One Vibrant Mama

Udi’s Whole Grain Hamburger Buns Review and “Supper” Quick Sloppy Joes

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I admit I’m happy when I get to make sourdough bread and other goodies from home.  We generally live an unprocessed life, but sometimes you don’t have time to make your own and sometimes you just need a break from the kitchen. So we follow the 80/20 or the 90/10 rule- we eat unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods 80-90% of the time and we don’t worry about the rest.

When I have to purchase baked goods at the store, I don’t want to pay good money for GFCF products with the texture of cardboard and the density of something akin to a rock.  I want something that I will enjoy eating.  I’m not willing to pay $6-7 for something I have to choke down and the kids refuse to eat. So for a long time, we avoided any commercially-produced GFCF baked goods.

Celiac makes life decidedly different, no matter what you do. If you’re going to be going out and eating in a social situation, sometimes you want something that looks ‘normal’ so you can avoid having ‘the conversation’ with strangers you meet at social events. While I’m an outspoken advocate of celiac disease, I don’t want to have to educate people on it every time I go somewhere. Explaining a digestive disease to a complete stranger isn’t my idea of a good time. Sometimes, I just like to forget that it exists and enjoy some social time while feeling normal.  Having Udi’s hamburger buns makes that possible for me.

Udi’s Gluten-Free recently contacted me and offered to send me some of their products so that I could review them. I was thrilled because Udi’s is already my preferred brand of baked goods. Any time we’re having people over or we’ve been invited somewhere that involves grilling, I take along a pack of Udi’s hamburger or hot dog buns.  The kids are happy because they’re getting a bread that is soft like wheat bread and looks like what their friends are eating, and the family members who reject gluten-free are less grumpy less difficult happ(ier) because they see the kids getting something that looks normal to them. I’m happy because I’m not getting grief from anyone.

Udi’s Whole Grain Hamburger Buns come four to a pack and their Classic Hot Dog Buns come 6 to a pack.  Now, you and I both know that the texture and feel or most gluten-free bread on the market are more akin to paper products or building materials than to wheat bread. But Udi’s breads stay soft and never take on the cardboard texture and weight.  Udi’s rolls are soft and light and they toast beautifully.  I always toast their buns before using them for hot dogs, burgers or sloppy joes, because it adds just the right amount of satisfying chew.  Until I tried Udi’s, I hadn’t found a GFCF bun or roll on the market on which I was willing to spend money.

When we go to the store, Udi’s is the only brand of baked products my kids ask for.  That says a lot.  If I need to buy bread (or cookies or buns), they automatically ask for Udi’s.  The Udi’s Chocolate Chip Cookies are a whole ‘nother level of amazing.  They are, hands down, my favorite cookie on the market.  We pick up a pack of them on occasion as an extra special treat.

Udi’s Whole Grain Bread makes great french toast or sandwiches.  Udi’s included a loaf in the box they sent me, and I used it to introduce my children to the wonder of grilled cheese slathered in butter.  I used a cheese replacement for my son and even his sandwich came out fabulous. They were amazed.  So amazed, in fact, that they got up before me the next morning and finished the loaf off by making grilled cheese sandwiches themselves.  I got up at 6:30 in the morning to find they had already cooked and eaten breakfast and the rest of the loaf had disappeared! Because we rarely have sandwiches, my kids have romanticized loaf bread, and they’re still talking about those sandwiches days later.

I greatly appreciate that their products are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and their allergens- dairy, soy, nut- are clearly labeled. Because my son still reacts to dairy, I’m always disappointed to see so many GF brands that have milk in them.

I am also appreciative that Udi’s products aren’t full of preservatives and they don’t have a months-long shelf life. They have no artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives or other synthetic additives. They will go bad if you leave them out, as food should. I don’t want something that sat on a shelf for months in a warehouse before I purchased it.

You can connect with Udi’s on Facebook and Twitter.

 

How I Use Udi’s Multi-Grain Hamburger Rolls

Occasionally, I find myself stuck in a bind with no meals in the freezer.  Since eating out isn’t an option, I will grab a pack of Udi’s Multi-Grain Hamburger Rolls and make this “Supper” Quick Sloppy Joe recipe that my kids adore.  It’s a super-quick recipe because it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.  I called it Super Quick Sloppy Joes, only to have my daughter rename is “Supper” Quick because it makes a great dinner that’s quick to get on the table!

