It’s picnic season around here. For some reason, the month of July means picnics as of late for us. Personally, I think it’s the heat multiplied by the lack of air conditioning at home, quadrupled by the fact that the hottest time of the day is at the dinner hour. Oh yea. Neither of us wants to be standing over the stove or the grill for dinner when it’s HOT-HOT-HOT. (Well, HOT for us, anyway. We *are* from snow-country, ya know. LOL)

The Chicklet and I set about to make some bread the other day when I realized I was missing some key ingredients (namely enough raw pepita seeds for the Pepita-Powered Bread recipe we love so.). So, we through together this tasty sunflower seed version instead. My Love came home and immediately declared its seeded quality to be delectable. After filling my sandwich bread with cucumbers, tomatoes and sprouts with a little lemon-tahini dressing, I had to agree. And I’m NOT a seed-raisiny-bread kind of gal.

Even the Chicklet declared this bread munchable as she chewed up a teeny piece – and really, she’s not a bread eater. (Probably just lucked out living in a non-bread eating household then, huh?)

I find myself not eating as much bread as the years going on. Maybe now that I have a great wrap recipe – quick, easy and versatile – I don’t *need* traditional bread. I think it must because after years one just acclimated and the rest of the eating rainbow becomes so much more satisfying. I’ve even grown accustomed to watching my Love eat the fresh bread rolls or sticks that are served at restaurants too. That is – I *WAS* accustomed to this UNTIL a restaurant in our area *finally* got a clue!

On Sunday, we brought the kidlet to brunch at a local chain that serves mostly fish, etc. I knew I could certainly eat the planked salmon and a few fresh salads with local strawberries or huckleberries. It was an easy decision for me, I really was craving a huge fresh salad with salmon. What I didn’t expect was having the waiter listen to my gluten-related questions (ask them even when you THINK you know the answer, people – things change!) so carefully and then smile. He completely KNEW what I was talking about! YES!

Not only did he reassure me that the hollandaise was gluten-free (Yes, he still checked with the Chef… he told me he checks EVERY time someone asks just in case the kitchen has made a substitute or something), but he also suggested that I get some fresh tomato slices under my salmon Benedict. Oh yea! YUM!

AND… THE ICING ON THE CAKE: Instead of bringing over a huge plate of coffee cake and sweet rolls (as this is what each table gets on brunch days), he brought over a HUGE plate of fresh fruit (three kinds of melons, grapes, strawberries and some apple slices) with some fresh whipped cream for us to share.

ROCK ON! Now someone PLEASE tell me: WHY can’t other restaurants clue in and offer someone something besides the ubiquitous bread basket? What about a simple cheese/apple platter instead? Is the cost involved in cheese really that much more than bread? Well… wait.. suppose that depends on the cheese, right? So wouldn’t that be doable? Or hey – just give me a plate of fresh fruit. I’ll be happy every time!

Whoa…. this post ran away from me. And here I was writing about our wonderful Sunflower-Millet Bread that we used for picnics and for French toast… OH! And it makes the most killer peanut butter toast too! The best part: it didn’t fall apart for any of the above either. Just slice it as you eat it and store it in an airtight container on the counter. It was last 5-7 days.

Ay Ay. Sorry for the loopy ride with the posts as of late. My mind is wandering and I am soaking in the baby giggles and chatter. I just know I don’t get to hear them for very long. I’m going to soak them in for as long as I can…. and *every* picnic this summer is served at our local kids-playground or kid-friendly climbing/walking spots. Oh, we love her so!

