gluten free cake balls- let the sugar shock begin....

I've read a few blogs about people making cake pops- both glutenous and gluten-free and was motivated to give it a whirl as I needed a sweet treat for a friend's baby shower that I knitted this hat for.

I followed the basics from this blog and set to work. My first cake was a FAIL as I attempted a chocolate cake from scratch via the 1,000 Gluten Free Recipes book. I made no adjustments for 9,000 feet of altitude and subbed one flour mix for another, just enough adversity to create an epic failure of a cake. Thankfully my Pamela's Yellow cake mix yielded better results.

The next day I shook off my failure and crumbled my pretty yellow cake and mixed it with frosting. It didn't take me long to figure out that my cookie dough scoop made pretty little balls without the messy cake covered hands. When I reached the last third of the mix, I added some coconut and small chocolate chips for variety. I let them chill out and planned my coatings. I first melted Nestle Milk Chocolate chips (about a cup) and dipped away. I worked in small batches of chilly balls and melted chocolate for better results. I added flair to the still warm chocolate before setting them back in the fridge to firm up. I also did a small batch of white chocolate with a dab of green food coloring added for some extra flair.

I tested my work to make sure they were worthy and almost went into sugar shock. These little balls of goodness went over well at the shower and also with a few other folks I made try them. They were almost like a small donut covered in chocolate. They aren't an everyday snack but they will be back for another special event, like a Saturday or something.

birthday cake

my friend Brianne celebrated her 30th birthday today and I was happy to bring a chocolate cake to the office to help mark the occasion. The Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Cake is fairly simple and made a great treat for all.

I made two 8" rounds and they came out very pretty. I didn't frost it until I got to work this morning as the pans made for easier transport. I did use canned frosting that contained some milk but the cakes were dairy free thanks to Earth's Balance and soy milk. 

 We've reached the point in the spring where it's warm enough during the day to melt the snow a bit and cause some runoff that then freezes at night. It makes for a slippery walk to the gondola in the morning. That's right, I ride a gondola to work in the morning and usually my monster comes with me. It's actually a chondola which is chairlift and gondola on one cable. Chaos and other dogs are welcome in the cabins and it's his favorite thing to chase (after skiers).

From think outside the breadbox

are things just peachy or am i going bananas?

things here at camp chaos have been busy... we celebrated dave's birthday with friends and our gluten free betty crocker cake mixes. Celebrated the famous Palisade Peaches from our farmer's market with a Peach Crisp... and a Granny Smith Apple Crisp for a bit of variety. I enjoy peaches but can't wait until it's time to pick apples! I had done some research for my crisp and devised a recipe. I have never had a problem with Oats and decided to go with my old quaker standby instead of searching for GF oats.... that was a mistake! It was a mild reaction but I still noticed and pawned the leftovers off on others.

Then last night we wandered the market trying to come up with lunch plans for the week and all I could think about were chocolate covered frozen bananas. I'm so picky that I can't buy the pre made box from the store... I have to make them. My patience wore thin as I melted chocolate (TWICE!) and I ended up with two decent looking banana pops and 6 that looked horrid but still taste ok. My melted chocolate became hard quickly and I was only able to coat two banana pops nicely before the chocolate got lumpy. I was irrationally mad about my failed banana pops.... ok i'm actually mad about other things and taking them out on my bananas.

I wasn't ever really diagnosed.

Last November when I started to realize what was causing my symptoms (the ones I realized were issues... and now looking back there are so many others that I didn't notice... who would have thought my joint pain would go away?) I quit wheat for four days and felt great. I reintroduced it and the sore throat, headaches and fugue came back. I did what anyone would do... I avoided what made me sick and eventually made it to the doctors. I "wheat loaded" right before going to the doctor so they could see what it was doing to me. However I never dreamed that it was anything but an allergy/intolerance. They took blood and ran it for a food allergy and also for celiac. My test came back as a negative for celiac but now I wonder.... was it a false negative? It was a good chunk of time that I had avoided wheat before going to the doctor. I gave up wheat then learned more about gluten and cut 99% of that out too (I'm not always careful) So many of my symptoms line up... I'm now having trouble tolerating dairy... I don't want to give that up too but I don't want to feel horrid either. Do I need to give that up or just cut back? Am I having problems because of something else?

I went back to the doctor and relayed my concerns.  I came armed with my theories and books. I told her what was going on and how I was feeling. I want to know if I am just having some "food issues" or if I have a real disease. She told me that if I am having an issue with a food then I should just give up that food... but it's not that easy. GF, wheat free, dairy free.... none of these are "easy" and while I know that my health has improved I have a need to know. Why could I eat Ben and Jerry's last month but now can't tolerate a bit of chese melted over veggies? I don't miss Milk. I've never really liked milk and didn't mind going to to a vanilla soymilk for cereal and baking. I do love ice cream.... I do love cheese... I can give those up if needed but I need to know if  I have to. She's referred me to a gastroenterologist and I'm waiting for information from them... I live in a small mountain town and nothing is close or easy to get to... for some reason I really want a true diagnosis... I need to know are things just peachy the way they are or am I going bananas?

