Pancakes!  The BEST pancakes!


We love pancakes in this house, but I'm totally over the gluten free flour blend (and baking recipe) additives like guar gum and xanthan gum.  That's why I've been on a perfect pancake recipe quest for the past few months.  It's been a great way to break in the new kitchen at our new house (we moved in August)! :)  Plus, our little lady LOVES to help and pancakes are a great recipe to make with a toddler.  In fact, she may now whisk eggs better than me! Teehee!


So, with my sidekick by my side, I figured out a pretty perfect recipe.  These cook up great every time and they have an amazing flavor.  Did you notice the "banana bread" title of this post?  Seriously, these babies have a distinct banana bread flavor.  To quote my (non-gluten free) grandmother-in-law, "Did you come up with this recipe?  You need to write a cookbook!"  Aww, thanks GG!  Maybe one day.  For now, I'm enjoying a less hectic pace of life.

I'm also looking to decrease the amount of sugar intake for my family (the holidays did just end!), which is why I was so happy that the addition of bananas to this recipe was almost enough sweetener for my gal and hubby.  I may try them sometime without any sweetener, but I also want the family to eat them so I'm keeping a little bit in there for now!

One last note, for this recipe I used basic rice flour as we're also trying to avoid all other grains.  For a more Paleo-friendly recipe I've included a link at the bottom of the page to an excellent coconut flour recipe.  In my quest to create great gluten free pancakes I was also dabbling in trying to create a Paleo recipe for mornings when I wanted the pancake to be a more complete meal (most Paleo recipes require 4-6 eggs).

Without further ado, here are the amazingly simple and always delicious...

Gluten Free Banana Bread Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 2 ripe bananas 
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 Tblsp organic sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• splash of vanilla

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl, mash both bananas (I found using a large serving fork is great).
2. Add eggs, flour, milk, sugar, baking powder and vanilla to the bowl.
3. Mix all ingredients.
4. Heat griddle over medium to medium low heat.  
5. Grease with butter and cook pancakes until edges start to dry out (about 2 min) before flipping.  
6. Serve with more butter (we love Kerrygold!) and bacon and eggs if you're extra hungry! :)

Variations

I've also done the following with great results.

• Sub sugar with maple syrup (only 1 1/2 Tblsp).
• Add 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Add 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans.

For a Paleo-friendly recipe, use this one by Nourishing Days!  After making it this morning I'm done (for now) trying to create my own.  I did have to watch these more (read: cook at lower temp and therefore cook longer), but the flavor and smell were amazing!

Get your pancake cooking on and ENJOY!

Happy Gluten Free Dining!

I know we just posted a recipe on gluten free chicken burritos, but what can I say, we just can't get enough of burritos lately.
I think we're just so excited to have found tortillas that are pliable, tasty AND gluten free!  It's a win, win for us!

This time, we made breakfast burritos for DINNER using Rudi's Gluten Free Fiesta Tortillas!
Breakfast Burritos
Ingredients

• Fiesta Tortillas


• Free Range Organic Eggs


• Shredded Potato Hash Browns (frozen)


• Ham Deli Meat (uncured from Trader Joes)


• Shredded Cheese


• Organic Ketchup (if desired)

Directions:
1. Butter a medium size skillet and scramble your eggs (you'll want about 1 1/2 eggs per burrito).
2. In another skillet (I've found non stick works best for this, we have a cool "earth" pan that I use!), pour 2 Tbls. vegetable oil, and heat for 3-4 min. Add desired amount of hash browns (about 1/2 cup per burrito). Cook for 5 minutes, turn, and cook another five minutes.
3. While hash browns are cooking, slice ham and shred cheese.
4. Once all ingredients are ready, pop tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds, and then fill with eggs, hash browns, ham, cheese, and ketchup.
5. Fold up burrito (this is the exciting part! It folds!! Only one small tear in mine!) and enjoy!

Now, in writing this post I've realized that our breakfast burritos totally lacked veggies!! Oops...that's what we get for throwing them together as a quick dinner.

So, my question of the day:
What veggies should we have used in our breakfast burritos?

