Off the Wheaten Path

I Love It When the Universe Cooperates...Bulk GF Crackers at WalMart!!!

2011-09-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

I am a WalMart grocery shopper. I will admit it. I shop at other stores, too, and I'm not above walking into a store to simply buy a brand of soup and nothing else (Ahem, Progresso...). But usually I'm excited when I see gluten free options at my WalMart because that can almost always mean they are available to a national audience. I know it's not always the case, but I trick myself into believing it just to be happy for everyone else. I have bought smaller boxes of these crackers before at the SuperDuper WalMart, and then (chorus of angels....bright light from above) as I walked down the aisle I spotted these huge boxes of Crunchmaster gluten free crackers. Me being me (which in translation means I'm somewhat of a gluten free food hoarder), I bought two of the giant boxes and couldn't wait to photograph them.I know there's about a million things I could do with these crackers, and I'm planning on coming up with some great combinations to post soon. The first one I was dying to try was softened cream cheese spread on a cracker with apricot jam spread over that. Delish! This was a great salt/sweet combo, and it looks so pretty you could set them out at a dinner party or ladies' luncheon if you ever needed a quick snack. I'm thinking of those Laughing Cow cheeses, hummus, peanut butter, vegetabes, flavored cream cheeses, and nutella to start. Not all together, of course. Anyone have an unusually delicious cracker combination to share?

If you click here, you can get a coupon for $1 off a box of these crackers. Enjoy!

Happy eating!

Easy Gluten Free Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

2011-09-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am recovering from a fairly horrible jury duty stint last week, and I noticed that the one night I wasn't completely in Momzilla mode was the night that I had this chicken dish all ready to go. It's super easy and I think everyone in my family actually ate it...which is reward enough for me. Plus, since everyone's gone back to school I'm relying more heavily on my meal plans, which I think have made life so much easier for me with all the craziness that goes on after school. This recipe takes about 5 minutes to throw together and put in the oven, so it's definitely on the list. I love the flavor in this recipe...it's creamy and flavorful and the chicken stays moist and tender. Put some cream cheese on the grocery list and try this recipe to see if your family likes it, too.

Gluten Free Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

1 brick of cream cheese (can be low fat or regular)
1 packet of Good Seasons Italian seasoning
1 can Progresso Creamy Mushroom gluten free soup
1 can DeLallo artichoke hearts, drained and quartered (I like to buy the uncut ones and cut them myself, then I can pull out any tough pieces.)
4-5 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the pan. Pour soup over chicken, top with seasoning packet, artichokes, and cube or break up with your hands the brick of cream cheese and scatter over the top. Bake for 1 hour. Serve over rice. Can also be made in the crock pot by placing chicken in crock pot, dumping all other ingredients over the top, and cooking on low 5-6 hours.

Happy eating!

The Eagle Has Landed...

2011-08-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

It's about dang time. I can't wait to make rice krispie treats with these. They also really do Snap, Crackle, and Pop just like the original! I think I bought these at my WalMart Neighborhood Grocery store or Harmon's. Enjoy!

Happy New Year! Better Known As: Back to School!

2011-08-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

For those of us with school aged children, right now we're either feeling elation or depression that school is about to start. Or maybe a mixture of both. I always struggle with both feelings, since we have a great time all together in the summer and it's hard to be alone when they leave. However, I can't say it's not going to be nice to have a few hours a day where I don't have to listen to the Angry Birds theme song. School starts for us Monday, and here's a quick recap: we've been making rock collections, going to the zoo, going to see the "Up" house in Herriman, chasing a puppy, and generally laying around.

When it gets time to send my children back to school, I find myself in the midst of preparations of Herculean proportions to bring order back into the chaos that summer inevitably falls into. I make detailed checklists of morning, after school, and bedtime routines so people know what to do when (I have yet to have a year where my checklists actually improve the morning rush), clean off the backpack/coat hangers, haul in boxes and boxes of food from Costco as though "The Big One" is coming over the horizon, and take stock of large and small things in a feeble attempt to make the morning rush and afternoon free-for-all easier. Ha. At least I'll get an "A" for effort.

This morning I made crepes for my daughter who was going to her first day of middle school, and I thought I would just make a few for her and do the rest of the batter later, because I was for sure going back to bed after she left. But the gluten free flour tends to thicken the batter as it sits, so I ended up making up the rest of them, and then another batch on top of that, and put them in the freezer for a quick on-the-go breakfast option for me or the kids. (Tip: I put paper towels in between each crepe so I can just pull out as many as I need without defrosting the whole batch. 20-30 seconds in the microwave should defrost them.) I thought this was a clever time saver, if I do say so myself. I've also learned that the best way for me to utilize big meat purchases from Costco is to break them up into dinner-sized portions, wrap them in foil, and label with the ever-present Sharpie.

Usually I make up a weekly meal plan right before I go to the grocery store, taking stock as I make the list. This year I decided to try something new. I divided the days into meal types, and then listed five or six meals for each day that could fit with my schedule and my plan. For example, Monday I always do a dinner with rice as the side dish. Tuesday is Mexican-ish, Thursday is Breakfast for Dinner, Friday we usually go out so the kids make their own dinners. I wrote down what the evening activities are on each day, so I can keep in mind if I need something everyone can eat at different times, or if we have time to sit and relax. In my Excel sheet I used cute colors and fonts, and since I just barely figured out how to use Scribd, hopefully you'll be able to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Weekly Meal Plan

Basically, my idea was that as long as I knew what options I had for each night, I have a little more flexibility and can still roll with the punches. Then when I do my grocery shopping, I have a little more of the big picture so I can shop for sales on things I use all the time, plus staples for the week. Maybe this will help some of you out this fall if you're struggling getting back into the groove of making dinner. Conversely, some of you may be suffering from convulsions looking at my detailed spreadsheet. That's ok, too. How do you get ready for the fall rush? Do you have any special gluten free traditions or shortcuts that make your heart rate slow down? Please share in the comments box if you do!

Happy eating (and reading, and writing, and arithmeticing...)!

Brands Matter...Especially Gluten Free Ones

2011-08-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have been making these Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Cookies for a long time. They are one of my favorites, adapted from Giada deLaurentiis' recipe, and I almost always use Grandpa's Kitchen flour, and Micelli's whole milk ricotta cheese. I'm not sure why, but this time when I made them I chose King Arthur's Gluten Free Flour, and WalMart brand original ricotta cheese. Epic fail. Whatever! There's nothing I hate more than wasting ingredients, but I hate almost as much using the wrong ones! Don't think this is a negative review of King Arthur at all, I actually really like their gluten free products. But for this recipe, I don't know if the flour or the cheese caused the pancake-like cookies and dry flavor. I blame WalMart. They're an easy target. But it got me thinking: how many people out there have tried my recipes and think they are gross because they don't have the same brands that I do? How many people have quit reading because they're tired of hearing how great something is and their roomate told them it tasted like sticks? I hope not many. But I am feeling sensitive to brands lately. I think I'm going to try to make an effort to use the most widely available ingredients to everyone, and then I can sleep at night. So, I confess, I am a brand snob when it comes to my food. Are you a brand snob, too? What brands of gluten free food can you not live without? Leave me a comment, I'd love to know if they are the same as mine. And, as I was looking through the archives to link back to this recipe, I noticed I haven't ever published my version of them. So here it is:

Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Cookies
adapted from Giada deLaurentiis' original recipe

2 1/2 cups gluten free flour (I like Grandpa's Kitchen...they are light and fluffy when you use it)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick soft butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 15 ounce container of whole milk ricotta (it has to be whole milk or they won't turn out)
zest of 1 lemon
3 tsp lemon juice (about the juice of 1 lemon)

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. In a medium bowl mix together gluten free flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. Combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each one. Add ricotta cheese and lemon zest and juice. A little at a time, add flour mixture. Spoon dough onto cookie sheets or use a small scoop. Batter will be thick but moist. Bake 15 minutes, let rest on cookie sheet for 12 minutes before removing. Cool on a wire rack. Spread glaze on top of cookies with back of a spoon and let harden, about 15 minutes.

Happy eating!

Eat Your Cruciferous Veggies! Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

2011-08-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Summer never fails me. I always crave fresh fruit and veggies all season long, and they happen to always be available. Funny how that works! I also never want to eat anything hot for dinner, which is actually a problem because I only know how to make hot dinners. I'm not saying this salad could replace dinner, but it's a pretty good way to fill up your plate. Also: my favorite kind of recipe as well...naturally gluten free! I'm giving credit where credit is due for this recipe, which comes from Traci's mom, who recited the whole thing to me without blinking an eye. She has made it that many times. It's pretty easy, and it makes a lot, so if you need to take something to a pot luck or family reunion, this is a good one.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad

3 stalks of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets (bite sized)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (bite sized)
1/2 to 1/4 red onion, minced
1 pound cooked, crumbled bacon
8 ounces shredded mozzarella

Dressing:
1 1/2 cup Best Foods light mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dressing together until sugar dissolves. Assemble salad ingredients and pour dressing over the top. Mix well and cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to give flavors a chance to meld.

Happy eating!

Subway. Summer. Sickness. Stupid.

2011-07-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Apparently it's summer around here, which means the days are filled with a whole lot of hanging out and not producing. I highly recommend it. To bring an end to the saga of my personal summer real estate disaster, my husband and I decided not to move after all. It makes sense for too many reasons to list to take the house off the market, so I've been slowly unpacking the boxes and boxes (and boxes) of stuff that I diligently packed weeks ago. Luckily they didn't travel anywhere, so I've had minimal breakage. And I have to admit, it's kind of fun to take out the things you love and find a new home for them. Kind of like shopping the house, which I always forget about when I get a hankering for re-decorating. I bossed my husband around a bit and made him promise to pay someone to remodel my kitchen for me when the kids go back to school, and like a good boy he said yes. This should make for interesting blog fodder, so stay tuned.

In other unhappy news, I have a story (sadly, no photo and no recipe, either, but meaningful nonetheless) that should serve as a reminder to all of us who eat gluten free to use "constant vigilance," to quote Mad-Eye Moody. One of my favorite summer activities is going on dates with my husband, because we seemingly forget time together is important during the school year. We went to see the last Harry Potter movie (goodbye, Harry!) and afterwards we were a little sick from all the popcorn and soda but still wanted a light meal. We settled on Subway and I was fine with that because I usually get a salad there, no big deal. Here is where I want you to pay attention: you know how you go into a restaurant when you have celiac disease and you always choose between one of two or three menu items you have in your head? There's a reason for that! When you think, Oh I haven't had that in a while, I think I'll try it again...stop! Check ingredients! Use your smartphone or a satellite or something to double check because it probably is on the "not safe" list and there's a reason you haven't eaten it in a while! What did I order at said Subway? A Seafood Salad made into a salad. Um....apparently wheat and/or gluten are present in the seafood salad. I was not a happy camper for a couple of days. So a gentle reminder to everyone...don't mess with your pre-determined menu thoughts. It may seem boring, but check before you go or after so you know for next time what your options are. And now if you are wondering what salad you can order at Subway and not be stupid like me, check out their allergen list here. Soapbox sermon over.

Happy (and safe) eating!

Me and the Not Bummer Summer

2011-06-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

I know it's been almost 20 days since I posted, and I'm here to tell you why. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, so here you go:
And I basically spend my days eating this for lunch:Sadly, after all this work and packing all of these boxes the buyers pulled out of the deal on our home 48 hours before closing, which in turn made it so we couldn't purchase the other home we had bought, so now we are back to square one with our real estate ventures. I'm basically avoiding all cooking (mostly because everything in my pantry and cupboards is in a box) and trying to avoid slipping into a deep depression by eating popsicles and fresh pineapple every day I can. I'm usually a pretty optimistic person and I'm sure I'll be sunshiny again soon. It's just that now I don't really know what we should do...do I unpack the boxes and concede defeat? Or do I leave them packed and keep up the fight? I'm sure an answer will present itself in the near future. In the meantime, here are some glimpses of how we've been spending our time otherwise.

Ballet recitals!Running through sprinklers on hot days and eating Otter Pops!

Having Spongebob birthday parties!

Taking a road trip with this guy!

Throwing rocks into a hole!I hope you are having a great summer as well, and hopefully some gluten free inspiration will come my way soon!
Happy eating!

Gluten Free Cheater's Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-06-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes packing boxes and boxes of dusty crap makes you really want to take a break to refresh yourself. And sometimes you just miss a plain old ice cream sandwich in the summertime. I figured out a really delicious, cheating, non-cooking way to make gluten free ice cream sandwiches. I found these cookies from Kinnikinnick at Whole Foods the other day and thought they would be tasty on their own, but I think I like them better this way after all.

First, take the good old standby gluten free ice cream, Breyer's Natural Vanilla (for the record, it was my favorite ice cream before I was diagnosed as well) and let it sit out of the freezer for about 5 minutes, just until it gets soft. If you use hard ice cream for these the cookies will break. Use a small scoop to put a small scoop of ice cream on the bottom of a Montana cookie. Place the bottom of another cookie on top and gently smoosh. Place on a freezer safe plate or tray and return them to the freezer for about 20 minutes or until they are frozen well. Eat and enjoy! I think these would be such an easy dessert for a summer barbecue, and you can make up a whole bunch and freeze them ahead of time. I'm pretty sure there's other cookies that would work with this idea, like the Mi-Del Gluten Free Ginger Snaps with Breyer's Butter Pecan ice cream, Pamela's Lemon Shortbread cookies with Lemon sorbet or even a pineapple sherbet, and more that I haven't even thought of yet. It's going to be a great summer!

Happy eating!

Rose's Gluten Free Orange Dreamsicle Cupcakes

2011-06-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

I know Mother's Day was a while ago, but I had the most delicious treat that Sunday that I wanted to share with everyone. My friend Rose also eats gluten free and at church that Sunday while all the ladies were eating a treat, she brought out some gluten free plates she had made up for the four or so people who can't eat wheat. I consider that going the extra mile! I was so touched that she went to the trouble to bake for us, and she said she was just making some for herself anyway and she thought everyone else would like to try them, too. Right you are, Rose. Here's her recipe, which is, in my biased opinion, another great gluten free summer dessert.

Gluten Free Orange Dreamsicle Muffins

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 stick softened butter
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup orange juice from concentrate
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a large bowl mix cake mix and all other ingredients except chocolate chips until well blended with a hand mixer. Gently fold in white chips. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Top with Orange Glaze while cooling.

Orange Glaze

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp orange zest

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and desired consistency. Drizzle over muffins while warm.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Cupcakes...Just In Time for Summer!

2011-06-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

So sorry about the long delay between posts. I was having technical difficulties with my blog login and basically just figured out what I was doing wrong, a week later. Whatever. Technology, kiss my grits! Also, I've been completely distracted because we sold our house and are now looking for a place to live. That takes precedence over cooking, I think. But never fear, I have been sitting on some great dessert recipes that now I can share with you.

One of my favorite blogs to peruse is Real Mom Kitchen. I really and truly don't know how people can come up with so many new recipes every day. I think I need to go to college to learn how to do that or something, because it's amazing to me how many great recipes Real Mom Kitchen has. It's inspiring to just read the recipe names, so give it a shot. Anyhoo, I came across this recipe for her Pink Lemonade cupcakes and thought it sounded so great I gave it a try. My gluten free version is a variation of Renee's Cupcakes that makes a really moist gluten free cupcake, and the frosting recipe is basically the same as the original except I left out shortening. I don't love frosting with shortening in it, personally. But if you want sky-high frosting that won't move, I'm pretty sure shortening is the secret ingredient. I will be making these on KUTV Channel 2's Fresh Living show next Friday, June 10 at 11 a.m., so check it out because they are going to look darling on my new cupcake tower that I found at Target the other day for about $20. I love it and I think it will come in handy for lots of events over here. Now I just have to find a box to put it in...

Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Cupcakes1 box of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 box Jell-O Lemon Pudding Mix
3 eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup canola oil
4 T pink lemonade mix, like Country Time
red or pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place muffin liners in muffin tins. Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer, mix well. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Pink Lemonade Frosting
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup thawed frozen pink lemonade concentrate
4 cups powdered sugar
1 T milk
zest of 1 lemon
(optional: 1 tsp vanilla)
3 drops of red food coloring

Beat butter in a stand mixer's bowl until soft and fluffy. Add lemonade, sugar, milk, lemon, vanilla if desired, (I left it out because I wanted it zingy) and food coloring. Mix well. Place in pastry bag with extra large tip and pipe onto top of cupcakes.

Happy eating!

Celiac Disease Vaccine? Sign Up or Sign Off?

2011-05-16T18:23:00.001-07:00

I just was alerted to a news story that is hitting the airwaves (blogwaves?) today from our local news station that is about a vaccine for celiac's disease sufferers. The way I read it, it looks like it will cure the disease. What? How is this possible! I'm dying, in case you can't tell. You can read about it here, on KSL.com's website. I'm interested to know from my readers: if it were safe and proven to cure celiac's disease, would you get the vaccine? Or would you keep on keepin' on the way you are now? Let's have a little conversation about it here.
I'm just adding this cute picture of my little girl at Temple Square in Salt Lake City because I can't stand to post without a photo, and who wants to see a photo of a vaccine? Not me.

Happy reading!