Gluten free farmers market cake

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My favorite booth at the farmer's market is not the artisan cheese or the organic veggies but Cinda's baked goodies. She makes normal goodies then she has a special selection of gluten free goodies. I had her cupcakes the first week, then a peanut butter cookie and now I have fallen in love with her chocolate cake.
Not long after quitting wheat I went to the local chocolate shop. Patty told me to go see Cinda a the Window at Chair 7. I didn't and am now regretting not checking this out before. Cinda bakes lovely goodies and the best part is I can have "just one" and not have to slave over a batch of cupcakes. Her frosting is a whipped delight as well. I saw my friend today while carrying my gluten free cake... she tasted it and was amazed. I love this response from gluten eating friends. It affirms that my taste buds can still be trusted. Cinda beats Betty Crocker any day as it's all from scratch. (However I LOVE that Betty has brought the gluten free "issue" mainstream.)

I have to admit that I glutened myself a few weeks ago. I had a moment of weakness while at an outdoor movie and had waffle fries from what I know is a very contaminated fryer. The cheesy waffle fries tasted soooo good and were warm on a cool night but within minutes my gut reacted. This was the first time that I "cheated" on purpose and it reaffirmed my need to eat wheat free and aim for gluten free. I paid dearly for those fries and was in a fog the whole next day.

Yummy!

The yellow cake was moist an d like the yellow cake I remember from Betty! It even passed the test for 4 gluten eating friends.
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Betty's in the house!

Work in progress...... Details later!
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its here!!

Hidden in my local city market!
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things to love about food shopping....

while traveling back east I ventured into many food stores. Part of this was need and part was a desire to see what different areas would have to offer me. I was amazed at the GF selection in Bangor, Maine and planned on some serious stock up trips to Portland if I move back to Sugarloaf since the Hannaford in Farmington left a lot to be desired!

I have to say after visiting over a dozen grocery stores that I have it pretty good. Although I live in Telluride I do most of my food shopping in Montrose, which is a larger city about an hour away. (Telluride is a resort town and can be expensive.) My City Market in Montrose has a good variety of GF and wheat free products and I've been able to try many of them.

I became obsessed with Whole Foods on my trip and am now living 6 hours from the closest store so I have to enjoy the things I can find...and make my own fruit packs of red berries and fresh pineapple for breakfast. I've been working on my hummus recopies for summer gatherings and baking wheat free whoopie pies for birthdays.

This summer I should be able to find some more products to test.... Betty Crocker is going GF! That's right... my former birthday cake mixes can once again grace my pantry. Plus this fall they plan on labeling all the frosting as Gluten Free as well. I can only hope these hit shelves before my birthday this summer... perhaps they will be a bit more moist then some other GF brands....

Plus Chex Cereal is certifying more flavors as GF! I never realized that they had a strawberry chex cereal and now I have big plans for it... i believe it will lend itself to really good rice crispy treat substitutions.

One of the best products I found in my east coast travels were Liz Lovely Cookies that Carol found for me. They are made in Vermont are vegan and GF! One cookie makes a great snack for two or provide all day snacking for a drive from Connecticut to South Carolina.

But kate, why are you so excited for all of these new GF products? I thought you were just wheat free? True, I am "just" wheat free but in the months since being wheat free I have learned that it isn't much more of a stretch to be gluten free as well. Plus it's not bad for me to avoid gluten.

pamela's classic vanilla cake

I first tried Pamela's Classic Vanilla Cake mix a few weeks ago... it was yummy but a bit dry which could be a result of baking at 9,000 feet. This time I added a box of vanilla flavored instant Jello pudding mix, an extra egg and a bit more water. I just sifted the two powder mixes together then added the wet ingredients.

The cake was yuumo! I made two 8" rounds and they took much longer to bake then the directions because of my additions. I believe they were in the oven for almost an hour. I served it to my wheat eating friends and the pudding mix took away the rice flour aftertaste that they usually notice. As usual my cakes were misshapen but this isn't the food network and they still tasted fine.

Jess frosted the cake for me with just normal canned mix. Not sure how gluten free this may be with the addition of the frosting and pudding mix but it was the best wheat free cake I have made yet!

I went to the allergist after a reaction to a smoothie in Moab. It was a yummy Mango Tango smoothie that had mango, peaches, coconut and orange sherbet in it. The allergist didn't have a mango test but we ruled out all other ingredients and determined that that was my last mango smoothie.... this reaction was a swollen tongue and throat. I took some Benadryl but it still caused a damper on the day in Moab. Mango won't be much of a hardship since I never have liked the fresh fruit- just the smoothie versions.

A quiet weekend

I am reading gluten free girl again since I first read it unknowning that I may have any food issue beyond my hatred of seafood. The first time I read it I hoped to learn more about friends with celiac and gluten intolerance and ended up creating a good base of knowledge for my wheat issues. It was powerful to learn that giving up foods like beer and homemade Mac & cheese wouldn't be easy but eventually would be replaceable. I didn't get a photo but made one of Pamela's chocolate cake mixes and loved it! The cake came out moist and fudge packed- I have a hard time remembering what wheat flour cake tasted like!
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