The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Tools of the Trade is something I started last year in order to feature tools I use in gluten-free cooking and baking.  I haven’t been consistent with it, but I hope to be this year.  I think I would run out of things to talk about if I did it every week, so I’m going to shoot for twice a month.

Computers are not standard kitchen equipment, but these days I’m sure they are showing up in the kitchen more and more.  If you like to tweet or post updates on Facebook, it can be handy to have a computer close by while you’re cooking.  I like to use the computer for recipes, though.  I have many of my favorite recipes printed and placed in a notebook.  I also have lots of cookbooks, but often I want to try a recipe I found on the Internet, or one from my own blog that I haven’t yet printed.

The first step for me was getting a laptop.  I was able to purchase one last year by using BJ’s rewards money to cover much of the cost.  I really love having my own computer especially for blogging.  The small netbooks would also be a great option for viewing online recipes as long as the screen is large enough for you.

Even after getting my laptop I had a problem though.  I’m a messy cook.  I’m afraid that if I have a laptop on my countertop, it will end up covered with flour, or worse, some type of liquid.  One day I happened upon a portable laptop stand at CVS.  It was only $12 and well worth the money.  While it’s not high quality, it works for me.  I can easily wheel it into the kitchen and place it beside me close enough for me to read, but with enough space that it doesn’t catch flying food.

I still love cookbooks, but I also love having my computer in the kitchen.  How about you?

Labels: tools of the trade

Recently I was contacted by iHerb, an online company that sells grocery items as well as vitamins and supplements.  They also carry many gluten free foods.  I’m so glad they contacted me because  I wasn’t familiar with the company.    They gave me a $50 shopping spree in their grocery section and are offering the same thing to one lucky winner.

They have a nice assortment of gluten-free foods and I tried to choose a variety of things.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of everything when the package arrived.  This picture shows some of the things I received, but there was also a box of cookies, a package of wild rice, and a box of risotto.  It was a lot for $50.  I actually received a whole box of the  Lara Bars.  I had not tried them before, and was glad I did.  They were good, and provided a great handy snack on our ski trip.


If you are interested in shopping at iHerb, please use my code LUT727 or my email address, glutenfreehomemaker@gmail.com.  Doing so will give you $5 off your first order and help me out a little.  :-)  Their shipping rates are very reasonable with free shipping for orders over $40 when shipped anywhere in the contiguous United States.

Giveaway
The Giveaway is open to US resident and the winner will be required to register at the website.   To enter, take a quick look at  the  iHerb grocery items or their gluten free foods.  Leave a comment on this post telling me at least one thing you think you would order.  Please provide an email address so I can contact you.  The giveaway will end Wednesday, February 3rd at 11:00 p.m. eastern time.

Labels: giveaway

Welcome to this weekly blog carnival of gluten-free eating ideas.  I hope you will join us.  If this is your first time participating, please read the guidelines here.  The first week of each month has a theme, but the other weeks do not.


Next week  is the first Wednesday in February which is a themed week.  I hope you guys have worked on the create a gluten-free casserole challenge.  If not, you still have time!  And please remember that themes are only a suggestion.  If you don’t have a casserole to share with us, you can still add your link.

Last week we had many great recipes.  Two stood out to me because they contained foods we don’t normally eat.  They both look delicious enough to make me want to try them.

Carol @ Easy to Be Gluten Free Reuben Casserole Amy @ Life Minus Gluten Thai Mango Basil Stir Fry

My submission this week is:





Baked Gluten-Free Meatballs 







 Please remember to link back here somewhere in the text of your post.  Thanks for participating!

1. Yadi@gluten free diarieYadi- Orange Rosemary chicken and menu plan 2. Aubree Cherie @ LivingFree (Black Bean Burgers) 3. Shirley @ gfe (Flourless Oatmeal Cookies) 4. Babetta (spicy potato salad) 5. Lisa's Gluten Free Advice (chicken vegetable soup)

6. Mikki-Garden Vegetable Quiche 7. G.@This Girl's Pilgrimage(what I ate yesterday with recipes) 8. Brian (Apple Stuffed Chicken) 9. Liz, The Good Eatah (stuffed acorn squash) 10. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Vegetarian Soup for the Soul

11. Chaya - Flourless Brownies with Ganache 12. Chaya - Nut Crusted Chicken 13. Fire-Eyes GF Nachos Naturally

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

Labels: What can I eat?

