Gluten Free Choc Chip Cookies & update

This is the Gluten Free version of the Choc Chip Cookie recipe on my Quasior's HomeSchool Blog! It ends up being nicer than the gluten version, maybe a bit drier but they still melt in the mouth, or maybe it's just been so long ago I can't remember the difference. Anyway its a step by step recipe:

Gluten Free Choc Chip Cookies

Step 1: Cut up 125 grams of butter (nuttlex or butter substitute should be OK for the dairy intolerant) into squares so they'll melt fast in the microwave. (Easy to double/quadrupile/multiply recipe accordingly). They will probably be done in 30 secs.
Step 2: Add into the melted butter 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar and whisk lots. Then add a whisked up 1 egg into the mixture (should be cool enough by now). When it looks like syrupy caramel like above its good.
Step 2: Into another bowl have 3/4 cup each of Orgran All purpose flour/Self Raising Flour, nicely mixed.
Step 3: Gradually add wet mix to dry until it resembles next photo.

Step 4: Fold into mixture your Gluten Free Choc Chips or choc chip substitutes. It will look like below photo.
Step 5: Gently roll the mix into balls that are then gently pushed onto the tray so they look like these below. (Yes, its a pizza tray... I like it because of the widdle holes the warm air can move up through).
Step 6: Put in a non-fan forced oven at 180 C and bake for 10-12 minutes. This is important. The softer and more melty in your mouth you want is you take it out earlier. For example, these two cookies look the same on the upside. If you want a softer buscuit take out a full 2 minutes earlier.

On the underside of the cookies reveals the difference. The darker golden brown means its crunchier and drier, the lighter colour is still cooked its just softer and more moist. Its personal preference really. I prefer the lighter colour or next to no colour.

Again, if your preferences are like my mothers, then you'll want to leave them in for another 4 or so minutes. They should have a good go at breaking teeth at that stage. Her buscuits are frightfully heavy and dense. Some are the equivilent to small rocks. And she eats them. In saying that, she makes very nice slices, biscotti and truffles, only the biscotti is safe from gluten however.

The update is not so good actually. I've been stunted in my quest to lose weight, and my depression is a problem. I've got sleep issues. I've got joint pain. I've got bloating and pain. Lots of these I can pin on two reasons: Gluten sneaking in and/or an unidentified dietry sensitivity, and my anti-depressant/breastfeeding issues. Oh, that and it's winter. I have bad times during winter = want to stay away from people and stay rugged up and in bed all the time. I must be related to bears. (I know that is double meaning and I mean it)!

In other family concerns: Raven has finally been consulted by the paed at the RHH. He seems to feel he has both constipation and diahrea at the same time. He put him through the tests, stool and blood, and will be looking at possible markers for Coeliac Disease amongst a myriad of other possibilites. He won't find any nasty parasites though, not after being put through the rigours of Flagyl quite recently. He finds it concerning that there are such marked levels of intense growth in short periods and large periods of no or slow growth. We won't find out the results until mid way through July.

Dante still has the big D after the Flagyl incident. Monika has had constant D since the Flagyl too. Kai is silent, and Labyrinth always says she's fine (although her behaviour/attention span needs attention so she's going to a psychiatrist soon... but what if it's a digestive concern only manifesting in behavioural type symptoms?)

I'll update as I need to or add in recipes soon. I've been doing some baking/cooking so I'll at least add recipes.

We've Begun...

It's the horrible anti-biotic week - we are all taking Flagyl because Dante had Entomeba Protozoan in his stool sample. The doctor will still screen for Coeliac's Disease though.

I've not been very well over the last few days. Just a flu and a bit of depression. Other than that I've been OK. Bit of Reflux which I thought was history so maybe a tiny bit of gluten snuck into the diet somewhere but didn't have me in fits of pain. Who knows? It's hard to tell at times.

I've certainly had energy today, putting in a garden bed. It was hot work but it certainly was achievable, and instead of being stuffed for the rest of the day I've been quite busy, not fatigued at all. I can feel it in my muscles which is a good thing! I have bursitus in my left shoulder so it copped it a bit. I'm still doing physio to get it back to some semblance of normalcy.

I'm not sure what I weigh at the moment either. I weighed the children the other day though, and Dante is still on the thinner side, but Raven seems to have put some weight on (or the incredibly bloating his tummy had - it was tight and painful for him. - Honestly it is so normal for him to be feeling that way that he doesn't seem to know much different. Poor bugger. He's got that appointment at the paeds coming up early June. It couldn't come fast enough for me.

