gluten free by nature — casein, soy and entirely almost sugar free…

One of my beloved readers inquired about  good way to weave protein into the most important meal of the day: breakfast.  She was explaining to me that she finds it difficult to eat something healthy, wholesome and “powerhouse” enough with so little time to prepare it. I totally agree. It is a challenge. It doesn’t really matter if you’re on your way out the door to work, to bring the kids to school or en route to catch the bus or subway. Heck, I am blessed to be able to stay at home with my children and I still struggle to eat a meal that is going to sustain me and give me the energy to push through the morning.

I’ve discovered a way the helps me along – I only hope it gives you some guidance. Most Sundays, I spend a few hours cooking. As hard as it is to set aside this time, the payoff is well worth it. I prepare a few things for the week and I literally have to grab and go. Or just reheat. And I have a nutritious protein filled meal waiting for me. This winter I have made and refrigerated large batches of both chicken and butternut squash soups. Vats of oatmeal. And loads of muffins.

Here are some suggestions for things you can eat in a pinch:

leftovers: Perhaps you may find it a bit odd, but often times I will have something savory for breakfast. Just yesterday, I had a leftover bowl of spaghetti and turkey meatballs. Another time, I had leftover home-made chicken fried rice. Both are hearty protein-filled meals  – and I was good to go. Some people can’t even conceive of eating dinner-like foods in the morning. But, my husband is South African and he’s a big fan of the savory breakfast. And I’ve been happily converted. Don’t get me wrong, most mornings I do awake with (American) breakfast foods on my mind. But, let’s just say I have adopted an open-minded approach…

oatmeal: make a pot of teff, quinoa, amaranth, millet, sorghum (grain), rice or buckwheat oatmeal. Or, like me, make a porridge containing some or all of these together. Add some honey or maple syrup and some cinnamon. In winter, slice in some banana. In summer, fold in some berries. I always double the recipe so I have leftovers for later in the week.  Don’t have time to babysit the pot? Make it in a rice cooker. All that is required is reheating (you may need to add a little liquid) and you’re good to go.

waffles: Make a double batch of waffles adding a scoop of protein powder and up to 2 tablespoons extra liquid to the batter. Just drop the leftover waffles in the toaster or if you have time, reheat them in the waffle iron for 2 minutes. I think they taste better this way but both ways are fine. If you don’t have time for syrup – spread with nut butter and go. Don’t have nut butter? I recently saw this recipe for 2T whipped coconut oil + 2T butter (ghee) + 1T honey = coconut spread. Yum!

soup:  soup travels well in an insulated coffee mug. You don’t even need a spoon: you can sip it as you go.

eggs: I adore eggs but I cannot eat them right now because I am nursing my daughter and she does not tolerate them. Back when I could still eat them, I used to take leftover roasted potatoes and veggies and toss them in a brown rice wrap with some scrambled eggs. (Practically) instant power breakfast. I am a proponent of eating the whole egg (for the biggest nutritional bang for the buck). They are truly a fantastic food source (5 1/2 grams of protein per egg, rich in vitamin B, iodine and selenium).

fruits with nut butter: apple slices with (any) nut butter. Banana  spread with nut butter. Fat, protein, vitamins. Need I say more?

smoothies: so good. so good for you. There are about 1 million possible smoothie combinations.  So, there is something for everyone. And it doesn’t get boring. In winter, I like mango and banana pureed with some coconut milk. Summertime is all about the berries. In autumn, you could do carrot/apple or apple/pear. In springtime, we are fortunate enough to have plentiful greens to choose from. Protein powder is the perfect companion for these shakes. My favorite as of late is adding 1 tablespoon of ground hemp seeds (ground in my spice grinder) – for an added 11 grams of protein. Another suggestion would be to add in some raw cacao powder for an additional 5 grams of protein.

muffins: try these – they are so hearty. Not only do they have 3 grams of protein per muffin, they are high in calcium, iron and manganese. Who couldn’t use more of that? You can keep them at room temperature for a day or two. After that, refrigerated is best. They are great for snack-time too. Inspired by the lovely Ali over at Whole Life Nutrition. side note: in place of the sorghum flour, I  have also used chestnut flour with great success.

dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups teff flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot starch
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp guar gum
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

wet ingredients:
1/2 cup grated (peeled) pear, firm but ripe
1 cup grated organic carrot
1/4 cup (mild-tasting) grapeseed oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
1 cup warm water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine all wet ingredients (I used a box grater for the carrot and pear).
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Mix just until combined so that no flour is visible. Using an ice cream scoop, transfer batter into a muffin tin.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool. Enjoy!

