The Story of A Feral Cat

This is about the life of a feral cat.  She was rescued from the campus of Louisburg High School. She lived in the storm drain in the teachers' parking lot. (Some non-caring individuals would drop cats off at the school on nights and weekends.) She was a typical feral cat -- until she was rescued. From that point she was neither feral nor completely domesticated.

Hands-on Education of Feral Cats

She showed up at the school during the construction and renovation of the school. She lived under the construction office, which was near the cafeteria. The students and construction workers would throw food to her. She wouldn't let anyone near her -- very feral -- though, I don't think she had always been feral. She was very independent and didn't want anyone touching her. The students sometimes talked about a pretty cat under the trailer. I saw her once in this location.

When the construction ended, she lost her "home". She started living in the storm drain in the parking lot.

I'm not sure when I gave her a name. I named her Callie. She was an absolutely beautiful calico, with. long-hair and short legs. She had a short tail because she lost half of it. One Friday, she showed up dragging half her tail. It was at that point I felt she needed to see a vet but catching her was going to be a problem. In a few days, the dragged part of the tail fell off. She appeared to be healthy.

I started feeding her and kept cat food in my car. I would feed her every morning before anyone else got to school. She knew the sound of my car and most every day, she was waiting for me when I got there in the morning. Other cats challenged her ownership of the cat food, so she would gobbled it up before I could get in my classroom. I often left the school late and she sometimes waited for more food. My friend, Janet, would feed her on the holidays. Sometimes, I would drive to school and feed her myself.

The Capture

Another teacher, Jane, became interested in her. Jane also trapped, neutered, and returned (TNR) feral cats. We tried to capture this cat for about a month, but were not successful. She was one smart cat. Jane soon became retired and left me to try to continue the capture of Callie. Jane was going to take her to the vet and then release her on her farm if I ever caught her.

It took another two weeks. I gradually placed her food closer and closer to the trap. I put the food in the trap several days without tripping the latch because I wanted her to get use to climbing into the cage. The first day I placed the food in the back, I caught her. When the latch shut, she screamed, yowled, hissed and growled furiously. (It felt bad because I had deceived her and I wondered if she knew me by smell). I didn't want her to know who trapped her, so I approached the cage holding a blanket in front of me. I threw the blanket over the cage and picked it up. I called Jane to tell her I had her. Jane drove to Louisburg to pick her up.

Jane took Callie to the vet, had her spayed, and got her necessary shots. She provided a space in her house for Callie's healing.

And There is Trouble With the Plans

I got an email from Jane in a couple of weeks stating that there was a problem. She asked me if I would be willing to take Callie. She had done some more reading about feral cats and talked to an expert on feral cats. It seems that if they are released in a unfamiliar area, other feral cats will chase them away. Feral cats are very territorial. It is not safe to relocate them unless they are in a dangerous area. There are several other reasons for not relocating feral cats.

I told Jane I would take her but that I needed time to get ready for her. I purchased a very large crate for cats and place it in the small bedroom. At the time, I had two other cats. Callie needed to be isolated from them in the beginning.

Bringing Callie Home

I went to get Callie. If you have seen cartoons of cats flying threw the air with the claws out, you may think they are a jokes. NOPE! Callie could fly through the air with her nails out. She jumped high from wall to the wall and scraped her way down. It was frightening for Callie and us. We had a very difficult time corralling her into a cat travel carrier. Another upsetting experience for her.

I took her home. I lowered the cat carrier to the cat crate; into the crate she went. There was food, water and a a small litter box. (Jane said Callie used the litter box with no problems). I left Callie alone several hours so that she could get used to her surroundings. During the next few days I would visit her, reach my hand to touch her, change the litter box and water and feed her. I also would take a book into the room and read aloud to her.

A few days later, I opened the bedroom door to let the two other cats in to visit. At first she didn't like it and would hiss and spit. It eventually worked because she and Dupont became lasting buddies.


In a week, it was time for the next step. Once she no longer hissed at me and let me touch her, I opened the door of the crate and left the room.

Dupont

Coming Out of Hiding

At some point she came out and hid behind the futon.

She would come out to eat and drink and use the litter box. I always talked to her and always said the phrase, "You come out to see your Mama."After waiting several days, I folded down the mattress of the futon so I could see her. I didn't touch her for a couple days. Then, I started laying across the mattress and touching her and rubbing her. The second day I heard her purr and felt her relaxed. Finally I was getting somewhere. She loved being petted!

In about the third week,  I went in and peeped at her from under the futon and said"You come out to see your Mama" and she stretched to touch me. I touched her and she put her head down for me to touch her. It was a long stretch. I sat on the floor by the futon and read to her.

