Let's Mambo! I Can't Mambo! Discovering Sean Forbes

While my taste in music is all across the board- there is no pinning down my musical tastes, "Alternative" might cover it- I'm not usually fond of rap.

But I saw this video...pure silly joy, bringing back the images our parents might have known, and top of it, a deaf rapper. Who is rather adorable in that geeky way. Sean Forbes showed a sense of humor and sillyness, and I really liked "Let's Mambo!" 
It's a true gift to the deaf/ HI/ HOH community. And like most performances of ASL, you can't help but have your emotions shine through. Marlee Matlin is awesome, as well... and damn can that girl dance!

Sean Forbes is a deaf rapper from "The Land of Lincoln"- Illinois- to show Abraham Lincoln, make your hand into an L and hold it to the side of your head (Not the front!) and up a little high to show a top hat, one of Lincoln's trademarks. 

Recently, Forbes signed a music deal and is marvelous... check him out! :)
And he pulls off the white suit, I must say!

A Fine Mess

It was time for something new... time to brighten up, time to see if I can let myself reflect in my work, in a brighter atmosphere. I'm not going to focus on the darkness, and while there will be storms, it's time to enjoy the warmth and breathe the fresh air. My blogs and I have always been a bit of a fine mess, and this will be reflected. From "Life as I know it" to "Mayhem with Bethy", to "Starry Starry Nights" and nutrition info/ rants at stupidity, and more, nothing has changed.
Except for the blog's title, that is.

I raise a glass, you bet your ass... CHEERS!

Summer & Braided Bread

Ah, summer! Not a time to be considering baking bread---after all, depending on weather sources, it's supposed to hit 80 this week. Indeed, pool is open, when I actually see life guards and not just kids walking on the roof of the pool house, I will be down there with my blackberry, in case I find something awesome to snap down there, (not kids walking on the roof.) But, I have been on a search for challah, a braided bread found often in Kosher bakeries.
This is challah:

It is a gorgeous braided bread. :) 

In my search, I came across a gluten free- good luck bread notably used on New Year's Day by Greeks.

I could use the same basics and make up a version with no coin to get in my way, alackaday, I would find and choke on the coin!

If you're interested, the Good Luck Bread in entirety: (from www.schar.com/us

Uses a lot of European measurements, will have to calculate and get back to you here. Telling you to use 0.36/1 oz is just an awful thing for me to do!

Needs a converter, working on this now, but here's the recipe card: click for full size!

I found a mini challah, a bit of a GF all purpose flour and some xanthan gum, and I can whip this beauty up. I used to occasionally make or buy challah prior to diagnosis in '09, however, it's been something I've been trying to find in vain!

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 to 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 
  TOPPING:
• 1 tablespoon beaten egg
• 1/4 teaspoon cold water
• 3/4 teaspoon sesame or poppy seeds, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar,
• salt, egg and 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough
• remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about
• 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once
• to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about
• 1 hour.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into
• thirds. Shape each portion into an 8-in. rope. Place ropes on a
• baking sheet coated with cooking spray and braid; pinch ends to seal
• • and tuck under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
  • Beat egg and water; brush over braid. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy
  • seeds if desired. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden
  • brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf (8 slices).
  Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 137 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 35 mg cholesterol, 232 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.

What I want to do, is create a mixture out of Bigelow Cinnamon Stick and French Vanilla teas (3 and 2 teabags, respectively), add milk, eggs, and let it soak in the refridgerator for at least 2 hours. I've done something like this, and although I'm not a huge French Vanilla fan (Rarely, if at all, will I go near French Vanilla flavoring, too much of a chocolate fiend, and it might be a bit TOO sweet for me.)

Bigelow does more than tea, and how nice to mix two things I love, tea and fresh-baked bread!
Vanilla and Cinnamon French Toast, Bigelow Tea

Have a lovely summer & Happy Baking! Please use sunscreens if you go out in the sun, you should not bake yourself to a crisp!
Na zadrovie! (To your health!)

Summer brings out Wanderlust and really brings out my enjoyment of expanding my food horizons. 

Brown Rice Rice Krispies (Gluten-Free)

There are things you would think would be automatically gluten free. Cereal companies are doing their best to have a standard line of GF products... General Mills would seem to be the leader here.

