Well, ok, not quite a disaster.  No one died and it wasn’t quite calamitous.  Although it wasn’t heartbreaking I was disappointed.

Armed with and in being excited about receiving a recipe on how to “make” my own GF flour I purchased, measured and gathered the appropriate amounts of the specific flours.

The recipe I chose was an old fashioned coffee cake.  When we talk about emotional eating this recipe hits my memory button.  It was given to me some 20 years ago.  I like to call it my new mom cake.  In bring home my first born this was something I could whip up in a minute to share over a cup of coffee with visitors.  As well,  it was something I would always make to take to a new mom friend.  It is easy, reasonably healthy (for a cake) and all the ingredients are on hand and in the pantry.

For years I have recognized and realized how my gut felt when I ate grains, then armed with the knowledge from viewing FOOD MATTERS, I continue to avoid grains.  In getting curious and I suppose to test my theory of grains and my gut we’re trying to transition some of our favs into Glut Free.

Firstly here are the two recipes.  The first is the combination to make Gluten Free Flour, the second is the loaf:

GF FLOUR MIX

6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato flour
1 cup tapioca flour

CINNAMON LOAF

¼ cup butter                                        1 tsp baking powder
1  cup white sugar                               ½ tsp baking soda
2  eggs                                                      1  tsp vanilla
2  cups flour                                          1  cup sour milk
(we don’t drink milk so I always have  powdered on hand.  You “sour” it by adding a tsp of vinegar)

TOPPING:

3 Tbsp brown sugar                             1Tbsp cinnamon (COMBINE THEM)

Combine the butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, sour milk.  Mix gently in dry ingredients.  Pour half the batter into a greased or lined with parchment paper loaf pan.  Sprinkle half of the topping on the batter.  Pour in the rest of the batter and top with remaining topping.  Cut through with a knife in a zig zag fashion.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

I made a couple of changes that obviously may not have been a good thing.  In not having butter, I used coconut oil and of course the GF flour.

My kids made the same loaf just a couple of months ago with the store bought pre-made GF flour with much success.  This time, it resembled something that could have been used as a door stopper!!!!!!

Oh did I mention that in my excitement and a bit of a hurry I forgot to add the baking soda.  UGH!  Yes baking is a science, chemistry.  In showing the loaf to a trusted GF experienced friend, they confirmed that just the baking soda glitch created the weighted product.

The loaf is now cubed and in a freezer bag for sometime in the fall to be used as a bread pudding.

Once this warm weather passes I WILL attempt again.  This time I will use butter and heck, the baking soda is the first thing to come out of my pantry in gathering the ingredients.

In my ever so philosophical manner I got to thinking; how many times have you tried something and because the success wasn’t achieved the first time did you give up?

In love or relationships; has one fell short of expectations?  OF COURSE it has.  Are you now living the life of a hermit; not talking to anyone or worse, not trusting anyone OR yourself?

In business have you said “this doesn’t work”!!!  You blame it on your company, blame it on your product, blame it on your services, blame it on someone else?

Have you gone out to a restaurant and had a bad meal?  Have you stopped dining out?

What about starting an exercise program?  I know of many of you that after a short period of time have stopped for one reason (excuse) or another.

The dictionary defines the opposite (antonym) of calamity as beneficial and advantageous.

In the words of T HarvEker:  “what you do in anything, you do in everything”.  It’s not the failure in something that stops you.  It’s the mindset that you are creating in not trying again.

Get back in the kitchen!