She Comes Out to Greet Me

In another few weeks, she peeked out from under the futon to see me when I entered the room. I sat further from the futon and repeated"You come out to see your Mama". One day, miraculously, she did come out to be petted; from then out she always came to greet me when I repeated the phrase.

From that point in the domestication, she gradually became one of the house cats. I could never leave her out when I left the house because sometimes she wouldn't go upstairs to use her litter box. (I had three litter boxes to clean and didn't want another -- besides, Dupont would use it). Though Dupont was sometimes irritated with Callie's neediness, he would cry for me to to upstairs to let Callie out. Callie never, ever liked to be picked up but she loved to sit in my lap or on my chest if I was lying on the sofa.

Why am I using the Past Tense?

Callie died, this week, of renal failure June 18, 2015. I miss you, baby, and you taught me so much about caring for feral cats. You were so loyal to me and loved being with me. Thanks for being so patient and loving. You always followed me around the house like puppy dog. Though it was irritating at times, I miss it.

Question?

If you read one of the articles, you know that it said to return the feral cats to their environment. So why didn't Jane and I put the cat back on the Louisburg campus? Callie's home was a storm drain and a parking lot. We felt it to be a dangerous environment.

Resources:

"Feral Cat Relocation." Louisiana SPCA, n.d. Web. 19 June 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.la-spca.org%2Fdocument.doc%3Fid%3D22>.

"Relocation." Neighborhood Cats /. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2015. <http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_RELOCATION>.

"Why Trap-Neuter-Return Feral Cats: The Case for TNR." Why Trap-Neuter-Return Feral Cats? The Case for TNR. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2015. <http://www.alleycat.org/casefortnr>.

Gluten Free Oat/Sorghum Mini Cake Donuts

The Trial and Error

I have been making mini gluten free donuts for several months. But, all my attempts went in the trash. They were not terrible but they were not great either. I needed to work on the taste and texture for that is the promise of a good cake donut.

The first time I tried this particular recipe, they tasted very good but the texture was not there. They didn't have enough body because when picked up, the donut crumbled, even when cold. So, for the next trial, the amount of flour was increased. Bingo -- the texture much improved. They weren't as sweet as before but I didn't add more sugar; the sugar topping would remedy that.  

What To Do With Left Over Sugar/Cinnamon Topping

When I made the low-sugar topping, dipped the donuts in the melted butter, and then dipped them in the topping, I thought they were good enough to post. As I started cleaning up, there was a small amount of sugar/cinnamon topping and butter left. I was going to throw it out and the bell in my head rang. I got a couple tablespoons of cream cheese out, put it in a small bowl with the sugar topping and butter and beat it. I didn't think I could pipe it so I added about a teaspoon of half & half and beat it until it was very smooth. I piped it on top of the sugar topping. Oh, my gosh, that cinnamon cream cheese was a perfect final topping. Next time I will try to be a little more artistic when piping.

Gluten Free Oat/Sorghum Mini Cake Donuts

Dry ingredients:

1/3 cup (40g) oat flour  

1/3 cup (40 g) sorghum flour   

2 tablespoons (7 g) almond flour/meal 

1 tablespoon powdered buttermilk, powdered whey or powdered milk of choice

1 tablespoon seed dust*

1 tablespoon sugar or sugar substitute or combination of both

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

2 tablespoons milk of choice or water

2 tablespoons applesauce

1 1/2 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping: 

1 tablespoon granular sugar

1 tablespoon Stevia in the raw, granular sugar or any dry sweetener of choice.

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Cream Cheese Piping:

1 teaspoon of leftover sugar topping

1/2 - 1 teaspoon left over dipping butter

1-2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 teaspoon milk or half & half

Directions:

Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Stir the wet ingredients together. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to help the gluten free flour hydrate.

Spoon the batter into a plastic zipper bag. Cut a small corner off the bag. Gently squeeze the batter evenly into 12 mini indentions of the mini donut pan. Bake at 325℉ for 10-12 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick or a very light touch. There should be only a few to no dry crumbs on the toothpick. The donuts should bounce back when lightly touched. Do not press too hard or the donuts might no longer rise if you have to put them back in the oven.

When the donuts are done, remove from oven and let them cool in the pan about 5 minutes. (They are very delicate when hot and will break apart.) Place on a cooling rack. When the donuts seem sturdy (in about 5-10 minutes), dip the top of a donut in the melted butter and then dip in the sugar topping. Place back on the cooking rack and dip the remaining donuts.

The donuts can be eaten with only the sugar topping, but the cream cheese adds a great flavor. To make the cream cheese piping, cream the cream cheese with the leftover sugar topping, melted butter and milk or half & half. Whip until perfectly combined with no lumps. Place in a plastic zippered bag, cut a small hole in a corner. (You can also using a pastry bag). Pipe the cream cheese in a design you like.

