The Gluten-Free Homemaker

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Gluten-Free Diet Information

Here are links to all my gluten-free related posts, divided into categories. I hope it helps you find the information you need.

Gluten-Free Flour

• Gluten-Free Grain Nutrition Facts
• Milling Whole Grain Sorghum
• Milling Your Own Gluten-Free Flour
• Gluten-Free Flour Mixes
• So Many Gluten-Free Flours

Gluten-Free Ingredients & Foods

• Are Blue Cheeses Gluten-Free?
• Gluten-Free Ingredients List
• Gluten-Free Ingredients (link)
• Heinz Gluten-Free Product List (including Classico, Delimex, Ore Ida)
• Help for Those New to the Gluten-Free Diet

Living Gluten-Free

• A Reason to Celebrate
• An Attitude of Gratitude
• Gluten-Free City Guide
• Gluten-Free Holiday Guide
• Gluten-Free Medications
• Gluten-Free Search Engine
• Gluten-Free Vendors
• Gluten-Free With No Apologies
• The Gluten Counter

Products

• Erewhon Gluten-Free Cereal - review
• Gluten Free Every Day - cookbook review
• Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide - book review
• Jelly Belly Candy Canes
• Kinnikinnick in Major Stores
• Pamela's Bread Mix
• Starbucks Gluten-Free Cake - review
• Starfish Battered Fish Now Gluten-Free
• The G-Free Diet - book review

Restaurants

• Eat Gluten-Free at Bonefish Grill
• Uno's Gluten-Free Pizza Review
• Uno's Offers Gluten-Free Veggie Pizza

Labels: gluten-free diet, Gluten-Free Index

Welcome to What's for dinner? Wednesday (gluten-free style)! I hope you will join the fun. This blog carnival is all about sharing gluten-free dinner ideas, visiting gluten-free blogs, and getting to know each other. If you would like to link up, you can read the guidelines here.

Last evening I had a chub of turkey ham to use. (It really is called a chub.) I decided potatoes would go well with it, and I put to use my create a casserole ideas. The result was pretty good but not great in my opinion. I wasn't going to use it for this post until son #2, who is a real foodie, came home from karate and ate his dinner. He thought it was great!

I might like it better with a different sauce, but this was quick and easy. I was running very late with fixing dinner, but if I had more time I would have added some sauteed onions and maybe mushrooms. Now don't get the wrong impression. I liked it; I just think it could be better. If I altered it to my tastes, however, my son might not be so thrilled with it.

Since What's for dinner? Wednesday is all about giving people gluten-free dinner ideas, I'll give you this one. You might like it as is or make your own changes. If you don't like the sound of it at all, hopefully, there will be better options for you in the links below!

1. Gina (soup & sandwich) 2. Stacey (Beef & Rice Medley) 3. Melanie (BBQ Chicken) 4. Cheryl (rice & veggies)

5. Liz (Cinnamon Chicken) 6. Debbie (roasted carrots) 7. Rachel (Onion rings) 8. Daniel (veggies & salmon)

9. Jessie (no-noodle lasagna) 10. Mikki - Spoonbread 11. Brenna (Sweet & Spicy Lentil Chili)

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

Labels: main dish recipes, What's for Dinner Wednesday

Part 1 – The Witch

It was about six months after being diagnosed with celiac disease when I had my first major reaction. I was fixing gluten-free toast in my gluten-free toaster. I remembered getting a plate out, so when I saw crumbs on the plate I assured myself that I must have set the bread on the plate before putting it in the toaster.
The symptoms hit several hours later as I was driving home from a soccer game. Even though it was morning I was suddenly very sleepy. Then my belly began to rumble. I dashed into the house and made a beeline for the bathroom. After that I slept and woke up feeling pretty normal, except for one thing. I was very irritable. Very, very, irritable. For the next week I yelled at my kids and was angry about everything. I hated it. One thought kept going through my mind, “I feel like I’ve turned into a witch!”
That series of symptoms, becoming very sleepy, the bathroom thing, and then longer lasting mental issues, became the pattern for many of my reactions to accidental ingestion of gluten. My mental reactions weren’t always the same, though.