 

 

 

“Supper” Quick Sloppy Joes

4 Udi’s Whole Grain Hamburger Buns (1 pack)
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 pound ground beef
1 ounce beef liver, ground, optional
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup beef stock or water
1⁄2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper

Split the hamburger buns, lay face down in a toaster oven and toast until lightly browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and liver and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

 

Shared at My Humble Kitchen, Rattlebridge Farm, The Shabby Nest, Real Food Forager, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Time Warp Wife, Chef in Training, Growing Home, Whole New Mom, Raising Homemakers, We Are that Family, and The Nourishing Gourmet.

Baby Steps- Transitioning to Traditional Foods in April

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Last year on the forum, we started a Baby Steps section to help people new to traditional foods. Each month, I will be posting those baby steps to the blog in case you’re wanting to start your own Traditional Foods journey.

For April, our theme is veggies. This month we turn to upping vegetable intake and soaking grains. This will be easier now that we have reduced our sugar intake and increased the trace minerals in our diets since the beginning of the year. [Read more…] about Baby Steps- Transitioning to Traditional Foods in April

Food allergens in all the “right” places

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If your family is like ours, it is devastating to learn of things that disrupt what was a reasonably normal way of life.  Things such as job loss, family illness, personal injury, or changes in relationships can certainly do that.  Now consider food allergens being added into the mix.  What do I do now?  When I lose a job, we know basically what to do, we look for another even if it means relocating.  When someone is ill, we can pitch in and help, and hopefully in not much time the problem is resolved and life returns to normal.

Changes in relationships can certainly reek havoc, but even there it is possible to recover in a period of time.  I know there are exceptions to everything, but these life circumstances have been in the public eye for centuries and there are books and professionals on every corner ready to lend their aid. Thankfully the number of allergen specialists is growing as well.

In 2006, when KerryAnn and both children started getting frequently sick, everything came to a screeching halt.  Resources were rare to non-existent that could help us figure out what was wrong.  Doctors told us it was the flu in KerryAnn’s case or just a skin bacteria in our daughter’s case.  Friends helped point us in the right direction and we learned that it was Celiac Disease.  Whew, at least now we have something to go on.

Wowwy, and did we ever.

The more we researched, the more we learned how much change was coming our way.  First, the disease doesn’t go away, so major changes to our eating habits were required.  We made a number of diet changes, but the family was still getting sick.  We came to realize that we also had to change our appliances and our cookware too.  Then we realized that all the gluten based snacks we had been giving the children as toddlers were all over their toys, the walls, the floor, anywhere their little hands and faces had been.  We washed and scrubbed, scrubbed and washed until we attacked every surface they could reach and then some for good measure. Some good news would be in order here.  This effort was not in vain.  Once done, we could now host parties, dinners, and other get togethers on our terms.  We could even provide a venue for others that suffer as we did with full confidence of the lack of allergens present.  That alone can be a definite morale booster.

Well, that took care of everything right?  Don’t I wish.  We had to vacuum the cars too.  Hey, there’s nothing like a new car smell, so an allergen-free car is now a much safer car for that precious cargo.  Then it dawned on us, if we have to do this at home, what about all the places we frequent?  Ouch is the understatement.  Mimi’s life is about to change too.  Children can’t go until she is educated about food handling and diet to protect the children.  Their friends’ houses?  All we could do is let them know of the issues, and why our visits would be likely limited to our house, mutual visits to parks or out in the yard until we aren’t so sensitive.  Sound extreme?  Maybe, until you have seen what a food allergy can do, then you learn to take precautions.  ANY gluten in my family’s diet results in illness while they’re healing, so we have to be careful.  So now it has all been addressed, correct?  We have definitely made progress, that is for sure.

Think of the places in your life that typically contribute to a positive way of life.  What about church, school, and daycare?  Ever seen what they give children in the church nurseries for example?  Cookies, crackers, and all sorts of other snacks laden in allergens.  Where does it go?  All over the floor, walls, furniture and toys.  No more nursery for us now.  Either the children sit with us in the sanctuary, or we can’t go.  It’s not as difficult once they are old enough to be in classroom settings and cognizant of the food around them.  Once the children were a little older and their teachers better understood the issues, they were able to return.

