Bean Flour (gluten free)

So I decided I wanted to expirement with different flours.  Our favorite berad mix (hodgson mill) uses fava and garbonzo beans in their mix.  In researching on the internet there is not a lot out there on bean flour. So here is my 3rd trial with bean flour.

These are Garbanzo beans also known as chick peas.  Below are Fava beans.

 The first step is I took 1-2 handfuls at a time and threw them in my dry container for my vitamix and turned it on 10 for about 15-20 seconds. Be warned it is LOUD.  It scared me the first time and my poor 18 month old ran screaming and shaking...   After the 15-20 seconds I turned it off and dumped the contents into my strainer (nothing fancy, a cheap one from ikea a few years back)  and shook it some.  What fell out went into a bowl and what didn't went back into the vitamix with another 2 handfuls of beans.  I did this process 44 times with the chick peas and 2 maybe 3 with the fava (sorry I lost count)  This is what it looked like after that.

 This is my nutramil grain mill and what I have it set on.

 I had to baby it a little bit as it doesn't flow as well as rice.  sometimes I had to pull stuff up so the chute was not clogged and other times I had to knock some in.it ended up making just over 6 cups.

This last picture is of the completed flour.  I mixed up some of the GF all purpose flour found here http://saltboxhouse.blogspot.com/2011/09/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour.html  So I did 6 cups sorghum flour, 6 cups rice flour (which was milled with equal parts rice, sweet and brown) 6 cups of the bean flour, 9 cups tapioca starch,4 1/2 cups potato starch or corn starch (I have switched to using corn because it is MUCH cheaper) 2T salt and 6T xanthan gum.

I have made cinnamon rolls ( a regular every day recipe just switched out this flour for wheat flour, no extra xanthan or anything) Cookies (Regular recipe again) and the classic white bread found here http://saltboxhouse.blogspot.com/2011/07/gluten-free-bread.html  For this one I used 4 1/2 cups of the all purpose flour replacing the flour,and the starches. and I did not add in xanthan gum since it is already in the flour.
They all have turned out well and have some added protein in them!

Oh and I made a really good coffee cake (I will post a recipe for that too) and pizza crust!

I feel this is till a little bit in the experimentation process though so if you find something that works well or something that does NOT work, please tell me!

gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip bread.

I used this recipe that I got from the Food Network  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pumpkin-bread-recipe/index.html

I replaced the flour with the gluten free all-purpose flour found here http://saltboxhouse.blogspot.com/2011/09/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour.html

Oh and of course I added chocolate chips :)   For some reason I had to end up baking it for about 30 minutes longer, I kept checking and adding time.

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, lightly bean
• 16 ounces canned unsweetened pumpkin
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 2/3 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 9 by 5 loaf pans. Stir together sugar and oil. Stir in eggs and pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients and water into wet mixture, alternating. Divide batter between two loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool.

gluten free all purpose flour.

I derived this recipe mostly from Silvana's all-purpose flour blend and partly from Carol Fenster's sorghum flour blend.  For the rice flour I throw in equal amounts of white, brown and sweet rice into my grain mill and mill it.  I use this for so many things.  I use it as flour for non gluten free recipes. Like my moms cookie recipes, or the pumpkin cookies recipe that I got from a friend...  You can also use it as your four in GF recipes, just omit the xanthan that the recipe calls for ( and the starches unless it calls for extra starch)

6 cups rice flour.
6 cups sorghum flour
6 cups tapioca flour
3 cups potato starch
2 T salt
4 T xanthan gum

Gluten free bread!

Classic White Bread

3 cups rice flour (brown or white)

1 cup potato starch

½ cup tapioca starch

½ cup nonfat dry milk

2 tbsp sugar

1½ tsp salt

1 tbsp xanthan gum

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup oil or melted butter

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

3 whole eggs

3 egg whites

2¼ tsp yeast (1 packet)

In glass measuring cup, fill with 1 cut water, 1 tbsp sugar and yeast. This will activate the yeast.

In a small mixing bowl, blend together the remaining wet ingredients.

In large mixing bown mix all the dry ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients; egg mixture first, then the yeast.

Mix on high speed for 4 minutes.

Spray 2 or 3 bread pans with cooking spray.

Pour dough into pans. Cover with plastic wrap (lightly) and let rise for 1 hour. Dough might stick to plastic wrap when rising. Spray bottom of plastic wrap with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake bread for 1 hour.

After 20 minutes of baking, lightly cover with tin foil to prevent the bread from getting too dark.