Part 2 – The Salesman

I don’t remember how I got glutened this time, but I clearly remember how I reacted mentally. I was totally apathetic. I didn’t care about anything or anyone. I didn’t like or dislike. I didn’t love or hate. I could live or die. I wasn’t depressed; I just didn’t care.
I remember explaining my mental state to my husband one evening. It was the one symptom that worried us both. However, I awoke the next morning and informed him that my status had changed. I now cared about life very much, and I was mad about everything. Beware!
We had plans to do some furniture shopping that day, and we went ahead with it. My husband wasn’t about to leave me alone so we might as well go out and do something. The problem was salespeople. I had no tolerance for them. My husband did all the talking, but after our third stop, I was losing it. The salesman would not take a hint and leave us alone. He kept pestering. He kept talking. I finally told him to shut up. Well, not really to his face. I was standing back a bit, but he might have overheard me. He did leave us alone.
So why does gluten affect me and others this way?

Part 3 – The Doctor

I think I almost cried as I sat listening to someone who truly understood. He didn’t understand because of personal experience. He understood because of medical knowledge. He explained how and why I have mental reactions to gluten.
Dr. Allesio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research, spoke at a support group meeting. The room was packed, and we were all soaking in the information he was feeding us. In particular, his explanation of why celiacs have mental reactions to gluten stuck in my mind.
Intestinal permeability is part of the reaction that takes place when someone with celiac disease eats gluten. To put it simply, molecules that should be kept within the intestines are able to “leak” out into the bloodstream. Gluten is one of those molecules. When gluten is carried by the blood to the brain, it causes problems. Dr. Fasano explained that the gluten molecule is similar to endorphins which, along with other things, give us a sense of well-being. The gluten molecules will dock where endorphins are supposed to dock. In effect, gluten blocks endorphins and the positive feelings they can give us.
Thankfully, I haven’t had a bad mental reaction in a long time, but it could happen again. I hope it doesn’t happen to you, but if it does, I hope it helps to have an explanation and to know you are not alone.

Labels: celiac disease

“What’s for dinner?” is a question everyone asks. The person cooking wants to know and the people eating want to know. Dinner is a meal most of us eat every day, so answering that question can get tiresome. When dinner has to be gluten-free, the question can be even harder to answer.

In an effort to give people gluten-free dinner ideas, I host the What’s for Dinner Wednesday (gluten-free style) blog carnival. If you would like to participate, here are the guidelines.

1. You do NOT have to write about what you are actually having for dinner on Wednesday. The carnival just takes place on Wednesday.

2. All posts must be gluten-free only, or at least have gluten-free options.

3. Your blog post can be anything related to a gluten-free dinner. You can write about the entire meal or just part of it. You can give a recipe or not. You can review a product you ate as part of your gf dinner, or you can give us your gf menu for the week. Just keep in mind that the purpose is to give other people ideas.

4. I have to say it. Please keep all posts family friendly. Nothing rude or crude.

5. When you use Mr. Linky, please enter the permalink to your post, not a link to your homepage. This keeps people from having to search for the post if they follow the link at a later time. It also allows you to use an older post. You can usually get the permalink by clicking on the blog post title and then copying it from the address bar.

6. You also need to enter a name, which can be a first name or a blog name and a brief 2-4 word description in parentheses. For example: Linda (Salisbury steak).

7. Please include a link to my site somewhere in the TEXT of your post. That’s one way we’ll get more participants. A permalink to my What’s for Dinner? Wednesday post would be best, but any link is OK. I’ll try to make it easy for people to find on my home page.

8. If you want to use the badge above, you can but don’t have to. The code is as follows:

<center><a href="http://www.glutenfreehomemaker.com"><img border="0" src="http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq148/glutenfreehomemaker/WFDW6.jpg" /></a></center>

Let me know if there are problems with that.

