Matthew's Birthday Party

So, my youngest turned 8 this week and we had a few friends over after school.
After last years very popular and MASSIVE star wars party I took it down a notch this year, but the kids said they loved it even more than last years!

We started off with pass the parcel and in each layer was a glider and chocolate, with a bigger prize for the end.

The kids made their gliders while we got some afternoon tea on the table.
They then had snacks and it was time for a glider race, through the clothes airer.
The furtherest glider won, they kept playing that one over and over!

Then we had angry birds where they had to knock down cardboard boxes on to pigs.

They LOVED that too.
Then we had pinata and musical cushions - they also kept asking to do that over and over.

We had lots of fun, even the 9 year olds really enjoyed themselves.

Gluten free buns even my boys love!

I prefer a diet for myself and my family that is low in wheat - if I could easily and inexpensively buy

crackers and other snacky foods, we would have a no wheat diet - until my Husband saw some good looking bread and bought it home!
Arghhh....

BUT, for the food I make, I don't use wheat or sugar.
So, my kids have had a lot of different foods thrown at them (not literally).

They are such good boys. I not long ago gave them raw croquettes. Our rule is that they just have to eat tea, they did very well - as they were really not very nice! I knew it was going to be tough when my husband said "I just can't eat any more"

I let the boys and the husband off that time. My boys are great encourager's, "You did a good job on this tea mum, but it looks disgusting"
 - I am trying to teach them to be honest while learning tact. I don't mind them telling me that, as I am their Mum (we're still working on the tact part!).

We use a grading system so I can decide whether or not to make a certain food again. 1 out of 10 means 'please don't ever think of putting this on my plate again', while 10 means 'I love it'.

So, when I dished up these hamburger buns for the boys and husband, I got 10 out of 10 all round - except my youngest who said he would like it 10 if it didn't have salt on top.

It is a recipe adapted from one at  The Gluten Free Homemaker. I love it because it is quick and easy to make and really, is THE BEST gluten free bread I have ever had - and I have tried quite a lot! I LOVE bread and I can go as far to say that these are even better than any wheat bread I have had - I love them that much.

They also freeze very well and keep well till the next day if wrapped in plastic.

But, more importantly, my kids love it. Easy, GF and the kids love it? Can't do better than that.

Italian style Gluten Free Buns

• 1 1/3 Cup Brown Rice Flour
• 2/3 Cup White Rice Flour
• 1 Cup Tapioca Flour
• 1 T Yeast - I use Allinson Easy Bake Yeast
• 2 t Gelatin powder
• 1 T  Xantham Gum
• 1 t Salt, plus 1 -2 t rock salt for topping
• 1 t Dried Onion, chopped fine
• 2 t Honey
• 1 1/4 C Warm water
• 4 Eggs
• 1 T Chia seeds
• 1/4 C Olive Oil, plus extra for top
• 1 t Cider Vinegar
• Black Olives, about 3, sliced

My metal mussel fritter rings and a frozen bun

1. Preheat your oven to as low a setting as possible. These rise the best in a very low oven. You want it only warm.
2. Spray oil over the inside of some muffin rings - I use ones for making mussel fritters and they are perfect. They are 10cm across. Place these on an oven tray which is also sprayed.
3. Put the chia seeds in 1/4 C of the warm water and set aside for a few minutes.
4. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, olive oil, honey and vinegar.
5. Add in the cup of warm water, as well as the chia seed water and mix well again with a wooden or plastic spoon.
6. Once the wet ingredients are all well mixed, sieve in the brown rice flour. Once it is all in, mix well. 
7. Sieve in the rest of the dry ingredients and add in the dried onion. Mix well, making sure the dry ingredients at the bottom are mixed in. Mix for about 2 minutes, if your arm can stand it!
8. You should now have a good thick looking batter.
9.  Divide the mix among 7 rings and spread with our fingers to the edges. Wet your fingers and make the tops smooth and level.
10. Brush the tops with Olive Oil and sprinkle over the sliced black olives and coarse salt.
11.  Put the tray into the warm oven and allow to rise for about 45 minutes. They will rise about another 1/3 of their height, by this time they are ready to come out so you can heat the oven.
12. Heat the oven to 180 Celsius, fan oven.
13. Cook the buns for 15 minutes, till golden.
14. We eat these straight from the oven, but be careful, they are hot!

Cupcakes. Small packets of sweet deliciousness.

I love baking, but trying to find something wheat free, sugar free and using 'healthy' sweetners - like stevia or dates and maybe honey, is hard going.
Trying to find one my boys like? Almost impossible!

Aha! But this one they liked. In our f amily we rate things out of 10. This one didn't quite get themm both giving 10, but an 8 is close enough!

