Our First Week-Getting Out Those Father's Day Orders

And so it begins...Blake's first week of being a high school graduate. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as it was the week before Father's Day. This was to be our first major holiday. I did my due diligence and low and behold, The Chocolate Spectrum got a nice amount of orders for our Father's Day Assortment. Most (not all) of the orders came from people who had some sort of connection to autism: parents, grandparents, etc. And they all sent me a lovely note with the order. So sweet and so rewarding for me. But I digress...on to Blake and the chocolate.

It took us 3 days of solid chocolate production to make the products. And then, on day four, which was yesterday, we did the shipping. Day one was fun for Blake. It involved making the fillings for the chocolate. I let Blake help even though it involved cooking over the stove. This was a new experience for him. I made him wear oven mitts on his hands, which was hard for him to get used to. He put them on, but was a little uncertain if he liked them. Eventually, he got used to him. My husband was a bit worried that I allowed Blake to cook on the stove top, but I stood there the whole time, and we use induction heating, which is a lot safer.

Day two and three involved the actual production of the confections. This is where Blake excels as he has to fill the truffle and chocolate molds. Day two was his favorite day. He was busy for about 3 sold hours! I noticed that Blake does his best work when there isn't any lag time. Since we are just starting out, I don't have enough equipment to always keep production going steadily, but today, it just flowed. This works out best for him. On Day three, there was some lag time, and he wasn't as focused. (My birthday is coming up, and I've asked for more chocolate molds from my family, so hopefully for the next large production run, we can keep Blake more steadily occupied.)

Day four, as I previously mentioned, was shipping day. I honestly couldn't have accomplished this task without Blake. It really requires at least two pairs of hands. This involved a new set of tasks for Blake, so I was wary, but he really enjoyed himself. I laid out all the items in advance, and we moved forward assembly line style. This kept the flow going and the wrapping and packaging went quickly. I guess all that time spent in occupational therapy learning to tie bows has paid off, as Blake helped tie all the ribbons on the packages. Blake was a real trooper. I was thrilled. I even took him with me to the shippers, so he could help carry the boxes and that he could see that we were sending away the merchandise.

So, I'm pooped, but happy. At least I know Blake has one activity to keep him busy in his life. He absolutely showed that he can do the work. I am sure he will get better as time progresses, and he will see that he is an integral part of The Chocolate Spectrum.

The icing on the cake is that I had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with Blake this week. The bonding experience makes up for my sore back. But onward. This was a great week!

The Time Has Arrived. Blake Graduates High School

I know. I know. It's been ages since I last posted. Well, there's a reason for it. I've

been in high gear getting ready for this day. I really couldn't have imagined that the day would come, and I wouldn't have a program for Blake to go to after graduation. But the reality is that is exactly what happened. Even though I went to many meetings with many agencies in my community, no one, not one single group was willing to start a program for someone like Blake. And when I mean "like Blake," I mean someone who needs a low ratios of students to caregivers. I guess it's just too expensive and incorporates way too much time and energy to do this type of thing. So....I came up empty handed. Nothing. Nada.

Ok, so with reality setting in, I had to really look for a Plan B. I've never been one to go into denial, so a few months ago, actually back towards the end of last year, I decided to take my pastry skills to the next level, and I enrolled in a course to become a chocolatier. What's a chocolatier, you ask? No, it's not someone that sells chocolate at Disney. Haha. A chocolatier is actually someone who produces chocolate confections. Think truffles. Think bonbons. Caramels. Ganache. Fudge. All those great things. So, after graduation, I tried to figure out what I was going to do with all this new found skill set other than make all my friends and family fat. And then it came to me. Blake. Blake in the kitchen. Blake, who loves to bake. Would he like to work with chocolate? He loves to eat it, so working with it wouldn't be too far of a stretch. Now there is a lot of technical work with making chocolate confections. It's not quite like baking where you through things in a bowl and mix it up. No, it's a little more technical and a lot more detailed. So, after some trial and error, I figured out just what Blake could do. What he could excel in with chocolate production. As it turns out, Blake likes to fill chocolate and truffle molds. It is repetitious. It is visual. And he can do it. Horray!

  

Next step. How to turn this skill into a daily activity that will fill his day and make him feel productive. So a business was born. My son, Hunter, who always is good for a jingle or two, came up with the name: The Chocolate Spectrum: Creating Sweet Opportunities for Those With Autism. "Those With Autism-" You didn't think I could limit this endeavor to just Blake, did you? No No No. This has to grow. I want to create more opportunities for other adults on the spectrum. (Actually, the next job opening is for a dishwasher. Chocolate making produces lots of dirty dishes and tools. And I just can't get Blake into that task!!) And of course, we donate money from each sale to an autism charity. 

So if you want to see more of this micro-enterprise, visit us at our new website:

thechocolatespectrum.com

A Young Man with Autism Bakes Gluten Free

In this world of autism, we are constantly reminded of what these individuals cannot do. But sometimes, there are instances where they do achieve. Blake Herskowitz is one such individual. He is a young man of 21 years with severe autism. When I use the word, severe, I mean that he cannot speak and needs 24 hour supervision. He is unable to care for himself. However, Blake has found something that he loves to do and that he excels in: Baking cookies and cupcakes. 

