Grilled Mini Portabella Burgers

Bryan's sister is a vegetarian, and lately we've been talking about recipes and cooking together this summer, so I've been trying to think of some vegetarian recipes to try out and make together.  I honestly don't know if I could ever be a vegetarian - I would miss chicken and fish way to much with the occasional read meat consumption.  I give people who are all the credit in the world But I tell you what, I could defiantly do it for a little bit especially if I ate a lot more portabella mushrooms.  They are so meaty and juicy that when I made my grilled portabella mushroom burgers I don't even miss the hamburger aspect of it.  When grocery shopping today I grabbed a pack of mini (stuffing) portabella mushroom caps instead of the big ones.  Grab some romaine lettuce and some mozzarella cheese and made some mini portabella burgers tonight.  They were so good!  Plus you can't really beat meal that takes 20-25 minutes to make (including marinade time)

Grilled Mini Portabella Burgers (you can do this with the large caps also)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 table spoon chili oil

3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 large portabella caps or four small caps - remove stems

In a shallow dish mix together the first six ingredients until well combined.  Add the mushroom caps and coat well.  Let them sit in the marinade for about 15-20 minutes, turning once or twice.  Heat grill or grill pan to medium, medium-high heat.  Oil the grates of the grill or grill pan to prevent sticking.  Place mushroom caps step side up for 4 minutes (for large caps, and 2 minutes for the smaller caps), turn and repeat on the other side.  Once cooked, top with mozzarella cheese and slices of tomatoes.  Instead of a bun I use romaine lettuce leaves.  Served with a yummy salad instead of fries! Enjoy

Leigha .... this recipe is for you!

Faces of Celiac Disease

Another Gluten Free Blogger - Heidi of Adventures of A Gluten Free Mom posted this on Facebook yesterday...when you have a chance please check out this video and her blog!



I was diagnosed almost two years ago now with Celiac Disease. "Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. If you have celiac disease and eat foods containing gluten, an immune reaction occurs in your small intestine, causing damage to the surface of your small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients."  "The exact cause of celiac disease is unknown, but it's often inherited. If someone in your immediate family has it, chances are 5 to 15 percent that you may as well."

Since I was about ten years old (if not younger) I always had problems with being sick especially after eating.  Around that time I was diagnosed with being lactose intolerant.  For many years I went dairy free but still was getting sick...ALL THE TIME.  Little did I or my doctors realize that it wasn't the dairy making me sick, it was everything I would eat with it.   At fifteen years old I was diagnosed with both IBS and Fibromyalgia.  The Fibromyalgia was very uncommon for someone my age at the time and still is.  The IBS was no surprise because many of my family member either have that or  Crohn's Disease.

After twenty six years of eating pretty much anything I wanted: Pasta, Breads, Pizza, Chinese Food, Soy Sauce etc it was a hard change for me to switch my lifestyle to be completely gluten free.  I'm not going to lie its a challenge, but honestly having a good attitude about it, a great support system of friends (none of which are gluten free but made every effort to cook/bake gluten free so I can enjoy it also) and being forced to be creative with my cooking (hence my blog name) it hasn't been that bad.  There are a few days where I miss the texture of real Italian/French bread but besides that, the joy and feeling of not being sick all the time is truly amazing.  I can enjoy almost all the food I truly love with out fear of getting sick.  I cook at home most of the time and have learned to recreate my favorite gluten filled meals to be gluten free with all the taste that one could hope for.  These past two years have been a journey for sure and I'm sure all the years to come will be even better.  I have an amazing boyfriend who is willing to eat gluten free meals (he can go out and get real food, but at home it will be all gluten free).  He is extremely well at looking out for me and reading labels on products.   I'm very thankful for him.

May is Celiac Awareness Month and I would strongly encourage you to get tested if you have symptoms of Celiac Disease (especially if someone in your family has Celiac!-hint hint to my family members)

Thanks Heidi for posting this.

Almond Joy Chocolate Bark - Elana's Pantry

I truly love all of the recipes I have tried from Elana's Pantry.  This woman is amazing!!  Her recipes are simple yet filled with flavor.  She posted this recipe not that long ago and today was the second time I made it.  Actually today I made a double batch of it!!  Everyone that has tried it loves it.  Best part...its only 3 ingredients!!  Who does that not appeal to??

Almond Joy Chocolate Bark - Elana's Pantry

1 ½ cups dark chocolate 73%
½ cup almonds, toasted
¼ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (toasted at 350° for 6-8 minutes)

1. Melt chocolate over very low heat


2. Pour chocolate into a parchment lined 8x8 inch baking dish


3. Scatter almonds and 3 tablespoons of coconut over chocolate


4. Using a spatula spread the mixture evenly back and forth to  ½ inch thickness


5. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of coconut on top of mixture


6. Place bark in fridge for 2 hours to set


7. Break into square bars


8. Serve

Raise Awareness

I have plenty of T-Shirts and many of which raise some type of awareness.  From Invisible Children to TWLOHA, it stops and makes people think and ask questions.   Those are two great organizations and if you have a second I highly recommend talking a look at their sites and seeing what they are all about.

So, if we wear shirts for organizations, why not wear one for Celiac Awareness?  Check out these links from Cafe Press for your Celiac, Gluten Free, Wheat Free etc t-shirts, bumper stickers, aprons, bags/totes etc!!  Spread the word this month!

Cafe Press : Celiac

Cafe Press: Gluten Free Stuff

Cafe Press : Celiac Chicks

Cafe Press: Gluten Free

May is Celiac Awareness Month!!

Gluten Free

May is Celiac Awareness Month!!  Want to help spread awareness?  Please read the an excerpt from the Triumph Dining Blog

"Celiac Awareness Month (May) is quickly approaching, and we're looking to get the word out in a big way! Each year, it seems we get closer to the tipping point, with more restaurants offering gluten free menus and more groceries labeled as gluten free. But, there's more we can do in our quest to truly make Celiac Disease and the gluten free diet mainstream.

That's why we've teamed up with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) to run a website badge campaign to generate awareness. Placing a badge (like the one above) on your website is a great way to get a dialogue started and to let the world know that you support Celiac Disease Awareness.

And, until the end of May, when you add the badge to your website we're going to give $5 (up to a total of $5,000) to the NFCA, to help them raise even more awareness of Celiac Disease. Participating in this event and using the badge is 100% free for you. We'll make the $5 donation on your behalf. So, what are you waiting for? The only thing standing between the NFCA and up to $5,000 is a 30 second copy and paste job.

Thank you for participating in these efforts and helping to raise awareness of Celiac Disease. The more we do to the get the word out, the better all our lives become. Together, we can make a difference!

