Not all bread is created equal!

Or bread mixes aren't!

I finally found a bag of Pamela's bread mix!  This stuff:Pamela's Products Wheat-Free & Gluten-Free, Amazing Bread Mix, 19-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6).  It is AMAZING!

I did not make it in the bread machine and am now completely willing to blame all of my issues and problems on said machine.  Can I also blame it for random bouts of bitchiness and crazed chocolate cravings?  Yeah, lets do that!  Feel free to pick something to blame my machine for...

I made this wonderful dough in my big mixer, followed the directions to the letter and baked up a loaf of goodness.

When it came out of the oven, I knew it was good.  It was this beautiful golden brown and the smell was just heavenly.  I could hardly wait for it to cool enough to slice.  But I did wait.

My first slice was still warm and I put a bit of nut butter on it.  The nut butter got all melty from the warm, fluffy center and I was sold with the first bite!  Today, I made youngest a PB&J for school and anxiously awaited my time to make an egg salad sandwich for lunch.

I prepped the salad (2 hardboiled eggs, 1 tbsp olive oil mayo, 1/2 tsp season salt, 4 diced olives) and sliced 2 thin slices to toast.  Toast!  It looked like normal bread coming out of the toaster but a little less....bumpy?  Basically, when you slice it, it looks more like a quick bread (think Banana bread) but tastes like regular bread.

Toasted and topped with my egg salad (btw, that is enough for 2 sandwiches approx.), I bit in and fought the urge to groan.  The dog was sitting at my feet drooling because she knew I was eating something good.  I tried to shoo her away, but she kept taking the hand gestures as a clue that I was about to drop something (and I almost did!), so I stopped.  She went back to making a puddle on the floor.

After 1 sandwich, I toasted a single slice to finish off the egg salad.  I like FULL sandwiches.

The bread is slightly more dense, but has this great, soft filling with a very slightly sweet taste and crisp edges like good Italian bread.  I am so thrilled, I can't even express it.

For all my non-GF friends, buy a bag and try it.  You won't be disappointed and may not even notice the difference.  And? It's BETTER for you!  No Joke. GF items are easier on your body and more digestible than the regular stuff.  Try it just once!

I found my bag to try at Bloom and hear they carry it at Food Lion and Farm Fresh.  My next purchase, though, will be a box of them from Amazon!

Day 43 - Can I get some fries with that protein shake?

I looked again at Nutrisystem because of the whole 50% off thing.  Did you know that you only get the "entree" at each meal?  You don't get sides of any sort.  If you click on an item and read the info about it, it will say something like: "Serve with a whole-grain roll" or "enjoy with a green vegetable".  Really?  I'm paying you how much and you're giving me nothing but a plain chicken breast that I have to cook and do everything else for?  Why don't I just skip you and make my own chicken breast at home?

So, that's what I'm going to do.  No, I'm not going to make a chicken breast for every meal.  I would feel bad for all those chickens who can't put on a strapless prom dress...

I'm going to make my food.

Okay, so you're thinking...uh, duh?  Stop rolling your eyes for a moment, you may hurt yourself, and listen: I am going to sit down and plan out a menu for my meals for the next week.  I'm going to do that once a week, every week.  If I have the meals planned out and ensure that I have the ingredients to make the healthy meals, I won't end up doing an "Oh crap, I'm hungry and need something NOW."  Yes, I do that.  I probably only plan out my meals 1-2 times a week.  No kidding.

A friend of mine once told me she does this and I thought to myself: what a hassle.  I am now seeing the lack of foresight in that assessment.

I can make meals as healthy or healthier than Nutrisystem.  I can have lean proteins and healthy sides on hand.  I can prepare my lunches like I did the other day before school.  And all of this means I will spend less, actually.

Right now, I eat on the fly.  I don't have a lot of time each day so I do a lot of grab and go.  Sometimes, that involves stopping at a grocery store and getting a salad or sushi, but always involves spending more than $10 on lunch.  Granted, I'm not going to make my own sushi.  That will have to remain at the hands of the nice lady behind the counter at Harris Teeter who always smiles and greets me when I begin to drool over the trays in the display case.  I'm always waiting for her to offer me a cup.