Last week Phoebe, at Cents to Get Debt Free, got me in the mood for meatballs.  I don’t make them often because they always seem like too much work, but that’s really not the case.  I used them for spaghetti and meatballs and used pasta sauce from a jar.  I started heating water for the spaghetti while I was working on the meatballs, then while they baked, the pasta cooked, the sauce heated, and I made salad.  It worked out quite well.  I also used Phoebe’s tip and made a double batch of meatballs so I could freeze half for a really quick meal the next time.

These meatballs were very tasty.  We loved them, but maybe it was because I hadn’t made them in a while.  While I love onions, I didn’t use any in this recipe.  Feel free to add a little onion powder or chopped onion if you like.

Tips:

• A trick I like to use when making things like meatballs, meatloaf, or salmon cakes, is to use instant potato flakes instead of bread crumbs.  They  work wonderfully, and I keep a small box in my pantry for those recipes. 
  
• I mix my meatloaf and meatballs in my KitchenAid mixer.  Using the regular paddle it takes about half a minute to have it all mixed together well. 
  

 

Gluten-Free Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground beef (I used 80% lean)
• 1/3 c. instant potato flakes (or dry bread crumbs)
• 1/4 c. milk (or substitute or just water)
• 1 Tb. gf soy sauce
• 1 Tb. parsley
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 egg

Place all ingredients in a bowl.


Combine well using your mixer with the paddle attachment,  your hands, or a large fork.


Gently form balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Place them in a greased baking dish.


Bake at 400 degrees about 15 minutes.  Cut one of the meatballs to check for doneness.



Use them in your favorite meatball meal.  If freezing, let the meatballs cool, then place them in a freezer bag or container.  Don’t forget to label it! 

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday.

Labels: beef, main dish recipes

A few weeks ago I was sent some free mixes from the company Mixes From The Heartland Inc., which produces only gluten-free products.  You can find more allergy information on their site.  It was great timing because the week before last I was on vacation.  We were skiing/snowboarding in Virginia (I know, it’s not the best place to  go skiing) and rented a condo with a kitchen where I could cook my own food.  Having the dinner mixes made cooking a breeze.  All I needed to do was add meat, water, and maybe some butter.


Sausage Casserole Meal  - I added the sausage.  The mix contained seasoning and dried potatoes.  It was very good.  I would add a little less water next time, though.




Chicken Veggie Soup -  I cooked chicken breast pieces in the skillet and added it to this soup.  There is more pasta than veggies as you can see from the picture, but the pasta was good and we had a salad with it.

I forgot to take a picture of the taco skillet meal.  I added ground beef and the mix contained rice and seasoning.  It was a little spicy for our tastes, but is probably just right or not hot enough for most people.
I also received a couple of dessert mixes. 


The sweet potato brownies were a big hit.  I think blondies would be a better name since they don’t have chocolate in them, but they were very moist and tasty.  Nobody thought they tasted like you were eating a sweet potato, but the flavor was there in a very nice way. 

The coconut pie mix required the addition of eggs, butter and milk.  I’m not sure how well it would work with dairy substitutes.  The mix makes two pies.  Everything is mixed together, then you let it sit for 5 minutes before baking.  The pie end up making its own crust.  It was good, but not a huge hit.  If you like coconut, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Giveaway - This giveaway is now closed

I have four mixes to give away to one winner:  The sweet potato brownies, coconut pie, chicken & veggie soup, and taco skillet dinner.  I will have to mail these myself so I’m limiting entries to people in the 48 contiguous United States (sorry Lauren).  To enter, just leave a comment on this post and tell me which mix you are most anxious to try.  Please include an email address if you don’t have a blog where I can reach you.  Some people have Blogger profiles with no email address connected to them.  The giveaway will end Saturday, January 30th at 11:00 p.m. eastern time.

Don’t forget to visit the site, and check out all their products.

Labels: giveaway, reviews

I had a review and giveaway to post today, but I'm still waiting on affiliate approval so I decided to pull a post out of my archives. Be looking out for the giveaway, though!

While pressure cookers have grown in popularity, I know that many of my readers don't own one.  For that reason, I try to include directions for traditionally cooking things that I cook in my pressure cooker.  You might see a few pressure cooker only recipes in the future, though.

