Mmmm, Vanilla!

Thank you, Pinterest.... once again you have sparked my imagination and made me want to try something new.  And you maed my hubby roll his eyes, once again!  This time I have decided to make homemade vanilla extract.  The original website called for vodka.  I didnt have any and vodka is not gluten free, so I had to think.  We had some rum left over from another recipe, so I decided to use that.

What you need:
1 Jar with a tight closing lid, or a cork.  (I used a mason jar)
2-4 vanilla beans
Enough rum or liquer of your choice to cover beans.

(This is such a lazy recipe!)
Cut beans in half length wise, place in jar, cover with alcohol, put on lid. 

Seriously.  Thats it!

Now... the down side is that it takes 2 months to develop... you should store it in a dark place away from heat, and shake it at least once a week.   Also, as you use the extract, you can replace the alcohol so you have a never ending supply of it.  This would be great as Christmas gifts too... all ya gotta do is find some cheap cute little jars (think... Goodwill store!) and some ribbon and voila!  Gift!

Sorry about my picture... it looks kinda gross, but hey, its a cell phone pic.  What are ya gonna do?

This is someone elses picture and product.  The darkness is how it would be with a clear alcohol after the 2 months.  Dont forget to shake it!!

I want to make more stuff with real vanilla, cause it smelled so stinkin' good, and cause it tastes so good... so whats your favorite use for real vanilla?

Glycemic WHat?

The glycemic index, glycemic impact, and glycemic load are words you will see here a lot. I am on a quest to keep my blood sugars low naturally after fighting with diabetes for a few years. One of the ways to keep blood sugar low to not eat any carbs or sugar... which is impossible. Another way is to watch how the sugars and carbs you put into your body affect your blood sugar. Im choosing that way, because I may be awesome, but Im not that awesome! :o) Here is some info about all this:

What is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index is a way of measuring the relative impact of foods on blood sugar levels. Foods with a high glycemic index have carbohydrates that the body can quickly convert to sugar, which makes them more likely to cause a quick rise in blood sugar. Many popular diets (Atkins and South Beach, for example) include food choices based on the glycemic index.
To determine the glycemic index of a food, human subjects are given a portion of a single food and their blood sugar is tested at intervals. The resulting response curve is compared to a control substance (either glucose or white bread) and assigned a numerical value. Glucose (or white bread) is given an arbitrary rating of 100, and all other foods are measured relative to that. Foods that rate above 100 are foods whose carbohydrates digest very quickly and are likely to raise the blood sugar immediately, while those with an index lower than 100 have less impact on the blood sugar.
What Makes a Food Low Glycemic?
Foods with few to no carbohydrates, like meats, cheeses and fats, will likely result in a glycemic index close to zero. The fewer easily-digested sugars and starches a food contains, the less likely it is to create a spike in blood sugar. Dietary fiber, while classified as a carbohydrate, passes through the system undigested, so it has no impact on blood sugar. In fact, fiber works to help slow the absorption of digestible carbohydrates.
Combining High and Low Glycemic Foods
The glycemic index of individual foods can be used as a guideline for meal preparation, but since most of us do not make an entire meal of one food, the interaction of foods in the stomach must also be taken into consideration.
Some foods act to reduce the overall glycemic level of a meal. Similar to the effect of dietary fiber, fats consumed with a higher glycemic food can also help to curb its blood-sugar-raising property. Likewise, vinegar has been found to inhibit the digestion of starches in the stomach. So, for instance, starting your dinner with a salad dressed in italian dressing (fiber + fat + vinegar) should lessen the impact of high glycemic foods in the meal.
What is Glycemic Load?
Like the glycemic index, the glycemic load of a food is used to characterize its potential effect on blood sugar. A food may have a high glycemic index, meaning the carbohydrate it contains will quickly convert to sugar, but if that food does not contain much carbohydrate per average serving, there will not be much impact on the blood sugar.
To calculate the glycemic load of a food, multiply its glycemic index by the number of digestible (non-fiber) carbohydrates in a single serving, then divide by 100. That number may be interpreted as follows:

20 and above = high glycemic load
10 to 19 = medium glycemic load
less than 10 = low glycemic load

Here are some websites for more info:
http://www.glycemicindex.com/
http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index
http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

If you know of any other websites, please let me know!! Im still learning about this and trying to make better choices for all of us!!
:o)

What is Agave and Why am I using it!?


Agave nectar is a natural sweetner made from the agave plant.  It has a low glycemic impact and is super tasty.
It kinda tastes like honey, but not such a strong flavor.  Its also less viscous than honey and disolves better, so you can use it in cold drinks easily. 
There are different levels of agave, ranging from light with a neutral, mild flavor, to raw with a very rich caramel or maple flavor. 

Agave is vegan and gluten free and we found an 11.75 oz bottle that is ORGANIC for around $3.50 (Madhava brand).
What I am loving about it is the fact that it is a sweetner that you can use when watching your blood sugar becuase of the low glycemic impact it has.  It doesnt cause high spikes of sugar or the inevitable crash after the high.  While I do try to use splenda or stevia to sweeten things, sometimes they just dont work (like my pumpkin seeds... I tried splenda... FAIL!).  In fact, 2 tablespoons of agave nectar actually has a lower glycemic impact than a medium sized apple!
Here is an easy guide to replacing other sweetners with Agave...