Sincerely,
Ross Cohen
President, Triumph Dining

How to Participate

1. Copy the code for any of the badges below and then paste it on your home page.


2. E-mail us at awareness@triumphdining.com with a link to where you placed the badge on your site.


3. You'll automatically be entered into a drawing for one of several Triumph Dining Gluten Free Survival Kits (a $50 value!).


4. Help us spread the word to raise even more money for the NFCA with the sharing tools (e-mail, twitter, and facebook) below.


5. Celebrate your good deed for the day.

At the end of May, we'll present a check for up to $5,000 ($5 per person who pastes a badge on their site) to the NFCA."

Get your Celiac Awareness badges HERE

Gluten Free

For more information about Celiac Disease please visit:

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Celiac Disease Check List

Favorite Cookbooks (at the moment)

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there but I read cookbooks, not just skim the recipes but read them like they are a novel.  I truly love cookbooks (and books in general).  Then I go back and put little sticky notes on all the recipes I want to try. This past Christmas I got a few of them as presents and sadly some of them I haven't even cooked from yet.  Once the big move is over and we are finally settled somewhere my big plan is to make weekly menus for at least a month from all of these cookbooks that I have in my collection.

There is one in particular that I can't wait to cook from, and that is Tom Colicchio's Think Like A Chef. The recipes in this cookbook are simply amazing sounding.  I would love (and I mean LOVE) to eat at one of his restaurants in the near future!  Who knows maybe it will happen.

Lately I've been adapting recipes from a cookbook that my friend Janine had signed and sent to me by Ellie Krieger called So Easy.  And she isn't kidding her recipes are very easy and extremely tasty.  One of my favorite ones so far is her Garlic-Basil Shrimp.  I could probably eat this once a week (but I don't).



Another current favorite cookbook of mine is the Allergy-Free cookbook by Alice Sherwood.  I use many of her recipes also.  For example the great blueberry muffins that I just made are from this cookbook.  This cookbook is so helpful because it will take a recipe and tell you how to make it: gluten free, nut free, dairy free, and or egg free!!



A friend of ours got me a cookbook for Christmas because he always sees me posting recipes or pictures of food on facebook and saw that it said gluten free.  Turns out to be an amazing cookbook that got some rave reviews!  Artisanal Gluten Free Cooking.  I've made a few recipes out of here and they were all very very good.  Even Bryan's mom made a recipe out of here on my last night in New Jersey.

On the list of cookbooks to concur when we move (besides Tom Colicchio's) are the following:

The Flying Apron



BabyCakes




On the list of cookbooks to buy are the following:

The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook



Jamie's Food Revolution



The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook



Gluten Free Girl and the Chef

A new take on chicken tenders and fries

A few weeks ago I filled out a form on Tropical Traditions website to be considered to review their coconut oil.  Not thinking that me and my little blog would get picked but I did! Yesterday I received my Coconut Oil in the mail and instantly began to think "what should I make first?", "should I use one of their recipes or try and create my own?", "what does it smell like?", "will it have a strong coconut flavor?".  Needless to say my brain was on 20 question mode, but I had a photo assignment last night and couldn't experiment right away, so I did it tonight.  I was nervous and excited to experiment and swore that if my first try came out bad I wouldn't blog about it.  Thankfully it came out pretty tasty!

I've read so many great things about coconut oil, both for cooking/baking but also the health benefits of it.  Below are a few interesting facts that I have found in my research:

• Coconut oil is very heat stable so it makes an excellent cooking and frying oil. It has a smoke point of about 360°F (180°C)

• The oil is also used to give movie theater popcorn in the United States its distinctive flavor


• Made from fresh coconuts, not dried copra


• Has a fresh coconut fragrance


• Apart from coconut oil, the only other source of lauric acid found in such high concentrations is in mother's milk
  

I had been curious about coconut oil for a while now and been wanting to try it out for myself so I am very thankful to Tropical Traditions for sending me this amazing sample to experiment with and write about.

So back to my 20 questions:

"what should I make first?" - I decided to try and make a play on chicken nuggets and fries.  Instead I made coconut flour dusted chicken tenders and sweet potato fries.  They were fried in a little bit of coconut oil (recipe below).  It was very very tasty.  The chicken came out fantastic!!  So juicy and tender with a hint of coconut flavor (just a hint).  The fries came out great too, however I think I prefer my fries baked instead of fried.

"should I use one of their recipes or try and create my own?" - I went with making my own recipe this time, but Tropical Traditions has tons of great looking recipes that I look forward to trying!

"what does it smell like?"- It definitely smells like coconut but in a good way (not like suntan lotion).

"will it have a strong coconut flavor?" - A slight coconut flavor is there but its not over powering or anything like that.  I rather enjoyed it.

Chicken Tenders and Fries

1/4 cup of coconut flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 medium to large sweet potato - cut into "fries"

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast - cut into 1/2 inch strips

coconut oil - enough to lightly fry the fries and chicken - about 1/4 -1/2 cup

In a medium bowl mix the coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt and pepper until combined.  Dredge the sweet potato fries in the flour and shake of any excess flour before adding to the oil.  One the fries are finished cooking cool them on a wire rack.  Lightly sprinkle with salt (if you desire).  Next, add the chicken to the same flour mixture, coat lightly and shake of any excess flour before adding to the oil.  Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until fully cooked. I dipped my chicken in a little bit of honey....oooh so good!!



Seeing as I was given this very generous sample to try I have decided that for the next month before packing everything up to ship across the country I will make one coconut oil recipe a week, so please stay tuned for more recipes and reviews. Now...what to make next, hmmmmm  Maybe I'll try baking something next.

Please check out this video from Tropical Traditions about their Coconut Oil:

Sweet Baby Ray's (review)

Back East we have "cook outs" where you cook outside on a grill, usually some steaks, BBQ chicken, veggies etc.  However, when I moved to California people call cook outs BBQ's, which I found a little confusing.  I was invited to my first BBQ thinking "oh, nice we are going to have some BBQ pork or chicken".  No, there was NO BBQ sauce to be found anywhere.  Cooking on a grill (or as they call it here, a BBQ) was what they were talking about all along.  Needless to say I was a bit disappointing and still haven't gotten over the difference from one coast to another.  In my mind to have a BBQ - you must have BBQ sauce!! (I know I'm not alone on this, but people here think I'm crazy)

Since moving here and being to many BBQ's with out BBQ sauce I realized a few months ago, that I haven't had BBQ sauce in years!!  Bryan is always raving about this one brand, his all time favorite to be exact - Sweet Baby Ray's.  I said well if its gluten free, lets try it. I read the back of the package and I didn't see anything containing gluten/wheat so I went online and sure enough its gluten free!! Its a good thing that it is, because I don't think he can live with out it, and he is very excited that I can eat it.  Here is what it says on their website:

Allergen

Is the product gluten-free?

All products except for the meatballs with sauce are gluten free.  Always read labels closely for ingredients before consuming.

