Gluten Free Adventures

So, the Nutman is also on a gluten-free diet, so in addition to his nuts, the last day he was at my new building (he goes to a different office building every week to sell nuts, candies, and similar stuff), he also brought some of the gluten-free stuff he buys wholesale and sells out of his store, but mostly so he and a few friends can have some. As I understand it, anyway.

Several of the things that he brought were from Sami's Bakery, which is not a completely gluten-free bakery, so the products have the "may contain" warning on them--but he said he and a friend who's been diagnosed celiac have had no trouble with them, and indeed, I did not either. Sami's Millet & Flax Bread is so far the best I have tried for sandwiches. It was crumbly-textured without crumbling to pieces when loaded with roast beef, and tasted good with the meat and mayonnaise. The pre-cooked pizza crust and the cinnamon raisin bagles (I'm not a bagle fan, but they didn't crumble when carried around as food at Duckon) were also good.

The other thing he brought was a package of penne rigate (noodles similar to macaroni, but thicker and not curved) made with rice, potato, and soy made by a company called Bionature. I cooked these on a day when my stomach was upset and I was very tired and wanted something fast and simple with protein. The water turned noodle-colored from the starches released into it; I've noticed that this happens more with rice noodles than wheat, and this was more than usual, perhaps due to the potato. Anyway, I poured off most of the extra water without rinsing (I was too tired to fiddle with it) and put it into a bowl with shredded cheddar cheese.

The leftover starches from the noodles blended with the cheese to make the smoothest cheese sauce I've ever made! Less work, better results!

It was a bit bland, but exactly what I needed at the time. Next time I might add something for flavor...

Oh--while I'm making notes, the Imagine Cream of Broccoli soup doesn't blend well with Cheddar Cheese, so I decided to try something else in the 'fridge. I had some habanero jack that was just too hot for me to eat as finger-snack food. So I tried that. It was wonderful!

I also went by the Gluten Free Trading Company for the first time. They're a tiny store here in Milwaukee, but have a website: http://www.food4celiacs.com I got there probably 2 seconds before closing, but the woman there was very friendly and very knowledgable about what had corn in it, since her husband is also corn intolerant. WIN! I'll go back there again.

Wow--talking about all this food stuff has made me hungry...I should make lunch.

Gluten Free Adventures

So, the Nutman is also on a gluten-free diet, so in addition to his nuts, the last day he was at my new building (he goes to a different office building every week to sell nuts, candies, and similar stuff), he also brought some of the gluten-free stuff he buys wholesale and sells out of his store, but mostly so he and a few friends can have some. As I understand it, anyway.

Several of the things that he brought were from Sami's Bakery, which is not a completely gluten-free bakery, so the products have the "may contain" warning on them--but he said he and a friend who's been diagnosed celiac have had no trouble with them, and indeed, I did not either. Sami's Millet & Flax Bread is so far the best I have tried for sandwiches. It was crumbly-textured without crumbling to pieces when loaded with roast beef, and tasted good with the meat and mayonnaise. The pre-cooked pizza crust and the cinnamon raisin bagles (I'm not a bagle fan, but they didn't crumble when carried around as food at Duckon) were also good.

The other thing he brought was a package of penne rigate (noodles similar to macaroni, but thicker and not curved) made with rice, potato, and soy made by a company called Bionature. I cooked these on a day when my stomach was upset and I was very tired and wanted something fast and simple with protein. The water turned noodle-colored from the starches released into it; I've noticed that this happens more with rice noodles than wheat, and this was more than usual, perhaps due to the potato. Anyway, I poured off most of the extra water without rinsing (I was too tired to fiddle with it) and put it into a bowl with shredded cheddar cheese.

The leftover starches from the noodles blended with the cheese to make the smoothest cheese sauce I've ever made! Less work, better results!

It was a bit bland, but exactly what I needed at the time. Next time I might add something for flavor...

Oh--while I'm making notes, the Imagine Cream of Broccoli soup doesn't blend well with Cheddar Cheese, so I decided to try something else in the 'fridge. I had some habanero jack that was just too hot for me to eat as finger-snack food. So I tried that. It was wonderful!

I also went by the Gluten Free Trading Company for the first time. They're a tiny store here in Milwaukee, but have a website: http://www.food4celiacs.com I got there probably 2 seconds before closing, but the woman there was very friendly and very knowledgable about what had corn in it, since her husband is also corn intolerant. WIN! I'll go back there again.

Wow--talking about all this food stuff has made me hungry...I should make lunch.

Stolen Flowers Retrieved

I headed outside with recycling, to store it in the bin out there until the City picks it up, and stopped to eat some Mulberries from the tree. I heard two women complimenting our flowers and headed toward the sidewalk to say thank you.

One of the women had a whole bouquet--some day lilies, two Asian lilies - one complete with roots - and a rose. Upon seeing me, she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"I didn't mean to!"

As if the flowers had jumped into her hands of their own free will!

She was wrinkled and worn, with a piercing in her tongue. Heck if I know how old she was. But I scolded her like an eight-year-old. She reacted like an eight-year-old too.

I told her I paid money for those flowers. She said again that she didn't mean to. I told her of course she meant to. And then I accepted her apology, asked her not to do it again, and brought the flowers inside.

She said she wouldn't do it again. We'll see.

I'm still having trouble getting over "I didn't mean to" from a grown person.

In other news, the phone isn't saving pictures properly to my phone card; I don't know if the card was damaged when I downloaded pics from it recently or if the phone is continuing its slow disintegration.  I had to take this picture with My Angel's phone, which is why it's grainier than usual.  Oh, well, it's better than not having a camera available.

Stolen Flowers Retrieved

I headed outside with recycling, to store it in the bin out there until the City picks it up, and stopped to eat some Mulberries from the tree. I heard two women complimenting our flowers and headed toward the sidewalk to say thank you.

One of the women had a whole bouquet--some day lilies, two Asian lilies - one complete with roots - and a rose. Upon seeing me, she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"I didn't mean to!"

As if the flowers had jumped into her hands of their own free will!

She was wrinkled and worn, with a piercing in her tongue. Heck if I know how old she was. But I scolded her like an eight-year-old. She reacted like an eight-year-old too.

I told her I paid money for those flowers. She said again that she didn't mean to. I told her of course she meant to. And then I accepted her apology, asked her not to do it again, and brought the flowers inside.

She said she wouldn't do it again. We'll see.

I'm still having trouble getting over "I didn't mean to" from a grown person.

In other news, the phone isn't saving pictures properly to my phone card; I don't know if the card was damaged when I downloaded pics from it recently or if the phone is continuing its slow disintegration.  I had to take this picture with My Angel's phone, which is why it's grainier than usual.  Oh, well, it's better than not having a camera available.