Great finds at the Dollar Store

Look what I found at the Big Dollar Store yesterday. Andy loves the Imagine Tomato Soup. I have never tried the Crispy Chicken Coating Mix - but guess what? For a dollar I will! For those of you local - they have tons of both of these products at the Big Dollar Store on Robert Street (not Dollar Tree - also on Robert). This is not the first time I have found organic and/or gluten free products at this dollar store.

How necessary is Xantham Gum?

I forgot I was out of Xantham Gum today and I wanted to make a batch of mini corn dogs to have ready for Andy's school lunches.

I had already started mixing the ingredients when I realized I was out of it and my van has a flat tire so I can't run to the store and get some of the expensive stuff. So I decided that it is such a small amount - it would be no big deal to leave it out - after all, what does it do exactly?

Well, I can now tell you what it does - it makes the batter thicker and stickier. You cannot make good mini corn dogs without it. I made the batter and then proceeded to cut up the corn dogs and let the batter get thicker - the oil wasn't hot yet anyway. Finally I was ready and dipped the hotdogs in the batter - and it was way too thin and none of it would stick to the hot dog. So, unable to believe a small amount of Xantham Gum was responsible, I decided that I must have only added half of the corn meal - so I added more corn meal and got a thicker batter - and some of it did stick to the hot dog - but most of it slid off after it got in the oil and made a terrible mess. My son took one look at the corn dogs as they came out of the oil and pronounced - "I'm not eating them, they don't have any of the good stuff on them!" He really likes the breading - and has been known to pull the breading off and just eat it and leave the hot dog.

So, I sealed up the hot dogs and put them away for now. I guess I will have to put off making mini corn dogs for another day.

Here is a picture of one - sorry, it's not a good picture, but they are just pathetic. A good lesson for anyone. Do not omit Xantham Gum!

Some Tasty Homework

My homework assignment this weekend was to make some Magic Mineral Broth

Here it is cooking

And the finished product.

And the recipe:

Magic Mineral Broth
This isn’t just a regular vegetable stock. This pot of yum is high in potassium and numerous trace minerals. Sipping this nutrient-rich stock is like giving your body an internal spa treatment. Use it as a base for all your favorite soups and rice dishes. Don’t be daunted by the ingredient list. Simply chop the ingredients in chunks and throw them in the pots, roots, skins, and all.
Ingredients
6 unpeeled carrots with half the green tops, cut into thirds
2 unpeeled medium yellow onions, cut into chunks
1 leek, both white and green parts, cut into thirds
1 bunch celery, including the heart, cut into thirds
4 unpeeled cloves garlic, halved
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
4 medium red potatoes with skins on, quartered
2 Japanese or Hannah's yams or sweet potatoes with skins on, quartered
1 Garnet yam with skin on, quartered
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 (6-inch by 1- inch) strip of kombu
2 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns
4 whole allspice or juniper berries
Procedure
In a 12-quart or larger stockpot, combine all ingredients. Fill the pot to 2 inches below the rim with water, cover, and bring to a boil.
Remove the lid, decrease the heat to low, and simmer a minimum of 2 hours. As the stock simmers some water will evaporate; add more if vegetables begin to peek out. Simmer until the full richness of the vegetables can be tasted.
Strain the stock using a large coarse-mesh strainer (remember to use a heat-resistant container underneath).
Bring to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.
Magic Mineral Broth can be frozen up to six months in a variety of air-tight container sizes for every use.
Makes 6 to 7 quarts

This recipe is copywrited by Rebecca Katz and is from here: http://www.onebiteatatime.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

It is very tasty by itself, but I plan to start substituting it for chicken broth in many of my recipes.

Glutino Gluten Free Brown Gravy Mix

I was pretty excited to find this today in the store. For those who are very dairy sensitive, it does say it may contain traces of dairy. I am going to try it on Thanksgiving. I will be sure and post back how it turned out.

Tropical Source Chocolate Chips

Another GFCF Chocolate Chip. Thanks Jennifer for the pic.

Kirkman's Cookie Mix

Available online from Kirkman's. Thanks Jennifer for the pic.

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Most chocolate chips are not dairy free. This is a brand that is.

Silken Lite Tofu

This is great for making dips.

Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour

I find this works good substituted in most recipes - better than rice flour which tends to get gritty.

San-J Organic Tamari Wheat Free Soy Sauce

Regular soy sauce is not GFCF. I use this in a lot of recipes.