This stuff is AMAZING.  Such a great flavor, not too over powering but the perfect balance of tangy sweetness.  Its thick and has a little bit of a kick to it.  I've only tried the original one but they have several other flavors: Honey, Hickory & Brown Sugar, Ray's Hot 'N Spicy and Sweet Vidalia Onion. Probably one of the best sauces I have had.  You can pretty much find this everywhere so if you haven't tried it yet you should.  It's almost summer time lots of grills will be heating up waiting for some BBQ chicken!! I don't we'll ever have another kind of BBQ sauce in our house.

I don't own a grill right now (and hopefully we'll be able to get one when we move to Rhode Island) so tonight I'm baking some chicken drumsticks that have been brushed with Sweet Baby Ray's and when they are just about finished I'll pop them under the broiler for just a little bit to get that char on them.  Then of course I'll be dipping the meat in the sauce :) Tonight's meal will be some steamed broccoli, Sweet Baby Rays Chicken and a tomato and cucumber salad.  Light and tasty.

Blueberry Muffins

I've been searching for some new breakfast ideas.  In the past I've made some bagels, muffins, or the old stand by crustless quiche. Lately I've just been having some yogurt or eggs for breakfast. Usually my weekends are my baking time but not so much this weekend,  I had to work on Saturday and today was spent watching one of my best friends and her mom cross the line of the Big Sur Marathon, then off to hang out and relax with them for the day.  - Way to go Lisa and Lorraine.  But tonight when I got home I was determined to make some muffins before The Amazing race started.  I picked up a bag of frozen blueberries today and blueberry muffins would be made tonight!  I went to one of my favorite Gluten Free Cookbooks - The Allergy Free Cookbook by Alice Sherwood (if you haven't tried any recipes from this cookbook you really should).

Blueberry Muffins (page 63) - The Gluten Free Version

1/4 cup butter

2 cups GF all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/4 cup superfine sugar plus extra for dusting (optional)

2/3 cup milk + 1/4 cup - per the gluten free version of this recipe (I use soy)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

1 cup blueberries

1/4 cup chopped pecans*

ground cinnamon for dusting*

* I added the pecans and cinnamon (into the mix) which weren't called for in the recipe.  The cinnamon was just suggested for dusting.

Line 6 large or 10 small sections of a muffin pan with paper muffin cups or butter the pan well.  (I have cupcake tins so I needed all 12 of mine lined) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Melt the butter in saucepan.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.  Stir in the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Make a well in the center, pour in the milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and egg.  Fold the mixture quickly to combine, but don't worry if there are a few lumps.  Fold the blueberries and pecans carefully into the mixture.

Spoon (I use an ice cream scoop) the mixture into the prepared pan (they will be almost full).

If desired, sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake in the oven until risen, lighlty golden in color and the centers spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes.

Transfer to wire rack, dusk with superfine sugar and let cool.

These muffins are so good!! Same great texture of a real muffin, awesome flavor and I think the addition of the cinnamon and pecans into the recipe was a good idea :)  Eventually I would like to get a muffin tin to make slightly larger ones but for now my cupcake tin works just fine. The great thing about this recipe is you could add pretty much any fruit you like to it...next time I think I'll add some cranberries, orange zest and a little bit of walnuts, hmmmm.

I love this cookbook and the recipes I have tried out of here.  This is also the cookbook that I get my bread recipe from.

Cupcakes - what's not to love??

So last week I made two different brands of brownie mix and this week, you guessed it...cupcakes! Technically it's cake mix that I am comparing this week just made into cupcake form. In my mind cupcakes are way better than cake :) Little individual cups of yummy goodness.  Again, its Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix compared to Arrowhead Mill's Vanilla Cake Mix. I've made the Betty Crocker ones before and loved them and I'll be making the Arrowhead Mill's ones for the first time.  The Arrowhead Mill's mix was in the batch of mixes one of my co-workers brought me a few weeks ago.

I love cupcakes, and I seek them out.  Over the Christmas I went to New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts to visit Bryan and our families.  On one of our little adventures to NYC we got the chance to go to BabyCakes!  Now those are some tasty cupcakes!! Wow.  I think I spent almost $40.00 on cupcakes, why?? Not because of the price (well sort of) but because I couldn't decide which ones to buy.  Sooo Bryan and I picked a few and got two of each so we could both try them, because I don't share cupcakes very well.  I think we ended up with the Vanilla, Chocolate and Brownie cupcakes.  All of which were AMAZING but I think the brownie ones were our favorite. - I can't wait to go back there again!

When Bryan came to visit me in February we took a weekend trip up to San Francisco.  We kept seeing this van that says "Kara's Cupcakes" on the side and I obviously kept trying to figure out where they were located.  On our last night there, we are heading to go pick up the car at our hotel and he saw there store and Bryan, being the amazing boyfriend that he is, went in just to see if they offered gluten free cupcakes.  To both of our surprise they did!  But, sadly they were sold out.  I was a little crushed until he told me that they had another store, and if I knew what flavor I wanted they would call over to see if they could hold two for us.  Thankfully the other store had some left, we got there right before they closed and the best part was, they were two blocks from out hotel! ha ha.  While at the store I started chatting with the girl behind the counter and to my surprise they started with Erin from BabyCakes NYC's recipe and adapted it to make it their own...no wonder why they were so good and we loved them so much. We were patient enough to not eat them until we got home (about 2.5 hours) before digging into our little gems.  Again, the cupcakes were AMAZING!!

This summer when I move I am hoping to try some cupcakes from Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery (also in NYC).  If anyone has tried them, I would love to hear your thoughts :)

So here are the results of this weeks battle of the cupcakes (both sets of cupcakes will have the same frosting-yes its gluten free!!):

Betty Crocker Chocolate Cupcakes with Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Rainbow Chip Frosting

vs

Arrowhead Mills Vanilla Cupcakes with Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Rainbow Chip Frosting

Betty Crocker - I followed the directions on the back of the package and cooked it according to the time given.

Moist, tasty, chocolaty.  Taste and texture of a "real" cupcake.  As with the brownie mix from Betty Crocker you can't tell the difference from the gluten containing cupcakes.

Arrowhead Mills - I followed the directions on the back of the package and cooked it according to the time given.

Moist, tasty vanillay.  The taste was pretty good, however the texture was a bit different.  They were a little grainy, almost like it has a little bit of a crunchy texture, more like cornmeal-ish texture to it.  Over all they were still very good, I really enjoyed them.

Now I have a little more than two dozen cupcakes and I am only one person so as with the majority of things I bake these will be coming to work with me tomorrow.  My co-workers have become my "test kitchen" over the past two years.

And the winner is....