Let cool before cutting. Best when fresh or warm.

Recipe from 101 Incredible, Edible Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids

Oh my, this is good!  it is the first bread recipe that we have eaten all of it.  this was my third time baking it too in less than 2 weeks.  I need to make more loaves at a time :) 

I mill my own flour and have been using a mix between white and brown rice.  I usually use sweet rice too but last time I milled I didnt have any.  I also buy egg whites rather than wasting the extra yolks.  oh and I prefer to use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar.  

I made french toast with this for dinner tonight.  Oh my, it was SOOO yummy!

Zucchini and Beans with Salsa

It may not look pretty, but it sure tastes good!

I got this idea from my friend.  here is the "recipe"

1 Can of black beans (I actually used dry beans and pre-cooked them...)

 

1 Zucchini

a little olive oil

A little garlic salt

a little chili powder.

a little peach mango Salsa (I get mine at Costco)

corn tortillas (or flour if you are not GF)

Some cheese.

heat the olive oil in a fry pan with the garlic salt and chili powder.

Add the beans and cut up zucchini.  Saute it until done. Add peach mango salsa.

At this point we put it on plates and ate it.  BUT if you want you can put it on tortillas, and top with cheese and put it in the oven until cheese is melted.  I was thinking while eating it that instead of grated cheddar some feta might be nice over the top of it!

July's Author of the Month

Heather B.

Montana
Saltbox House Author since 2009
Read Her Bio Click Here

Favorite Restaurant(s):
Olive Garden. We don't have one anywhere near us (3 hours away is the closest) We still have to suffer through the commercials though, and I want to go there SO BAD!

Favorite Foods:
My favorite food is sourghum flour cake. mmmmm.... As far as a main course though I would have to pick Chili-lime chicken :) I LOVE guacamole and if there is anything I can add it too, I LOVE it :)

Inspiration to Cook: My kids inspire me to cook. I want them to eat healthy and to be healthy. Part of being healthy for us means that we can not eat Gluten products or products with dye in them. It makes it a little more challenging, especially at first. now I hardly give it a second thought. I enjoy taking regular recipes and making them gluten free. I also enjoy experimenting with new flours.

Feelings about New Foods: *I* like to try new foods.  My kids on the other hand... They are getting used to it though.

At the Table:  We enjoy cooking for others.  We often have people over for dinner. We hear all the time that you can hardly tell it is gluten free outside of one or 2 differences. 

Here at Saltbox House Cooking Exchange, we have been inspired by Heather and chose her as July's author of the month because of her influence in Gluten Free Cooking. She has been a Saltbox House author since the beginning of our expansion and has helped expand the gluten free recipes of this blog to what it is today! In recognition of Summer treats and fun, we believe that no one should be left out when it comes to peach cobbler, fourth of July cake, or even having a burger or hotdog without a bun. Gluten free cooking can be a big demand in your household, but it shouldn’t and we should explore and discover all that food can offer at the family table regardless. To view all of Heather B.'s current posts such as delicious gluten free recipes, cooking creations, and other food topics see link list below:

Spinach Style Spaghetti 

Pineapple Ginger Pork Roast and Sweet Rice 

My Family's Favorite Cracker 

Pineapple Zucchini Bread (gluten free) 

Gluten Free Cookie Brownie Bars

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

* Most Popular Post*

Penne in Tomato-Artichoke Sauce 

Lollipop Cookies

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Gluten Free Sugar cookie 

The Amazing Cucumber

Intro and Cinnamon Rolls 

Spinach style spaghetti

I wish I could say I slaved over this delicious dish, but I didn't, after all it is just spaghetti :) I bought Tinkyada brand pasta, gluten free brown rice pasta, spinach style.  It is made with brown rice and spinach powder.  I cooked it according to package directions.  I also cooked some ground beef. I topped it with Classico brand florentine spinach & cheese sauce.  YUMMY!  and it's is green to boot!  Happy March :)

pineapple ginger pork roast and sweet rice

YUMMY!  This was really good.  My "recipe"
I took a can of pineapple in pineapple juice and emptied the juice into a caserole dish.  then I ran the pineapple through the blender a bit.  (You could use crushed pineapple and avoid the blender, but I didnt have any) I added a little bit of salt and probably a 1/2tsp of ginger (ground) I would use a little more ginger next time. I put a 3lb pork roast that had been cut in half on top of the juices and poured the pineapple over it.
I put it in the oven at 300 for just over an hour.  The internal temp was 150 when I took it out.  While it was in the oven I basted it a couple of times.

the sweet rice was really good too!  It is also called sticky rice.  I cook 1 cup rice in 2 cups water with a little salt.  It takes about 45 minutes to cook, and it is really sticky.

