Baking Adventures with a new allergy?

Life's been pretty darn good the last week.  I finally recovered from being food-sick for a couple of weeks, L and D got to go to a cabin over the Memorial Day weekend (which equals free time for mama!), and I'm back to baking after having to lose one of my most important ingredients.

I got food sick a few weeks ago after cupcakes that I made using my own recipe.  After carefully tracking foods I ate right before getting sick, I have narrowed it all the way down to xanthan gum.  I'm pretty damn devastated.  There are other gums, and I've been experimenting, but nothing works like xanthan does.  PLUS, all the packaged foods (don't judge!) that I thought I could eat have xanthan in them.   Tortillas, bars, cookies, non-dairy cream cheese, non-dairy ice cream, non-dairy milks, and cakes all tend to have gums (most of the time xanthan) in them to help with the loss of gluten for texture and structure.  Besides the cream cheese I can make all of these myself, or find other substitutes.  I'm guessing if I try hard enough I could find a recipe for fake cream cheese that would work.  But, meh., ain't nobody got time for that!

At least now I know why sometimes I felt a little sick or foggy-brained when I ate my favorite packaged foods.

The biggest blow for me isn't even food, but something I use twice a day--toothpaste.  So far I have not found a toothpaste that does not have xanthan gum in it...even the weird gritty stuff they use at the dentist's office when you get your teeth cleaned has xanthan in it.  Boo!  The next logical thing for me to do is make my own....I bought all the stuff to do it.  It's been sitting on the counter in my bathroom for 4 days.  I guess the turn off for me isn't that I will be using homemade toothpaste (don't worry I've still been brushing and using mouthwash!), it's that somehow I'm becoming more and more of a greener.  Don't get me wrong--I recycle EVERYTHING, I used cloth diapers for L, I buy almost only organic foods and toiletries, hubster makes his own hard cider and moonshine, we only eat grassfed beef for FSM's sake!  I don't mind being labeled a greener, it's just that until now it's always been a choice.  I guess it's the control freak in me...I just really like to decide things for myself, and after already having to lose so many delicious foods FOREVER, I've now got something else I can't have. =/

Well, back to the good stuff.....I made my Pumpkin Flax Muffin recipe to experiment.  I did it two

ways....with guar gum in place of the xanthan, and without any gums.

They both taste delicious!  But, if you ask me that's all the good that came from it. D says I'm being too picky....eh, probably.

The one with guar was much better, the texture is almost the same as if I used xanthan.  They rose a little differently than they should have, and were a little too airy, though. 
                                                       

Muffins with guar before...

With guar after....

Muffins without gum.

The one with no gum is very squishy and fell quite a bit after it's initial rise in the oven.  Here is what it looked like after coming out of the oven....see how it's cracked on the top?  It was super crumbly as well. 
Ps. Do you like my Halloween cupcake liners??


I'm going to do some more experimenting in the next week or so with chia and psyllium husk, I'll let you know how it goes.


But in the mean time my chocolate chip cookies are still good!  Cookies don't need gums, so no biggie there.  I'll give you the recipe for those when I finish tweaking it just so.

One other rant:  I suck at using programs like these!  Please excuse the big spaces between the pictures and whatever other crap you think looks like crap....I'll figure this shit out if it kills me!!

Yer mom's busy!

Ahhhh...the life of a working mom is busy fer sure....

Hmm..not much to update, but figure you all deserve a post every now and then (or maybe I just like to talk to myself).

I've been unsuccessfully trying new-to-me mixes.  Almost every mix on the market calls for eggs, so sometimes, or lets be honest, most of the time egg replacement doesn't work well...think fallen cakes, squishy cupcakes, weird mound shaped cookies with doughy centers...sound delish right?  (in the words of Borat and elementary school children everywhere--well from the 90's anyhow)  NOT!!

So here are some egg replacements how they are used and what I think of them:


EnerG Egg Replacer--made in Seattle, so it gets a bonus point from me for being local.  Don't let the pictures on the box fool you though, this replacer works okay for replacing one egg in a baked recipe---and forget about the quiche looking goody on the box!  If you need to replace more than one egg you're gonna have to upgrade.  (this also contains potato starch--so people sensitive or allergic to nightshades, beware!)  Directions are on the box on how to utilize this product

Applesauce or Bananas--both work pretty well for replacing one egg, although if you're making brownies expect to have a more cakey and less fudgy texture, bonus--fruit is good!  If using applesauce you'll want to use 1/4c for every egg.  If using banana 1/2 a mashed (medium sized) banana=an egg.  You can replace up to 3 eggs with this method, but know that the texture will be different!!

Ground Flax/Flax Meal--this stuff works wonderfully!  I almost always use it instead of eggs.  I've replaced up to 3 eggs in a recipe with success.  Use 1T of meal and 3T hot water to replace one egg.  You will need to let this sit and gel up before adding to your mix. 


I don't like to use any other methods of replacement, but have had some success with using club soda for bread...but since I'm allergic to yeast, bread is not really a part of my diet.....oh what I wouldn't give for a piece of challah french toast!