I have to say that the winner of this one has got to be the Betty Crocker mix, but probably only because of the texture of the Arrowhead Mills.  You really can't tell that these and the frosting are gluten free.  Betty Crocker has done very well with these mixes, I am highly impressed.

Now to wash these down with a nice big glass of soy milk!!

Trader Joe's Vegetable Panang Curry - Gluten Free!

When I first was diagnosed with Celiac I was told that Whole Foods and Trader Joe's were the best places to shop for Gluten Free items, and I don't think I will ever forget the first shopping trip I did - it almost ended in tears!  No lie, I about cried in the middle of whole foods.  I was beyond overwhelmed with this new lifestyle.  Which is kind of funny seeing as in my opinion Whole Foods is by far the best place to shop for Gluten Free items because everything is labeled, not just on the package but on the shelves they have these little tags that say what is Gluten Free.   I just wasn't used to this kind of shopping.  I wasn't used to having to read everything on the label and learning what many of these ingredients that you need to carry a dictionary around with you to figure out if they contain Gluten Free or not.  If you have Celiac or shop for someone who does, I'm sure you can relate to my experience.  Over the past two years I've gotten better with reading the labels and figuring out where gluten "hides" on the ingredients list.

Trader Joe's on the other hand doesn't come right out and label everything.  Well they have gotten better over the last two years, but when I first started shopping for Gluten Free items it was so frustrating.  Their Gluten Free list isn't store specific like Whole Foods is, they don't put any markings on the shelves and for the most part you had to read every ingredient on the box, do some research online etc to figure out what was Gluten Free and what wasn't.  Now thankfully they are starting to label many of their products as Gluten Free!  (Thank you Trader Joe's!).  Their selection is still a bit limited compared to Whole Foods and they aren't labeling everything but they are getting better.



For the most part I try to buy fresh ingredients, including herbs, meats, veggies etc. and try to avoid many of the processed/packaged foods, but lets be honest, sometimes its just hard to do.  Some days I just want to grab something quick and not have to prepare a whole meal just for myself.  I've tried a few of the frozen meals from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's...they are okay for a quick meal, but I try not to eat them too much.  About a month ago I tried this frozen meal from Trader Joe's and it was very very tasty, however I went to get another one to blog about and they were gone.  Today on my lunch break I tried to restaurants in town and both were extremely rude and unhelpful with my gluten free diet so I decided to run over to Trader Joe's and see if by some chance they had any in the freezer section and they did!  So I grabbed one to bring home for dinner and decided to blog about it.



(You can find this in the frozen section at Trader Joe's (items vary by location))

Vegetable Panang Curry with Jasmine Rice

Ingredients: Thai Jasmine Rice, Brown Jasmine Rice, Panang Sauce (coconut milk, Thai Chili, Shallots, Garlic, Basil, Galangal [Thai Ginger], Kaffir Lime Leaf, Palm Sugar  Lemongrass, Coriander, Soy Oil, Sea Salt), Vegetable Blend (Zucchini, Onion, Asparagus, Kale, Green Beans, Snow Peas, Baby Corn and Spinach).

Granted this isn't the healthiest of meals but its tasty and good for a quick meal as long as you don't eat it too often!!  So if you are looking for something tasty, quick (takes all of five minutes in the microwave), filling and GLUTEN FREE check this out!  You really can't go wrong for only $2.49!!





Now if Trader Joe's could stock my local stores with some Gluten Free baked goods I would be all set!!

Brownie Battle

Last week a co worker of mine brought me a bunch of gluten free mixes to try.  They were from Arrowhead Mills (Brownies, Yellow Cake, Cupcakes and Chocolate Chip Cookies).  I made the brownies and they were pretty tasty.  I have a hard time just eating straight chocolate, I really like to have something with it such as nuts, peanut butter, coconut etc.  Yesterday I found some of the Betty Crocker mixes (which I haven't seen much of around me or they are either way to much money to buy and try). I made the Arrowhead Mills Brownie mix last week and the Betty Crocker Brownie mix today and here are my thoughts on them:

Arrowhead Mills

I followed the directions on the back of the package, and added about a 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.  I baked them in a square pan and these turned out to be very cake like, very thick and chocolaty.  I think the peanut butter and nuts were a great addition to these!  I don't know if I would of been as much of a fan of them if they were just straight brownies.

Betty Crocker

Again, I followed the directions on the back of the package.  They also listed the baking times for different pan sizes, so this time I decided to bake them in an 11x7 pan.  The brownies were a lot thinner, which I enjoyed sooo much more.  I like the crunchy edges and these tasted just like the real ones.  Even though they came out a bit thin due to the pan size they were very moist. I couldn't tell the difference at all with these.  I will buy these again for sure.  My other favorite Betty Crocker GF mix is the chocolate cake - Love it!

I would have to say that the Betty Crocker ones are by far my favorite of these two mixes.  I just loved that they still truly tasted like the original Betty Crocker mix.

Here are the final product from the Betty Crocker Brownie mix:

Coconut Macaroons by Elana's Pantry

I truly love the recipes on Elana's Pantry. They are tasty and easy to do. Today I made Elana's Pantry's Coconut Macaroons and they are awesome. The only alteration I made to the recipe was I topped it with some melted chocolate. I'll be honest, it's really hard not to eat these all tonight. I've had about three little ones already and could continue to eat them. You should all give these a try.

Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons
6 egg whites
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups shredded coconut

1. In a mixing bowl whisk egg whites and salt until stiff


2. Fold in agave, vanilla and coconut


3. Drop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet, one rounded tablespoonful at a time


4. Pinch each macaroon at the top (like a kiss)


5. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned


6. Serve

Bacon-Cheddar Scones

Oh yes you read the title correctly! People say bacon makes everything better and I would have to agree (well for the most part).  I try my hardest not to eat too much bacon, but I love it and its really hard to restrain myself when its around.   Being gluten free one of the hardest things for me is breakfast foods.  I can't eat first thing in the morning so I usually eat at my office.  Lately its been yogurt, but I was craving something else.  Eggs are good but I don't always want to make them before work and then put them in a container to heat up a little later on. I'm always on the hung for breakfast type recipes.  I need to build my recipe bank with more of these of recipes.

So I did some searching online for some gluten free recipes.  Even though its not gluten free I found a recipe online for these Bacon Cheddar Scones (check out this blog - Buns In My Oven for step by step photos and the non-gluten free version!!!) scones and tried to create them to the gluten free recipe that I had posted on here.  They just came out of the oven and they look, smell and taste fantastic!  You really have to try these!

