{Gluten Free Friday} Banana Bread

Happy Friday, friends!  I had planned on sharing some other posts this week, but...that didn't happen, so I hope you'll settle for another installment of "Gluten Free Friday".  This week's recipe is banana bread. :)

 

Some mornings, I'm not that hungry for breakfast and I just want to eat a little "get-me-through" that goes well with coffee or tea.  Let's face it...banana bread is delicious and comforting at any time of the day!

 

This recipe is another Pinterest find and it comes from a website called www.yourhomebasedmom.com.  It's actually called "The Best Gluten Free Banana Bread" and I'm going to have to agree!  You would never know this was anything other than just great banana bread.

 

 Banana Bread

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil (I used canola.)

2 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe banana (I used 2 whole bananas.)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour.)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp xanthum gum (I used Bob's Red Mill Xanthum Gum.)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour bottom only of a loaf pan.  In a large bowl, beat together sugar and oil.  Add eggs, banana, applesauce and vanilla; blend well.  Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Pour mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes and remove from the pan.  Cool completely (if you have that much self-control) and enjoy.  (Note: I stored mine in a cake stand on my counter and it kept for several days.)



 

{Gluten Free Friday} 30 Minute Turkey Chili

Recently (and by recently, I mean a little over 2 weeks ago), my husband and I decided to go "gluten free".  We're both over 30 and just felt like we'd gotten lax in the nutrition area. We weren't terrible by most people's standards, but driving an hour back and forth to church, we started hitting up the fast food places a little more often than normal.  On top of that, being a travelling musician often means eating in airports, truck stops, or whatever else is open after your show.  Being the wife of a travelling musician means not cooking healthy meals for myself because I don't want a bunch of dirty dishes and left-overs.  Over time, you just don't feel healthy, so we decided to make a change.  Andy had been reading up on gluten and what effects it can have on your health and thought we both could benefit from eliminating it from our diet for a while, if not permanently. 

 

What does that mean, you might ask? Well, there are all sorts of resources and information to be found on gluten intolerance.  Here are just a couple of small informative things I found:

 

In some ways, it's much easier than I thought, but...like any southern girl, I love me a good biscuit!  I'm not saying I'll never eat one again, but I really want to give this way of eating/living a try and see what effects it has on my overall health and well-being.  That said, I thought it would be fun to share recipes that I try and love.  Maybe it will keep me accountable to at least post something here on a weekly/regular basis!  So!  Here's the first one...

 

It has been ridiculously cold here over the last few days.  When it gets cold, I want chili.  However, in my research, I've found that most pre-packaged seasoning mixes contain gluten.  There went my old stand-by McCormick's chili seasoning!  I don't like "fancy chili" that you have to cook all day and I don't like super spicy chili. I just want something I can throw some Fritos in (They're gluten free, y'all!) and call it a day.  Pinterest is the best!  I love that I can search it right there in the grocery store and find a solution.  I adapted a recipe I found there to fit what we like and this was the end result:

30 Minute Turkey Chili

 

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs ground turkey (or beef)

chopped onion (fresh or frozen)

28 oz can diced tomatoes

28 oz can tomato sauce

3 (15 oz) cans chili beans

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp sugar

salt

 

*The seasoning combo I found on Pinterest actually had double the amount of spices listed here. I cut it back to suit our taste.

 

 

In a Dutch oven, brown meat and onion; season with salt, to taste.  Drain and return to the pot.  Add beans, tomatoes, sauce and seasonings.  Mix well.  Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy. :)

 

 

It really was that simple and it was delicious!  We even left out the cheese and sour cream because we didn't need it.  The best part was that, for once, we enjoyed a warm bowl of chili without feeling miserable afterward.  I was really surprised that it made such a difference.  This is one dish I won't mind eating on for several days while my husband travels.

 

 

 

Blog Makeover!

Hi, friends!

 

So, y'all know that I've gone back and forth on this blogging thing.  I really wanted to do it, but it's been a process for me of figuring out how to hone in on a direction.  My original "His Grace All Sufficient" blog really began as a way to write whatever was on my heart, which was mostly deep stuff.  So, when I decided to change it up a bit (not just focusing on heart stuff, but including fun/everyday stuff), that title didn't seem to fit anymore...hence, my "blog makeover"! 

 

What in the world is a "musicianary"?  In the simplest terms, a "musicianary" is one whose primary tool is music, using songs to spread the Gospel.  This, I believe, describes my husband.  While he is one of the most gifted  musicians (not to mention THE most downright handsome guy) I have ever met, the thing that first attracted me to him was his love for Jesus and his desire to share the Gospel with anyone he comes across.  I kind of struggled with that title for a little bit, because I didn't want anyone to take offense to the term.  We have such respect and admiration for real, true missionaries and have many of them in our church family, so I didn't want to just throw that word out there or sound like I was trying to be super-spiritual or compare myself or my husband to something we hold such high regard for.  (Excuse the stupid-long sentence!)  BUT -- My husband is in such a unique position with his job in that he is the antithesis of what most people think of when they meet a professional musician.

Here's a little about my background...

Most of you know I grew up in the music business.  I've never known any other life.  My mom is in a family band (The Whites) with her sisters and their father.  My grandmother sang with them early on, but later retired to stay at home and raise the family.  (They had four daughters.)  They play and sing bluegrass, gospel, western swing (They're proud Texans!), and traditional country music. 

Left to Right: My grandpa (aka "Paw-Paw"), Aunt Melissa, My grandma (aka "Lolly"),

Aunt Sharon, Aunt Rosie and Mom



My Uncle Ricky is married to sister #1, Sharon.  He, of course, has a record label, where I worked for 10 years and a band through which I met my husband.  My Uncle Brian (married to sister #3, Rosie) is a guitarist who has traveled with various country bands over the years.  My Uncle David's (married to sister #4, Melissa) father was in the Grand Ole Opry staff band for many years.  My "Poppa" (because "step-dad" is too impersonal for us) , Billy Paul , has worked for many years in television production, working with various country music networks.  So, music and the music business, for us, has always been a family affair!  I should probably insert a disclaimer that it's never been a prerequisite to join this family and the vast majority of us do not actually work in the music business full-time...it's really just the way the Lord has worked in all of our lives that brought this crazy bunch together!

My overall experience with the music business has been positive.  Because I've grown up in it and worked in it, I've seen both sides of the spectrum.  Thankfully, my family was always in the position to "call the shots" when it came to the atmosphere on the road.  There are parts of the business that are difficult to deal with as a Christian, but I'm proud to come from a family that has always unapologetically stood for godliness in a secular platform.  People know that on stage or off, they're going to hear about Jesus from this family, whether they want to or not!  You couldn't say that for many gospel singers!

Which brings me to the here and now.  I "retired" from the music business a little over 4 years ago to be a full-time helpmeet to my "musicianary" husband.  I LOVE being a wife and all that that entails, but I especially love being his wife.  We do lead a very different life from most people in that my husband travels a lot for his job.  We don't get to spend all our weekends together like most families do.  It's not for everyone and it may not be for us forever, but this is the season of life we're in right now.  I want to embrace it, be content in it, learn from it, and share it! :)