Wheatless Foodie

I was recently given the opportunity to sample the new Bisquick Gluten-Free Baking Mix.  I received a “Prize Pack” from General Mills through MyBlogSpark that included one box of the new Bisquick Gluten-Free Baking Mix, a cute little griddle with silver-dollar sized wells for making mini-pancakes, a pancake batter “pen” to make designs or initials on the pancakes, and a spatula. What fun! First I made half a batch of pancakes using a non-stick skillet, since this is what I use when making pancakes for my family. I followed the directions on the box, which required adding egg, oil and milk. The pancakes were evaluated by my family with the conclusion that they were OK. Not great, and not as good as the gluten free pancakes I usually make, but OK. They looked good, but were kind of stiff and didn’t have much flavor. On to the biscuits. I made a full batch of biscuits with the remaining mix and served them with our evening meal. The biscuits required that I cut in shortening,

Habits are hard to change. Food habits are especially hard to change because eating is not just something we do out of necessity. Our food choices may be based on so much more than our nutritional needs. There are some foods we consider “comfort foods” because they sustain us emotionally as well as physically. Some religious practices require the inclusion or exclusion of particular foods. Many holidays include specific foods as part of the celebration. Different foods are associated with different cultures. Geographic location, weather, and economics can affect food availability. The food traditions we were raised with may influence our eating habits for the rest of our lives. My husband and I have been trying to make some changes in our food choices. Beyond trying to eat healthier, we have been considering our food buying habits. We were both impressed with Michael Pollen’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle , and with the movie Food, Inc