Substituting Agave Nectar for Liquid Sweeteners


Honey
Replace each cup of honey with one cup of agave syrup.

Maple Syrup
Replace each cup of maple syrup with one cup of agave syrup.

Brown Rice Syrup
When replacing a cup of brown rice syrup, use 1/2 to 1/3 as much agave, and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/2 a cup.

Corn Syrup
When replacing a cup of light corn syrup, use 1/2 as much agave, and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to 1/3 of a cup. Like corn syrup, agave nectar will not crystallize.

Substituting Agave Nectar for Granulated Sugar

White Sugar
For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by 1/4 to 1/3 cup. This substitution will also work for Demerara Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice, or Sucanat.

Brown Sugar
For each cup of white sugar replaced, use 2/3 of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by 1/4 cup. Because the moisture content of Brown Sugar is higher than that of white sugar, liquids may not have to be reduced as much when substituting agave nectar.

Other Considerations
Agave syrup may cause baked items to brown more quickly, so reduce oven temperatures by 25°F is and increase baking time slightly.
Agave nectar may substituted for part or all of the sugars or liquid sweeteners in many recipes. Drinks, salad dressings, sauces and many desserts are among the easiest substitutions. More experimentation may be necessary when substituting for sugars in recipes containing precise chemistry - for example, cooked candies and some baked goods.

Candy recipes like toffees and nut brittles rely on chemical reactions provided by refined sugars which may be disrupted by substitutions. It may be possible to substitute, but ratios could take some tinkering to produce optimum results.
Similarly, recipes for baked goods containing white sugar may be too sensitive to changes in the moisture level of ingredients. If replacing all the sugar in a recipe (while reducing liquids) does not produce good results, try replacing only half the sugar with agave nectar

So far, I only have one reipe with the agave, but I did use some to sweeten a pumpkin mousse cheesecake I made yesterday.  Check out my Salty Caramel Pumpkin Seeds!

Salted Caramel Pumkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

At Halloween this year, we made our super cool "Jesus Pumpkins" (as Made likes to call them), and decided to roast the seeds for snacks.  I found a couple different recipes on Pinterest but, since I cant follow a recipe, I made my own!  Then, we went to our local health food store, Sonnewald's and found hulled pumpkin seeds.  I did a little research and pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) are full of awesomeness, and have a low glycemic impact, their GI number is only 10.  But I did NOT like them untoasted... or unflavored.  So instead of all sugar in the recipe, I decided to use Agave nectar.  Agave has a low GI compared to sugar, so its good for diabetics or people who just don't want the spike of sugar rush and then the fall that leaves you feeling like you need your 5th nap of the day.

What you need:

3 or 4 cups of pumpkin seeds (hulled tasted better to me, but both were good, so whatever you prefer or can find!)

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp agave nectar (i used light because I wanted sweetness, not a maple flavor... although that would be tasty too!)

2 tsp olive oil

Sprinkle of Sea Salt

First, you have to toast those bad boys (i think they are kinda icky raw), so you put them in a dry skillet on medium heat.  You have to stir them almost constantly, or they will burn.  They will be ready for the next steps when they start to pop and have a light brown color to them.  (Oh, good hulled pumpkin seeds are an olive color and not dried out looking.)  Once they are toasted, add your olive oil and brown sugar.  Mix around till the brown sugar starts to caramelize.  Turn pan down to low and add agave and salt.  Stir until everything is coated.  From here, you can add other flavors.  I have tried cinnamon (YUM) and ginger (I liked them, but Madi wasn't crazy about it), and I'm sure you could try lots of others (chili powder?!?).  Once everything is mixed pour into a bowl or onto a sheet pan covered in wax paper to cool.  The fun thing about the agave is it made clumps of seeds... Madi said it reminded her of caramel popcorn. 

(As always, I don't measure ANYTHING when I cook, so I'm kinda guessing here... if it isn't sweet enough, add more agave.)

AND.... these are gluten free!

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
This is a great shredded chicken recipe that can be used for so many things!  We used it for Asian Chicken Wraps, salad, empanadas, and even used leftovers in a casserole.

3-5 large chicken breast- frozen or thawed
1 can crushed pineapple, juice and all
3 cloves of garlic, or a few tsp of the pre chopped kind
1-2 inches of fresh ginger, sliced (you could probably substitute powdered maybe 2 tsp)
1 can chicken broth (i used low sodium all natural stuff... no msg please!!)
2 tsp ground mustard
black pepper
3 tbsp soy sauce (to keep this recipe gluten free, i used gluten free soy sauce, but if you cant find gf soy sauce, you could leave it out.)

Cook on low for 5 hours.  Then shred chicken (by this point it just falls apart!!) and cook for another hour.

Asian Chicken Tacos.  Just pile some lettuce, carrots and chicken on corn tortillas and a little of your favorite asian dressing (I made my own with gluten free soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame seed oil, and a few spoonfuls of pineapple or madarin orange juice from a can).  Super healthy!!

To make this into a more "Spanish" style do the above, but add a chopped green pepper and a small chopped onion, then, after shredding it add some lime juice and chopped cilantro.  We made some of the best empanadas I have ever had with this chicken!

To make Shredded BBQ Chicken (kinda like pulled pork), take some chicken, put into a pot with a splash of root beer, coke, or dr. pepper, some brown sugar, and a small bit of ketchup or your fav bbq sauce. Cook on medium until it makes a sauce.  This is great for sandwiches or wraps.