Lunch Dilemma: GF & On the Go?

So, this is my conundrum: we like to travel around--a lot--and with the new dietary restrictions, the ol' standby of hitting Subway or the 'arches' is no longer a viable option.  What to do, what to do?

Well, I got on this kick where I was obsessed with packing a bento box . It seemed the most logical, kid-friendly way to pack a G.F. lunch.  Problem with it is, when I search Amazon.com the bento boxes are really expensive!  I'm fairly broke, but I wanted the cutesy-convenience that these great eco-friendly lunch boxes provide, so here's what I found at Ross Dress For Less (of all places!):

This groovy kitchen gadget is called the "Lunch On the Go" by Fit N Fresh.  Is this just so way-cool, or what?!  I'm in love, especially because this sweet little box cost me under $10.  It was the happy-medium solution to my bento-box cost woes and the tricky menu choices of a kid-friendly G.F. lunch.  Voila!


Today was our 'dry run' test of the 'Lunch on the Go', and it was a smash hit.  We drove to the coast (about an hour plus in a hot car), and played on the beach for a while, and roughly 2 hours later the food we packed was still cool and fresh.  Score! 

Peanutzilla's G.F. lunch consisted of:

• brown rice tortilla, wrapped around 2 slices of Boar's Head ham and cheddar cheese
• Enviro-kids crispy rice bar
• sliced up Granny Smith apple
• Sour Lemon-head candy
• Blue Diamond Barbeque Nut Thins crackers
• bottle of ice-water

This all fit neatly into our new wanna-be bento box, and the Peanut ate it all, and was quite content.

Lunch on the go: Mission accomplished!

I have hope for the upcoming school year.  We will survive 3rd grade lunch without the traditional PB & J sandwich. 

It is 100% Official...Sorta

On Monday, August 15, we went up to Portland to the pediatric gastroenterologist to get our upper g.i. biopsy results, and they were...interesting.

Our G.I. talked to us about what he saw during the endoscopy, and that the biopsy results were indicative of early Celiac disease, but that her results were 'gray' enough that it could also be indicative of another disease/disorder.  Hmm.  That wasn't very helpful, now, was it?

The long story short is that when all the factors were added up, her g.i. history, etc., the diagnosis that best fit was Celiac disease. 

We're already full-swing into a gluten-free diet for Peanutzilla, and for the rest of the rednecks.  The Chubber was tested (blood sample) for Celiac, and he tested negative for elevated antibodies, however the g.i. strongly recommended that he go g.f. as well.  The logic behind the dietary change for the boy was this: since he has a first-degree relative with the disease, he has a very high likelihood of developing C.D., and that its onset could be at any time.  That being said, we're all on an ultra-different diet, for good (pun intended).

'Nuff said for today.

Brown & White Bread--First G.F. Baking & Review

 A behemoth 2.5 lbs. of gluten-free goodness.  Well, sort-of goodness.  I don't know if all g.f. breads taste this way or have this texture, but I suppose in time I'll find out.

Looking at the picture (right) it has a nice golden crust, with a few little air holes hither, thither, and yon. You'll notice that the top of the loaf has a concave area.  This area was not well-done, as the rest of the loaf was.  In fact, this concave area of the loaf was about the consistency of a partially cooked pancake.  In short: eew.

 In terms of gooey-ness -- I'm thinking that where I went wrong, is that I waited until the end of the 'mixing' cycle to 'help' the machine mix the dough.  In the future I will 'assist' the bread machine about mid-mix in order to make sure that all the wet and dry ingredients are fully incorporated. 

The bread itself was fairly bland-tasting.  For years we've eaten hearty whole-grain breads such as Dave's Killer Bread, that have a lot of texture and complex flavor.  The Brown & White G.F. bread tasted very much to me like plain old white bread.  Don't get me wrong, white bread has its place, like for grilled cheese sandwiches, but it certainly isn't something you want to eat very often. 

There is a mild yeasty flavor, but not enough to really give a 'bite'.  The bread itself is very dense, similar to a rye.  I'm not at all opposed to the denseness. 

Perhaps the best quality this bread possesses, aside from the fact that it is gluten free,  is a lovely crust.  When you initially breach the loaf, once it is completely cooled, it gives off a satisfying crunch, which gives way to the subtle resistance you encounter from the moist inside.  I absolutely adore a firm, crisp crust, such as what you find on a lovely San Francisco Bay baguette, purchased fresh from near the wharf--and this recipe has it.

All in all, the kids were clamoring to get a slice of it, and more than once I had to squawk at them to get out of the kitchen and "leave it be!"  The first bite, slathered with real butter, seemed to disappear into both kids' mouths as quickly as ill-begotten contraband candy.  Mr. Redneck didn't express any protests; in fact, he didn't really say anything at all...Hmm, once I asked him he said:

"Decent flavor, not tart like others [gluten free baking] I've sampled.  Not grainy, but a mild crunchiness.  It was pretty good."

Well, I suppose it makes sense that Mr. Redneck was OK with it--he's the white-bread fan in this household, and protested mightily when I started purchasing 'hearty' breads.  I'm glad that he liked it.  As for me, it will take a little tweaking to make it more palatable to my particular tastes.  The kids liked it, and specifically Peanutzilla, the resident Celiac, liked it.  What more can I really ask for?  Happy taste-buds and a soon to be happier tummy.

Round 1 G.F. Baking:  Not too shabby.  Hope is definitely not lost.