My post with the Mr. Linky will probably go up Tuesday night around 10 p.m. eastern time. That’s all I think of for now, but I’ll add to these guidelines if questions come up.

Labels: What's for Dinner Wednesday

The other evening I had a craving for a chocolate chocolate chip cake. I didn’t have a recipe for one, so I came up with my own.  I used my sorghum flour Bundt cake recipe which always turns out terrific and made a few changes.  I couldn’t have imagined anything better than the cake that resulted.  Doesn’t it look delicious?

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. sorghum flour
• 1/4 c. rice flour
• 3/4 c. potato starch
• 1/2 c. tapioca starch
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. cooking oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. sour milk (1 c. milk + 1 tsp. vinegar)
• 1 c. chocolate chips

Instructions

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour the batter into a sprayed or greased Bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack.

Chocolate Glaze:

Combine and drizzle over the cake:

• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 Tb. cocoa powder
• 1 Tb. melted butter
• 2 – 3 Tb. milk (add slowly until it is thin enough to drizzle)

Labels: cake, dessert recipes

If you read my blog, you have noticed my “What’s for Dinner?” posts.  I have seen this idea on other blogs as well as gluten-free Yahoo groups.  I think it is beneficial for all of us, but especially for those new to the gluten-free diet, to get dinner ideas from other people. 

With that in mind, I’m considering starting a weekly blog carnival at my blog called What’s for Dinner Wednesday.  I would use Mr. Linky, and other bloggers could come and link up to their “What’s for Dinner?” post.  It would be a central place where bloggers and non bloggers could come and find links to dinner ideas.  An added benefit is that it would be a good way to get to know other gluten-free bloggers.  For an example of a blog carnival, here’s one called Works for Me Wednesday. 

The guidelines would be pretty broad.  Your post could be about an entire dinner, part of a dinner, a dinner recipe, a review of a dinner type food, a menu plan, or any combination of the above.  One requirement is that it be gluten free.  I would probably add  variety occasionally with What’s for Lunch? or What’s for Breakfast?

So what do you think?  It’s only worth doing if there is a good amount of participation.  Let me know your ideas and whether you would likely participate. 

BJ’s wholesale club has recently had good prices on ground beef. The other evening I found myself wondering what to do with some of it. Salisbury steaks came to mind, which is unusual because I don’t remember ever making them before. I searched for recipes and found quite a variety. I combined ideas I liked, but mostly went with something simple.

The family enjoyed it and liked having something a little different. I used mushroom flavoring in the cream soup and put sliced mushroom on top where my husband could easily remove them.

Gluten-Free Salisbury Steak

Ingredients

• 1 recipe cream of mushroom soup
• 2 tsp. soy sauce (make sure it is gluten-free)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 c. dry gluten-free bread crumbs (or try instant potato flakes)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• several dashes of pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• cooking oil
• about 6 medium size mushrooms

Instructions

Combine the soup and soy sauce. In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the soup. Mix in the ground beef. Form six oval patties and brown them in a little bit of hot cooking oil. Add 1/2 c. water to the remaining soup using a whisk to remove lumps. Pour it over the patties. Cover and cook 10 – 15 minutes. Slice the mushrooms and sauté them in a small skillet. Add them to the top of the patties.

Labels: beef, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

“I’ll have the gluten-free pizza.” It is wonderful to go to a restaurant and be able to say those words. I went to Uno’s Chicago Bar & Grill last evening with my husband and youngest son, and I said those words for the first time.

The 10 inch thin crust pizza came served on a plate. My first attempt to pick up a slice resulted in a piece of crust breaking off. My impression of the first several bites was that it tasted doughy, even though it didn’t feel doughy. That taste seemed to go away, but maybe I just got used to it.

