Updates to other posts

So PB has strep, the culture was "highly" positive (which seems to mean she had a whole lot of bacteria growing in that little petri dish). She's on penicillin, and is doing ok so far. We are letting her eat a lot of whatever she wants with each dose, as long as it's not a sugar based food. We are pushing the fluids too.

I've caught it as well. Not surprising for most families, but it's my first strep-throat infection and I'm thinking that my body is sending me an urgent message to slooooww down. I'm lying on the floor as I type. I think my head is going to fall off and I want to minimize the distance to impact.

Remember our gluten-free chicken nugget recipe? Here's a fun tip! Last time we made them, I shredded a beautiful zucchini fresh from the garden (unfortunately not my garden). Then we stirred a half-cup into the ground chicken before forming the patties and voila! The kids got veggies and were raving about the nuggets being good enough to start a restaurant around them. Also, I have discovered that Chinese 5-spice is the best seasoning for the breading--with a tiny pinch of sugar. Necessity really is the mother of invention.

Also, I've included a link to another GFCF mom who puts up lots of really good recipes on her blog. I want to try her grilled cheese! I also can't wait to try a pizza with this dairy-free and nut-free cheese.
GFCF Grilled Cheese

Wish List Foods--Nutritional Shake

Before we decided that dairy was causing much of Becca's elimination troubles, we let her drink Boost almost daily (because it is gluten-free). Now, we are really wishing we had an alternative to keep her going on car trips, or at other strange times when a gluten-free meal is not readily available, or when her tummy is cramping too bad to eat solid foods.

Does anyone know of a nutritional drink--chocolate flavored of course--that is both gluten AND caseine (dairy) free? If not, I'm going to start trying to come up with a recipe of our own. I'd welcome ideas from other parents of GFCF kids, or from nutritionists!

Oh, and I do want to mention that powdered mixes would be fine. We can always shake it up with a little rice milk from those individual serving packets.

Home Made Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets Recipe

I found a recipe on the web for making chicken nuggets that are "just like" McD's. Unfortunately it was full of gluten, "just like McD's."

So we reworked it for a gluten-free version (and changed up the seasonings) and the result was a hit with everyone in the family. The only thing that still needs some tweaking is the breading, which turned out a little bit grainy. If anyone plays with this recipe and develops a good variation PLEASE post it as a comment.

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets Recipe:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Egg, beaten OR egg substitute prepared according to package directions

1 Tbl water

Gluten-free seasonings to taste (paprika, sea salt, powdered onion, garlic, white pepper, etc)

OR

Gluten-free beef bouillon powder

2 c. gluten-free all purpose baking mix (ie Bob's Red Mill)

Oil for frying -- Grapeseed or Canola

In a small bowl, beat the 1 Tbl water into the egg. If using egg substitute have it in a small bowl ready for dipping. Pour the two cups of baking mix into a separate, medium-sized bowl. Lightly season baking mix with salt and white pepper, or whatever other seasonings your family prefers.

Cut the raw chicken into pieces and drop into your blender, or just throw it whole into a food processor. Season the pieces with the buillon or your own seasonings and then pulse together until chicken forms a paste.

Heat 1 and 1/2 inches of oil on medium heat in frying pan, or use a deep fryer. Make sure oil is new, or has never been used to cook anything with gluten.

Roll chicken paste into ball shapes (a rounded tablespoon of chicken each). Dip the ball into the baking mix and coat well. Flatten the chicken in your hand until it resembles a chicken nugget and is of even thickness all across. Dip nugget into egg mix to coat and then back into baking mix. Set aside on a dedicated plate until you have a batch ready to go into the fryer.

Deep fry the nuggets for five minutes, turning once if they are not fully submerged. Remove to plate to cool. Serve with dipping sauces or plain.

See attached picture of how ours turned out! If you don't want to go gluten-free, just substitute plain old flour for the baking mix.

Gluten-Free Vegetable Soup

Even if I don't have time to make everything from scratch, and I don't have the money to buy everything prepared, I am finding ways to do "hybrid" cooking.

So tonight, for instance, we took a can of organic, gluten free vegetable soup and threw it in a soup pan to heat. That one little can of soup costs almost $3, and since it's not condensed it's really only meant to feed one.

Enter the creative portion of this whole endeavour. A quarter-pound of cooked hamburger, with a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs and 4 cans of water, goes into the soup pot. Then a chopped zuchini from my aunt's garden takes the plunge, followed by a 1/2 cup of dry gluten-free macaroni noodles.

The results? The soup is still safe for Becca, is chock full of nutrients for everyone who eats it, and costs barely more than the original tiny individual-serving. Best of all....BECCA LOVES IT!