Since Blake was three years old, he has been gluten and dairy free. In later years, he also gave up corn, soy, artificial colors and preservatives. He is not totally sugar free, but he does often bake products for himself that contain alternative sweeteners like agave. Therefore, much of his baking is gluten free. 

Blake is an example of what a person can accomplish if there is a motivation and determination to succeed as well as someone who is willing to take the time to teach them the skills. Every person who exists on this planet can find personal success and a purpose. It may take some time and trial and error on the part of the people that support them to figure out exactly what that is. 

Check out Blake on his website at: www.misterblakescakes.com

Yummy and Healthy Chocolate Pudding-Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn and Egg-free

I had a tough day. My son, Blake, had to get his teeth cleaned. "So?" You say. Well, the difference is that he is a 21 year old man with severe autism. Getting his dental work isn't a matter of just going to the local dentist. What's involved is a two hour ride two counties south, a 3 hour wait, general anesthesia, a long recovery, throwing up, and then an even longer ride home with a half comatose person who doesn't understand what the heck is going on. Oh-and we had to do the whole thing with my son being on an empty stomach-really the hardest part for him. 

But as hard as it was for me, it was even harder for him. The dentist recommended a soft diet for the rest of the day. So I wanted to make a treat for him. So I decided to try and wrestle up some quickie chocolate pudding. Watching him gobble it up after a long and stressful day, really helped us both to recover. So here is an easy recipe for you. And you don't have to wait for a difficult day to make it.

Quickie Dairy, Gluten, Soy, Corn and Egg Free Chocolate Pudding:

3 Tablespoons tapioca starch mixed with 2 Tablespoons of water

1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk

1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Evaporated Cane Juice

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa

2 Tablespoons of Agave Nectar-optional

Mix everything together in a pot. Warm up over medium heat stirring constantly (watch that it doesn't burn on the bottom). It will thicken quickly.

Once it is thick, remove from the heat. Pour into a glass bowl. Wait a few minutes until it has cooled. Taste. If you want to add a little sweetness, add some agave until it's sweet to your desire.

Cool in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Delicious Gluten Free Cookies for the Holidays-Egg, Dairy and refined sugar free, too!

With all the holiday baking, we are always on the lookout for an easy and delicious cookies. My family has found a new favorite. Interestingly, I found it while I was trying to bake for a friend of ours who is presently undergoing cancer treatment and needed a treat that was low in carbs for Thanksgiving. So I made him these. Since then, my family has wanted them every day. And they are quick and easy enough to accommodate them:

Almond Chocolate Chip:

1 Cup of Almond Flour

2 Tablespoons of oil of your choice

2 Tablespoons of Agave Nectar

1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1/8 Teaspoon of salt

1/4 Teaspoon of baking soda

1/8 Cup of Dairy Free Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Throw all the ingredients except the chips into your food processor. Process until the ingredients are all blended through. Stir in the chips. Then drop by small teaspoons onto your cookie sheet. Bake on 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let them set up for 15 minutes or so before you remove them from your cookie sheet. This recipe should make 16 cookies.

Back By Popular Demand

Many of my readers have responded very favorably to the last blogpost that I did regarding the Best GFCF bread ever, and also requested additional great GFCF recipes. As I previously mentioned, this is not a blog that is designed to focus on food, but I guess since a lot of our kids are GFCF, I suppose a post here and there about some great recipe that I come across or put together is ok. Right?

Well I did come across a GREAT new GFCF recipe. Actually, it wasn't dairy free, but I reworked it and now it is. YEA! Blake and I made them today, and they are really yummy. Even my husband liked them. But we didn't make them for me or for him, We made them for Blake,and he loved them. What are they you ask? I'll tell you: GFCF Oreos!! And they are also free of soy and corn as well.

To be honest, a regular Oreo kind of turns my stomach. I apologize to those of you who are die hard Oreo fans out there. But just the ingredients gross me out. However, these Oreos taste really great! I would use the filling recipe even if I was making regular cookies. The reason that they are better is because the shortening that I used is Spectrum Shortening, which is much healthier than Crisco.

The cookie itself uses Teff flour, which we used in the Greatest GFCF Bread ever. So here is another good use for that flour. It also incorporates white rice flour and sweet rice flour. Sweet rice flour is also known as glutinous rice flour, and it can be a little hard to find. They have it on amazon.com, but I was a bit in a rush to make these, so I located it at an Asian supermarket. And the difference in price was startling. It was $2.99 at the supermarket vs $6.56 on Amazon. However, if the convenience of using Amazon outweighs running all over town, I will tell you, you will get a lot of cookies from the bag of flour.