Gluten Free Bacon-Cheddar Scones- (adapted from Bun in my oven's Bacon Cheddar Scones)

Ingredients:
3 C. gluten-free flour mix (see below)

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 tsp salt

8 slices of bacon (cooked and chopped or crumbled)

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced thin

6 oz cold butter cut into small cubes

1 C. milk (or gluten-free soy milk) mixed with 4 T. vinegar–I used apple cider vinegar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons water

Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (mix together and store in fridge):
1 1/4 C. brown rice flour
1 1/4 C. white rice flour
1 C. tapioca flour
1 C. sweet rice flour (also known at Mochiko)
2 scant tsp. xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with a Silpat sheet. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.  Mix until blended well.  Add butter and keep mixing with your hands until it is crumbly and your butter is in small pea size pieces.  You can also use a pastry cutter or two knives. Add the cheese and mix until well blended.

Slowly pour in the milk mixture–do this carefully, because you might not need it all. I used about 7/8s of the milk. The dough should be just barely wet. Use your hands to carefully mix in the last bits of flour. The dough should be extremely light and fluffy. Handle carefully.

Turn out only a floured board.  I use tapioca flour to lightly flour a large cutting board and lightly press out the ball of dough until it is about 1/2 in thickness (you can also follow the original recipe and use a rolling pin and cut the scones according to Jeanne’s instructions).  Cut in half and depending on how many scones you want to make cut each half in third or quarters.  Place the scones on the baking sheet lined with the Silpat sheet.

In a small bowl beat egg and water together.  Lightly brush the tops of the scones and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool on a rack and enjoy warm!

A few of my favorite blogs

[caption id="attachment_31" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="I Blog Gluten Free"][/caption]

I love finding new recipes, trying them out and altering them (if not gluten free).  I own too many cooking magazines and cookbooks (to some peoples standards, but not mine).  I read cookbooks like some people read novels.  I love them.  Now, with technology I find myself reading tons and tons of blogs.  Getting new ideas, new recipes to try and of course continually learning more and more about this gluten free world.

Here are a few of my favorite blogs (you can also find these and a few more on the blog roll tab)

101 Cookbooks

Heidi has some amazing recipes on here, and plenty of gluten free options! Here is a little blurb from her site:

Hi there, my name is Heidi Swanson. 101 Cookbooks is my recipe journal. It's where I write about the recipes that intersect my life, travels, and everyday interests. Often the recipes are from my cookbook collection, sometimes not - they might come from a friend, or I might write about a recipe I created myself.

I focus primarily on natural, whole foods and ingredients - vegetarian recipes that are good for you and for the planet. Welcome!

Elana's Pantry

After finding out I had celiac disease this is the first blog/site that I came across and it is by far one of my favorite ones.  I am continually going here for idea, trying her recipes and sharing it with others.  I find Elana's knowledge and creativity amazing.  (I still need to buy her cookbook!!) Here is a little blurb from her site:

In my 20’s I studied ayurvedic cooking. When my son and I were diagnosed with celiac disease, this three-year study came in handy. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder triggered by eating gluten. Out of necessity my cooking took on an entirely new dimension as we both went on a gluten-free diet.

Unwilling to cook two separate meals each night for my family, I needed to make gluten-free food that tasted like regular food. Would I be able to do this well enough to convince my husband to come home for dinner?

I threw myself into this culinary challenge and my husband, a tough critic, held nothing back. With much trial and many errors, I developed a gluten-free repertoire that tastes delicious. Friends and family now ask for my recipes, even those who are not on restricted diets!

While my cooking might not be complex, I appreciate that my food brings people together –those who eat regular food and those who can’t –to break bread in the warmth of my kitchen. I love to make food that is not only good for you, but actually tastes good. This has become a passion for me.

If you are interested in buying her cookbook you can get it on AMAZON

Four Chickens

I absolutely love this blog.  Jeanne has some tasty tasty recipes.  I've made her doughnuts and her scones...both are wicked good!  I'm very excited to try her new puff pastry recipe hopefully in the near future.  You should defiantly check out her blog and recipes.  Here is a little blurb from her site:

I have 1 daughter, 1 husband, 5 chickens, 1 organic garden in a constant state of disrepair, 100 million books, 10 million skeins of yarn, 5 million cookbooks, 2 million projects in progress rolling around the house, and 1 PhD in theatre history/theory.

I am gluten-intolerant. I also have a life-threatening allergy to wheat. My daughter has a life-threatening peanut allergy. This combo platter keeps life interesting, to say the least.

I make fabulous gluten-free baked goods and it's my goal to help others do the same.

Adventures Of A Gluten Free Mom

This is my latest obsession.  I was drooling looking at all of her recipes tonight.  I came across Heidi's blog the other day because she had posted a link on my Creative Cooking GF Facebook page.  I can't seem to get enough of her site right now. Sadly I don't have a little blurb from her page about her.

I hope you take some time and check these out and the others listed on the blog roll tab.

Balsamic Steak

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine (issue  #43 - June 2007)  This recipe is so simple and is already gluten free!  The original recipe calls for skirt steak, however I had a little bit of a hard time finding that so I used flank steak the first time and the next time I made it I filleted a piece of tri-tip (a cut that is native to California)  in thirds and used that.  I also had the meat sit in the marinade over night.  Again, another really simple recipe yet very tasty!!  Its great for those busy nights, you are going to love it, I promise.

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak (see note above)

1/2 Cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

oil for grates

- In a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish, combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Pierce meat all over with a  fork; add to marinade and turn to coat.  Let marinate at room temperature at least 15 minutes (or over night in the refrigerator and then let sit out for 20 minutes or so before grilling).

- Heat grill to high; oil grates.  Remove steak from marinade, allow excess to drip off.  Grill steaks 2-4 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 5 minutes.  Slice against the grain and serve.

- A nice side for this is mashed or bakes sweet potatoes.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies with Orange Glaze

I adapted the following Bob's Red Mill recipe - instead of raisins, I added some dried cranberries and topped them with an orange glaze.  This recipe was really quick and makes about four dozen cookies.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies
Contributed by Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods

Ingredients 1-1/2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour 3 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats 1 cup Butter (softened) 1 cup Brown Sugar 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 tsp Cinnamon 2 large Eggs* 1 tsp Xanthan Gum 1 cup Raisins (Unsulfured)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter and sugars together until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. In a separate bowl, blend flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and Xanthan Gum. Stir flour blend into wet ingredients. Add oats and raisins and mix well. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool one minutes then transfer to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies. *Eggless Option: Mix together 2 Tb. Flaxseed Meal with 6 Tb. of water and let sit for a minute. Add to recipe as you would the eggs.

Gluten Free Products from General Mills

General Mills now offers over 250 Gluten Free Products!!!  Check out the list at Live Gluten Freely

Gluten Free Cosmetics

I have been on the hunt for the past month for some new gluten free cosmetics and I never thought it would be so difficult to get an answer.  It started with going to the store to hopefully find something...anything but sadly it didn't work out that way.  Most of the brand name cosmetics that you find in the stores have a laundry list of ingredients in them.  Who has the time to sit there and read all of these ingredients, plus have the ability to know all the technical names of ingredients that contain or are derived from gluten/wheat?  I surely do not so instead I decided I would start e-mailing and calling companies instead.