A few years ago I looked into pressure cookers and decided to put one on my Christmas wish list. My husband bought me a very nice high quality set and I have loved it! It's called the Duromatic Duo by Kuhn Rikon.

The large 5 liter pot is what I use most.  In fact, I bought a second one on eBay not long ago.  It's not unusual for me to have meat in one pot and potatoes, rice or quinoa in the other.  Here are some of the things I use my pressure cooker for:

Roasts
Stew
Chicken pieces - usually only if I just need to cook it so I can use it in something like chicken salad
Soups - just about any kind of soup, but split pea soup is particularly good and much faster than normal cooking
Potatoes
Rice - brown rice takes about half the time
Quinoa
Millet

You can go to the Kuhn Rikon web site to learn about the benefits of pressure cooking, but in a nutshell it is healthy, uses less energy, and is faster than conventional cooking.  Pressure cookers are not cheap.  Click here to see Kuhn Rikon prices on Amazon.  I realize that these days it may not be feasible.  If you're interested in buying one, try looking on eBay. Also take a look at prices of Fagor pressure cookers.  They are more affordable and I have heard they are good.   

I used to use my crock pot a lot. So much so that I had two until recently. Since getting the pressure cooker, I have found that my crock pot gets very little use. I love being able to put a roast in the pressure cooker and have it done in an hour. The next night I make soup by throwing the leftover beef along with some veggies, potatoes or rice, maybe some beans, broth and water into the pressure cooker and cooking it for 4 minutes under pressure. My family loves the soup and we enjoy it often during cold months.

I do not cook vegetables in my pressure cooker unless they are part of a soup.  They cook so quickly that I inevitably overcook them.

I should add a note that many pressure cookers with only one pressure setting give instructions not to cook rice and split pea soup in the pressure cooker. The Kuhn Rikon pots have a high and low presser indicator. Their instructions say that these foods can be cooked under low pressure.

I cook split pea soup for 20 minutes and it turns out great. In fact, I didn't even like it until I made it in the pressure cooker. I first made it as a treat for my husband since he did give me the pots. It smelled so good I had to try it and I've been eating it ever since!

Labels: homemaking tips, tools of the trade

Welcome, and please join in this weekly carnival of gluten-free eating ideas.  Just add a link to a post with a gluten-free recipe, idea, review, etc.  If this is your first time participating, please read the guidelines here.


As I spent time thinking about this blog a few weeks ago, I began to wonder if this weekly carnival was benefitting anyone.  I’m really glad I did the reader survey because I learned that most readers do find it useful.  The carnival was originally called, “What’s for Dinner Wednesday.”  That confused people because it sounded like you had to write about Wednesday’s dinner.  It was meant to be a Wednesday carnival of gluten-free dinner ideas.  I kind of miss the dinner theme, but I think opening it up to any gluten-free eating idea made it easier for people to participate.  However, I will continue to post a dinner idea as my submission most weeks.

Remember that February 3rd  is the day to link to your create a casserole challenge recipe.  If you are not participating in that, you can still add any link.  This week I’m submitting a casserole that I created by modifying one of our favorite casseroles:  chicken divan.







Chicken & Green Bean Casserole






When linking up, remember to tell us what your post is about in parentheses.

1. Comfy Cook - Omelet Muffins 2. Chaya - So Silly to Blog This 3. Shirley @ gfe (Reviews of Three Bloggers' Treats) 4. Yadi-gluten free, egg free, soy free, dairy free pancakes 5. Easy To Be Gluten Free (Reuben Casserole)

6. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Comfort Bowl) 7. Chelsey @ The Crazy Kitchen - Authentic Canadian Chicken Noodle soup 8. Heather (GF Egg Rolls) 9. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang - Mexican Seafood Soup 10. Jenn Cuisine (Chanterelle Omelette with Saucisson Vaudois)

11. Amy @ SS&GF (Protein Packed GF Pancakes!) 12. Amy@lifeminusgluten.com (Mango Basil Stir-fry) 13. Aubree Cherie @ LivingFree (G-Free Chicken Pot Pie)

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

Labels: What can I eat?

I hope you all are working on creating your own casseroles.  It will be the theme for the February 3rd carnival so you still have plenty of time.

