Confessing and scheming

Let's not beat around the bush. Here is my confession: I don't actually exercise.

Have you recovered from the shock yet? Is your jaw firmly back in it's place? Good, coz I'm just about to explain.
I'm pretty much a lazy bum, well established couch potato... and I bake, lots.

is dreaming about cupcakes healthy? Weird?

Here is some background to my confession: I was pretty much sick from the age of 14 - 19, even though I didn't often realise it, or I just thought I was a wuss. So, when I discovered my issues with gluten, I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. It was hope. I actually had the opportunity to be healthy, something that I had wished for over so many years. It was great. I lost that awful bloatedness and lethargy, and actually a bit of weight. But I didn't care about the weight, coz hey, I felt healthy! 
Anyway, I won't go into it, click here if you want to read my gluten story.
One of my pairs of jeans started to fall off me, so I stored it in the back of my wardrobe.

This is some food from my first two months being G-free.

Fast forward to early this year. I had been gluten free for over a year and been blogging for about nine months. Gluten-free cake was my friend and I love experimenting with cooking. I felt great, those sick years felt far behind me.
But then I put on my jeans that I had stored in the back of the wardrobe. I got the fright of my life. It was not a nice feeling, squeezing into those jeans that, the year before, fell off me.
My weight has fluctuated about 7kilos in the last two years. In my defense, Marilyn Munroe's weight fluctuated about 10kgs.
But, as I said, I'm a lazy bum, forgot about it and sat on the sofa eating chocolate. It was great.

The point of all this? The other day it suddenly dawned on me that I've been wanting health for so long, now I have it, why on earth am I throwing it away in my laziness? This lazy lifestyle isn't sustainable and one day it's gonna come back and bite me in the bum.
I have to do something about it now. I don't want to stop eating cake and having fun with food, but I don't want to turn into an unhealthy blob in five years, thankyouverymuch.

This is the kind of stuff I want to eat over these next 3 months.

So, these next three months are going to be my "3 months of health."
Please note: This is not a diet and it is not about weight. I'm not fat, I'm unfit. But I can see this spiraling out of control in the future.
I'm doing "3 months of health" because I know that my personality demands it. I'm unlikely to do anything about it unless I write lists, scheme, tell you guys and set my mind on it.

My mission is:
- To start some form of exercise, it could just be going for walks, I don't care. Just something.
- Concentrate on eating healthy food, especially for lunch.
- Keep a special diary of these three months to track my progress, issues and food.
- Develop a sustainable (ie I'll want to keep living like this) lifestyle around my love for food and health.


I'll be blogging about this over the next few months. If you've got any ideas for healthy eating etc, let me know! I want to share this experience with you so that you can learn from my inevitable mistakes and be aware of how important health is when you've got autoimmune diseases. :)

These are pretty healthy! Yay!

Why am I telling you all of this?! It's coz if I don't, I'll wimp out at some point next month. You guys keep me honest, thanks.

Goodbye waistline, hello heart attack. (Or: gluten-free puff pastry!)

The other day I made a batch of Tartelette's gluten-free puff pastry. I was so excited about it that I pledged, silently to myself, to follow every detail of the recipe. I didn't want to stuff this one up.

See Tartelette's recipe here.

I added the butter to the flour mixture at 8pm on Monday night. I should have followed through with my pledge however, and actually read through the recipe, in detail, before starting.
It says that you've got to do one "turn" every hour, for five hours. Good grief, I had started at 8pm. There was no stopping now though, so I stayed up to 12:30, rolling pastry.
That's dedication.

These are pictures of the sausage rolls I made yesterday. I don't know about other countries, but in New Zealand sausage rolls are kind of an iconic morning tea, party food, nibble that everyone eats and provides at events.
Needless to say, I've REALLY missed sausage rolls since becoming gluten-free almost two years ago. So when the chance came yesterday, I made them!