The number of people who understand the true implications of allergens is still few but growing thankfully, and when you miss what you used to attend regularly, it can create confusion in peoples’ minds as to your dedication.  It’s not that you want it to be this way, but it has to be unfortunately even if for only a little while.

With school, it especially causes issues because choices can be limited.  Some states allow for homeschooling, and if the adults in the household work someone has to alter how they work or stop altogether.  If the state doesn’t allow homeschooling, you could likely find yourself needing to relocate to accommodate their education requirements.  Some more good news though. The more you know, the more you can help educate those around you. Knowledge is power and resources such as CookingTF.com can empower you more than you even know.

Places like grandma’s, church, school, friends, etc are all right places, but can be seriously affected by your allergies.  Patience will be a virtue as you seek to educate those around you of your issues, and thankfully some of them will be accommodating while you heal.  Your life will change, but it is necessary if you wish to have a quality of life that is positive.  Stay strong and know that the resources available to you today are far greater than they were even just a few years ago.

Dump the Toxins: Homemade Hair Gel Recipe

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It seems that many natural hair products are quite expensive and still contain a list on ingredients that you can’t pronounce. When my bottle of hair gel ran out and I decided I didn’t want to pay $$ to replace it, I started looking for options.

The first thing I did, of course, was to turn over the bottle and read the ingredients.  I was more than a little unhappy to discover that the main ingredient was aloe vera gel.  It was just water, aloe vera gel, some thickeners, some oil, a little essential oil for fragrance and some preservatives.

I paid how much for that?!?!

I then checked out the hair care aisle at my local health food store and I saw more of the same. So I set out to make my own.  I only use hair gel a couple of times a week, after washing my hair, so one bottle can last me a long while. I have fine hair that is wavy and prone to frizz.

In looking at the ingredients, it appeared as though the thickeners were just there so the company could water down the aloe vera and still have it come out as a stiff enough texture, so I knew I could scrap the water and the thickeners, leaving me with aloe vera, oil and some essential oil if I wanted it, for fragrance.

I knew I needed aloe vera, but there’s a wide variety of types on the market.  I finally settled on one meant for the skin with a minimum number of additives and preservatives.  Since I don’t apply the gel to my scalp, I wasn’t concerned about the tiny amounts being absorbed by my skin.

I started out using just plain aloe vera gel, but it didn’t work well because my fine hair would still frizz.  I knew I needed oil with it to give shine and smooth out the frizzes.  But some oils, no matter how little I added, made my hair look greasy.  With others, the difference in one drop could make me go from frizzy to greasy.  I couldn’t get a good balance and I didn’t want to pre-mix it because I didn’t want to run the risk of it going bad.  I re-washed my hair multiples times through this experiment, trying to get it to come out looking nice.

I finally hit upon a solution. I had received a tiny bottle of LC of Acirema’s Thai-Ginger herbal oil as a sample from the company and it works perfectly.  Two drops of the oil mixed into one tablespoon of aloe vera gel and my hair looked  smooth without looking greasy. The benefit of the Thai-Ginger herbal oil is that it is a blend of oils that have been infused with herbs, with essential oils added. Due to it being a blend, I didn’t have issues with it being too heavy.

I’m not an affiliate for L.C. of Acirema, I just like the product.  I received multiple little samples from them, and I will be reviewing them soon and doing a giveaway.  Look for that on the blog next week.

8 ounces commercially purchased natural hair gel $12.78

8 ounces aloe vera gel ($4.96 for 12 ounces) $3.31
32 drops of L.C. of Acirema’s Thai-Ginger Hair Oil ($9.50 for 1 ounce, equaling 591 drops) $0.51
Total cost of 8 ounces of hair gel $3.82

Total savings per bottle $8.96

I can make over three bottles of gel for the price of one commercially produced bottle!

Of course, if your hair is a different texture, you might need a different number of drops in with your tablespoon of aloe very gel or you might need more of the mixture.  Experimentation is best.  But no matter the combination you use, you’re not going to come close to approaching the cost of the expensive, natural hair gels!