Gluten Free Sunflower & Millet Bread
Printable recipe can be found here.
Makes 1 – large loaf (I used a 1.5 pound loaf pan)
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/3 cup millet flour (or sorghum if you don’t have millet)
3/4 cup GF oat flour or quinoa flour
1/2 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
1/3 cup flax seeds (not ground/meal)
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 eggs
1 cup warm water (in addition to the 1/2 cup listed above)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar or 2 Tablespoons honey + 1 Tablespoon molasses
4 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1. Heat 1/2 cup water for proofing yeast (not too hot!) then add 2 Tablespoons agave or honey and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast. Set aside to proof for 8 – 10 minutes.
2. In the bowl of your food processor, whirl the sunflower seeds until mostly ground/pulverized. There will still be a few chunky seeds pieces. (NOTE: If you don’t like seedy bread – like me – feel free to whirl longer until completely pulverized.)
3. Pour sunflower mixture into the bowl of your mixer. Add millet flour, GF oat flour (or quinoa flour), potato starch, flax seeds and xanthan gum. Mix together.
4. Mix together remaining water (1 cup), brown sugar (or honey/molasses), melted butter and two eggs. Add this to the bread mixture.
5. Pour proofed yeast mixture over the top of all.
6. Mix for 4 – 5 minutes on medium high. (Start slowly and once the mixture is well incorporated, then turn your mixer up to medium-high and start timing.)
7. Spray a bread loaf pan with olive oil or line with parchment paper. Pour bread dough in to pan and even it out and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
8. Set aside to rise for 35-45 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350F.
10. Bake for 40 -50 minutes UNTIL an internal temperature of 205F is reached.
11. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Loosen from the sides, if necessary, and cool for an addition 30 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing.
12. Store in an airtight container on the counter for 5 – 7 days. Slice as you need to avoid drying out the bread.

Happy GF Picnic Sandwiches!
~Kate and her co-baker, The Chicklet

Our sweet and loving first ‘baby” has passed away. At the young age of seven, Max became suddenly ill and there was nothing we could do to save him.

Our loyal, intelligent and comfort-loving pup will be sorely missed.

Thus the absence of posts as of late.

Life just isn’t the same without the happy greetings with toys at the doors, snacking underfoot while cooking and lounging in the sunshine.

It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for us. We moved in to our first house (this one) and two weeks later, Max came to live with us too. We’d only been married a short while and it was our first chance to have a friend like Max. We enjoyed FlyBall, agility classes, bringing him to work/school, and having an all-around companion for life. He loved Zoe, and would run with us when he would hear her cries through the baby monitor.

Oh! He is missed!!!
~Kate

Okay..what the heck is going on! Time is FLYING! FLYING, I tell you! I completely intended to post this the day after we made them (oh…about the 10th of June). Suddenly, I look up and Father’s Day is tomorrow! Seriously, NOT the 10th of June, huh?

Ah well.
The good news is: I’ve got my BAKE-On again!

Yeap – you read that right. The Chicklet and I have managed to find a rhythm in our play-filled, laughter and honey-I-love-you-so-much-I-could-eat-you-up days. She plays, I play, we laugh, she giggles, she plays some more and I begin to bake, sew, cook, plan, draw, write and live again with her by my side. Oh, it’s even more fun now!

She is dying to figure out the mixer. She really isn’t too thrilled with any food processing noises, but she doesn’t mind the results when the noise yields fresh hummus, pesto, garlic-mayo, crushed sesame seeds and sunflower seeds for breads/rolls, etc. Oh yes, she wants to cook and bake with me!

(Worse: she wants to type with me. It makes writing amazing difficult…LOL.)

I made these cookies and brought them over to a friends with the other, old-school sugary addictions from my way-old cookbooks. I wanted them to taste test for me. Instead, they just ate all of these. The one or two bites the old school, sugar bombs got were followed quickly by commentary about possible trips to the dentist. We set those bad boys aside and finished our fabulous Korean BBQ, roasted corn on the cob and some cantaloupe salad with these little delights for dessert.

I admit publicly that I also gave these cookies to my little imp as her afternoon snack. OH, she was in heaven. And well, I don’t have too much Mommy-guilt. After all, these cookies have hidden wonders like walnuts and flaxseed meal. Just writing about these cookies makes me think that I’ll make another batch tomorrow too.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can vary the nut butter to change up the flavor. You can also add some finely chopped crystalized ginger pieces to add a little flare – or even some raisins to bring them to the comfort zone of old-school.

Whatever you do, just don’t overload them with sugar. These cookies use agave nectar instead. This means that you do have to bake these cookies for 8 – 10 minutes (the Old School ones are bake-free). Just an FYI.

Now – GO GET YOUR BAKE ON! Make some cookies and get your YUMMMMMMM going too!