Warm Fuzzy Feelings

2011-05-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

Rarely do I take the time to talk (much less think) about the beautiful things in life on this blog. Yesterday I noticed that the lilac bush in my backyard, although beautiful, was beginning to lose its blossoms already. And the crabtree down in the corner was close to having no bright pink flowers on its branches. Spring has decided to show up for the last two weeks of the season where I live, thanks to heavy snow and rain up until a few days ago. We've almost missed the beautiful spring flowers and weather because of the cold, damp days we seem to be perpetually stuck in lately. The sun came out and suddenly I realized there was a carpet of green grass in my flower beds and the tulips were starting to wither. So I took my scissors and brought in a bouquet of my favorites to bring the beauty inside for a while. I started to realize that thinking, planning, and strategizing are useless unless you stop and, literally, smell the flowers.Summer is my favorite time of year to be a gluten free eater. Grilled meat and fresh vegetables and fruits are abundant at every gathering and roadside stand. I seem to be more open to trying new flavors and tastes in the summer. No heavy casseroles with cream and cheese and 14 ingredients, just good, honest food that is at the height of flavor and freshness.Throw out the recipe book and just try something fresh. That's what I call smelling the food flowers, if you will. Have a plan, but be willing to throw the plan aside if you find the world's best corn on the cob by the side of the road and eat that until you feel silly. Leave the cookbook behind and try something new that you might just make up on the spot at lunchtime. That is how most of my recipes have come about. I've thought of what flavors sounded good at the moment and tried out a combination of them on a whim. Voila! A new favorite. What food are you most looking forward to this summer? Leave a comment and even a link to a recipe that uses it if you have one. Now I'm going to get back to enjoying warm breezes, capri pants, swimsuit shopping, and chalk drawings by talented 8-year-old artists living in my midst.Happy eating!

If You Don't Have One, Get One!

2011-05-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

My mother in law has always had the softest brown sugar. I, on the other hand, have always been breaking up clumps of cemented brown sugar with a hammer for my cookies over the years. One time I looked inside her brown sugar container and thought, aha! She has a huge clump in here! But it was just one of these guys. Made of terra cotta pottery, you soak them in water for about 15 minutes and then put them in your brown sugar tupperware and it keeps it nice and soft. I'm sure most of you already have one of these, but if you don't, you can order one here. If you don't have one, get one! It will be good luck for you on Friday the 13th!

Happy eating!

Attention! Gluten Free Treat Sighting!

2011-05-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a stalker of sorts when it comes to gluten free treats. I'm sure that's why some of you are still reading my scattered posts, to see what I have nabbed in my grimy little hand that's gluten free. Usually I am stalking the Sweet Tooth Fairy in Draper, looking through the window to see if they have my favorite flavor of French Macarons in the display case. (It's lemon, in case you're wondering. What a shocker. Maybe if we all go in en masse and ask for them they will just make them a standing option! Yay!) The other day someone was standing in front of the case so I had to park my car and go inside to find out what was there. Boy, am I glad I did! Now they have a tray marked "Gluten Free Treats" that holds not just French Macarons, but Coconut Macaroons dipped in chocolate on the bottom: here is what is left of mine from the drive home. And they also carry...drum roll please...gluten free cupcakes! I know we all look the other way when we see those cute cupcakes at the bakeries with the sky-high frosting. Sigh. Now, we can get some for ourselves! Or you can get some as a gift for your gluten free sweetie and they will put them in these cute little containers so it looks like you made even more effort for them. Mine tipped over in the car so it looks a little smashed in the picture up there. I am not sure at this point if they will offer different flavors of cupcakes daily or if these are the two they will offer all the time, but on the day I went in they had chocolate and Fairyfetti (vanilla with sprinkles in the batter). Hooray for gluten free eaters all over the Wasatch Front! If you live elsewhere in the U.S. and you know of a bakery that has similar gluten free cupcake offerings, please leave a comment so others can know where to go in your area!

Happy eating!

King Arthur Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix...Worth Every Calorie

2011-05-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that most people out there aren't really concerned with how to make gluten free things like All Bran or Fiber Bars. We want dessert! We are really concerned with how to enjoy the good parts of a meal, aren't we? Don't get me wrong, getting dinner on the table and making sure there's adequate nutrition are important to me, but there's no magic formula for that. I could survive on wheat free food just fine. But to live without wheat free food, that's another thing entirely.

I teach a class every other month at Macey's grocery store on gluten free cooking, and at the last one someone asked me if I had tried the new King Arthur line of gluten free flour and mixes. I said that no, I hadn't (and immediately felt as though I had been slacking on my research) and that I thought it was probably really great flour without having tasted any of it. King Arthur has been arguably the best wheat flour around for a long time. I know they use it at the Viking Cooking School where I took a gluten free cooking class, and that place is gourmet with a capital "G." I told my student that the fact that King Arthur had waited this long to come out with a gluten free line meant that it was probably pretty good, since they have taken their time to develop a blend of flours that is delicious and performs well when baking. I decided I needed to find out for myself. Of course I tried the chocolate cake.I am amazed at how easy both King Arthur and Betty Crocker have made their gluten free mixes to be. It's pretty much like a regular cake mix, no fancy extra ingredients, everything contained but the wet ingredients. Here's how my cupcakes turned out. They look dang close to regular cupcakes, don't you agree? I frosted half of them simply with chocolate frosting, and my children ate most of them before I could take a picture. If my children will eat them and not notice they taste different than a regular chocolate cupcake, I think that's saying something. I froze the rest individually and pull one out when I need a chocolate fix. They are actually really good without any frosting at all. I've even used one for the base of a Brownie Sundae with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge and it was so delicious. If you're looking for a moist, delicious, gluten free chocolate cupcake, give these a try. I'm pretty sure they won't disappoint!

Happy eating!

Margo's Gluten Free Meusli

2011-05-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Rarely do I make something in my kitchen and then immediately write about it. But today, I took one bite of this and knew I needed to share this simple breakfast dish with you. I am by no means the original architect of Meusli, which is a combination of oats, fruit and nuts, but rarely have I eaten it in the past. Apparently Meusli is a simple, super-healthy breakfast loaded with cancer fighting ingredients that has been around for a long time in Switzerland. I have usually associated Meusli with the packaged version that is in the cereal aisle, and those are almost all not gluten free. Today I was driving home from dropping my daughter off at preschool and it finally felt like spring in the mountains, I was craving some sort of a Swiss breakfast, and this is what happened.

My friend Aimee makes a version of this that is quite elaborate that she eats every day. She adds strawberries and cottage cheese and even soaks dates to make them plump before she adds them. All I knew today was that I wanted pecans and I didn't have a lot of gluten free oats left, so I was going to make something up as I went. This is also not such an exact recipe. You can add or subtract any ingredient to taste. I really liked this flavor combination today, which doesn't mean I won't like something else tomorrow, but try it if you're looking for a healthy, easy filling breakfast.

Gluten Free Meusli a la Margo

1/3 of gluten free oats (Auguson Farms)
lowfat milk
handful of raisins, dates, or other dried fruit
handful of chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or other nut of choice
1 T or so of brown sugar
1 pinch salt
fresh fruit, like apples, strawberries, peaches, raspberries (optional)

Place the oats in a microwave safe bowl. Add enough milk just until the oats are moist and a little bit runny. Microwave 45 seconds or until no longer runny. Add raisins, pecans, brown sugar, and salt. (Don't skip the salt! It brings out the flavors. Use sea salt if you are worried about sodium.) Mix well.

So easy. So not precise. I wish I was better at writing recipes that were free flowing and organic like the cooking process itself, but that skill may come later.

Happy eating!

Simple Gluten Free Low Cholesterol Salad that uses Leftovers...An Unsimple Name for a Great Lunch!

2011-05-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Since I am now reading not one but two ingredients on every food label I come across, I have been extra conscious about having healthy foods that are low in cholesterol as well as gluten free. It's actually not that hard. I want to say there's a whole other process of food selection, but I'd be lying. You just read the label like you always do. Since chicken is fairly low in cholesterol but not completely cholesterol free, I have wanted to use zero cholesterol sauces and toppings just to not add any extra to the chicken. I found this gluten free, no cholesterol Bull's Eye barbecue sauce at the grocery store and decided to try it since I had no idea what a Carolina barbecue sauce tastes like. It has a hint of mustard in it, so it's a little sweet and tangy at the same time. I had some leftover chicken, so I decided to chop it up and add it to a mixed greens salad with pistachios (nuts help lower cholesterol), and English cucumbers. English cucumbers are those long skinny ones that usually come wrapped in plastic in the produce section. I added a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil (which also helps lower cholesterol.) I ate it with my leftover sweet potato. I love the crunch of the nuts alongside the crunchy cucumbers. It's nice to use a simple dressing and not have to think of anything fancy when you are rushing to eat lunch. And, I ate up the leftovers, which is every cook's dream. No wasted chicken for me. I'm sure this will be on the menu for dinner next time we have leftover chicken.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Lower-Your-Cholesterol Cookies

2011-04-26T08:38:00.001-07:00

My husband turned 40 this year and went in for his 10-year checkup with the doctor. Apparently men can get by without the "yearly" exam most of us women are privileged to have. Amazingly, he's pretty healthy, except one small glitch. He has high "bad" cholesterol. So he came home and told me his doctor told him to change his diet a little bit and he should be just fine. I kind of thought that 8 years ago when he told me he ate out for lunch with buddies from work every day at places like Astro Burger, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Arby's. Duh.

Of course first we turned to the internet to find out what foods are low in cholesterol and if there are any that can actually lower cholesterol. We discovered that soluble fiber (oatmeal, raw fruit, vegetables, and beans) are good for lowering those numbers as well as fish, nuts, and olive oil. My mom's dietician actually told her that olive oil literally pushes the fat out of your arteries. You will probably be seeing quite a few recipes with olive oil coming soon. What does this have to do with a gluten free diet? Not a whole lot, I'm just using my soapbox to complain about having to throw another food issue into my meal planning. Gone are the days of cooking with sour cream (I've started using Fage plain greek yogurt instead) and hamburger. At least until the doctor says it's okay.I decided to pull out my new favorite bible, Ina Garten's Back to Basics cookbook and look for some ideas on cooking with some of these heart-healthy ingredients. I highly recommend it, not only for the recipes, but she has all kinds of tips sprinkled throughout the book about things like setting a table, flower arranging, and what kitchen tools you should have. Ina has a great sense of style and knows how to put flavors together for maximum effect. And the photography is fantastic. I've never seen roast chicken look so good. It's not a health food cookbook by any means, but she makes easy, simple recipes look so delicious that I always turn to it for inspiration. Ina has a recipe for Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies that intrigued me. I happen to love oatmeal cookies and I thought I could make a version of these that had little if any fat and also make them gluten free. If I had had egg beaters in my fridge I may have used those, but I haven't ever baked with them before and I didn't want to fail just in case they're not great for baking. I have issues.

Gluten Free Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from Ina Garten's Back to Basics cookbook

1 1/3 cups pecans
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Grandpa's Kitchen or King Arthur Gluten Free flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
3 cups gluten free oats (Auguson Farms)
1 1/2 cups raisins, regular or golden

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes until toasted. Cool, chop coarsely.
In electric mixer, beat applesauce, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt into a bowl. Slowly add to the sugar mixture until well combined. Add oats, pecans, and raisins and mix till combined.
Using a mini-ice-cream-scoop (2T) drop mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. (Don't skip this step...the cookies will stay in their scooped shape if you don't.) Bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to a baking rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.Needless to say, as with all of my recipes, I ate more of these than Jeff did. He didn't say he didn't like them, I think he just forgot they were there for him. They were really good when they were fresh out of the oven, and they were also really good for breakfast. Yes, I did eat cookies for breakfast, but I figured they have so many healthy things in them that it wouldn't hurt! I think my cholesterol will be lower than his when he gets it checked next. What do you think?

Happy eating!

A Gluten Free Emergency...Kit: The Backpack Method

2011-04-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

The other day I was reminded by the gals at How Does She? that my 72-hour kits needed some attention. And after the events in Japan a few weeks ago I must admit surviving a disaster has been at the top of my list of to-do items. This is a great post about how Missy organizes her family's 72-hour emergency supplies, which is pretty much the exact same way I have organized mine over the last few years. She has better pictures and more in-depth explanations than I do, but I won't be jealous or even a little bitter about it if it helps even one person out. (If you haven't ever heard of the backpack method, take a minute to read this post, it will answer a lot of questions you may have.) A friend of mine told me she had heard someone speak about this and then shared the information with me. I wish I knew who came up with this system, because it's genius and I want to give them credit. Suffice it to say I did not invent this idea. But I love it nonetheless.

Here's the basic idea: group like items together and take up as little space as possible while making sure everything stays dry. The important thing to remember while you're putting one of these together is EMERGENCY pack. It's not gourmet camping pack or even staying at grandma's pack. It's what will keep me ALIVE until I can get to a shelter with water, heat, and food. It's the bare essentials in case of disaster. When I pulled the packs (old backpacks, a couple of $5 WalMart scores) out of the garage to rotate the emergency food, I realized that one of the most difficult tasks I have undertaken is to have emergency food set aside that is gluten free. I know without a doubt that if, heaven forbid, I am ever involved in a disaster with my family the last thing I will want to do is have diarrhea amongst the rubble because I've had to eat wheat.In my pack (keep in mind I am the adult and I have a few more things than my kids do) I have a grocery bag with clothes (sweat pants, sweatshirt, socks, hat, gloves, underwear) that I could wear if it was cold or warm, cutting off the sleeves and legs of the sweats if need be. I have an emergency item ziploc bag (yes, it all fits!) with bug bite cream, waterproof matches, hot hands, toothpaste, toothbrush, sunscreen, tylenol, band-aids, pen with tape that I could write on, neosporin and a pocketknife. My kids packs have most of the same things I have, including wet wipes and a whistle in case they get lost. They don't have the medicines, though.
I have a few other things in the front pocket and side pockets: emergency candles, flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, two silver blankets (thermal? solar? I'm not sure which.), more hot hands, a poncho, water cleaning drops, and some cash. I also have a bigger pack of wipes, since I'm sure I'll be wiping more people off than anyone else. I have some diversions, and my kids have some fun things for them to do in their packs as well as a waterproof poncho. Which reminded me that my pack didn't have a poncho...I'm not sure where my poncho ended up, but I guess I'll have to get another one.
I have three day's survival food for each person in a large ziploc bag, and each meal is contained in its own ziploc bag. Things like hot chocolate mix, hot cider mix, kool aid packs, granola bars, trail mix, nuts, and vienna sausages. (Why vienna sausages, you ask? They are cheap, have a long shelf life, and small.) In years past I have put Zone Fudge Graham bars in my packs, and you can get them at Costco for about 75 cents each. But they don't last long, and need to be replaced in 6 months' time. This year I added some small cans of Spam for one of the days for everyone. The goal is protein and calories, and as long a shelf life as you can find. Everybody gets three hard candies and three sticks of gum. I have five water bottles, and each of my five children has three, because they can't carry any more than that. That's a nice spot on my carpet, by the way.

This is where it gets tricky. After six years of rotating out hard granola bars and expired food, I'm seriously thinking of buying some MREs so that I only have to worry about the food every five years. It's probably cheaper, now that I think about it. But still, I thought, what if I can't find one that I can use? I love these two options from Costco, because the fruit has a two year shelf life and the trail mix at least has M&Ms for fun, but they don't last as long as I thought they would (only about 6 months). I found these at WalMart last night. They last a little longer (about a year) and I would for sure eat all three of these foods. Jack Links beef sticks (this could be questionable, but I checked the label twice and couldn't see anything wheat-related. If anything, I'll carry it for everyone else to eat.), dried cranberries (for vitamin C, fiber, and flavor) and Nature Valley has just come out with an Almond Crunch bar that is gluten free. And there's always this if you want protein and calories. (I have a small peanut butter in my pack also.) My husband's pack has a package of beef jerky that everybody else can eat. I've also got the cups and spoons and some boullion cubes for added meal options. These are also questionable, but I know there are some gluten free varieties out there, I just didn't have any on hand when I made up the packs. These are actually probably due to be thrown away so that will give me an excuse to buy some.

So I did some research to answer my burning question: is there actually an emergency food option that is gluten free? Emergency Essentials actually has two or three that would work for my backpack: Vegetarian Chili, (the nutrition information lists Textured Vegetable Protein, which I have always heard is gluten, but the label only says soy.) Southwestern Style Chicken with Black Beans, (the best option, I think: nothing questionable on ingredients) a Chocolate Shake, and refried beans. Emergency Essentials has all kinds of preparedness items if you are interested in ordering something.

I hope that has jogged your memory into thinking about emergency preparedness, and some of these gluten free options aren't ideal, but they will keep me alive until I can get back to my Namaste spice cake mix and Frosted Corn Flakes.

Happy packing!

Inspiration from Jamie

2011-04-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

I'm still going on about my Whole Foods finds. I know you're probably wondering how much money I spent there on all of these things. Honestly, I don't even know. It's one of my weaknesses, shopping. And I must admit that as a gluten free eater sometimes when I see a food option I just buy it, no questions asked. You never know when you're going to find your new favorite product because you were willing to try it out for $6.

This find isn't necessarily a food find, but it's just about as good. As I said last week, I was in Whole Foods looking for inspiration. Wandering up and down the aisles is usually what gets the juices flowing for me, but while I was in the checkout line I spied this:A copy of Jamie magazine, UK edition. Jamie Oliver, in case you live in a cave and don't ever watch TV, is an English chef who is all about fresh ingredients and local cuisine. He hosts a show called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution where he goes and tries to help American communities eat healthier. And he makes food look amazing. So talented and knowledgeable, this guy is. I have never actually seen a physical copy of this magazine, ever. I hope that means I don't get out much, but being somewhat of an Anglophile and a foodie, I grabbed it just to see what the food forecast is like across the Atlantic. First and foremost, this is truly a British publication. All of the ads are for UK products, most of which I've never heard of, but some were welcome reminders of old friends. (My favorite cheese, right there in print!)The paper it's printed on is even different. It's a matte finish rather than glossy and a little bit thicker than regular magazine stock. It has beautiful photography and very British recipes. For example, you could learn how to make fish pie (sounds gross to me, but I'm a fish hater...apparently it's a very traditional British dish), damson, pear and walnut muffins (what's a damson, you ask? I think something like a plum, but I'm not even sure about that), cassoulet, or Oxtail stew. One thing that caught my eye were these buckwheat crepes with poached pear and apple cider. They looked like a recipe that I could easily make gluten free, and I'm always looking for ways to use buckwheat that are delicious. (I have failed several times with buckwheat, that's why it's on my radar.)