I started by looking at their websites only to find that just one company had the information listed on their website...just one (I sent them and e-mail just to double check)!  All the others I had to fill out the "contact us" forms online.  Some responded with the ingredients they use that contain gluten and wheat, however they would not list which products were free of them.  And again I ask, who has the time to read all the ingredients, especially in small print....not me.  Finally only two places got back to me.  Neutrogena and Bare Escentuals.

It took several days and a phone call later to hear back from Neutrogena, but bottom line, they responded and yes they have GF products!!!  Bare Escentuals responded in less than a half hour.   Below are the responses from both companies.  I think I will start out with trying the Neutorgena products because: 1) they are a bit less money and 2) they are pretty much everywhere.  Bare Escentuals look great but a bit out of my price range for now.

As for skin care I currently use Burt's Bees and LOVE it.  I think for now I will stick with them, however on the Neutrogena list they have a good number of options for you in this area also.

NEUTROGENA GF(WF) LIST (Not available online)


Dear Jenny:

Thank you for contacting Neutrogena Corporation.  We appreciate your interest in our company.

Neutrogena Gluten Free (Wheat Free)
Updated 06/29/06

Active Breathable Sunblock SPF 30 (Discontinued)
Active Breathable Sunblock SPF 45 (Discontinued)
Advanced Solutions Acne Mark Eliminating Peel
Advanced Solutions Acne Therapy System
Advanced Solutions Facial Peel is now Ageless Restoratives™ 5 Minute Facial (2009)
Advanced Solutions Lip Rejuvenating Treatment SPF 20 is now Ageless Intensives Lip Plumping Treatment SPF 20 (2009)
Advanced Solutions Skin Transforming Complex Daily SPF 15 Moisturizer (Discontinued)
Advanced Solutions Skin Transforming Complex Nightly Renewal Cream  (Discontinued)
After Sun Treatment  (Discontinued)
Age Fighting Moisturizer SPF 15
Age Shield Sunblock SPF 30
Age Shield Sunblock SPF 45
Age Shield Face Sunblock SPF 55 (2009)
Age Shield Face Sunblock SPF 70 (2009)
Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration Moisture SPF 25
Ageless Essentials Continuous Hydration Night
Ageless Intensives Lifting Treatment Eye (2009)
Ageless Intensives Lifting Treatment Night (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Anti-Oxidant Booster Serum (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Anti-Oxidant Detoxifying Cleanser (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Anti-Oxidant  Eye (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Anti-Oxidant Moisture SPF 20 (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Anti-Oxidant Night (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Energy Renewal Brightening Minerals- Eye (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Energy Renewal Exfoliating Cleanser (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Energy Renewal Moisture (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Energy Renewal Moisture- Night (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Instant Eye Reviver (2009)
Ageless Restoratives Total Skin Renewal Puffs Refill (2009)
Alcohol-Free Antiseptic Cleanser (Discontinued)
Alcohol-Free Toner
Anti-Cellulite Treatment (Discontinued)
Anti-Residue Shampoo
Blackhead Eliminating 2-in-1 Foaming Pads
Blackhead Eliminating Astringent (Discontinued)
Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub
Blackhead Eliminating Treatment Mask (Discontinued)
Blackhead Eliminating Warming Cleanser (Discontinued)
Body Clear Body Lotion (Discontinued)
Body Clear Body Scrub
Body Clear Body Wash
Body Emulsion
Body Lotion
Body Oil
Build- A- Tan
Clean Conditioners- All
Clean For Color- Color Defending Foam (Discontinued)
Clean Replenishing Instant Shine Detangler (Discontinued)
Clean Shampoos- All
Cleansing and Makeup Removing Towelettes
Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask
Clear Pore Oil Controlling Astringent
Clear Pore Shine Control Gel (Discontinued)
Clear Pore Treatment (Discontinued)
Combination Skin Moisture
Conditioner for Permed/Color Treated Hair (Discontinued)
Comforting Butter Body Cream is now called Deep Moisture Body Cream, Butter Cream (2009)
Comforting Butter Hand Cream  is now called Deep Moisture Hand Cream, Butter Cream (2009)
Deep Clean Astringent
Deep Clean Body Scrub Bar
Deep Clean Cleanser
Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
Deep Clean Invigorating Cleanser/ Mask
Deep Clean Invigorating Scrub
Deep Clean Invigorating Self Foaming Cleansing Pads
Deep Clean Mask
Detangling Conditioner (Discontinued)
Energizing Body Wash
Energizing Sugar Scrub
Extra Gentle Cleanser
Foot Cream
Fresh Body Herbal Body Wash
Fresh Cooling Body Mist SPF 30
Fresh Cooling Body Mist SPF 45
Fresh Finish Loose Powder/Healthy Skin Loose Powder
Fresh Finish Pressed Powder/Healthy Skin Pressed Powder
Fresh Foaming Cleanser
Hand Cream
Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 30- All
Healthy Defense Eye Cream SPF 30
Healthy Defense Protective Powder SPF 30
Healthy Defense Sheer Bronzer SPF 30 (Discontinued)
Healthy Defense Sheer Makeup SPF 30 (Disctontinued)
Healthy Defense Sunblock Spray SPF 30+ (Discontinued)
Healthy Defense Sunblock Stick SPF 30+
Healthy Defense Trio
Healthy Defense UVA/UVB Block SPF 30 + / SPF 45
Healthy Radiance Exfoliating Wash
Healthy Radiance Eye Cream
Healthy Radiance Moisturizer SPF 15
Healthy Scalp Shampoo
Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Anti Blemish Cleanser
Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Anti Blemish Cream
Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Anti Blemish Scrub
Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Cream
Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Intensive Eye Cream is now Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Eye (2009)
Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Intensive Night Cream is now Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Night (2009)
Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Intensive Serum is now Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Serum (2009)
Healthy Skin Blends Natural Radiance Bronzer
Healthy Skin Blends Sheer Highlighting Blush
Healthy Skin BlendsTranslucent Oil- Control Powder
Healthy Skin Cream Powder Makeup SPF 20
Healthy Skin Enhancer
Healthy Skin Eye Cream
Healthy Skin Face Lotion
Healthy Skin Face Lotion Sensitive Skin/Delicate Skin
Healthy Skin Face Lotion SPF 15
Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup SPF 20
Healthy Skin Rejuvenator
Healthy Skin Smoothing Stick
Healthy Skin Visibly Even Daily SPF 15 Moisturizer
Healthy Skin Visibly Even Exfoliating Body Wash
Healthy Skin Visibly Even Exfoliating Cleanser
Hydrating Eye Reviver
Instant Lip Remedy
Instant Nail Enhancer (Discontinued)
Intensified Day Moisture SPF 15
Intensified Eye Moisture (Discontinued)
Invigorating Hair and Body Wash
Light Night Cream
Lip Boost Intense Moisture Lipstick SPF 20
Lip Boost Intense Moisture Therapy
Lip Moisturizer SPF 15
Lip Nutrition- All (Discontinued)
Liquid Neutrogena
Makeup Correcting Stick
Makeup Correcting Stick
Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
Maximum Strength Oil Controlling Pads
Mineral Sheers for Eyes
Mineral Sheers for Face
Moisture Boosting Body Wash (Discontinued)
Moisture for Sensitive Skin
Moisture Rich Sunless Tanning Lotion SPF 20
Moisture Shine Tinted Lip Balm- All
Moisture SPF 15
Moisture SPF 15 Sheer Tint
MoistureShine Lip Gloss
New Hands (Discontinued)
Oil Free Acne Mask/ Scrub
Oil Free Acne Wash Daily Scrub
Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover
Oil-Absorbing Acne Mask (Discontinued)
Oil-Free Acne Wash
Oil-Free Acne Wash pink grapefruit facial cleanser
Oil-Free Acne Wash pink grapefruit foaming scrub
On the Spot Acne Patch (Discontinued)
On the Spot Acne Treatment Tinted
On the Spot Acne Treatment Vanishing Formula
On The Spot Blemish Wand
Overnight Lip Therapy
Pore Refining Cleanser
Pore Refining Cream
Pore Refining Cream SPF 15
Pore Refining Mask
Pore Refining Mattifier (Discontinued)
Pore Refining Toner
Pure Glow Daily Cleansing Cushions (Discontinued)
Pure & Free Baby Sunblock Lotion SPF 60+
Pure & Free Baby Stick SPF 60+
Radiance Boost Eye Cream is now Ageless Essentials Continuous Moisture Eye Cream (2009)
Rainbath Dry Oil Spray (Discontinued)
Rainbath Moisturizing Body Mist (Discontinued)
Rainbath Shower & Bath Gel- All
Rapid Clear Acne Defense Face Lotion
Rapid Clear Gel
Rapid Clear Treatment Pads
Razor Defense Daily Face Scrub
Razor Defense Face Lotion
Relaxing Overnight Moisturizing Body Cream (Discontinued)
Sensitive Skin Solutions Alcohol Free Toner (Discontinued)
Sensitive Skin Solutions Cleansing Wash - Combination Skin (Discontinued)
Sensitive Skin Solutions Cream Cleanser - Dry Skin (Discontinued)
Sensitive Skin Solutions Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser - Oily Skin (Discontinued)
Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion SPF 60+
Shimmer Sheers (all shades)
Skin Clearing After Shave (Discontinued)
Skin Clearing Compact Foundation
Skin Clearing Concealer
Skin Clearing Face Bar (Discontinued)
Skin Clearing Face Wash
Skin Clearing Liquid Makeup
Skin Clearing Moisturizer
Skin Clearing Pressed Powder
Skin Clearing Targeted Acne Treatment (Discontinued)
Skin Smoothing Body Lotion (Discontinued)
Skin Soothing Eye Tints
Skin Soothing Under Eye Corrector
SkinClearing Clean Tint
SkinClearing Shave Gel
SkinClearing Trio
Soft Color Blush
Soothing Relief Anti-Itch Moisturizer
Summer Glow Daily Moisturizer SPF 20
Sunless Tanning Lotion- All
T/Gel Conditioner
T/Gel Overnight Dandruff Treatment
T/Gel Shampoos- All
T/Sal Maximum Strength Shampoo
Transparent Facial Bars- All
Transparent Sunblock Gel SPF 30 (Discontinued)
Triple Moisture Active Soothing Conditioner
Triple Moisture Active Soothing Shampoo
Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo
Triple Moisture Deep Conditioner
Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask
Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum
Triple Moisture Pure Strength Oil Therapy
Triple Moisture Sheer Hydration Leave- In Foam
Triple Moisture Silk- Touch Leave-In Cream
Triple Protect Face Gel
Triple Protect Face Lotion SPF 20
Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 30/ SPF 45
Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 55
Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 70
Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 100+
Ultra Soft Hydrating Sunblock SPF 30 (Discontinued)
Ultra Soft Hydrating Sunblock SPF 45 (Discontinued)
Under Cover Concealer Stick
Visibly Even Natural Look Makeup (Discontinued)
Visibly Firm Eye Cream
Visibly Firm Eye Treatment Concealer
Visibly Firm Face Lotion SPF 20 is  now Ageless Intensives Firming Moisture SPF20 (2009)
Visibly Firm Lift Serum
Visibly Firm Moisture Makeup
Visibly Firm Night Cream
Visibly Younger Hand Cream
Wave Power-Cleanser and Deep Clean Foaming Pads Refills
Wave Deep Clean Gentle Exfoliating Pads Refill