Gluten Free:  Healthier Nut Butter and Oat Cookies
Recipe makes two dozen tablespoon-drop cookies
(Printable recipe can be found here.)

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup milk (or milk substitute)
1 1/2 cups gluten free certified rolled oats
1/2 cup flaxseed meal (or ground flaxseeds)
1/3 cup almond or other nut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (or 2 teaspoons, you are cinnamon fans!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup crushed walnuts (measure after crushing)

Directions:

1. Put oats, flaxseed meal, nut butter, cinnamon, and walnuts into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Boil butter, milk and agave nectar together for 2 minutes.
3. Pour hot liquid over the dry ingredients.
4. Add the vanilla extract.
5. Stir well to coat all dry ingredients evenly. Set aside for 5 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350F.
7. Drop cookie mixture by the tablespoon on to parchment paper.
8. Bake at 350F for 8 – 10 minutes or until golden. (Baking for this time makes for a softer cookie. Bake for 10 – 14 minutes if you wish to have a firm, crunchy cookie.)
9. Allow to cool before moving to storage container or eating.

Enjoy!

Happy GF Cookie Baking!
~Kate

I love that bed-head stare.

So I picked up a copy of an old cookbook that I have from “Up North” (You, Minnesotans know what I’m talking about…). I started to check out the index as I have just picked up these delicious blueberries that Zoe is crazy about. I thought I would see what things I might make with them and since there were always blueberry-somethings around when I was a kid – I thought this “Up North” book would do the trick.

Ay. Ay. Ay. Seriously. AY.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it seems to me that cookbooks have certainly taken a turn for the better – as have the eating habits of most of the people I know. The cookbook I browsed has some great brunch recipes, but it is sadly lacking in any real fruit/vegetable entries. Those are mainly left to the canned, candied or pickled. The “Blueberry Salad” recipe that I spied in the index and thought “Mmmm.. that sounds good!” turned out to be a no-fruit jello + cream cheese + cool whip concoction that made me a tad…. well… ill. It rather grossed me out, to be honest. I thought at LEAST they could have thrown me a bone and whipped in some fresh blueberries in the end, right? RIGHT? Nope. None.

So, I gave up on the index. The recipe titles didn’t seem to help me as much as the actual ingredients list.

I found the cookie section to be a blast from the past too. OH! The sugar! Oh, for the love of all things SUGAR! Man, happy memories!

Since we were headed to a friends’ house for a BBQ and he is from the Midwest too, I thought I would make him a treat from his good old days too. So here is the “old school” recipe for this cookies. I made an updated, sugar-free, peanut-free cookie that roughly mimics these – only better – and I’ll post that recipe later this week.

For now… enjoy the Old School version. Just don’t tell your dentist where ya got the recipe, k? (And if I were making these all over again? I would cut the sugar back to 2/3 cup instead…. just a word of advice. LOL)

REMEMBER: To make this a gluten-free recipe, be sure to use all gluten free ingredients – including certified gluten-free oats.

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare.  It took me all of 15 minutes to have the cookies on the counter cooling.  Perfect for cooking with toddlers underfoot!

You can find a printable copy of this recipe here.

Gluten-Free, Old School, No Bake Nut Butter and Oat Cookies
Makes two dozen drop cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/3 cup nut butter (I used peanut butter in these)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Put oats, nut butter, cinnamon and walnuts in a heat resistant medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Put butter, milk and sugar into a small saucepan. Melt together over medium-high heat while stirring frequently to avoid burning the sugar. Once the ingredients are all melted, bring to a boil and allow to boil for one minute.
3. Pour the boiling liquids over the oat mixture.
4. Add the vanilla extract.
5. Stir very well. Make sure all of the oats, etc have been coated evenly.
6. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow to cool slightly.
7. Drop by the tablespoon on to parchment paper and allow to cool completely. The cookies will dry and set within 30 minutes or so, depending on your house temperature.
8. Store in an airtight container, or eat off the counter with reckless abandon for your dental health.

Happy Cookies!
-Kate

So, I’ve been trying to find my way back in to the kitchen. I really miss baking and exploring what I can make with different things. However, having an active toddler roam – or rather – speed around makes it difficult to have sustained dedicated cooking or baking time. I’m learning a few tricks that have been working for me.

