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Lemon-Lime Coconut Basil Ice & All That’s Nice

This post is linked to Friday Foodie Fix—Basil, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Wheatless Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Food for Fridays, and Foodie Friday.

While I gave up sodas long ago, I still miss them when eating a few things … like pizza or steamed crabs. I knew we’d be having steamed crabs the other evening and I decided to make a frozen “slushie”-type beverage as a healthier substitute. Diane had just featured her Friday Foodie Fix and the secret ingredient was basil. I remembered a recipe that I’d seen in the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine—Lemon Basil Ice made with Meyer lemons. That recipe took almost 5 hours to make—yikes! I wanted something I could whip up fairly quickly. Plus, I didn’t have any Meyer lemons available. I also wanted a beverage that had a little more slush than ice, so I decided to include some lite coconut milk versus just water.  And, I wanted to use my new Boyajian citrus oils, namely the lemon and lime oils, that I’d received as a birthday gift. The recipe below is what I came up with—a very pleasant one to sip while picking crabs or just chilling on the screened porch or deck. Children would enjoy this frozen treat, too—either as a beverage or a spoonable dessert. This recipe also fits the bill for Amy’s (Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free) weekly Slightly Indulgent Tuesday roundup—so, yippeeee, double word score! Or something like that …

Lemon-Lime Coconut Basil Ice (Beverage or Frozen Dessert)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

1 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 cups lite coconut milk, chilled (I used ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk and 1 cup filtered water)
¼ cup honey (or agave nectar, or other sweetener of your choice to taste)
4 drops vanilla crème liquid stevia
¼ cup fresh, chopped or sliced basil
¼ tsp lemon oil (or 1 tsp lemon zest)
¼ tsp lime oil (or 1 tsp lime zest)
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice

In a medium saucepan, heat water over med-high heat until steaming, not boiling. Add basil and let stand 15 minutes. Pour through fine mesh sieve; discard basil. Set in freezer in shallow pan for about 15. It should be thoroughly chilled but not frozen, even on the edges. (It’s not a good idea to add frozen ingredients to one’s ice cream maker.)

In large bowl or blender, add lemon oil, lime oil, lemon juice, lime juice, “basil water,” coconut milk, honey, and stevia. Use hand mixer or blender to blend.

Add to pre-frozen container of ice cream maker. Churn 15 – 30 minutes. Yes, that’s a wide gap of time. Check at 15 minutes to see if the mixture has reached your desired consistency. I really wanted a beverage to sip with my steamed crabs more than a scoopable snow cone like mix, so I was pleased with the consistency at 15 minutes for that purpose. However, I churned the mixture for the full 25 or 30 minutes, and perhaps additional freezing afterwards, might be needed for a firmer ice dessert. Again, I mainly wanted a beverage, so even at churning the full time, I let most of the ice get “melty” and then sipped it as a beverage. Very light and refreshing.

Shirley’s Notes: You can use any sweetener as I stated above, but honey always yields a softer, more scoopable frozen dessert, so I recommend using at least some honey. I used fresh lemon and lime juice; I’m sure that bottled would work, but it would not be quite as flavorful. The lemon and lime oil should not be used with plastic measuring spoons; the oil ate right through the plastic. Next time, I’ll remember to use my stainless steel measuring spoons, which are much better to use anyway. The basil flavoring in this mix is very mild. If you want a stronger basil flavor, steep basil in water for 30 minutes. Finally, if you read the ingredients of lite coconut milk, you’ll see that they are water and coconut milk (and maybe guar gum depending on the brand). The lite coconut milk costs the same amount as the full-fat coconut milk at my store. Why not just buy full-fat coconut milk and add filtered water to make your own lite coconut milk? As soon as I open a can of coconut milk, I transfer it to a glass jar immediately anyway. So now, if I want a lighter coconut milk, I just use a bigger jar and add filtered water. It works great.

~~All That’s Nice …

As usual, there’s a lot going on in the gluten-free blogosphere. Grab a cold, refreshing beverage and read and click!