My family's favorite cracker

Blue Diamond makes some of the best Gluten Free crackers!  MMMMMM.... My family loves them.  We buy them by the ton.  I really don't like the cheese flavor at all, but the kids love it.  Here are some uses we have found for them, outside of eating them straight from the box :)
1. I scoop tuna fish onto them. The tuna I make is as follows: 2 cans white albacore tuna, drained. 4 eggs hard boiled and diced 1/4 onion diced.  a little salt, a little pepper, a little garlic.  mix with Mayo and yummy!
2. scoop egg salad onto them Hard boiled eggs diced mixed with mayo, salt, pepper, and mustard.
3. Recently my son (kindergartener) asked to have pizza for lunch like those kids that make their own.  After a little more questioning and thinking we figure he was talking about those pizza lunchables.  So He takes crackers, a little pizza sauce some cheese cut into squares that fit the cracker, and some pepperoni.  He loves doing that.  I haven't actually tried it, but I bet it is good.

They as you can see from our favorite things to put on them, are a great alternative to bread.  I have trouble with gluten free bread.  I don't like the store bought stuff and I have tried and failed to bake a good loaf multiple times.  It has never really bothered me until recently.  Before since it was just the kids that couldn't have wheat, I ate regular bread.  now though my nursing daughter can't handle it and so I cant eat it anymore. Bread is something that I greatly miss, but these crackers help fill the void because I can now enjoy some of my favorite sandwich fillings now :)

pineapple zucchini bread (gluten free)

I have not tried this recipe yet, I just got sent it through a friend yesterday.  but thought I would post it it may be awhile before I feel like making it (I'm 38 weeks pregnant) but it sounds really good so I thought I would share.

Pineapple zucchini bread

 3 eggs

1 cup agave

1 cup coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini (squeeze to drain the water)

1 cup crushed pineapple (drained from juice)

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped nuts

Bake in 2 medium (greased) loaf pans at 325 until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

The GF version above works MUCH better in a cupcake pan.

Non GFers sub the brown rice flour, almond flour and xanthan for 3 cups of regular flour.

If you don't care about it being low sugar, sub the agave for 2 cups of sugar.

Any oil can be used but coconut is the tastiest!

GF cookie brownie bars.

There is a video here on betty crocker.com.  I used the Betty Crocker line of GF chocolate Chip cookies and Brownie.  They are great.  I LOVE the brownies with cream cheese frosting!  The cakes are great too.  The best part of them (besides being good and fast to make) is that if you dont have a GF kitchen, but want to make something GF for someone or for one event, then it is great because you dont have to buy a lot of ingredients.  you just need butter, eggs, and the mix.

STEP ONE:
In seperate bowls, following directions on boxes make the brownies and the cookies.

STEP TWO:

With a spoon or a cookie dough baller place the cookies in the pan (I used an 8x10 pan)

STEP THREE:
Fill in the blanks with the brownie mix

STEP FOUR:
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

I found this recipe on about.com.  The flour that I used was Glutenfree mama's rice almond flour.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour mix (use your favorite mix)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free Italian herb seasoning blend OR gluten-free garlic powder
• 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon olive oil, whisked together
• 1 cup crushed gluten-free rice chex cereal (see tips)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil for pan-frying
• 1/4 cup canola oil for pan-frying

Preparation:

• Place chicken breast between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a smooth meat mallet until about breasts are 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with each breast.
• Use a sharp knife to cut pounded breasts in 2-inch strips. Then cut each strip into 2x2-inch nuggets.
• Have ready 3 8-inch shallow baking dishes. In the first dish, combine gluten-free all purpose flour, salt, pepper and seasonings.
• In second dish, combine egg and olive oil. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
• In third dish, combine crushed gluten-free rice chex cereal and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Coat each chicken strip in flour mixture, then dip in egg olive oil mixture and last, evenly coat with rice chex crumb Parmesan cheese mixture.
• Place the nuggets on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before frying.
• In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil and canola oil mixture over medium high heat.
• Add coated chicken nuggets and cook until golden, about 4 minutes, then turn each piece and cook second side.

 

Penne in Tomato-Artichoke sauce

This is one of our favorite recipes, and it has fresh or dried herbs. (fresh is always better though :P)
It is from my Carol Fenster cookbook.  It can be made either regular, or Gluten Free.