I can usually get things set up or baking while she naps – WHEN she naps. If she wakes earlier than I had thought, I plunk her in to her high chair for a snack of fresh fruit and rice crackers. However, there are many an afternoon when the nap just doesn’t happen like mama wants/hopes… or maybe even Mama is napping with Baby Lightening too. On those occasions, I’m finding that my organization is what is being put to the test. Here’s what helps *me* keep on top a bit better now that I have two whole months of Mommy-dom under my belt:

• Use small containers to keep ready-to-go mixes for everyday things like the GF Lavash/Sandwich wrap that we make for everything from pizza, sandwiches, toast, pita dips, pretzels, etc.

• Have a plan. Okay, I tried my stab at Meal Planning. It works GREAT when I *have* to have a plan (like when 8 relatives were here for two weeks from Chicago with us!). However, since I’m not good at keeping up with meal planning on a weekly basis, I’ve decided that I’m a 2 or 3 day planner at max. I have on hand things that I can make in to a planned meal. That way, when I have some extra time, I can just prep something for dinner. (Our goal is to eat together as a family every night. So far, the Chicklet sometimes eats while we are prepping our dinner and then “sits” with us (read: sits on our laps) while we eat. I like it much better when we all eat together. I’m sure this will be easier when she is eating 100% of what we are eating, but so far, she eats about 65-70% of what we eat.)

• Use the kitchen conveniences that I have! And use them wisely and when I can. For example: the rice cooker. If we are going to eat rice with dinner, I can easily start it at the end of her nap and have it stay warm until dinner time. This is definitely a HUGE convenience and time saver.  (And now I’m making quinoa in it for lunch salads.  Any leftovers are just eaten at dinner or lunch the next day.  Piece of cake!)

• The crock pot: Well… it’s not getting the work out it should be. I definitely regretted not taking it out yesterday when our house reached 89F inside. I could have easily made our pasta dinner in it without heating up the house further. Let’s just say this: the crock pot is now out and ready to go.  And so are all of the fans (well barracaded so the imp doesn’t lose her fingers).  See here:

Other things that we are doing are not necessarily related to cooking in the moment. But more about how we are spending the money to be more frugal and economical. By taking three months without pay, our life is definitely on the tight-budget until my next “real” paycheck after I return to work in September. This means that when it comes to gluten free eating, we are sticking to what we know works (fresh foods, on sale, homemade, etc) and buying those things that are just too time consuming to make with a new baby in the house.

Instead of making our own pastas, we are shopping at G.F. Joe’s to meet our needs.   Being lucky enough to live near a gluten-free market, I can find somethings that are really time consuming to make – like pasta.  While the dough is a no-brainer, extruding spaghetti is a tad more time than I have at the moment.  However, I am still making my own rice balls and pasta for wide noodle soups.  That’s easy.  It’s just been too stinking hot for me to think about eating soup!  (And a side note:  OH… I *love* Joe’s!   He even had gluten-free ice cream sandwiches the other day. And they are SO GOOD! All organic too… even the gluten eater in the house liked them. While not the same kind of cakey-sandwich I adored as a child, these were a great treat for all in the hot weather.  I’ll post more once I ummm..taste-test again and make sure they are available on a wider market.)

Now, dear readers… here comes my appeal: WHAT am I missing? What MORE can I do to ensure my family eating healthy, wholesome, gluten free goodies together while on a budget and with little or no time to prep?

Got an idea? I could sure use the inspiration! Please share in the comments section. I promise, while I might not be able to answer everyone’s comments or emails lately – I am still reading them!

Thanks for the tips!
~Kate

I’m going to head to the park to find some more ideas.  It’s just much more fun that sitting around a hot house, that’s for sure!  I have a little voice here that agrees with me on that vote too.  :D

Some days are pure magic.

MAGICAL MOMENT #1:   Nature and The Chicklet
Like when the sun shines and the breeze kicks up just enough to blow her little pixie hair bangs about her forward… just enough to make her throw her little hands in the air and chuckle with her smoky -I-need-a-nap giggle. Just magic. These are the moments that I thought we would never experience, to be honest. The little ones – even the ones when she is wearing so much more than she actually put IN to her mouth. These little moments are the ones we longed for all these years.. and maybe that is what we all long for endlessly: time to be and enjoy.