Makes 12 delicious muffins.

Several weeks ago I received an email from Lauren, blog owner of www.celiacteen.com. Here is a 16 year old young woman who has a very big heart. Feeling a sense of helplessness for the Haitians devastated by the earthquake, Lauren came up with the idea to create a recipe book full of recipes “that mean home to us” in order to raise money for the victims. Over 70 people heard the call. Over 90 recipes are included.

Lauren is Canadian, so all donations are going to the Canadian Red Cross. And amazingly enough, the Canadian government is matching ALL contributions through February 12, 2010. The book has only been for sale for 48 hours and already she’s raised close to $2800.

Lauren has more information about the book on her site. I, for one, am so honored to be a part of this effort. But, I am also very proud of Lauren for making such an impact for so many in need.

grilled lemon chicken satay

I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that we are nearly to the Superbowl. That the President has been in office for an entire year already. That it’s 2010!  The pace of life has remained a steady gallop for quite some time. Not that I would have it any other way. I know it’s sounds so cliche, but,  time really does appear to literally fly by right before our eyes.

This year, my family will be watching the Superbowl with my parents who are going to be stopping through Colorado on their way back from a business trip. They are fantastic people. And I’m not just saying that because they are my parents. Truthfully – even if they weren’t mine – I would thoroughly enjoy every moment of their company. They are fun, easy-going and they just recently decided to take the gluten free diet by the horns.  They have been calling, asking for guidance, checking and double-checking throughout the process. And I have remained their enthusiastic cheerleader. I give them an enormous amount of credit. Going gluten free in your sixties is no easy feat – especially when you have a lifetime gluten imprint begging impatiently to be indulged.

Even though the Patriots or Broncos are not playing I still intend to enjoy the game. Because it’s really all about spending the day with the people you enjoy most.  My parent’s visit gave me the idea to throw out some Superbowl love to all you gluten free football fans (myself included). Perhaps your party is going to be gluten free. Or maybe a few of your party-goers have special dietary needs. Give some of these nutritious and satisfying treats a whirl (mangorita is sort of healthy, right?)  I ‘ll be serving some of these apps to my parents so they can appreciate that a more limited diet certainly does not have to mean being deprived.

Happy game day!

louise's lemon dill dip

yellow split pea dip

mangorita

curried avocado dip

hummus

rosemary focaccia

This year, I have welcomed the New Year with a different kind of approach. Given the extreme hectic nature of our lives at the moment:  three young children, a husband that travels extensively for work,  my home up for sale – that  was sold (then it wasn’t) then it was (and then it wasn’t again) -  I decided to take a step back and ask myself : what am I truly capable of resolving for 2010?

Living in such a state of limbo makes it quite difficult to settle into any kind of rhythm. The ride we have been on has taught me a lot about myself. But, it’s also given me the opportunity to use this situation as a lesson: to not be so hard on myself. And to make my 2010 aspirations a day-by-day commitment as opposed to an insurmountable task or unrealistic goal that I will no doubt have a difficult time adhering to. In short, this year I am determined to be realistic in my expectations so that I remain focused and feel confident in my progress instead of disappointed.

I usually don’t initiate any kind of detox until the delicious greens of springtime arrive to the farmers market. This year I won’t be partaking in a ‘traditional’ detox due to the fact that I am still nursing my infant daughter. She, like her mother, is quite sensitive to a large array of foods.  As such,  my annual springtime detox will instead become a series of mini-detox-processes throughout the year.   Here’s how I am going to do it:

Consistent yoga practice. I intend to practice at least every other day. Don’t get me wrong – there have been a few mornings since the first of the year where I lie in bed at 5am dreading the thought of dragging my tired body out from under the covers. But, then I can’t help but focus on the end result: the amazing energy I am rewarded after I’ve finished my practice, the lightness of my body and the clear head that allows me to take charge of my day. As I roll up my mat, I am grateful that I have made the effort to do something for myself – to treat my body AND mind. It’s like starting the day with a clean slate.   I am more capable of receiving, managing, coping with and juggling things that come my way. Yoga makes me a better person, wife,  mom and friend.  It empowers me.