Yippee!  Ok, maybe I'm a bit over-excited, but Udi's has come out with new breads and they're uber-healthy!!  OHH yeah!!!

Finally, a gluten free bread that's healthy and likely tasty (I have yet to try anything from Udi's that I didn't like, but I need to go buy this bread before I'll know for sure!).


Just looking at the facts in the image above, I'm excited to eat something with 12 grams of whole grains!

Besides being gluten free, the bread also boasts being soy-free and nut-free!  Added bonus for those with multiple allergies or just trying to avoid soy or nuts.
Being on a gluten free diet, I've missed the opportunity to buy already made "whole grain" breads.  Crosby and I cook A LOT at home, but we have yet to add making our own bread to the list.  We don't eat a lot of bread anyways, but when we do make sandwiches or toast, it's much more convenient to pull an already made loaf out of the freezer.  It makes me so excited to have the option of a bread that will be good for us to eat. 

Here's a snippet from Udi's blog about their bread.

Udi’s new Omega Flax & Fiber and Millet-Chia breads not only provide great taste and texture – their ‘ancient’’ and wholesome ingredients provide the solid nutritional foundation needed for our current busy lifestyles.  Read on to discover some of the natural health benefits of these ancient ingredients offer.   

Their website carries all their products and the price is pretty reasonable. :)

In honor of National Pancake Day, I wanted to share my favorite gluten free pancake recipe.

While us non-gluten folks may not be able to share in the excitement of pancakes a'la IHOP, we can still enjoy the same treat, just from the comfort of our own homes. And, in all honesty, while dining out can be enjoyable, Crosby and I do breakfast so well that we prefer how we make it at home! Maybe it's because in this quest of gluten free living, we both cook more? But nonetheless, from this journey, we've begun to do more and more things well. :) From eggs and bacon, to French toast or pancakes, we LOVE how we do breakfast in the Shat house!!

Now, let me give you that recipe!

Gluten Free Pancakes (adapted from Gluten Free and Easy cookbook)

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup brown rice flour
-1/2 cup white rice flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-3 tablespoons light agave or honey
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-2 eggs
-1 cup milk
-1 tablespoon applesauce
-1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-1 cup blueberries or other fruit (optional)

*Note, I said "or" on certain ingredients because I've used both depending on what we had on hand in our home. Also, as often as I can, I try to use organic ingredients. Also, I know this seems like a lot of ingredients, but the combination really does make these tasty! I've tried different variations of pancakes (even using peanut flour, bleh!) but this is so far the best!

Directions:
In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix agave or honey, oil, eggs, milk, apple sauce and vanilla.
Stir wet ingredients into the dry.
Add blueberries, if desired.
Heat a nonstick skillet (I'm currently loving my ceramic nonstick pan!) on medium and spray it with a light coat of oil.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop batter onto pan and cook until bubbles appear on top. Turn and continue cooking, about 2 min.

Some of our favorite toppings are sliced strawberries, peaches, almond slivers, applesauce, peanut or almond butter, and of course, whipped cream! Mix and match toppings to your hearts content.

Serve with eggs and sausage for a yummy meal! Well...I guess there should be some veggies squeezed in there somewhere too?!?!! ;)

If you have a favorite way to make pancakes, please share!!! We love getting new ideas!

Looking for a quality gluten free cereal to kick start your morning?

Breakfast is such an important part of our day, just ask any health expert, they'll tell you!

The problem often is, we're in a hurry in the morning and practically running out the door as we shove some sort of "food" product down our throats. An egg omelet would be most delicious on a Monday morning, but realistically we just don't have time. Especially in the winter, those warm flannel sheets are just too inviting to get out of! :-)

So, let me tell you some of the great breakfast finds I depend on.
-protein powder and milk
-granola and yogurt
-toast and peanut butter or cream cheese

Those three are pretty much my staples during the work week.

BUT...I've found something new that I (actually "we" as my hubby enjoyed it too) really liked.





Arrowhead Mills makes some quality, whole grain gluten free products! You can imagine my excitement at our local Super Walmart last week when I noticed an increase in Arrowhead Mills products! Organic and whole grain? Yes please!