Adventures in Baking: Gluten-free edition

When it comes down to brass tacks, I really enjoy working in the kitchen.  Cooking is a chore, it is true, but it gives me an opportunity to be creative.  Sometimes (o.k., a lot) my family isn't all that thrilled with what I come up with.  I have varied tastes, but truth be told Mr. Redneck is just that--a redneck who likes his meat 'n potatoes.  So, when I come out with what I think is a lovely recipe, featuring veggies such as Kale, escarole, or really anything green, I'm met with resistance to outright revolt--and that's just Mr. Redneck!  About the only time my family doesn't cry foul is when I bake from scratch.  Is there anything as lovely as walking in the front door to the olfactory delight of fresh baking bread?

I have traditionally made lovely, carb-y delicacies that go from simple oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Viennese pound cake, to a recent holiday favorite of Crème brûlée french toast.  Did I mention once in a blue moon the posse cheers when I decorate cakes with artery-clogging French butter-creme icing?  I digress.


All that to say, I'm embarking on a new culinary journey of baking my own from scratch gluten free bread.  When Mr. Redneck and I went to the specialty market today and perused the isles for g.f. foods, including bread, we nearly swallowed our respective cud.  G.F. products are expensive enough to earn the label of 'exorbitant' and the bread is the biggest budget buster of all.  Do you realize the average loaf of g.f. bread is costing somewhere in the range of $6.40 per 18oz. loaf?  Cha-ching!  That being said, my frugal little self decided to give g.f. baking a whirl.

Here's the recipe I decided to try out:

Brown & White Bread


                                            Wet Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 tsp. cider vinegar
3 tbs. canola oil
1 1/2 c. plus 2 tbs. water




                           Dry Ingredients:
2  1/4 c. white rice flour
1 c. brown rice flour
1  1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
3 tbs. sugar (I used raw, unwashed)
1  1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. egg replacer, optional (I omitted this)
1/2 c. dry milk
2  1/4 tsp. (one pkg) Red Star Active Dry Yeast

• Combine wet ingredients, place into baking pan.

• Combine dry ingredients, place into baking pan.

• Set bread machine to white/light bread cycle, then start.

• As bread machine begins to mix, help mix any unmixed ingredients with a small rubber spatula, taking care not to interfere with the paddle at the bottom of the machine. (you will definitely have to 'help' the machine mix it--as once my mixing cycle ended, the top third of the dough was still dry powder.  After a little bit of folding/mixing, it resembled sticky cake batter.)

• Once bake cycle is finished, remove loaf from pan, and allow to completely cool before slicing.
• Directions are my paraphrase: see the original recipe for detailed instructions per the author.

Recipe taken from: 
Sanderson, Sheri L. (2002).  Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House


The loaf is in the bread machine as I type.  Tune in next time to find out whether or not my first foray into fresh baked g.f. bread is a hit or a brick.

How the Rendecks Went Granola

Let me introduce myself--I'm Redneck Mama, wife to Mr. Redneck, and mother to The Chubber and Peanutzilla.  We're a fairly average western mid-valley family.  We have 2 dogs, and our claim to fame is our two rabbits (and no, they're not for stew).  We've been married, mostly happily, for 11 years, and our children are 6 and 8.  Like most American families we're not immune to the current economic state or our country, and as a result Mr. Redneck was laid-off his job a couple years ago, and is currently (under)employed as a public-school bus driver.  He loves his job, the kids, and especially 'his' kindergarteners.  I was a stay-at-home-mom/part-time wage earner until Fate tossed Mr. Redneck and I a curve ball, and I found myself feverishly (and blessedly!) finding myself full-time employment as a public school teacher.  I love my job and my students like crazy...but I sill sometimes pine away for the days when I was able to be 'just mama' a little more.  Needless to say, we're far from wealthy according to American standards, but we're comfortable and working on counting our blessings every day.

'Okay' you say, 'so where does this gluten-free stuff come in?'  That's what I'm gettin' to.  To try and cram it all into a nutshell, our daughter has had developmental an neurological 'issues' since birth, and a whole alphabet soup of labels.  We've worked very hard to do right by her and help her to grow and accomplish all that she can.  It isn't easy, and most of the time a root-canal sounds like more fun to us, but it is what it is.  Recently, in June/July 2011 we went to the pediatrician to discuss some intestinal issues Peanutzilla has had for a long time, and we wound up leaving the office with a 'we'll call you' and a blood test for Celiac Disease.  The following week, the doctor called to confirm a positive blood test, and sent us on our not-so-merry way to a pediatric gastroenterologist in the next largest city. 

The pediatric G.I. was a very kind doctor, and through a series of questions, and a conversation about risks/benefits, we had an appointment for an upper-intestine endoscopy and biopsy.  Peanutzilla has had the endoscopy, and we're currently waiting for the definitive 100% results that she does in fact have Celiac disease.  We chatted with the doctor post-op and he showed us full-color photographs of Peanutzilla's esophagus, stomach,  and small intestine.  His 'off the record' diagnosis: Celiac Disease.

On Monday, August, 15 we go in for our hour long follow-up appointment to find out the lab results of the biopsy.  In the meantime, we're treating the doctor's 'off the record diagnosis' as gospel, and are gearing up to go gluten-free. 

It is a steep learning curve, with lots to learn, and even more to adjust to. 

So, this blog is the written journey of how the Rednecks went granola, and their little girl gets healthy.  Thanks for reading our intro, and I hope y'all will stick around and follow us on our new lifestyle journey to health. 

The Redneck Family: Chubbers, Redneck Mama, Mr. Redneck, & Peanutzilla