If I plan out meals enough to have pre-made grab-and-go, I will save money.  I don't even have to have everything made ahead of time as long as I have a menu set and the items available.  I feel like I need to slap myself in the forehead or do a Homer Simpson impersonation. Doh!

Also, I am still looking for someplace local that sells the Pamela gluten-free items.  I've found NO PLACE that sells GF breads, so I need some box/bag mixes that actually work.  I do plan to do a few experiments this weekend with GF bread/cooking.  I'm hoping to take one normal recipe and make it with at least 3 different types of flour so I can figure the moisture/rise of each one to better determine where each one should be used.  I.E. rice flour for bread, coconut flour for cookies....something like that.

So, let me put up my wanted posters....

REWARD: My gratitude. ;)

Day 42 - Case of the Mondays

Sorry folks, not much today.  So so so very tired.

I did manage to make a loaf of bread out of Paleo that turned out. Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen.  The basic loaf recipe in this book comes out similar to a quick bread in moisture and very near cornbread in texture.  I have to say that I really love the almond flour in it.  The taste is wonderful, but I could never use this to make a sandwich.

I also made some flat bread.  I wanted to have it on hand to send pieces to school with youngest along with tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni so she could make her own "mini pizza" like you find in Lunchables.  She had them today and said she loved it.  I also took two pieces and made a PB&Banana sandwich for dinner.  The texture was off, but it was a pretty good substitution.  I think I could work with the recipe and make it fluff up a bit so I can get closer to what I want.  The rice flour was pretty good, but I think I may whip the eggs a bit next time to see if I can add a bit of air to the dough.  I'm very interested in experimenting with this.

I'm also considering Nutrisystem.  They have a deal going on where your first month is 50% off.  It is still almost $200, but at least then I could see what my body does on a fully low-GI/Diabetic menu.  I know I'm not getting everything perfect on my own.  We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow....

Day 40 - If you sweat it, it will count!

The rain kept us mostly indoors today, but that didn't stop me from getting some accidental exercise!  I cleaned!  Yay!

Normally, I think that cleaning isn't really much of a work-out unless you are moving furniture and doing a complete cleaning of at least 2 rooms.  I modified that today when I caught myself breathing hard and sweaty.

No, hubby is out of town, so it wasn't that kind of breathing hard, you pervs.

I was doing laundry of all things!  I think I was probably on my tenth trip up the stairs to put away some clothes in youngest's room when I caught myself.

Huhhh, huhhhh...
"What the he....huhhh...why am I breathing hard?"
*youngest's fish made some bubble noises that may have been an answer, but I don't speak fish*

I trudged back down the stairs to grab more items and turn them in to their proper room/receptical/area.  Youngest came out of the computer room and complained about being cold to which I handed her some of her clothes and told her to put them away and she would warm up.  She gave me a dirty look and trudged away with her articles.

I should also share the results of yesterday's baking frenzy:

Apple sauce/butter - Yummy! *crowd cheers*
Bread dough had to be moved to oven when bread machine wouldn't cooperate.  Bread - a giant white rock *much booing and hissing mixed with comments about a "bread-killer"*
Black Bean soup - I had 1 spoonful to make sure it was okay before it was sent off.  I am told it was a hit! *more cheering and a few wolf-whistles*

Hey!  You talk to your Momma with those lips?...You do?....That's just sick, man.

Today though, despite the five loads of laundry (Yes, five.  I had a busy week!), I was exhausted.  Maybe in part because of the laundry?  Anyways, I looked up a few databases of PCOS and realized that fatigue is actually a symptom that can be exaggerated by the low-carb diet!  Yay!

Let me get this straight.... If I eat a lot of carbs, I will feel bloated, miserable and tired.....If I don't eat a lot of carbs I will feel bloated, miserable and tired but in a few different ways and without that full feeling?  That just does NOT seem right!