1 Can petite diced tomatoes (15 oz) including juice
2 Tsp chopped fresh basil (1t dried)
1t chopped fresh oregano (1/2t dried)
1t chopped fresh thyme (1/2t dried)
1/4 t sugar
1/8 t salt (plus more for pasta water)
1/8t crushed red pepper (we found this too much and use less)
dash freshly ground black pepper
1 jar (4.5 ounces)marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb gluten free penne (can use penne of your choice)

1. In a medium heavy sauce pan heat the tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, sugar, crushed red pepper, and black pepper over meduim-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered about 10-15 minutes
2. while this cooks bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook according to package directions Serve sauce over drained pasta.

I always start the pasta first, but that is because my gluten free pasta of choice takes about 20 minutes to cook, after the water is boiling.  so I start the water boiling before I start my sauce.

lollipop cookies

I found this cute Idea at makeitandloveit.blogspot.com She calls them playdoh cookies, but I think lollipop is more fitting.

I took 2 packages of Glutenfree mama's sugar cookie mix (you can use any sugar cookie mix) I used 2 because 1 just does not make a whole lot.  I divided it into 4 pieces, then took gel food coloring and one by one, flatened it out, put some coloring in it, then kneaded until the color was well spread. then I split each color into smaller balls. pushed all 4 balls together without mixing colors (blue, yellow, orange, green) then rolled them into a snake.  before the snake got too long I split it in half and rolled each snake out more.  then gave a little twist, and rolled them around each other.  stuck a stick in them and baked. the result is cute, fun and yummy!

It took quite a bit of time, but my son did not mind at all!

  

Hot chocolate on a stick

are you looking for a last minute neighbor gift?  Loking for some new hot chocolate?
Try this:  I found this at Giverslog.com  Also at http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Yield: 10 cubes of hot chocolate (ice-cube-tray size)
(use 1 oz. hot chocolate on a stick per every 1 cup milk or cream)

Equipment:
Ziplock bags or piping bags
A double boiler or pan with a glass bowl that can sit over the simmering water
Some kind of chocolate mold, ice trays work great
Stir sticks or a bag of wooden craft sticks like I used (like these,available at any craft store)

Ingredients:
8 oz. chocolate (see note above), bittersweet, semisweet, milk, and white chocolate all work
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

6 cups milk and 2 cups heavy cream if you plan to enjoy these right away

Method
(read a whole post about melting chocolate, including how to melt in the microwave, here)

1. If your chocolate is in a block, chop it into even-sized meltable pieces. Simmer a couple inches of water in a pan, then turn down the heat so the water is below a simmer. I like to remove the pan from the heat, but if you keep it on, keep that water below a simmer. Place glass or stainless steel bowl over the top to make a double boiler. If the bowl touches the water it’s alright, as long as your water isn’t too hot. Dump chocolate into the clean, dry bowl and stir as the chocolate melts. (If you are patient and let those chunks melt slowly, keeping them from getting over 90 degrees F or 88 degrees F for milk and white chocolate, the chocolate will stay “in temper” and will still be nice and pretty when it cools.)
2. Once the chocolate is 2/3 melted, with just some pieces of the chocolate unmelted, remove the bowl from the pan, dry the bottom with a towel and continue stirring until chocolate is fully melted. This is just one more step to keep the chocolate from getting too hot.
3. Add cocoa, sugar, and salt and continue to stir until combined. The chocolate will be thicker, almost as thick as frosting, but still glossy and smooth and very fun to stir. If it looks grainy or more like fudge and is difficult to stir, it’s possible you’ve accidentally gotten a drop of water in the mixture.
4. Scoop chocolate into a ziplock bag and clip off the corner.
5. Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold, tapping the mold on the counter to make sure all the chocolate settles into the mold. Add a stir stick and you’re done. The stir stick should stay upright without any trouble.
6. Let the chocolate cool either at room temperature or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry.
7. If you don’t like the look of the chocolate once it is removed from the mold, you can dip the cubes into a new batch of plain melted chocolate for a shinier finish (again, try to keep chocolate from heating over 90 degrees, or use candy melts, which will stay shiny and pretty even if you go above 90 degrees). This also lets you add sprinkles or crushed candy or just lets you dip in fun patterns. I like dipping at an angle into a different color of chocolate.
8. In order to enjoy these, heat up any combo of milk, water, half and half, or cream. I like 6 cups milk with 2 cups heavy cream. One ounce of chocolate on a stick should be melted into one cup milk or cream. So a standard ice cube-tray block, which is 3/4 an ounce, should be melted into a mug with 3/4 cup milk or cream in it.