Note the sugar in the cookie: I stayed with 1/2 organic cane sugar and 1/2 coconut sugar. I'm just starting to get into using coconut sugar. It's a great sweetener as it is lower on the glycemic index. Also, the confectioner's sugar I use is the organic powdered sugar which is corn-free. If you don't care about the corn, you can use regular confectioner's sugar.

I made these just a tad too big, so they look a little like whoopie pies rather than cookies. Blake wanted two, but they are too big for that. I usually give him two cookies at a time.

So let me know if you like them. By the way, the original recipe is calculated in weight not volume which is a much better way to measure. But if you don't have a kitchen scale or you just don't like measuring by weight, let me know, and I'll convert it for you. You can email me at valerie@snaccers.com

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Oreos
adapted from Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef
October 21, 2010

Yield: I only got 10 sandwich cookies out of this recipe, but mine were too large. I would most likely be able to get double the amount with a smaller cookie.


For the cookies:
80 grams sweet rice flour
60 grams white rice flour
35 grams teff flour
2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) xanthan gum
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (we used Dagoba organic)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar (we used 1/2 cup organic cane sugar and 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar)
140 grams Spectrum shortening
1 large egg

For the creamy filling:
58 grams Spectrum shortening
4 tablespoons Spectrum shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparing to bake. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Making the cookie dough: Put the sweet rice flour, white rice flour, and teff flour in a mixing bowl. Add the xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix together with a wisk or fork until blended. Add the shortening and egg and mix well using a handheld or stand mixer. Once it is all blended, it may still look dry, however, it will stick together when forming the cookies

Baking the cookies: Scoop a rounded teaspoon of batter and form a ball. Gently, flatten the dough in the palm of your hand. After you have flattened, smooth the edges of the cookie dough disk to make it evenly rounded. Place the dough disks onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. (These will not spread, but you do not want them to touch each other.)
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 5 minutes, then turn the baking sheet 180 degrees. Bake until the cookies are crisp on the edges with just a touch of softness in the center, about 5 more minutes. Take the cookies out of the oven. After a few moments, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Making the creamy filling. Blend all the ingredients together with your mixer. Clean the beaters first, of course.

Assembling the cookies: Spread the blob of creamy filling toward the edges but not entirely there. Gently, press the second cookie down onto the filling and watch the filling reach the edges.

Continue until all the cookies are little chocolate sandwiches with a creamy filling. Oreos.

Eat and enjoy!

My Drug of Choice

I don't drink coffee. I drink herbal tea only. I don't imbibe alcohol, I don't
smoke pot and, my some miracle, I'm not on any antidepressants either. But it finally occurred to me that I do indeed have a drug of choice. It may not be the most conventional type of drug, but it does definitely induce a chemically-based high.

If you're my husband and you're reading this right now, and you are probably
guessing that it is chocolate chip cookies. I have to be honest, good cookies of any type runs a very close second. Well maybe not second-maybe fourth after my family.

I got in the car this morning to take my son to school. Nothing uniquely
different about this ride to school versus any other day. Blake and I buckled
up. I turned on the Navigation, a requirement of you know who. He can't possibly ride in the car without the map of the GPS being front and center. Flipped on the CD player
to the same CDs, same tracks as always (The Eagles: Long Road Out of Eden, or sometimes Santana or Bob Marley). And now comes my drug fix: I look in the rear view mirror, and I see Blake laughing and smiling and rocking out to the tunes on the CD player.






The truth is that I have a really strong addiction and it's not to any
chemical that I ingest. My drug of choice is a smile from Blake. And I don't
delude myself to thinking that it's not a chemically reaction. I am sure that
endorphins are running wildly through my body at the time creating a feeling of
euphoria that I get when my son is happy, smiling and laughing

So yes I'm hooked on him. I'm hooked on his joy. I'm hooked on his elation at
the little things of life like turning on the radio in the car, and when he
starts rocking out in the backseat I look in my rearview mirror and catch a
glimpse of his life when he's at his best.

Of course there's a flipside to this story. As Blake is bipolar, there's a lot
of days or minutes where his demeanor doesn't exude happiness. And then the
chemicals in my body exerts some other chemical, probably adrenaline, which
isn't as pleasant as endorphine.

Coincidentally, I had lunch with a long time acquaintance of mine. She was telling me that her son is moving out of her house into a group home in a couple of days. She is absolutely panic-stricken. I totally understand. Aside from the concern she has about how her son will manage in a brand new environment, she is overwhelmed about how she is going to handle it. Her son has been her life for so many years. She kisses him goodnight every evening. She has help with him, but manages every aspect of his existence. She has had the same caregivers for years and years. They are her friends as well as her support. She is concerned about what her life will be after he moves out. We both recognize there will be a period of mourning the old life, before embracing the new one can happen.

We talked for several hours. She knows it will be hard. But, she also knows that it has to happen. One day, we will all be needing to allow our son or daughter with autism or other special needs, to move out of our home and into a place that will be their home for when we are no longer able to take care of them. It's hard to fathom for most of us. But it is a part of the process.

But for the next few years, at least. I hope to still be able to get my "fix."