I'll be honest and say not all of these recipes are ones I would ever make. But that's not the point. The point is that sometimes you need to think about food in a different way than you always think about it when you get bored with what you're eating. Sometimes imagining yourself in another country through the pages of a magazine are just the trick. And sometimes it's just plain fun to read a beautiful magazine that's all about a local cuisine and peek into another culture. Thanks for the trip, Jamie!

Happy eating!

If Corn Comes in Colors, Does It Pop In Color, Too?

2011-04-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Back to business this week. The huge elementary school event is over, and now I can fully focus on food. Which is, of course, my favorite thing to focus on. I have yet another discovery I made at Whole Foods the other day. I saw this bulk package of what looks like Indian Corn popcorn, and I thought my kids would get a kick out of it. I was assuming that even though the kernels were different colors they would all pop up sort of the same color. I've been wrong before, and I was wrong again. Not only do they pop up different shades of yellow and white, they also have a subtle taste difference as well. One is a little more sweet, one is more of a true corn flavor, and one is lighter and fluffier. My kids and I were eagerly watching the air popper to see if they would all come out the same. It was a super fun treat to eat "colored" popcorn together.And here's a little confession of mine: I actually like plain popcorn better than buttery, salty popcorn. I think it's a leftover from childhood, when I would make myself popcorn and be too hungry for it that I wouldn't take the time to melt butter for it. I can eat way more plain popcorn that buttery popcorn, too. Which may not be a good thing, but when I'm in one of those moods to just mindlessly snack on something crunchy, this does the trick for me. No microwave popcorn for me, thanks. And popcorn is one of those "naturally gluten free" foods that I love. No weird ingredients and no new texture or taste to get used to.

I like this corn so much I may never go back to regular! Ok, I probably will because I'm sure I'll run out at some point, but I'll always pick up a bag of this on my Whole Foods trips. Happy eating!

Macey's Cooking Class...I'm So Behind!

2011-04-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight I will be teaching (I use the term loosely) another gluten free cooking class at Macey's Grocery Store in Sandy (7800 South 1300 East) at 7 p.m. I have been super busy putting on a week-long event at our elementary school and I almost forgot to remind everyone out there about it. Stop by and say hi if you're in the area and get a treat. We will be making Gluten free Breakfast Casserole, Gluten Free Blueberry Scones, and Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins...brunch ideas for Easter! See you there!

Need Gluten Free Inspiration? Go Shopping!

2011-04-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last week, I have really been uninspired in the kitchen lately. I know it's just because the seasons are sort of in-between and it's not hot enough for good summer meals but not quite cold enough to sit home and eat stew all day. It seems as though the only thing that's really in season is cauliflower, and I've found my favorite recipe for that one already. So, to jog my imagination and get a few ideas of new things to write about, I took a trip to my nearest Whole Foods. I went with enough time to just wander around the store and read labels, look deeper into the shelves for different things other than my old standbys. It was freeing to think outside of my preconceived box for a while. For those of you who may not know, Whole Foods is like a health-food/natural food grocery store. Everything in it is either organic or natural, and they have a really great selection of gluten free foods that are sometimes hard to find.

I know Whole Foods isn't accessible to everyone, and I'll admit the closest one to me is 20 minutes away, but I'm going to show you some items that I think you could find at the nearest health food store or maybe even a grocery store. If all else fails, I'll try to add information on ordering online, where it's available.I have seen these little square crispy things in the deli several times since I've shopped at Whole Foods, and I've always walked right by without tasting them because they look like crackers. I thought for sure they would have wheat in them, so I didn't even check the label. Well, they looked so good and I was pretty hungry so I checked the label. Guess what's in them? Parmesan cheese. That's it. They bake Parmesan cheese until it turns crispy and cut it up like a cracker. Genius! They are really flavorful, like a really salty crisp cracker, and you can still taste the Parmesan in them. These would probably be really easy to make at home. Giada has an easy recipe for them here. I thought these would be great with a spread or tapenade or some sort of dip. I found this roasted red pepper pesto in the refrigerator section that looked really yummy. It was so good. The ingredients are roasted red peppers, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese, olives, lemon juice, walnuts and parsley, all finely chopped with a food processor until it turns into a great spread. If you have a nut allergy this isn't for you, but you may be able to find an alternative that is nut free. I think I might have even liked the pesto better than the crackers, but they were great together. I love little snacks you can eat in between meals that are flavorful and fill you up enough to tide you over but you don't feel like you are eating junk.

I have a lot of other great finds that I'll be writing about this week. Happy eating!

I'm Dying Here...Conflicted and A Little Nervous

2011-04-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I've officially hit a wall. I have no inspiration and no new recipes to share. Not for a lack of trying, mind you. Last night I made Pasta e Fagioli soup and the reviews were lukewarm, especially from me. The soup had it's little photo shoot and after I ate it I thought, hmm, I wouldn't make this again, so why write about it?

Which leads me to write a post I have been putting off since January. I am terribly conflicted about this bit of information, so I am hesitant to share it. When I finally get to the point, you'll see what I mean.

For my birthday in January we went to a restaurant in Salt Lake City's downtown called Biaggi's. It's in the Gateway shopping center, and my kids love to watch the trains go by and go to the "big city." But the real reason we went there was that I was dying to get my hands on their gluten free menu. They have a full gluten free menu with appetizers through dessert, which is really saying something. Of course I want to support this restaurant, because they are making such an effort to accomodate gluten free eating. However, and this is a personal however, I was disappointed in my experience there. If I express it in list form, it may be easier for you to understand.

Things I Like About Biaggi's:

1. The gluten free food they serve is delicious.
2. They have quite an extensive menu to choose from.
3. The ambience and service was great.
4. I had no concerns about my meal being completely gluten free. My waiter was very careful.

Things I Don't Like About Biaggi's:

1. You have two choices of gluten free pasta: penne and a spinach noodle. Spinach noodles just don't look yummy to me. Green strings in sauce seem a little swampy.
2. I paid $14 for the Chicken Alfredo Penne Pasta. I recieved about 1 cup of pasta with exactly three pieces of chicken in the dish. Although it was yummy, it didn't have quite the value I was expecting.
3. When you order a $14 dish of gluten free pasta, you are only ordering gluten free pasta. No salad, no vegetables, and no dessert. Not that I couldn't have ordered them separately, but it seems cheap to make someone pay for lettuce and oil and vinegar when they are paying $14 for pasta already.
4. Since the only appetizer our table recieved was french bread and dipping sauce, I obviously didn't eat that. But I had a long time to wait before my cup of pasta arrived. Even The Dodo (a small local restaurant) will bring me carrot sticks and celery with hummus when there isn't anything for me to order. But I wasn't sure I wanted to spend $5-$6 on something to tide me over, because I was expecting a lovely, filling dinner.

So, my recommendation is this: Biaggi's is a great gluten free option for lunch, when the prices and portions are smaller, or for people who don't mind paying $25-$30 only for their own dinner. One day when I don't have five children in tow, I may be that person. But I left this restaurant hungry and disappointed. Yet I still want to commend Biaggi's for their gluten free efforts and service. Not many restaurants are there yet. So I want to support them, but I'm not sure I can recommend them carte blanche. I feel the trust I have with my readers is immeasurable, and I would hate to steer you wrong on anything that I myself don't love wholeheartedly. I think Biaggi's can easily get there, and yet they are a family style restaurant, where everything is ordered separately. If you know ahead of time what to expect, I think you'll be pleased. But going in with high expectations is a recipe for disappointment. You can have the gluten free world on a platter here, but you just have to pay for it.

There. I did it. Can you see the conflict? Can you see why I waited 4 months to write about it? Biaggi's, I love you and I don't. But I can't send my readers to you without giving them a completely honest review of what to expect there. My relationship with them is just too important.

Happy eating!

It's Good to Be the Mrs.

2011-04-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

I got a set of these darling little measuring spoons at Alt Design Summit in my swag bag, and I can't bring myself to remove the cute little tag on them. It was too perfect that my name was attached to a cooking thing at a blog conference. If you would like to buy some for yourself or as a gift, you can find them here. No April foolin'.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Chicken Ranch Mac and Cheese

2011-03-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

Apparently I'm obsessed with pasta lately. My daughter made mention of the fact last night as I was hemming and hawing about what I should put on my weekly menu plan. She said, and I quote, "Not pasta! Please not any pasta! I'm so sick of it." Well, miss high and mighty, why don't you come up with a quick dinner for seven that is budget friendly and everyone will eat, hmm? I digress.I definitely have my favorites when it comes to gluten free pasta. I like the Annie's Gluten Free Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese because it reminds me of the Velveeta one. You know, the one that is super creamy and has the huge shell pasta in it? I used to love those. Nowadays I buy super cheap Western Family macaroni and cheese for everyone else, and for the last few months I have seen a recipe they have on the back of their box for Chicken Ranch Mac and Cheese that I have glanced at and thought, I wonder if that's any good. Last night I took the plunge and decided to try it with my Annie's Mac and Cheese.

All I did was make the pasta according to the directions on the package, then I added 1 small can of white meat chicken, 1/2 chopped tomato, and 2 T of Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing. If I had had any green onions I would have added those, too. It tasted so good to me I couldn't wait until lunch today to eat some. So I had more last night before bed! I love that this small addition makes the dish have more protein, some vegetables, and the ranch taste complements the cheese sauce really well. Quick and easy dinners? I'll take it every time.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Superfood Salad...The Jury is Out

2011-03-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

I have been reading up a lot on nutrient-dense foods, and the same few foods keep coming up in the articles. Kale, cranberries, edamame, quinoa, and other deep, dark foods are high on the list for vitamins, protein, and fiber. Some even go as far as to call them "superfoods." And kale must be really high on the list (or really trendy), because almost every food magazine I've looked at in the last six months has had at least one recipe with kale as an ingredient. I'll be honest. I've never tried kale before. It's not that expensive and it looks really great in the produce aisle. The epitome of a dark, leafy green. But really, kale is gross. I sauteed it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice, which would make any vegetable I've ever eaten taste delicious. Kale? Not so much. It basically tastes like dirt. This is coming from a girl who loves brussels sprouts, people. But it's supposed to be so good for you! Now I know how people who hate broccoli feel when their mom makes them eat it. One day I was in the kitchen and I thought I'd experiment a little bit with some quinoa because it is such a great grain to eat. I thought I'd make some up and eat it for lunch throughout the week. A brainstorm that included kale ensued, and here is the saga as follows:

1. I put 1 1/2 cups quinoa and 1 can of chicken stock + enough water to get it to the "2" line into my rice cooker. On top of that I added a handful of chopped kale and diced onion.

2. After it was done cooking in the rice cooker, I added some frozen edamame and let it steam in the rice cooker with the lid on for a few minutes, just enough to get it thawed and warm.

3. When I tasted it, it was pretty good, but I thought that the unexpected addition of some dried cranberries would round out the dish.

Here's what I did right with the salad: a) I used really delicious versions of highly nutritious foods. b) I steamed the heck out of the kale, which made it actually palatable (the chicken flavor was probably the reason). c)I love edamame in any dish, and the tangy cranberries were a great surprise.

Here's what I think this recipe needs to be stellar: a) This dish tastes really salty to me. I think less chicken stock would solve that problem. I'm just not sure how much yet. b) I'm sure the steaming of the kale for so long removed any possible trace of nutrition from it, so what's the point of adding kale? c)Although I was really proud of myself for adding these ingredients together because they are so good for me, the flavor is incomplete in my opinion. It needs some sort of herb/spice mixture added to the mix, or red peppers or Mrs. Dash or something. It's a work in progress.

All in all, it wasn't a total loss. I did eat it, reheated, for three days for lunch, so that's saying something! What about you? Have you cooked with quinoa or kale and come up with a winning recipe, if so, leave a comment telling us about it. I'm sure all of us would like to try it!

Happy eating!

How to Make Gluten Free "Okie" Gravy

2011-03-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

I don't actually know the technical name for this kind of gravy. My mom's friend from Oklahoma had us out to visit one time and her mother made this gravy for a big family dinner, and forever after it's been Okie gravy. I hope that's not offensive or anything. We love our Okies, and it's way easier than saying Oklahomans.

Anyway, I was showing my 12 year old how to make gravy the other night, and it dawned on me that a lot of people probably don't know how to make gravy or are afraid to because they might mess up. I decided to show how I do it and, to ease your anxiety, I'm going to also point out all the things I did wrong when I made this here batch that I took pictures of. Perfect gravy is elusive, but imperfect gravy can still complement a meal.

First of all, I made a batch of pork chops that I breaded in egg and Dr. Schar's gluten free bread crumbs with a little salt and pepper. I usually brown them on both sides in some canola oil and then turn the heat to low, cover them, and steam until the pork is cooked through. I turn them once during cooking. When you remove the meat from the pan, the leftover drippings are the flavor base for the gravy. Heat the oil/drippings over medium heat until they start bubbling.Mistake #1: I used too much oil in the pan when I browned the chops. I should have taken out a couple of teaspoons of it so the gravy wasn't too greasy. Oh, well.

Next, you need to get the little browned bits of meat off the bottom of the pan so they can make the gravy flavorful and delicious. This is called deglazing the pan. This can be done with whatever liquid you want to make the bulk of the gravy with, such as water, wine, stock, or in this case, milk. I added one cup of milk and whisked the bottom of the pan to get the drippings to release. Heat this mixture to a boil.

Get out your Kingsford's cornstarch and add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of water in a mug or liquid measuring cup. You just need something with a handle so you can whisk and pour at the same time. Mix them together until the cornstarch is dissolved. This is called a roux. Pour a little bit of the roux into the gravy and whisk it constantly while it's boiling and see if it gets thick enough. If not, add a little more until you get the consistency you desire.
Mistake #2: I added all the cornstarch mixture because I wasn't focused on the gravy, I was focused on the boys fighting over the XBox in the other room. The gravy was too thick.There are two things most people forget to do when they are making gravy. One, they stop whisking and it gets lumpy. Two, they forget to taste it. Taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper until it meets your standards.
Mistake #3: Because I used too much oil to begin with, it diluted the flavor of the drippings so the gravy was a little weak.
However, I fixed my last two mistakes by adding a little bit more milk to make the gravy thinner, and I added 1/2 teaspoon of Chicken Better Than Boullion and that brought the flavor right up to where it needed to be. Imperfect gravy, still delicious. You can see in this picture how thick the gravy is on my potatoes. But I don't mind it thick as long as it tastes good.

I hope this helps someone out there who has been gravy-phobic until now. You can do it! Gravy awaits you! Happy eating!

Gluten Free Hamburger Casserole...So Good When You Feel Not So Good

2011-03-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

This may come as a shock to some of you, but I love me some good comfort food. Okay, maybe that's not a shock. Casseroles, one-pot meals, crock pots, a-can-of-this and a-can-of-that, it all makes me happy. I Actually, when I hear the words comfort food, I think of easy meals that you wouldn't be afraid to eat at home in your sweats with your hair pulled up in a ponytail and no makeup. Which is exactly what I looked like when I made this easy and yummy crock pot dinner. I am still not quite on my A-game yet, and after being sick for 16 days now, my family was really excited to eat something, anything, that wasn't microwaveable. My husband even liked it, which is a plus. (Apparently he hates my alfredo sauce but is too scared to tell me.)

I used to love eating Hamburger Helper's Potatoes Stroganoff back in the gluten days (yes, I proudly admit that Hamburger Helper was part of my cooking repertoire), and I really wanted to make something gluten free that tasted like it. This was my warm and satisfying solution.

Some folks will scoff at the ingredients in this dish and say it's too lowbrow to be considered for a food blog. Some people will think this dish looks terrible and probably tastes worse. Some people might not find the appeal in potatoes and soup cooked in hamburger all day. I disagree. All gluten free foods, including canned green beans, can have a place at the table. Who doesn't want a fast, easy way to make a delicious dinner that fills you up? And the gluten free types, we don't care so much if it's fancy, we just care if it's not toxic! And as anyone with any kind of a budget will attest, finding a way to make a package of hamburger appealing is the grand adventure for families all over America. So anyway, here's the recipe for Gluten Free Hamburger Casserole, done up right in the crock pot.

Gluten Free Hamburger Casserole
adapted from the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

1 1/2 pounds browned hamburger
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 onion, sliced
dash of salt and pepper
1 can of green beans with the juice
1 can Progresso Creamy Mushroom soup (in Utah, only available at Smith's)

Layer the browned hamburger in the bottom of the crock pot. Top with the potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Pour green beans and juice over all. Pour soup over green beans. Cook on low for 5 hours. Serve with Gluten Free Biscuits Supreme.

I cooked mine in the crock pot for about 6 hours and the potatoes were a tad overdone, but crock pot cooking times vary so check your potatoes at 5 hours and if they aren't quite done cook another hour. I ate this heated up for lunch today and it was just as good as the night before. That, if anything, makes me feel better.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Biscuits Supreme

2011-03-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I really get a hankering for biscuits. My mom used to make them for Sunday dinner and they always made me feel like all was right in the world. We'd slather our homemade raspberry jam on them and time would just stop. When I want to make gluten free biscuits I usually use a mix from 123 Gluten Free, but I was out, so I decided to attempt to make some from scratch. I turned, of course, to the Bible of cooking,
the Better Homes and Gardens Red and White Cookbook. I adapted one of their recipes that used, of all things, cream of tartar in the dough. I figured I'd give it a try because I've failed much worse in the kitchen, believe me.