If you choose, you can skip the sugar topping and use only the cream cheese piping as a glaze or any frosting of choice. For the cinnamon cream cheese,  mix 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar substitute (or only sugar can be used), 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons cream cheese and 1 teaspoon or more of milk or half & half. Gently dip the donuts in the glaze or spoon the glaze over the top of the donuts.

As you can see from the first photo, these donuts weren't actually this dark.

Other variations to the recipe:
1. Add 1/4 cup or more mini chocolate chips to the batter before baking. Finely chopped nuts can be added with the mini chocolate chips.
2. Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa.
3. Make a vanilla or chocolate cream cheese glaze using the recipe at this site or use your own recipes for any flavor you like.
4. Skip adding the cinnamon to batter and add small or dried blueberries or other fruit.
5. Use the batter to make mini muffins. Using a pastry bag, fill the muffins with the cinnamon cream cheese glaze or any other filling wanted. Frost with chocolate, vanilla or the same cinnamon cream cheese glaze.
6. These will make 6 regular sized donuts. Bake 12-15 minutes.
7. Sprinkles are always in order but be sure they are gluten free.

*The seed dust is 1 tablespoon from ground seeds (20 grams flaxseed, 10 grams chia seeds, and 5 grams of psyllium husk powder).

Resources:

"Cream Filled Cupcakes." Allrecipes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015. <http://allrecipes.com/video/1477/cream-filled-cupcakes/detail.aspx>.

"Filling a Cupcake." Wilton.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015. <http://www.wilton.com/technique/Filling-a-Cupcake>.

Pellegrinelli, Carroll. "Cream Cheese Glaze (Frosting) Recipe." N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015. <http://baking.about.com/od/frostingsandicings/r/Cream-Cheese-Glaze.htm>.

"Pixie Dust Xanthan Gum Replacer." GlutenFree Doctor. N.p., 17 Nov. 2012. Web. 07 June 2015. <http://glutenfreedoctor.com/pixie-dust-xanthan-gum-replacer/>.

Linda's Pimento Cheese Gluten Free

Isn't Pimento Cheese Naturally Gluten Free?

What? Why make pimento cheese gluten free? Isn't is already gluten free. If you read the labels, they might say gluten free, but before the labeling laws, I have been painfully glutened with "gluten free" pimento cheese. The label might say gluten free or not mention any type of gluten in the ingredients but it may have been manufactured on a line where a product with gluten has been produced. Some of the companies making pimento cheese state that some of their suppliers for their company cannot meet the gluten free standards. I always do some research on a product before I buy it, especially if there is no mention of gluten. Same with pimento cheese.

Origin of Pimento Cheese

I found it a surprise when I read that pimento cheese wasn't orginally a southern "thing" -- connect to that website to read about it. That might explain why Mama's pimento cheese wasn't -- southern. She didn't live here in the south until she was in her late 20's. She used Miracle Whip rather than mayonnaise in her pimento cheese. Isn't that considered a sin in the south? I think most southerners who want an outstanding product use Duke's or Hellmann's mayonnaise. If they don't, they may lie about not using it. And even though homemade might be great, many sourthern cooks would say "it ain't southern made with Miracle Whip".

There are many different recipes for pimento cheese connoisseurs. Some like only sharp cheddar cheese; others, like a blend of several cheeses. Some like to use the chunky pimento and some like it diced or shredded. Some like their finished pimento cheese chunky and others like theirs really creamy.

Wright Bryan from NPR has this recipe. It seems to be slightly chunky. Bobby Deen's pimento cheese recipe lists several cheeses and is combined with an electric mixer; so, I'm assuming it is very creamy.

You might find Wallace's thesis on Pimento Cheese interesting. She had done, what I consider, a nice history on Pimento Cheese in North Carolina.

An article by Robert Moss on the website "Serious Eats" states that pimento cheese has its origin in the state of New York and gradually migrated to the South. It may have been because most of the cherry peppers were grown in South Carolina and Georgia. In the northern states, pimento cheese was made using cream cheese. After World War II, pimento cheese became less popular in the north. The South took the production to heart and began making it. Because it was cheaper to make with hoop cheese, the southern states used hoop cheese rather than cream cheese.

Kraft still makes pimento cheese using their Philadelphia brand of cream cheese. It can be found in a 5oz glass jar and is between $1.79 to almost $4, depending on where you buy it. I so remember Mama buying it as a treat in the 40's and 50's. We drank orange juice out of Kraft pimento cheese glasses.

Some Southern Pimento Cheese Brands

Palmetto Cheese, is a wonderful gluten free pimento cheese made in South Carolina but isn't always easy to find. It is gluten free and comes in a couple of flavors. It is shipped to many states. Some of the other  companies in North Carolina have a great taste but have gluten.