The winner of my gfe-unique giveaway—a consultation with me on living gluten free easily—is up on my Out and About page.

I just announced that I’m hosting Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger this month. Already we have 10 adoptions! Want to join in? Read more here, but I’d love it if you would. Let’s make this the biggest, best Adopt a Gluten-free Blogger event ever! How about 50 adoptions? Dream BIG!

Widely reported on the interwebs is the free offer from Jules Gluten Free on her Back to School e-book. The offer has been extended through today, Tuesday, August 17. Read more about what’s in the book here and follow links to download your copy. It’s easy and could be a very helpful resource for many.

At my support group meeting last Monday, we watched the gluten-free documentary that has everyone talking—Generation Gluten Free, created and directed by Susan Cohen. Susan and I met in the tweetlightful world that is Twitter not that long ago. Shortly thereafter, Erin (Gluten-Free Fitness) did a “two thumbs up” review of Generation Gluten Free on her blog and Tiffany also wrote a rave review over at celiac-disease.com. Ironically, I had been aware of Susan’s documentary when it first came out, even sharing the link to the trailer and  the ordering info with my group. But, somehow actually ordering the documentary had slipped through the cracks. However, I ordered it last week for viewing with my support group and, thanks to Susan, it arrived in just a couple of days. After our scrumptious gluten-free meal, we all settled in to watch this 42-minute DVD. There were lots of nods, knowing glances, and smiles as we watched the participants tell their various stories of diagnosis, eating out, recovery, participating in support groups, and more. The cost of Generation Gluten Free is $4.50 and that INCLUDES shipping and handling. Many have reported watching this documentary with family members, stating that it was an eye opening experience for their loved ones. Susan did a brilliant job with this documentary. You’ll want your own copy. Jennifer Harris also wrote an Examiner article on Generation Gluten Free. In her article, she shared that there’s a grass roots email campaign to get Susan and the documentary featured on ABC’s Good Morning America. Just email the show at gma@abctv.com and ask them to feature Susan Cohen and Generation Gluten Free. It’s such an easy way to do something to spread awareness. Tell others … we want their In Box full of requests for Susan and her documentary to be featured!

Incidentally, the online Examiner is a great source of gluten-free information. Often the information shared by the gluten-free Examiners (the gluten-free folks writing the articles) is geared to local happenings and gluten-free venues, too, which is nice. You can even subscribe to your favorite Examiner’s articles! (I’m all about email subscriptions myself. I need that little reminder in my In Box.) In addition to Jennifer Harris, some of my favorite folks who are current gluten-free Examiners are Kim Bouldin (also at Gluten Free is Life and Celiac-Disease.com), Tiffany Janes (also at Celiac-Disease.com), and Ginger Carter Miller (also at Gluten Free in Georgia … Finally). FYI: Jennifer Harris also just did this handy reference post on gluten-free lunch ideas. Update: Here’s another comprehensive lunch idea listing from Kim (Cook IT Allergy Free)—Allergen-Free Lunch Box with Brain Power.

Do you know Jenn of Cinnamon Quill? Well, she’s not just sharing her gorgeouso photos with us these days. She started a new site called Gluten Free Feed. Think along the Tastespotting site lines, but gluten free. I love it! Jenn could supply the site with all her great photos alone, but the good news is we can all submit our photos and see them featured. This site offers some real “eye candy,” folks. Be sure to check it out here.

Shauna and Danny’s long-awaited new book, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, will be released soon. You can pre-order it here.

Ricki (Diet, Dessert and Dogs) has a new e-book coming out: Desserts Without Compromise, which is an anti-candida dessert cookbook. It will be available on August 19. Yes, Thursday! Don’t forget that you can order her basic anti-candida book, The Anti-Candida Feast E-book, off her website here. It’s just $5. Can you say bargain? Update: Ricki’s ebook is out and she’s having a giveaway that ends at midnight, August 22. Check it out here. If you don’t participate in giveaways, you can order her new cookbook at the discount rate of $6.95 for a limited time.  And, her Sweet Freedom book is also still on sale via her site. Ricki is also one of the instigators of the monthly SOS Kitchen Challenges. This month’s ingredient is mint. If you’d like to participate in the challenge, read all about it here on Ricki’s site. (Hint: You’ll want to visit just to see her Mint Chip Ice Cream; no ice cream maker is needed for this recipe!)