This cereal did not disappoint. As Crosby (my hubby) said, "This tastes just like frosted flakes!" Yum! And yum! I added some sliced bananas and it made for a great, quick breakfast that definitely satisfied. Just a quick side note, a bowl of oatmeal tastes great to me, but it never satisfies (I'm hungry again in less than an hour!). So it was nice to see that after eating a bowl of this I was good for about 2 hours!

Here's some nutritional facts about this cereal:
4g protein
Only 5g sugar (yay!)
Organic
Whole grain (buckwheat and brown rice)
Low fat (1g)
All natural!

We definitely will be keeping this as a new staple in our pantry!

Is there another whole grain, gluten free breakfast you enjoy? Please share with us!

Happy President's Day (oh the joys of being a teacher...sorry love!)!

Here's another great, informative article from Better Nutrition's magazine.  The more I read the magazine, the better I am loving it.  It's full of useful information that can help you lead your life towards, you guessed it, better nutrition! 

This article deals with guidelines on gluten free labeling and how to sift through the insanity that is food product labels!  I promise, this article will help you and it does get better (just like anything, going gluten free is a learning process, but your health is SO worth it!). 

Also, there's an added bonus of a recipe at the end of this article!  Banana walnut pancakes!  I haven't tried them, but ohh they sound yummy!!

Ok, I'm pretty much obsessed with this new find from Trader Joe's.

As I've mentioned before, I love breakfast.  Let me rephrase that, WE love breakfast!  My husband and I could probably eat variations of breakfast foods for every meal every day and it would likely take a few weeks for us to get sick of it.  From a simple bowl of cereal to an all out gourmet feast of eggs, bacon and french toast (with, of course, homemade strawberry sauce) we just love the stuff.

This is the most delicious banana bread EVER!  Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
*Recipe adapted from Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Canola or Coconut Oil (I prefer Coconut)
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (or any all purpose flour)
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup Walnuts (I chose chocolate chips instead!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 9x5 non-stick loaf pan (funny how we have to grease non-stick pans!).
Cream oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Mix in bananas.  Beat until smooth, then stir in nuts or chocolate chips.  Pour into pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Let cool for about 10 minutes.  Slice and serve with butter while still hot!

Enjoy!  Please let us know what you think and any variations that you like!

What better way to test out a new loaf of bread than to make French Toast.

Being an avid breakfast eater, French Toast is one of my favorite meals to make. It's such a delicious and fairly easy meal to make. Usually reserved for a relaxed Saturday morning, summer break affords me the luxury of making this meal mid-week.

So back to the new loaf. If you've ever tried Trader Joe's staple brown rice loaf then you can understand why I steer clear of anything bread-like at my favorite grocer.

While I love many things about TJ's, their gluten free bread is not on that list. This bread, Food For Life's brown rice loaf, is joked about in our house as the perfect weapon should we ever need to attack an intruder!

This thing is so dense. It is only edible toasted with an eighth of a stick of butter slopped on top (possibly a 1/4 stick!).

Needless to say, this thing is rough and in my opinion not worth the money saved (it's $2 less than Udi's).

It's just too stinkin thick, but a few weeks ago I heard there was hope. One of my lovely TJ checkers told me they had other gluten free bread that was better. I've been on the lookout ever since and I found it for the first time yesterday. It's Trader Joe's brand brown rice bread and it's not half bad.

My mother had purchased this bread last week so she warned me that keeping it in the freezer made the bread a bit too dry. I figured I'd remedy that by making half the loaf into French Toast, freeze some of that, and leave the rest in the refrigerator for sandwiches and such (side note, most gluten free bread holds up best when frozen as it goes rancid quickly).

As I started to make the French Toast, I was a bit leery of this bread as it already appeared a bit dry. I kept the bread in the egg solution a bit longer than normal and seemed to do the trick! Twas a tasty tasty breakfast today!!