I still have not found the reason for gluten being in pimento cheese, unless to thicken it. The Star's company (made in Burlington, NC) makes macaroni salad and chicken & dumplings so there may be a contamination issue. Ruth's Pimento Cheese (made in Charlotte, NC) states, on the container, that it is processed where there is wheat.

Stan's Pimento Cheese (made in Burlington, NC) is reviewed as being very good. I do not know whether it is gluten free. Research did not lead me to any information about having gluten or being gluten free.

When I was shopping in the winter for pimento cheese at Trader Joe's, I couldn't find it. I was told by the "sign person" that it was a seasonal product and they didn't carry it this season. Trader Joe's -- you are in the South. Pimento cheese is not a seasonal item in The South. On a cold day, soup and a pimento cheese sandwich are comforting.


What to do with Pimento Cheese

Pimento cheese is good on bacon burgers, on celery sticks, on crackers and in deviled eggs.  It is great on toasted bread. There is a recipe that my children liked. They probably haven't had that open-faced pimento cheese sandwich in 20 years. A beaten egg is combined with pimento cheese made with 8oz of cheddar cheese. The pimento cheese is spread thickly on slices of bread. Add uncooked chopped bacon on top of the pimento cheese and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the bacon is cooked. The egg makes the pimento cheese puff up. Delicious!

Ever had pimento cheese on a baked potato? There are several more ideas for using pimento cheese on this Southern Living website.

If you haven't seen The Pimento Cheese Cake from Our State Magazine, then you might want to check out the recipe. The same magazine has a wonderful pimento cheese sandwich recipe.

Linda's Gluten Free Pimento Cheese

• Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 1 4oz jar diced pimento, drained

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 8oz block extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded

• 1 8oz block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1 tablespoon pickle juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• hot sauce, to taste (optional)
• 
  
• Directions:

• 1. Whisk or mix the mayonnaise and cream cheese until thoroughly blended.

• 2. Grate one block of cheese with regular size holes. Grate the other block finely. (The cheeses can be cut into cubes and processored in a processor until the size of small peas.)

• 3. Mix together the mayonnaise mixture and cheese.

• 4. Add remaining ingredients to the cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.

• 5. Taste and adjust as you see fit. Chill in refrigerator.

• 
  

Notes:
Other cheeses that can be used or substituted are mild cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Colby cheese or any other cheese you like.

Pimentos are roasted cherry peppers. You can roast and chop your own peppers, if wanted.

Rather than use hot sauce, paprika and/or cayenne pepper can be used.
     ----------------------------------------

Resources:

• 
  

"Comments :: WRAL.com." WRAL.com. N.p., 05 Oct. 2007. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.wral.com/share/page/1896337/?id=9695078>.

"From Scientific Cuisine to Southern Icon: The Real History of Pimento Cheese." From Scientific Cuisine to Southern Icon: The Real History of Pimento Cheese. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/history-southern-food-pimento-cheese.html>.

"Have Questions About the Pimento Cheese with Soul?" Have Questions About Palmetto Cheese Pimento Cheese with Soul? N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.pimentocheese.com/havequestions.php>.

"Made In The Triad: "The Original Stan's Pimento Cheese" | Digtriad.com." Digtriad.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://origin.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=147901>.

"Pimento Cheese." Our State Magazine. N.p., 04 Aug. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.ourstate.com/pimento-cheese/>.

"Taste of the South: Pimiento Cheese." Southern Living. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/pimiento-cheese-recipes>.

"13 Ways with Pimiento Cheese." Southern Living. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/pimiento-cheese-recipes>.

Wallace, Emily E. "It Was There for Work: Pimento Cheese in the Carolina Piedmont." Thesis. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2010. Print. <https://www.southernfoodways.org/assets/2013/06/WallacePimentoCheese.pdf>

Disclosure statement: I have not received compensation for any products mentioned or used in this post.

Make It Sourdough - Gluten Free Sourdough Clementine Muffins

Using Clementines

 Clementines don't last long once you buy them. They have to be eaten within a few days.  I was looking for recipes that included clementines and then there was this recipe --- for Clementine Cake. It has bombed the internet and there are many, many versions of the cake.

If the recipes for Clementine Cake are checked out, many of the recipes seem to originate from Nigella Lawson on Food Network cake recipe.  The cake recipe can be gluten free because it calls for  ground almonds for the flour. I could have made it with almond flour, but I thought I might be able to use the clementine puree in sourdough quick bread.

Can the clementines be substituted for tangerines or oranges? Clementines, mandarins or tangerines are all in the same family. Several sources state that tangerines, mandarins, and oranges can be substituted for clementines. Make sure to check for seeds and if the oranges are larger than clementines,  use only 1/2 to 3/4 of the whole orange when making the puree.