Again, thank you for your interest in our company.  Should you have any comments or questions in the future, please contact us via our website  www.neutrogena.com or by calling our toll-free number, 1-800-582-4048.  Our specialists are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m - 8:00 p.m. EST and will be happy to assist you.

BARE ESCENTUALS - Gluten Free

Dear Jenny,

Thank you for contacting Bare Escentuals. I would be happy to assist you! I certainly understand your concern regarding gluten in our products!

The only products that we carry containing gluten are the 100% Natural Lipcolors, 100% Natural Lip Glosses, RareMinerals products, and the Skin Rev-er Upper contains Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract. The 100% Natural Lip Liners contain barley lipids but it has been tested to be gluten free.

While the list below shows the Wheat, Oat, Rye and Barely free products please keep in mind that these products may be made in an environment that handles Wheat, Oat, Rye and Barley derivatives.
bareMinerals:
All-Over Face Colors - all shades
bareEyes Eye Makeup Remover
Blush - All shades
Blush (SPF 20) - all shades
Brushless Mascara
Body Minerals - all shades
Eyecolor - all shades
Extreme Glimmers - all shades
Faux Tan
Faux Tan Body Moisturizer
First Base Lip Balm
Flawless Definition Mascara - all shades
Foundation (SPF 15 Original) - all shades
Foundation (SPF 15 Matte) - all shades
Gossamers - all shades
High Shine Eyecolors - all shades
Hydrating Blush - all shades
Liner Shadow - all shades
Lip Rev-er Upper
Makeup Remover Wipes
Mineral Veil - all shades
Mineral Veil (SPF 25) - all shades
MultiTasking Minerals - all shades
On the Spot Swabs
Prime Time Eyelid Primer
Prime Time Foundation Primer
Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer
Quick Change Brush Cleaner
Radiance Rocks - all shades
Soft Focus Colors - all shades
SPF 15 Lipgloss - Fiji
SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen - all shades
Weather Everything Liner Sealer
Well Cared For Brush Shampoo

BUXOM:
Buxom Insider Liner - all shades
Buxom Lash Mascara
Buxom Lashliner - all shades
Buxom Lip Polish - all shades

RareMinerals:
Blemish Therapy
Moisture Burst Facial Mist

When I find more I'll be sure to post it.

