel. Also, they were kinda sticky (the way homemade marshmallow goes if you don't use confectioner's sugar or starch  to coat while they're setting). I've got another idea I'll post about later, but here's the recipe for these. If you're not counting calories or OFF sugar, these are really good! My husband and my oldest son kept nibbling while they were still warm. The best part of this recipe is the homemade marshmallow!

3 cups almonds, chopped
2 cups peanuts, chopped
3/4 cup sunflower kernels
3/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup Rice Krispies (added these as a filler, will probably use oats next time)
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp honey

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by. In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat. Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping.

While the mixture is whipping, spray a large bowl with cooking spray or coat with oil. Add the nuts and Krispies, then the butter and honey. After the marshmallows are done whipping, pour half the mixture into the bowl with the nuts. Mix well.

[You may want to add more or less of the nuts to get the combo and texture you like. You can use a completely different combo. You just want to have around 7 cups worth of whatever dry ingredients you use to make the right ratio of nut mixture to marshmallow ratio.]

Lay out on parchment paper or greased cutting board. Shape into large square or squares. Wait for it to cool and harden, about an hour or so. Cut into bars and enjoy. Makes about 24 bars.

You will have half the marshmallow recipe left. After pouring the marshmallow into the nut mixture, pour the other half into a greased or lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or starch and let it set. Homemade marshmallows are the BEST! One of those things once you have the homemade version, you'll never want the processed styrofoam they sell at the store again.

Homemade Poptarts

I've gone through a burn out period in my cooking life. Between therapy appointments, preschool, homeschooling my older son, baseball and a rambunctious two year old, cooking has become more of a burden than a delight. For the most part, I've only been cooking/baking the minimum to get me by. However, I ran across a recipe that made me curious again, homemade poptarts. It came from Chickens in the Road, one of my favorite blogs to follow, and I couldn't help but want to try it and see what happened. It was most definitely a success, and Jackson is looking forward to eating them at school when the rest of his class is eating toaster pastries.

Here's the original recipe, Homemade Poptarts.

I used pre-made pie crust (for time's sake), and I added a little more vanilla and cinnamon to the filling. Next time I'll make some apple jelly or use some strawberry jam. Definitely a recipe worth keeping.

After everyone had enjoyed their own poptart, I froze the leftovers and plan to use them for quick morning breakfasts and morning school snacks.

Pot Roasting Like Granny

There are probably as many different variations on pot roast as there are grandmothers that cook. I don't remember all the details about my Granny's pot roast, but I do remember that it was my favorite meal to eat at her house. Melt in your mouth roast with juicy carrots, yummy potatoes and rice with gravy. My mom actually made a pretty good roast, too, but I'm almost positive she learned it from my Granny.

(Remember whatever the recipe, the key to a good roast is a good cut of meat. You want lots of marbling if you're going to cook it for a long time.)

Here's my attempt at putting her roast into a recipe.

Salt and pepper the roast. Coat in flour. Heat a dutch oven with about two to three tbsp of oil. Sear all sides. Remove the roast and let it rest while you prepare the veggies. To your hot oil, add a tsp or two of minced garlic and a medium chopped onion. Cook until fragrant. Sprinkle in a little rosemary and thyme, about a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. Add a couple of cups of beef stock and a couple Tbsp worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrin's Reduced Sodium Worcestershire sauce is corn free). Add half a small can of tomato sauce or a couple Tbsp diced tomatoes (to tenderize the meat). Add chopped carrots and potatoes. Cover and bake on 350 for 2-3 hours or until tender. Then she would make gravy from the pot drippings and serve it over rice.

My memaw started 'cheating' with her gravy and making it with cream of mushroom soup (the Campbell's kind), and I think it tasted better that way. So, I combined all that, give or take a few things, to my crock pot recipe.

How I do it.

If I have time, I sear the roast like she did. Let it rest while I saute the onions and garlic, too. I don't use the rosemary, thyme or the beef stock. I add a can of Health Valley Cream of Mushroom Soup (corn free, uncondensed, organic), the worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrin's Reduced Sodium), tomato sauce, carrots and potatoes. Stick it in my crock pot and let it cook all day. I still cook rice to go with it, and (since I'm too lazy to make a good gravy) I just use the 'soup' it makes as a 'pot liquor' as they would call it in the old south. It tastes enough like hers to take me back in time, but I've made it mine, too.

Apple Fritters

My oldest son and my daughter act almost like it's Christmas when they get an apple fritter from the bakery. Jackson hasn't ever acted like it bothered him that he couldn't have one (I usually have something else special for him), but he's asked a couple of times if they would make him sick. One of the last couple of times we got them, my oldest, Jacob, asked me if Jackson could have one. I told him that he couldn't because at the very least the baker probably uses regular powdered sugar (with corn starch) for the glaze. So, he matter of factly said, "Oh, well then, you'll just have to make them." Then over the past few weeks, whenever I was cooking or testing a recipe, he would ask me if I had made a recipe for apple fritters yet.