Some good things though... I've been trying out different recipes for pancakes as I'm concerned about the cost of cereals (particularly when we got GF as a family). So I've tried the pre mixed versions of Organ and Freedom Foods. Andrew didn't like Orgran (Apple and Cinnamon mix, which I quite liked) and I didn't like Freedom Foods so I decided to check it out online. Well, some fantastic guy says he has a whole lot of pancake mix made up of a brand I don't much go on but I like the idea of it being made up and ready to go so it is just a matter of measuring X amount out and mixing in the wet ingredients. So, Andrew agreed and so now I am trying out different recipes.

Todays:
1/2 Cup Buckwheat
!/2 Cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (mostly maize)
1 tb GF Baking powder
1 egg
1/2 Cup Rice Milk
2 tb olive oil
ended up adding in another 1/2 Cup Buckwheat

blended it up and cooked on a medium heat. Incredibly light and fluffy and tasty, or so I thought. The children also loved it. Unfortunately Andrew decided he didn't so I'm going to give a different recipe a go. (I hope its just not his over refined personal tastes getting in the way, as I and my subjecting the children to various GF foods have developed ours.) I'm going a recipe including Quinoa flour next time. Yummy Quinoa... It's the main ingredient to my favourite breads. They stay fresh for up to 3 weeks, and don't have some of the problems that are inherent in many GF breads.
I'm also looking at baking breakfast cakes and rice or quinoa porridge too. I'm still considering alternative options to the sugar covered gluten containing ones.

Yeah, I'm guilty of being unable to eat in my allotted 100 Miles, Quinoa only grows in the Andes, and without rice where would my diet be??? I guess I'm doing the right thing and growing as much as I possible can though (or am attempting to).

Getting better everyday...

But the road is definately one of trial and error. Somethings seem so difficult, other things are really really good and worth all the fuss.
For instance, last fortnight's shop I brought myself some 'treats' like chick pea bites and rice and corn chicken flavoured cakes. These ended up containing gluten (stupid me for not checking, hey they sounded fine). Alas, not the case. The kids ate up the rice and corn cakes but haven't touched the chick pea bites as yet. I thought to myself that it doesn't matter anyways, I've enjoyed munching on sunflower seeds and nuts.
According to the BetaLife program, that's exactly the kind of thing I should be eating to liven up my metabolism. It certainly has changed my energy levels (topping out for late nights but still tired and unable to wake in the morning.) Hey I even got out into the garden for the first time in 4 months to do the weeding yesterday! I think it's not so much my diet that is the issue with my over tiredness but my anti-depressants. Yeah, I know they are suppose to be lifting my mood and giving me energy. They may be lifting my mood (or it may be my health improving expotentially), but they are most probably responsible for my slow morning starts. I was unable to wake until nearly lunch time today. Poor kids!
It may be my anemia, too. It is a real problem for those who have CD and still eat gluten! But I've been really good and avoiding it like it's poison (which in fact it is to me - it causes malnurishment and no end of health issues.) I can't believe all the wonderful changes in my body and my mind since ridding myself of it. So, ultimately instead of eating fish so often I'll be looking at upping my reds next week.
Another side to my situation is I am being inspired to create new dishes, and looking at other Gluten Free blogs for inspiration. I'm going to give making a fish potato bake a go, and a garlic chicken polenta dish a whirl. They seem like they should go rather nicely together. I also probably should buy a GF cook book but I need to buy some boots so I can do gardening/fishing. I also want to get hiking boots. I guess I'll be using the wonderful expertise on the web for some time.
What a wonderful, masterful and expensive machine the Kenwood Chef is. I've already got the mincer attachment, I'm looking at getting a liquidiser/icecream maker/food processer/grain mill in the next few months. They'll end up costing MORE than the machine. Oh, but the culinary places I can go! The money I'll be able to save to be able to grind my own grains, make my own so many things, like icecream.
Andrew (partner) has agreed that he'd like to move bush with me. You know what that will mean? A sheep or two and some goats. I'll make my own fetta/cheese/icecream and milk! I'll put in a food forest and grow my own vegies. I'll have laying chickens. I just have to save some money and get some bank to agree to a loan. He wants to build a subterranian house, kind of inspired by the hobbit holes in LOTR. Its a wonderful dream and we should be able to save around $5000 by christmas without hurting too much. I'll be honing my gardening skills with a green house and raised garden bed and raspberry canes in the next few months that may save us some dosh. Oh, and fishing always helps on the meat quotient. (Even though I be needing a bit more of the reds of late).
My depression is lifting and my head is full of dreams. I just have to get me a writing so I can make maybe a bit more money and get our dream a bit sooner than later...
And on a good note, I've been losing a bit more of the heavy stuff. YA!!!
I'll be brave and post a pic soon so there will be a before shot up... and showing my progress and helping me to keep it up!

Current Weight: 123.4 kg