Looking for more refreshing summer drinks? Look no further than Stephanie’s (Gluten Free by Nature) Frozen Hot Chocolate. It’s gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, but “all that” in every department that matters.

Many folks who can’t tolerate dairy products from cows say they do fine with products from goats, or at least eat them on occasion with no issues. From time to time, I am still eating some goat’s cheese and yogurt that our friends make from their goats’ milk. Heidi (Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom) is hosting a giveaway package that includes Chavrie Goat Cheese. I wasn’t familiar with it before, but it looks like a great, real food product. Check out her giveaway here.  

Jenn is continuing her very helpful educational series called Gluten- Free Substitutions. The latest post is on binding agents. Read more here.

Often when I’m just about to slide down the slippery slope of poor food choices, I’ll see a tweet or Facebook mention of a new post from Melissa at Gluten Free for Good. Thank goodness! A read of almost any of her posts will galvanize you against the times when your lizard brain takes over and you want to eat things that are less than healthy, sit on your rump, etc. This recent post of Melissa’s was stellar in my opinion. I’m still thinking about it and making better choices as a result.

Sadly, I used all my basil for this recipe, but those of you with basil abundance, be sure to join Linda’s (The Gluten-Free Homemaker) Create A Pesto Challenge this month. So far some wonderful recipes—like Kim’s (Cook IT Allergy Free) Pistachio Pesto-Crusted Chicken—have been submitted.

If you have so much basil that you don’t know what to do with it all, follow Kalyn’s (Kalyn’s Kitchen) directions on freezing fresh basil. It sure would be nice to have some basil in sauces and soups in the middle of winter!  Read and see Kalyn’s guidance here.

Kim also just shared an extremely helpful post, 15 Tips on Healing the Leaky Gut. Celiac and gluten issues are leaky gut issues. Leaky gut is also known by its nicer sounding, but more cryptic, name of intestinal permeability. Dr. Alessio Fasano, who is one of the foremost experts on celiac and gluten issues also is well-known for his research on zonulin and intestinal permeability. Read more here. 

It was also Dr. Fasano who recently penned the foreword of the update of Danna Korn’s revised Gluten Free for Dummies book. In it, Dr. Fasano states that “for every celiac patient, five to seven patients are affected by gluten sensitivity.” Tiffany Janes shared this quote in her review of Danna’s book on Celiac-Disease.com. She went on to say the following: “It’s estimated that 3 million people in the U.S. have celiac (and less than 90% of people with it know they have it) so that means if there are only 5 people for every person with celiac, that’s an additional 15 million people with gluten intolerance. Add that to the 3 million with celiac and you have 18 million people in the U.S. who can’t tolerate gluten well. On the high end of the estimate – 7 for every 1 – and you have 24 million people affected.” Staggering numbers. Eye-opening numbers to many. Incidentally, the updated version of Danna’s book got an even better review from Tiffany than the original. Read more here.  As Kim shared in her post, leaky gut manifests as a lot of illnesses and symptoms. Look for a guest post here at gfe tomorrow from someone who experienced a multitude of such issues while eating gluten.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Raspberry-Banana-Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie & Morning Reflections

This post is linked to Friday Foodie Fix–Raspberries and Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free!

