Tag: food

Saturday Sweet Talk…

Wiwohka4 Comments

I’ve had sort of a rough week when it comes to food, so I want to give a disclaimer, here. **All testing and results may vary, as I’m not certain if my skills, my stomach, or my taster were behaving properly!**

My baking adventures started out seemingly normal. I gathered up all my ingredients, recipes, and cooking tools…

And, yes, you heard me correctly when I said recipes, plural, meaning more than one…

You see, I found this recipe for a delicious looking Pumpkin bread, but then also saw a recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting. Unfortunately, I can’t have dairy. So, I had this notion that maybe Tofu might work as a comparable substitute for the cream cheese.

There’s a huge number of frosting recipes available using Tofu as a substitute for the cheese, so the assumption was made that it should be a success… right!?

Wrong!!!! I’ve never smelled something this vile in all my days, aside from Salmon, Slime, or that Vietnamese fish sauce stuff. Now, I don’t know if it’s just me, what with my health issues, or if it was truly that rank! I didn’t have the heart, nor the stomach to ask my husband to sacrifice his taste buds… so I tossed it! It smelled like a combination of playdough and that Paper Mache glue we used in elementary school.

I went ahead with the Pumpkin bread idea, opting for a simple maple glaze of my own creation. I’ve shared the bread recipe I chose, below…

Classic Pumpkin Bread

Homemade Pumpkin Bread is a favorite Fall recipe that’s loaded with warming spices and packed with tons of pumpkin flavor. It will make your house smell so good that you’ll forget you just bought a pumpkin spice candle! This delicious pumpkin bread recipe is super moist and both gluten-free & dairy-free.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Cooling Time10 minutes mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: gluten-free

Keyword: pumpkin bread

Servings: 2 loaves

Author: Thriving Gluten Free (thrivinggluten-free.com)

Ingredients

  • 3-½ cups Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Flour
  • 2 cups Pumpkin Puree 1-15oz canned pumpkin
  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Oil I use avocado oil
  • ⅔ cup Water
  • 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1-½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°
  • Generously grease two loaf pans.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
  • Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer on medium speed.
  • Add the pumpkin, then slowly add oil and water. Beating well after each addition.
  • Add the flour mixture and beat on low until well combined.
  • Pour the batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly.
  • Bake for 1 hour or until the center comes out clean with a toothpick.
  • Let the loaves cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes and then turn onto a rack to cool completely.

Did you know that those plastic Ice-cream tubs work great for mixing bowls? Use it if you got it… that’s what I say!

Anyway, I followed the recipe verbatim (exactly as was written), except that I used Olive Oil. Well, I did also switch out the two bread pans for a single 12 inch spring form. (Some of the best places to find specialty cookware is Goodwill, believe it or not!)

It did have to be baked for 80 minutes, in contrast to the 60 minutes for two bread tins that the recipe reflects…

Voila!

Now, I must confess that I used my husband as my taste tester this week… don’t blame me, blame the Tofu! You guys, I couldn’t get that smell out of my head, or out of the apartment for the entire day. It was awful!

To be fair to vegans around the globe, I think that I may have an aversion to Tofu, along with the Salmon that I mentioned earlier. Memory has a funny way of messing with you, sometimes. And, many people use Tofu in a number of ways, swearing by it! So, if you would, kindly go easy on the Tofu community. Let’s just call this one Operator Error, and move on.

All that I did here as a substitute for the frosting, was to make a simple drizzle with 1/8 cup Maple Syrup (any brand will do), 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2 tsp of lemon juice.

My husband gave it 2 thumbs up, and if he likes it gluten-free, you will too!

As for me, maybe it was the Tofu, or quite possibly the Barium sludge I had to swallow the day before, but I don’t know if pumpkin and I can ever be friends again, seriously!

Next week should be far better, as I’m going to tackle a gluten-free, dairy-free, cinnamon roll, or sweet buns, if you like. I’ve never worked with yeast in gluten-free baking, so it’ll be a bit of a learning curve.