I used my food processor to mix the dry ingredients together, cut in the cold butter, and add the milk. I pulsed it until it came to a ball, then kneaded and rolled it out just like regular biscuits. When they were finished baking I was amazed at how HIGH they got! Look at those layers! That cream of tartar must be a secret ingredient because I've never made any gluten free biscuits that look like this. I adapted the recipe to use more liquid, since gluten free flours have a slower rate of absorption and tend to get dry if they don't have extra liquid. Here's the super easy and fast recipe:

Gluten Free Biscuits Supreme
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

2 cups Grandpa's Kitchen gluten free flour
1 T baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk
extra gf flour for rolling out dough

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once. If mixture looks too crumbly and dry, add 1-2 more tablespoons of milk until it comes together into a ball. Remove dough from food processor and knead together a few times on a floured surface to make a ball. Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin to 1/2 ". Cut with a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Makes about 10 biscuits.

I served these with a new crock pot recipe I tried that was pure comfort food. I'll post on that one Wednesday. Of course I froze my leftovers individually in Ziploc sandwich bags to heat up later.

Happy eating!

An Easy Gluten Free Snack for a Crowd

2011-03-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

I seem to get myself into all kinds of situations where I happen to be in charge of parties. Events, activities, get-togethers, what have you. It's so fun and I really love putting on a good shindig, but sometimes I can find myself getting stumped when it comes to treats. Especially for a crowd. That's why I like being in CHARGE of the event, not just a helper, because whenever possible I like to tailor the event to the food I want to serve. I know, that's so bratty, but seriously, it's like when you design a room: find the fabric first, then match the paint to the fabric. It's way easier, I tell you.

So a few weeks ago, I was in charge of a little activity for our church Primary, which is full of children who love a good time. It was a reward of sorts, so we got to do something fun instead of listen to boring old lessons the whole time. I put together a "Popcorn Party" where we watched a church video and everyone got a popcorn snack. We turned the lights off just like in the movie theater. This seems so simple to us adults but the kids thought it was so fun. One reason I wanted to do popcorn is that we have a couple of kids who have peanut allergies and some adults who are gluten free and I wanted to do something that would be safe for everyone. Another plus? I used air-popped popcorn and buttered and salted it myself. It cost way less than microwave popcorn, and I like the flavor of homemade popcorn better anyway. I think I spent $5 on popcorn for 60, bags included. For the labels, I just found some clip art on Microsoft office, added the text in a cute font, printed them on cardstock, and punched them out with my scallop punch. Then once the bags were full I just stapled them onto the bags after I folded them over. Cheap and easy, and the kids thought it was so cool to eat popcorn at church. What's that, you ask? Of course I had to vacuum afterwards! It's cheap and easy but definitely messy!

Happy eating!

I Still Have a Sore Throat...and I'm Still Not Cooking

2011-03-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Sick, sick, sick. Whatever type of plague decided to descend upon my house has apparently decided that this is a great environment to grow and prosper in. Subsequently, my appetite has gotten up and walked away with my good health. I'm realizing how essential a sense of taste is for creating a food blog, and sadly, I'm not too inspired in the kitchen right now because all I want is some Advil and a piece of toast.Recently I've been eating a lot of Udi's Whole Grain Gluten Free Bread and Udi's White Sandwich Bread with butter, cinnamon and sugar and a mug of Throat Coat tea to start my day. Obviously it's not a super-vitamin-packed meal, but it's all I can stomach for now. I'm just glad there's something I can eat that is gluten free that takes less than 10 minutes to make, eat, and clean up.

So, I thought it might be fun while I am semi-incapable of creating and photographing new recipes to hear from you about what your favorite recipes are. Do you have a simple, tasty, and most importantly, gluten free recipe you can share? You can leave a comment with a permalink to a post if you have your own blog or if it's simple enough, leave the recipe in the comments section. My family is dying for your ideas. They are getting tired of microwaveable dinners and Gatorade.

Here's to good health and the promise of a better day! Happy eating!

Super Easy Gluten Free Pasta Alfredo with Seafood

2011-03-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

Ugh. Sickness. Everywhere I turn there's sickness in my house. Four of the seven people who live here are sick, including me. I have spent the last three days in my bed, which normally would make me really happy, but when I feel this terrible it's just not worth it. So that explains the lack of posting this week. Sorry, but sometimes life intervenes with blogging.

And sometimes life intervening causes creativity to surge, if only for a moment. When I started feeling like I was coming down with something, I thought I could make a simple pasta dish for dinner that would take 15 minutes, tops. As the noodles were boiling I realized three things. One, I had no alfredo sauce or Prego sauce in my pantry. Hmmm, how about a scratch sauce? No cream in the fridge, either, and not much milk because I hadn't been to the store for a few days. Sometimes scrounging in the pantry produces great results. I found a can of evaporated milk and a can of tiny shrimp. I had just enough Gruyere cheese left over in the fridge from another recipe to make a sauce. Whew, that was a close one. What could have been a dinner disaster turned out to be a delicious variation of one of our favorites. I thought it tasted divine, and I cooked some more noodles and added the leftover sauce the next day for lunch and it was just as good as the day I made it. Here's the super easy recipe:

Gluten Free Easy Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1 cup evaporated milk
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 T parsley
1 can drained tiny shrimp
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add milk and garlic and cook over medium heat until just below boiling, stirring constantly. Add cheese and parsley and stir until melted. Add shrimp and peas and heat through. Serve over Tinkyada Gluten Free Noodles.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Pei Wei Love!

2011-02-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

A confession: I'm addicted to the Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls at Pei Wei. I have them on my cell phone's phone book and I call them on my way to pick up my daughter from preschool and voila! Lunch for the lunch hater any time. This is a regular occurrence and apparently they save your order by phone number and they know what you ordered the last time you called in. I always make sure to order them gluten free (which just means they give you the gluten free dipping sauce because the wraps themselves are gluten free) and they've gotten it right every single time. Convenient for them but semi creepy if you ask me that they know what I'm going to order. Anyway, I always forget to look in the bag when I get take out at Pei Wei. I can't eat the fortune cookies and there's no reason to get the soy sauce packets out either. Well, as luck would have it, I just dumped out the whole bag the other day to get a napkin and out popped these packets of gluten free tamari sauce from San-J. What? When did they start to make these? And how great is it that Pei Wei cares enough to order them and remember to put them in my gluten free lunch bag? Good times and good customer service, if you ask me.

Happy eating!

A Chocolate Chip Cookie Trick

2011-02-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

I love making Brian's Toll House Cookie Recipe with my Grandpa's Kitchen flour when I'm in the mood for a cookie. The other day I was talking to my friend Anna who can just make up a recipe from thin air and a can of beans about them and telling her she needed to buy a scoop to make cookies with so they all turn out the same size and it is way faster. She went "pfft" and said to roll the dough into little balls between your hands because it makes a little crust on the outside and the cookies are soft and tender on the inside when you bake them that way. Of course I poo-poohed the idea when we were on the phone (I am, after all, an expert baker.) but secretly I was intrigued, so I tried it. Guess what? She's right. And I hate it when she's right. So try this method next time you're making chocolate chip gluten free cookies. It works. Grumble.

Happy eating!

An I Love New York Birthday Party...How to Accomodate a Gluten Free Guest

2011-02-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

My daughter turned 12 a couple of weeks ago, and we had an I Love New York party for her. I normally don't post a lot about my non-cooking adventures, but I wanted to share about this party we did because we had a little girl come who has celiac disease, and I wanted to make sure she could come and enjoy herself without feeling uncomfortable about the food. Lucky for her it was me throwing the party and I already have a pantry stocked with gluten free goodies. But anyone can make these small changes to a party menu for a gluten free guest.

First of all, I have to brag about our party plan. What can you do at an I Love New York party if you're 12? We ate dinner first: spaghetti eaten with chopsticks, to salute two dominant cultures of the city...Italian and Asian. I made some Tinkyada noodles for our gluten free girl and the sauce was gluten free. I also made a simple green salad (all the girls ate this, and I was surprised! Usually salad is frowned upon in this age bracket.) and garlic french bread, which our guest didn't eat but didn't seem too upset about. Root Beer and Sprite rounded out the menu. So far so good. We had mini-New York Cheesecakes for dessert in these giant muffin liners. I used this recipe for the filling and crushed up graham crackers and melted butter and pressed a spoonful in the bottom for a little mini cheesecake, then refrigerated them for about 4 hours. I just left the crust out for my gluten free girl and marked her first initial on the liners so no one would mistakenly take them. I could have easily used some Smoreables from Kinnikinnick for a crust, but I was all out so I just left it plain.

For the birthday cake, we wanted cupcakes, so my awesomely tech-savvy friend JoLayna made me some cupcake toppers with New York-themed icons on them. I kept it cheap and just used a Betty Crocker mix from the store and tinted the vanilla canned frosting Statue of Liberty green.I used this recipe to make some chocolate cupcakes that were gluten free and put them in a different colored liner so they would be easy to keep separate. They were also huge because I had to use my jumbo muffin tins, but I didn't mind that and neither did our friend! I frosted and decorated them the same so that they weren't that noticeably different from everyone else's. I know it's kind of a pain to make an extra batch of cupcakes for one kid, but if you're good friends with their mom and you want to be generous you could send some of them home with them. Or give them to a gluten free co-worker or neighbor. These actually taste great so you might just eat them yourself!

I also had big red apples out for decorations or snacks on all the tables. (Get it? The Big Apple?) We used black, red, and white with a little bit of Statue of Liberty green. I made tissue paper pom poms a la Martha and hung them from the lights in the dining room and the kitchen.These pictures are all pre-party so the serving plates were empty, but during the party I filled them with garlic bread and cheesecakes. The girls played all sorts of games, like splitting into teams and dressing each other like the Statue of Liberty using toilet paper, making up a dance to Sinatra's New York, New York, and designing a dress for Fashion Week with paper and markers. The prizes for the winners were candy bars. Then we watched "You've Got Mail" and had hot chocolate and popcorn, both of which are naturally gluten free. It was basically all about eating, but that's what kids like to do together at this age. We had a great time and I don't think anyone had a bad night, especially our friend with a food allergy. I sent each girl home with a gift bag filled with a big red apple, Hershey kisses, a "New" York peppermint patty, a bouquet of sharpened pencils, and a light blue box from Tiffany's (not really but it looked like it) with a ring inside...a ring pop, but still a ring.

For more birthday ideas like these, check out The TomKat Studio's blog at her new website. She is the master and my photos don't even compare to theirs, but you get the idea. It's easy to make a party fun and even allergy free with just a little bit of forethought.

Happy eating and party on!

What Can You Do With Udi's?

2011-02-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

I have been talking for a while about how much I love Udi's Whole Grain Gluten Free Bread. I've used it for sandwiches, crumb topping on casseroles, breakfast, and heavenly lunch breaks. Last time I checked, I've bought more Udi's than most people in Utah. (Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but I'm in the top 10 for sure.) I'm so excited to let you all know that Udi's contacted me a few weeks ago about being a community ambassador for them. I really love their products and I'm happy to be working with such a great gluten free company. What this means is that if there are gluten free events going on in our area, there's a chance I'll be there to help promote Udi's products in our community. They sent me a whole box of their gluten free foods to try and I have to admit, I was expecting two loaves of bread, but it turns out there's a whole slew of good stuff from Udi's. For example, did you know Udi's has a whole line of gluten free granolas? Cranberry, Vanilla, Banana Nut (Original), and Au Natural flavors are available. They also make delicious breakfast muffins. Check out the blueberry one with streusel topping at the top of the post. Pizza crusts? Is it true? I can't wait to try these on family pizza night. Bagels! Hello...I already had lunch with one of the whole grain beauties the other day: Tomato, Canadian Bacon, and Gruyere Cheese melted under the broiler. Mmm, mmm, good. With all of these products I've noticed the same thing: delicious gluten free foods in or out of the freezer. And they taste so much like the gluten versions it's amazing. Seriously, bakery fresh taste and gluten free, anytime you need it. Check out Udi's website and find out where you can buy their products and see what's available.

Don't worry, I'm still reviewing and buying new gluten free products all the time. You can count on me to find new, accessible, and delicious gluten free foods from everywhere possible, including Udi's but not excluding others.

What's your favorite Udi's product? Do you have a recipe you use it with? Leave me a comment and let me know...maybe I'll make it and feature it on the blog!

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Cereal...What's Your Favorite?

2011-02-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Glutino,

Please send me one case of your Gluten Free Frosted Corn Flakes. That is all.

Margo

P.S. I don't normally love the gluten free cereals that are out there. Some of them are alright, but this one is my favorite one that isn't a mainstream brand. What's your favorite gluten free cereal made by a gluten free only manufacturer? Leave a comment and let us know! Happy eating!

Flirty Apron Winner!

2011-02-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all my dear readers! I hope today you have a little bit of something sweet, a little bit of love, and a little bit of kindness come your way!

And, drum roll please....the winner of the Flirty Aprons giveaway is...

Angelina with the sassy red hair!

Congratulations! Email me your address and which apron you'd like to receive from Flirty Aprons and I'll get that sent right out to you! I noticed they just added some new designs over the weekend, so if you didn't win, head over and check them out. At under $30, it could be your Valentine's gift to yourself!

Happy cooking and happy eating!

A Valentine's Giveaway...Flirty Aprons!

2011-02-11T08:35:00.001-08:00

Aprons could save the world. I'm serious. Do you know how many laundry disasters have been averted by aprons? I am forever putting holes in my t-shirts from where my jeans rub against the counter when I do dishes or cook. *That shows how short I really am!* But when I wear my apron my shirts are blissfully hole-less. I have a really cute everyday apron I wear all the time:

Those are my cute teenager types that live here. It's hard to see in this picture but I ordered it from this little danish internet site because I couldn't live without that fabric. But aprons can be a great fashion statement as well. (Have you noticed the blog header? That illustrated apron is to die for!)

Usually when I cook on TV or teach a class there's one thing you can be sure of: I will be wearing some sort of sassy apron that goes somewhat with the seasons. Understand that when I say seasonal I don't mean a screen-printed Rudolph or pumpkins and vines on them. Nooooo. I mean cute fabric with contrasting ties in colors that either remind me of a holiday or fabric that I can't turn away from. Here are a few examples: Me with the Harmon's guys, Bob and Randy, at Thanksgiving at Good Things Utah Me at the KJZZ studio in March (photo credit by Billy DeMong--gold medalist!) Yet another fun time in the summer at Good Things Utah (apron from The Pleated Poppy)

Lucky for you, this weekend you'll have a chance to win your very own sassy apron that you will look terrific in while you're cooking up a gluten free storm in your kitchen! Our friends at Flirty Aprons of CSN Stores are giving away one apron to a lucky Off the Wheaten Path reader. All you have to do is tell me which apron you like and why. Click here to see the full line of aprons. You have until Monday, February 14 at noon MST to enter. Winners will be announced shortly after 12. Enter now, you don't want to miss out on these cute aprons! Here are some of my favorite ones. I love a classic vintage cherry pattern. This is sophisticated but cute at the same time. Red and white for Valentine's! Who doesn't love a cute cupcake pattern? I am a sucker for brown and blue together. I love the mix of fabrics here. Get over to Flirty Aprons and leave me a comment today! And while you're at it, if you're bored and need something fun to look at for your kids, check out these swing sets from CSN Stores at swingsetsandmore.com.

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy apron shopping!

Crazy for Chocolate: A Review

2011-02-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

image from marthastewart.com
Since we are crazy for chocolate this week, I thought it might be fun to revisit some of the fun chocolate recipes we've done at Off the Wheaten Path in the last couple of years. Here's some of my favorites:

Brownies with Millet Flour
Chocolate Cake with German Chocolate Frosting
Whoopie Pies
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Chocolate Covered Pretzels

I'm also really wanting to learn how to make a simple chocolate recipe with a fancy name: ganache. It's just chocolate and cream melted together and poured over a cake, but I'm still intimidated. Head on over to Martha Stewart's website where they have a great tutorial on how to make ganache. image from marthastewart.com

Don't forget tonight at 7 p.m. I'll be teaching all about gluten free chocolate recipes at Macey's in Sandy, 7800 South and 1300 East!

Happy eating!

Crazy for Chocolate: Quick Chocolate Fudge

2011-02-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just need chocolate in its purest most unadulterated form. Sometimes people just really need a piece of fudge to get on with the day. I used to always make the recipe on the back of the Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme jar, but when I married my husband, his mom, a certified chocoholic, had this great easy fudge recipe that I liked a lot better. The current debate is: nuts or no nuts? I happen to love walnuts in the fudge. It makes it taste more substantial to me. Some people like almonds, pecans, or even pistachios in their fudge. It's up to you. Plain or with nuts, this fudge tastes great. And it's naturally gluten free! No special ingredients necessary.Quick Chocolate Fudge

1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/3 cup evaporated milk
3 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate for this recipe)
2 t vanilla
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup nuts

Line an 8x8x2 pan with Saran Wrap. (This comes in handy later.) In a heavy pan, stir the Karo syrup and milk together. Add chocolate chips and cook over medium low heat until chips are melted. Stir constantly so chocolate doesn't seize. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Fold in nuts. Turn into the lined pan and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. When set, remove from pan and wrap in Saran Wrap and store in refrigerator. Cut into squares when ready to serve.This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy chocolate. I love the creamy texture of this fudge and the meaty walnut flavor. Depending on my mood, it lasts for about a week in the fridge. Enjoy some chocolate with someone you love this week!