Cheerios, I haven't had since 2009. But it's oats, and one would think that, barring cross contamination, those would be gluten free, right? Wrong. They're contaminated by the old scourge, wheat flour used! Luckily Nature's Path makes a pretty good, if not perfect, Cheerios-type cereal.

Rice Krispies will be back on the good list soon...the company is actually changing up, will taste the same, but will be gluten-free! & made with brown rice, very healthy!  (Woot! I know what I'm making! :) If they don't get eaten straight from the pan, that is---yes, rice krispy treats!) Gluten Free, Brown Rice Rice Krispies
Thank you, Kelloggs!

There is still a concerted effort for standardized labeling, which the FDA has been sitting on since 2007, but assured celiacs and gluten intolerant people at a 1in133 summit (Perhaps entranced by the over 11 foot tall cake) that they were uh "Working on it". Great. I love doing guess work and novenas at the grocery store! So far, we've learned of ELISA tests, parts per million, the Church's stance (Church with a Capital C is none other than the Roman Catholic Church.) which does not bode well--- no body of Christ at Mass, blood (wine) only, as there must be .01% gluten in wafers...Benedictine nuns sell a low-gluten version.
So until the day comes when they finally get it sorted and actually do standardized labeling, the fight will be on. This is the only type of fight I like, for what's right, for what should be obvious, and there is a sweet little boy out there who thanks his lucky stars he can have rice dream! Let's get moving people!
Tell The FDA the time for standardized labeling is NOW!

Triskaidekaphilia or, Count Your Blessings Ten Plus Three

Onward you'll go, up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak


-You can if you choose, adopt "Woe is me, life is hard" attitudes. I can't stand them long, and will do all I can to snap myself out of them. So why not count blessings?

Since 13 has become what seems to be my lucky number (I appropriated it, as it's just a terrifying number for many, and what I've been through makes "Fear of #13, Triskaidekaphobia," just silly! Triskaidekaphobia is Greek, with Phobia meaning "Fear", in this case of tris, (Three) + deka, (10). Literally, fear of 10+3. (The kai means "and"... in this case, represented by the + sign.)
So, the incomplete list of 13 blessings and things I just adore

1)My family (Could not have made it on this road without you)
2)My friends (Those I've been blessed to get to know, the same applies. I've learned marvelous lessons even in not-so marvelous situations.)
3)Food (No matter how tough it is, I will always enjoy it!)
4)The stars (Nothing is more peaceful than gazing up at the stars :) )
5)Life itself (What a gift!)
6)Flowers (Bright, beautiful little bits of color :) )
7)The sea (Or, as I call it, "HOME!" That salty, watery world where fish play and healing can happen)
8)Being healthy (Believe it or not, I am actually healthier than I've been in years)
9)Humor (It would be such a black and awful world without humor of all sorts.)
10)Laughter (God help me if I ever forget TO laugh, to smile, to enjoy.)
11)Faith (Without it, I'd have nothing, and would forever be stumbling in the dark with no light.)
12)Honesty (Even if it's something I wasn't thrilled to figure out at the time, I'm grateful for it.)
13)Love (Love is patient, love is kind...)

Let me remember to live this too. 

Hummus, Buckwheat, Curry and Chocolate, Oh, MY!

Too often, what I can't eat seems to be exponentially larger than the list of what I can't eat. SEEMS is the operative word here, it's merely a side effect of living in a mad, mad, mad world of new discoveries, knowing that everywhere, misinformation can rear its ugly head at any given moment.
So, a primer. Let's get the can'ts (Aka the Thou Shalt Nots) out the way first.