The crust is very thin and rather plain. It reminded me of a saltine cracker but not that salty or dry. The sauce was pretty good. I ordered a plain cheese pizza. There was an adequate amount of cheese, but not a lot.

My husband and son, who both eat gluten, tried a bite of the pizza and a piece of the outer crust. They were not impressed. In fact, both immediately said that I should either sell my pizza crust to a restaurant or open my own restaurant.

The bottom line is that in our opinion, gluten-free pizza can taste much better and does at our house. However, the pizza wasn’t bad. I did eat it. The thing I liked most was the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to order gluten-free pizza at a restaurant. I’m grateful for that opportunity, and I know that many people greatly enjoy the gluten-free pizza at Uno’s. Thank you Uno’s for how you are serving the gluten-free community!

Labels: gluten-free diet

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone.  I do love my readers you know.  I especially love it when you leave comments.  It lets me get to know you a bit, and lets me know what posts you enjoy the most.

Here are a few links for your web surfing pleasure this weekend. 

Once again, Dana at Gluten Free in Cleveland has a delicious looking recipe—Orange Almond Pound Cake.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I want to soon.

Cooking By Numbers is a site that lets you mark off what items you have in your frig and cabinets, then it gives you recipes.  I know there are similar sites, but I thought this one might be less well known.

Reader's Digest has 175 uses for vinegar around the house.

Since I love dogs….

There are some really cute puppy/dog pictures here.

I Do Dog Tricks has a video of a dog sitting on the floor.  You type in a command, and the dog does the trick.

Labels: surfing Saturday

“Your mom’s cookies are amazing.”  That is what a teenage girl recently said to my son.  She was referring to some pudding cookies I made (chocolate pudding with white chips).  She had no idea they were gluten-free.

That’s not an isolated incidence.  I recently made the same recipe using banana cream pudding and chocolate chips.  One teenage boy who couldn’t stop eating them said, “I think they’re better than Miss Mildred’s cookies.”  Those words might be considered akin to blasphemy in our church.  You see, Mildred makes THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.  I’m sure most people would not agree with this kid, but to even come close to those cookies is an honor.

I never apologize for serving gluten-free food.  Never.  I don’t have to.  My family and our friends enjoy the gluten-free meals and baked goods that I prepare as much, if not more than, their gluten counterparts.  I don’t have substitutes for every wheat based recipe there is, but that doesn’t matter.  We enjoy a great wealth of delicious gluten-free food.  I hope I am able to help some of you do the same.

Labels: gluten-free diet

Chicken divan has always been a favorite of mine. You can find many different recipes that vary in difficulty, but this is an easy one. It’s not as easy as it was when I could just open a can of cream of chicken soup, but it is still easy.
I have memorized the cream soup recipe and can have it made pretty quickly. I’m a fairly impatient person so I dislike recipes that tell you to use low heat. I hate standing over the stove stirring and stirring something while it takes forever to heat up. My solution is to use medium-high heat and watch it carefully. That’s what I do with the cream soup recipe.
I added some bacon pieces when I made this the other night simply because I had it on hand and thought it would be interesting. Bacon is not traditionally a part of chicken divan. It didn’t add as much flavor as I thought it would, so I’m going to leave it out of the recipe, but I do like the color it added.
As a side dish I made 1 c. rice and 1/2 c. red quinoa cooked together in water that had a little chicken bouillon.

Chicken Divan

Ingredients

• About 2 c. leftover cooked chicken pieces
• About 4 c. steamed broccoli
• 1 recipe cream of chicken soup
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 – 1/2 c. milk
• About 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
Place the chicken and broccoli in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Add salt and pepper to the cream of chicken soup. Thin the soup with milk. (I don’t actually remember how much I used, but just thin it so it can be poured over the entire dish.) Pour or spoon the soup evenly over the chicken and broccoli. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes. Everything is cooked so it just needs to get hot.

