Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe

And... it takes just the same as the regular!!


Emeril's Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
Yield: 2 16 to 18-inch pizza crusts

Ingredients:
1 cup water (105 – 115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2cups white rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup rice flour
2 cups tapioca flour
2/3 cup instant non-fat dry milk powder
3 teaspoons xantham gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot water
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 egg whites at room temperature
Vegetable oil spray


Method:
Preheat the oven to 400º F. Combine 1 cup of water (105 – 115 degrees F), 2 tablespoons active dry yeast and sugar. Let the yeast "bloom" in the water. Liberally spray two large baking pans with vegetable oil and set aside. Combine the white rice flour, soy flour, rice flour, milk powder, tapioca flour, xantham gum and salt in a bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle and set on low. Mix the flour well and then add the olive oil with the remaining 1/2 cup of water, slowly pouring into the bowl. Add the egg whites slowly until the mixture is well incorporated. Add the yeast mixture and increase the speed to high and continue to mix for 4 minutes.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and evenly divide into two balls. Place one of the dough balls onto each pan. Place a plastic glove or a plastic sandwich bag onto one of your hands and spray some of the vegetable oil onto the gloved hand. Using that hand, gently press each dough ball into a 13-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick, leaving the edges a bit thicker to prevent sauce from dripping onto the pan. Set aside for 10 minutes to rise.

Place the dough into the oven and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with your favorite sauce (recipes below) and ingredients. Place back into the oven and continue to cook until the crust is golden brown and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes longer. (Note: if the baking pan is not liberally greased, the dough will stick. If this happens, use a flat metal spatula to separate the dough from the baking pan.)

We are now "Gluten Free"

It has been a real change for us, and still learning alot, but have found out that Scott has celiac disease (gluten intolerant). Once we have changed our diet, his "problems" have totally gone away!! I have basically had to learn how to cook again, but is so worth it for Scott (and has helped me shed a few pounds too ;)

I don't understand alot about it but here is some info I found on a website that describes a little about it.
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http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or destroying villi—the tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine. Celiac disease is both a disease of malabsorption—meaning nutrients are not absorbed properly—and an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Celiac disease is genetic, meaning it runs in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered—or becomes active for the first time—after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.

Symptoms:
abdominal bloating and pain
chronic diarrhea
vomiting
constipation
pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool
weight loss
unexplained iron-deficiency anemia
fatigue
bone or joint pain
arthritis
bone loss or osteoporosis
depression or anxiety
tingling numbness in the hands and feet
seizures
missed menstrual periods
infertility or recurrent miscarriage
canker sores inside the mouth
an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis
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I do know a quite a few people that are gluten intolerant, so as I find some recipes that we really like, I am going to post them on here. I am still trying to find a good gluten-free bread recipe, so if anyone has tried any that they like, please send us your recipe. I do have a few more to try yet though.

Here is a link that I found to be able to buy some of the flours cheaper than in the local grocery or health food store.
http://www.bulkfoods.com/baking.asp

Lots of info and help on this forum:
http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/

Heres a place that I found some good recipes:
http://www.gluten.net/recipes/index.php

Possible Change of Plans

Ok, so things change quickly for us :)

Scotts website now has the green check for background check. That means that all his reports are back to the border patrol office and they ok'd everything. Next is a phone call telling him when to report to the academy and where he will be placed for the 1 1/2 years. That could be tomorrow, or up til 5 months from now. Being that Scotts file is expidited, it may come real quick.

So... we are unsure if we are headed to MI now. No use going up, then having to put in a 2 week notice at Kalitta. Scott could do that, but he doesn't think they would like that very much and he doesn't want to burn a bridge up there. We do know that there are classes starting every week still at the academy. All they give you is 2 weeks notice to report to the academy - just giving you enough time to give your notice to where you are currently working.

So for right now, we are undecided, just going to wait it out a bit and see what happens in the next month as we have to pay for our rent til Sept 25 - 30 day notice that I gave a few days ago.

Super Exciting News!!

We are headed back to Harrisville!!! Its back at Kalitta again, but they say only a 2 to 3 month position. But, better than nothing I say :) Scott is still working towards the border patrol, and still don't know how far in the future that is. They have completed all our background checks, so its just waiting for a position to open for us, they send us a letter telling us where it is, and when to report to the academy.

At least gets our foot back in the door back at Kalitta in case bp doesn't happen, or in case Scott can't handle the physical part at the academy - he is really worried about that. And maybe 2 to 3 months will extend to 6 months... to... who knows :) We will be working on our house getting ready to sell in case it comes to that. But will enjoy our time back at home while we have it! We will be leaving here within the next month. Kalitta tells us just to give them a date that works for us! So finishing dental work here, had to give our apartment 30 day notice..giving a two week notice at work... packing and just whenever we are ready to go, we will give Kalitta a call and tell them we will be there in 5 days!

1st Grade!

First grade is going pretty good for Devon. We got his first progress report last week and seems he is doing excellent in all his classes. It is a long day for him though and he is really ready for the weekend when it comes.

This morning we had our first incident with not wanting to go to school. Seems that there is a new boy in the class that is being mean to others, Devon being one of them. His teacher is now aware that it really bothers Devon, so hopefully things change. I did bring him home, but at 10:00 he wanted to go into school, so I took him. They were having snack and recess, and I stayed and watched. He seemed to be having fun, and was ready to go back into school without me. So hopefully that's the end of it!!

He wanted to show everyone his first spelling tests, so here they are.

