Well, I decided to return the Zojirushi 1 pound Mini-Loaf Bread machine and trade up for the full sized 2 pound machine. I debated and debated: for almost two weeks the box sat on the sideboard, taunting me with a photo of fresh hot bread…. Ultimately the decision came down to money vs. possible success with baking. “Money” because it would cost $$ to return to Amazon, more money for the larger machine, more money for more ingredients to make the 2 pound loaves and money because of the possible waste of not finishing a loaf. “Success” because I have never, in my whole entire life, baked a loaf of bread. Let alone a non-gluten bread (which, from all of the reading I’ve done, isn’t necessarily easy!). I figured I’d better (as my grandma used to say) “stack the decks” and do whatever it takes to be as successful with my GFCF bread endeavors as possible right from the start. So now I’ve returned the Home Bakery Mini machine and ordered the full sized 2 pound machine. null A major deciding factor in the decision was also that all of the recipes I could find for GFCF bread were for two pound loaves: The cookbook I purchased, Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine, only has recipes for the 2 pound machine. As much as I searched and searched (going to other blogs, reviews and the authors’ website), I couldn’t find any 1-pound modification instructions. And every bag of GFCF bread I purchased (Bob’s Red Mill GF Bread) are either to be made by hand or in a 2 pound machine. So it...
Our friendly neighborhood FedEx dude (I can’t call him a guy or man… this is a *Dude*) delivered my eagerly awaited Amazon treasures today: my bread machine and cookbook. I can’t wait to start enjoying GFCF bread that’s not frozen or tastes or feels like cardboard. But alas, wait I must. First I have to read the book: there’s a few chapters of info on the do’s and don’ts and whys of GF breadmaking… And since I’ve never made any bread to begin with, I figure if I’m going to do this then I’m going to do it right. I really don’t want to have my first loaf come out crappy and be totally disheartened and not want to follow up, so I’m going to do it by the book. (hehe) I started reading it today in carline (isn’t it funny how “car” and “line” must be one word when it comes to picking up kids at school? Every document I’ve read from the school itself – the very school teaching my child spelling and grammar – calls it “Carline.” I’m just sayin’…!) So I’m excitedly reading the first chapter when I stop short. I realize I may have made a poor decision in my machine purchase: I ordered the mini loaf (1 pound) machine and all the recipes are for the full size (2 lb) machine. The author, Analise Roberts, makes a very big point of saying that this book is specifically for the Zojirushi 2 pound machine and the settings and measurements are very precise and deviation from them may result in subpar bread. Who wants that?! So...
It’s still very hard for me to explain my new allergy status to people. They don’t fully realize how pervasive gluten and dairy are in our western culture: they’re lurking everywhere! The first few times I went to dinner at a friends, they would earnestly make what they thought was GFCF, but without fail I’d get glutened or dairyed (how do you SPELL that word? It’s not a real word to begin with, so Spell Checker can’t help… But what would the rules be with that ending “y”… turn it into an “ie”? Leave as a “y”? Hum…. But I digress.) So I’d leave smiling and saying thanks, but really I’d have my button undone at the waist and inside my stomach was churning. So now I try to bring my own food whenever I can. Like this weekend I’m going to a scrapbook crop with some friends. And the hostess always makes the most WONDERFUL dinners for us, which prior to being GFCF I very much looked forward to (someone else spending the time in the kitchen instead of me?! Whoot!). But not anymore… Leftovers, which I was never a big fan of prior to going GFCF, are my new best friend. And since I threw away all my old, contaminated tupperware, now I’m going to seek out the best take-your-leftovers-with-you gear I can find! I’ll post back here on my Resources Page, under “Gear.” Comment back if you have any...
