Hurricane Spaghetti

Hermine came and went earlier this week, with little effect on Northern NJ.  I consider it very lucky that she turned out to sea - and hope we can get through the rest of the season with that kind of luck! 
But, that doesn't mean I wasn't ready. After living through Irene and Super Storm Sandy - I do not take hurricane threats lightly.  Best to be prepared with essentials, because we know what bad can be.

So I stocked up on bottled water, batteries, did a little baking, brewed just-in-case coffee, filled the gas tank, had cash on hand, and kept all electronics fully charged.  
And food. 
Gluten-free food that could be eaten as is, or cooked on the stove. We have a gas stove, which has been a lifesaver when we have been without power. (I will always choose a house - and stove - with gas!)

One of the warmest memories I have of Super Storm Sandy is cooking 'Hurricane Spaghetti' by candlelight, while my husband was getting a fire going in the livingroom. We ate dinner that night at the coffee table warmed by the roaring fire, and it is one of the loveliest memories I have. So while I was gathering essentials for Hermine's arrival, spaghetti was at the top of my list.

 Illustration from Simply Gluten Free Magazine, Sept/Oct 2016

 

'Reluctant' Cook

Reluctant. I used this to describe myself here but though I chose that word, it doesn't feel comfortable. And it has remained uncomfortable to me since I wrote it last week. 

It doesn't tell the whole story...  or give an accurate picture.  

Granted I don't have a passion for cooking, but I DO have a passion for eating healthy, eating fresh and most of all... eating safe!  

Cooking gives me that   So I am quite happy to cook.  It gives me peace of mind to know it's safe, to choose what goes in, to know what I am putting in my body - and into my family.  
And sometimes - it is fun!
So why 'reluctant'?  
Because pretty much any day of the week I would rather be making art... drawing, painting, sketching. Or playing with daughter.  Or painting,  crafting and sketching with her! 

My solution.... keeping a small sketchbook handy in the kitchen. So I can sketch between chopping, or while I am waiting between food prep steps.  Ideas come while I handle the vegetables, herbs and spices... or while I daydream looking out the kitchen window.   

Dinner gets made, and dinner gets drawn. All of the art in this post was conceived in my kitchen sketchbook.  

In fact, this piece became this page in Simply Gluten Free Magazine's Sept/Oct 2015 issue.

So it is a win-win situation.

And it is why I have started working on a kitchen coloring book for adults... more to come on that!

If you enjoy my work you can see more at Erin Go Paint

Live Love Laugh Bake!

I have wonderful memories of baking while growing up.  My father loved to bake, he still does. In High School, and when I visited on weekends while in college, Sunday mornings usually began with fresh baked muffins. What a beautiful thing to wake up to!  I would rush into the kitchen hoping they were still warm from the oven so the butter would get all soft and melty.

Live Love Laugh Bake, watercolor & ink, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

My Dad was always experimenting and using whatever he had on hand to add to the muffins... zucchini, carrots, ripe bananas.  We never knew what we would get but they were always so delicious.  Such a happy way to start the day, quietly chatting over warm muffins.

Dad was always the Baker in the house especially for the holidays but when my Mom was ill and rapidly losing weight his baking became a staple in the house. He was always baking something special for her. Especially cream puffs, my Mother's favorite! He baked them in hopes she would or could eat them and put on weight. And I think he hoped, that by eating them, somehow she could be saved.  
He baked love and hope and tenderness into those cream puffs, cupcakes and treats. It was love made tangible and edible.  He baked them full of love and joy.  
And hope. 
Lots and lots of hope.  
And even as the cancer ravaged her digestive system and he knew it couldn't save her, he still baked for her. And it was always joyous, festive and filled with love.

We all enjoyed those delicious moments and many are still crystal  clear even after over 30 years.

After Mom passed, Dad continued to bake muffins every weekend for whomever was home that weekend (we were all in college) and the smell, the taste, the heat, the bonding... over melting butter was a moment of sweet happiness to be deeply appreciated. 
All the more as those moments could be found even in all the grief.

What I learned from it was to...

Live fully

Love deeply

Laugh heartily 

Bake often. 

Bake with Joy, Love and Hope.

And to treasure all the sweet moments.  

Since I'd rather be sketching or painting I tend to use mixes or at least baking mixes and here are some GF mixes and flours I have used with excellent results:
Glutino
King Arthur GF Baking Mix
Betty Crocker baking mixes and Bisquick


For a free pdf printable of my Gluten Free Blessing click here

Paleo Gluten and Grain Free Muffins - Recipe Review

I admit that somedays I miss bread, and I don't mean gluten bread, but any bread. I avoid even the GF flours and baked goods because of too many issues that point to a tapioca intolerance, so I gave up the lot of them. Most days I am fine with it, but sometimes I dream of bread or muffins.  I always had a weak spot for muffins!

When I stumbled on PaleOMG's zucchini apple spice muffins I was intrigued. 

And, honestly not quite convinced that the assortment of ingredients listed could actually achieve a muffin, no less a fluffy one!  Sounded more like a veggie side dish, or possibly an interesting omelet. 

I kept looking at the photo of the finished product, and dreaming of the taste and aroma so I gave it a shot.  My husband came in the kitchen while I was grating and draining the zucchini and said "I thought you were baking muffins?"  I am... hmmm, we shall see.

The recipe was simple enough, needed no complicated equipment or ingredients, and the most time consuming part was allowing the zucchini to fully drain after grating.  I poured the initial liquid off then kept flattening it with a spatula on a tilted plate while I went about other kitchen chores. Every 10 minutes or so pouring off the liquid.  