How to store it: Chocolate will keep in an airtight container for up to a year. Don’t keep it in the fridge because it is really good at absorbing odors.

I used Ice trays from Ikea, and I stuck in a craft stick since I have a million of them.  ok, so only 1,000 but still...

Gluten Free Sugar cookie

With Christmas season here we are in search of a good sugar cookie. I found this recipe on www.celiac.com so I thought I would give it a try.  Well It calls for a GF flour mix by Better Hagman.  Not a huge fan of hers, as I prefer Carol Fenster.  So I don't have a lot of the stuff she uses.  I figured I would follow the recipe and substitute my own choice of flour.  So I did.  I used 2 cups of Gluten Free Mama's Rice-Almond flour (HUGE fans of her flours, though they are EXPENSIVE!) and 1 cup sorghum flour.  So first, the recipe:

3 cups gluten-free flour mix*
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon almond (or flavoring of your choice)
1 cup gluten-free margarine

Sift flour, soda & cream of tartar - cut in margarine or butter (I find that margarine is easier when rolling out the cookies). Beat eggs, add sugar & almond - mix well. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and mix well by hand.

Chill at least 15 min (several days is also ok). Roll out to desired thickness on floured surface and cut into shapes. Decorate with colored sugar, or if you prefer, after baked & cooled frost and then sprinkle with colored sugar, etc.

2 cups powdered sugar mixed with some melted butter & lemon juice frosts one batch. Bake at 350F for 9 minutes.

* Bette Hagmans Four Flour Mix (from The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread).
Garfava Bean Flour 2/3 part
Sorghum Flour 1/3 part
Cornstarch 1 part
Tapioca Flour 1 part

I refrigerated them for a couple of hours because we got side tracked Here they are ready to go in the oven:

and fresh from the oven.

And the final off the pan result: a pile of crumbs. Very, very tasty crumbs!  Oh they are soooo yummy!

So what happened?  I am asking myself the same thing!  I think I know.  The recipe does not call for xanthan gum.  I read it 3 times just to make sure.  I figured that maybe because of the chilling it didn't need it.  Boy was I wrong.  That's ok though.  Since having to go GF because of my 2 children (and myself, shh... don't tell anyone cuz I love the after the kids go to bed pizza!) We have learned that some things are cooked and tossed.  I do think that maybe because they used bean flour in their recipe that holds things together so you dont need the xanthan?  so most likley tomorrow we will be re-doing this recipe with xanthan gum, because those crumbs really are very good.  I feel bad for my son, he wanted to deliver the cookies to neighbors tonight.  Oh well.

The Amazing Cucumber!

I stole this info from my friend Megan. Thanks!
This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B 3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!


7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?
Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?
Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Intro & cinnamon rolls

Hi! My name is Heather and I currently live in MT. My son struggles with Sensory Processing Disorder. Because of this he is sensitive to Wheat, red 40 and yellow 6 (food dyes) so cooking at our house is interesting. Recently we found out that my daughter too is sensitive to wheat. Neither can tolerate even the slightest amount of gluten, though neither test positive for Celiacs. So, we are Gluten free. That means, no wheat, barley, or rye. No barley also means no malt. Also no red or yellow food colorings. I want to share a favorite recipe of mine. It is for cinnamon rolls. first I will share the regular version, then the adapted version.

Stir and let stand. In 15 minutes it should be bubbly and active.
1Cup plus 1 1/2 tsp warm water
1/4 C sugar
1/3 C oil
2T yeast.

With an electric mixer add:
1 egg
1tsp Salt
3 1/2C flour

Roll out into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick
Spread with soft butter
sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture ( 1/3 C sugar and 2-4 tsp cinnamon.)
add nuts, currants, or raisins if desired.
roll up and cut into 1 1/2 inch rolls. (it you get a long piece of unflavored dental floss, slide it underneath the loaf and place it where you want to cut, cross the ends and pull taught it slices through without smashing the loaf.

bake at 375 for 10 minutes. (or until just starting to brown.)

Now for the variation:
Follow the recipe as outlined above. Instead of wheat flour add your favorite GF flour. My favorite for this recipe is Gluten Free Mama's Almond blend flour. Mix into the flour almost, but not quite a teaspoon of xanthan gum.

Also instead of 1 egg, I added 1 egg plus 1 egg white. I beat the egg and extra white in a separate bowl with a fork until frothy.