I’ve been thinking about making a raspberry smoothie ever since Diane (The W.H.O.L.E. Gang) mentioned that raspberries would be the “secret” ingredients for this week’s Friday Foodie Fix. I knew I could make a raspberry smoothie that would also work as my submission for this month’s Cream of the Crop, Dairy-Free Delights for Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! (note: entries are due to Zoe by Sunday, June 27). So after work yesterday, I made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some raspberries and bananas. When I walked in the front door a short time later, the house felt surprisingly cool considering the fact that it was well over 90 degrees outside and our air conditioning had not been on. Well, that feeling of coolness lasted about 2 seconds. In reality the house was 82 degrees. (We don’t leave the AC running when we’re not at home.) It just felt much cooler in contrast to the outside temperature. Clearly, a cool refreshing beverage was in order while the house cooled down a bit.

I had seen a raspberry banana smoothie recipe while perusing magazines on our recent vacation. It was in a full-page ad for an articificial sweetener, and the recipe used the artificial sweetener and 1% milk. I didn’t plan to use either of those, but I liked the idea of a raspberry smoothie. My favorite way to use berries, by far, is in beverages. So I started with a container of pretty raspberries (just over a cup), a banana I’d thrown in the freezer for 10 minutes or so (my usual stash of frozen bananas has been depleted due to my green smoothie addiction), some chilled coconut milk, a little vanilla extract, and a few drops of liquid vanilla stevia. The smoothie was more of a pudding consistency, so I had to add water. The result was the pretty, pale pink concoction above. It was definitely photogenic and thick like a decadent shake, but after a few more sips, I decided the smoothie was still too thick and lacked flavor. It just wasn’t quite doing it for me.

Incidentally, if you take a look at the top photo, those green stickish leaves in the forefront are what remains of our hosta there. The “sweeties,” aka deer, have had some delicious snacking on that one. Interestingly enough, they don’t touch the hostas outside our screened porch. Are the variegated hostas more tasty to deer? Inquiring minds want to know. Our local critters have been awfully busy of late. A carpenter beer has decided our front deck is a great home site. I think it’s the same one from last summer. He did major tunnel work that time. Although this time he decided he wanted a home on the second floor versus the third. Not wanting to use any type of bug spray, I decided to fill the hole he’d “drilled” to deter him. I used sticks from the yard. Duh. He’s a carpenter bee. Carpenter bees chew/eat wood. He had no problem chewing on and removing those. Finally, yesterday I came up with a solution; a skinny piece of bluestone fit in the hole perfectly. So far, so good. Okay, I feel a little guilty, but not much. One of our resident Carolina wrens already raised a brood on our screened porch after nesting in a basket from a plant arrangement I’d thrown to the side. How did she get in you ask? Well, she hopped in through the holes that the squirrels chewed in our screen trying to get to our garbage when it was waiting to be carried away. (Ultimately, Mr. GFE had to build an outdoor garbage bin that would meet Fort Knox’s standards. The only remedy for the numerous squirrel holes will be installation of all new screen on our porch.) Now Mrs. Carolina Wren, or one of her relatives, has built another beautiful nest in our newspaper box. She flies out to greet me when I go to remove the paper each day. Even though I know she’s going to do this every time, she still startles me. No caffeine needed to jump start my day. One just doesn’t expect a bird to fly at one’s face first thing in the morning, or ever, actually. Did I mention the raccoon tracks on the patio? Mr. GFE says that I’m a true country girl and that most folks would not recognize raccoon tracks. I don’t know about that, but I do know that life in the country is never boring. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I was greeted by a mud dauber a couple of mornings in a row. Finally, I realized that while we were on vacation, our storm door apparently had not been closing all the way and a mud dauber had built its showy mud nest on the door frame, between the storm door and our front door. That was definitely a first! But, I’ve digressed.

Back inside from my yard exploring and photography session, I poured the smoothie back in the blender.  I had some pineapple chunks (in their own juice, unsweetened) in the refrigerator, so I added some … and then some more. As the daylight was fading and the house was becoming cool enough to be comfortable, I finally came up with a smoothie blend that I liked. Flavorful enough, just the right amount of sweetness, and still thick like a shake, but not too thick. It was also very filling and satisfying; a juice glass full would be plenty. So one batch of these smoothies could serve several people, or be savored by one (say moi!) over a few days.  

