Monday, May 12, 2014

**WARNING** Gluten-Filled, Sugar-Laden, Fat-Loaded Recipes


Mondays are generally very busy at Little Shouse on the Prairie.  The house has to be put back in order after a weekend of outside work.  The laundry has to be caught up and the pantry needs to be filled with fresh baked goods.  Miss Serenity and I worked from sunup and by noon the shouse was beginning to take shape.  The floors had been swept and vacuumed, the bread was rising and the sunroom had been arranged for summer.  After I washed the dishes, I sliced peppers and onions, cut up chicken and made a marinade for chicken fajitas.  After getting the bread into the oven, I quickly put together a cake for desert. 

This was no ordinary cake.  It was a Cinnamon Swirl tea cake.  It really shouldn't be indulged in very often - it's that good.  It is full of everything that is currently on the "Do Not Eat" list (but don't be bothered - that list will change again as soon as junk science discovers the many health benefits of gluten, sugar and fat).  If you are in the mood to defy current social health dogma, this is the recipe for you!

Cinnamon Swirl Tea Cake

Cake:
3 C flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 C milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C butter, melted

Cinnamon Swirl:
1 C butter, softened
1 C brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T cinnamon

Glaze:
2 C powdered sugar
5 T milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 x 13 cake pan.

Mix all of the cake ingredients together, except for the butter.  After you have mixed the batter, add the butter and mix well.  Pour into the prepared cake pan.

In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon swirl ingredients.  Drop by the spoonful evenly over the cake batter.  Using a butter knife, swirl the topping into the cake batter.  Bake for 28 - 30 minutes.

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze.  After the cake is done (toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean), pour glaze evenly over the top (while the cake is still warm).

Cake batter

Cinnamon swirl mixture

Cake batter spread in the pan

Drops of cinnamon swirl

Swirled the cinnamon
 
Fresh from the oven and ready for glaze!

Glaze


 
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As requested, the recipe for the black-bottomed muffins that I made on Saturday.....

Black-Bottomed Muffins

Filling:
6 oz. cream cheese
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
1 C chocolate chips

Muffin:
1 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1/4 C cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C water
1/3 C oil
1 T vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla

For the  filling - combine cream cheese, sugar and egg.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix all of the muffin ingredients and stir well.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Fill paper lined muffin cups half full.  Top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.  Cool.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.




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Happy baking!

23 comments:

  1. Yum! I'm going to surprise the family with this for supper tonight! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Elizabeth

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  2. The "Do Not Eat List" is garbage, dear one. The only people who take it as "do not eat, ever" are, shall we say, fanatical. You're smart, you know what you're doing. Cinnamon Swirl Tea Cake is a treat. I think I'll make it for Father's Day (and, by the by, my hubby is trying to lose 70 lbs, and we keep him on a pretty strict low-cal diet).

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    1. For the general population, your assessment may be correct. I would make the cake as a treat for my family, but I won't take one bite, can't lick my fingers or the beaters...I fall into the "do not eat, ever", but I'm not a fanatic. It just makes me ill and the effects last much longer than the joy from the great taste. Allergy testing showed I was allergic to corn, oats, wheat and severely allergic to barley. These foods are in everything, so I "fanatically" avoid most processed foods. It hasn't hurt my family one bit and they especially like it when I can get out of bed and be part of the everyday activities. The blue lips, fingers and toes were frightening my children and the severe pain made even getting dressed by myself an impossibility.
      There is an epidemic of illness caused by the frankenfood that has replaced the real stuff. FWIW, I am an avid eater of all things fat...bacon, butter, coconut, avocado, almonds, steak, burger, and eggs every day. I would never call anyone who doesn't eat those things a fanatic.
      Best wishes to your husband on his weight loss.
      sidetracksusie

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    2. I should amend that. Obviously, if you have some kind of allergic condition or sensitivity, it isn't garbage FOR YOU.

      The idea, now widely propagated, that EVERYONE should avoid these things AT ALL TIMES, however, is fanatical, faddist trash.

      Delete
  3. Thank you for posting the recipe! Looking forward to trying it!
    Dixie

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  4. I glad someone requested the recipe. When I saw your post I thought they looked good and wished you had posted the recipe. Thank you.

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  5. Glad you posted the recipe. They look so good.

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  6. Glad someone requested you to post the recipe. The look so good.

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  7. Sorry Enola, but your "Do Not Eat" list can end my sister up in the hospital. I realize that many people are not eating gluten, sugar, etc., etc. as a social fad, but there are some poor souls out there that truely do have severe, even life-threatening reactions to wheat, sugar, barley, rye, and various other types of edibles that most of us take for granted. My family happens to be one of those. For the most part, I ignore the gluten debate, knowing what I have to deal with to keep us healthy. I take exception, however, with the flippant attitude that there is nothing valid in avoiding wheat and other celiac disease triggers. Having spent more than a few hours in the hospital praying for my sister to make it through a reaction, I can verify that the list is not "garbage."

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    1. I think you need to lighten up. We all know what Enola is talking about. If your family is allergic then her post doesn't apply to you. The rest of us of tired of the food police so hence the attitude. If your family is allergic then YOU do your due dillegence and leave the rest of us alone. Should we all postulate to you because your family is deathly allergic to food we are not? I say get off your high horse.

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  8. Enola, Have you seen the Trim Healthy Mama diet? Google it. People are having incredible results. I would love to hear your review of the book. Thanks.