 Shared at Real Food Forager, Far Above Rubies, Chef in Training, Frugally Sustainable, We Are that Family, The Nourishing Gourmet, The Prairie Homestead, Skip to My Lou, The Better Mom, and Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Valentine’s Day: Spicy Hot Chocolate

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This week Nourished Living Network is having a Valentine’s Day Progressive Dinner Party! We kick off the party today with Valentine’s drinks. I’m submitting my Spicy Hot Chocolate. Jill at The Prairie Homestead submits her Peppermint Milkshake and Jessica at Delicious Obsessions shares her Peppermint White Hot Chocolate. Adrienne at Whole New Mom shares her Sugar-Free Lemonade and Coffee Substitute. Tomorrow we’ll have dishes for a Valentine’s breakfast.

Sunday nights Jeff and I put the kids to bed after a busy day and settle in with a hot cup of chocolate to watch Downton Abbey. This past Sunday night I decided to make it darker, richer, and with a little kick. Thick and rich, just barely sweet and decidedly for the adults. This is perfect for Valentine’s Day, date night or any time you need a little change of pace. Small servings are best since the combination of liquid and lots of fat can make some people queasy.

To make the pretty heart from whipped cream, whip your coconut milk or cream and spread it on a silpat or parchment covered pan.  Freeze it until firm then use a cookie cutter or knife to cut out the whipped cream and float it on top of your drink just before serving. I free-handed this heart, next time I’ll get a cookie cutter.

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Does Oxidation Effect Fermentation?

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This picture above is by Melanie of Pickle Me Too.  I asked for her permission to use it because it shows that the top inch or so of the ferment has oxidized- proof that the environment is not made anaerobic simply by being under the brine or having a lid on the container. Melanie reports that it was self-brining and the top inch or so oxidized the entire time they were eating it.  As they would pull more out, the unoxidized would be exposed to oxygen despite the container having a lid and would turn brown before they would open it again.

 

Oxidation is a bad thing in food, no matter where it occurs.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s a ferment, a fat, or another food, you want to avoid oxidation. Oxidation might not be a familiar word to you, but if you’ve read Nourishing Traditions, you’d recognize oxidation by another name- rancid. Rancid refers to oxidized fat.  A quick perusal of any natural health book will tell you to avoid oxidized or rancid foods at all cost.

 

What causes Oxidation?

In a word?  Oxygen.  Oxidation is the interaction between oxygen and a material. Oxygen is almost always bad news for food (outside of kombucha and vinegar) because it ends in unfavorable changes in flavor, texture, nutritional value and it shortens storage length. Oxygen (among other things) causes foods to decompose and oxygen kills off some of the beneficial properties of the food. You’ve seen oxidation if you’ve ever cut some fruit and left it out without dipping it in an antioxidant like vitamin C- it turns brown and after a while it gets yucky.

Lacto-ferments are no different- when exposed to oxygen, they can create all sorts of nasties you don’t want to eat.  Oxidation begins long before you can taste the flavor changes- foods are far along in the oxidation process before you can see or taste the changes. Oxidation can not be reversed.

 

Oxidation Creates Free Radicals

The cells of your body can also be oxidized from eating oxidized food or being exposed to toxins.  Oxidation always creates free radicals.  Free radicals are unstable molecules, atoms or ions that damage cells in your body because they scavenge their needs to make themselves stable.

Free radicals are greedy little thieves.  They rip electrons off from your cells (or from the uneaten food) to try to become stable, creating a chain reaction because the molecule that just had its election ripped off is now unstable and it then goes in search of stability, grabbing an electron from another molecule, and the chain reaction continues until two free radicals join together to form a stable molecule- that can take a while and wreak a lot of havoc in the process. The molecules made up of two free radicals are called ‘stable oxidation products.’  If this reaction happens in your food, the smell you associate with rancidity is caused by a lot of stable oxidation products in a food. So, as you see, many of them have to be present before you can smell it.

When it happens in your body, this chain reaction causes cell death- if you’re lucky.  If they don’t kill the cell, the injury can cause lots of trouble, like mutations and DNA problems- that would be unlucky. When that damaged cell replicates, both of the new cells it creates has the same problem.  On top of that, free radicals are known for causing cells to speed up their replication rates, a known issue in the development of tumors and cancer.

