Putting out the Fleece

This past week, my adventurous parents purchased two pet alpacas, Milee and Pegasus.  If you aren't familiar with this beautiful creature, they are a little smaller in stature than a llama with a head that looks similar to a camel.  As someone who has had very little desire to own any type of pet for most of my life, I was a bit perplexed by their newest residents.  But after watching my mom and dad parade these harnessed babes around the yard for their grand kids this past Fathers Day weekend with gigantic smiles, it makes perfect sense.  Why not?  If a couple of 60 yr old, ex-hippie's want to dabble in semi-exotic livestock then where's the harm in that. 

As we were leaving, my dad went to the garage and handed me a 13 gallon garbage bag full of Pegasus trimmings.... because I knit.  Hmmmm...  I accepted the gift, knowing that my dad would in no way expect me to return with socks for him for the winter.  My dad, like he's always done, was giving a spark to his inquisitive middle kid (like when I was 10 and he gave me access to innumerable boards, nails, and a hammer to make a tree house).  With appreciation I left with my fleece and here it sits beside me with a decision to make.  Do I really have time to learn a new trick?  Spinning fleece into yarn is not like experimenting on a new bread recipe.  I am a busy mother of three with a fairly new knitting habit.  I buy my yarn at a store clean, weighed, dyed, and neatly packaged.  Maybe I should lay a piece of fleece out on the table and ask God for a sign :)  To spin or not to spin?

Gluten-Free Bread Machine Sandwich Bread

My oldest daughter and I started ourselves on a Gluten-free diet about a year ago after struggling with 'tummy' aches and a host of other not so pleasant symptoms of which I will spare you.  The results have been amazing!  However, this new lifestyle has not come without its struggles: from learning to decipher food labels for hours in the grocery store, to avoiding restaurants and potlucks, to turning our kitchen into a little experimental science lab of sorts.  We are slowly progressing from purchasing ready made mixes, which can be VERY expensive, to making our own bread and desserts. 

The latest time and money saving endeavor is Gluten free Bread Machine Bread.  Before you in plug in the machine, you'll need to stock your pantry with a variety of different flours.  We go through about three loaves a week between the two of us, one being a growing teenager with limited food options, mind you.  My recommendations, purchase in bulk (I like Bob's Red Mill through Amazon) Brown rice flour, Garbanzo and Fava flour, Sorghum flour, Tapioca flour, and Potato Flour.  You will also need Gluten Free Xanthan Gum (Bob's Red Mill), active dry yeast, dry milk, and organic apple cider vinegar (those with very sensitive tummy's may need to find distilled vinegar).  If you have these items in stock, half the hastle disappears.  Here is one recipe that works well,

Gluten Free Bread Machine Sandwich Bread:
3 eggs
1 2/3 cup water
3 Tb oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1 cup Tapioca flour
1 1/2 cups of sorghum flour, or garbanzo & fava flour
1/2 cup of dry milk
3 Tb of sugar or honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Set Bread machine on whole wheat, and light settings. 
When your bread is done, slide a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the loaf.  It will be harder to remove than a traditional recipe but the longer you wait to remove it from the pan the harder it will be to remove.  Let the bread cool before slicing or storing.  Store in an air tight container.  If you store it before it is cool, the steam will condense and mold your bread.

Other options I'm trying...
I keep a couple of GF all- purpose flour blends on hand for brownies, and other recipes.  This one is easy and universal.
GF All-purpose flour blend 1:
2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour

This one is better when making cakes...
GF All-purpose flour blend 2:
2 parts brown rice flour
1 part sorghum flour
1 part tapioca flour
1/2 part potato starch

This morning I decided to make the bread recipe above with the GF All-purpose flour blend 2... except I used Garbanzo bean flour instead of sorghum since I am clean out.  More specifically, I used 3 1/4 cups of this all purpose blend as an alternative to the 3 flour ingredients, which add up to 3 1/4 cups of flour.  I also am trying different settings.  I used the dough setting instead of the whole wheat setting (to save time because we're hungry).  When the dough setting is done, push STOP, wait 5 minutes, and push BAKE on your machine.  I'll let you know how this new experiment turns out.  Good Luck! 

This post is for my little friend, Victoria, and her amazing mom....

Warning: Woman without fear

Does anyone find this label insulting?  I would prefer a warning that was a little more honest.  For example, Danger: if you are stupid enough to fall off of this 3 foot ladder and die, do not sue the maker of this product.  It will be a tragic accident that will no doubt make the paper, but it is certainly not our fault. 

There are warning, danger, and caution signs all around preaching to us that this world is not safe, that in this world you are going to die.  Duh?!   Most of these signs teach us to worry, be anxious, and live cautiously.  I say, how boring!  I sometimes wish there were warning signs reminding us that we are living. 

Caution:  This is the last time you will see your mother; hug her. 
Warning: Stop complaining about your jeans being tight because someday you'll wish they still fit. 
Stop!  Working so hard and play with your kids.  Some day you will want them to play with you and they will be 'too busy'. 

I don't really know where this is coming from today.  Probably because I see so many of my friends making poor decisions in their lives based on fear and it just looks like slavery to me.  I want to shake them awake! (in love of course)  So I say practice living without fear, take (healthy) risks, be brave, draw outside the lines, think outside the box, trust God.   He reminds us to 'fear not' over 62 times in the book He wrote for us.