Recently I roasted a chicken and had some pieces leftover to use for dinner the next night.  I was really in the mood for chicken divan, but was out of broccoli.  I did have frozen green beans, however.  Chicken divan with green beans?  I wasn’t sure so I asked people on Twitter what they thought.  I got several responses telling me to go for it, and I did.  After thinking about it, I realized I just had to think of it as a chicken and green bean casserole, not as chicken divan.  There was no reason why green beans wouldn’t go well with chicken.

Instead of using cream of chicken soup in this recipe I used thickened broth, like a gravy.  I did put cheese on top, but if you wanted to make it dairy free you could add a different topping.  I’m listing approximate amounts because it depends on the size dish you use and your tastes.

Gluten-Free Chicken & Green Bean Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• about 4 c. green beans (enough to cover the bottom of your dish)
• about 2 c. cooked chicken pieces
• 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 2 Tb. cornstarch
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 Tb. butter or olive oil
• about 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (enough to cover the top)

Cook the green beans to desired doneness, remembering they will cook a little more in the oven.  Spread the green beans in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.


While the beans are cooking, make the gravy/sauce.  Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth while it is cold.  Add the salt, pepper, and oil and heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened.  It won’t be as thick as a cream soup, more like a gravy.  Add the chicken pieces to the gravy and stir to coat, then spread it on top of the green beans.


Sprinkle grated cheese on top, using as much as you like.  Or try a different topping such as tater tots, or bread crumbs tossed with a little oil.


Bake at 350 degrees 20 – 30 minutes, until hot.  As you can see from the first picture, I served it with French fries which the kids loved, but it would go well with rice or quinoa.

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday,  and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Labels: main dish recipes

People who are new to the gluten-free diet often find they are having reactions but don’t know where they are picking up gluten.  If that’s the case with you, the problem might be contamination in your own home.  If you don’t have a totally gluten-free kitchen, there are several things you can do to greatly decrease the risk of contamination.

1. Separate the non refrigerated gluten filled products.  Things like bread, cereal, and crackers make crumbs, and crumbs equal contamination.  If at all possible, I recommend having dedicated cabinet and counter space for gluten-free food preparation.  In my case, since I’m the cook and the gluten-free eater, it means that most of my kitchen is gluten free with a portable island cabinet at one end of the kitchen for gluten items.  Sandwiches, bagels, etc. are prepared on that cabinet top, carried on a plate to the table, then the plate is taken directly to the dishwasher or sink.  In some households it might be the other way around where the gluten-free items are kept in a small separate area. 

2.  Label gluten-free refrigerated foods.  Most of the food in my refrigerator is naturally gluten free, but some items are used in combination with wheat products such as condiments or cheese slices.  If a knife is used to spread mayonnaise on a piece of bread and then put back into the container for more, the mayo is likely to be contaminated.   If one of my kids puts bread on his plate then takes out a piece of cheese, the cheese could become contaminated.  To avoid this problem, I use brightly colored yard sale stickers with “GF” on them to indicate items that are not to be contaminated.  I also use a Sharpie to label containers. 

3.  Clean counters and tables well.  There is a trick to doing this.  Wipe your table, then get down at eye level with it.  Chances are good you will see a few (or not so few)  stray crumbs that you would have never guessed were still there.  While I don’t do the eye-level test every time I clean a surface, I try to do it often because it reminds me to do the job well. 

Constantly being aware of contamination risks is one part of the gluten-free diet I don’t like, but as a person with celiac disease,  it is a fact of life.  If you’re new to this, I will say that it gets easier, but you have to be careful and not grow lazy about it.  It’s also important to educate the other people in your home.  Kids are capable of understanding the idea at a pretty young age, but even after being gluten free for 9 years, I have to remind my teenagers to be careful with their crumbs at times.

I’m sure some of you have tips for managing gluten in the kitchen.  Feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you do.

Labels: gluten-free diet

I was recently sent free samples of a Prana Bar and Boomi Bar, and I believe they are worth telling my readers about.  If you are looking for a healthy gluten-free energy bar, these are a great option.  The email I received from them stated:

“Divine Foods is an all-natural energy bar manufacturer, family owned and operated. Divine Foods manufacturing facility is free of wheat, cane sugar, GMO’s, meat, eggs and peanuts ensuring our products are gluten-free, soy-free and vegetarian.”