Raspberry-Banana-Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

I banana; semi-frozen (at least), peeled, and sliced

1 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

3/4 cup pineapple chunks, in their own juice

3/4 cup of full-fat coconut milk plus 1/2 cup of water OR 1 1/4 cups lite coconut milk (adjust amount as needed for desired smoothie thickness)

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 drops liquid vanilla stevia

about 4 ice cubes, or more as needed

In preparation for making your smoothie, if you don’t have a frozen banana, place banana slices in the freezer for about 10 minutes or until at least slightly firm.

Process all ingredients in blender on high until smooth. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Shirley Braden

Now grab a smoothie, put your feet up,  and pretend you’re back in the islands with amazingly beautiful flowers to gaze at (like the ones in the two photos above) and the only nearby, above water critters being skittish iguanas (these guys) and curly-tailed lizards (these guys), the latter who also happen to be very cute … for reptiles. Oh, wait, maybe that reference applies only to me! LOL Seriously, here’s hoping you have had some great summer trips already or have some future ones planned. And, here are some reflections on a few of the my “findings” worth noting this week:

Alta (Tasty Eats At Home) just celebrated one year of being gluten free—congratulations, Alta! Read her outstanding lessons learned post here.

I didn’t plan to do talk about this today, but Alta’s post and an email from a gfe reader with celiac who has been gluten-free for 9 years, but still has no support through friends (or doctors), have both caused me to reflect more than usual this morning. You see … this month is actually my own anniversary for being gluten free—7-years now. First, I’ll tell you that living gluten free can get easier and easier, especially if you take the gfe approach. The key words there are can and gfe. That’s not a shameless plug … I sincerely believe that. But, that initial transition can be a jolt to say the least. It can leave you feeling like a visitor in a foreign land, and one who doesn’t begin to speak the native language. I was scheduled to go on an 8-day, 4-state (Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina), 1800-mile motorcycle trip with my husband a week after my gluten intolerance diagnosis. When I shared that fact with my doctor who had just diagnosed me, she looked at me with an expression that read, that is not a good idea. But, I was not about to cancel our trip (dubbed the caves and waterfalls trips), which we’d been planning for months.

The classic advice for gluten-free folks when traveling is to take a number of gluten-free standby products with you. Some even suggest carrying an extra suitcase just for safe food. Do you know how much room there is to pack anything on a motorcycle? We have a “tail” bag (bag that fits behind me and sissy bar) and two saddle bags, which are fairly skinny. A girl is lucky to be able to take an extra pair of shoes, some jewelry, and a few changes of clothes after packing her requisite leather jacket, leather riding chaps, and rain gear.  In the end, the only food I took with me were a dozen protein bars—very flat, space-saving protein bars, I might add–which I purchased  from the chiropractic business where I still buy my supplements.

Looking back, the coincidental timing of my diagnosis and the long planned trip was a true blessing. I had no choice, but to learn to eat gluten free via the gfe approach. I had to do my own self-guided, combination mini-training session/crash course on living gluten free before we left our driveaway. I had to focus on foods that were both naturally gluten free and readily available everywhere—that meant convenience stores, gas stations, and restaurants. I learned that apples, bananas, nuts, and even the occasional bag of potato chips and protein-packed candy bar could all be satisfying and, sometimes, ”lifesavers.” I homed in on naturally gluten-free menu items like a heat-seeking missile. We stayed at bed and breakfasts throughout the trip, and I did call to ensure that I would be served gluten-free food free of cross contamination. All our hosts were knowledgeable and the breakfasts I was served were delicious and safe. Overall, the trip went amazingly well, and it gave me confidence that I could be gluten free and live in the real world, so to speak.