Hey, if you’re game, I am! Why, a young King David slew Goliath, with not but a stone and sling, so I am confident that I can challenge a loaf of bread, with not but Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour!

Gluten-free bread baking, here I come. Wish me luck…

Saturday Sweet talk…

Wiwohka8 Comments

As you must know by now, I’ve had to go ala natural with my foods. This means having to rethink every single thing I eat, from the ground up!

Baking sweet things has been my passion from the time I was a small girl, as I talk about my Easy-Bake Oven at every opportunity. Being the tenacious cookie monster that I am, there will be no white flag… no meek signs of retreat, no, no!

Seeing’s as it’s already heading into the holiday baking season, we’ve been afforded the opportunity to begin displaying our favorite sweet treats… even if it is Gluten, and mostly, Dairy Free (I can still bake with eggs, even if I can’t eat them on their own).

For now, I shall bring you a new recipe each Saturday that can replace an old one, thereby, allowing continued baking success for this Wiwookie Monster (I know, that was worse than a bad Dad Joke).

I know that I probably told you about my first successful Banana Muffins adventure, but it was a bit like cheating to be honest. I simply bought a box mix and added water, in a manner of speaking. The point is, it wasn’t homemade the way I’ve always done in the past.

I’m not about to be bested by something as silly as flour or milk, are you kidding me?! No way…

I found a recipe on Pinterest that I’ll share for anybody that’s interested, because it came out so good that you’d be hard-pressed to consider it Gluten Free.

And, there was hardly any sugar added…

https://www.noglubread.com/gluten-free-banana-bread-recipe/

gluten-free banana bread

Gluten-Free Banana Bread

A moist and flavorful gluten-free banana bread recipe that even picky eaters love.

  • Total Time: 75 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

Scale

  • 3 medium overripe bananas
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil (or melted butter)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl using a fork.
  2. Add eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract; stir well.
  3. Add gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix until almost no powder remains.
  4. If using, fold in nuts or chocolate chips now.
  5. Pour the mixture into a greased or parchment-lined loaf pan.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 65 minutes, starting to check at 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the bread sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack before slicing.

I only had two overly ripe bananas and one that was fresh and new, so she suggests that you can add several tablespoons of raw honey to add more sweetness. Besides adding three tablespoons of raw honey to the mix, I opted out of the nuts and chocolate morsels, so as to get a true taste of the banana. I used everything else per the recipe, aside from adding a sprinkling of brown sugar across the top, for that crunchy crust that I especially love.

It rose just as much as a normal gluten bread…

And it was very sweet, moist, and had a bready texture as one would expect from a sweetbread…

I give 5 stars to this recipe, as I only had to add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 3 Tbsps. of raw honey, in order to achieve a Banana Bread Lover’s melt in your mouth sweetbread!

Definitely, two thumbs up!

Tune in next Saturday for the next scrumptious scientific survey of sugary sweets, or possibly savories, or maybe even some soul foods. If you’ve suggestions for any specific scientific surveys you’d like me to try my Easy-Bake hands at, shout it out!

Have a blessed weekend, my sweet WordPress Family.

Remember that God loves you very much! And, so do I…

DIY it!

Wiwohka11 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
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I’ve come to discover, in my older years, how the health and medical systems function… if you don’t have a hole in you somewhere that isn’t fixed with duct tape, don’t bother asking a doctor! All they seem to be capable of doing these days is either sewing things shut, or stuffing pills in your face!

I am exhausted with doctors telling me they see a problem… but it’s just not bad enough to fix… yet! They want me to just wait it out, I guess.

This last 8 weeks have been somewhat of a nightmare for me, if I’m to be fully honest everyone. Not only did my stomach decide to camp with the enemy, but I had to suffer the indignity of both a colonoscopy and an endoscopy and a CAT scan, along with existing off of oatmeal and rice the entire time. What did they discover, you might be asking? With very little concern from the doctor, he found lesions on my liver, a small hernia below my esophagus and a few other apparently insignificant findings.