MAGICAL MOMENT #2: My Love… Always Magical to Me
Having Zoe here is certainly making me readjust my schedule. I love it. but to be honest, I miss baking and cooking more than I thought I would. Last night I practically BEGGED my husband NOT to cook and clean everything. (Can you believe this… I was truly BEGGING for him NOT to pitch in like this? Yes.. I married a dream boat!). Alas, the little imp was restless and I had play duty. Cooking was definitely all him but at least I got to request my favorite grilled chicken with corn on the cob. I even had him grill a little extra chicken so my lunch would be less “grab-whatever-is-there-NOW” and more healthy and planned.

Well, I shouldn’t say more healthy. I eat great. Being a gluten-free Mom certainly has it’s advantages and disadvantages. NOT being able to grab something to eat through a drive-through is BOTH. It’s much healthier for my body that I can’t but it *IS* hard when I forget to pack something for *me* to eat during the day. I’m great at packing things for the Chicklet… but me? Yea. I often don’t think that I will get very hungry. Three days ago, however, I found myself with a serious urge to start eating my own elbow. Oh, buggers, was I wickedly hungry!

MAGICAL MOMENT #3:   A Miracle… of sorts
Since that was hardly a possibility, I munched on a pack of sweetened Korean rice crackers that I miraculously stowed in my purse one day for the Chicklet but she didn’t want/need them. (Let’s hear it for not having time to clean out your purse!) While I munched, I plotted: how to get back cooking and baking again. And my first step: begging… failed. But the second? Having my Love grill a little extra so I had easy lunch fixings? A snap!

MAGICAL MOMENT #4:  Discovery
My other little learning curve happy-factor was figuring out that I could use my rice cooker to make quinoa! Hooray! Although my husband is Chinese, he has never seen the “need” for a rice cooker. No one is his family has one – they all just have a dedicated pot to cooking rice. And they are right. It’s not a *need*, but DANG, it is SO helpful when I can’t stand in the kitchen to watch a simmering pot because there is a little more action taking place in the living room with the kid. My Love has even declared our gift to ourselves this winter of a rice cooker as a good call now that the little girl is here. He, too, has no desire to stand around a pot when we can be playing with her!

A couple little tips for you rice-cooker owners, however, about cooking quinoa in your rice cooker are as follows:

• Use the measuring cups that come with your cooker if you want precision, otherwise just be sure to measure the quinoa and don’t eyeball it until you get a hang of it.
• Wash and rub your quinoa grains together *WELL* in a fine mesh sieve before draining and adding to your cooker. NOT washing quinoa makes for a very bitter bite.
• Add enough water to meet the “white rice” or “regular rice” settings on your cooker.
• Cook on the “White Rice” or “Regular Rice” setting.
• Don’t leave the quinoa to stay warm in the cooker for longer than 90 minutes or so. The smaller grained quinoa will continue to cook and can burn in your cooker if you do.

What veggies do you have in your fridge that need to be eaten? That’s what you could use in this salad. OH, it so hit the spot today. It was lovely to have a *lunch* and not to try to munch something – ANYTHING – over the kitchen sink while the little one meanders about foot.

MAGICAL MOMENT #5:  Left Overs can be Magical too!
Use up your leftover veggies and grilled meats. Or use some tofu instead to make it vegetarian. Try olive oil instead of butter to make it casein free. Whatever you do, munch on, people! It’s summer! There are magical moments that require our keen eyes, healthy bodies and joyous hearts!

Ohh yea…. Quinoa Salad Magic! I hope you try it too!

Gluten Free Quinoa Salad
Everything but the kitchen sink or the baby.
Serves 2.5 for lunch
You can find a printable copy of this “recipe” here.