Labels: chicken, main dish recipes, what's for dinner

 Note: The recipe index is now at a new address.  If you have this page bookmarked, please update it.  You will find the new index here:


Gluten-free Recipe Index


Appetizers & Snacks

Cran-apple Salsa
Deviled Eggs
Granola Bars (sugar free)
Mexican Dip
Pretzels, Candy Coated
Roasted Cinnamon Nuts
Snack Mix
Spinach Dip

Breads

Brazilian Bread Balls
Bread Sticks
Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Update
Cinnamon Rolls - Whole Grain
Corn Bread
Drop Biscuits
Drop Biscuits Revisited
Focaccia Bread
French Bread
French Bread Rolls
French Bread Rolls 2
Hamburger Buns
Pizza Crust (large recipe)
Pizza Crust (single recipe)
Sorghum Bread
Sorghum Bread Again

Breakfast

Baked Oatmeal
Belgian Waffles
Breakfast Casserole
Buckwheat Pancakes
Cinnamon Pear Muffins 
Coconut Muffins
Cranberry-Orange Coffee Cake
Fruit Filled Coffee Cake
Ham & Cheese Corn Muffins
Multi-Grain Apple Muffins
Muffins
Orange Coffee Cake
Pancakes (new recipe)

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Zucchini Muffins

Desserts

Apple Bars
Applesauce Cake
Applescotch Dessert
Apple Strudel
Banana Cake
Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Brownies #1
Brownies #2
Bundt Cake
Carmel Topping
Carrot Cake
Cheesecake
Cherry Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Oat Bars
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Coconut Cashew Clove Cookies
Cranberry-Orange Coffee Cake
Cranberry Trifle
Fruit Filled Coffee Cake
Jello Fruit Dessert
Orange Coffee Cake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars
Pie Crust
Pine-Applesauce Cake
Pudding Cookies
Pudding Cookie Bars
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pudding
Pumpkin Roll
Six Layer Bars
Snickerdoodles
Spritz Cookies
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Topping
Yellow Cake

Main Dishes

Asparagus, Shrimp, and Snap Pea Salad
Bacon, Egg, and Rice Casserole
Beef Barbecue Sandwich
Beef and Bean Casserole
Beef & Mushroom Sauce over Noodles
Beef and Rice Stovetop Meal
Beef Enchiladas
Calzones
Cheeseburger Casserole
Cheeseburger Rice
Chicken Breasts
Chicken Divan
Chicken & Green Bean Casserole
Chicken & Mushrooms with Lemon Sauce
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken & Rice Casserole
Chicken or Turkey Potpie
Chili
Cornbread Pizza
Create a Casserole
Crustless Quiche
Cube Steaks
Egg and Pasta Casserole
Egg and Potato Skillet
Egg in a Nest Sandwich
Enchiladas, Easy Beef
Focaccia Bread Sandwich
Fried Rice
Ham & Broccoli Skillet Dinner
Ham & Potato Casserole
Hash Brown Casserole
Italian Chicken

Macaroni & Cheese (baked)Meatballs
Meatloaf Tips
Mexican Casserole
Mexican Casserole #2
Mexican Lasagna
Nacho Casserole
Pizza (large recipe)
Pizza (single recipe)
Pizza Casserole
Pizza – Cornmeal Crust
Polenta Hot Dog Casserole
Potato Pie
Salisbury Steak
Salmon, baked
Salmon Cakes
Sausage Stuffed Shells
Scallops with Broccoli and Garlic
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Spaghetti with Veggies
Spinach Casserole
Tater Tot Casserole (stovetop)
Veggies on Eggs
Zucchini Crust Pizza
Zucchini Rotini


Soups

Basic Soup Recipe
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Cream Soups Create a Soup Challenge
Hamburger Soup
Potato Chowder
Spicy Western Beans
Split Pea Soup
Vegetable Soup (creamy w/sweet potatoes)

Other

Cheese Sauce
Cucumber Lemonade
Edible Gifts
Granola Bars
Marinade - basic parts
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Vanilla Extract
Warm Fruit Punch

