Weekend Project: Barbecue for Everyone

I think for a lot of us, this weekend is summer's last hurrah.  And I think a lot of us also will be planning to cook out at some point.  Who doesn't associate summer with grilling and barbecue?  With the rise of food intolerances and the growing popularity of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles though, this old American past time needs an update.

This is the most basic version of an apple butter barbecue sauce that I use pretty regularly.  It's free of gluten, dairy, and onion, which are all common gastric irritants for people on medically restricted diets.  It's low acid, for people who have gastro-esophageal reflux disease.  And it's a lovely blend of tangy and sweet that works with most anything you want to dress it on-- grilled veggies, tofu, chicken, pork, you name it.

One note before I start on the basic recipe-- I prefer to use a locally produced, unsweetened apple butter.  If you're using one from the supermarket, it probably has more salt and sugar in it than what I'm starting with, and you'll need to adjust your recipe accordingly.

1 cup apple butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Now there are a lot of additions you can make to this base, depending on who you're feeding and how you like your sauce.  The base I've started from here should be safe for almost anyone-- not those with fructose intolerance, unfortunately-- but just about everyone else, though it's really not spicy at all.  Here are a few more additions to the base I've come up with.

Add 1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste if acidity is not a dietary issue.
Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic if garlic is tolerated.  Alternatively, add 1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil if garlic tolerance is questionable.  Many people who don't tolerate garlic will tolerate infused oil as long as it contains none of the garlic solids.
Add 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder if GERD is not an issue.  Other chile powders will work, but I prefer the smokiness of ancho.  If you like a really spicy sauce, you'll want to add more than a teaspoon.
Add 1/2 teaspoon black or white pepper if GERD is not an issue.
Add 1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 tablespoon minced onion if onions are tolerated.
Add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce if GERD is not an issue.  Check to be sure it's a gluten free brand if you're feeding GF people.

Keep in mind also, if you're feeding gluten free people, you'll want to check to be sure all the spices you use are gluten free.  Wheat based products are commonly used by some companies to prevent clumping in their spices.

Whatever you're doing for Labor Day this weekend, I hope it's a good one!  Happy holiday, everyone!

Wednesday Eye Candy

It's hump day again.  Feels like an even bigger hump this week, as it's my first week back in school.  I'm only auditing this semester, but it may make me quiet for a while as I try to find my stride again.  Still, there's always time for a little eye candy!  This week I'm featuring supplies for your own craftiness.  Sometimes the right material is the only inspiration I need.

From Cool Climates.

From Bead Nutters.

From Sunny Day Dreams. 

  

From Borealis Sea Glass.  

Sunday Inspiration

Weekend Project

I don't happen to have an old yoga mat that needs a new life right now, but when I do, I will be borrowing some of Kelleen's fabulous ideas on what to do.  Check it out:

I'm especially in love with the yoga mat sandals.  That's gotta be on my to do list, and maybe it will even motivate me to give my yoga mat some extra love and attention until it wears out!

If you'd like to see some of Kelleen's upcycled creations, check out her Etsy shop, Pay Per Planet.

Good morning, world!

Hump Day Eye Candy

More hump day eye candy for you all to help you through the mid week blahs.  Today I'm featuring upcycled fashion.

From Pondhopper.

From smArtville.

  

From FoxnLily.

From Deconstructika. 

Edible, Home Made Hair Gel

Now I have to admit before I get into the how of this, I started doing it purely because I'm so in love with my dog.  He's got a little bit of the devil in him though, which even his trainer in puppy class acknowledged.  And of course, he looks like a dog version of a teddy bear-- no hint of the will and iffy attitude that lurks under the dewy eyes and shaggy coat.  So for graduation from puppy class, I gave him a blue mo-hawk.  It was that or a pair of red devil's horns, and the mo-hawk seemed like a better choice for many reasons.

Now I'm sure it makes sense why it had to be edible and entirely non-toxic.

So if you're nutty enough to style your dog, this is an easy win for you.  It would also work well on children of all ages, since you don't have to be worried about toxicity, even if they lick it.

Here's how to do it:

1. Warm one cup of water in the microwave or kettle.
2. If you want to have a colored gel, add your coloring to the water at this stage and mix thorougly.  I used food coloring, but natural, food based colors should work well also.  Just be careful of anything red on light hair!  Red has a tendency to glom on and last longer than you might want.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin and mix thoroughly.  If you do not have the desired consistency, add another 1/4 teaspoon of gelatin at a time until you get there.  

Poof!  That's it.

Here's Max's picture from this experiment.

Wasn't he a cute little guy?

It should wash out easily, though I've never had a chance to test it.  Max's doggy friends chewed all of his out of his do.