Gluten Free Pumpkin Mix

It's Pumpkin Season!!! and luckily since pumpkin is low FODMAP, we get to indulge as long as the other ingredients are aligned.  This gluten free pumpkin mix falls right in line!

 Overall, it's pretty good: moist, pumpkiney, doesn't make me feel sick. But it does leave a bit to be desired. It's a bit grainy, as gluten free stuff can be, but I think it can be remedied.

 Next time I would replace the water with some type of milk (probably almond). A little more fat and filler isn't always a bad thing.
Overall, pretty great!  Peace, love and Pumpkin Spice!

Banana Bread

     It has happened to all of us.  You bought a few too many bananas, and now they're brown and you don't want to eat them. Well you're in luck! Here's my low FODMAP banana bread recipe!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter room temp
1/8 c yogurt (I used lactose free, vanilla or plain)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c oat flour (make by putting oats in a food processer, or buying super expensive oat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine dry ingredients minus sugar: oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon. Mix Well

3.Combine wet ingredients and sugar: banana, vanilla, brown sugar, butter, yogurt, eggs. Mix Well

4.Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well.

5.Fold in extras: nuts, chocolate, etc.
6.Pour into bread pan that had been sprayed as needed.

7.Cook for roughly 1 hour at 350. Remove when you can put a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.
8.Enjoy!

Stacks on Stacks of Yum, thanks to Trader Joes!

I ate 3 of these plates, so watch out!

  New treat for you guys! Trader Joes has just come out with a gluten free waffle and pancake mix, and it's actually low FODMAP! It doesn't contain any soy, which apparently is remarkable, because almost all gluten free products do. Personally I'm usually not a fan of store bought gluten free products.  By the time you've mixed together 15 different flours and powders, it doesn't taste anything like the real thing.  TJs stick to a few basic ingredients and the results are great.

   And yes, I realized that I could go to the store and buy potato flower, rice flower, oat flower, almond flower, tapioca starch and mix them all together in a specific ratio, but do I really want to do that? No. (Plus tapioca starch is like 12$ for an ounce, are you kidding me?)

All you need

    Basically, they're super delicious, although a bit cakey.  I added a 1/2c water, instead of 1/4c, as suggested to make them more like "crepes", but I think you could even do 3/4.

 Add the wet ingredients, and mix in the pancake mix. And scoop them out!

Golden Goodness

   This is what the exact amount listed on the box makes, so if you've got a couple gluten free lovers, I suggest making a few servings.

Top with any lovely summer fruit or nut butters or maple syrup or powdered sugar and gobble them up! Well actually, you may want to savor them because they're pretty good.

Nice job TJs!

Pad Thai Party

There are so many Pad Thai recipes out there, but I haven't quite found one I like, so I took the best parts of each and made my own.  And I have to say, I'm pretty proud. Also, yes, it is low FODMAP, and I've been playing around with a vegetarian/ vegan version, so that'll be all the way at the bottom.

Pad Thai Ingredients:
7 oz Pad Thai Rice Noodles
8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 small Zucchini julienne
1 large Carrot julienne
1 Tbs Ginger, minced
2 Tbs garlic infused olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce Ingredients:
2 Tbs Peanut Butter
1 Tbs Soy Sauce (gluten free if needed)
1 Tbs red Thai curry paste (often contains some garlic & onion find a recipe for a homemade version with none here)
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
A few drops of Fish Sauce (trust me, a little goes a long way)

Toppings:
Mung Bean Sprouts
Cilantro
Chopped Peanuts
Lime
Green Onion

Hint: Get as all as of the ingredients prepared  before you turn on the stove.  Most of the time spent on this recipe is in prep, and you don't want to overcook this, or you will end up with a mushy rice ball.

1. Heat oil in skillet.  Add Chicken.
2.  Cook noodles as the box instructs.  Remove them when they are a bit undercooked.  Run under cold water and drain.
3. Add veggies, garlic olive oil and ginger to the pan with chicken. Cook until veggies are "al dente", basically when the zucchini starts to turn neon green.
   
   My sister got me this great little tool for slicing up veggies nice and thin! (find yours here, or at any cooking store)
   
   
4. In a small bowl combine sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, red curry paste, brown sugar, fish sauce and vinegar. Mix well.
5. Add noodles and sauce to pan with chicken and veggies.  Turn off heat and Mix quickly. DON'T OVER COOK THE NOODLES! (sorry, but rice noodles are super gross when they get cooked too long)
6. Scoop into a bowl and garnish as you please.

Vegetarian/ Vegan hints:
Take out the chicken and double the veggies.  Don't add the fish sauce to the sauce. It's still super delicious.

Reheating:
Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a pan, toss in your leftovers.  Remove and garnish.  Don't use the microwave, unless you're determined to find out how gross overcooked rice noodles are.


Enjoy!!

Your friendly neighborhood Food, Health, Style Blogger

     For a while people have been asking me to create a blog but I never got started because I couldn't decide how to narrow down a topic to write about.  But then I realized, I don't have to.  I've never tied myself to a stereotype, and because of that I have a lot of diverse interests. 

     A bit about me: I'm originally from the San Francisco Bay Area.  I graduated with my BA in Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience in 2013 from an awesome little university in Tacoma.  And I now live in San Diego.  I work part time at a large children's hospital, volunteer with a cat rescue, model and wander around with my camera. Through modeling I have met some amazing artists and gotten to explore some great places in and around San Diego.  "The Industry" is not always the most welcoming place, but if you search a bit and are choosey about who you work with, you can find some real gems.

     Over the last 5 years I have done a bunch of medical tests to try to figure out why I have had tummy trouble my whole life, and eventually got diagnosed with a functional intestinal disorder (basically things don't work quite the way they should but we don't know why).  So as a result I also spend quite a bit of time coming up with creative food that doesn't hurt my stomach, but still tastes good.

     So here you go, what this blog will be about:

• Shopping small.  I love connecting with people that truly believe in the product they create, and one of the best ways to do this is by shopping small.
• How to make your digestive track healthy.  Whether it's a yummy recipe or other ways to keep yourself balanced, I'm all about it. I have yet to find a place where young women talk openly about their digestive difficulties and I would like to give us a voice.
• Exploring.  Every corner of this world is incredible, I'll share the places I find, what I do, and other things I love.

     I'm not going to tell you how to "get a bikini bod" or  "trends from the latest magazines", but I will share a bit of my world with you.  If you have any questions you'd like me to address in a post, or want to collaborate with me, feel free to contact me!


Well, here goes nothing.