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!

Happy Feet

Spring Shoe Parade, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

A funny thing happened on the way to gluten free… My feet got better.

My feet had gotten so tender I couldn’t even stand being barefoot. My shoes had all become torture. Day after day I wore the same soft flat slip-on shoes. Putting them on as soon as I got out of bed in the morning, and taking them off right before getting into bed at night.

It happened so gradually I didn’t really notice until they were quite bad.  My foot problems were overshadowed by the headaches, bone pain and digestive problems. Dozens of high-heels lay forgotten in my closet, I didn't even want to look at them – and this from a high-heeled wearing shoe addict.

Happily, I am back in heels on most days and have even been kicking around the house barefoot... loving every minute of it.

Erin Go Paint Etsy Store

"Mommy's Baking!"

"Artisan Baker gluten-free"
handpainted flour sack towel, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

My daughter goes running joyfully through the house to notify her Daddy... "Mommy's baking!" I bake every week now but she is no less excited. It's all gluten free, and she, and my husband, gobble up the muffins and bread I bake, barely waiting for them to cool.

I was never a baker - probably made 5 cakes in my entire life. Especially from scratch. Any recipe with more than 8 ingredients intimidates me. So I use mixes, and I experiment... adding to the batter to make them as healthy and interesting as possible... canned pumpkin, bananas, berries, yogurt, nuts, etc. Some have been more successful than others, but all have been tasty.

Truthfully, I don't experiment with the bread too much - took me too long to get it right, so I am afraid to deviate. Tweaking the time and oven temperature, how warm the kitchen needed to be for the rise, which rack gave the best results kept me occupied. But, we ate all the trials along the way because this bread is damn tasty and goes fast in our house.

I use Whole Foods 365 Brand Corn Muffin Mix, Muffin Mix, and Sandwich Bread Mix. I recommend these mixes for ease of use and for the excellent taste and texture. Eating these is not missing out.

And, it is very satisfying to have safe, healthy fresh baked goods in the house.

Erin Go Paint Etsy Store