The most difficult moment came when we stopped by to see some friends of Mr. GFE’s from college. He hadn’t seen them in years,and I had never met them, but we were going to be traveling right by their home so Mr. GFE called and set up a brief visit. However, they had made their own plans to have us eat dinner with them and then convince us to spend the night. The freshly made, and homemade, lasagna had just come out of the oven when we arrived. When we had to decline dinner, I didn’t feel badly for me, I felt badly that they’d gone to such efforts for us and we couldn’t eat with them. Our schedule would not have allowed us to spend the night anyway, but I still felt a bit bad. I’ve long since stopped worrying about such things. The truth is that friends learn to understand or they aren’t truly friends. There are lots of people who will love and appreciate you even if you can’t eat their prized lasagana. The really good friends will start making their lasagna with gluten-free noodles (and learn about preventing cross contamination) so you can enjoy their lasagna, too. Those friends are the gems in all of our gluten-free lives. As I shared in my gluten-free girlfriends’ post recently, you should seek those friends out or be open to the possibilities of such friendships through participation in support groups, chance meetings at health food stores, introductions through mutual friends, meeting folks through online gluten-free forums and blogs, etc. Educate your gluten-eating friends, but if they are not supportive to your new lifestyle, don’t feel badly about limiting your interactions with them to non-food events. None of that advice is earth shattering in its wisdom, but it’s worked well for me for 7 years and I think it will still hold true for the future.

The reader who sent me the email stated: “My once friends do not understand this disease and some think it is all in my head. Do I ever wish that was true, for I can fix that. I had almost died from this disease.” Sadly, I know exactly what she’s saying. I’ve experienced the same reaction with others myself, even with some family members. Celiac, food intolerances, and food allergies are, of course, all too real. One only has to feel, see, or even read about the effects the “poisonous” ingredient has on a person to know this is true. My good friend, Alison, of Sure Foods Living (who also co-founded and co-leads the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin, California), has shared two personal stories recently that, clearly and powerfully, demonstrate the seriousness of intolerances/allergies. First, she shared her own recent experience in Diary of a Gluten Poisoning. Then in her latest post, Adventures in Food Allergy Testing (Part 2: The Results), she details her daughter’s experience in the allergist’s office while undergoing a challenge to see if eggs could be reintroduced safely into her diet. It’s a fairly brief post, but one that will have you on the edge of your chair.  And, both posts emphatically drive home the point that (as my one, dear friend, Jennifer, always says) eating a little bit of a food you are intolerant to is like eating ”a little bit of rat poison.”

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

“Big and Rich” Brownies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free) with Gluten-Free Friends

This post is linked to Food on Friday, Foodie Friday, and Friday Foodie Fix.

As Mr. GFE and I head off for a tropical vacation for our anniversary (yippee on both!!), I thought I’d share one of my girlfriend getaways that took place right before Easter. Normally, this type of post would go on my Out and About page, but I’ve got the Bagels, Buddy, and Me book giveaway up there (be sure to enter!). One of my gluten-free girlfriends, Jennifer, has a river house about 70 miles away—pretty much equidistant from three of us who love to get together. So it doesn’t take much time to drive there, and it’s open country most of the way—very scenic and relaxing. The hardest part is always finding a time we can all get together. We’ve learned to just seize the moment when that window of time seems to magically open for all three of us and only plan on an overnight, 24-hour get together. We arrive one afternoon and depart late the following afternoon. While our time together is definitely short, it’s very relaxed and we pack a lot in. For one thing, we literally only stop talking when we are asleep. Because we’re all gluten free and have known each other for years now, that sense of comfort and safety adds to the relaxation and fun, too. There’s no need to quiz each other in regard to ingredients, possible cross contamination, etc. And, the meals we share are always superb. There is no preplanning. We each bring what we want to share and go from there. Usually those times result in some of the very best meals.