I’m sure that will appeal to many of you, as it did to me.  The question is, do they taste good?  I received the apricot cashew Boomi bar, and the coconut acai Prana Bar.  They were both delicious with the Boomi Bar being a bit more chewy.  They have other varieties which I assume are just as good.

If you like having energy bars to snack on, you should give these a try if you haven’t already.  They are sold at a few stores including Whole Foods Market and Meijer.  They can also be ordered online.  Just click on the Prana Bar banner at the top of this post.

If you are a blogger and are interested in becoming an affiliate with this company, you can register here.

Give them a try and let me know what you think.  What is your favorite flavor?

Labels: reviews

Welcome to this weekly blog carnival that is all about gluten free eating.  Please add a link to your gluten free recipe, review, or meal idea.  If it’s your first time participating, please read the guidelines.


Last week we had some great cookie recipes submitted.  Here are a few whose pictures I found very appetizing:

Yadi’s Mantecaditos Alta’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Shirley’s Peanut Butter Cookies

If you missed my challenge for this month, be sure to read about it.  I hope to see some creative casserole recipes for the February 3rd theme.  This week's submission is an example of a casserole I created:








Chicken & Rice Casserole

1. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Gluten Free restaurant review 2. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Gluten Free Lemon Cake) 3. Shirley @ gfe (Recycled Food--Croutons) 4. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Butternut Polenta Lasagna

5. Cheryl-Gewurtztraminer Talapia 6. Brian (GF Vietnamese Meatball Sandwiches) 7. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang - Scallop Pasta with Chorizo Recipe 8. Chelsey @ The Crazy Kitchen - London Fog Tea

9. Amy (sweet potato pecan flapjacks) 10. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free (Winter Fruit Compote) 11. Yadi-Lettuce Wraps 12. Easy To Be Gluten Free (Mexican Casserole)

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

Labels: What can I eat?

I promised you I would have a couple of my own casserole creations to inspire you for this month’s Create a Casserole Challenge.  This one was quick to make using leftovers, and resulted in a delightful tasting dish.  It does not use cream soup or cheese, but it does contain Ranch dressing which means it is not dairy free.  However, if you cook dairy free, I’m sure you can find an enjoyable substitute.  If you like exact measurements, you are out of luck with this one, but trust me, you can do it.

Gluten-Free Chicken and Rice Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Ingredients

• Leftover cooked chicken, cut in bite size pieces
• Leftover cooked rice, quinoa or other grain (I had a mix of white rice, red quinoa, and millet)
• Italian dressing (I made my own from a Good Seasons mix)
• Ranch Dressing
• Gluten free cracker crumbs or corn flake crumbs
• Pecans, chopped

Instructions
Grease a rectangular baking dish.  Spread you leftover rice on the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle it with a little Italian dressing.  Put the chicken pieces on top and sprinkle on some more Italian dressing.  Squirt some ranch dressing over that.

Top with crushed crackers or cereal and pecans.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until hot.


Casseroles without a thick soup or cheese in the middle do not hold together as well, but that’s okay.  It’s still good food.

For more rice recipe check out Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.  This recipe is also linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Labels: chicken, main dish recipes

 
Gluten-Free pancakes have not impressed me a great deal.  The first pancake recipe I posted was okay, but far from great.  The buckwheat pancakes were really good, but not quite a traditional pancake. This recipe is the closest I’ve gotten to what I remember pancakes being, but honestly, I hardly remember.  Even my family seldom eats wheat based pancakes.  My brother didn’t make any when we gathered at Thanksgiving, which means it’s probably been over a year sincemy family had any.   That means they are not the best ones to ask for a comparison, so I’ll have to ask you.  If you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think.  They sure do look delicious, don’t they?

Gluten-Free Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. sorghum flour
• 1/4 c. millet flour
• 1/2 c. potato starch
• 1 Tb. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tb. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tb. oil
• 1 c. sour milk (1 Tb. vinegar + enough milk to = 1 c.)

Instructions
In a medium to large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk.  Add the eggs, oil, and milk.  Let it sit for a minute and thicken while you heat a skillet or griddle.  Put about 1/4 batter onto the hot skillet for each pancake.  Because the batter is thick, you won’t see them bubble on top like you might be used to.  Let them cook a minute or 2, checking the bottom to be sure they don’t burn.  Turn them over and cook about a minute more.

Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!  Makes about 20 pancakes 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

View Printable Recipe

This post is linked to Let's Do Brunch at My Sweet and Savory.

Labels: breakfast recipes

Reader Survey

Thank you to the more than 100 readers who completed my survey!  I learned that 74% would like me to write more about gluten-free living and 57% would like more kitchen tips.  I'll have to give those some thought. Your comments were helpful, encouraging, and very much appreciated.  I will leave the survey open.  If you didn't have a chance to complete it yet, I would still love for you to do it.  The randomly chosen winners were:

Heidi - Gluten-Free Quick & Easy by Carol Fenster

Sharon, Tammy, & Stephanie - both of my ebooks
 
Printer Friendly

A couple of people mentioned in the survey that they would like to have printer friendly versions of my recipes.  After looking into it, I was pleased to find an easy way to accomplish that.  You will now find a green "print friendly" button at the bottom of each post.  When you click on that, a new window will open showing a printer friendly version.  There is a box on the top left that you can check if you want to remove the photos.  If you move your cursor over different parts of the posts, they will be highlighted and you can  delete them if you want by simply clicking.  That would come in handy if you only want to remove some of the photos, or if you want to remove the non-recipe part of my post.  I realize this isn't a perfect solution, because you have to do a little editing to get only the recipe, but I think it is much easier than having to copy and paste a recipe into another document.  You can also choose to save the post as a PDF file or email it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Labels: blogging

Here is a summary of links from the month of December.  I’m glad to see from my reader survey that most people find the carnival helpful at least sometimes.  Thank you to everyone who has participated.  If you have any suggestions or questions regarding the carnival, please let me know.  You can also see reviews from previous months.

December 30 – Spinach Casserole

1. Alea @ Premeditated Leftovers (minestrone soup)
2. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Cranberry Loaf)
3. Shirley @ gfe--gluten free easily (Double Chocolate Clementine Cake)
4. Heather @CeliacFamily (Chocolate Martinis)
5. Yadi (Buttermilk Biscuits)
6. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: dairy-free potato soup

December 23 – Candy Coated Pretzels & Spritz Cookies

1. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Vegan "Cheddar" Biscuits
2. Heather @CeliacFamily (Gingerbread Houses)
3. Brian (Rocky Road Squares)
4. Shirley @ gfe--gluten free easily (Pan-Baked Potatoes)
5. Amy @ SS&GF - Cranberry Walnut Bread
6. Yadi@Gluten Free Diaries- Chicken a la hubby
7. Chaya - Coming Soon to Your Neighborhood
8. Sweet & Savory (squash & zucchini cakes)

December 16 - Focaccia Bread Sandwich

1. Jessie (Christmas Cookies)
2. Lynns Kit Adv (overnight coffee cake)
3. Yadi-Corn Flake Crusted French Toast
4. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Gluten free product reviews
5. Heather @CeliacFamily (Baked Salmon)
6. Shirley @ gfe--gluten free easily (My Firrst Raw Pie)
7. Chelsey - How to roast a turkey
8. Amy @ SS&GF (Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies)
9. Shirley @ gfe--gluten free easily (Garlic Cheese Biscuits)
10. Gluten Free Taste of Home (Broccoli & Pasta Alfredo)
11. Cheryl (naturally gf desserts)
12. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Chana Saag Chickpea Spinach Curry
13. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Chocolate Almond Wafers
14. Comfy Cook - Red Soup turned Green

December 9 – Calzones

1. Heather @CeliacFamily (Clam Chowder)
2. Yadi-Fettuccine Alfredo
3. Shirley @ gfe--gluten free easily (Honey Cinnamon Grand Marnier Ice Cream)
4. Amy @ SS&GF (Chicken & Butternut Squash Spinach Salad)
5. Gluten Free Taste of Home (Fresh Creamed Spinach)
6. Jessie at Blog Schmog (100 Random GF Foods)
7. Rachel (Really Good Chili)
8. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Festive Frittata)
9. Chaya - Yummy Breakfast

December 2:  Party Food - Cran-Apple Salsa

1. Lynns Kit Adv (choc whipped cream)
2. Yadi- Home made Salsa
3. Gina (Pancetta Chocolate Chip Cookies)
4. Heather @CeliacFamily (King Cake)
5. Brian (GF Chex Mix)
6. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang- Cubano Jerk Burger Recipe
7. Shirley @ gfe--gluten free easily (Reindeer Antlers Punch)
8. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free (prepping for the month!)
9. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Gluten Free Crackers)
10. Kathleen (Sundried Tomato and Basil Dip)
11. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Fruit and Nut Truffles
12. Shirley @gfe--gluten free easily (Crab Ball)
13. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Mint Chocolate Fudgie Babies
14. Brenna Kater, Oceanskater (GF DF Chocolate Crinkles)
15. Comfy Cook - Applesauce Nut Bread
16. Chaya- Chocolate Sauce on Ice Cream

Labels: What can I eat?