I started feeling the pressure, and got up the nerve to at least check into it. All the recipes I found were for the quick bread type. I know the ones from the bakery are made from a yeast dough.

I got brave and decided to take a basic yeast doughnut recipe and tweak it to create my version of apple fritters. I had no idea how it would turn out, but the dough looked good, felt good and rose well. When I started frying, the house smelled like I was frying apple pies, and I had all noses in the kitchen while I cooked. Everyone was so excited, but no one as excited as Jackson. I guess it bothered him more than I realized that he couldn't have the same yummy treat as everyone else.

The final product turned out really good. They taste like apple doughnuts. My daughter can't get enough, and Jackson got to sit and enjoy his first apple fritter ever. He loved it!

Fritters:
3/4 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 quarter ounce packet)
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups chopped apple (tart, crisp apples, not the kind you put in a pie, I used Galas because I had them on hand)
oil for deep frying

In a small bowl, combine yeast and warm water with a pinch of sugar. Set aside until foamy.
In a small sauce pan, scald the milk and melt the butter.
In a medium mixing bowl stir together the scalded milk, butter, sugars and salt. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, stir cinnamon and 2 cups of the flour.
Combine milk mixture with flour mixture. Add beaten eggs and yeast. Mix just until smooth.
Add chopped apples.
Mix in the remaining 2 cups of flour 1/2 cup at a time using more or less to get a nice firm dough.
Knead for about 5 minutes.
Coat dough in melted butter and place in a covered bowl to rise until doubled, usually about 45 minutes.
Punch the dough down and knead again for a couple of minutes. Return to the bowl to rise again for about 30 minutes.
While you're waiting for it to rise, add oil to stock pot (I used my dutch oven) or fryer, about an inch or two deep. When your dough is almost done rising, heat the oil to about 375 degrees F.
Grab about a tablespoon or two size dough ball. Roll and flatten in your hands, flat as a pancake. They will rise considerably. So, start small to get the right size. (You don't want burnt crust and doughy centers.) Fry fritters a few at a time. Cook on each side until golden brown then remove to a towel to drain.

Glaze:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2-3 cups powdered sugar (I use Whole Foods' or Trader Joe's brand, organic and corn free)
2 tsp vanilla
5-6 tbsp hot water

In a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter. Add vanilla. Sift sugar and add slowly to butter. Keep adding until you have a stiff ball of sugar. Run your faucet until water is as hot as you can get it. Add hot water to the butter mixture 1 Tbsp at a time until you get a nice glaze consistency. You want it to be relatively thin. Dip fritters in glaze on both sides and lay on a rack or sheet pan to dry.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Gluten Free Muffins

We would not have survived our gluten free, casein free trial without these yummy things. Jackson would just gush when he got one for breakfast or even better, included in his lunch as a special treat. I've had great results with adding lots of different kinds of fruit, bananas being his favorite.

3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder (homemade)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk (rice, soy or cow)
1 egg (or 1 1/2 tsp egg replacer + 2 tbsp warm water)
5 tbsp butter, melted (or 3 tbsp ghee, spectrum organic shortening or a tasteless oil like canola)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease mini muffin tin with GF oil or spray. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and cinnamon (dry ingredients). In a separate bowl, mix vanilla, milk, egg and melted butter. Combine dry and wet ingredients until mixed. Batter will be thicker and stickier than regular muffin batter. FILL mini muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes rotating pan 180 degrees half way through cook time. Makes two dozen mini muffins.

I found that with gluten free baking, the rise worked better in smaller pans. That's why I use the mini muffin pans, and there won't be as much rise as with gluten baking, so filling the cups gives them that nice rounded muffin look on top. Also, rotating the pan really does help get an even brown on every muffin.

Freezer Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are a staple in most kids' diets. If you've got a food allergic kid, though, it can be tough to find any that are both safe and tasty. I gave up on that whole idea and figured out how to just do it myself. I've found that the key to good nuggets is buttermilk.

You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs or tenders. Cut them into about 1 inch chunks (I use scissors for that, makes it much more precise). Then place them in buttermilk to soak for at least 30 minutes (in the fridge). If you're cooking a pound of chicken and using a pretty good size bowl, you shouldn't need more than a cup or so of buttermilk. You can use soy milk to go dairy free, or even mix up a vinegar/salt brine to soak them in. You'll get the same effect just a little different flavor. While they're soaking, mix up your flour and seasoning.

For a pound of chicken, put about a cup of flour into a ziploc bag or bowl. Use self-rising flour (always natural and unbleached) for the 'extra crispy' crust, and all-purpose for the 'original' crust. You can go gluten-free and use rice flour, too (add a tsp of baking powder to the mix for more of an 'extra crispy' like crust). Add about a teaspoon of seasoning (recipe below), close the bag and shake well, or if you're using a bowl, whisk well to evenly distribute seasoning.