Happy eating!

Macey's Februrary Gluten Free Cooking Class

2011-02-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Coming up this Thursday, February 10, I will be at the Sandy Macey's on 7800 South and 1300 East again for another Gluten Free Cooking Class in the Little Theater. Classes are free and this time I will be going over some of my favorite gluten free chocolate recipes! Come if you can and say hi to me! We will be making and eating some great treats. Call the store at 801-255-4888 to sign up.

Happy eating!

Crazy for Chocolate: Renee's Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-02-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

Since next week Valentine's Day will be upon us, I thought it would be fun to share some fun chocolate recipes to get us all in the mood. I'm pretty much in the mood for chocolate once every month, but everyone's in the mood for chocolate on February 14th!

I know some excellent people, I'm here to say, and most of them will share the gluten free recipes they've come up with for the good of mankind. They know I'm going to write about them after I test them, so they only give me the good stuff. Much like my friend, Renee, who is just good stuff inside. For example, her son-in-law has celiac disease and she cooks all kinds of special things just for him when he comes to visit with her daughter. That is above and beyond if you ask me. One of the things she came up with was a simple and delicious variation of chocolate cupcakes. It makes the most divinely moist and delicious cupcakes that are the perfect foil to an easy cream cheese frosting. Here's the recipe:

Renee's Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker gluten free chocolate cake mix

1 small box Great Value brand (Walmart brand) instant chocolate pudding mix (all pudding mixes are not gluten free – we have checked these out so if you are using another brand, please check first!)

2/3 cup half and half

½ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are combined. Mix on medium speed for 2 more minutes. Fill cupcake holders with approximately 3 Tablespoons of batter (little more than half full) and bake per box instructions (around 22 minutes). Do not over bake or they will be dry. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

1 6 ounce package of softened cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until incorporated. Scrape bowl and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well.

Happy eating!

Boo...I Hate Failing in the Kitchen!

2011-02-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Needless to say I am not amused by the Steelers performance yesterday. Everything fell apart like the flourless chocolate cake I tried to bake yesterday. Somehow it wasn't baked even after 10 minutes longer than the suggested cooking time. I hate wasting ingredients! If there's one thing eating gluten free has taught me, it's that ingredients are precious and you never want to waste them, because sometimes it's a half an hour in the car to get back to the special store to buy more. But I did laugh pretty hard at the Eminem Brisk ad, so the day wasn't a total loss. Anyone out there know why my cake didn't work? I beat the egg whites, I melted the chocolate, maybe I made a mistake and that was why it failed.

I also made this fruit dip yesterday, which everyone says is SOOO good, and I kind of thought, meh. It's the one where you just beat together one softened stick of cream cheese and one jar of marshmallow fluff. It needed more Ooomph in the flavor department but I didn't know what. I am officially calling for help: has anyone made this dip and discovered the magic ingredient that makes it taste super great? Ginger? Lemon? Vanilla? What is it?

There's always next year!
Happy eating!

Gluten Free Lemon Wafer Bars

2011-02-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what to really call these, but once you read through the recipe, you'll get why I called them that. My friend Shannon cooks for her gluten free husband all the time and makes a chocolate version of these that I'll tell you about in a minute. She told me the super easy recipe and of course the wheels started turning in my head of how I could make these into a lemon confection worthy of Super Bowl partying. Because my world revolves around lemon. Here's how I did it:

Gluten Free Lemon Wafer Bars

1 stick of butter
1 package Glutino Lemon Wafer cookies
2 cups coconut
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a microwaveable bowl and cook until melted, about 1 minute. Place wafer cookies in a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour butter into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, cover with cookie crumbs and spread evenly. Add coconut over top, then white chocolate chips. Drizzle condensed milk over the top. Grate zest directly onto the top of the milk, trying to cover most of the cookies. Drizzle lemon juice over the top of the milk. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into squares.

I died a slow lemon death when I tasted these. Chewy, tangy and creamy all in one bite. Want to make these in the chocolate version? Use Glutino Chocolate wafers covered in chocolate and semisweet or milk chocolate chips and omit the lemon zest and juice. It's like a chocolate bomb went off in your mouth. Try these for your Super Bowl snacking. They're the perfect gluten free bite sized sweet treat!

Happy eating! Go Steelers!

Gluten Free Super Bowl Ro-Tel-A-Mole and Divine Dipping

2011-02-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

I happen to be the world's biggest avocado fan. I always eat it when it's available. You know when you order something like an omelet and it's like a garnish? I always embarrass myself and order extra. I just love their buttery flavor and I completely ignore the fact that there's tons of fat in them. I always tell myself it's good fat, right? Anyway, I have a standard guacamole recipe I usually make, and I also usually don't mess with a good thing. But in the interest of the Super Bowl and the inevitable dipping that will be going on, I thought I'd try something a little different and see how I liked it. I don't like to use the flavor packets unless they're something from the Dippy Chick which I know is gluten free. For those of you who don't know, this is Ro-Tel:Canned tomatoes and chiles that are spicy and delicious. I buy mild but they have hot as well, if you like it extra spicy. You could also use a spoonful of this Green Mountain Gringo salsathat I found at Whole Foods today while I was buying these El Milagro Corn Chipswhich are known around these parts as, "the best chips, mom." They are the extra thin, salty corn chips like they serve at restaurants. Mmm. Good stuff, Maynard. So good, in fact, that I bought two bags of these: one for the children and one for me. Just kidding. But seriously. I did.

Super Bowl Ro-Tel-A-Mole
1 avocado, pitted and mashed
1 large spoonful of Ro-Tel tomatoes and chiles
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste
pinch of salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Mix all together and eat with corn chips.

And here's what I'll be doing with the rest of the can of Ro-Tel: Adding it to a block of Velveeta and melting it together to make Famous queso dip! Seriously, Ro-Tel plus Velveeta. That's it. I read the label tonight and it says it just has milk and none of the other ingredients look like wheat ones to me. I checked their website and sure enough, gluten free and good to go. For some reason I have been operating under the assumption that Velveeta had wheat in it. I swear it used to when I first started reading labels 8 years ago. Does anyone remember that or know for sure that they've changed ingredients? Leave me a comment about it so I don't go crazy! But I love finding out I can eat foods I once thought I couldn't eat!

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Super Bowl Chex Mix

2011-02-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

I asked my friend Cody what was the one Super Bowl Snack he missed the most now that he couldn't eat gluten. His answer? The Classic Chex Mix. Good call. I knew there was a pretty good possibility that I could make that gluten free, and I have not one but two choices for you. The first one was really simple and easy, it's the Chili and Garlic Snack Mix from the folks at Chex. I like this mixture because a)it's a gluten free recipe already, b) it has popcorn in it, which is one of my favorites, and c)it only bakes in the oven for 15 minutes, so you're in and out of the kitchen in no time. It is a tad more spicy, but still really tasty. Click here for the recipe from Chex.I still really wanted to try that Original Chex Party Mix and make it gluten free myself, and since I'm the only one who will eat it I halved the recipe and made some minor adjustments. There's not too much here that's different from the original recipe, like I omitted the Wheat Chex (duh) and the bagel chips (double duh), I don't like mixed nuts so I just used almonds and peanuts, and the spice amounts are a little different, but I thought I would post my changes here instead of having you flip back and forth from my site to the Chex site to see the difference. Cross your fingers that the Chex police don't find me.

Gluten Free Original Chex Party Mix

1 1/2 cups Corn Chex
1 1/2 cups Rice Chex
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup peanuts
1 cup Ener-G Gluten Free pretzels
3 T butter, melted
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Mix cereal, nuts and pretzels in a large microwave safe bowl. Add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce to melted butter and pour over the cereal mixture. Toss to coat well. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir well. Microwave 2 more minutes, stir again. (At this point, mine was done, but if it's still not browned you could add 1 more minute in the microwave.) Spread out onto paper towels to cool. Store in an airtight container. Oh my heck, I just discovered that there's a Lemon Buddies Chex recipe. You know I'm going to have to make that one next! I also really want to try a recipe I've had before that has corn Chex, coconut, and it seems like corn syrup or something holding it all together. Anyone out there have a link to that recipe? Happy eating and Go Steelers!

Gluten Free Super Bowl Sliders

2011-01-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

I look forward to the (ads on the) Super Bowl every year, but this year we are really excited around here because the Steelers are back! If you love Green Bay, sorry. Don't stop reading. I also get really excited about the Super Bowl food that you get to eat, which is almost like a total junk food binge, but I always see great little recipes and ads in the paper for Super Bowl snacks that I wish I could eat but most of them are full of gluten. Which makes me mad, but only for about 10 seconds. Since I like to cook anyway, I love coming up with great party food for one really fun day out of the year. I posted some other great recipes last year, like Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Strawberries with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar, and Hearty Chili. I have a great easy recipe based on one of Rachael Ray's that makes about 16 delicious mini burgers called sliders. Come to think of it, I don't even have a clue as to why they named mini hamburgers sliders. Is it because they are easy to slide down your gullet? That is a great question for someone to Google.

To start, I made some hamburger buns using Grandpa's Kitchen bread mix and I put little handfuls of rolled dough into muffin tins to see if that would help them keep the bun shape while they were rising. It worked, and the buns were pretty good, although I guessed on the baking time (25 minutes) and I think they baked about 5 minutes too long. So check the buns at around 20 minutes and see if they're ready to come out. I'm not so good with the yeast breads and I would really love to perfect the art of baking gluten free yeast dough. Maybe that's my new resolution. I'm dying to try the Cheese Bread Mania gluten free buns to see if it's good with the cheesy flavor.

Then I took 2 1/2 pounds of hamburger and added 1/3 cup of A-1 sauce, and one packet of onion soup mix, which now I have to make by hand with this recipe. It says to use 5 tablespoons of the mix to equal one packet. I mixed it all together in a huge bowl with my hands and then patted it out in a greased 9x13 pan. I baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. (I checked it at 12 minutes, which the recipe calls for, but the meat was still raw. At 15 minutes it was just a bit pink in the middle. Cook it until you feel comfortable with the meat's doneness.) When you take this out of the oven, be careful, because the fat from the meat will be hot and bubbly and you'll have to carefully pull it out so as not to burn yourself. I used one of those basters to suck the fat out of the pan. Then I cut it with a pizza cutter into squares (so cute) sized to fit onto my buns. I got about 16 patties out of this batch. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make all the patty batter for everyone and they can use little dinner rolls and you can put a little patty on your own gluten free buns just like the rest of the world. For the toppings, I sliced roma tomatoes, because they are small and cute for the mini burgers, tore some romaine lettuce into small chunks, used the small rings of a red onion, and cut pre-sliced cheese into fourths and let people have at it with the ketchup and deli mustard. You could use arugula instead of lettuce if you wanted to. I served them with some homemade fries, which were really simple to make.

Homemade Fries
1.Peel 4 potatoes and slice into steak fries. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
2.Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse kosher salt to taste. Toss to coat.
3.Roast for 45 minutes-1 hour in a 400 degree oven, or until desired crispness, stirring occasionally.

I loved these fries! If you love fast food fries, they might not be your favorite, but they tasted like delicious homemade fries to me.
Check back tomorrow for another gluten free Super Bowl Recipe!
Happy eating and Go Steelers!

Caring For Your Wooden Chopping Block

2011-01-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

I am lucky enough to be married to the most indulgent husband in the world. Granted, it goes both ways and he has pretty much everything he wants, too, so I don't feel too guilty. He almost always gets it right when he buys me gifts and almost always buys the best one he can afford. I just adore that man. Last year I got some divine knives and I didn't dare use them without a wooden chopping block, because you can really ruin knives if you're cutting on plastic, even if it's sturdy. Trust me and just go buy yourself the best Boos Block that you can afford, whatever size that may be, and treat it well. This one is only $45 and is totally worth it. Most people shy away from wood because they think since they can't wash them in the dishwasher they are germy. Not so! Almost all of the germs on a cutting board are dead within a few minutes of sitting on there. Wood can absorb water, unlike plastic, so it dries faster than plastic and the germs die without growing. The only thing that can cause alarm is if there are deep gouges in the surface of your board, which can be avoided by rotating your board often. There's lots of research out there about this topic if you still doubt me, and although wood boards do need a little more care, they definitely aren't more germy than their plastic cousins. Luckily, caring for a wooden chopping block is not that difficult. Here's how I do it:

I cut a lemon in half and spread about 1/4 cup of kosher (coarse) salt on the board. I squeeze a little juice out and rub in circular motions across the whole surface of the board until it's nice and clean. The lemon has acid, which helps remove stains, and a nice smell to combat odor from onion and garlic, and makes it's own little hand-held scrubber you can hold easily. The peel and pulp are a nice, scratchless cleaner. The salt acts as an abrasive to help clean the surface as well. Then I rinse it thoroughly and DRY it well with a hand towel. Once it's dry, I rub a nice coating of mineral oil all over it, making sure I oil the sides of the board and all the little crevices. Mineral oil is available at most kitchen stores. I usually rub this on with a paper towel which I can then just throw away. Mineral oil keeps food odors and stains from soaking into the wood and also gives it a nice, water-repellent surface for a while. It keeps the wood conditioned so it doesn't develop cracks between the wood as well. I do this about once a month or sooner if the board looks dry.

I do have one other rule: I never cut meat on my board. I use a plate to cut it or drag out the dreaded small plastic one I have that fits in the dishwasher and sharpen my knife after cutting on it.

Happy chopping!

Easy Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls!

2011-01-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite movie lines of all time is from "Bee Movie" with Jerry Seinfeld where he is telling Matthew Broderick all about his travels with humans and he says, "Do you know what a Cinnabon is? It's bread, and cinnamon, and frosting, and they heat it up, REALLY HOT!" I have a little thing for Jerry Seinfeld and I also have a secret thing for Matthew Broderick, so the movie fills all my needs at once. Ah, the days of Cinnabon are long gone for me, but I have nonetheless tried and failed several times to make gluten free cinnamon rolls just for a quick walk down memory lane. You dear readers have never known about it because I am way too embarrassed to even post my failures for a laugh on this particular experiment. Seriously. But the other day I got lucky and took out a box of 123 Gluten Free Biscuit dough to make for dinner and I noticed on the inside of the box is a recipe for Cinnamon Buns using the biscuit dough. I quickly scrapped my plans to make biscuits and made these instead. Wowee. It has been a really long time since I have had a cinnamon roll, and let me say it was a nice way to come back to that craving. Not only was the recipe easy, but it made delicious rolls that were not only good out of the oven but even yummy heated up in the microwave the next day. I think next time I make them I will do a cream cheese frosting instead of a milk and sugar glaze, just because I like the flavor of that better, but this was definitely good as is.

This is one of those things where I think: I wish I'd thought of that! The instructions are really straightforward and easy. After making the dough like usual, you brush it with butter, sprinkle with tons of cinnamon and sugar, roll the dough into a log, slice into rolls, brush with milk to make them brown in the oven, and let rise, then bake. Frost or glaze them when they come out of the oven. Mmm, the perfect winter activity: baking, then eating. Thank you 123 Gluten Free for figuring out how to do this for the rest of us who can't make gluten free yeast dough worth a dang!
Happy eating!

What I've Learned from Alt Summit and Great Links to Great Blogs

2011-01-24T08:47:00.000-08:00

Last week I spent Thursday and Friday at the Altitude Design Summit for bloggers here in Salt Lake City at the fabulous Grand America Hotel, which is full of fancy things like this chandelier. I learned a lot, and I will try not to bore you with the nitty gritty, but maybe you'll find something that interests you in my travels. Get ready for some link love, because I'm full of it today.
First and foremost, holy crap...I met Kelsey Nixon from the Food Network's sister channel, the Cooking Channel! I had to control myself and not turn into a total groupie. Yes, we are both totally short and totally cute. Look how cute she is in horizontal stripes, nonetheless. Although she already has a show, she decided she needs somewhere for her fans to go to get more Kelsey, so she's starting a blog. And yep, she is just as sweet and kind in person as she is on TV. Check out her show called Kelsey's Essentials on the Cooking channel.

The next holy crap moment was getting to meet Stephanie Nielson from the Nie Nie Dialogues. Talk about your gracious and kind people. Stephanie just exudes love to people and spreads joy while triumphing over adversity with her blogging. If you've ever read her blog, I'm here to tell you she's the real deal. And if you've never heard her story, head over there for the morning. You won't be disappointed. I could go on and on just about what I learned from her, but that's a post for another day.

I got to hear Mondo from Project Runway 8 talk a little bit about how he comes up with designs for clothing and his inpirations. The best thing he said was: If you're shopping for trends, stop. Go thrift shopping. That's where the good stuff is. Yes! I've been thrifting a lot for the last 6 months and I love being validated.

I attended an awesome (read: informative, deep, and pulpy) roundtable discussion with Pam Keuber of Retro Renovation. She is one of my new faves, and her site is amazing if you are in love with vintage fixtures like toilets and faucets for mid-century houses. She even has another little website called Save the Pink Bathrooms. Too cute.

Here is a stalker-ish photo I took of Heather Armstrong of Dooce.com. Everyone loves a little dooce now and then. I felt bad because she obviously had a cold and didn't feel too well, but she was doing her duty and even singing "Welcome, welcome, Sabbath morning" to us, which is only funny if you're Mormon like me and read dooce to get the joke.