I was not disappointed. They were amazing, delicious, and heaven help us; very unhealthy. After all, I put 250grams (or more like 275, if I'm being totally honest) of butter in it.

Hello? Did you hear me? 275grams of butter! That's over half a block of butter! But, you know, in my defense I can quote Julia Child: "Fat gives things flavor," and man, that pastry was delicious. However, I think I may have over-stepped the mark here. Heart attack, here I come. (Perhaps I should exercise? Haha, nah!)

The pastry wasn't exactly what I expected it to be, perhaps that's because of the overdose on butter. However, it is the best pastry I've ever made and I will totally make it again one day.

What would you do if you put 275grams of butter in something? Would you eat it all because it tasted so good? Or would you be a good girl and share with other, hungry people who will burn the calories?

I have to confess that I don't want to share this pastry. Mean? Yeah. Goodbye waistline.

profile pictures... help?

When I was writing yesterday's post I had an epiphany. My profile picture is scary and I need a new one.

So today I set out to achieve that goal (yes, future employers, take note) and get myself a half decent profile picture. But seriously, finding or taking a good profile pic is harder than it looks.
There aren't any decent ones of me "in the wild" so I had to consciously take a profile pic myself. I wouldn't let anyone else do it, they'd make me look like more of a dork than I already am, which is pretty dorky already.

This is my current profile picture, it looks ok as a small pic on my blog sidebar, but blown up to it's full size - I look really scary!

Actually, in these pictures I already look like a dork. I certainly felt like one as I simpered and smirked at the camera.

I know, I'll read a cookbook, that's a foodbloggy thing to do! Nah.

Would a weird and extra scary profile pic work for me? augh... I doubt it.

Or a myspace photo? *laughs*

I could try and look really intelligent...

and be extra nerdy by reading and wearing glasses. Nope, I just look like a super dork.

I could bring out my inner hipster and use this pic...

but it would be way too funny and lame.

Perhaps I should go for the cute head-to-the-side look?

Or the Brooke Fraser-esque lips.

Or just look reasonably normal.

Cook backdrop?

I've got something with pursing my lips, it looks dumb.

Augh... I could actually smile? No way!

So, what's your view on profile pictures? Any ideas of what I should do for mine?

Project food blog!

Hey, you might not have noticed, but foodbuzz is running a big competition called Project Food Blog later this year. See that ad on the right? Yeah.
It's kind of like Idol, Survivor, Next Top Model or Masterchef for food bloggers. There are thousands of amazing bloggers participating and only 400 will get through to the next round. Good grief.

So, you'll be surprised to find out that I've entered.*giggles nervously*

Can you see me? I think I need a better profile picture... I look a bit creepy there.

As you all probably know, blogging isn't actually about the bloggers - it's about the readers. Without you guys this blog wouldn't even exist and I would probably end up eating boring rice every day in my misery. Life would be pretty lame. But with you peeps here, reading, commenting and hopefully taking something away to use in your G-free cooking arsenal (even if it's just learning from my mistakes) - life is awesome. And I also get great excuses to make cakes. Thanks!

One of the ways to get through to the next challenge in Project Food Blog is to get "The Reader's Choice" vote.
So, pretty much what I'm saying is: "Vote for me and I will make all of your wildest dreams come true."


Here is my profile, tell me if it sucks.

I can't wait till the competition starts! It's going to be so much fun!

White chocolate caramel cake! (one of the best gluten free cakes I've ever made)

Success!

 "This is quite possibly the best gluten-free cake I've ever tasted!" said geeky younger brother when he bit into this amazing white chocolate cake last night. I have to agree, this cake is wonderful!

It looks dense, but it doesn't feel dense. See that air bubble? Weeee!