I am not saying that you must do yoga – perhaps there is another form of exercise that fulfills you: walking, biking, running, skiing, etc. The reason I choose yoga (among other forms of exercise) is because it affords us the opportunity to detox every time we practice by aiding in digestion, benefiting the kidneys as well as our lymphatic system. Calming (yogic) breathing facilitates the release of the daily stress we carry around. And I have plenty of that.  Certain poses are more suited to detoxification. My friend Mary, a certified yoga instructor, recommends  ‘any pose with a twist’. Suggestions include seated twist, triangle pose or even eagle pose. For more on yoga as detox, see this article.

Another way to aid detox daily ? Help the kidneys (in flushing out toxins) by drinking more water. Although I try, I sometimes find myself so busy that I neglect to drink as much water as my body needs. All of a sudden, it’s early afternoon and I’ve become  sluggish. For me, it is the first sign of dehydration.

Another way I enable body detox is by eating seasonally. History bestows upon us a birds eye view into the nutritional ebb and flow that nature provides by eating seasonally: eating cleansing greens in spring, cooling foods in summer (berries, salads) and warming foods in late fall and winter   (ginger, soups and stews). I find it truly remarkable that nature provides foods in autumn – that stored properly (i.e., root cellar) – will keep throughout the winter months. Squashes and root vegetables are a beautiful thing.

And while we are on the subject of eating seasonally….I happen to be a huge fan of the quarterly magazine called Edible (Front Range). They are published all over the United States and celebrate all things local. Each issue has seasonal recipes, lists of what is currently in season (depending on where you live) and interviews or articles of interest with respect to local food news. They also have a pretty cool feature on their website: you can see exactly what is in season in your area right now. Go here to check it out.  I highly recommend a visit to  Local Harvest - a wonderful resource for people interested in buying local. They offer detailed information (just input your zip code) and you will be provided with a lengthy list of nearby farms, dairies and farmers markets.  There’s quite a bit of CSA information here as well.

Wishing you the best in your quest for making 2010 a great year !

Of all the times to have technical difficulties ! The plug-in for the contact form on my  site was being very temperamental (to say the least).  As a result, the lovely holiday cookie recipes you so kindly submitted have been swallowed by a black hole, an internet vacuum of sorts.  Even my wonderful brother (who remains my stellar web designer and tech support)  and who often blows me away with the depth of his technical expertise was unable to retrieve the emails from the abyss.  My jaw was to the floor – how could this happen?  The worse part is that I couldn’t fix it. Which doesn’t bode well for someone like me: if I am going to do something I am going to give 200%.   The last few days I have been filled with this sinking feeling – I feel terrible about what has happened.

I keep reminding myself that in the end, it could have been worse, right !?!  My whole website could have imploded.  We have our health and our sanity (just barely :)  and in the whole grand scheme of things this is a “don’t sweat the small stuff kind of moment”.

What I shall do – which I am sure has never happened in history of Go Ahead Honey, it’s Gluten Free (but, hey I really am going out with a bang here) – is this:  I will continue to add submissions as I receive them. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience, friends. Below are the entries I received thus far. If you submitted something and you don’t see it here – please send it along to info@glutenfreebynature dot com – I’ll get your recipe posted immediately !

coconut meringues - shirley of gluten free easily

carob cookies (grain free) – naomi of straight into bed cakefree and dried

brown sugar chewies – chaya of chaya’s comfy cook blog

chocolate chip cookies (grain free) – ecogirl at ecolicious life

chewy chocolate ginger cookies – laura of daring to thrive

mantecaditos – yadi of the gluten free diaries

monster cookies – kelly of the spunky coconut

chocolate almond wafers – lauren of celiac teen

mexican wedding cookies – katrina of gluten free gidget

new year scottish shortbread – stephanie at gluten free hope

chocolate chip cookies – juanita of there can be only juan

Next month  – the first of 2010! – will be hosted by none other than Laura at Mouthgasmic.  Her theme – rather a propos for January – is Stews from around the World. She’ll be posting rules for submission in a few days so stay tuned everyone!