The  dried strawberry on top adds such a great flavour as you bite through it. We often have strawberries, when in season, so I can give my younger son some variety in his fruit, as he doesn't like much fruit. But, they go off so quick I dried some in the dehydrator. They worked a treat on top of these, as well as staying in good condition much longer. The taste of strawberry is so much more intensified too.
Recipe coming soon.

Wholesome, wheat-free, breadmaker bread. And it's not like a brick!

Since having decided to go wheat free and (mostly) sugar free I have cut back a lot on bread - mainly because they are so expensive to buy and so difficult to make.
 So, when I found a reasonable breadmix but one that was too crumbly, I set about improving on it. It changed a reasonable amount from the one I had, and I am quite pleased with how well it turns out.
 And how easy! You just put all the ingredients in your breadmaker and turn it on.
It is a nutritionally dense loaf, in that it uses brown rice flour and cornmeal. It can also have seeds etc added to it - poppy seeds are good.

 So, following the list below, put all the ingredients in your bread pan in this order -

•  1/3 C Milk, I use goat milk
• 1 1/4 C Water, warmed
• 4 T Oil, I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 t Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 T Honey, runny (needed to help the yeast)
• 1/2-1 t Salt
• 1 1/4 C White Rice Flour
• 1/4 C Medium ground Cornmeal
• 2/3 C Brown Rice Flour
• 1 1/2 t Xantham Gum
• 2 t Breadmaker yeast

Ensure that the flours cover the liquids completely and put on the wholegrain setting. Leave to cook. It keeps well for about 2 days or can be cut when cool and stored in the freezer. It is a little crumbly if sliced too thin, I think that is the case though for breads made without wheat.

Enjoy!

Wheat free oat pancakes. Quick and easy.

Breakfast for me has to be something that is going to fill me up and stop me getting hungry later on. So, I usually try and having some kind of oats - for me they fill me up and keep me well sustained. ( I still use butter as it is beginning to be considered one of the healthy oils/fats.)

• 
  
  1 cup rolled oats
• 
  
  1 cup milk, goat, cow etc
• 
  
  ¾ cup buckwheat
• 
  
  2 tsp baking powder
• 
  
  ½ tsp salt
• 
  
  1 egg
• 30g butter
  

Put the rolled oats in a bowl with the milk.
In another bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the egg to the oat mix, stirring to combine well and then pour it into the flour mix. Add more milk if it is too stiff.
Heat a frying pan till very hot, turn down to just below medium heat. Add a little butter and put spoonfulls of batter into the pan.
When bubbles appear, turn it over and cook the other side quickly. Serve hot with honey, a little butter and chopped up banana.
Yum!

Peanut Butter, Barley, Oatmeal and Chocolate Cookies.

I do quite a bit of baking for my kids and I used to sometimes add sugar for them, but in really quite small amounts. At least as far as most baking today is concerned!
I now however have enough of a retinue of baking recipes that I do not use sugar anymore.
So, here is my recipe for wheat free, sugar free cookies, adapted from Madhuram's Eggless cooking. It gave me the idea and here is my adaptation.


Ingredients -

• 1/4 C Smooth Peanut Butter
• 1/4 C Butter
• 2 D Honey, a light tasting type
• 1/2 t Vanilla
• 1 Egg
• 2 t Water
• 3/4 C Barley Flour
• 1/8 t Salt
• 1/2 t Baking Soda
• 1/2 C Rolled Oats
• 1/2 C Whittaker's Ghana Chocolate, chopped small (or chocolate chips)
• 1/2 C Ricies
• 1/4 C Sunflower Seeds or nuts

Preheat the oven to 180 C and place the racks in the top third of the oven. Place baking paper on a baking sheet, or grease a baking sheet with butter.
In a large bowl mix together softened butter, peanut butter, vanilla and sugar. Mix till it smooth.
Add all other ingredients, if the mix seems too stiff add 1 more teaspoon of water.
Using a desertspoon, spoon onto the baking paper and bake for about 10 minutes, according to your oven. In mine they are done at 10, but I do like my cookies a little soft.
Remove from the oven and leave for a few minutes to cool, then try!
Great in kid's lunches and can be frozen.

Owl buddies (no wheat or sugar)

These cute little guys came about after I wanted a toy to add to a baby basket. I run a preschooler's music group and when one of the families has a new baby we give them a basket jam packed full of goodies.
We always add a toy of some kind, but lately I've wanted it to be more special, so I decided to make them myself.
I drew a basic shape, cut out the fabric, sewed it up and ta-dah!

I really got into it and made a few and my boys of course wanted one each as well.

They are simple and fun to make so why not give on a go?

I haven't yet scanned the pattern in, but if you were keen for a copy I could see if the scanner will be happy to oblige.