Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

Gluten Free

Gluten Free Banana Pudding

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My neighbor gave me a bunch of ripe bananas today, so I decided to make some gluten free banana pudding. It turned out really good–FabGrandpa ate two big bowls full. To make it:

1 cup sugar
3 cups milk
1/4 cup corn starch
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
5 ripe bananas
1 box of Mi-Del Arrowroot Animal Cookies

Mix the sugar and corn starch in a 4 qt pot. Add milk and salt, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Separate the eggs, set the whites aside. Beat the yolks well, then add a small amount of the hot mixture from the pan to the eggs, stirring well. Add the egg yolks to the pan, stir and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Layer the cookies and bananas in a large bowl. Pour the pudding over the bananas and cookies.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add 1/3 cup sugar a little at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue over the top of the pudding. Put the bowl into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until  the meringue is browned.



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Trying To Catch Up…

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I don’t which is worse in the life of a blogger—having so little going on that it is a stretch to find something interesting to write about, or having so much going on that it is difficult to find the time to write.  This is the time of year here at the North Rim where we all start thinking about having to leave, and that brings about a flurry of parties and get-togethers. We are all trying to spend as much time as possible with our friends before the end of the season.
Last year, FabGrandpa and I didn’t get to know many of our co-workers and neighbors that well. It was sort of like, we were newcomers here, and people were just used to seasonals coming for one season and then never seeing them again. When we came back in the spring, though, we had lots of people smiling, hugging us, welcoming us back. Although the community here is small, we have  lots of friends this year, and have spent many hours of our time off sitting around campfires, having a few beers, laughing, talking, dreaming with those folks. 

I have so much to tell, and so little time to get it written up. I have to finish telling you about Becky’s visit. And then, I have to tell you about our neighbor’s company. Yeah, when one of us have company, we ALL have company.  I have loads of pictures to share, and news of a wedding and a new baby in our family to tell you a about. And then there was my uninvited, unwanted company this week:

 
(that is the kidney stone, ugh!)
The enemy only stayed around for a day and a half, but that was way too long! I was so glad to finally see his ugly face and send him on his way. And I hope he never, ever shows up again. Next time I will be prepared, though, as I still have most of that RX of percocet left, and will start on as soon as I know it is coming. 

I am having a dinner party tonight. I’ll be making my prize winning gluten free meatloaf, some home made gluten free mac and cheese, and a gluten free cake. My guests will be bringing something as well.  Heck, I can’t even keep up with the two Meme’s I participate in, Scenic Sunday and Remember Whensday…. 

So, I may have several posts in the next couple of days, trying to play catch up. At least I hope so…..
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Fun With Bread

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I was feeling a little down in the dumps today. I don’t know how everyone else copes with the blues, but for me, baking has always been the answer.  I have talked about before how living at a high altitude can make baking difficult, but lordy! The bread monster I produced today is beyond anything I have done in the past!

I read a few web pages about high altitude baking before I started today. For gluten free baking at high altitudes, it is recommended that you:

1. increase the heat by 25 degrees.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of flour for each 1,000 feet over 3,500 feet altitude.

3. Decrease liquid by 1 tablespoon per 1,000 feet over 3,000 feet altitude.

And so I began.  I can only wonder how much this stuff would have grown if I had used the directions printed on the bag!  For more on this wonder loaf, click here.
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Chicken Corn Chowder Revisited

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Back in 2007, I found a recipe for Chicken Corn Chowder, that I thought was pretty good.  However, it was a somewhat complicated recipe, and I have never made it again.

Tonight when I came home from work, I realized I had not set anything out of the fridge for dinner, so I needed something I could throw together quickly, with things I already had on hand. One of the things I had on had was 3 ears of corn, that needed to be used today.  After poking around in the cupboard, I found enough things to make a pot of Chicken Corn Chowder that is just as good as if not better than the previous one and was way easier to make.  And that canned chicken made it a snap to prepare.
This version of corn chowder has these ingredients:

3 ears of corn, scraped from the cob
3 medium potatoes
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 12.5 oz can of chicken, with juice
2 cups 2% milk (or rice milk
2-3 tablespoons corn starch
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Peel, dice and cook the potatoes in a small boiler until soft, drain.  IN a dutch oven, heat the olive oil, then saute the peppers, onion, and garlic until soft. Drain the chicken, but save the juice. Add the chicken to the dutch oven, and continue to saute for a few more minutes. Add milk, chicken juice, salt and pepper,potatoes,  and corn to the pot. Cook on medium low heat until thickened. Add 2-3 tablespoons of corn starch if needed to thicken the soup.   Serve with buttered toast or cheese toast. Mmmmm, goood!

 

“Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset”
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Homemade Bagels From The RV? Yes…

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Before I found out I have to eat a gluten free diet, I really enjoyed a good bagel with my coffee for breakfast. Now that I can’t have a “real” bagel, I really miss them. I have found some good frozen ready made ones, but since I live 85 miles from the nearest place to buy them, I don’t always have them on hand.

I decided today to try making some at home. Yes, Linda, I did burn them a bit, but you have to remember, 1. I live in an RV and the oven is quite tiny and the thermostat on it is not exact and 2. I live at an elevation of almost 9000 feet. Baking anything is trial and error. For the baking conditions I have, this first attempt at homemade bagels turned out pretty good. To see more, click here.

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In The Mail Today

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I’m sure you remember the sad, sad story of my Big White Bowl. I was really missing it, because I didn’t have another bowl big enough for mixing things like that gluten free brownie mix. I bought the mix about three weeks ago–it has been sitting there in the cupboard since then.

This morning, I received a package in the mail from my sister. I have to say, I am so happy first that she thought of me, and second that she sent me this bowl. I live in a very remote area, and have been to all the stores and thrift shops in town and there was just no bowl to buy, anywhere. Now I can make those brownies, probably tomorrow. Thank you, my seester!

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