Have you heard of Swiss Miss? Apparently everyone else in the WORLD has. Her name is Tina Roth Eisenberg and she's a Swiss native who moved to Brooklyn and created your basic blog empire. If you've never seen her site and you love clean, graphic-laden euro design, check it out. She is like the Renaissance woman of blogging. She told us she reaches around 250,000 people a day with her blog. Are you kidding me? Wow. She gave a great ending keynote address that was also pulpy and helpful.

The best surprise was getting to hang out with my blog's designer, April of April Showers Blog Design. We sat and giggled and oohed and aahed and basically had a couple of girl's days out. She owns like the world's fastest laptop. She didn't even laugh at me when I pulled out my gluten free sandwich from home on the first day! True friendship, I tell you. Yeah, we're hot snot in this here photo.

But let's get to the real reason you're reading this: what did I eat at the fancy lunches? I actually had the foresight to call the hotel before and ask what the menu was. Day one they were doing sandwiches and soup and a bunch of stuff I couldn't eat, so I brought one from home. No one even noticed. Ha. Day two they had a lunch waiting for me that was mostly the same as everyone else's, and it was sooo dang good. Salad was first, and then this honey mustard chicken with warm cranberry compote and veggies. Yum-O with a capital Y. I'm going to try to replicate it for dinner sometime this week. I love how I just think I can figure out how to make something by tasting it. We'll see how good my skills are... Then dessert, and those of you who know me will be rolling your eyes at my lemon obsession here, but we had Lemon Mousse Bombe with citrus sauce and fresh berries. I was literally scouring the back tables looking for an extra one to eat because it was so tart and delicious I wanted about five more of them to satisfy my lemon-tooth. I even toyed with the idea of paying April to eat half of hers, but I thought we might not be friends after that.This is one recipe I'm going to HAVE to learn how to make, it was that good.

Every afternoon I would casually wander into the hotel's new patisserie (bakery) called La Bonne Vie and buy a $1.50 macaron for a little pick me up. They have different flavors every day, and I told them they needed to add...lemon, of course, and the manager happened to be there and he was having a V-8 moment, like, yes! Why didn't we think of that as we put our bakery menu together? I felt smart.

They had a grand display of the new ElectroLux appliances there, too. Drool.

I met a lot of great people and learned tons of tips and tricks, so hopefully my blogging will continue to improve as well as the recipes! Here's a list of my favorite new blogs from Alt:

Jenny from Little Green Notebook
Erin from Design for Mankind
Liz of Cool Mom Picks
Maggie from Mighty Girl
Karey of Mackin Ink
Marta of Marta Writes
Nicole from A Little Sussy
Brittany from One Charming Party
Victoria from The City Cradle
Cambria from Re-Nest

I didn't meet one food blogger other than Kelsey...hmm. Interesting. But I do want to know more about you, and what you'd like to see more of on Off the Wheaten Path. Recipes, product reviews, weekly menus? Less opinion and more how to? What are you interested in reading about? I hope no one says fish because it's not going to happen. Leave me a comment, I'd love to know!
Happy eating!

Happy Birthday to Me...A Gift Or Two

2011-01-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday today, and I have spent the entire day doing what my friend Anna calls "being good to myself," which is actually something we frown upon because it means you are self-indulgent. However, the older I get the more I don't feel guilty about doing what I want to do one day out of the year. It's a good place to be. Tomorrow it's back to self-imposed restrictive lifestyles, but today, I'm living in the now.

One of the things I wanted to do this year was eat a delicious birthday cake, since it's been a long time since I had one of those. I usually opt for ice cream or gluten free cheesecake or something not cakey, but this year I had Eleanor's Bake Shop make me a delicious chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. And it was divine. Look at this cake! And look at how big it is in comparison to my cute little girl waiting for a piece of it in the background. Here's how it looked when we sliced into it. A birthday gift, indeed.

The second thing I gave myself for my birthday was a trip to the Altitude Design Summit blogging conference here in Salt Lake City this weekend. I'm so excited to go and learn all kinds of new things and see what the serious bloggers are up to. I'm hoping to get some great inspiration for my blogging and finally learn how to really use my new camera. Stephanie Nielsen from the Nie Nie Dialogues is speaking, as well as Heather Armstrong and Brenda Dargen from marthastewart.com. I may die a happy death while I'm there! I'll hopefully have some fun pictures and stories when I get back to blogging on Monday. Until then, enjoy the weekend and go ahead and be jealous of my cake. Happy eating!

Delicious Gluten Free Ginger-Almond Pie Crust...Faking a Graham Cracker Crust

2011-01-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

Over New Years Eve I realized that our family actually has some pretty odd traditions. First of all, we always have a movie marathon of some kind. Although this year was the first year that all of the kids stayed up until midnight together (scratch that...4 year old hit the hay at 11 p.m.) we usually watch a series of movies until midnight to pass the time. We've done Star Wars and Harry Potter and Ice Age and this year we did Spongebob Squarepants. It has to be something we own already and something everybody likes. Let me say that Spongebob gets funnier and funnier the later we stay up. Besides that, we always drink Key Lime Sodas in bottles and eat cheesecake. I'm not sure where this started but it's what we do. I usually make a regular cheesecake in a store bought crust for everyone else and just leave a little filling in a tupperware for me to eat by itself, but this year I went all out and tried a graham-cracker tasting crust that we all could eat.First, I added 20 of these ginger snaps from Trader Joe's that my friend Aimee gave me to my blender. I know there's not a Trader Joe's everywhere (ahem, in my own state, nonetheless), but you could probably use the Mi-Del gluten free gingersnaps, as they are available all over. They have a little bit stronger ginger flavor than the Trader Joe ones, so you might want to use fewer cookies and more almonds, you'll just have to play with it and see what you like. Then I added 1/2 cup slivered almonds and I chopped them up until they were fine crumbs. I added 1/4 cup of melted butter and mixed it all together, then pressed it into my pie plate. I added my no-bake cheesecake filling over the top and refrigerated it for about 4 hours before we sliced it. Check out my party plate! The good thing about this in contrast to some of the other crusts I've made before is that this needs no baking, no extra sugar or flavoring, and it takes about 5 minutes to put together. This delicious, easy crust will double for any graham cracker crust you might be hankering for. It has a slightly tangy, nutty flavor that complements the sweetness of a cheesecake, but I bet it would be good for one of those Jell-O pies or something. Hope you like it as much as I did!

Happy eating!

The Cody Sandwich: Gluten Free Lunch Heaven

2011-01-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

I have this friend named Cody who has celiac disease that is my neighbor. We share treats all the time (because really, I shouldn't eat all four dozen of the batches of cookies I make and there's no way he can eat all that Joy Luck Chinese by himself) and people think we're weird at church because we stand in the hall having animated discussions about food. Anyway, one day in the summer his wife brought me over a sandwich that he makes all the time for himself and she thought I would like it. I'm never one to turn down a free lunch (you all remember the times I've said how bad I hate to make lunch...it hasn't changed.) so I gave it a go. Now I seriously wake up in the middle of the night wondering if I have the stuff to make this sandwich. It tastes great, it's simple, and it fills you up. I'd say that's a win-win right there. The best thing about it is that I actually use up a whole loaf of Pamela's Gluten Free bread before it gets hard when I eat these. So in honor of Cody turning 38 last week, here is the recipe for the Cody Sandwich:

Cody's Gluten Free Turkey Melt

2 slices of Pamela's Gluten Free bread, made from the mix (I used my breadmaker)
2 T Best Foods mayonnaise
6 slices of deli turkey, your choice (I do oven roasted...plain turkey flavor is my favorite)
1 slice of provolone, meunster, gouda, or monterey jack cheese
3-4 slices of tomato (summer homegrown are best, but we'll suffer through the winter with grocery store versions)

Toast the two slices of bread and spread with mayo. Place turkey with cheese on top on a microwave safe plate and cook until cheese is melted and meat is warm (about 30-45 seconds). Move meat over to the bread, top with tomato and close sandwich. Eat warm.

Now, Cody always toasts his bread and I never do. I think it's a personal choice. Both ways taste great if you ask me. Another simple but delicious lunch option for those of us who hate to think about lunch!
Happy eating and Happy Birthday, Cody!

I'm in Print! The Salt Lake Tribune and Me...

2011-01-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

image courtesy of Salt Lake Tribune

The Salt Lake Tribune ran an article in the food section today all about gluten free eating and where to find local gluten free products, including this delicious-looking cheese bread made by Cheese Bread Mania, which is available at Harmon's, Rico's, and Caputo's Market and Deli. Guess what the title was? "Off the Wheaten Path!" I wonder where they came up with that one... and who should be quoted as one of their incredibly knowledgeable, tasteful sources? Why, me, of course! AAaahhh! I'm freaking out. Check it out here if you're local to find out about the products they showcased and if you're not local check it out to read a witty, insightful, two lines said by me. Back to your regularly scheduled programming!

Gluten Free Au Gratin Potatoes: The Easy Recipe

2011-01-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

Ah, who doesn't love the humble potato? Not only are they filling and naturally gluten free, they are cheap. You can buy a bag of about a billion of them for around $3.00, and they have such versatility in so many recipes. Last Thanksgiving I posted a recipe for Au Gratin Potatoes that is pretty much the same as this one, only the way I made it is SO MUCH easier I couldn't resist posting this variation. I have made these this way three times in 10 days for a weeknight dinner, which says a lot about not only flavor but ease for me. If it's not easy, I don't make it on a weeknight unless it's a special occasion. Here's the simple version:

Gluten Free Au Gratin/Scalloped Potatoes

4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced with a mandoline
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
2 T minced onion from the pantry
pinch salt
pinch pepper

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into a medium casserole dish sprayed with Pam, and spread top potato layer nicely with a spatula or spoon. (Doesn't have to be perfect, just not a total mess.) Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

There's a few steps omitted from the other recipe and not as many ingredients to remember. My friend made these using all colby jack cheese and she said they were great. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Happy eating!

Gluten Free Garlic Pork Roast

2011-01-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

I bought a pork sirloin roast the other day for a Sunday dinner. It's been a while since I've made one and when I got home I realized I had forgotten how I had ever even cooked one before. I took a chance and thought I would try to bake it similarly to the Perfect Pot Roast, but I thought that the pork would taste better with different seasonings. I guessed right! Here's how I did it:

Gluten Free Garlic Pork Roast
1 2.5-3 lb sirloin pork roast
2 T crushed garlic (the kind from a jar)
salt and pepper
2 tsp better than boullion beef flavor paste
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large dutch oven with Pam. Place pork in dutch oven and spread crushed garlic over the top of the meat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over garlic. Add boullion paste and water to bottom of pot. Cover, bake for 1 hour at 350 and then turn heat down to 250 for 4-5 hours. Makes a delicious gravy.Gravy:
Place dutch oven with drippings in bottom on stove burner and turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil (about 1 minute). When boiling, add 2 T white wine to bottom of pan and scrape drippings off with a spatula or rubber spoon. Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil, then add a roux made of 2-3 T cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Stir until boiling and thick. Season with extra salt and pepper, if necessary.

Happy eating!

Commit to Health Series: Substitute Beans for Meat Once in a While

2011-01-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

The last post in this series on committing to health this year is a really simple one, and one most of you are probably already doing on a regular basis, but it bears repeating. Substitute beans for meat in your meals once in a while. Not only are they cheaper and have a longer shelf life than meat, they have more fiber and water content than meat, as well as less fat. You'll feel fuller and eat less when you use beans in your cooking. Check out this article from WebMD to get more scientific info. You can use canned beans or dried beans in your recipes. However, using dried beans and soaking them and then cooking them slowly will allow them to soak up more of the flavor of whatever dish you're making. Canned beans really don't do that. But I can't deny the convenience and cheap availability of canned beans, either. They're great to throw on top of a salad or add to tacos. My dad and grandma would always make White Beans and Ham on Mondays while they did their jobs. I'll try to make some up soon and get some photos to go along with the recipe. It is cheap and easy and extra filling.

Here are three really easy recipes with beans that I've posted before:

Spinach Salad with Cannellini Beans and Tuna
Red Beans and Rice Nachos Libre And if you're into really convenient cooking, I've noticed that Dennison's Chili and Hormel Chili are both gluten free, although Hormel is the only one to have added gluten free to their labels. Woot!Happy, healthy eating!

Commit to Health Series: Deep, Dark, and Delicious

2011-01-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

Some things in life are just fine when they're pale: skin that's been out of the sun's harmful rays, paint on walls or white sheets on a bed. But when it comes to healthy food, deep and dark is better. Eating foods with a lot of color is one way to really up your vitamin intake. Let me clarify, by color I do not mean Fruity Pebbles. I'm talking dark red beets, deep leafy greens like chard and spinach, bright orange butternut squash, dark green broccoli, black beans, purple plums, cheery purple cranberries, and dark chocolate anything. I promise, that chocolate is good for you! It has polyphenols that help with heart health. Just don't eat a whole mega Hershey bar of it! And fruits can come in healthy colors, too. Try pineapple, mangoes, kiwis, oranges, strawberries and figs for some deep dark color.

Colorful foods contain more vitamins and things called flavonoids that keep you healthy and protect from chronic diseases. After recovering from damage done to our bodies by celiac disease, we celiacs need all the help we can get to boost our bodies' repair. Imagine trying to build a house with no bricks or wood. That's how our bodies feel when trying to heal intestinal damage without extra vitamins and nutrients from healthy food. Eating junk food is like building your house with mud. You could live in it, but it wouldn't be very nice.

Next time you buzz through the aisles of the produce department, stop and look at the lettuce you're buying. Is it pale white iceberg lettuce (with little or no nutritional value)? Or is it a darker romaine or leaf lettuce or even spinach or peppery arugula? One simple change can really give your body more efficient fuel. Look for deep dark vegetables and maybe they can make the list of your new foods to try this year. Start out easy with broccoli, sweet potatoes, and spinach, and work your way up to kale and acorn squash. Don't forget to buy some colorful fruit while you're there, too. Try a starfruit, or get a package of berries or some dried apricots. Switch to a dark chocolate baking cocoa (Hershey makes one) and try it in your dessert recipes.

One of my favorite snacks is a bowl of bright green edamame with coarse salt sprinkled over it. In case you haven't tried edamame, it's simply soybeans steamed either in or out of their pod. They sell the shelled ones in the freezer section and they steam up well in the microwave for a quick snack packed with equal amounts of protein and carbohydrates. And I love that bright green color.

As always, there is an exception to everything, and my one exception in this case is cauliflower. I love it. It's one of my favorite vegetables, cooked or raw, and it's a great source of Vitamin C. Buying it frozen is a really convenient way to get some into your diet. And if you don't like the taste, now they make them with flavors, like this garlic cauliflower I found today.

There's a great website by the Center for Disease Control called fruitsandveggiesmatter, and if you have more questions about vegetables and fruits and their benefits, check it out. Commit to some color! Eating healthier is just one smart choice away.

Happy eating!

Commit to Health Series: Try Something New

2011-01-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how this next topic really relates to health in a scientific sense. But somehow, it works. Being flexible and open minded when it comes to food really seems to help me divorce myself from the fact that I want to eat it all the time. I think gluten free eaters are a little bit better than most at "sticking to a diet," but that doesn't mean that we necessarily eat the best foods for us, even if they're gluten free. For example, when I was first diagnosed with celiac disease and I cut gluten out of my diet, I thought I might starve to death. I happened to have a giant Hershey bar (I mean, the mega-giant size) someone had given my daughter sitting out in the kitchen. When I passed by I would eat two or three squares of it because, and I quote myself, it was the ONLY thing I could eat. By the end of the day the entire mega bar was gone, and my daughter hadn't eaten a bite. Do you have any idea how many calories are in a giant Hershey bar? Way more than 400 I tell you. WAY MORE. So, gluten free eaters of the world: think outside of the food box!

Here are some new foods that I tried this year that I am totally glad I did:

smoked mozzarella...so good with baked pasta
sushi...there's gluten free kinds and it's actually pretty yummy
a quinoa and veggie salad that I am still going to try to replicate (or improve upon)
hummus...who knew?
ivernia cheese...a sharp Irish cheddar, and I mean sharp
coconut gelato at the Draper Harmon's...and not because of that Julia Roberts movie!

I feel like trying a new food allows me to think about what I'm tasting, and make a judgement, and view the food for what it is: food. Not love, not friendship, and definitely not comfort. (Although I can't say I don't love to feel full and satisfied, but you know what I mean.) If you are in a food rut and you don't like to try new things, start out small and try something inexpensive but different, like shallots. They're like mild garlic-flavored onions, and if you don't like the strong onion flavor you might like the easygoing shallot in your recipes. Or try some Nutella in a crepe or on toast for kicks. It says hazelnut but really it's the most delicious chocolate spread around. Stop by your local deli or cheese monger and try a sample of a new kind of cheese and then buy $5.oo worth of it and try it in a recipe. image from Martha Stewart.com

Try a new grain, like millet, quinoa, teff, or buckwheat and try putting some of it into a soup or even cooked like oatmeal in the morning. It's not on their website yet, but in the January 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living on pages 136-140 they have a great little guide for eating cooked grains and flavor combinations that sound really yummy. (Note: only the quinoa, millet, and steel-cut oats are gluten free.)

You could also try capers in a salad or on pasta. They are little small salty, lemony...balls of flavor. I don't even know what kind of food they are but they are delicious. Or get a new vegetable that you've always walked by at the grocery store and read up on how to cook it. It's all about being willing to try new things. And buying a different kind of salad dressing or a different flavor of ice cream does not count! We're talking whole, healthy, fresh foods that are good for you. A varied diet also helps you get more of the vitamins and minerals your body needs, and if you're trying out something new, chances are you're going to pay more attention to the entire meal and make sure it's going to taste good together. No one wants to waste $10 worth of Gruyere, and I mean no one. Adding more types of vegetables to your diet will help you get more fiber, which is also good for you.

