March Meeting Theme: Sandwich

Our meeting theme for March - Sandwiches.

Wow, what started out as a simple sandwich bread tasting/build your own sandwich bar evolved into an all out Sandwich-a-Palooza!

We had eight different types of bread and members brought their favorite sandwich fixin’s to share. This was the ultimate sandwich extravaganza.

The combinations were almost endless. Whodathunk? I still remember taking one bite of a sandwich made with EnerG’s Rice Loaf in 2003. The entire loaf of “styrofoam” went into the garbage. My, how things have changed!

As you all know, finding a GF doppelgänger of its evil, gluten-filled twin is extremely difficult.

Over ten thousand years ago, little did the Neolithic peoples know the good and harm that would result by shifting from hunter-gatherers to farmers. Darn you Neolithic people for getting us addicted to this desirable, but problematic substance. Hehehe.

Thankfully things have improved over the decades and we now have some really gluten-free options for bread. Are they identical to their toxic counter parts? No probably not, but they're close.


“It wasn’t just trying all those breads that was so great, it was trying them SIDE BY SIDE. That ability to compare like that was so valuable,” said Luann.


IMG_0009

Eight feet of sandwich bread! What?!!?


IMG_9998

Canyon Bakehouse Moutain White (Festival Foods)


IMG_9997

Schar Deli-style Sourdough Bread. (Festival Foods, Webster’s Market Place)

I don’t eat bread every day, but when I do, this is my favorite.


IMG_9996

Schar Artisan Baker White Bread. (Festival Foods, Webster’s Market Place).

Not only is the good for sandwiches, we use this for making French Toast.


IMG_9995

Ann’s Gluten-Free Foods White Bread. (Hippy Wayne’s The Green Tomato - Appleton).

Ann baked this fresh for us. Peggy picked it up Thursday night.


IMG_9994 2

Ann’s Gluten-Free Foods Garlic Parmesan Bread. (Hippy Wayne’s The Green Tomato - Appleton).

Ann baked this fresh for us. Peggy picked it up Thursday night.


Peggy’s Dark Bread (background). Due to the molasses and honey, this bread is sweeter than most.

The magic in this bread is its ability to survive the freezing process. It remains soft and pliable.

Peggy likes it with her favorite peanut butter. I found it worked well with my egg salad.

FWIW - our church uses this bread for our gluten-free communion. You can find the recipe
here,
or in our
Gluten-Free Communion Guide we created to help other congregations provide gluten-free
options for their members.


IMG_9993

Three Bakers Rye Style Bread. Thank you, Luann and Tony sharing!


IMG_9992

Happy Bellies Buns. (Appleton)

Thank you, Luann and Tony for sharing!


IMG_9999

Grande Cheese Sliced Mozzerella and Festival Foods Sliced Ham.

Thank you, Donna for sharing!


IMG_0001

Hormel Oven Roasted Turkey and Crystal Farms Baby Swiss.

Thank you, Luann and Tony for sharing!


IMG_0003

Skippy Peanut Butter. Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter. Kirkland Basil Pesto. Miracle Whip. Cranberry Orange Honey Butter

Thank you, Peggy and Al for the peanut butter, Kimberly for the pesto, and Donna for the Miracle Whip, and Luann for the Cranberry Orange Honey Butter!


IMG_0004

Classic Egg Salad.

Thank you, Al for sharing!


IMG_0005

Brandon Meats Bacon.

Thank you, Peggy & Al for sharing!


IMG_0006

Fresh, home grown lettuce and spinach, and apples.

Thank you Luann and Tony for sharing the winter bounty of your green house!



Fun with Toaster Bags

ToasterBags

Luann brought her
Kitchemy Toaster Bags for us to try! She found them at Amazon - a set of 12 bags for $12.99

Thanks, Luann!

From Amazon:

TOASTER BAGS REUSABLE (PACK OF 12): Coming in 3 different sizes, 4 Small Bags (5.9” x 6.7”) + 4 Medium Bags (6.7” x 7.5”) + 4 Large Bags (7.9” x 8.7”), we offer you the possibility to use them in all your appliances and with different sizes of mealsUNMATCHED QUALITY: Built using food friendly PTFE with Non Stick surface on both sides, our product is Easy to Clean and Heat Resistant, made to be used for 50 times in temperatures up to 500 °F without any worries;

MULTIPURPOSE: Kitchemy Toast Bag will work in a toaster, oven, microwave or on a grill, allowing you to heat up or cook your favorite snack or meal, either a slice of pizza, grilled cheese sandwich, some chicken nuggets and even vegetables, at home, school or office.

HEALTHY: Since we want you to live a healthier life, our gluten free Toaster Bags are the perfect choice; Reduce the risk of any allergic reaction, perfect for Celiacs; Our product is BPA free and PFOA free;



While we didn’t need to use them in our GF toaster, it was fun to try them. I’ve heard about them for years, but had not actually used them.

If you are traveling, or at a friend/relative’s house where they don’t have a GF toaster, these would allow you to safely toast your bread. As we know…most GF bread needs to be toasted .

Since I didn’t take any photos of Peggy toasting her bread. I’ve recreated event at home.


IMG_0024

Kitchemy Toaster Bag pictured here with a 1/2 slice of Schar Deli Bread is the small.


IMG_0026

We have a cheap, no-frills Proctor-Silex toaster.


IMG_0028


IMG_0030

What sorcery is this??!? A nicely toasted slice of bread from a bag?!

While Peggy likes a darker toast, I prefer mine lighter (ummm, not burnt).