While I prefer not to eat fast food, there are times when it beats eating nothing.  When I’m traveling, I find it helpful to know where I can quickly and easily find a gluten free meal. 

 

This week Burger King released a gluten sensitive list.  You can read more about it at chainleader.com, and you can view the list at Burger King's web site.  I have updated the link in my side bar.

Have a great day!

Labels: gluten-free news

Are you guys up for a cooking challenge?  I thought it would be fun to try one this month and then have it be the theme for “What can I eat that’s gluten free?” on February 3rd.  Even if you don’t have a blog, I would like you to join in.  Give the challenge a try, and if you want, you can email me with what you made and maybe a picture.  You could also tell us about it in the comments of that post.

Since casseroles are a good winter time dish, I thought we would start with that.  For some people, casseroles do not evoke good feelings.  I think the problem is that they view all casseroles as being a bunch of mushy food stuck together with cream of something soup.  Traditionally, that’s how casseroles have been made.  However, I looked up the word casserole at Dictionary.com and found nothing about mushy or cream of something soup in the definition.  In fact, the first definition is, “a baking dish of glass, pottery, etc., usually with a cover.”  The second definition is, “any food, usually a mixture, cooked in such a dish.” That’s a pretty broad definition.

I happen to love casseroles.  All kinds.  I like the old fashioned mushy ones and I love making my own cream of something soup to go in them.  I also like coming up with casseroles that don’t quite fit that mold.  My challenge to you is:

• Read the post:  Create a Gluten-Free Casserole.
• Create at least one casserole this month.
• Please tell me about it by linking up, commenting, or sending me an email.  You can tell me everything you did, or just that you did it and whether it was good or not.  Simply knowing that you participated will help me determine if I should continue doing challenges.

To give you some inspiration, here are previous casserole recipes that I created:

• Bacon, Egg, & Rice Casserole
• Egg & Pasta Casserole
• Ham & Potato Casserole
• Spaghetti Squash Casserole

I’ll be doing this challenge myself this month and will probably post one or two of my creations before February 3rd.  Have fun getting creative!

Labels: monthly challenge

The first Wednesday of each month, this carnival has a theme, and this week it is cookies.   The theme is only a suggestion, and any gluten free eating post is welcome, but if you have a cookie recipe to share with us, please add your link.  If this is your first time participating, you can read the guidelines here.

Changes:  Don’t get nervous, I’m not changing much, but the theme for February 3rd will be a little different than usual.  Thursday I will have a post explaining what I mean, but basically I have  a challenge for you to work on this month.  Be sure to check back.  I’ll also be posting December’s review  later this week.

Now that the holidays are over and cold weather has set in (it has here at least), it’s a good time for baking.  Many holiday cookies are great any time of year, so link up to a cookie post (or 2 if you wish), and we’ll have a nice selection to choose from when we want to try out a new recipe on a snow day.

My submission this week is snickerdoodles.  Shirley’s comment on this post reminded me that if you like a soft cookie rather than a crisp one, I had one batch that turned soft after I left them overnight in a plastic container that was not well sealed.  The cookies absorbed the humidity from the air.  If you live in a very dry environment you could try adding a piece of bread to the container to see if the cookies will draw moisture from the bread.  Keep an eye on them though, you don’t want them getting too moist.





Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

1. Yadi-Mantecaditos 2. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang-no cookies- Easy Homemade Fresh Chorizo 3. Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free - Kale, Mushroom, & Quinoa Salad 4. Iris at The Daily Dietribe: Christmas Cookie Roundup

5. Katrina @ Gluten Free Gidget- Ham Bone Soup 6. Brian (GF Chocolate Chip Cookies) 7. Shirley @ gfe (Oven-Steamed Shrimp) 8. Shirley @ gfe (Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies)

9. Alta @ Tasty Eats At Home (GF, SF Oatmeal Raisin Cookies) 10. Lauren @ Celiac Teen (Date Treats) 11. Megan (Scottish shortbread)

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

Labels: What can I eat?