My foods that I'm going to try to work into my diet this year are Tilapia, (yes, I am the only person on the planet who hasn't eaten Tilapia yet. I really don't love fish, so there.) and cremini mushrooms, because I love mushrooms and they're supposed to be super mushroomy, and in the vegetable category I'd really like to try broccoli rabe, parsnips, eggplant and endive. What's on your list? Leave me a comment and let me know what food you'd like to try this year, be it a cheese, a vegetable, or a type of protein.

Happy eating!

Commit to Health Series: Water, Water, Water

2011-01-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

I went to a workshop on healthy eating in the summer and I will never forget it. There I was, sitting in the audience with my Camelbak thermos of water, taking a big swig and thinking I was so noble and full of hubris because I had just quit drinking soda the week before and I didn't even miss it. In fact I was noticing at that moment how thirsty I always must have been before because instead of drinking water I had been drinking soda so I never felt un-thirsty. It just doesn't quench your thirst. I had started to crave water instead of soda because it really, truly made me not thirsty. And then, in my grand moment of triumph, the lecturer said this: "Just drink water. Just tell yourself when you want a drink it's going to be water and then only drink water. Water, water water. That's what you drink." What a great line. I repeat it to myself often throughout the day when I feel either hungry or thirsty I hear it in my head, "Water, water water."Ha. I actually figured something healthy out on my own and was validated by an expert!

About two months later I realized I had lost 10 pounds after I quit drinking soda. What? 10 pounds? I never thought that a small can of soda a day would really do much damage. I know there's like 800 teaspoons of sugar in it and the carbonation can't really be good for your body, but the FDA wouldn't let people sell it if it was actually going to do you any harm, right? Well, I'm not a food scientist, but here's what I believe from my limited and biased research:

*It's not necessarily the caffeine in the soda that is so bad for you, although it's not good for you either. It's the chemicals. They irritate your stomach, ruin enamel on your teeth, and mess up the whole calcium thing in your blood. It can also increase acid reflux if it makes you burp a lot.

* Sodas also contain a lot of sugar, which is harmful because it's calories without nutrition attached. And our whole goal here is to be nutritionally better this year, not worse.

*Diet drinks are not good for the body because the "fake" sugars and sweeteners used in them mess up your body chemistry and can make you feel like eating more sweets. Ouch. I like the way this article from the Eat This, Not That guy, David Zinczenko, explains it.

You can find evidence on both sides of the coin saying that soda is fine to drink and that soda is the devil incarnate. Just Google "why are carbonated drinks bad for you?" and see what comes up! It's a personal choice and I don't hold it against anyone if they drink soda. However, I personally feel better drinking water almost every time I drink and saving soda for an occasional indulgence. I actually say every time I drink one that I'll never drink it again for two reasons: 1) I am so full when I drink it that I never want to eat my healthy and usually expensive dinner, and 2) they feel like a dessert to me because of all the sugar and I get a sugar coma afterwards. I'm serious. And if you're trying to drop some poundage, soda can only be another hurdle you have to overcome every time you drink it. You create a calorie abundance instead of a deficit, whether or not you believe the chemicals inside the drink are safe or harmful. And if you're drinking zero-calorie drinks you may subconsciously be letting yourself eat more high-calorie foods to compensate.

So, my point is this: if you don't agree with me or don't believe a word I've written here (and that's all fine and good, I'll love you just the same), take a challenge and switch to just drinking water for three weeks. Let me know how you feel when it's all over. If you feel worse and you've gained weight and you have terrible problems with hydration, come back and leave me a comment! I'd love to hear the story. But I think you'll actually feel better and wonder why you never quit soda years ago.

I read a really great post today from the No Gluten, No Problem peeps, namely Peter Bronski, about 10 tips for healthy living as a gluten free eater. Check it out for a little more healthy inspiration.

Happy eating!

Commit to Health Series: Meal Planning Will Save Your Bacon

2011-01-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

I am a list maker. I have raised a couple of little listmakers here at my house, and I can't say I'm disappointed. No, I believe in the power of a good list. And, yesterday I realized that I've not only eaten too much and spent too much the last few weeks, but that I've been lazy too much and therefore eaten out too much. It's time to get back to list-making.Lucky for me I've surrounded myself with some good resources and I remembered the other day in the midst of eating my second piece of cheesecake that I really do like to live a healthy lifestyle. When you eat gluten free you tend to find yourself thinking an awful lot about what goes into your body. And, as most of America does at the beginning of every new calendar year, I've recommitted myself to my health. There are a few simple things I like to do that help me remember that I always feel better when I eat better. So this week I'll be sharing a few little tips on how to commit to health not only in January, but for a lifetime. First of all, if you want a healthy lifestyle and to feel energized throughout the day, it's important to eat right. And, eating right means making a plan. And I don't mean just any plan, I'm talking a weekly meal plan. For those of you who have mastered the art of making things to eat that are healthy and affordable and wheat free without one, you have my respect. But me, I just can't do it without a plan. I'm pretty easygoing with my meal plans. I write down the seven days of the week and plug in some recipes that go along with the time constraints and mostly what I have in my pantry. Then I make my grocery list from that. It usually looks something like this:

Monday: Chicken Tacos
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff with Rice
Wednesday: Ham and Funeral Potatoes
Thursday: Chicken and Fettucini Alfredo
Friday: Waffles and Eggs
Saturday: Ham and Chicken Divan (use leftovers from Wednesday)
Sunday: Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes

I try to mix up the protein, like not having chicken four nights in a row, and I also find myself inadvertently having "theme nights," and I'm not sure where it came from. Like Mexican food on Monday, breakfast on Friday, pasta on Thursday, stuff like that. But it's not set in stone. I learned a few years ago to be flexible and give myself the option to switch nights or have oatmeal instead if things go south, but for the most part it's worked for me. I also try to add in date night or if someone is coming to visit sometimes we plan to eat out, so I never forget to add in my nights off. This is a simple system, I know. A piece of scratch paper and a quick flip through the recipe book are all it takes. But if you need a little more inspiration, here are a few things I like as well:

*Meck Mom always has great organizational printouts like this one, which not only has a space for dinner plans but also has a spot for cleaning and exercising every day. I know, she's thought of it all.

*This is a really pretty one from Elegant Musings if you need to look at something pretty to get going.

*If you are new to gluten free eating and are having a hard time coming up with meals to make, this is a really great basic two-page list of not only ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but a list of products to avoid and a sample shopping list.

*Everyday Food magazine has a weekly menu planner complete with shopping list to go with the recipes in the magazine. Granted, it's only one a month, but if you look through a few months you can make up a great little weekly plan. Or, if you go to Martha Stewart online and click on Food they have all kinds of tabs on the side to help plan menus, find recipes, and cook with what's in season. Not all of the recipes are gluten free, but they can spark some inspiration when you need it.

*Real Simple magazine's February 2011 issue is titled, "How to Eat This Year" which is sure to be interesting. I also noticed in the January 2011 issue they have a "Get it Together Handbook" and it has a section on Dinner Made Easier complete with a copy of a weekly meal planner split into categories.

*If you're into checklists, check out this ginormous grocery shopping list from grocerylists.org.

*Keep and Share has an impressive article on gluten free grocery shopping and also a pre-printed gluten free grocery list, which is useful if you usually buy the same things every week.

Commit to meal planning. I promise you that you'll not only eat healthier, you'll make time to eat at home with your family and spend less at the grocery store.

Happy eating!

5 Steps to Loving the Kitchen You're In: Step 5: Divide and Conquer

2010-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

From the title of this post, you'd think that I'm talking about division of labor. Sorry, but that's just a clever way to get you to jump on in and read all about it. No, I'm talking about organization. And there's no better time to be talking about this very subject. Every year, when I get my brand new calendar, I try to savor that moment when it's completely empty and fresh, nothing written on it. I am literally turning over a new leaf when I break that calendar out. So, while many of us are thinking about the changes and weaknesses we want to work on during the year, let's tackle one that sometimes goes under the radar: Kitchen Organization.I am by no means an expert on organization, but I am pretty dang good at it. I have had to be, with so many children and a compulsion to never say no to pretty much everything anyone asks me to do, I've had to be streamlined in my scheduling and also in my cupboards. You see, I am what is known as a slave driver around these parts. I have older children that I make do dishes and I have younger children that I make sweep floors and put groceries away, and they are all expected to get their own dishes if they're hungry or thirsty, so that means that things have to be find-able and logically grouped so that if you came across something you didn't know where it went, you should be able to find it based on what kind of item it is. I've divided the stuff so I can conquer the chaos. I kind of like that last bit. What a great tagline...

This concept is not new. Check out this book by Julie Morgenstern at your local library if you want a more in-depth explanation, but in it she talks about the concept of organizing by zones. This means that all the things you need to do a certain task should be kept in the place where you would normally do that task. It's like when you keep the flashlight in the garage but the batteries are in the drawer in the kitchen. That's when you not only waste time but you get frustrated that things take so long to do. So, in the kitchen specifically, I have a cooking zone. All pots, pans, strainers, bakeware, utensils and spices are located right next to the stove and microwave. I have a dishes zone. All the dishes and glasses, cups and spoons are housed right by my dishwasher, so that when my slaves, er children, do their dishes they can easily put them away. I have an appliance zone, which I am very lucky to have, where I house all of my plug-in items. There's an outlet in there, so some of them can stay plugged in all the time. I also have my measuring cups and baking needs there, since I usually only measure teaspoons or tablespoons when I'm using the mixer. I have a central command zone. This is where the bills, stamps, phone books, phone, medicines, back issues of Everyday Food, and cookbooks are. All the miscellaneous crap that you definitely need but don't want to trip over while you're cooking is housed here. I have a pantry zone. Now, I know, this pantry is over the top. But it's my one claim to fame here in this house. I have a cracked countertop but a huge pantry. It's a trade-off I'm willing to make. I also group foods by zone in a simplified way in the pantry. I have my spaghetti stuff all by each other, my gluten free stuff has its own shelf, all the cereals and chips are together, canned goods are right there in the middle, and I have a box on the bottom shelf for my kids that has "kid food" like fruit snacks, granola bars, and individually packaged fruits and applesauce, so they can get food for themselves if they're hungry. Shelley from House of Smith's has a super cute pantry project, check it out if you need a little inspiration.

Zones. What a great concept. Divide the stuff so you can conquer some chaos. Some of these cupboards need this example applied more than others. For example, the bakeware is always a mess because I have way too much of it and it's not a great place to put things away. But I took 10 minutes to purge and reorganize this one cabinet and made it work. And this used to be the tupperware cupboard which was a disaster until I realized I really needed to move the tupperware down where I could see the lids to match them up. I think I threw about half of it away because I never use it. It's all in the fridge! Ha ha ha. Purge, purge, purge. You can never do too much purging in the cupboards. Keep what you love and use, chuck the rest. And, most importantly, don't go buy more! Unless it's from LeCreuset or All-Clad...that's totally acceptable.

I hope something in these last few posts has helped you come to terms with the place you cook, and helped you turn it into a family kitchen...because that's where the magic happens.

Happy New Year!

5 Steps to Loving the Kitchen You're In: Step 4: Surround Yourself With Beauty

2010-12-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

I hope you're enjoying my little tangential trip into kitchen-keeping. I'm having such a great time talking about all the things I love about kitchens, it's going to be hard to stop myself when it's over. The tip for today is: understand what things, sounds, textures, smells, and objects make you happy, and surround yourself with them. This will be personal and different for everyone, as we all have a different set of ideals for beauty. For example, my friend Teresa loves modern art. She has a Kandinsky in the kitchen and Munch's "The Scream" hanging in her bathroom, on tangerine orange and lime green walls, respectively. She has bold-printed curtains with huge patterns in flashy colors. I would never ever paint my walls tangerine and I appreciate modern art but would never ever hang it up because it clashes with all my stuff. But when I go to Teresa's house, I see the way she has designed her space to work with the art she loves, and it makes me love that modern art every time I see it. My tastes aren't as vibrant, in fact they're boring in comparison, but it's what I like so I go with it. Here's a glimpse into what I keep that's beautiful to me:

I just love blue dishes. I can't explain why, but everytime I see them I am giddy. I have an entire collection of antique ones from my grandmother and I've bought more from ebay and The Old Dutch Store. I like them so much I decided to buy an entire set to use as my everyday dishes. I take care when I wash them because I like to look at them.

Music can really set the tone in my house. With so many children and so many jobs, sometimes I need a little pick-me-up or a little calmer-downer, and music does it every time. I've had my husband add one of these in every kitchen we've owned. For Christmas I got an iPod dock so I can be up with the times. Hey! You could do a whole kitchen playlist...the wheels are really turning now.I like nature and seeing the seasons change. I never ever lower the blinds in any of my kitchen windows and I try to keep them clean because I want to see the view outside. And with a mountain like that in your backyard, it's easy to love it.

In October the Nester had a series called "31 Days to a Less Messy Nest" and I remember she talked about having cute soap out to use. I found this wire thing at WalMart by the canning stuff for $4 and thought that it would be a cute soap holder in the kitchen. I have two sizes of spouted oil bottles (also available at WalMart) and one holds hand soap and one has dish soap in it. I think they're so cute sitting there on the counter together in my cheap wire container.

I almost always burn a Scentsy or a Salt City candle in my kitchen for two reasons. One, I don't like my house to smell like food unless I'm actually cooking it. And two, I like the seasonal scents that make me feel excited about whatever season I'm in. My favorite smells are Sunflower, Peppermint, and the one that smells like Clean Laundry.

There's almost always seasonal candy or items of some sort in my little jars on the windowsill. We're heading into winter's bleak stretch now, so I like to put white marshmallows and blue candy in my jars. At Christmas, it was sour candies and peppermints. Autumn is candy corn and pretzels, back to school time was crayons and pencils, Fourth of July I did cinnamon bears and those little flags, Valentine's day is usually conversation hearts and cinnamon hot lips, and Halloween was purple, orange and green gumballs and black spider rings. I have fun with it. Anything cheap and abundant that reminds me of the flavors or colors of the season will eventually end up in one of my jars. I love the seasons and that little reminder of where I am in the year makes me feel happy.

So there you have it. Find your favorite things and bring them into the kitchen with you, be it a color, a sound, a smell, anything that gives you joy to see. We spend so much time in there already that it only makes sense that surrounding yourself with beauty will make you love being there that much more.

Happy eating!

5 Steps to Loving the Kitchen You're In: Step 3: Use White Stuff

2010-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about white in a kitchen that makes me happy, but I've decided it's because white makes food look better. More appetizing, better colors, whatever it is, white and kitchens go together.

I'm not necessarily talking about cabinets (although I do love those) or dishes (those are good, too), but just the general stuff that takes up space in your kitchen. White will serve you well every time. Need an example? How about this. A few years ago when I was pregnant with one of my children my best friend Anna came over and swept and mopped up my floor for me just because. It was like a little sunshine had just perched itself in my kitchen when she did it, I'm telling you. Anyway, she chided me for not using white rags. "Why use white?" I asked. "Because," she replied, "with white you can really see the dirt, and it's way more of a feeling of accomplishment if you can see what you just wiped up." I was instantly converted to white rags, towels, and other stuff, too. Here's two more benefits of using all white towels in your kitchen: 1) bleach, baby, and 2)cheap and available. You can go to WalMart or the dollar store and spend about $10-$15 and get a whole new setup of towels for your kitchen any day of the week. And I love pulling out a clean white towel and hanging it up for the day. It just makes me happy. Another example? When I first got married my mom bought me a Kitchen Aid stand mixer that I have used for 16 years. She asked me what color I wanted and she really tried to steer me towards white because it would never go out of style. What did I choose? Cobalt blue. Yes. So in style in the 90s and now I have so often wished I had a white or stainless steel one that I could put out on my counter and appreciate as practical artwork. Cobalt blue hasn't been in my decorating palette since, oh, 1998, so it's been hidden, but well used ever since. A petty reason to choose white, but a reason nonetheless.

One more cleaning tip: after you buy all your white washcloths and you're wiping up (and seeing) all that dirt, what do you do with it when you're done? Do you chuck it in the sink in a wet, smelly ball? Do you hang it over the middle of the sink so when you turn the water on it gets wetter and never dries out and turns all smelly so that when you wipe your counters with it next time all your counters smell like mildew? No, you rinse it, lay it flat, and let it dry on the side of your sink. And you get out a clean one out every single day. I know you can afford to go out during the clearance sales this week and buy at least 7 white washcloths without going into debt. Okay, pet peeve fully disclosed. Moving on.

Another thing I like to use in white are my basic kitchen tools. I took a tip from Ina Garten's checklist for stocking your kitchen on House Beautiful's website when she said to use inexpensive crockery in white to hold your utensils and things you use every day. That way, if something happens to them and they get broken or chipped in the kitchen they're easy to replace.

So next time you need to buy some kitchen stuff, look into white. It's neutral, it's classic, it's easy to clean, it looks clean, and it's found just about everywhere.

Happy eating!

5 Steps to Loving the Kitchen You're In: Step 2--Keep It Clean

2010-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I remember the day I discovered that dishes were my enemy. I realized that if I left dishes in the sink, it opened a whole Pandora's Box of other messes that I was willing to let happen. It was like a mental switch was turned on in my head. There's dishes in the sink...just watch the world go by...no need to act... Don't worry, my mother had been telling me for years that if I would just rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher they wouldn't pile up so bad. That was one of my more idiotic ignorings of mom wisdom. I kept telling myself there was no harm in letting a few dishes sit there, but they always grew into a full sink, then two full sides of the sink, then the counter, well, you get the picture.
I find that my kitchen runs much more smoothly when the dishwasher has been emptied first thing in the morning. Not that it's always emptied first thing in the morning and not that if you don't empty your dishwasher your kitchen can't be fab, but for me, it makes a big difference. If I do that one job, I don't feel like I have the chore of dishes hanging over my head all day, and I can just stick dirty ones in there as the day goes on.