I want to thank the brilliant Naomi for bestowing upon me the honor of hosting this last month of the decade! And I thank each and every one of you for your delicious and healthy submissions. Seriously, this gluten free community of ours is truly amazing – one of which I am truly grateful to be a part.  I am so looking forward to all the things 2010 will bring:  all the wonderful food to be shared, the friendships that are and that will be and the memories which have yet to be made. Most of all, may we all continue to be blessed with good health.

Happy New Year !

There are so many cookie recipes that have struck my fancy over the years.  They’ve been added to the list.  The  “to-be-tested” list, that is.  Seriously. Talk about a weakness. When I came across several thumbprint recipes recently this cookie marched past the others all the way to the front of the line.  I adore baking holiday cookies. What I do not enjoy is the ugly sugar buzz that inevitably follows their consumption.  Which is why I insisted on fiddling  with the recipe (ultimately to give you my healthier take on it).

My mom used to make a version of these when I was in high school. They’re exactly my kind of cookie. Not too sweet. Slight nutty crunch. Yum. I used 100% organic fruit (no sugar added) apricot jam and wild berry jam. Feel free to choose whichever jam you prefer. Not that I or anyone else needs an excuse, but you could always use chocolate (say, 70% cocoa).  Hope you enjoy!

for the dry ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2  tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut sugar
pinch salt

for the wet ingredients:
6 tblsp unsweetened applesauce
6 tblsp coconut oil (slightly softened)
8 drops liquid stevia
1 egg (room temperature)
1 egg yolk (room temperature)

for the finishing touches:
place remaining egg white in a small glass bowl
place 1 cup diced almonds in a small bowl
1/4 cup apricot jam (organic 100% fruit)
1/4 cup wild berry jam (organic 100% fruit)

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.) Sift all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

3.) Whisk the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Word of caution: if your eggs are not warm enough, they will harden the coconut oil.

4.) Fold dry ingredients into the wet ones using a rubber spatula . The dough will not seem wet enough at first – but keep on stirring.

5.) Using your hands, take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll in into a ball.  Dip each ball into egg white (coating it) then gently roll the ball in the diced almonds. Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper, spaced 2 inches apart.

6.) Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, create an indentation in the top of the cookie – slightly larger than the size of the tip of your pinkie finger.

7.)  Bake 12-15 minutes.

8.) When the cookies come out of the oven, gently place one half teaspoon full of jam into the opening on the top of the cookie. You can use all one kind of jam or mix it up with 2+ kinds.  Cool at least 20 minutes before eating.

Makes about 24 cookies.

What a pleasure to be able to host this month! For those of you unfamiliar with Go Ahead Honey, Naomi of Straight Into Bed has dreamed up the most wonderful way of sharing healthy recipes with one another.  It’s a monthly recipe round-up for the gluten free community and beyond. Each month is hosted by a different blog owner who chooses his/her own seasonally appropriate theme.  December’s theme is holiday cookies.

UPDATE – 12/29/09: If you are interested in participating, please send me your photo along with the link back to your post by December 31st 27th.  You can do that by sending an email to  stephfourie at gmail.com or info@glutenfreebynature.com clicking on the contact button at the top right corner of the site.   So, of all the times to have technical difficulties ! The plug-in for the contact form on my  site was being very temperamental (to say the least).  As a result, the lovely holiday cookie recipes you so kindly submitted have been swallowed by a black hole, an internet vacuum of sorts.  Even my wonderful brother (who remains my stellar web designer and tech support)  and who often blows me away with the depth of his technical expertise was unable to retrieve the emails from the abyss.  My jaw was to the floor – how could this happen? In the end, it could have been worse, right !?!  My whole website could have imploded.  We have our health and our sanity (just barely :)  My sincere apologies to everyone !

At month’s end I will post all submissions.  I am so looking forward to seeing everyone’s goodies. Happy holiday baking to all !

Itching for some Go Ahead Honey recipes in the meantime? See last month’s grain free cakes and cupcakes event over at Elana’s Pantry.