Some forums had women who said the Metaformin that is a common diabetic medication prescribed for PCOS took away some of that tiredness.  Really?  Can I have your prescription?

I will say that the highlight of my day had nothing to do with my baking, cleaning or PCOS.  It was when I took youngest to Taekwondo.  On the way home, I commented that she wasn't kicking and punching with enthusiasm when she was facing a partner.  Her response was: "Mommy, some of those kids don't look and I'm afraid I'll kick them over."  Is it sad that I got a giggle out of the image of my child throwing a wild kick and sending another child flying across the room like a bad superhero movie?  You picture a cute little blonde girl doing it and try not to snicker!

Oh, I also wanted to share a box mix that a friend of mine recommended for gluten-free bread.  It is on my list of purchases next time I go to the store:

Day 39 - Butter me up, Baby!

I've apparently lost my mind.  If you find it, please email me.  I am willing to pay the ransom in soup.

I woke up today and glared at the mound of laundry that would be the highlight of my "day off".  I think it grew as I stared at it and possibly snickered.

Once the dryer and washer were full and running, I sat down to look at Words with Friends on my Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi.  Sorry, I just love showing that off.  Anyhoo....

After I caught up on a few games where my letter pool was nothing but vowels...again...I flipped through the books I have on it and went into the Amazon store to see what new free offerings they had.  A Gluten-Free cookbook caught my eye.  I'm pretty sure it is the same one a friend linked to me on Facebook the other day and I was happy to download it and take a look.

As you all know, bread baffles me.  It mocks me. It calls my name.  It deflates like an average woman's ego in a couture shop that only goes to size 4.  I was ready to throw in the towel, make only flatbread and purchase gold-weight priced premade gluten-free loaves.

"But wait!" Delicious and Nutritious Gluten-Free Lunch Recipes: Affordable, Easy and Tasty Meals You Will Love (Bestselling Gluten-Free Recipes) says to me.  "You, too, can make wonderful, tasty easy bread that is gluten-free!"

"I can?" says I. "Tell me more!  Where's the recipe?!?"

Lo and behold, there is a recipe for "Homemade Gluten-free bread"!  I excitedly jumped out of my chair and hurried to the kitchen, pulling out my gluten-free all-purpose flour and bread maker with gusto!  I read the ingredients: yeast, sugar, warm water....all purpose flour?  Not "gluten-free" all purpose flour?  Confused...  It turns out you need to buy another book by this author to make their all-purpose gluten-free flour.  I decide that I will push on and try making it with my purchased, pre-made GF flour.

I follow the instructions and the dough is...wet.  Not springy like normal bread dough, but almost like cookie dough.  I sigh but put it in the bread maker and follow the instructions for baking in a machine.  I'm also thinking I may need a different bread machine, but that is a whole other issue.

So, as my bread machine does not have a setting that disables the "paddle", it is STILL whirring away in the kitchen.

I decided, since I was being so productive, I would make a few more recipes.  I looked up a recipe for apple butter in the slow cooker. Ha! I laugh at all of you with your "amazing" apple butter recipes!  Your recipe is the same one I've been using to make home-made apple sauce except with MORE sugar!!!!!  I shrugged and went to work.  After that, I pulled out ingredients to make black bean soup.

My neighbor's extended family had a loss this week and my thought was that soup would be the best I could do.  Soup is the ultimate comfort food.

Yessiree.  Today, I am thicker than bread, buttered up and full of beans.  If anyone wants them, I will give recipes.

Also, if any of my local friends see the following mix in a store, I would like to try it. I just want to purchase a single bag before going all out and getting the Amazon size:

Day 38 - Sweet Tooth, sweet tooth, go away

I read once that sugar can cause a bodily response that is almost like a drug reaction in the way it becomes addictive to some people.  I think it is similar to the idea behind people having a genetic predisposition toward being overweight.

Now that I've lost half my readers to jargon, I just want to say: Bubbles!

Yeah, back to sugar...

