So this last week I had some adventures in baking as well as some adventures in culture. I was able to get back to my roots by going to the Scottish festival in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was also able to create an amazing tortilla recipe that won’t fall apart and is super delicious.

The Scottish festival was really good. I have a bagpipe playing friend named Collin that goes to these things every year and he invited me to go with him this year. So I went and I had a blast. The best part for me was seeing the caber toss. The caber toss is an event where atheletes pick up logs weighing 100+ pounds and run and toss them. They grab the log (some of them up to 25 feet long) towards the bottom, balance it against their shoulder and run with it to gain momentum and then they toss it. The goal is to flip the log in the air and land it right on its head. Then the log needs to fall forward, if it falls back towards you it doesn’t count.

One really cool thing that happened was that during the competition, everyone seemed to be failing at the 25 foot caber. They just couldn’t get it to flip all the way. It was hot outside and the atheletes were getting tired. It was at this moment that I decided to take a video. I pulled out my phone and hit record. The next contestant was getting ready to grab the log. He picked it up and wasted no time trying to balance and started to run. He stopped, Hoisted the log with his legs and arms. The log flew true and landed perfectly on its head. It fell forward and crashed to the ground with a large bang. The crowd went wild and I was amazed that I got it on camera when people had been trying 25 foot log for what seemed like hours with no success. I wish I could post the video. You can check it out on my instagram if you would like. There is a link in the sidebar. but here’s a screenshot.

Another great thing about the festival is that I was able to get a print out of my mom’s side coat of arms. There was a stand where you could look up your family name and they would print out your coat of arms for a slightly very expensive fee. I really like where it talks about where the name Blaylock comes from. Apparently Blaylock was a nickname for someone who had black hair. Hence blay as in black, and lock as in a lock of hair.

Besides that fun adventure I was also able to have a lot of fun this week experimenting with creating gluten free tortillas. If there is one thing that I have missed a lot since becoming gluten free it is good tacos and burritos. Have you ever tried to roll a corn tortilla? It just falls apart. You can make some sort of a tostada thingy but wouldn’t you rather have your burrito fully enclosed so that you can eat it with your hands like you did with those amazing flour tortillas you used to love. I have come up with a solution. These tortillas don’t fall apart wrap easily and taste amazing. These took a bunch of trial and error, but after much experimentation here they are:

Tapioca and Almond Tortillas

Ingredients:

Instructions:

In a medium bowl add the cold water and eggs. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. stir in the tapioca flour, almond meal and salt until smooth, with no clumps. The mix should look kind of like watery crepe dough. Heat up a skillet to about medium to high heat. If your stove’s highest setting is ten then go to 6 and wait for it to get nice and hot.

Here’s the tricky part. You don’t want your tortillas too thick, but right as soon as it hits the pan it will start solidifying. So lift the pan off of the stovetop and start pouring the mix onto the pan. The goal is to fill up the whole bottom of the pan with the mixture. Then start moving the pan around as to get the liquid to coat the whole bottom. This part may take practice, but once you get the hang of it it’s pretty easy.

Cook on both sides until you start seeing those brown spots that tortillas are known for. It will bubble up and you may need to pop the bubbles to get them to cook evenly. I usually flip them over a couple of times till the spots are dark brown on the top. Don’t cook too long or you will end up with some really yummy tortilla chips.

Have fun! these tortillas will stay good in the fridge for a couple of weeks in a bag. This recipe makes about 4 or 5 burrito sized tortillas.

Well, that’s all for this week. let me know how you liked the tortillas, and continue striving to become more and more healthier in your life. Here’s some pictures of things I have been able to make with these awesome tortillas! Pb & J, a breakfast burrito and a really great quesadilla!

PB & J Breakfast Burrito Grilled Onion Quesadilla