Ingredients:
2 mini-cucumbers, cut into fourths then cut diagonally OR one half of an English cucumber (seedless) prepared the same
1 small tomato, roughly chopped
1 cooked/grilled chicken breast, chopped
3 Tablespoons roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
6 – 8 black or green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 large handfuls of baby spinach, sautéd in a little olive oil with garlic (1 teaspoon minced garlic)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (for the spinach)
1 cup quinoa -washed and prepared following your “white rice/regular” setting on your rice cooker or as you prefer
salt/pepper to taste
DRESSING:
3 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted
zest from one small lemon
juice from said small lemon + 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice to taste
2 teaspoons agave nectar (or honey, if you prefer)

Directions:
1. Prepare your quinoa as you prefer or with your rice cooker as following: Wash one cup of quinoa thoroughly. Rub together the quinoa while cool water runs over it in a fine mesh sieve. Put into your rice cooker and add water for one cup as though it were white/regular rice. Set your rice cooker to cook as though it were white/regular rice as well. Remove the quinoa from the rice cooker within an hour of it being done. Unlike rice, the rice cooker will continue to cook the quinoa (the grains are smaller) and it will eventually burn if left too long. Pour prepared quinoa into a medium/large salad serving bowl. Set aside.
2. Once the quinoa is prepared (or your daughter is down for a nap and the quinoa is done already), quickly sauté your two handfuls of spinach in a drizzle of olive oil. Add 1 – 2 teaspoons minced garlic to the sauté. Remove from heat and put prepared spinach into the salad bowl.
3. Clean and roughly chop the following ingredients: mini cucumbers, small tomato, roasted red pepper, cooked/grilled chicken breast, and the olives. Place chopped ingredients into the salad bowl.
4. PREPARE the DRESSING: Melt the butter. Zest the small lemon into the melted butter. Squeeze lemon juice into butter. Taste. If you would prefer, add a bit more lemon juice (we add about 2 teaspoons more). Add agave nectar (or honey, if you prefer) and whisk together.
5. Pour dressing over the quinoa and chopped vegetables and toss. Add salt/pepper to taste.

Enjoy!
-Kate

Don’t you love the look on her face?
She’s watching a bird fly overhead.
(She’s wearing the hanbok sent with her from her Korean foster mother.)

We spent this Saturday with family celebrating birthdays. Both Zoe and her cousin, J, were born on May 16 – 12 years apart. We celebrated her first birthday with a Tol Party. We had a few friends and family over for a mid-day barbeque. it was great fun. Even the birthday girl laughed her way through the three hour party until she finally sat still and decided maybe she did, indeed, want to take a nap. (Although it was only a 30 minute one much to my chagrin. *I* was tired and we had not only the clean up but then our nephews party that night too!)

We had a gluten-free affair (minus the cake which we got at the Korean bakery). We served jap chae (Korean sweet potato starch noodles) that I made (thus gluten-free), kal bi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs), Korean chicken wings, kim chi (2 varieties – one spicy radish and the other a cool kelp noodle salad), fresh fruit (strawberries, pears, oranges, mandarins, apples, etc) and plenty of rice cakes (about 12 different varieties).

For Zoe’s toljabee (a ceremony where the child is escorted about a table by their father to select two items that represent their future), she chose a plastic knife which means she will be a warrior (think modern day courageous person) and a good chef. She also chose the money (indicating wealth). My husband was a tad disappointed. He had stacked the odds in hopes that she would select something to indicate that she would be a scholar by placing not only a book (although, I later pointed out that he had used my Moleskin sketchbook which would mean that she would become an artist…LOL) but he also placed a ruler on the table (mathematics/science/architecture, etc) as well. While the ceremony was fun, we both know that we just want her to be happy, healthy and whole.

Some people think that I was sad to not have a bite of her birthday cake, but really, I didn’t want it nor do I need it. I’m happy to report that since starting my mindful eating and joining the gym, I’ve dropped two pant sizes. Not too shabby, but I’m not stopping here. My intent is to live a healthier, fuller, more active life. Weight loss, while fabulous and totally necessary for me, is the secondary objective. Having a long life with Zoe during which we can have a million adventures is my primary goal. Next year, I hope to be able to run a 5K. I don’t quite know how I shall train for it with a baby in tow, but I’ll figure something out. If I can’t run it, then she and I will definitely walk it together. We could probably walk that 5k this year… hmm… maybe I will have to figure out the running part. Any tips, people? All ideas welcome!

We hope you are all having a wonderful mid-May and finding ways to celebrate yourselves and each day as well. Seek out an adventure – cook something new! What are your taste buds craving?