As Jennifer and I waited for our other friend, DeLaura, to arrive, she offered an appetizer. She had stopped at Whole Foods (she’ll admit that she’s addicted to Whole Foods!) and picked up some items, including a package of three lentil dal mini burgers. Oh, my goodness, how delicious those burgers were. They were beautifully browned and had many textures and flavors, including just the right amount of spiciness. They were so good, in fact, that while we could have immediately split the third one, we decided to save it for DeLaura to sample. Besides, we knew that the three of us would be sharing dinner shortly. If you’re curious, the ingredients in the lentil dal mini burgers were: lentils, potato, onions, chickpea four, eggplant, peas, canola oil, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapeno peppers, ginger, garlic, curry powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, chutney (onion, sugar, raisins, apple cider vinegar, canola oil, cilantro, tamarind, ginger, garlic, salt, cornstarch, paprika, cumin seed, cayenne pepper). That’s a lot of ingredients, right? They worked beautifully together. (The price for the three mini-burgers was $7.19, if you’re interested.) Now, if anyone wants to go ahead and re-create these burgers using the ingredient listing, please feel free. I’d love to do some taste testing for you! But, I digress … a bit.

As I shared in my first Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger post, I had successfully made pasta using a variation of Pete and Kelli Bronski’s (No Gluten, No Problem) recipe. I’d topped my noodles in some sautéed mushrooms, but had also brought along shrimp to make the shrimp marinara sauce. I’d also brought the gluten-free, dairy-free brownies I’d adapted from Pete and Kelli’s recipe in their cookbook, Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking.  In addition to the lentil dal burgers, Jennifer had brought eggs from her free-range chickens, avocados, butter lettuce, purple cabbage slaw (another Whole Foods selection), tuna salad (yep, Whole Foods), and a loaf of Udi’s sandwich bread (not from Whole Foods, but another grocery store local to her, Ellwood Thompson, that caters to organic and special diets). She had also stopped at a seafood dealer as she got closer to the water and purchased some rock fish (also known as striped bass). DeLaura showed up with grapefruit, goat’s milk (from her own goats), and almond milk. Are you starting to envision all this scrumptious food coming together?

For dinner, Jennifer suggested making a salad of the avocado chunks and grapefruit chunks. DeLaura obliged. This preppy-colored mix was actually pretty tasty. I admit I’m not always a huge fan of grapefruit because it is so tart, but I’m thinking that a salad using Amy’s broiled grapefruit  (Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free) would win me over completely. Jennifer made the green salad by cutting romaine into smallish pieces and drizzling it with a simple dressing that she made on the spot. (Per Jennifer: The recipe is just some high quality cold-pressed olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, shaken together in a jar.) 

I’d brought a large can of diced tomatoes to use for the Shrimp Marinara Sauce, but only a small can was needed, so Jennifer used part of those to top the pan-cooked rockfish. For our bread, Jennifer had also picked up some of Whole Foods’ gluten-free cheese biscuits, which are very good indeed. We had the purple slaw on the side. Quite a bit later, we enjoyed the homemade brownies for dessert. (See recipe at the end of this post.)

Our evening nightcap was hot chocolate made with almond milk and this mix by Dagoba, which includes hot chilies and spices. I add a little bit of raw sugar to mine, and the resulting taste was perfect.

We slept in a bit (think 7:30 am versus 5:30 am LOL), and chatted some before DeLaura asked Jennifer to lead us in some awakening yoga. (Jennifer happens to be a phenomenal yoga teacher.) We quickly moved the living room furniture so we could slowly go through a session. Limber once again and ready to face the gorgeous day, we were also ready for breakfast. The eggs from Jennifer’s chickens with their golden yellow yolks quickly became extra tasty scrambled eggs. Udi’s bread became marvelous toast. I had just had my March Muffin Madness week, so I shared Honey-Sweetened Corn Muffins and “Sweet Milk” Nut Muffins. Jennifer had some homemade jam.

Next up was a walk to the beach. It was a bright sunny day, but the temperatures remained cool enough to wear a jacket. At a mile each way, our walk was just right for continuing our stretching and body awakening. We were really surprised to see the toll that the harsh winter had taken on the beach. And, we were even more surprised to see hundreds of jellyfish in the water in early April. They came in pinks and oranges, and all sizes. Therefore, we weren’t upset that the river remained icy cold with swimming not an option. Jennifer’s dog waded in as we walked and chatted, and Jennifer and DeLaura followed while I snapped photos. Finally, we picked up a few interesting pieces of driftwood and headed back home.