Vegetables and Side Dishes

Apples 'n Onions
Gold Potatoes
Green Beans Almandine
Oven Fries
Pineapple Cranberry Salad
Rice & Quinoa Pilaf
Quinoa
Ratatouille
Sweet Potato Casserole


Recipe Links

4th of July Recipe Roundup
Calzones
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Trifle
Cookie Recipes
Golden Macaroons (with coconut)
Mushroom Leek Stuffing

Labels: recipe index

My previously posted sorghum bread recipe is very good, but I’m still experimenting.  I’d like to find a recipe that rises a little more and stays soft longer. 

I actually tried this recipe last month but I used too much water.  I think too much liquid is the most frequent reason that gluten-free bread sinks in the middle as it cools.  That’s what happened the last time.
This time I reduced the water, and  I beat it with a hand mixer before putting it in the bread machine.  The other night I used the hand mixer to mix biscuit dough (instead of using the Kitchenaid).  Those wonderful biscuits rose more than they ever had, so I decided to try it with bread dough.

I think it really helped.  This loaf rose quite tall.  My only complaint is that it didn’t rise smoothly.  You can see what I mean from the picture.

I think I should have mixed it longer because there were little bumps on the top of the loaf.  I don’t know if more mixing will result in a smoother loaf, but I’ll find out next time.

Inside, the bread was terrific.  I made this loaf yesterday afternoon and this morning it is still nice and soft.  Yeah!  The sweet rice flour helps to keep it moist so if you don’t have brown sweet rice flour try white sweet rice flour.  If you substitute with regular rice flour (brown or white), the bread will not stay soft the next day. 
While I accomplished my two goals of getting it to rise more and stay soft longer, it still needs some improving.  I’ll keep you posted, but if you want to try this recipe yourself, here it is.

 

Gluten-Free Sorghum Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 c. sorghum flour
• 2/3 c. brown sweet rice flour
• 1 c. tapioca starch
• 1 Tb. yeast (instant or rapid rise)
• 2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tb. sugar
• 1 c. water minus 2 Tb. (105-115 degrees)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1 tsp. vinegar

Instructions
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, oil, water and vinegar.  Beat with a hand mixer for several minutes (I mixed about 2 minutes so try 4).  Be careful because the dough will crawl up the beaters to the mixer. 

Transfer the dough to a bread machine.  I made a custom setting on my machine to skip the mixing.  I had it rise 30 minutes and bake 55 minutes at 336 degrees.

View Printable Recipe

Labels: bread recipes

If you travel in the U.S. and often wish you had more gluten-free information about the cities you travel to, you now have some extra help.  Gluten-Free City Guide provides a map with links to gluten-free information for over 100 cities.  The author, Zach says,

“Placemarks have been added to cities where Celiac Disease Support Group Web sites and/or Gluten Free Blogs specifically about those cities exist.”

Although the site itself does not give you gluten-free information about those cities, it does give you links to sites where you can find information.  Support group sites and city related blogs often have information about restaurants in that particular area as well as other information that may be useful.  I’m sure this map will be a time saver for many.  Thanks Zach!

Labels: gluten-free diet, gluten-free news

Around here, the weather is expected to be in the 50’s this weekend, so it’s a great opportunity to spend some time outdoors.  Wherever you are, I hope you’re also having nice weather.  However, I’m sure some of you will have rain or snow or just plain cold weather and want to spend time on the computer.  Others of you are simply computer junkies. J Whatever your reason for surfing the web today, I thought I would give you a few interesting links.

Vanessa at Celiac Princess has a post that introduces to Delight Gluten-Free magazine.  I’m excited to learn about it and can’t wait to get my first copy.  She also has an informative post about a study that links celiac disease to increased risk for lymphoma.

Gluten-Free Fox has a post about gluten-free lipstick.  If you are a celiac who uses lipstick, you don’t want to overlook the possibility of ingesting gluten that way.