Thou Shalt Not (Gluten Free Edition)
1-Wheat
2-Rye
3-Barley
4-Spelt (This is a "gentler" older cousin of wheat. Also, the British past participle of "To-Spell". Spelt is occasionally tolerated by the gluten intolerant, not so much by the celiac. And is in the NO-NO List.)
Be CAREFUL:
Buy from companies that know what they're doing... some ensure that there is no cross-contamination
Oats and buckwheat are naturally gluten-free. Oats are often stored by many companies in storage bins that contained wheat. Oopsie...cross-contamination.
Bob's Red Mill recently removed buckwheat from their gluten-free line (some 70 products) because due to cross-contamination fears, they could not guarantee the buckwheat was not contaminated.
Thou SHALT enjoy:
-Corn (Beware, however, some find it too harsh for their systems. The latest bread I tried, from Shar, the only I Can't Believe It's Not Cardboard GF bread I came across, is a corn and rice mix.)
-Vegetables
-Fruits
-Meats
-Milk (Although many in the community have issues with dairy.) In this case hemp, almond, soy and rice milks can be used.
-Teff, an Ethopian grain known for its teeny size (Its' meaning is "Lost", as in you drop it, you won't find it.)-good tortillas.
-Hummus (Yes, I eat gyro filling, if not the actual outer portion, for the most part-some places serve this separate and I can dish some on my plate.)
-Rice (LOTS of it)
-Buckwheat
-Curry (I often use the green powder to flavor rice dishes, red is HOT!)
-Millet
-bean flours
-Guar and xanthan gums (The latter is synthesized from cabbage.)
And more. To list it all would fill books, honest!
There is pressure on the FDA for better labeling as well, which should make the process easier. I've enjoyed great pasta, hummus, roast beef and swiss, peanut butter, chocolate, almonds, popcorn, pretty much everything anyone else would eat.
Bard's makes a gluten free beer (Sorghum) that I want to test... and they are based locally here in Buffalo. Being celiacs themselves, I would bet this was a trial of love and error for the brew masters.
KIND bars are really good and GF. I like the Protein Plus one, with chocolate and peanut butter.
The Grainless Baker graham crackers are awesome!
Get out there, don't just live on rice.

A Little Bit of Myth-Busting

Every day I come across myths and numerous misinterpretations of the gluten-free diet.

So...

Any questions? 

1) NO two people are the same and their diets must reflect this
2)Glucose and gluten are two entirely separate things. Glucose, if eliminated from my diet would be a BAD thing. Ever see someone who tends to have low blood sugar? Not pretty! Gluten is a protein that also aids in stickiness in grains such as wheat, rye, barley and spelt. Glucose is a sugar
3)Gluten-free and taste are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, if it's "healthy" and "gluten free" and tastes like the butt of a diseased cow, I'm not eating it.
4)Some people need fats...I never absorb those, myself. So cutting fats out of some diets is bad. Besides, you need a small amount to be healthy... even that you can get eating a jar of almonds. Eliminating fat isn't healthy.
5)Scare-mongerers on a pro-anorexia site (I was shocked and saddened there WAS such a thing) insist you can't eat anything on a GF diet. (Buzzer.) I face-palmed so hard I almost gave myself a bruise.
Worse yet, a Forbes journalist used them as a source. (Double face palm.) For your edification here's a link I left off in the original blog. I figure it fits well as a link in a myth busting blog: "They'll Never Expect You To Eat Again"
I feel for these girls, I do.
When you're naturally thin, don't absorb fat well, and live your life on "Are you sure I can have that? Can I have a crouton-less salad?" and use a probiotic to fully ensure all the plumbing works, and have been accused of having some sort of an issue (Those that don't know will often say "You're trying to stay thin right?" No, I'm trying to stay alive and get healthy.)
But uh, let me repeat: NO TWO PEOPLE ARE THE SAME AND THEIR DIETS SHOULD REFLECT THIS. They should eat, without fear, what is right for them, refuse what is not, and enjoy some things because they taste good. I myself just waxed poetic on Pamela's chocolate-chocolate chunk cookies. No gluten, plenty of cocoa... yum!
The gluten-free diet is not next to nothing. I can eat a surprising amount of things... vegetables, fruits, nuts (Often in the peanut-butter chocolate Kind bar), meats, dairy. I just can't have wheat, rye, barley and spelt. But I've learned how to test products, make things I can eat, and have become quite experimental. Hummus recently got included in my list.
What I won't eat, not just taking into account the actually smaller list of "can'ts" is anything that tastes like the back end of a cow. I also refuse to recommend anything or feed it to anyone else unless it's passed my tests, and I can be notoriously picky.
Don't make generalizations or assumptions. Ask.
Ps... even though I also suffer from an allergy to pork, I also love bacon. I also like the smell of the original pork-based version and will inhale it like precious perfume.
So, hey, offer me bacon, I'll make a sandwich - and I know how to make damn good ones! Thanks to German bakers I found one that is not "Essence of Cardboard".
Best.T-Shirt. Ever.