Right now… I think I’ll make some three bean salad and chomp on some mini-cucumbers with homemade garlic hummus. Life is good. Don’t you think?

Happy Gluten-Free Life and Adventures, everyone!
-Kate

Finally on Wednesday, too!

Zoe and I made lunch together today. Okay, really… she mainly napped on my back while I cooked after valiantly attempting to whip her head around to be able to see what I was doing. She loved watching me as I chopped and prepped everything. I made these Korean mung bean pancakes (otherwise known as Nokdu bindaetteok)) for her, as I knew she might be familiar with the flavors. The pancakes are often made with pork inside but since we didn’t have any and she’s not really a huge meat eater, I just skipped that all together.

“True” Korean recipes for these pancakes vary, but the reality is, they are quite simple to make and very tasty. You can vary the ingredients you put inside of them to include other vegetables (like red pepper strips, julienned carrot, etc) or meat (typically only a few ounces of ground pork added to the batter before cooking).

(NOTE: Nokdu bindaetteok) *CAN* be made with wheat flour inside. Please do NOT eat these pancakes at restaurants, etc unless you are certain that they are GLUTEN FREE and made with rice flour if you, too, adhere to a gluten-free diet.)

While called “pancakes”, they are really an appetizer (although we combined these “appetizers” with a simple cucumber salad for lunch yesterday. I wanted to give this recipe a test run to see if it would work for the Tol Party (Zoe’s first birthday) that we are planning for Saturday. And while I think these would be well received, the truth is that they taste MUCH better warm/hot and fresh off the griddle than cool. So… unless I keep them in the oven warm while the party starts, I will be in the kitchen cooking during my daughter’s birthday party. (Umm.. yea… I don’t think that will work either.)

I hope you give this recipe a try. It really is easy and quite delicious. While the ingredients *can* be typical (like including kim chi – the cabbage version), you can also make it with just napa cabbage or in a pinch, that shredded cole slaw mix from the grocer will do. Use what you have for the vegetables and you will be pleased.

Even Zoe ate about 1/4 of a pancake!  Kid-tested, but no photo this time to prove that it’s kid-approved.  You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.  She forewent her yogurt for this pancake.  Gotta love an adventurous eater!

Nokdu bindaetteok
Korean Mung Bean Pancakes
Recipe makes 6 – 6 inch pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup split mung beans
1 2/3 cups water
1/3-1/2 cup rice flour
2/3 cup diced sweet onion
1 cup approximately (about 1.5 ounces) thinly sliced cabbage OR cabbage kim chi OR shredded cole slaw mix
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar (optional)
1 teaspoons chili powder (omit if using kim chi; use if just using cabbage)
olive or vegetable oil (for frying pancakes)

For dipping sauce:
2 parts Gluten Free soy sauce
1 part white vinegar
sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Soak the mung beans in the water at least two hours or until soft. (They can be soaked overnight as well. We soaked ours overnight – easier for us new parents…LOL)
2. Finely slice the onion and the cabbage (if not chopped already). Add to a bowl with the salt and set aside to sweat for 15 minutes.
3. Finely chop the green onion and garlic.
4. Transfer the beans and some of the soaking liquid to the bowl of your food processor (or blender) and process to a fine, smooth paste/batter. Add 1/3 cup of rice flour and process again. The batter should become a thick pancake batter that easily drps in clumps off a spoon. If the batter is too thin, add a bit more rice flour. If the batter is too thick, add more of the soaking liquid.
5. Mix together the batter with the onion/cabbage mixture. Add the garlic and green onions. Stir well.  (If using pork, add the ounce or two of ground pork at this stage.)
6. Add the sesame oil, chili powder and agave nectar. Mix well.
7. Into a hot frying pan, add 1 teaspoon or so of your chosen oil. Heat. Scoop about 1/2 cup – 2/3 cup of the pancake batter into the hot oil/pan and fry about 2-3 minutes on each side. (Flip when the edges become a deep, golden brown color around the entire pancake.)
8. Serve the pancakes hot with dipping sauce (2 parts GF soy sauce mixed with 1 part white vinegar).

Happy GF Eating!
~Kate & the Chicklet