Nigella boils her clementines before she uses them in a recipe. I was wondering how she knew to do that and why she did that. I searched why the clementines are boiled first. Seems that boiling several times removes the bitter flavor from the rind. Supposedly, cooking them creates a wonderful smell in the kitchen but I didn't notice it that much. It does soften them. When I cut them in half to put them in the processor, they were very soft. The clementines form a puree very quickly and it smells wonderfully.

Boiling the Clementines

Checking for seeds in the boiled clementines

Clementine Puree

Making the Muffins

I made the muffins the same way I make all the sourdough muffins. I add the dry ingredients to the sponge.  The liquid ingredients, including the clementine puree, are combined in another bowl. The dry and wet ingredients are then thoroughly combined.

The modifications for this recipe are the same as for the sourdough morning glory muffins. Seed dust is used rather than xanthan gum. If you would rather use

Applesauce is substituted for half the oil or butter. If a lower sugar content is wanted, Stevia in the Raw can be substituted for half the sugar and Splenda brown sugar blend can be substituted for brown sugar. If you have no applesauce, use 1/4 cup butter or oil of choice.

Other additions can be used in this recipe. Besides cinnamon, other spices could be ginger, nutmeg, mint, cilantro, and basil. I'm not a cilantro nor mint fan, but some people would love it. Other additions to the batter could be chocolate chips, chopped figs, pineapple or berries.

A sugar/cinnamon mixture can be added to the top. Brush with butter and sprinkle on top.
The mini muffins are baked about 15 minutes.

Sourdough Clementine Muffins

Sourdough Sponge:

1 cup (~200 grams) active sourdough starter

1 1/2 cup (183 grams) gluten free flour blend

1 tablespoon (21.25 grams) honey

1/3 cup(118 g) water, milk (122g) or whey

----------------------------------------------------

3 clementines puree  (see directions below)

2 tablespoons (20 grams) seed dust with psyllium

1 teaspoon (4 grams) cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon (8 grams) baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup seedless raisins or currents

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

Combine sourdough starter, gluten free flour blend, water and honey. Mix with whisk for 1-2 minutes. Place in a warm place for 7-12 hours to bubble, rise and form a sponge. (I usually put it over a bowl of warm water in the microwave (and heat the water, not the sponge, every couple of hours).

Cover the clementines in water in a saucepan. (They will float.) Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the hot water (carefully). Cover the clementines again and simmer for another 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut the clementines in half in a bowl (they are soft and juicy) and remove all seeds, if any. Puree the clementines in a food processor. Do not process to the stage of a juice. Very small pieces of peel should be seen in the puree.

When the batter has bubbled and formed a sourdough sponge, preheat the oven to 350℉. Place paper cups in a muffin pan and spray bottoms of cups with non-stick spray. If using only the muffin tin, spray only the bottom of the muffins cups.

Sprinkle the seed dust, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder on the sponge. Whisk in the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, beat egg, melted butter, clementine puree and honey together. Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients, forming a thick batter.

Fold in raisins, coconut and/or any other ingredients wanted.

With ice cream scoop, scoop batter into each cup. Fill each cup 3/4 to almost full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Before 25 minutes are up, test with toothpick. Muffins are done when the toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Move the muffins to a cooling rack so that the muffins do not sweat. Cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with butter or cream cheese, if you like. Serve within a couple days, for gluten free muffins dry out quickly.


The muffins freeze well in a plastic zip bag. Cool completely before freezing. Warm 15 seconds in microwave.

Servings:

Makes 12 large muffins or 15 medium. (Time above is for medium size. Large size will require longer time.)


Resources:

"All About Oranges." RecipeTips.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--968/all-about-oranges.asp>.

"Clementines/Satsumas and Substitutes | Kitchen Queries | Nigella Lawson." Clementines/Satsumas and Substitutes | Kitchen Queries | Nigella Lawson. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-queries/view/clementinessatsumas-and-substitutes/646>.

"5 Ways to Cook with Oranges, Tangerines, and Clementines." Rodale News. N.p., 14 Dec. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.rodalenews.com/orange-recipes>.

"Flavor Profiles That Pair Together in Recipes - Nouveau RawNouveau Raw." Flavor Profiles That Pair Together in Recipes - Nouveau RawNouveau Raw. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipe-templates-and-development/flavor-prfiles-that-pair-well-in-recipes/>.

"Grown in California." Grown in California. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.grownincalifornia.com/fruit-facts/tangerine-facts.html>

Gruss, MS Teri. "Using Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Recipes." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreecookingbasics/a/xanthanguargums.htm>.

"How to Sliver and Remove Bitterness from Orange Peel." My Persian Kitchen. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <www.mypersiankitchen.com/how-to-sliver-and-remove-bitterness-from-orange-peel/>.

