The Non-Dairy Queen

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Oatmeal Peanut Butter (and "Jelly") Pancakes

Well, today has already started off in a rush. Thursdays are busy with early drop offs for chorus and Lego Robotics. This means workouts are done, showers are taken, breakfast has been made and eaten, coffee has been chugged, lunches have been made and a few sleepy fights have been broken up a couple of times all before 7:40am. We are not walking this morning because the illustrator is busy with a deadline on Tuesday and we are meeting our friends that got back from Korea a couple of weeks ago for quick lunch to catch up. So, needless to say...crazy day already.

Yesterday was crazy too. After all of the cleaning I did a couple of days ago, I managed to wreck the kitchen with dinner last night. Oh and I never finished what I started cleaning because I helped the illustrator with some work stuff and by the time we were done, it was time to get the kids and well, nothing extra gets done after I get them. Anyway, back to dinner (or breakfast)...

I was really bummed the other day that I missed out on National Pancake Day (Sunday). I love VeggieGirl's food days update and I swear I never get the chance to celebrate them on the actual day (except coffee day and that was yesterday...everyday is coffee day here). I roasted the pumpkin on Sunday to make pumpkin pancakes, well I ate all of the pumpkin before I got to the pancakes. This is why I am not allowed to buy much pumpkin. It is a weakness.

I made bacon, so you know the deal...if I make bacon, I get breakfast for dinner! After all of the questions about the oatmeal peanut butter waffles and if they would make pancakes, well the answer is YES! I was worried they would not stick together so I cooked a little tester...you know in the name of food research. I was shocked, these hold together so well! You would never know they are gluten free! I thought about making some hemp fudge to go with them...you know the peanut butter chocolate theme, but I was just not in the mood for chocolate. I am not a huge fan and the chocolate kick is over for me for now. While I washed some grapes for the boys I had a thought...Jessica did peanut butter and jelly pancakes a while back...why not do a take on that? So, Oatmeal Peanut Butter and "Jelly" pancakes it was! This looked weird, but it was so good! I wanted more...immediately! These are like the waffles, dense and chewy with a perfect cakey quality. The grapes with the peanut sauce was perfect! Very sweet, but not overly sugary like jelly. YUM!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Pancakes

(makes enough for one person, but I wanted more)

1/2 cup quick oats (or process whole oats just a little)

2 TBSP peanut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 TBSP sweetener of your choice

8 TBSP water

Mix everything together and allow to sit for 5 minutes while the nonstick skillet heats up. Pour batter in the preheated skillet and cook for a minute on one side or until the edges start to look cooked and then flip and cook on the other side until done.

Peanut Butter Sauce

1 TBSP peanut flour

stevia or sweetener of your choice

1/2 to 1 TBSP water to make a pourable sauce

Now for the bargaining part of the meal...Max found a picture of bacon cooked in a long pancake, so that is what I did. These are a super quick pancake recipe I throw together with some maple syrup in the mix and bacon all snug in the doughy mixture.

All I can say is they loved them...although I am thinking any bacon lover would too!

The illustrator wanted to try out the Udi's bagels he got from the gluten free vendor fair last Saturday, so...

he had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel. His thoughts on the bagel were that it wasn't exactly bagel flavor, but a good bread that didn't fall apart due to the crusty outside. If you are gluten free, he highly recommends these if you need a bread fix. He also said they reminded him a little bit of a croissant, just not buttery or flaky. His words, not mine.

So, even though I was a short order cook last night I considered it a win for me 'cause I got my breakfast for dinner!

Labels: breads, breakfast, dips, gluten free, main course, product reviews, quick bread

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 7:51 AM 23 comments

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Cinderella...

Honestly, I can not even say how much I appreciate all of the kind words you all sad about my nephew. I even got tears in my eyes with some of the comments. Then my sister wrote on her facebook page how she got to feed him and then he just laid on her for 30 minutes looking at her. It was just such a hard pregnancy for her that ended too soon, so having something so amazing in the end of a horrible experience just makes it all more worth it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support and kindness.

Now, today, I felt like Cinderella...and not in the glass slipper kind of way (even though my prince was upstairs working his butt off). You have to understand that the illustrator and I are in this house 24/7 so we tend to get on these kicks where things need to be super cleaned. Well, since he is really busy (again), I am the cleaner...hopefully soon to be painter of all walls (I hate flat paint)! I started with the kitchen because well, it really needed it. The weather was beautiful this morning when we walked (in the 60s...chilly) so when I got home...it was fall cleaning time! We opened up the windows and I started scrubbing. Here it is 7:30pm and I need a shower! I didn't even finish everything I wanted to do...the freezer is a mess and the pantry needs to be organized...it will have to wait until tomorrow...I stink!

You all know me, I wasn't going to be in the kitchen all day and not bake!