Not only are free radicals implicated in cancer, they’re also implicated in cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple other diseases and some things associated with aging in your body, like wrinkles. Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol is a fat) is condemned as a source of blood vessel damage in Nourishing Traditions (pages 436 and 444). Oxidation is bad news for your body.

You avoid free radicals by avoiding cigarettes, second hand smoke, pollution and other toxins.  You should also avoid oxidation and the resulting free radicals in your food.

 

Why Eliminating Oxygen From A Ferment Is Important

Anti-oxidants are molecules that protect other molecules from damage by free radicals and oxygen- it’s a category of many different molecules. Many different things function as antioxidants and many antioxidants also function as natural food preservers. It’s critical to get them in your food as they are protective for your health and they are one of the main reasons fruits and veggies are so highly recommended as part of the diet. Antioxidant intake is known to be protective from many illnesses and diseases, including neurological disorders, radiation, cancer, stroke, arthritis and more.

Antioxidants are produced by lactic acid bacteria during fermentation and even in your gut after they are consumed. There are many studies showing this effect, I’ll just list a few here, here, here, here and here. That’s one reason why it’s so important to keep oxygen-loving bacteria out of your ferments- you want to consume as many lactic acid bacteria as possible and if they’re having to compete with other bacteria &/or give them an unfavorable condition to grow in, you won’t have as many to consume. Oxygen kills off many of the products of fermentation, from some of the lactic acid bacteria to all of the metabolites, like antioxidants, they produce and the enzymes that the antioxidants use to stop oxidation.

In fact, the food industry uses anaerobic fermentation to create antioxidants, nutraceuticals and more used for food and supplement production, which they then extract from the resulting ferment.

The presence of  light in a ferment destroys anti-oxidants. It’s critical if you want to consume antioxidants in your ferments that you keep them in the dark. That’s why things like oils that are prone to go rancid, like olive oil, come in tinted bottles.

Anti-oxidants protect your body from oxidation by preventing, breaking off, absorbing or stopping the free radical chain reaction.They lessen the effects of free radicals by stopping the process before it otherwise would end.

In a food, anti-oxidants can absorb the free radical and stop the reaction even before the food is eaten. As free radicals develop in a ferment because you have oxygen or light around, antioxidants have died off so they can not stop it. However, in an anaerobic system, the anti-oxidants are there to stop the reaction while it’s still in the jar, before you take your first bite.

One antioxidant most people are familiar with is Vitamin C.  If your ferment is getting oxygen, it will have reduced levels or no Vitamin C in it.  The same is true for light- light kills Vitamin C.  That is why it is important to ferment in anaerobic conditions with no light.  I wrap my Pickl-Its in a towel when fermenting and the Harsch is opaque so no worries there.

If you don’t allow your kraut to go through all four stages of fermentation, you might not be getting any vitamin C from it at all! The lactic acid bacteria use up all of the C in the ferment and then around week 7 the anaerobic bacteria begin regenerating Vitamin C back into the brine. If you have oxygen in the mix or you don’t have anaerobic LABs in your ferment, you won’t be getting the Vitamin C you expect.

 

How Do I Know if My Lacto-Ferment Has Oxidized?

Look for the tell-tale color changes of oxidation.  If a food changes colors, it’s oxidizing.  Throw it out! Only eat unoxidized food.

This means you’re going to be throwing away a lot of oxidized food if you aren’t fermenting in an anaerobic environment.

 

Avoiding Oxidation

Fermentation gases can protect the foods because carbon dioxide is heavier than oxygen (we discussed this in the post about brine) in the right environment if you don’t fiddle with your ferments and your container is airtight.  Go ahead and go read that post.  I’ll wait.

 

You back?  OK, good.

If you have an airleak letting oxygen in, even a tiny amount, it changes the pressure in the vessel and disrupts that protective layer of fermentation gasses in ways that aren’t beneficial.

How do you know your vessel is airtight? If you have a truly airtight vessel, excess brine will be pushed up and out the airlock and not out the sides of the jar where the lid and body join. If brine can get out, oxygen can get in. Containers that don’t seal tightly enough to have brine go out the airlock won’t have enough pressure to keep the carbon dioxide layer in place and protect the ferment from oxidation.

 

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