Gluten-free Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

I've been on a quest for some time now to get my husband to start eating breakfast. I am a firm believer in the benefits of eating breakfast and I think I have most of the medical profession on my side in that regard. He finally relented and said that he would eat oatmeal, because of its heart healthy benefits, if I could find a way to make it look like something else. He is also a stickler about muffins and anything that looks or tastes like cake is NOT a muffin (according to Jim). So I have been on a quest for a good muffin recipe and this one is pretty good. It is gluten-free (for me, because I have celiac disease) and tasty enough for him.

Gluten-free Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

2 c. gluten-free flour mix (I used Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)

1/2 tsp. xanthum gum

1-3/4 c. gluten-free rolled oats (again-Bob's Red Mill GF Rolled Oats)

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/3 c. canola oil

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. blueberries (fresh, frozen or canned and drained. I used frozen and did not thaw them out.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, xanthum gum, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Combine egg, oil, buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl and whisk until well blended. Stir into flour mixture just until well blended, then fold in blueberries. Spoon evenly into 18 (2-1/2 inch) nonstick muffin cups. The batter is very thick and sticky, so you may want to spray a little PAM in those muffin cups even if they are nonstick.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then remove and serve warm or cool completely on wire racks. I store them in a plastic container in the refrigerator and warm them for about 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.

Breast Cancer Awareness video from St. Vincents

You gotta see this. All the staff at St Vincent's participated in this video, "The Pink Glove Dance", to promote breast cancer awareness.

Eating wisely

I have been on a gluten free diet for the past 25 years, so naturally I probably read labels and pay more attention to what is in food than the average person does. When I start reading labels and see a list of things that look like they came from the chemical shelf in a lab, I cringe. Gluten-free may not be easy, but I think it may be healthier in the long run.

I can remember family get-togethers where a big lunch was served, everything was covered with a cup towel and left on the table and we then grazed on it the rest of the afternoon. No one got sick or died that I can recall, but maybe we were just lucky. Nowadays, I don't take that risk.

I have a wonderful book, Stocking Up, that I often refer to for advice on storing and processing fruits, vegetables and meats. I recently found a website, FoodSafety.gov, that has additional information on recalls and safety. With so much of our food supply coming from countries that don't have the safety standards that we expect, I think it is only prudent to educate ourselves on food safety and where our food comes from. When possible, I try to buy from local farmers, because even our organic produce comes from a long way off.

Life lessons

My little dog, Bashful, passed on very quietly last week. His health was declining due to congestive heart failure and then he got an infection in his mouth on top of that. We had been to the vet to see what could be done to help him, but I think the medications on top of the added infection were just too much for his little system. It was difficult to clean his teeth because the vet was leery of sedating him with his heart condition. I was leery of brushing because he hated it and I did not want to stress him because of his heart. We buried him on the hill below the house with a beautiful view of the valley below. He was a sweet, kind little dog and we miss him terribly.

I've learned the hard way that there are things you need to do to keep your pets healthy beyond the standard vaccinations. Keeping their teeth clean will do wonders for their health. Some people do it successfully by providing chewies and breath buster tablets and some by brushing. Otherwise, a trip to the vet as needed to have their teeth cleaned before gum disease sets in will do wonders. My mother-in-law has a large Weimaraner that is going on 12 years old and he still bounces around like a puppy, but she has had his teeth cleaned professionally every six months or so since he was about 2 years old. I sincerely believe that it makes a big difference and will be much more diligent about tooth cleaning from now on. It is as important for them as it is for us.