Heather has been talking about cornbread like crazy and since we devoured the cornbread muffins from the other day and it felt like fall...I wanted cornbread dressing! It took everything I had not to eat this pan of cornbread all day. I hate the smell of cleaners, so with the windows open, cornbread baking and some hot soapy water...I was actually in heaven cleaning!

When these started baking, I was so excited...like a kid in a candy shop!

My reward was all my favorites from Thanksgiving! Cornbread dressing, oven roasted pumpkin with cinnamon and roasted brussles sprouts with hemp seeds (that part is an update on Thanksgiving)!

What is your favorite fall food?

Labels: breads, gluten free, main course, quick bread, side dishes, vegetables

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 7:46 PM 11 comments

Monday, September 27, 2010

The little punkin...

I am so happy for my sister's little man! Vinny is doing so well! He is off of the oxygen and eating like a champ. She even gets to try to nurse the little punkin' tomorrow! I love that he is all cuddled up in a Spider Man blanket. There are a group of ladies that make and donate blankets to the little ones. I have thought about doing that myself (to the children's hospital), but have never done it. I think I will now. It seems like a nice way to pay it forward. Anyway, Vinny is doing so well, they say he may get to got home in a week! Go Vin!

Now for the other punkin'! I couldn't get canned pumpkin at any of my stores, so when I saw these little babies, I grabbed a couple of them. It has been raining here for two days (which I am happy about...we need the rain and the cooler weather), so it was a perfect opportunity to get in the fall spirit. These are so easy to roast and I promise you, the stuff on the inside, is so much better than the canned stuff.

All you have to do is cut it in half, remove the seeds, place it cut side down in a baking dish, cover it with foil and roast it at 375 degrees for 1 - 1 1/2 hours! (This is a pie pumpkin, so it does not take as long. You can do the big ones too, it just takes longer, but just as good! )Then you can scoop it out and puree it for baking or...

Chunk it up like I did and have it with some warm apples and a little peanut sauce (or a lot, but don't judge)! This was completely out of character for me, but the flavor combo was so good!

One last punkin'...we got an email from the shelter we adopted Luke and Leia from saying happy anniversary to our family. We have officially had these little stinkers for 1 year now. These two kitties have given us so much love and entertainment this past year. Luke (pictured here) is so lovey and awkward...while Leia is so sweet and prissy. My cousin Lauren took this picture of Luke and Leia hid out while she was here this time so no picture of her this time. Not that they read this, but happy anniversary to you Luke and Leia!

Labels: about me, gluten free, side dishes, vegetables

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 8:28 PM 16 comments

The little punkin...

Chunk it up like I did and have it with some warm apples and a little peanut sauce (or a lot, but don't judge)! This was completely out of character for me, but the flavor combo was so good!

Labels: about me, gluten free, side dishes, vegetables

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 8:27 PM 3 comments

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Gluten Free Vendor Fair!

Warning...photo heavy post and my apologies for the iphone fluorescent heavy pictures too (my camera battery died while I was at the fair)...

Before I get going on the first part of the day, I will start with the end of the day...

Since the boys loaded up on food at the vendor fair, I was starving at dinner time and they were still full. I put my leftovers to work along with the heirloom tomato I got from the farmer's market on Tuesday...

and a slice of the gluten free bread I made the other day (which makes perfect toast)! I am really happy with this loaf of bread. I want to work on it a little more, but this was my first loaf of gluten free bread made from scratch and it was pretty freakin' good!

I made a little salad of fresh corn cut off the cob and the heirloom tomato, garlic hummus, scrambled egg whites, gluten free toast and hot sauce! Amazing flavor combination and completely satisfying!

Now for the rest of the day....while researching for jobs one day, I came across a Gluten Free Vendor Fair that was being held in Norcross, GA. I have never been to a food show for food allergies or intolerances before. I have attended the Fancy Food Show in Atlanta when I worked in catering, but this was much smaller. It was $5 each for Tony and I to get in (the kids were free since they are under 13). We each got a reusable bag with a bottle of water before we entered the show.

At first, Tony wasn't going to go. He is swamped with work and we both thought it was going to be really small and probably not worth the $10 it would cost to get in. It was only 20 minutes from our house and after talking about it for a little bit, I convinced him to get out for a couple of hours with me. I mean he is the one with "the celiac". We left home at lunch time, so I figured we would have to grab lunch out on the way back...

(This picture does not give this creme brulee justice, it was beautiful and Tony did not stop talking about it!)

While I couldn't eat much there, the boys feasted! PF Chang's had a huge set up there for sampling, along with Outback Steakhouse and Maggiano's! Remember...only $5/adult! There were also tons of baked goods for sampling...

Along with some of our favorite products for tasting, there were tons of coupons!

I haven't tried this flour yet. It was $20 (or $25, I can't remember) for a bag of flour. This is why I am trying to bake my own stuff. Yikes!