Here I sit, a week out from the last two procedures, in the same place I’d been in when I sought help in the first place! Just a large amount of shoulder shrugs… thank you so much for all the probing, sticking, and false empathy… makes me want to throw up in my mouth just a bit!

So, with that, I’m back to my DIY, FIY, and LGALG routine… I dare you to try and figure out the last set of initials stand for!

Basically, I’ve had to become what I dub as a slutty vegan! I’ve had to come up with my own version of nutrition, as well as, manage my own pain, which kinda sucks if you can’t take any NSAIDs by mouth. Absolutely everything I need for my body has to come from foods, and the list of what I can even tolerate has come to be very limited. This is the slutty vegan part!

I can have herbal tea, I can drink oat milk in small quantities, and I can eat a decent number of raw or frozen vegetables and fruits, as long as I’m careful. Certain things with too much fiber, or sugars in them really causes difficulties.

No more coffee, caffeine of any kind, chocolate, gluten, lactose, and a sleugh of other items that I’m to tired to list!

Pretty much everything has to be plant based, yay me! I can tolerate a little bit of egg, and chicken doesn’t bother me so this is my slutty compromise to this ridiculous food circus merry-go-round!

You can’t blame me for the overshare bit! Blame WordPress for asking me such a question. They’re just lucky they didn’t lose a finger or something.

Everyone knows not to poke a hungry bear…

Well, you better start eating this stuff cause I can’t, and I’m getting hungry just looking at it!

I Shouldn’t…

Wiwohka14 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Describe your dream chocolate bar.
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I know it’s shameful… I really shouldn’t… but… Ok! You twisted my arm, here. I feel a dream rising from the depths of my sweet, sweet, slumber…

… I knew it was a dream, only a dream…

But to indulge, just this once! Oh that I could melt into this dream, floating away down a smooth and silky chocolate river, toward oceans of sticky caramel…

Oh, wait a sec… back that up! The prompt is only asking about the bar, itself, so we’ll have to reschedule that dream for another time. Let’s try this again…

Ladies and Gentleman, today’s your lucky day! Every visitor is a winner! Now, I know you usually get a cookie for showing up to this game, but today is a special day and you have a once in a lifetime chance to pick a different prize!

**Disclaimer** You only get to pick one. No returns or exchanges once you touch it… duh! And, I shall not be held responsible for any Dentist or Orthodontist charges.

On with the show…

Now, if parties are your thing we’ve got just the right bar for you, my sweet friends…

We’ve got a glorious blend of white and dark chocolate, crafted by the finest artists from the distant isles of Partydom. It’s bar is designed for large gatherings. If the chairs get in people’s way, you can just eat them!

Door number two is for those who like it on the quieter, and more intimate side. This next bar should satisfy your chocolaty cravings…

Minus this strange man, of course!

There, that’s much better! Since the booth is made of the finest of caramels, it won’t melt when you sit on it.

Ahhh, door number three…

This is the perfect bar for the lounger, the slipper wearer, the midnight movie muncher! Its booth is of the finest marshmallows that only get fluffier when you sit on them.

Now, you’ve seen the three different Chocolate Bars to select as your prize, today. What shall you choose?

Will it be door number one, two, or three? Or, perhaps you’d simply like to stick with our usual cookies. I don’t know about everyone else but my teeth hurt from all that sweet chocolate bar stuff.

Sometimes it’s best to keep your dreams simple! Too much of a good thing tends to spoil the dream…

Cookie?

The kind in my Nana’s candy bowl…

Wiwohka6 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite candy?
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My nana always had candy, bowls of it, in fact! She always made sure they were freshly filled for our little visiting fingers, whenever we stayed at her home.

They weren’t always the some, though, because she liked variety… and she knew that we would too. Some days she’d have a mix of peppermint, butterscotch, and cinnamon flavored hard candies. My personal favorite were the butterscotch!