On Tuesday night I made Julie Le Clerc's White Chocolate Caramel Cake. I made it with normal wheat flour so that the gluten eaters in my family could taste it and assess it's awesomeness. They will never, ever turn down an offer of cake, so were all very accommodating when I asked them to give me every detail of how it tasted, it's texture and ways I could improve it. I think they all enjoyed making masterchef-esque comments about the texture, pretending to be Matt Preston while deliberating on the pros and cons of the cake. 
The point of all this "cake assessment" was that I wanted to make a gluten-free version of the same cake the next day, and I wanted them to tell me how the G-free version compared to the gluten one.

The result was AMAZING! I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into this, now legendary, cake on Wednesday. I wasn't disappointed. "It's like eating a piece of heaven," my dreamy, over poetic little sister said.

The verdict: The gluten-free one was just as good, if not better than the gluten version. It was really moist and totally delicous. Everyone said that they wouldn't have known it was gluten-free if I hadn't told them.


Tips:  
1. Use a 20cm springform pan. I used a 25cm one for the gluten version, which meant it was just a little bit too thin.
2. Cover with tinfoil while cooking or the cake developes a hardish 'crust' which is quite brown.
3. Beat the icing with an electric or standing mixer, it's much nicer if it's that extra bit fluffy.

One of my new cookbooks! If you ever get the chance to buy this book, it is totally worth it!

White chocolate caramel cake. From Julie Le Clerc.
"White chocolate is intensely sweet but somehow avoids being cloying when cooked within this simple cake."

Cake ingredients:
125g butter
100g white chocolate,
1C firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 C water
1tsp vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1C plain flour
1/3 C self raising flour

Caramel frosting:
100g butter, softened
200g icing sugar
2tbsp golden syrup
2tbsp lemon juice

1: Preheat oven to 180`C. Grease and line the base of two 10cm or one 20cm spring form cake tins.
2: Place butter, white chocolate, sugar and water into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until chocolate and butter have melted and sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3: Stir in vanilla and eggs, then sifted flours. pour into prepared cake tin.
4: Bake individual cakes for 40 minutes or large cake for 1 1/4 hours or until skewer inserted comes out moist but clean. cover with foil if necessary during cooking to prevent over-browning.
5: Ice with caramel frosting made by whisking all ingredients together (in a standing mixer) until creamed and fluffy.




Enjoy!

Chia and Linseed Gluten-free Muesli!

If you asked me what I like to eat for breakfast two years ago, I would have said "Ooh, I don't know! Whatever is in the fridge on toast; preferably tuna, mayo and lettuce."
I used to be renowned for eating weird things for breakfast. Every day was different, one day I'd have mashed potato on toast, another I'd have curry on toast, or coleslaw on toast, or any kind of salad ingredients... on toast. It was all on toast. I've never been into cereals or things that you've got to put milk with.

Sadly, now that I'm gluten-free those days of breakfasting freedom are over. The reason for this is that my gut "doesn't thank me" (spot the euphemism) if I eat too much starch, so I don't have toast for breakfast anymore. I realised that breakfast is the best time to eat fibre and healthy things, so for the past year and a half I've been searching for a breakfast food that I'm happy to eat everyday. - It hasn't happened yet, because I still harbour a craving for breakfast variety, however the following recipe is quite honestly the best everyday gluten-free breakfast that I've ever tasted.

Yes!

Note: I haven't found any certified gluten-free oats in New Zealand yet, but if you live somewhere that you can access them, by all means put add them to the mix! (Unless you're allergic to avenin, the protein found in oats that is similar to gluten... but that's a whole other blog post.)


This really is a "throw anything in" kind of recipe. Have fun, play around with your favourite flavours and textures and you might just stumble on something amazing.

Chia and linseed muesli:
All of these measurements are approximate.
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C pumpkin seeds
1 C chopped nuts
1packet (500grams) dessicated coconut
1/2 C linseeds
1/2 C chia seeds
5 T honey (or to taste, I like sweet. I also mix it up by adding some manuka honey)
1 t ground cinnamon
1 packet (150grams) dried cranberries
1 packet (150grams) dried apricots, chopped into edible pieces
1 1/2 C dried currants
Any other dried fruit around.
Yogurt pieces or nougat if you're being extra special!
Some puffed millet, rice, buckwheat or amaranth etc...