Gluten Free French Toast (Ingredients) -

• *Secret ingredients are vanilla and cinnamon! It will revolutionize your taste buds! :-)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2-3/4 cup milk of choice (I prefer whole milk) 
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t cinnamon 
• 6-8 slices of bread (less bread if not gluten free as those slices are often larger in size)

Directions -

1. Heat griddle or pan over medium heat and spray with Pam to coat.
2. Beat eggs, add milk and vanilla and continue to beat. 
3. Pour mixture into a shallow dish, I use a pie pan, and sprinkle the top of the mixture with cinnamon.
4. Place a few slices of bread into dish and allow to sit for about a minute before turning over. 
5. Let sit another 30 sec-1 minute before placing in pan. 
6. Cook on both sides until golden brown.
7. Continue with remaining bread. I prefer to sprinkle more cinnamon into the mixture between each slice of bread. 
8. Top with sliced strawberries, butter and a bit of whipped cream for an extra treat.

*All ingredients used except for the bread are organic (it has transformed flavors for us).

I'll have to see how this bread fares when used for sandwiches a stuff. I doubt it'll be as good as Udi's, but at $2 cheaper a loaf I'm hoping it comes close.

Maybe I need to start making my own bread...anyone know of cheaper and tasty gluten free bread recipes?

I'd also love to find/make bread that's organic. If you have any leads please let me know.

Otherwise, enjoy a tasty breakfast on this lovely Tuesday!

Goodbye Starbucks and hello homemade goodness!
I love a nice cup of iced coffee on a warm summer day, but who wants to pay the price for Starbucks, much less brave this exhaustive heat to go pick it up (Bakersfield is currently over 100)!

I found the perfect solution with Coffee Mate's new product! Their new line of Natural Bliss creamers is delicious! Hmm, I've found I use that word a lot on here...guess I just keep writing about products I love! I'll have to think about foods I've tried that I didn't like and add those reviews to our blog.

Anyway, as I was saying, Coffee Mate's Natural Bliss is awesome! I chose the vanilla flavor and love it. What makes it so great is it's made with just nonfat milk, heavy cream, sugar and natural flavor. That's it! And it's gluten free! Also, for all you calorie counters, it's only 35 calories a serving.


Here's How To Make It
What I did was fill my glass with ice, add 1/2 a glass of coffee (my choice, Trader Joes Organic Shade Grown Ethiopian Medium Dark Roast), 1-2 T creamer, and about 1/4 cup milk (just enough to fill the glass).

Let me tell you, this combination is about as close to that yummy Starbucks flavor as they come. Whether you like a hint of sugar, like me, or want to pile on the sweetness (you could always use all creamer and no added milk) this is sure to be a tasty way to enjoy that morning cup of Joe!

Coffee Mate also has caramel and sweet cream flavors.

Try it out, tell us what you think! Share your best iced coffee or tea ideas!

This morning, a simple and tasty bowl of cereal. Simple, but delicious. When paired with a glass of orange juice mixed with sparkling water (Pellegrino to be specific) this meal has become scrumptious. I'm not sure what it is, but something about the comfort of breakfast just makes me happy. Cereal of choice today is, once again, Envirokids...what can I say, in the summer I'm an easy eater!

Breakfasts are so diverse. They can be easy, like my cereal, or granola, yogurt, smoothies, etc. They can also be more labor intensive, say for instance eggs, bacon, toast, hashbrowns, and muffins. Any way you pick it, whatever you desire, breakfast is always tasty! Well, at least in my (and my husband's) humble opinion.

Did I mention the joy of breakfast for dinner?!?! Our choice menu item for that is waffles! Use any waffle recipe and swap out the flour with Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour or a mix of sourgum flour and white rice flour (with a pinch of xantham gum) and you've got a delicious gluten free meal! Don't forget the strawberries and whipped cream! Mmm...I think I need to make that again soon! Oh and don't forget to use buttermilk, it changes the flavor for the better. Although, side note, I have also used rice milk and almond milk when trying to avoid dairy (still tasty).

Ahh...breakfast never disappoints!!

Minus, of course, the staple breakfast side of vitamins with their funky aftertaste. What is it about vitamins anyways? Why do they have to taste so weird? Anywho, tasty tasty meal!