"Is There a Good Substitute for Clementines in a Recipe? | MyRecipes.com." MyRecipes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/cooking-questions/substitute-for-clementines>.

Gluten Free Flour Blends

Being Gluten Free & Gluten Free Flour Blends

Being gluten free now is certainly not a blessing but I'm pretty sure that it is easier now to be gluten free than 10, 15 or 20 years ago. There are so many gluten free products out there, though some are not so healthy. Reading labels is so important. As with some gluten products, some gluten free products are full of sugar and fat to make them taste better. Some of the gluten free flours are not nutritious, either. So, why are they used so much commercially, if they aren't so good for you? Some of the gluten free flours, such as rice, are less expensive.

Some gluten free whole grains are very nutritious. The gluten free whole grains have different properties, flavors or tastes . That would be a reason to use the many different gluten free whole grains, such as amaranth, quinoa, teff, sorghum, millet, gluten free oat flour but not limited to these. (There are others).


Using Starches in Gluten Free Flours

Usually, gluten free whole grain flours cannot be used by themselves. They need starches to help make the flour lighter and more fluffy. The starches also help to bind ingredients together. For that reason, we usually use a gluten free flour blend of flours and starches. The blend helps the flours to have a near property of wheat flour. Some different blends will have slight properties of all-purpose wheat flour and some will have slight properties of whole wheat flour. Prepare to accept the fact that no gluten free flour will taste, have the same texture, will behave nor will bind ingredients as well as gluten containing flours. Using a good gluten free blend might come close, though.

Using Hydrocolloids as Binders for Gluten Free Flours

In gluten flours, gluten act as a frame to hold in the leavening gases. It is the gas (carbon dioxide) which gives batters and doughs a light and airy interior. The gases also help to give a nice tender crumb. Gluten free flours, by themselves,  do not have the frame.

Now, a substance, called a hydrocolloid, which acts like gluten must be used. The hydrocolloid helps the gluten free flour act like wheat flour, giving it flexibility and binding properties. The hydrocolloids help hold the gases in the batters or doughs. They do not have to be added to stored gluten free blends because not all recipes need the binding substances. The hydrocloloid can be added while mixing the batter. Some of the binding hypocolloids could be flaxseed meal, chia seed/meal, ground psyllium, xanthan gum  or guar gum. Many people have digestive systems that do not tolerate xanthan gum.

I make a special hypocolloid called seed dust and it works very nicely as a binder for gluten free flour blends.  (It is more nutritious than gums. Gums have almost no nutritional value.) I thank Dr. Jean Layton for teaching me about the seed dust. The seed dust, which contains ground flaxseed, ground chia and ground psyllium, has lots of fiber and is more nutritional than gums. I add the seed dust when making a recipe that needs a hydrocolloid and never add it to the stored gluten free flour blend. The flaxseeds, flaxseed meal, chia seeds or chia meal needs to be stored in the freezer to help increase storage life. I usually make about a cup at a time using a coffee grinder. Most recipes call for 1-2 tablespoons of the seed dust, though, some bakers successfully use only ground psyllium as a binder. I find unflavored gluten free psyllium fiber at drug stores such as CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens.  I have found their gluten free brand of the unflavored gluten free psyllium for a good price. Make sure that it states gluten free so that there is no cross-contamination. And, of course, the gluten free psyllium can be found online.

I decided that the light doughs needed a lighter color of seed dust. I ordered the white chia seeds to make the seed dust. The seed dust made from the white chia is not that much lighter, even when using golden flaxseed. The white chia seed costs several dollars more a pound than the dark. I'm still not sure that the white chia seed is worth the cost.

The seed dust made from white chia seed on the left is only a
slight lighter shade than the seed dust made from dark chia seed on the right.

My Favorite Gluten Free Flour Blends (and a commercial blend that might correlate)

I choose to use several different gluten-free flour blends which I grind and blend myself. I usually don't buy commercial flour blends because most of them use rice flours and the ones I do like the best are expensive. My blends do not have white rice flour, sweet rice flour nor brown rice flour. (Reason #1 and reason #2 can be found at these sites.) It's good to be informed and make the decisions for yourself.

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Linda's Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend

1 1/2 (180 g)  cups oat flour
1 cup (123 g) sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups (188 g) cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup (58 g) corn flour (masa harina)


549 / 4.5 ~  122 grams/cup

Whisk together and put in an airtight container.

I use this flour blend when making anything calling for all-purpose flour blend. Rules for using xanthin gum can be found here. If using seed dust, use one rounded tablespoon for each 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum. I generally use about 1/2 tablespoon seed dusr for each cup of flour blend.

Use this flour for cakes, muffins and cookies or any recipe call for a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend..  If you add 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the all-purpose flour blend, it can be used as self-rising flour blend. It can be used for any recipe calling for baking powder, including muffins, scones, biscuits, cakes, etc.