Devon's New Smile

Devon is pretty proud that he has finally lost 2 teeth. Here is the smile that he wanted to show everyone!!

Wow... Its been 5 months

Since we left MI!! In one way, it doesn't seem that long, in another, we are ready to move on. We have all had enough of the heat, and the apartment seems way too small!! It has been a fun time though.

Still no definite news of where we will be going or when we will be going, but the border patrol process is moving right along now. The background check is in process, and pretty close to done. We have heard from many of our references that they have had a visit with the investigators. Scott had his personal investigation on Monday. They came out to his workplace (Scott had to break the news to where he is working now, not good timing, as they are laying off at Bombardier) But so far, so good. His direct lead seems ok with it, so we cross our fingers that the job lasts as long as we need it.

Scotts interview was 2 hours long, with going though each place we lived, each place he worked in great details. They spent alot of time on the fact that I am Canadian, and our connections with Canada. How much we visit, if there is investments in Canada, if anyone we know could use anything in our past as blackmail to let vehicles, people though the borders, the fact that we have travelled a couple of times into mexico, etc. Seems that if we pass this, we are good to go for the academy, but we will get a letter letting us know.

Still no news from Kalitta up in MI, other than the fact that it is still slow, they hire on a few, and then let more go. So its the same story as when we were up there. Doesn't seem to promising to get hired on back there anytime soon. If Scott does get into the academy, I will head up north, put Devon in school up there and finish off the things we had going on the inside of the house and put it on the market and see what happens. We aren't too hopeful of selling it real soon, as not much is happening in real estate in the Harrisville area.

Our new Vehicle

It has been quite a week! We left on Thursday to go to CA to look at/buy a vehicle that we saw on ebay. It was also our 10 year anniversary so we planned to combine that with a couple of days vacation with no kids. But it didn't end up to be as relaxing a time as we planned. We did stay on the ocean, in Oceanside, CA and walked up the beach for a ways, which was very nice ... and beautiful!! Weather was alot cooler than in AZ! But... the WHOLE day on Friday was spent at the bank and running between the bank and where the vehicle was (1 1/2 hours each way)-3 times. We went with a preapproval, and thought that it would only take an hour to finish off the paperwork, but didn't close by 5:30 bank closing time. We ended up scraping together the funds from numerous places just to get the vehicle home so we didn't have go home, then back again to pick it up. Anyways, it was all worth it, as we really do like the vehicle. It is an 05 Yukon Denali.

The kids did really well, it was their first time without us for overnight. We left them with Anita Schwan, someone who goes to our meeting. She said there were no tears at bedtime, which was what I thought may happen (for Kylee anyways) Devon and Kylee both said they had lots of fun and wanted to do it again sometime! So.. we will have to go somewhere else for our 10 year sometime :)

Kids Korner August 6

Devon: I like school. I loved school on my first day. I have 3 friends. Their names are Faith, Grazelle, and Alex. We did a science experiment. It was about liquids and solids. There are 2 things that are solid and liquid - icecube and chocolate. I have a computer at my desk. My computer still won't boot up though, but they will fix it. I got to use someone elses computer 2 times. I like the playground we have at school. My teachers name is Ms Woodworth. I like my teacher. Love Devon

Kylee: I really really miss Devon when he is at school. I wish I could go there. I play babies when he is at school. Sammy really misses Devon too. I get to go swimming with mommy by myself. Daddy and Mommy and Sammy all miss Devon. I really wish I could go to school with Devon. I get to go to school in one year! Love Kylee

Devons first day of First Grade!!

Wow, can't believe its school time already, and that Devon is in 1st grade! Seems like he had a great first day (I will let him tell it in his own words when he gets home today) Most parents stayed for the first 45 minutes for an introduction ceremony. We got to meet the principal and the teachers, then each parent got their picture taken with their child for the yearbook. There are 22 in his class, which is more than they have ever had in one grade at a time! Its a very small school. They sit in groups of 4 at their desks to encourage group work as well as individual. So far, it seems like a great school.

Our Accident

Thursday was to be "Devons Day" He got to plan out our whole day with anything he wanted to do. He had a great day planned out, but things quickly changed. I am SO glad that we are all ok, as it could have been alot worse, if we got hit on the side rather than the front corner. We haven't got the final ok from the adjuster that it is a total, but we are almost positive that it is. The one corner of the van is gone - it pretty much twisted the whole motor and insides of the front. As we are looking at another vehicle, the bigger SUV's are pretty attractive right now, as the other lady had one, and only her front grill is wrecked.

Here's what happened.... I had just taken the exit off the freeway, taken a left and crossed back under the freeway. There is a frontage/service road right beside the freeway. We both say the light was green for us, but I do know that I followed cars off the freeway, and they went through the light ahead of me, so that pretty much confirms that my light was green. The two witnesses that stopped said they couldn't confirm the light situation. The lady that hit me, was coming up that service road. I am not sure how fast I was going, but couldn't have been going too fast as I had just taken a left turn. From the amount of damage the other lady must have been going pretty fast - the speed limit for her was 45. Its up to the two insurance companies to fight it out who's at fault.

Anyways, I am so glad that even though the van is done, none of us got hurt. Kylee had nothing, Devon had a seat-belt burn on his tummy, and I have a huge bruise on my right hip from the seat belt, and a whole lot of brusing on my rignt leg. I must have hit the console pretty hard. The airbag hit me on the chin and lips. Had pretty fat lips for a while, and a skinned up chin. Don't ever want to experience something like that again!