Zucchini Fritters

I was a little worried for our garden this year, I had to replant after everything died from the first attempt but the perseverance paid off and we are starting to enjoy a bounty of zucchini.

Fried food isn't usually a part of our normal diet but I'll indulge in these fritters once in a while! This is from a Pinterest recipe I found last year and it is easily adapted to be gluten free using a gluten free all purpose flour mix.

Zucchini Fritters 

2 c. grated zucchini (squeeze dry with towel)

1/4 tsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 egg

1/2 c. parmesan cheese (I subbed cheddar)

3/4 c. flour

Oil for frying

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. I omitted the onion and cayenne pepper because I was out of both! Heat the oil in a pan and spread a 1/4 cup of the batter per fritter. Mine took about 5 minutes on each side but I don't think I had the oil hot enough. Let cool on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.

These are great topped with avocado, tomato or sour cream but I decided to whip up a cilantro yogurt topping to try. It wasn't too bad for just throwing it together. Here's a "recipe" for the dip.

Cilantro Yogurt Dip

1/2 c. of greek yogurt

1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and top those fritters!

Here's one last quick recipe that is not edible one! Just wanted to share my laundry soap recipe! I'm a DIYer when it doesn't involve too much brain power, so trust me, this is a piece of cake! This tutorial is from another Pinterest find.

The website I got this from does a great job breaking it down step by step but here are my instructions with a few tips I've learned from making this a couple times.

Liquid Laundry Soap

1 bar castile soap 

1 c. borax

1 c. washing soda

40 drops essential oils (optional)

1. Grate the soap- I like to use the zester side of my grater so it breaks the soap into tiny pieces that melt better
2. Fill a large pot half way with water and heat to a boil
3. Slowly pour the grated soap into the hot water and stir continuously until all the soap is melted
4. Reduce the heat and let the soap dissolve for about ten more minutes in the hot water
5. Slowly stir in the washing soda
6. Slowly stir in the borax then remove from the heat
7. Fill a five gallon bucket halfway with hot water
8. Pour the soap into the bucket with water and stir
9. Fill the bucket the rest of the way with hot water and let it sit to cool for a couple hours (make sure to cover the bucket if you have pets or munchkins around)
10. Add essential oils when the soap has cooled if desired- I use about 20 drops of lavender and 20 drops of tea tree

I made my last batch about 3 or 4 months ago and I use about a cup per large load of laundry. I know some people can get theirs to last longer using less but that's what seems to work to get our clothes clean.

Oh, and one last picture of this kid who thinks he's a big guy using a spoon all by himself!

Baking Bread

Bread is not one thing I have conquered in the gluten free world but I will share my experience with you anyways! I have a really hard time spending almost $5 a loaf for gluten free bread so I've forced my way into trying to make my own. I've tried a couple different recipes but so far this bread recipe from Eating Gluten Free has been the closest I've come to "normal bread." I failed to take pictures of each step but the recipe is pretty easy to follow. I used the all purpose flour mix I made a couple weeks ago but any other all purpose flour mix should work just fine.

Gluten Free White Bread  

3 c. GF all purpose flour (recipe here)

1/4 c. sugar

3 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tbsp. yeast

1 3/4 c. warm water

1/4 c. oil (I used canola)

1 tsp. rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

3 eggs

Combine flour, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Pour warm water over the yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add oil, vinegar and eggs. Beat on HIGH for 5 minutes. Pour into a greased bread pan (I use two smaller bread pans). Cover pans with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes. (My smaller pans take about 25 mins.)

It may seem a little strange to whip up bread dough at such a high speed but I've learned about why you need to beat gluten free dough on high and other helpful gluten free baking tips from this article.

TIP: Remove the baked loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack as soon as possible to prevent the bottom from getting soggy in the pan (learned from experience on that one). They also mention this is the article I linked above.

This past week I finished nursing nursing Sawyer so I've indulged in a few goodies like Krispy Kreme doughnuts and biscuits and gravy from Cracker Barrel. It's such a strange feeling to start eating whatever I want without feeling guilty! We are still going to limit the gluten filled foods in the house because the little man is always wanting what we have but I won't mind busting out some Oreos once in a while after the kid is in bed!

This journey of being gluten free has really impacted my own health and what I choose to allow into my body day to day. Having to limit my intake of certain foods for the past 16 months forced me to eat healthier but also gave me a greater appreciation for nutritious foods God designed our bodies to consume. I do have the freedom to eat an Oreo or all those other tasty glutenous foods I've missed but I know those foods will have an impact on how effectively my body functions.

I'm so grateful for this challenging experience to sacrifice my cravings for a lesson in making healthier choices. God is all powerful and I believe He can heal Sawyer's body so I continue to pray that one day (SOON) he can eat gluten as well!