Everyone's different, and all of us have different strengths, so it may be that dishes aren't your particular enemy. Maybe it's putting away groceries or sweeping the floor or sorting mail or wiping the countertop. Whatever it is, if you respect your own wishes that a clean, organized kitchen is what needs to be available in your home, then tackle that job first and foremost. To quote one of my favorite authors, Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards, "By and large the dishes come first." Truly, you simply can't focus unless your jobs are done. That being said, here are a few of my humble tips on how I like to clean my kitchen.

First of all, I like to wake in the morning (when at all possible) to this:
And I like to go to bed (when at all possible) to this:I feel like if I start and finish the day at those two points, it really doesn't matter what happens in between. You know your schedule best, and we all have different priorities, but here's what I do when I clean up the kitchen:
*Turn on all the lights in the kitchen including the one over the sink (it's hard to tackle dirt if you can't see it!)
*Unload/load/run dishwasher
*Hand wash pots/pans and sharp knives in soapy water, dry and put away
*Wipe all countertops and tables with soapy rag or Mrs. Meyer's Basil Countertop Spray
*Wipe any cabinets or handles that are dirty or sticky, or spot clean the floor
*Sweep floor, including under the table
*Declutter, remove toys or other items that don't belong
*Take out trashThis typically takes me about 20-30 minutes, depending on how many dishes I have.

Once a week or sometimes twice a month I:
*Polish my appliances with stainless steel polish
*Mop the floors
*Windex the kitchen windows (somehow we get lots and lots of handprints in there)
*Wipe the chandelier
*Wipe out the microwave *eww*

This usually adds about another 20-30 minutes to my routine.

Once a month I:
*Wash my kitchen rug
*Quickly wipe the baseboards
*Wipe the doorknobs and cabinet knobs down
*Wipe my windowsills

This takes like 10 extra minutes.

This seems like a lot when I write it down, but if I do these things routinely then the dirt doesn't really build up and it's not as difficult to keep clean. I promise. Remember, the kitchen doesn't run me, I run the kitchen.

The benefit to this is that it's much easier for me to embrace my space when I know that it's not a sticky pigsty that's been overrun by small minions. And I'm more creative in the kitchen when I'm not distracted by the mess or clutter that really only takes a few minutes to contain. The trick is, to find a routine that works for you, and then use it until it doesn't work for you anymore. Maybe you'd like to use a dish rack instead. Go for it! They are super cheap at IKEA and uber-European. Need music to get going? Turn on the headphones or bring a radio into your kitchen so you don't feel so bored. Get your children or husband involved and make a game of cleaning the kitchen. There's no rule that says you have to do it yourself. And don't underestimate the power of rewarding yourself for a job well done. For me, when the kitchen's clean, I get to go upstairs and watch Conan. Incentive, indeed.
Happy eating!

5 Steps to Loving the Kitchen You're In: Step 1--Choose to Embrace Your Space

2010-12-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

not my kitchen...

I love kitchens. I always have. I can remember the smells from my grandma's kitchen like it was yesterday instead of thirty years ago: coffee, pine-sol, and fruit. She hung a hummingbird feeder outside the window over her sink so she could watch the hummingbirds while she worked. I never cared that the floors were orange linoleum or that her stove was twenty years old, I just remember what happened inside that kitchen when we were together: magic. I remember when my mom, stepdad and I moved into our house when I was 15, and it was the first time my mom had ever had a window over her sink. She said she would never complain about the dishes now that she had a view. Come to think of it, I can't really remember ever hearing her complain about doing dishes after that! But really, you don't need a window over the sink, granite countertops, fabulous custom cabinetry or even linoleum on the floors to create a magical kitchen for you and your family to enjoy together. I know a lot of us, (me, included) are somewhat underwhelmed by the kitchen spaces we have to work with. And when you eat gluten free, you tend to spend a lot, and I mean a LOT, more time in the kitchen compared with other people. And if you're on the tight end of the budget like me, that means you really can't do much with it other than use your imagination and elbow grease to make it somewhere you really love. Take my kitchen, for example. It has the original, 26 year old cabinets and countertops and footprint, and I have done everything within my limited power to make it pretty. I am about to show you a few pictures that may make you gasp. Here is where I cook and feed my family and test recipes for my blogging. I love my Swedish rag rug that only cost me $12 from IKEA. Here is the crack (!) in the 26 year old Corian countertop that I created one day when I left the pancake griddle on after the kids left for school. No one will repair it for me because it will void the warranty. (Uh, some warranty, I'd say.) These are the cabinets that were a horrible brown when we moved in and I have painted twice. I decided to go ahead and buy the knobs I wanted at Lowe's and go ahead and put them on the old crappy cabinets, because I wanted to look at something pretty and not wait for someday to see egg-shaped knobs and cup-shaped pulls. I did put in new appliances when we moved in three years ago, and that has always been one of the saving graces of my kitchen for me. I love my double oven and on occasion, when it's working correctly, my double dishwasher. JoLayna taught me that buying good quality appliances will always pay for itself in dividends of work you don't have to do yourself. This is my baking center, which is full of my new collection of small appliances. I am also the lucky owner of a drop ceiling and a flourescent light. Ooooh, you're all jealous now. And, the grand finale of the tour is this: Attached swinging barstools. Oh, yes, they did. Apparently these were high society in the 80s. Every single one of my children has fallen off of these and hurt themselves in some way during the last three years, one requiring stitches. And they make a really annoying "bang" when the kids get off them and they snap back into position against the bar.

For about two years now I have been really bratty about this kitchen and have told my husband all kinds of blackmail-like things to get him to pay for, finance, steal, or just plain call the wrecking crew to get this kitchen renovated. Guess what? It ain't happening. We are cash-paying people and unless we win the lottery that doesn't exist in Utah, we are just going to have to keep saving for at least a couple of years to be able to afford that. For months I have been really ticked about that. But in June, this cute boy of mine got baptized and we hosted a luncheon that day in honor of him. The day before the baptism I decided I hated the curtains and wanted to clear off all the counters, so I did. I picked out fabric I really liked and had thought about for a long time (bonus: on sale) and sewed up some curtains. You can't see very well from the picture, but they have a darling little brown velvet ruffle on the bottom. The top fabric is a cheap linen with some other name than linen that they sell at every fabric store. I only had 1/2 yard of the cream patterned fabric so I had to do strips to stretch it out for 4 windows. It seems like the finished measurements minus seam allowances were 12", 4" and 2". (Just in case you were wondering.) I filled my clear canisters with gluten free ingredients and brought them out of the baking center. They became the center of interest in my cracked-counter kitchen. (By the way, I really don't recommend sewing curtains and rearranging your kitchen the day before a major family gathering. I really don't.) I filled up my beehive-shaped canisters with seasonal candy and set them on the windowsill. But a funny thing happened. Those curtains became the catalyst for me actually enjoying this space where the people I love come and don't really care about my counter or my cabinets that hang crooked. Just like I didn't care about my grandma's orange linoleum. Once I let go of the fact that I wanted everything to be perfect about my "work zone" and let it be a place where magic can happen, it became what it was meant to be...a family kitchen. Oh, I still want gel mats and granite countertops and new cabinetry and refinished wood floors, but it doesn't define the endless possibilities that lay ahead of us when we are all there together.

So, now that I've explained my mental process in learning to love my kitchen, at least on a somewhat shallow level, here's my challenge to you: pick one thing you don't like in your kitchen that you can control and fix it. Today. I'm not talking call Home Depot and have them come fix something huge, I'm talking:
* clean out that cabinet you can't find anything in
* Find a new curtain at TJMaxx or sew one or mistreat one yourself like the Nester
* Rearrange your counter space so you have more room to roll out sugar cookies with your kids
* Move the bills and mail to the office
* Clean out the fridge
* If you've been saving for a new appliance you need and just haven't bought it yet, go order it and have it scheduled for delivery
* Do not go into debt and do not underestimate your own powers of organization!

You use the space, you know where things should go. There's about a million jobs you could choose from. I guarantee it will make you feel happier with your kitchen. Embrace your space. It's yours, make it feel like it's yours!

And, after you've done that, if you're still unhappy with your kitchen, create a little vision of your dream kitchen by finding pictures of kitchens you love and then find a common thread. When you understand what it is you like, sometimes it's easier than you think to achieve it. For example, here are some pictures of kitchens I like. My all time favorite ever in the whole world kitchen is Ina Garten's kitchen recently built in her barn on her property in the Hamptons:image from young house love

image from myhomeideas/southern livingimage from Susan Serra/Kitchen Designerimage from remodelista

image from Susan Serra/Kitchen Designerimage from Cote de Texasimage from Yorkshire Kitchen Centreimage from jones design company

Notice the common thread? When I figured out that I was really drawn to white kitchens with black knobs and stainless steel appliances and rag rugs and goose-neck faucets, I realized it wasn't that hard to make that change in my own kitchen. I also realized I like clear things that I can see into, and I like seeing practical, everyday things almost as artwork. So I incorporated that into my display. My kitchen is far from perfect, but it is the only one I have, so I keep it clean and try to keep it organized so that I respect my own wishes to have a clean, happy, neat, tidy space. The kitchen doesn't run me, I run the kitchen. Good luck and check back tomorrow for step 2!

Happy eating!

Merry Gluten Free Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2010-12-24T08:47:00.000-08:00

Cheers to all of my readers who are celebrating a gluten free Christmas season! Whether it's your first or your fifteenth, or you're cooking for yourself or a whole family of celiacs, my best wishes are coming your way. May your days be merry and bright, and full of non-contaminated delicious food, homemade or store-bought. It really doesn't matter. I wish you all the best.

Enjoy your holiday and check back Monday for a week-long series I'm writing to fill up the doldrums between Christmas and New Years. It's a bit of a departure (not too far, though) from recipes and ingredients. I've decided to write some posts on having a clean and organized kitchen, since we all spend so much time in there, some of us more than we'd like. Since we'll be in the mood to make a fresh start for the new year, I thought it would be a great time to share ideas and show you how I run my own, ahem, highly efficient kitchen. It should be a great week!image from Cote de Texas

Happy Holidays!Norman Rockwell

Warning: Lipton Onion Soup Mix is NOT Gluten Free...

2010-12-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

I must interrupt this glorious holiday season with an apology. I have given a couple of recipes on Off the Wheaten Path's website (namely Perfect Pot Roast, Onion Roasted Potatoes, and Scrumptious Chicken) that call for Lipton Onion Soup Mix that is apparently not gluten free. Yesterday at the store I was going to buy some of the Lipton brand and I flipped over the box (a habit I developed years ago after discovering on accident that Corn Pops were not gluten free) and found that they have now given a source for the autolyzed yeast extract that they use: barley. Sigh. I'm so sorry! As my gift to you, I'm offering a substitute: I found a simple easy recipe link that seems like it might actually be just the trick on Easy To Be Gluten Free. It calls for dried minced onion, gluten free beef boullion, and onion powder. I'm going to try it over the holiday and see how it works. Again, apologies! We now resume our regularly scheduled merrymaking.

Happy eating!

Oh, Yes I Did

2010-12-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Remember the gift of beautiful Lemon Curd I was going to gift someone from this post? I did end up gifting it...to myself. And yes, this is not for the faint of heart. Lemon lovers only, please. I spread it on my Gluten Free Bisquick Waffle and slathered it with Cool Whip. Talk about your pucker power. Although I really enjoyed it, I don't know if I'll ever eat it again. I'm not sure why...I'm a sucker for lemon but this was a bit of an overload. I guess the holidays bring out the culinary bravery in some people.
Happy eating!

Tatertots, Jello, and Cookies!

2010-12-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

Last week I was privileged enough to attend a blogger's cookie exchange at Jen's house, author of Tater Tots and Jello. I figured cookies...I like to bake...for sure no one else will have gluten free cookies there...and what a great way to meet other bloggers! First of all, I brought some Cowgirl Cookies made with Grandpa's Kitchen flour and Whoopie Pies, made with millet flour. Here are all the other cookies that I didn't taste but looked delish:Actually I did taste those peppermint meringues and they were divine. I need to recipe stalk that person in the near future.
I got to meet Jen, who is lovely and talented and does all her cute crafting in this room:What? Doesn't everyone snoop around other people's houses to see how they really live? In my defense, it was right next to the kitchen. Um, I'm the short one in the photo, in case you're wondering. I forget to remind myself to wear my highest heels when I go out in public.

I also got to meet Lara, from Less Cake, More Frosting, and Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything. I left right as Shelley from House of Smith's got there, but then the next day I saw her at Jamba Juice, so it was like I got my own personal party with her.This was such a fun time, and I have to say I ponied up the dough and decided to attend Alt Design Summit in Salt Lake City in January just so I could get more great blogging ideas and yes, take an actual photography class! I know you all are sighing with relief at the thought of good pictures of this here food. I'm sure I'll also be blogging about all the food I won't be able to eat at the luncheons and dinners, ha ha.

Jen, this was so fun, and I hope we do it again soon!
Happy eating!

Chocolate Dipped Gluten Free Rice Krispie Treats: Another Christmas Treat!

2010-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes at the last minute we are stuck needing a gift for someone special who, by no fault of their own, we have overlooked in our list-making and gift-buying and general busy-ness. I can't say this has ever happened to me, ahem, but I think this is a great idea for a last-minute treat to take to someone special whom you may not have time to buy a present for. You really can't go wrong: rice krispie treat, chocolate, cute wrappings, it's a home run. I like this idea so much, in fact, that I made up a batch of them to take to some of our Primary children last weekend.They turned out so cute. I made most of them with regular rice krispies, but I also made a batch with some gluten free rice krispies, just to test them you know. My disclaimer here is that everything I know about chocolate I've learned from my neighbor Mary Pugmire. A couple of years ago my daughter had a chocolate birthday party and Mary came and taught the girls how to make chocolate suckers in molds and we had a chocolate fountain and everyone left the party several pounds heavier. But during the party I asked her a ton of questions and here's what I learned.

1. Chocolate will "seize" or turn cakey if you heat it without stirring too much. The best way to remedy this is to first use a chocolate made for melting. The melting discs or bark coating are a good way to go. Most of them are gluten free, but check the label first.

2. Melt the chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave, first for 45 seconds, then stir, 30 more seconds, stir, 30 more seconds, and it may be ready or need one more go round. Then you can begin to dip.

I used sucker sticks and dipped them into the chocolate and then stuck them into the double-batch of already-cooled krispie treats and let that part cool, just like with the Chocolate Dipped Oreo Suckers we did a couple of weeks ago.

I then dipped the treats into the chocolate and used a spoon to spread it where I wanted it. Then I scraped off the excess , sprinkled it with sprinkles, and placed it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Don't worry, it was a huge mess so I thought I'd spare you a photo.) Mary taught me that placing chocolate outside on a cold day is a great way to get it to firm up fast. Just make sure there's no loose dogs out to eat your treats.That's it! I wrapped each one in a cellophane treat bag, added a cute tag from TomKat Studios and some ribbon and I was done. Super cute and not too much effort. Just the way I like it!

Happy eating!

And the Winner Is...Irresistibly Gluten Free Cookbook

2010-12-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Irresistibly Gluten Free Cookbook by Christina Davis is....

Paula of
Live Free, Gluten Free!

and, in a Christmas miracle, we have another winner...

Heather
of Gluten Free Links!

Congratulations! Please email me your addresses so we can get that mailed out to you before Christmas! Enjoy!

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Graham Cracker Gingerbread Pirates: Irresistibly Gluten Free

2010-12-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

Have you entered to win a copy of Irresistibly Gluten Free yet? If not, hurry and enter here. There are so many great recipes inside this cover you won't want to miss out on a chance to get one for yourself.

I really, really have missed graham crackers since I've been gluten free. When I was pregnant I would eat them all the time when I didn't feel good and after delivery it was the only thing that ever sounded good to me. So when I saw that Christina had a recipe for graham crackers in her cookbook, I knew I'd have to try them out.

I bought my little boys this book for Christmas called "The Gingerbread Pirates," by Kristin Kladstrup, and it has been just about the most fun we've had this year, reading it together. I highly recommend it, especially if you have a child who knows what a pirate is and what Santa is. Anyway, my son was always asking if we could make gingerbread pirates with a toothpick for a peg leg, so I figured we could kill two pirates with one cannon...aargh, I'm good.

First off, you'll have to buy Christina's book if you want to get the recipe. Don't worry, there's way more good stuff in there than just this recipe, so just go do it. Secondly, make sure your butter isn't too soft or you'll end up with a puddle of cookies melted together on the sheet. Not that I would know or anything. We rolled out the dough and cut gingerbread men, and then I just cut a little captain hat for the captain that looked like this:and then just pressed it on the guy's little head.

When they are done, some of them spread a little bit, so if you want to you can cut them like this to make the edges a little crisper. I also made some rectangles and cut them with a pizza cutter while they were cooling, just to make them look extra professional. It ended up being a good thing, because we used those scraps to make, you guessed it, a cutlass. We had a great time frosting them with a ziploc baggie and some cream cheese frosting and generally making a mess. You'll notice some of the crew have frosting eye patches even. Ah, Christmas and kids and cookies, you really can't go wrong. No wonder Santa is always waiting for some when he visits.Christina will be hosting a gingerbread house contest on Facebook soon, and she's asking people to use this recipe! When you enter you can now add a pirate captain with a cutlass, since you know how to now. You can thank me later.

Happy eating!