On special occasions, there would be bowls all over her home, in sets of three; one bowl with nuts, one with candies, and one with mixed chocolates. I always cleaned out the little candies, specifically the yellow butter mints. You know, for some funny reason, when I ran across them in a store and bought them, the flavor wasn’t the same… how sad, right?!

Honestly, I think it’s the memory of my nana’s house that I fondly recall, more than the candy. Perhaps it’s better to keep the flavor fantasy, just that… a fantasy, a sweet dream of more innocent times.

I still really do love butter mints, and yellow is still my favorite color, and I doubt that will ever change…

Don’t forget to take a cookie…

Come On In…

WiwohkaLeave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
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Since I’m too lazy to look back and find my answer from last year’s prompt, you’ll get a fresh answer, though it won’t be a so called “favorite”… but it’ll still probably make you hungry.

Our room only comes with a microwave, countertop range (two spots to boil or fry something), a glass mixing bowl, one frying pan with a lid that belongs to a smaller pan, and a handful of kitchen utensils, and there’s no cooking going on in here, unless I want every single item we own to smell like our last meal. For everyone’s benefit, I’ll write about what I used to cook, instead.

There was my mother’s homemade chili, hamburger/cornbread casserole, or her lasagna… that lasagna was to die for!

During my children’s young years was the proving ground for my culinary skills, which were quite undervalued and appreciated, in my opinion. While they may offer mixed reviews, I feel quite accomplished in both cooking and baking. In truth, due to the creation of the Easy Bake Oven, my baking is probably the better of the two.

Meal wise, a sure fire winner would be my Brown Sugar Burgers. But only use the good buns, because the cheap kind always fall apart like wet paper! I think that I may have written about a Chicken, Mushroom, and Artichoke Fettuccini Alfredo, with fresh Sourdough Garlic Bread. Oh well, I won’t bore you with the details, but it was really good!

Dessert wise, I’ve been told that my Snickers Cheesecake was better than ‘you know what’, but my personal favorite desert would have to be in the cake department. It’s a homemade pound cake with French Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting, covered in fresh strawberries. The strawberries were sliced and covered in a sprinkling of sugar overnight. I always used the syrupy juice to drizzle across the top of the cake, right before it was sliced!

Hands down, cookies will always be my prize winner, but sometimes we have to remember the rest of all that yummy food. With that being said, I’ve done my part in offering a sincere answer to the prompt, but there are other things I wish to spend my time doing this morning, so I’m off for now…

You didn’t think I would forget the cookies, did you?

It all starts with butter…

Wiwohka3 Comments
Daily writing prompt
List five things you do for fun.
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There’s nothing like a fresh hot bun, straight out of the oven and smothered in real butter… not the cheap stuff, either!

Anyone who loves eating fresh bread knows that after butter, comes a really, really good fruit preserve like strawberry, raspberry or even like an apple/pear marmalade. Once upon a time, I found a recipe for it on Pinterest, I think, and it was amazing!

Another of my go-to’s for a yummy bun is to tear it open and lay in some really good honey! Now, I’m not talking about the regular store bought honey that’s been processed so much that all you get is the sticky sugar taste… no, no! Get in your car and drive to your local bee farm, where you can pick out your favorite flavor. Trust me, if it’s not fresh honey… don’t waste your time! Unless you want either diabetes or a grueling everyday workout to burn off all the wasted sugar you just ate, get the healthy honey… just sayin.

If you aren’t a sweet flavor fan… try a dab of cream cheese and a slice of ham. This is a sure fire way to make your mouth water, I think. During the holidays, you just switch out the cream cheese for stuffing and/or cranberry sauce… I betcha you’re onboard with me now, right?!

Here is the last, but certainly not the least, of my list of 5 things to do with a bun…

Drum Roll, Please….

Are you ready for this?

……..

Wait for it…

Yup! I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with this one. I don’t know about you, but I can never get tired of a good ole fashioned Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato bun? Am I right?

Help yourself, but if this didn’t hit the spot for you, I left you some cookies, too…