We packed up and cleaned up for our departure before we enjoyed our lunch out on the deck overlooking the water. Jennifer used the last of the Udi’s bread to make tuna salad sandwiches. She split the remaining lentil dal min-burger, so we all could share. She and DeLaura enjoyed the last of the avocado-grapefruit salad. As we made our final preparations to leave, we even snacked on a brownie (or two!).

The ride home was nice and leisurely as I stopped at some of the interesting shops along the way and listened to an audio book. I picked up some beautiful old linen pieces that have already made their way into some photos here at gfe. It truly felt like I’d been gone for a few days. That’s how great time with friends can be. It was a gfe time, too, did you notice? Our meals and snacks consisted of mostly food that was naturally gluten free, some recipes that were easily made gluten free, some mainstream processed/prepared foods that were gluten free, and a few gluten-free specialty products.

Do you have gluten-free friends? If not, consider joining a local support group to make some friends who are gluten free. The support and camaraderie are invaluable. If you don’t have a local support group, consider starting one. That’s what a friend and I did over 6 years ago. My friend moved on to other responsibilities with her son, but my support group continues to grow and thrive. But, don’t think that a support group has to be a large, complicated matter. It can be as simple as having a get together once a month (or once a quarter) at a restaurant that has a gluten-free menu. Of course, I value all my friends, gluten free or not. As you know, I often eat dinner or take little getaways with my girlfriends who eat gluten, too. We have a wonderful time and I still manage to eat gluten free just fine, but there is definitely something special about getting together with folks who know how to eat gluten free and do it the gfe way. It’s incredibly relaxing—much like eating at Posana Café was because of its gluten-free status. Alta (Tasty Eats At Home) shared a food blogger potluck and another Dallas food bloggers meet-up where she, Amy (who started the group), and a few others met for lunch. Not everyone was gluten free, but just having another buddy who eats gluten free can be a plus. And, Kim (Gluten Free is Life) has shared several gluten-free pizza outings in the past, including this Gluten-Free Tweet-up. (Amy was there, too!) In the name of celiac/gluten intolerance/gluten sensitivity awareness, go out and make a gluten-free friend and get together to eat gluten free!

Big and Rich Brownies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

slightly less than 2/3 cup oil, preferably a mix of extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil (liquefied), with only a little of the latter
heaping 1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar; either works great)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used my homemade version)
¾ cup gluten-free flour mix*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and 8 x 8 baking pan.

Mix all ingredients, mixing well.

Spread the batter in the greased pan. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies test done enough, but are not overcooked. (Toothpick test may still show some chocolate, but not much.)

Cool (don’t skip this step!) and cut into squares.

*As I’ve shared here at gfe before, I can’t always tolerate many of the healthier, gluten-free flours; e.g., sorghum, buckwheat. Therefore, my gluten-free flour mix is 3 parts Asian white rice flour (which is very finely ground) and 2 parts cornstarch. I gently mix three one-lb bags of the Asian white rice flour and two one-lb boxes of cornstarch in a very large bowl and then store the mix in several airtight containers. It’s a very economical mix that works well in most recipes. No refrigeration is needed. However, I’m sure another mix of other gluten-free flours that one would use in similar recipes could work as well.

Adapted from Pete and Kelli Bronski of No Gluten, No Problem and their cookbook, Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking

Shirley’s Notes: No xanthan gum is required. These brownies have a very slight coconut flavor. They are somewhat dense, rich in flavor, and big in size (when cut into large squares like I did LOL, although small squares are good, too), but they are not heavy in any way. They are really very nice gluten-free, dairy-free brownies that all will enjoy. I just made these brownies again for mom and dad and they loved them! Incidentally, another gluten-free, dairy-free brownie recipe that I’ve made in the past and enjoyed very much is this brownie recipe from my friend, Steve (also known as Gluten-Free Steve to many!).

Oh, and when you get together with your gluten-free friends (or any friends) make these brownies to enjoy together!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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