This bakery was incredible! They inspired me to get my butt in the kitchen and bake more! You could not tell these were gluten free at all!

The boys left on a really high note...

Since we stayed until the end (we had no idea there would be so many products to learn about and sample), companies started giving things away! The boys actually walked out with chinese take out...

and Tony had a couple more samples of gluten free beer! We all needed a nap after all of this!

Then we got home and started going through our loot!

After looking at everything, I swear we walked out of there with about $40 worth of stuff not including the meals the boys ate between the pizza, Chinese food, Italian food, beer and sweets. We spent $16.50 because we bought the Rudi's bread when we first got there. Just a suggestion, when you go to something like this, don't buy anything until the end! It is good bread though, so worth the purchase. Besides, we wanted to support more companies.

While this one was a Gluten Free Vendor Fair, many items were free of all the major allergens! I will definitely be checking out more food shows like this. I think it is so important to support these organizations and companies! It was a great afternoon and I look forward to the next one!

Have you ever been to a food fair?

Labels: beans, breads, breakfast, dips, gluten free, main course, product reviews, vegetables

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 12:21 PM 16 comments

Saturday, September 25, 2010

A different work out...

I woke up too early this morning, so my brain is just going. Bare with me on this...

I did something a little different yesterday. I worked out without shoes on. Since I still did not have any DVR workouts, I worked out upstairs using the computer. I didn't do super high impact exercises, but I did a few high intensity intervals and some pilates for strength. I read about it a few places, but this one and this one seemed to have the most info I could find on the pros and cons. I have done this a couple of times before and I like the way my legs and feet feel afterwards. They are still feeling good today too! I was on carpet so I felt like it was a little easier on my feet. Have you heard of this and what do you think about it?

As for breakfast, I have gotten a lot of questions about the oatmeal peanut butter waffles. Which leads to my question in the end of this post...

This morning I made a new version of my oatmeal peanut butter waffle. I added a banana to the mix and used regular peanut butter since I have gotten a ton of questions from people who don't have peanut flour, wondering if it would work. As you can see, I make these using a very thick batter which is why this is kind of like a cookie.

These are thick, dense, crispy and chewy.

Because of this, a little goes a long way. Max is not a huge breakfast eater anyway, so he went with a wedge loaded with peanut butter, a sprinkle of powder sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Because I used peanut butter, I used less water and no sweetener. Also, I was asked about making these into pancakes. I would imagine it would work, but you may need to add a little more water depending on wether you are looking for dense pancakes or fluffy.

Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Waffles

1 cup oatmeal (quick cooking or rolled oats blended a little bit)

1 banana, mashed

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or 1/4 cup peanut flour)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

8 TBSP water (or 12 TBSP if using peanut flour)

(2 TBSP sweetener of your choice if using flour)

Cook according to your machines directions.

Now for the question...if you use a different type of commenting program, what do you use? Obviously, with blogger, I can't respond to people personally unless I go to your site. I don't like this. I would like to be able to respond to everyone individually. Any help you can give me would be appreciated. What do you like, what do you not like?

I hope everyone has a great weekend...I hear fall should be here tomorrow!

Labels: about me, breads, breakfast, gluten free, main course, quick bread

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 10:10 AM 19 comments

Thursday, September 23, 2010

More Oatmeal Peanut Butter Waffles...

Where did this week go? I want to say I feel like I accomplished something, but it is one of those times where you won't really see the fruits of your labor until much later. I work on being patient, but I like instant gratification. Can't help it...I am only human.

Normally I would have been pretty mad that I lost all of my workouts when the DVR died, but I just let it go and used it as an opportunity to try out some new stuff. I haven't found anything completely mind blowing good to do, but I just had fun and did whatever. It feels really good! I did pilates for my legs yesterday and wow, I can really feel them. I don't hurt, but I can feel that I totally worked them out in a different way and I think I may have needed that to realize that doing the same thing over and over...isn't good.

I am starting to wonder if the addition of peanut flour in my diet is helping out with my muscle repair after strength training? I feel the workout, but not the pain that I was getting before. I actually feel stronger, if that makes sense.

I have also spent the last few days with my cousin taking pictures of food...

I made her the Oatmeal Peanut Butter Waffle with banana and peanut butter sauce!

I love playing with the white balance (and with food)!

Tonight was an amazing mix of leftovers and the beginning to my farewell to summer...

This salad was so good and I while I am sad that summer tomatoes are coming to an end (since I am just now coming across good ones), I am so ready for cooler weather! This was a mixture of the last of summer corn, tomatoes, pintos from when I made chili and fresh romaine! Yes, I ate the entire mixing bowl smothered in Frank's Red Hot. So good!

I am so ready for the weekend! I think cooler weather is coming!

Labels: beans, breads, gluten free, main course, quick bread, vegetables

posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 9:57 PM 22 comments

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Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen
Home: Atlanta, GA, United States
About Me: Lactose Challenged
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