Betty Hagan has a blend very similar to Linda's GF All-purpose Flour Blend. A commerical flour blend that is relatively close to this oat/sorghum blend is ( ----blank-----).  Haven't found but one yet without rice flour.

If you are sensitive to oats or oat flour, then make substitutions. Substitute the oat flour for millet or rice flour, if you like to use rice flour. It is best to substitute by weight. When making substitutions, the property of the flour blend will change. Sometimes slight changes in weight might have to be made with substitutions to get the results you want. Sometimes patience is needed to make the changes.

Try the Jule's Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend. Jules' commercial gluten free all-purpose flour blend contains modified tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, corn flour, white rice flour and xanthan gum. In the April/May 2015  magazine Living Without's Gluten Free & More (p. 61), Jules included this recipe for an all-purpose flour blend. The flour in parentheses is the flour or starch I use when making this blend.  This is a nice versatile recipe for a gluten free blend. There is something there for everyone, unless no grains are wanted. (That --- later). Notice that her recipe has changed in the last few months. Read her story.

Jules' Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend

1 cup cornstarch, tapioca starch or arrowroot powder (cornstarch)
1 cup potato starch, tapioca starch or arrowroot powder (tapioca starch)
1 cup very fine white rice flour, sorghum flour or buckwheat flour (sorghum flour or buckwheat flour)
½ cup corn flour, millet flour, sorghum flour or brown rice flour (millet flour)
½ cup tapioca starch, cornstarch or arrowroot powder  (would substitute for the corn flour)
4 teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum     (would use seed dust when making product)

Jules' Gluten Free Flour Blend can be bought (with the rice flour) commercially. It is not as nutritious as her blend above because there are no whole grains.

Update: November 2015

I have found that the best combination of Jules's flour blend above is arrowroot, potato starch, sorghum, buckwheat, and tapioca, in that order from above. It makes a wonderful bread or dinner rolls. Once I make it, I keep it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to develop flavor.

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Linda's High Protein Gluten Free Flour Blend

2 cups (246grams) sorghum flour
3 cups (360 grams) oat flour
1 ½ cups (255 grams) potato starch
½ cup (63 grams) tapioca flour
½ cup (60 grams) amaranth flour
½ cup (60 grams) quinoa flour

High protein flours could include quinoa flour, coconut flour, amaranth flour, teff flour, chia flour, bean flour, pea flour, oat flour, sorghum flour, buckwheat, and nut flours. A high protein gluten free flour blend works best for breads, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and some cookies.  Some of these gliten free flours have a strong taste and need to be used in small amounts. This flour blend might not work best for delicate recipes such as cakes and cupcakes and some sugar cookies.

A commercial high protein gluten free flour blend similar to this high protein blend might be Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking. It contains bean flours ( fava & garbanzo), potato starch, tapioca starch/flour, and white sorghum flour. (Sorghum flour can be white, red, yellow, orange or brown and many colors inbetween). It is difficult to find a high protein, gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend which is white without white and/or brown rice flour.

A grain free high protein gluten free flour blend is possible. It is discussed in a minute.

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Whole Grain Gluten Free Flour Blend

My favorite blend is a whole grain blend which I actually use the most. My inspiration for this blend came from Shauna James Ahern's website. She explains her 70%whole grains/30% starches for a gluten free flour blend. There are other sites that like 60%/40% gluten free whole grain flour blends. The 60/40 flour blend can be 60% grains and 40% starches or 60% starches and 40% whole grains. The blend with 60% starches would have a higher glycemic index -- not good for diabetics.

This whole grain flour blend can be used to make pie crust, wraps, breads, cookies, crackers,   I have used this blend to make "graham" crackers. This blend makes a terrific gluten-free "WheatThins" cracker!

Linda's Gluten Free Whole Grain Flour Blend

70% Whole Grain Flours

200 g ( 1 2/3 cup) oat flour
50 g (about 1/2 cup) millet flour
100 g (about 1 cup) quinoa flour
100 g (3/4 c + 3 tb) sorghum flour
50 g bean (about 1/2 c) (fava & northern)
50 g (1/4 c + 2tb) corn flour (masa harina)
50 g (1/4 c + 2tb) amaranth flour
50 g (1/4 c + 2tb) teff flour
50 g (1/4 c + 2tb) buckwheat flour

30% Starches

100g (3/4 c) tapioca flour
100 g (3/4 + 3 tb) corn starch
100 g (3/4 + 2tb) c + potato starch

All the different flours give the blend a distinct purpose and property.  If you don't like using all the different flours, rather than use quinoa and sorghum flour, use just 200 g of one of them.  If you don't want to use corn flour, amaranth flour, teff flour and buckwheat flour, choose 200 g of one of them. I feel that the bean flour is important because it gives the dough elasticity. There are many combinations that can be used in this flour blend that will work. Each combination will give the blend a different taste and properties. (Property is a chemistry word for characteristic -- the teacher still exists).

