About Flours
I have tried lots of flours and commercial flour blends. The all purpose baking mix at the bulk barn is pretty good. (but, due to contamination, not an option if you have to be strictly gluten free ). I still find that the blends and even most recipes that use individual flours lean heavily on rice flour which has a different texture that I don't really like.
Most gluten free flours are very high on the glycemic index (turn to sugar in your body very quickly). When trying to lower carbs and level blood sugars I discovered buckwheat flour and quinoa flour!!! Quinoa has a slight bitter or acid (?) taste in the back of your mouth so I use it in small quantities. The good thing about quinoa though is that it is not a grain so it is very high protein and low carbs! I have been mixing buckwheat and quinoa flours 3:1 in recipes with excellent results. I've just used normal muffin or cookie recipes and put 3/4 cup buckwheat flour and 1/4 cup quinoa flour in place of 1 cup of wheat flour. The texture is excellent and so is the taste! (FYI Buckwheat is NOT wheat, despite its name, and has no gluten!)
Most gluten free flours are very high on the glycemic index (turn to sugar in your body very quickly). When trying to lower carbs and level blood sugars I discovered buckwheat flour and quinoa flour!!! Quinoa has a slight bitter or acid (?) taste in the back of your mouth so I use it in small quantities. The good thing about quinoa though is that it is not a grain so it is very high protein and low carbs! I have been mixing buckwheat and quinoa flours 3:1 in recipes with excellent results. I've just used normal muffin or cookie recipes and put 3/4 cup buckwheat flour and 1/4 cup quinoa flour in place of 1 cup of wheat flour. The texture is excellent and so is the taste! (FYI Buckwheat is NOT wheat, despite its name, and has no gluten!)
What about the ineveitable birthday parties, and special holidays? and well meaning friends and strangers?
Parties are hard to navigate. My children just understand that sometimes we cheat a little (but we try not to go crazy). For my daughter I take a gluten free cupcake (from a mix so it does have cane sugar) iced with a cane sugar free icing. My son cheats a little more (he's 11 so he is starting to choose a little for himself how much to cheat - he knows the consequences!) If he hasn't had much sugar lately he'll have a little cake but usually finds it so sweet that he doesn't enjoy it!
It is pop that is the hard thing! I often take Kool Aid prepared with honey and stevia as a special drink for them.
So - we do cheat a little at parties but our closer friends try to offer alternatives like fruit salad which we will eat at dessert time.
Those Goodie Bags full of candy??? I buy them from my kids! They usually willingly give them up for a dollar or two!
At Easter and Valentine's Day I make my own chocolates! It takes more time but my kids also know that I've spent extra effort just for them. I think it makes them know how special they are!
Parties are hard to navigate. My children just understand that sometimes we cheat a little (but we try not to go crazy). For my daughter I take a gluten free cupcake (from a mix so it does have cane sugar) iced with a cane sugar free icing. My son cheats a little more (he's 11 so he is starting to choose a little for himself how much to cheat - he knows the consequences!) If he hasn't had much sugar lately he'll have a little cake but usually finds it so sweet that he doesn't enjoy it!
It is pop that is the hard thing! I often take Kool Aid prepared with honey and stevia as a special drink for them.
So - we do cheat a little at parties but our closer friends try to offer alternatives like fruit salad which we will eat at dessert time.
Those Goodie Bags full of candy??? I buy them from my kids! They usually willingly give them up for a dollar or two!
At Easter and Valentine's Day I make my own chocolates! It takes more time but my kids also know that I've spent extra effort just for them. I think it makes them know how special they are!