The recipe yields 9 muffins but I usually make 12 slightly smaller muffins so I can make them last longer.  The last batch I baked went too fast!  They are a new favorite, and staple, in this house which inspired my illustration! Thank you Juli - these muffins are genius! 

RATINGS, from 1-5 spatulas
Time: most timely part is draining off the liquid from zucchini, 4
Ease:  easy to follow, no complicated steps or equipment, 5
Ingredient availability: pretty basic ingredients, 5
Taste:   moist, chewy, not overly sweet, divine, 5

Choice and Taking Control with Gluten-Free Living

My Gluten-Free Adapted Irish Blessing, printable download

Seems to be a new expression around... "I am gluten-free, but not by choice."  I keep hearing and reading that phrase and it irks me.

It sounds like an apology. Like, "it's not my fault so don't blame me for being gluten-free." Understandable to a certain degree as I read the never ending stream of articles written criticizing gluten-free people... "fad diets, trendy, picky eaters, blah blah blah." The problem is the person who says "not my choice" has handed control of their body over to an outside source and given in to the naysayers.  In essence they have given away their power. 
Their power to heal. 
And they could end up missing the opporutnity to take positive control of their health.

Think about it... if you choose gluten-free based on tests, reactions, recommendations, etc you will keep making good choices because you are in control, and you know what ingesting the wrong thing can do to you. And, so you find good substitutes, get creative, and maybe start cooking and experimenting... and as a result you feel SO much better and can do the things you dream of doing!
But, if someone is telling you that you must eat a restricted, difficult diet (their words, not mine!) then it may be approached begrudgingly and cheating can happen - and then you are cheated of healing and vitality!

The point is none of us chose ill health, gluten intolerance or celiac disease. I sure didn't.  But, I did choose gluten-free eating (against recommendations).  And, it turned my health around.
Completely turned my health around!  and rid me of 30+ years of agonizing migraines. 

So if that is what you are working/dealing/struggling with, then gluten free living is the answer. And it should never be an apology.  No one should be denied good, vibrant health. 

And, certainly no one should have to apologize for wanting and striving for good health and quality of life.

"I choose it, and by choosing it I have power and control over my body."

Tapioca - friend or foe?

I may not be a doctor, or scientist or medical expert, but what I am is an expert in my own body and what works and what doesn't.

About a year ago it became apparent that I was eating something that I was reacting to - it was interfering with proper digestion and stripping me of vitamins and minerals (again) and reducing the effectiveness of my thyroid medication.

So I started experimenting with food elimination (I should write a book "Everything I learned I have learned from Elimination Diets") and started to pare down what I was eating in 1 week blocks.  By eating only super safe food within a controlled amount of time, I could introduce possible culprits, and gauge the reactions or lack thereof.  After a year of experimenting and eliminating and re-introducing - I found tapioca, and quinoa (a story for another day) were creating problems for me.

Ah, tapioca... in SO many gluten-free baked goods and flour mixes. So many lovely breads - that my family still enjoys, that I have learned to do without.
Which quite honestly, is fine by me - I prefer to feel good over All Else. Yes, I rather feel good than eat the cupcake!

Luckily I found the The Practical Paleo cookbook and PaleOMG and the amazing muffins and cakes that can be made without flours - and without tapioca!

It just makes me wonder how many celiacs and gluten-free intolerants who are still having issues, would improve with the removal of tapioca?
Is tapioca or your friend or foe?

National Celiac Awareness Day

"Naturally Gluten-Free Pears" watercolor & ink on paper, 5x7, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

Today is National Celiac Awareness Day. September 13th is the birthday of Samuel Gee... In 1888, Gee published the first complete modern description of the clinical picture of celiac disease.

I kicked the day off by answering an email, to a friend of a friend, who is very new to gf eating (as in starting this week) that was looking for some tips from someone she knew.

I am more than happy to share everything I've learned in the last few years. And offer as much support as needed in navigating the gluten-free waters. It gives me a chance to help spread awareness, and also, to pay it forward. I am very grateful for all that I read, learned, and was helped with when I was starting out on my journey.

The early stages can be so damn overwhelming... I know how useful it is to have someone who's been through it to use as a resource and sounding board. The first thing I tell someone starting out on their gluten-free journey is to remember patience. It takes time to get used to and to learn new eating habits, and find the hidden sources. But, with time - and healing - it gets easier. Nothing like knowing how sick you'll get if you go off track - to keep you focused. Then I give them a list of all my favorite gluten-free foods.

What is your #1 tip to share with someone who is just starting out gluten-free?

In praise of gluten-free bread

Artisan Baker, watercolor & ink, 11x14, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

I have found some great gluten-free products over the last year or so. I like to try what I find for two reasons - to support gluten-free manufacturers working in dedicated facilities and in the hopes of finding a real gem.

We hit the jackpot in the frozen section at our local Whole Foods recently and it has become a staple in our house. Against the Grain Gourmet gluten-free rosemary baguette. Gorgeous crispy, flaky crust surrounding a moist chewy airy middle. This bread is a winner and all 3 of us love it! Great with butter, as a sandwich, as a hot dog bun, amazing with sausage pepppers and onions. My husband and daughter are as in love with this bread as I am. And all our guests try it - and our impressed.

They also make a plain baguette, which is good, but we prefer the rosemary.

We keep a few loaves in the freezer and take one out about 30 minurtes before eating. 10 minutes prior to eating pop it in the oven on low to warm it up and ensure a crispier crust.

The heat this summer limited my baking so this bread was a godsend.  We can have yummy bread with fresh baked flavor and texture all without risking my health.

Thanks Against the Grain Gourmet!