My sister got diagnosed with Celiac’s disease in 2009. This was not a super friendly time to have to be gluten free…there weren’t many blogs, cookbooks, or even specific sections of the grocery store for those who were gluten free. And there certainly was not clear labeling. She had a rough road of it. Thankfully five years have vastly improved the GF scene.
To be honest…I didn’t pay all that much attention. My life was really full around that time (babies…lots of babies), and we lived several hundred miles apart. I knew it stunk for her, but what could I do?
Plus…I like flour. I cook and bake, but baking is kind of what I’m known for. I respond to several different names, Kate, Katie, and Cupcake Lady (not Kelly, for the record). I had a cupcake business for awhile, and flour was kind of key to those cupcakes. I was sad for her, but went about my way rejoicing that flour was still an integral part of my life.
I missed an opportunity to love her well and serve her in the midst of a difficult time.
It would not have been that hard for me to experiment with some GF recipes and share them. I mean, food is my thing…and I missed a chance to serve her in MY area.
Now, several years later, I have had several friends diagnosed with Celiac’s, and friends who needed to go GF for other reasons. That is NOT an easy transition, especially if you are not used to a healthier lifestyle. Being deprived of Doritos, and doughnuts suddenly can seem earth shattering, and literally cause withdrawals.
Thankfully, having regretted not serving my sister during her time of transition…I did not make the same mistake with my friends. It has been a joy to talk to them about it (often using my sister as a sounding board), go grocery shopping with them, and cook them food they can eat that tastes good!
I get texts daily asking about all kinds of recipes and recommendations, or where to find things in the grocery store, or if you can sub this for that. Because food is my thing. And if you have a food related issue and you’re my people, I want you to know that I’ve got your back. I can throw a vegetarian and vegan baby shower. I can make a gluten free dessert. I can take all your allergies into consideration (no matter how many of them I think may be in your head), and make a meal leaving those items out. Food is how I can serve people.
Sometimes loving people well means stepping out of our comfort zones.
I was comfortable running my kitchen as normal. I wasn’t super excited about changing what I was comfortable with for others, and yet that was exactly what I needed to do to love others well. I would push further and say that if we are not stepping out of our comfort zones, we are probably not loving others well. Loving people well is messy and gets all up in our business, and if we’re not bending, and being stretched and molded in that process, maybe we’re not actually doing it?
I know for awhile, I was not.
There obviously may be other ways you are better suited to love others well, or other areas you can make more effort in. I’ll let you and Jesus chat about what that is while I share a recipe.
This is my chili recipe. The only chili I make. The chili that’s my favorite (but I will gladly eat your chili with gratefulness and love for all the effort you put into it, even if it has green peppers in it!). I serve it with cornbread…because what else would you serve chili with?! This chili and cornbread recipe is also gluten free. Because even if you haven’t loved people well in the past…it’s never too late to start!
For my sister, with love.
Midwest Style Chili
1 pound grass fed ground beef
1 medium to large diced onion (sweet, if possible)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Chile Ancho Powder (ancho chili powder) *
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon of salt and pepper (may need more or less according to taste)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 bottle of a light GF beer
2 15 oz. cans Bush’s mild chili beans
1 15 oz. can rinsed and drained black beans
A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
A few drops of Louisiana hot sauce
2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 heaping tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Beef Base (the company says this is GF, but that they don’t test for gluten, if you’re not comfortable risking it, it will be good without it, get it at Costco by the spices, by far the best price!)
Water
On medium high brown your ground beef in a large stock pot. Once the beef is browned DO NOT drain the fat. Add the onions and sauté them with the beef until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and let it cook just a minute, or until you smell it. Add your tomato paste and spices (chili powder, cumin, both kinds of paprika, S&P) and stir until they are all combined. Pour in your bottle of beer and mix in while scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the goodness up. Add in the rest of your cans (tomatoes, black beans, chili beans) and combine. Add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce (no more than a 1/2 teaspoon), a few drops of hot sauce to taste…I did about 4 dashes, the cocoa, and bouillon. Add about a cup of water and stir in. Let simmer on the stove stirring occasionally for 20 minutes, or until you need it (I’ve often let it go several hours). Serve with cornbread, sour cream, shredded cheese.
Gluten Free Sage and Honey Cornbread
1 cup gluten free cornmeal (I used Hodgson Mill)
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill this time, but typically use TJ’s)
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum *
A few tablespoons of neutral oil, I used Grape Seed Oil *
1 teaspoon rubbed sage, or chopped fresh sage (or more if you really like sage, this amount is very subtle)
1/4-1/3 cup Honey, Orange Blossom depending on how sweet you want it *
Bacon grease, or butter
Preheat oven to 400. Place cast iron skillet in oven before preheating. Once oven is preheated, pull out oven rack and place bacon grease or 3 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of the cast iron pan (don’t do this until your batter is mixed so it does not burn). Combine dry ingredients (corn meal, gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum). Add eggs, oil, sage, honey and buttermilk and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Once grease or butter is melted and hot, pour your batter into your hot cast iron pan and bake about 20 minutes. Check for doneness a few minutes before cooking time is up as different gluten free flours, and altitudes bake differently than others. Serve with honey butter, or butter and honey.
My typical cooking time for non-GF cornbread got ours a little crispier than I would have liked (I adjusted time accordingly for recipe), so pardon the extra browning and focus on the ridiculous crumb on this GF cornbread! It was delicious!
Do the Hard Thing today and step out of your comfort zone to Love Well. Maybe there’s someone new, that you know you’ve needed to make effort with. Maybe there’s someone you know, that you need to make up for lost time with. Whatever the situation, be bold and Love Well!
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This post is part of the #write31days challenge hosted by The Nester.
Click here to read all the posts in the 31 days of Doing the Hard Thing series.
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