These really are the perfect cookie.  They aren’t necessarily my all time favorite, but they are easy to make, look lovely, have a light and crisp crunch to them, and of course, a buttery cinnamon taste.  They’re perfect.

The first time I made snickerdoodles, years ago, I didn’t know what they were.  I’m sure I had eaten them before, but I didn’t know their name since they weren’t something my mother ever made.  Add to that the fact that I was in a rush to get the cookies done and I ended up putting the cinnamon into the batter, rather than on the outside.  I soon discovered my mistake, but it was too late.  They still tasted good, but they weren’t quite the same.  The thing that really makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle is having cinnamon sugar on the outside where it hits your taste buds first thing and gives them that cinnamony tingle.  So, if  it’s your first time making them, save the cinnamon for rolling and don’t add it to the dough.

I’m sorry I didn’t get this recipe posted before Christmas, but there was just too much to do.  They are a great cookie to make any time of year, so I hope you will give them a try.

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. white rice flour
• 1/2 c. potato starch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 Tb. sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat several minutes until light and fluffy.  In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, starch, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, and xanthan gum.  Add these dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.  Combine on low speed until moistened then beat on medium speed about 30 seconds more.

In a very small bowl, combine the 2 Tb. sugar and the cinnamon.  Roll the dough into balls approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter.  Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar.  Place them on a greased cookie sheet about 2 – 3 inches apart.  Using parchment paper or a silicone mat works well.


Wipe and regrease the paper/mat/cookie sheet between batches to help them spread evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.  Move them to a wire rack to cool.

Labels: cookies/bars, dessert recipes

  It’s that time of year when we evaluate and set goals for our lives.  As I was reflecting on the past year of blogging, I realized that I only receive input in the form of comments or emails from a small fraction of my readers.  I find myself asking, “How can I make decisions about my blog when I don’t know what my readers want?”

I love hearing from people.  When you tell me that a certain recipe or my blog in general has made your day, that encourages me to keep blogging.  When you ask questions, it helps me learn what people are looking for.  I blog because it is something I want to do, and I find it rewarding.  But I also blog for you.  It is only rewarding when I know that other people are benefitting from what I do.

With that in mind, I have created a reader survey.  It contains 17 questions.  All but three are multiple choice or check the boxes.  Some of the questions pertain to information about you and others are specific to my blog.   

I am giving away one copy of Carol Fenster’s cookbook Gluten-Free Quick & Easy.   I will also give away both of my eBooks to three additional winners. If you choose to leave your first name and email address at the end of the survey, you will be entered for a chance to win.  I would really appreciate it if you would take a couple of minutes to complete the survey.

Thank you!!

Labels: blogging

Not long ago I gave you a recipe for gluten-free cinnamon rolls that used more whole grain than my original recipe.  They were very good, but for my family, they were not as good as my previous version and therefore not their choice for Christmas morning.

In November, I tried the recipe again but divided the amount of sorghum I had used in half and replaced the other half with millet flour.  The results were terrific.  I was still using whole grain flour, but that whole grain flavor wasn’t quite so strong and my family approved.   In addition, I liked the texture slightly better.

I would have told you this before Christmas, but I forgot to write down what I had done and I wasn’t positive I remembered correctly.  I didn’t want to mess up anyone’s Christmas cinnamon rolls, but I took the chance myself and made them again do what I thought I had done the last time.  So now I’m sure.

I’m not going to repost the recipe, but I will make a note of the change in the whole-grain recipe.  I’m sorry I’m too late for  you to use this for Christmas or even New Year’s Day, but maybe for Valentine’s Day or as a special birthday treat.  Sometimes I make them just because.  Just because they’re so good and my family loves them.

I really appreciate those of you who have left comments or emailed me about the cinnamon roll recipes.    Discovering that recipe was such a big deal for our family, and I’m glad I can pass it on for others to enjoy.



For more tips and ideas on making gluten-free substitutions, visit JennCuisine.com.

Labels: bread recipes, breakfast recipes