My biggest suggestions when it comes to replacing eggs:

•  if your recipe or mix calls for more than 3 eggs, make a half batch
• when making an egg-less cake do cupcakes instead
• and last but not least: don't give up!!

Recipe #1...Oh Yeah!

I meant to have this post up several days ago...but I got food sick...boo!

More about me and my family:
I have several food allergies and sensitivities, and although it's been a year since I've known about all of them, I am still learning about safe foods and struggle to have variety in my diet.  It's just so darned easy to make chicken and rice for dinner!  And don't even get me started on breakfast--rice cereal anyone?  So here's what I'm working with.....

I'm allergic to:
Egg yolks, Corn, Pork, Melon, Dairy, Wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats, Pineapple, Turkey, Yeast, Garlic, Lemon, Soy, Suffites, Peanuts, and Mushrooms.

I'm sensitive to:
Coconut, Beef, Dill, Lettuce (all varieties), Egg Whites, and Legumes.

I am also Gluten intolerant....however being allergic to all the grains that contain gluten, this is mostly irrelevant.

AND....to make things more interesting....everyone in my household has restricted diets as well.

My hubby-D-has Celiac Disease, is casein and soy intolerant, and allergic to walnuts and peanuts.
My daughter-L-is allergic to soy and peanuts, sensitive to strawberries...and is gluten free by default.
My sister-A-our roommate--is allergic to soy, peanuts, and gluten.

Our household is completely gluten free----including our cats and dog, they are on a grain free diet.  Our chickens are the only ones that get wheat in their diet....their food is kept in the garage, and with how sensitive I am, D has to feed them.  I am so sensitive in fact that I get sick just setting foot inside the feed store!

 As promised.....


The super secret muffin recipe!  Shhhh....don't tell!

Pumpkin Flax Muffins

2T flax meal
6T hot water
2T canola oil
*if you can have egg, use 2 large eggs in place of above ingredients

1 1/3 c  sugar
1 1/3 c teff flour (can use oat flour)
1c brown rice flour
1c starch--I use tapioca, but corn starch or arrowroot or potato starch can be used
1/2c millet flour (or garbanzo bean flour)
2T baking powder
2t baking soda
2t xanthan gum or guar gum
1/4t salt

1T cinnamon powder
1t ground nutmeg
1t ground ginger
1/2t ground clove
*you can use about 2T of pumpkin pie spice in place of other spices

1 1/4c milk--I use Almond milk--but any will do....and you can even use water if need be
1c pumpkin puree
1/2c canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  In small bowl whisk together the flax meal and hot water.  In large mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, flours, leaveners, gum, and salt.  In separate medium sized bowl whisk together the milk, pumpkin puree, and 1/2c oil.  By this time the flax meal and water should be a little like a scrambled egg white, if not wait until it is (some separation will occur--just whisk every once in a while).  When flax meal and water are like a "gel" add the 2T oil and whisk well.  Add this to the other wet ingredients and whisk well.  Add all wet ingredients to dry and with paddle attachment mix on medium for 5 minutes---I use a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, so I just set it and walk away---it is not possible to over-mix!  So don't worry if you forget about it....no gluten=mix as long as you want!
Portion into lined muffin tins, make sure they are about 3/4 of the way full...this will not rise as much as gluten containing recipes.  Bake for 20 minutes, turn tins and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes.  They will be done when they are lightly poked and do not leave an impression.  Yield: appox. 24 muffins

I wish I had a photo to share with you, but my family likes these so much they were gone before I could take a picture!!

These days

These days it's tough to find any foods that are safe for me to eat.  While I work in an all GF grocery store I still have to read every single label (most of the time 2 times over).  It's so easy to get overwhelmed--even for someone that lives and breathes food allergies.....seriously....I talk about food at work, I talk about food at home, I talk about food on facebook, I research food on the internet, I educate people on what they can and cannot eat within their new restrictions--all on a daily basis. 

While it does get easier and easier to like and appreciate new/different foods, I still understand what people are going through when they are frustrated and annoyed with the limited diet they are now required to follow because of a new diagnoses.  So here are some websites that will be immensely helpful when first starting out and for the latest in research.

Gluten Intolerance Group of North America

Celiac Disease Foundation

celiac.com

Celiac Central

Alergy Eats

food-allergy.org

Kids With Food Allergies Foundation

FAAN: The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network


 There are many, many more out there but these should get you started!

Next time: introductions to my family and a super secret muffin recipe!!
 

Introductions...now you know me, who are you?

Hello!  I'm Tamera....a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, trained baker and I'm allergic....to......EVERYTHING.  Well, it might as well be everything.....

Last year I had my dream job--the baker of a small local cupcake bakery...then I was diagnosed with 28 food allergies/sensitivities (that's in addition to over 20 environmental allergies)...and had to quit my job and start over.

This is my story--my trials, tribulations, successes, and feelings as I make my way through this new, more dangerous world.  My goal is to stay safe and lead a "normal" life.  As normal as it can be that is....hmmmm...HERE WE GO!!