banana bread, fried chicken, oatmeal sandwich cookies

Part of me hates the 4th of July. When I walk Puff anytime besides at 6 am before work, there's people in the street setting off fireworks. The cops are unconcerned. Poor Puff, who's a pretty skittish rescue dog, does not like loud noises at all. She freaks. Poor dog. Yesterday we learned that she loves watermelon. She hasn't really been interested in any fruit unless it is in pie or cake or ice cream form, but we gave her a piece of watermelon and she ate it. Then we turned around and she stole a piece off a plate next to the bed. Yes, I eat in bed. There's a TV in the bedroom. Leave me alone.

Oatmeal Cookies
I've been CRAVING oatmeal cookies. With raisins, like I used to have when I was a kid. I haven't made them in years. I know there's a lot of controversy in the GF world about oatmeal, but I buy McCanns Irish Oatmeal. Irish oatmeal is supposed to be relatively safe because there's no wheat grown in Ireland. Who knows. I don't react to it, neither does my mom. I couldn't find a recipe I liked, so I went with Elise's Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe, obviously changing a few things. Then I filled them with the vanilla icing-y filling from Deb's Oreo recipe, that I've made before.
Edit: oats are now gluten free! Well, some are. Bob's Red Mill and some smaller companies like Only Oats now sell gluten-free oats, that are certified gluten-free. Now everyone can make these, not only people who don't react to oats! If you can't find them in your area (I can't), you can order them online here. 1 1/2 c brown rice flour mix
3/4 t xantham gum
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c veg shortening*
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3 c oats (not instant)
2/3 c raisins

Combine the flour, salt, xantham gum, cinnamon, and baking powder in a bowl. In a large bowl, beat the shortening and butter until smooth. Cream in the sugars. Beat for about 3 minutes. Add in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 parts, incorporating each well. Add oats, then raisins. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased (or silpat-ed) cookie sheet and put into a preheated oven. I think I cooked mine for about 18 minutes, keep an eye on them. I got about 3 dozen cookies out of this recipe. Let cookies cool for a minute or two on the sheets, then remove with a spatula to cutting boards, in one layer. Stick cookies in the fridge while you make the filling.
*I find that when I use shortening and butter instead of just butter, my cookies don't spread into one cookie as often.

Vanilla Icing-Filling
1/2 stick butter, room temp
1/4 c shortening
1 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
2 t vanilla

Combine everything in either your food processor or in a bowl. Beat on high until smooth. Spread on the flat side of one cookie, then stick a similar size/shaped cookie to the frosting.

Banana Bread
I had a bunch of extra ripe bananas leftover from the other day's milkshakes, and I'd been thinking about a really good banana bread I made a while ago. It's from the Joy of Cooking, but obviously gluten-free.

1 1/2 c brown rice flour mix
1/2 t xantham gum
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c vegetable shortening (6 T)
1 T lime juice
2 large eggs, beaten
3 ripe bananas
1/4 c chopped dried apricots

Mix together the flour mix, xantham gum, salt, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another large bowl, cream the shortening and lime juice with the sugar. Beat in the eggs and bananas, then add the flour mixture, in 3 parts. Add the apricots last. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan, bake at 350 for about an hour. Remove from pan when cooled slightly, wait to slice until it's (almost) completely cool.

Fried Chicken
Since it's the 4th of July, and everyone is going on picnics or to the beach, we're pushing things like fried chicken and potato salad at work. This makes me want to eat them. So I bought some chicken thighs (bone-in is cheaper, it is super easy to debone thighs, then you get skin and bones for stock for later) and made my own, gluten-free, fried chicken.


4 chicken thighs, removed from the bone, skinned, and trimmed of fat
about 1 c white rice flour
1/4 c potato starch
1/4 c cornmeal
1 t paprika (or more)
1/2 t salt
good dash of pepper
2 eggs
2 T chili garlic sauce, or other GF hot sauce
2 T milk
1 t mustard
oil for frying

Cut the chicken into strips. Mix thedry ingredients well in one bowl, then beat the wet ingredients together in another. Dredge the chicken in the flour mix, then dip in the egg, then coat with the flour mix. Place each strip on a plate or cutting board to rest while you finish all the chicken and while the oil heats up (you need about 1/2 inch, I use my cast iron skillet). When the oil is hot, carefully place chicken in hot oil. Don't overcrowd. Let cook about 3-5 minutes, turning when the crust starts to brown. Flip chicken then cook on other side for same amount of time. Remove to paper towel to drain. Let the oil heat up a little in between batches, if you drop the chicken in right away it won't cook as fast and will absorb a lot more oil. This is good as it is, or you can serve it with bbq sauce or mustard or ketchup or whatever condiment you like.