I do not apologize for giving the ingredients in grams. It is the easiest and more accurate way to measure. I know -- I know --- I fought it for a time, but once I bought that digital scale for the kitchen, I wondered why I waited so long. Of course it probably was easier for me to convert since I had been using a metric scale in the chemistry class for years. We all have a hard time changing our ways. It's part of life's journey.

Maninis Ancient Grains Multi-Purpose Flour Mix is very close to Linda's  70/30 Whole Grain Flour Blend. It contains millet flour, tapioca flour, teff flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, corn starch, can sugar, xantha;n gum and sea salt. It is expensive because gluten free whole grains are more expensive -- but, they are better for your body and much more nutritious.


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Gluten Free High Fiber, High Protein, Grain Free Flour Blend

1 cup banched almond meal (almond skins removed)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch

Many gluten free bloggers give this recipe for a gluten free, grain free flour blend, but very few of them seem to use it. Many won't give out their recipes using this flour blend because they are trying to sell their cookbooks. Some gluten free bakers state that this flour blend can be substituted for flour in any recipe. I don't find that to be true.

This blend is also great used to bread meat. I used it to bread paleo chicken nuggets.

I tried using it in a recipe substituting the above flour blend for muffins using a quinoa flour blend and the amount of liquid didn't work. I needed to add an egg and more liquid. That seems to be the general rule for using coconut and almond flours. I experimented with this recipe for what I call Everything Muffins and it worked with a little tweak of the amount of liquid. There are more suggestions for using this flour blend at the muffin post. The muffins did turn out great -- moist and full of flavor.

Final Statement on Gluten Free Flour Blends

I've always thought that moderation was the key term to use in making choices.  Reading on the net you can see, all the blends have pros and cons for using them. Every blend will have problems in using it. The flour blends with grains, nuts, seeds and beans have the phytate problem, as well as coconut.   The rice flour blends have the arsenic, high glycemic index problems and lower nutritional value. There is a problem with polyunsaturated fatty acids in almond flour.

Some of the flours are cost prohibitive to many people. Milling your own grains can bring the cost down. A mill will eventually pay for itself but this blogger uses other equipment. It doesn't take a great deal of time to mill the grouts, grains or seeds, especially with a home mill. Doing the milling outside creates less clean-up time because many of the mills puff flour in the air. Also, most mills are very loud. There are many different types and brands of home mills; mine is a Blendtec and I like it, though it is one that puffs flour.

Again, moderation in using any gluten free flour blend is important. Any health concern, which I am unable to give advice, should be taken up with medical advicers. Reading and research are important. So make your choices regarding the flour blends which are important in regard to your health, finances and availability.


  Resources:

"All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix : Food Network." All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix : Food Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/all-purpose-gluten-free-flour-mix.html>.

"5 Uncommon, Gluten-Free Flours That Are High in Protein." One Green Planet. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/gluten-free-flours-that-are-high-in-protein/>.

"Gluten Free Fresh Pasta, Rolls, Flour and Baking Mixes Made from Ancient Grains - Maninis." Maninis RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://maninisglutenfreeblog.com/>.

Gruss, MS Teri. "Using Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Recipes." N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreecookingbasics/a/xanthanguargums.htm>.

"How Much Arsenic Is in Your Rice - Consumer Reports." How Much Arsenic Is in Your Rice - Consumer Reports. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm>.

"How to Make a Gluten-free Whole-grain Flour Mix - Gluten Free Girl and the Chef." Gluten Free Girl and the Chef RSS. N.p., 05 Feb. 2013. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://glutenfreegirl.com/2013/02/how-to-make-a-gluten-free-whole-grain-flour-mix/>.

"How to Make Your Own Gluten Free Flour in 3 Minutes or Less." Daily Digest RSS. N.p., 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://www.attunefoods.com/blog/2013/04/how-to-make-your-own-gluten-free-flours-in-3-minutes-or-less/>.

"Pixie Dust Xanthan Gum Replacer." GlutenFree Doctor. N.p., 17 Nov. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://glutenfreedoctor.com/pixie-dust-xanthan-gum-replacer/>.

"Rice Flour & Blood Sugar." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 20 Dec. 2014. Web. 09 Apr. 2015. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/541050-rice-flour-blood-sugar/>.


Shepard, Jules. "Jules' Homemade Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend." Living Without's Gluten Free & More 18.5 (2015): 61. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.glutenfreeandmore.com/recipes/Gluten-Free-Flour-Tortillas-4165-1.html>.


Disclosure statement: I have not received any kind of compensation for any products mentioned or used in this post.