Me: So hungry...
Tummy: You got pudding for the kid yesterday...
Me: No, that's for youngest, not us.
Tummy: Oh come on, one is no big deal.  You got the gluten-free kind!
Me: But...
Tummy: Oh please, you deserve it!
Me: But....*pulls a spoon out of the drawer*
Tummy: That's right...now get that one....doesn't it taste gooooood?
Me: Nomnomnom
Tummy: You know, there is a whole box of pudding in the fridge...

Yeah, I had a cup of pudding.  It was low-fat and gluten-free and I'm ignoring Tummy's urges that I go have another.  I feel like I fight off Tummy on a daily basis and it seems to win more often than me.

On a different note, Panera Bread is going to start selling Oatmeal!  It is ridiculous how excited I am by this.  Yes, there is a chance it will not be completely gluten-free, but it will definitely be better for me than their other carb-laden breakfast items!  Oh the joys of oatmeal made by someone other than me!  It isn't as much of a treat if you have to make it yourself, you know.

I'm also going to try a recipe for gluten-free flatbread.  Now and then I just want something bready for egg salad or PB&J, so I decided this might be my best bet.  I don't have to worry about deflating the dough just by looking at it because its already flat!

Bread dough in a house down the street deflates because I'm within walking distance....

If anyone wants to try it with me, here is the recipe:

Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe

1 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. corn starch
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. water
1 tsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. canola
2 eggs (or flax eggs)

1. Mix all dry ingredients in medium size bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. Grease two 8 in. square baking pans and dust with brown rice flour.
4. Spread half of batter evenly into each pan. Use the back of a wet spoon if the dough is sticky.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes, or until bread pulls away from the sides of the pans.

Substitution Notes: Tapioca starch or potato starch can be substituted for the corn starch. Flax eggs are 1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp. water. I haven’t tried egg replacer since I generally have flax seed on hand.

Day 37 - Mystery in the meat

First off, sorry for not posting every day.  This is rapidly turning into a "post when I can" type of thing with school and everything else.  I also have that tendency to wait until I've exercised (today excluded) and that slows me down a bit.

That said:

Did you know that there is gluten in deli meat???  I had no idea.  Apparently, parts of wheat are commonly used in preservatives and as thickening agents (think gravy/sauces).  Boar's Head over at Harris Teeter has a big sign stating they are gluten-free and it got me thinking.  How much gluten is in average deli meat?

It turns out that it is a decent amount.  Not only is it used as an emulsifyer, but it is used to "enhance flavor" or basically as an additive to the spice content of the meat as well as a way to replenish moisture in a base/broth additive!  Basically, if there is gluten in your deli meat, there is absolutely no way to avoid it because it is soaked into your meat in every possible way!  That doesn't even count all the chemical components they add.  If you're interested, read the article I posted to my Facebook page while I do battle with the Mystery Meat monster!

Me: *eyeing the off-colored mass of something on my plate that is supposed to serve as my protein and has been dominating any pre-packaged diet meals I've bought*
Mystery Meat: *bubbles ominously*
Me: What the hell??? Meat isn't supposed to bubble!  What ARE you?
MM: *bubbles again and this time almost sounds like laughter*
Me: *Grabs a fork and begins stabbing the mass over and over like some crazed Psycho reenactment*
MM: *speaks in a gurgly voice* That's right, get the fork.
Me: Gah! *hides under her chair and calls for hubby but is instead rescued by puppy*
Puppy: *gobbles down the MM happily and wanders away with a burp*
Me: *dreading the next time I walk with the puppy, picks up the plate with hazmat gloves and tongs to soak it in bleach for a week*

It is surprising how many things have gluten in them.  Almost ALL sauces/condiments have some component of whey in them and some have multiple types of gluten added to them.  Really, the only way you can be absolutely sure is if it is labeled "gluten-free".  The problem with it is that the ingredients are less common and therefore more expensive, making the final product more expensive.

My advice to you for the day is the same as it was when I was in elementary school and/or the Navy: Avoid the mystery meat people!  If you can't identify it, don't eat it.

Also, I have posted a list of good choices at the market on my Facebook page.

I'm also posting what I'm reading right now in cookbooks.  If you follow the link, it is a free download to Kindle!