Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuit Mix

Funny how things change once you have a cause! I didn't post anything on this blog for months and now two consecutive days. If you're going to build a recipe database worth looking up you have to be diligent about it. Figures I'd start something that requires diligence. Seems that's the one thing I am trying to pound into my kids' heads these days. I guess leading by example is required here. Now to convince them that this is a "job" I need to do, something that I started so need to follow through on. Chances are they're going to think I'm just playing on the computer. Sigh. Oh the sacrifices I make. :-)

So, today I'm posting a gluten free biscuit mix. These biscuits have always turned out light and fluffy for me. The mix calls for crumbling the shortening into the mix and storing it all the fridge. With six kids there is no extra room in my fridge so I just mix the dry ingredients together and store in the pantry and then add the shortening later. This mix will make 5 batches of biscuits, about 8 biscuits per batch.

2 1/2 cups rice flour
1 2/3 cups potato starch
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder
3 Tablespoons egg replacer (optional)
15 Tablespoons (1 cup less 1 T) shortening

In a large mixing bowl, whist together the rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, buttermilk powder, and egg replacer. With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until no lumps appear. Store in a 2 qt container in the refrigerator.

Plain Biscuits: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of mix. If shortening was not added to the mix cut in 3 Tablespoons shortening at this time. Add 1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup of water for rolled biscuits or 1/3 cup of water for light drop biscuits. (I make the drop biscuits.) Handle gently and roll out or drop as soon as the dough is moistened. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Shortcake Biscuits: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of mix. If shortening was not added to the mix cut in 3 Tablespoons shortening at this time. Add 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup water. Handling lightly, pat into rounds and put on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Hope you enjoy these! It took me quite some time to find a gluten-free biscuit recipe that my whole family, including the non gluten-free people, would eat. These fit the bill.

Shari

Gluten-Free Pancakes and Blueberry Sauce

So, I set this up and left it. I didn't really feel I had the time to do anything much with it so didn't advertise to anyone and figured it was a long shot for anybody to find. Recently I have been asked by quite a few people for gluten-free recipes that work, and taste good. (For anybody that eats gluten-free you know what I mean!) I got thinking about the best way to pass these along and figured blogs work really well. I jumped back on here and, low and behold, my abandoned blog has one follower! MY, (Maybe someday I'll explain that, she knows!) cousin found me. She might not benefit from these funny recipes but maybe from the rest of what happens here. And, just maybe, I'll actually tell a few people that this exsists.

Along with the recipes I hope to pass on what is going on in our lives. What my family and I are learning about God, ourselves, our friends, etc. Try to explain the craziness that is our life. For example, while writing these few words I have hauled my 11 1/2 month old daughter off the steps. She thinks it is great to climb all the way to the top. I have found a list of cows for my husband that he forgot and left in the coat at home so I could read it to him over the phone. And, I have mediated a yelling match. I'm a pretty fast typer too! And hopefully give encouragement to others so they know they are not alone in their struggles. I am by no means a perfect Christian, woman, wife, mother, teacher, or anything else. I struggle daily with my patience, selfishness, and time management. (One would think I would have a better handle on that last one with all I have going on. Something to work on this year.) I don't want to use this blog to give a false impression of who I am but so others can, hopefully, see the real me and will, again hopefully, see me grow in my Christan walk with God.

So, I will end this blog with a quick gluten-free recipe that I will hopefully be making for breakfast tomorrow. It is nice when you can easily fall upon really yummy recipes when you are in a hurry and just need something now, as happened with this pancake recipe. Most gluten-free recipes call for a bunch of added ingredients to help hold things together or help with the texture. This one worked really well just by substituing the regular flour for a combination of red and brown rice flour. It makes a really nice, fluffy, light pancake that is equally healthy. So, enjoy the recipe Jill and maybe next time we'll have a little more company. ;-)

Gluten-Free Pancakes
1/2 cup red rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon honey (or sugar)

Mix dry ingredients together. (You may double, triple, or beyond this recipe and store it as a mix at this point.) Mix liquid ingredients and then add to dry. Stir just until mixed. Spoon onto hot griddle or pan. Turn when top is bubbly. Enjoy topped with real maple syrup or this blueberry sauce I remember from my childhood.

Blueberry Sauce
1 cup water
1 pint blueberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup sugar (or a substitue of your choice such as honey, maple syrup, agave, or xyletol)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
dash salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Heat water to boiling. Add blueberries and return to a boil. Combine dry ingredients and stir into blueberries. (If using a liquid substitute sweetner just add to the pan by itself.) Cook mixture, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Cool slightly before using.


That's all for now folks!
Shari

The Lost Ruby

Just how harmful is a little white lie? In The Lost Ruby Adolphus von Wildberg learns that even the smallest of lies can hurt those we love more than we know.

In this story Adolphus is given charge of his uncle's most precious jewels and trinkets, including his cross of honor embedded with a brilliant ruby in the center. The country is at war and the retired general, Marshal von Haniburg, fears the approaching enemy may plunder his possessions. Adolphus is told to hide the treasures. He an old Hubert, the forest ranger, are the only ones who know the location of the hidden treasure. Some time later, on the occasion of his birthday, Marshal von Hainburg decided to dress in full uniform and wear his cross of honor. As the cross is brought to him one look is all it takes to realize that the stone in the middle is no longer the original precious ruby. Who could have taken it and what lies have been told to cover this deed?

This story rang true for me as I realized that in our current society white lies are told as frequently as the truth and no one thinks much about ti. We don't take the time to think of those we may be harming. About the character of others we may be damaging. It was a good reminder to me that a lie is a lie no matter how small.

You can purchase your own copy of The Lost Ruby or many other character-building, biblically based stories at www.lamplighterpublishing.com
I will be receiving a free copy of this book in exchange for this review.

New Blessings

We've been enjoying watching our mama goats kid over the past few days. The goats were kind enough to kid while we were home and we only missed watching one but got to witness wet, newborn, wobbly kids. The whole process has reminded us of how God works with his creation and they know just what to do, most of the time. Today was a little different but brought on another blessing. Our goat Valerie kidded today. She has been a pain lately and has been pushing the other four babies around. We had just finished up chores when the kids told me they thought Valerie was going to kid. Daniel and I stayed to make sure everything was ok. This brought the opportunity for me to watch Daniel be very loving and gentle with a brand new baby goat. Valerie had a little girl, Vivian, but didn't want to have anything to do with her. Daniel went right to the baby, cleared her airway then ran in the house for old towels to dry her off. He stayed out there with her until she was dry and fuzzy and up running around. When he realized Valerie wasn't going to let her new baby nurse he took her to one of the other mama goats and worked with Vivian until she figured out what to do and had a nice full belly.

It was such a blessing to me to watch him intereact in such a gentle and loving way. He is our "miracle baby" and Dan and I have said since he was born that God has something very special in mind for Daniel. I can't wait to see what that will be but hope in my anticipation I'm not missing what it already is!

Getting Started

As I play around with this blog, trying to figure out what I am doing, my three month old baby is in the swing crying telling me she would rather I be holding her than typing with two hands. My three year old is running around without pants because he "accidentally" wet his pants - again. My older kids are watching me, more interested in what I am doing than in cleaning the kitchen. And, my garden is waiting for me to come and finish planting the lettuce. I suppose those are all the reasons I figured I never had time for something like this. I guess I've come to the point where I figure I will just take a few minutes for myself since all that will still be waiting for me when I am done. So, we'll see how this goes! Who knows, maybe it will inspire a couple of my kids to start writing more!