Celiac.com has an article about European Union’s new standards for the gluten-free label.

Dana at Gluten Free in Cleveland has a recipe for oven baked sweet potato fries.  They look delicious.

Enjoy your weekend!

Labels: surfing Saturday

I have mentioned before that one of my favorite gluten filled cookbooks is Mennonite Country-Style Recipes & Kitchen Secrets. The other day I converted this recipe to make it gluten free, and I liked how they turned out. The cookies hold their shape well and are thick and soft. They are a bit cake like and have a light banana and oat taste. They were an enjoyable dessert with less fat and sugar than regular chocolate chip cookies.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. gluten-free flour mix (I used 1/2 c. sorghum 1/2 c. sweet rice, 1/2 c. potato starch)
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. butter (cold)
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. mashed banana
• 1 3/4 c. gluten-free oats (run them through the food processor for a minute or two to make them more like instant oats)
• 3/4 c. chocolate chips

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through sugar). Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until everything is moistened. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Labels: dessert recipes

This month it will be six months since I started this blog.  I have enjoyed it and learned a lot.  Now I think I’m ready to make some changes. 

First, life is very full right now.   I home school my three kids.  My oldest is a senior this year, and there is much to be done this last semester.  We have to finish all instruction and paperwork by the middle of May.  Our home school umbrella holds a graduation, but the nine graduates have to plan and organize most it.  Basically, it means I will be blogging less.

Second, I have been thinking for some time about narrowing my blogging to only gluten-free living and cooking, and celiac disease related posts.  For now, that is what I’m going to try.  I might change my mind later or decide to start another blog to write about homemaking and other topics.  I will keep my old posts in the archives, but will probably make some design changes.

While I enjoy writing about other things, my greatest desire has always been to help the gluten-free community. I hope to grow my readership and get more interaction in terms of comments.  I have a few ideas, but I’ll just have to see what happens.  I have gotten emails from a few of my readers, and it means a lot to me.  I appreciate you all and love to hear from you.  Please let me know if there are recipes or questions you would like me to blog about.

Labels: blogging

Last night I got creative and made my own casserole. Now you have to keep in mind that the word creative is relative. I’m not a terribly creative person, and my family’s tastes are limited. Therefore, by creative I mean that I made it up, not that it’s very exciting, interesting, or unique. My family did like it very much, however, so I will share my recipe with you.

If any of you who are more creative than I am have any bright ideas for a better name, let me know.

Bacon, Egg & Rice Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 c. white rice (uncooked)
• 1 c. quinoa (uncooked)
• 3-4 c. chicken broth
• 6 eggs
• 6 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)
• 6 baby portabella mushrooms
• 1 recipe gluten-free cream of mushroom soup
• shredded cheese (cheddar)

Instructions

Cook the rice and quinoa together in chicken broth. I used 3 cups of broth and cooked it for 5 minutes under low pressure in my pressure cooker. It could also be cooked using the regular stovetop method or in a rice cooker.

Once you get the rice cooking, start frying the bacon until crispy. Slice or chop the mushrooms and sauté them in a little oil or butter. Beat the eggs together and scramble them on the stovetop. Don’t cook them too dry since they will be baked with the casserole.

Make the cream of mushroom soup (cream of chicken would work just as well). I had a lot of pots and pans going for this recipe, but the cleanup wasn’t too bad.

When the rice is done, combine everything except for the cheese, and spread it into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The ingredients are already hot or at least warm, and everything is cooked so it doesn’t need to bake long.

Note: You could substitute brown rice for the white rice, or either brown or white rice for the quinoa. For that matter, you could use all quinoa. This combination worked well for my family. They are not especially fond of brown rice or quinoa, but they didn’t mind the quinoa in this recipe at all.

Have you done any creative cooking this week?

Labels: egg, main dish recipes, pork

Congratulations to Theresa who won three Miss Roben's gluten free mixes from AllergyGrocer.com!

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