Start heating your oil to about 375 degrees F (I use canola, wish there was a better option that didn't cost a fortune, but....). You don't have to have a fryer to do this, and since I hate to reuse the oil when I fry meat, I usually fry these in my iron skillet anyway. You want to put enough oil to fill the pan about a half an inch or so deep. You can test the temp with a fry thermometer or wet your fingers and sprinkle some water in the pan. When it bubbles and sizzles you're ready.

Once your nuggets have soaked a little while, take them out of the buttermilk and put them dripping wet into the bag or bowl with the flour mixture. Shake them up or toss them well to get an even coating.

Once your oil is hot, drop the nuggets in one at a time, if you're frying in a skillet. You don't want to over crowd them. They'll make the temp drop in your oil a little, and if you put too many in at once, they'll stick together and drop the temp of your oil so much that they'll be greasy.

Let them cook for about 2-5 minutes on each side. Until you get used to frying, you'll need a meat thermometer to make sure they're done (about 165 degrees F). It is especially hard to tell when you go gluten free because the rice flour doesn't brown like wheat flour. Try this a few times, though, and you won't need the thermometer anymore.

Let them cool completely, but don't let them sit too long (they'll get soggy). Place them in a freezer bag and place in your freezer. When you're ready for a quick nugget meal, pull what you need out of the freezer and cook them in your oven. 400 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Seasoning

We like it spicy, and the more 'red' you put in the flour (especially if you're going gluten free), the more yummy your final product will look. You can add a little extra paprika and leave out the cayenne if you're worried about it being too spicy.

2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all the spices in a ziploc bag or tupperware container. Mix well. Store for up to 3 months or so.

Scratch Pancakes

We had trouble converting from the Bisquick pancakes both for flavor and for simplicity. These are a little more complicated to put together, but they definitely don't lack flavor.

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder (homemade: 2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda, 1 part potato or corn starch)
1 1/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
3 tbsp melted butter
3 tsp egg replacer + 4 tbsp water (or 2 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients. Pour buttermilk into microwave safe bowl and heat just til warm (about 15-20 seconds). Melt the butter. Combine buttermilk and melted butter. Mix up egg replacer and warm water, add vanilla and combine all wet ingredients. Combine dry and wet ingredients just until mixed. Heat griddle to about 325 degrees. Pour batter about ¼ cup at a time onto griddle and cook on both sides just until brown. Makes about a dozen pancakes depending on size.

I try to make extra when I have time. Then I freeze them with wax paper between them (to prevent sticking). When I need a quick breakfast, I pull them out and pop them in the toaster or microwave.

The Eggsperiment

One of my son’s problem foods is egg. We found this food to be a problem during our GF/CF trial when I just couldn’t figure out what was still causing his digestive issues. We cut out eggs and voila, no more symptoms.

I have heard of some people sensitive to eggs being able to eat free range, farm fresh eggs, and that got me thinking. What if it’s how they keep and feed the chickens that makes my son react? So, I looked into it. Corn is one of the major foods fed to commercial egg producing chickens.

Corn is more than a problem for Jackson. Ingestion causes severe vomiting and diarrhea almost immediately. The last time he was exposed, he vomited about every 5 minutes until we got him to the Urgent Care to get a shot.

There’s new research that shows that infants can be exposed to peanut protein through their mother’s breast milk, and I wondered if the corn protein could be passed into a chicken’s egg. I’m no scientist, but my parents have a farm. They raise chickens for the eggs, and they agreed to join with me in a little eggsperiment (hehe).

While their chickens are free range, my parents still supplement with chicken feed. They found a feed that was free of corn and switched as soon as possible, we decided to wait a few months for the corn to get out of their system.

I just received my first carton of eggs yesterday and immediately started our experiment.

Day one I made muffins using the corn-free, farm fresh eggs. So far, no symptoms.

Taco Seasoning

Most kids like some type of taco or burrito, but if you've got a kid with food allergies, this simple meal can be tough. We like to season our meat, but when we learned of our son's allergies, that meant the seasoning packets you get at the grocery store weren't going to cut it anymore. So, I figured out a recipe from scratch using the spices in my cabinet. We really like it, and the best part is that you can fine tune it to your family's taste. It works great with chicken, too.

1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
1-2 tsp all purpose flour, corn flour or corn starch (this helps the sauce thicken and 'stick' to the meat)
1/2 to 1 Cup water

Mix spices and flour together. Brown 2 lb ground beef. Add seasoning mixture and water. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

My son is allergic to corn; so, we use regular flour tortillas. The ones you get at the grocery store usually have wheat flour and shortening in them, both things Jackson can handle fine. You can use corn tortillas. We've even had nachos (taco meat with cheese) with potato chips (it isn't as bad as it might sound). I like to mix up the seasoning and store it in a zip-lock bag in the pantry for that night when we need something quick and easy.