• Heat your oven to 180`C
• Start by grinding your sunflower seeds in your coffee grinder or blender. We don't want them to be finely ground, but they need to be edible. Spread your chopped nuts, ground sunflower and pumpkin seeds between two roasting dishes and pop them in the oven to toast for about 8 minutes.

• Add the coconut and stir. (If you can tolerate oats, add them at this point)

Chia is like a "super seed" it's amazing! I found some at my local Binn Inn.

Linseeds "do the magic" - that is, they're great if you've got constipation because of the fibre content. Sorry, I'll shut up now.

Make sure you grind the linseeds though, apparently they only release their goodness if you soak or grind them.

•  Add the chia and ground linseed before putting the roasting dishes back in the oven for about 5 minutes.

•  While everything is toasting, heat the honey and cinnamon together (hey, use the microwave, it's easy)

•  Stir the honey mixture through your toasted seeds, nuts and coconut.
• Now you can add all of the delicious dried fruit and things, unless you've already eaten them all!

•  Yum looking ay? But it isn't complete yet, you still need to add some 'puff.'

•  Sprinkle over your puff of choice until you've reached your desired ratio of toasted goodies to puffiness. I'd say, probably about 2 cups worth, but it's your choice. Puffed millet is great.

• Let it cool and then store in jars, ice cream containers or zip-lock bags.

Enjoy!

By the way, I gave most of the above mixture to my coeliac sister, she really, really loves the stuff. It's great that I can help her eat healthy as she works her way through her second pregnancy. This is good stuff, man!

100+ Tasty $10 Meals, by Sophie Gray.

If you're a Kiwi and have anything to do with cooking, you'll have heard of Sophie Gray. She's a legend. If you're not from around here, I suppose one way to describe Sophie Gray is "The Nigella Lawson of budget cooking." But she is really humble, I can imagine her living next door or something, you know, like a normal New Zealander, struggling to keep her family well fed.

I was lucky enough to buy Sophie Gray's brand-spanking-new book for 50% off the other day. As soon as I got home with it, my Mum snatched it off me (in a nice way), had a browse and made something from it for tea.

That's the kind of cookbook this is though, it's usable. I should have bought more than one copy, I can see that now, Coeliac Sister and Red-head Sister-in-law have both requested a loan of it, amongst other people. (Pseudonyms FTW!)

Look at the above pictures, can you see how beautifully the recipes and book have been laid out? It's so simple, clear, clean and yet it gives you all the information you need to make delicious food while salivating over the pictures.

One of the main things that makes this cookbook so awesome is that it's about cooking on a budget. I hate to mention the "economic climate," but the truth is that not many people can afford to live without seriously regulating their spending, especially on food.
This cookbook is great for average New Zealanders, on an average income. It's totally usable and every-day (I mean that in the best possible way). I can see heaps of Mums and Aunties cooking from this book for years to come, it's going to be a classic, like many of Sophie Gray's other books.

My Mum is great at living "on the cheap", so much so that we often tease her about it. But the thing is; she can whip up a meal for 10 people for cheaper than you can possibly imagine. Mum is always on the look-out for new recipes and ideas to try, especially since two of her daughters have become gluten-free. So, the new Sophie Gray cookbook was a hit with Mum, she is such a fan that she has filled it with bookmarks. We've been eating Sophie Gray inspired food all week, and no, I'm not tired of it.

 I really, really want to make some homemade ricotta! It looks super easy.

If I was giving out stars 100+ Tasty $10 Meals would get 4 1/2.

If you can buy this book, (or loan it from your library) please do, it is well worth every cent.

Links: Sophie Gray's blog and www.destitutegourmet.com