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  9. Your title made me laugh then the article made me drool! Live it!

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  10. Hi, I really love your blog, but I find this post really upsetting. I have a gluten allergy that triggers my auto-immune disease. I am also allergic to all other grains, gluten containing or not, including rice and corn. When I have even the smallest exposure to gluten I immediately become very ill and the after effects can last a couple months. I have had health problems my whole life and only discovered my allergy at 17 when I had to drop out of my first semester of college because my body was just not functioning any more. So I get upset when people ridicule the whole gluten thing, because it's real, it's not just some fad. I have other friends who I convinced to try going gluten free and after doing so they had extreme improvements in physical, emotional, and mental health. When they get exposed to gluten again they experience immediate emotional and physical reactions. The gluten content of the wheat we are using is much higher than it used to be which is making it more allergenic. Other foods like corn have also been hybridized and/or genetically modified causing problems as well. The allergy epidemic is real. I'm really trying not to be angry, but this is really upsetting me because of how this has destroyed my life and people mock it as some silly pop culture trend. Just had to get that off my chest. God bless.

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    1. Why would you find the post upsetting? I don't get it! Enola gave you a warning so what is to be upset about? Do you want everyone else to suffer because you are suffering? I don't understand. The majority of the population is not allergic to grain. Why do you get upset at people's ridicule? If you can't eat it, you can't eat, the end. No need to get bent out of shape. My husband is deathly allergic to nuts but he is certainly not offended by people who eat them and love them. There are some very serious issues going on in this country and getting offended at what you deem as mockery over food is a waste of time. This is a homesteading self reliance blog not a food allergy blog. You need to toughen up and not allow yourself to get your feelings hurt. Remember Jesus said "Take no offense". To many Americans are too easily offended it is one of our many faults and why we are on this downward spiral. So I say get over it. If your allergic, don't eat it. If you get offended then get over it and move on with life. Intead of trying to get others to not tempt you with mockery it is better to learn not to be offended. Plus being offended is not good for your health. You are responsible for your own reaction. You want Enola to change what she expresses on her blog for your sake. This is wrong. It's her blog she can write what ever she wants and you don't have to come to her blog anymore - that's called freedom. Your interpretation of mockery is called free speech. Free speech protects mockery and all other speech you don't like.
      So you get offended and sound off about it and then say "God bless"? That's hypocracy. "The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" Quote from the Holy Bible. Yes, I know I'm harsh. People need to hear the truth. Too many Americans act like spoiled children, this needs to stop.

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    2. For YOU, it is real.

      Unfortunately, for a lot of people, it is some fad.

      I've lost count of the number of conditions that are supposed to be cured by avoiding gluten. There's a HUGE difference between that attitude and a genuine food sensitivity.

      Delete
    3. Amen! Totally agree Shaolin.


      Dixie Chick

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    4. Dear Shaolin,
      I find it upsetting because there is a trend of dismissing food allergies as "junk science" as said in this article. And actually, the mainstream and government supported position is that eating lots of "heart healthy whole grains" is good for your health. I never said anything about wanting others to suffer. I have no problem with anyone eating, enjoying, sharing recipes of foods containing gluten.I just want people to understand that it is real, and to be understanding about it. And just as she has the right to say what she wants on her blog, so do I also have the right to share my opinion on what she says. The point of my comment was not to censor her speech, but to explain why I disagree with what she said in hopes she will understand. I said God bless because I mean it, no hypocrisy involved. Just because I have been upset by something does not change the fact that I wish God's blessing on all people, and I wanted her to understand that I was not personally upset at her, just the situation. As I said in my comment, I love the blog, it is excellent. I will also continue to read it. I just wanted to share my thoughts

      So again, God bless you all.

      Delete
  11. Yes Kay... I doubt Enola was pointing that statement at someone with a real disease. In all the years I've read this blog....I've not known her to be that type of person.

    ++++

    I actually made that cake Sunday morning.....it tastes just like a cinnamon roll without the work! I split mine in two 8x8 pans--one for us and one for my parents I did lay off the icing a bit especially on the one here. The husband is Type 1 diabetic and, yes, he did have a couple of small portions...he was have a low moment. I make sure I pair my portions of this....one for each hip. Keeps me balanced.

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  12. My son-in-law is gluten intolerant, and the rest of that family are vegan. It makes things interesting when they visit. However, a lot of people DO like to climb on any band wagon, whether it be food, exercise, clothing, climate change, conservation, etc. All have things to recommend them, but some just want to be among the elite and that is the group they think they will belong to. For the true suffers I have sympathy (my daughter and family have a LOT of vegan-fired energy). For the wanna-be elitists, I have none. Also might add that my husband has hypoglycemia so that sugar is a rare treat. On Sunday I had to make brownies for a reception honoring a group of students. His treat of the week (or maybe month) was getting to lick the beaters. Food is a necessity, but we can adjust to what is right for us. That, in itself, is the miracle. Understanding may take a second miracle.

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  13. Wow is this GOOD. Everyone loved it! I'm going to use a bigger baking dish next time because mine bubbled over. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I enjoy showing our kids the benefits of cooking from scratch.

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  14. Our 15 year old daughter made the cinnamon cake for our family - amazingly good! Thank you so much, Enola. God's richest blessing on you and your family from the folks at Forget Me Not Farm

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  15. Those look so good. Alas, since I have celiac I really can't eat gluten, for medical reasons. For some of us it is not just a fad.

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