Gluten Free Pizzelles

For Christmas this year I received a Pizzelles maker.  I was beyond excited because I have wanted one of these for years.  Pizzelles are by far one of my favorite "cookies" in the world.  I can remember being little and my Grandma Lu would always make these for the holidays.

My grandmother suffers from altzheimers and a few years ago my sister, my Aunt Sue and I took my grandmothers recipes and put them in a cookbook for our other family members.  This is one thing that all her daughters were sure to fight over.  So we thought why not give it to all of us!  My Grandma Lu is amazing, she has taught me so many things over the years.  I miss her terribly and its hard being so far away.  I'm afraid that she will forget me at some point.  Even if she does I will  never forget her, her love, encouragement, support, wisdom and of course recipes and love of food.

As soon as I received this pizzelles maker, I started searching for recipes right away and found a few.  The first one I tried is AMAZING, tastes just like my gram's recipe and I don't plan on trying another one.

Pizzelles #2 Recipe from Celiac.com

1 whole egg

1 egg white

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup sifted all purpose gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill - see link above for their suggestion)

1/2 teaspoon xantham gum

2 tablespoons melted butter - cooled slightly

1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

If too thin and runny, add another spoon of flour or cocoa.  Beat the eggs and salt in a small bowl until well blended.  Beat in the sugar and beat until sugar is incorporated and the egg is has lightened in color, about 1 minute.  Add the flour and xantham and stir slowly until all flour is moistened.   Beat another 15 seconds to remove all lumps.  Add melted butter and stir until well blended.  Do not over mix. Bake using pizzelle iron.

I followed the directions of my pizzelles maker - use the spoon that it comes with and scoop 1 - 1/2 spoon fulls into the pizzelles maker on setting number 3 or 4 and when the green light comes on pull them off with a heat proof spatula and cool on a rack.

Enjoy...these are seriously awesome.  Bryan loved them too and said he couldn't tell the difference from regular ones!!

Garlic-Basil Shrimp

This super simple recipe has become one of my favorites (and Bryan's too I think).  Its from the "So Easy" cookbook by Ellie Krieger.  You really have to give this a try and best part, the original recipe almost 100% naturally gluten free.  The only substitution I have to make is instead of orzo pasta, I use either white or brown rice

Garlic-Basil Shrimp by Ellie Krieger

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 pounds shrimp (20-25 per pound), peeled and deveined (I used tail on frozen shrimp)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

salt and freshly grounded black pepper, to taste

3 cups of brown or white rice (original recipe calls for whole wheat orzo pasta)

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then add the shrimp and cook, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the wine and cook over high heat stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper.  Return the shrimp to the pan and cook just until heated through.  Serve with rice (or orzo).

White Farmhouse Loaf

One of the best allergy/gluten free cookbooks that I have come across is called Allergy-Free Cookbook by Alice Sherwood.  This cookbook gives you recipes that can be made with out: dairy eggs, nut and gluten. Simply said, its amazing.  I love trying and re-creating these recipes.  I truly love her bread recipe - White Farmhouse Bread.  The quote on the page for the gluten free version is "Crustier, lighter and tastier than many store-bought equivalents" and hands down I agree.  Its nice and fluffy on the inside with a great crust.  I use this for sandwiches, toast or just spreading some yummy cheeses on it.  This would be great to make breadcrumbs too.

White Farmhouse Loaf - Gluten Free (also dairy and nut free)

1 3/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour (Plus extra for dusting) - I use Bob's Red Mill's all purpose flour

1tbsp xantham gum

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tbsp raw sugar

1 tbsp instant yeast

4 tbsp flavorless nut-free vegetable oil, plus extra for the loaf pan

1 tsp lemon juice (I use fresh lemon juice)

1 egg, beaten

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water

- Sift the flour, xantham gum, salt and sugar into a bowl.  Add the yeast, oil, lemon juice and beaten egg.

- Add the water and mix to form a thick paste.  Beat well with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until smooth.

- Transfer the dough to an oiled 2lb loaf pan, dusted with a little gluten free flour.  Smooth the surface.  Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.  Leave in a warm place until the mixture reaches the top of the pan, about 30 minutes.  Dust with a little gluten free flour.

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

- Bake in the oven until risen, richly golden in color and the base sounds hollow when turned out and tapped, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

- Cool on a wired rack

-Don't be tempted to cut it before it cools because you'll spoil its lovely soft texture!

Lemon Squares

Last weekend I went to a farm stand in Moss Landing and bought tons of awesome fruits and veggies. I also picked up some huge Meyer Lemons. I have been pretty much bed ridden this past week due to my back and was trying to think of a way to use these before they went bad. When life gives you lemons, make .... lemons squares!

Now, to find or create a gluten free lemon square recipe. Hmmmm. I did some searching online and couldn't find one I wanted to try. I looked at my flour supply and realized I'm a bit low on all that they are requiring anyway. Not a good start to my plan of making lemon squares.

I had a package of Bob's Red Mill - All Purpose Flour, and an old Betty Crocker Cookbook. I found a recipe for lemon squares and decided to just adapt that recipe with the flour I had on had. Nothing fancy or anything. I have to say they turned out pretty darn good!

Gluten Free Lemon Squares

1 cup of Bob's Red Mill - All Purpose Baking Flour

1/2 cup of butter, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon Xantham gum

3 teaspoons of lemon zest

3 table spoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

Powdered Sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, butter, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Press in un-greased square pan (I lined mine with parchment paper), 8x8x2. building up 1/2 inch on the sides.

Bake the crust for 20 minutes. While the crust is baking, mix the remaining ingredients in an electric stand mixer on high speed for three minutes until light and fluffy. Pour over the hot crust.

Bake an additional 30 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched lightly in the center. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.

A Very Merry Christmas

This year I saved up my vacation time the best I could so I could spend almost three weeks with my boyfriend and our families back east.  We don't get to see each other very often and its really hard.   We get to see each other every few months, its really taught us not to take each other for granted. We met over five years ago now but we've learned a lot about each other over the past ten months.  For example I learned that he is lactose intolerant and allergic to onions, raw apples and a few other things.  So, not only will our house be Gluten Free, it will be Onion Free and mostly Dairy Free.

I got my first experience cooking both GF and DF while he was here for Thanksgiving.  I made a complete dinner for us.  GF stuffing, a turkey, gravy, mashed sweet potatoes and to top it all off a GF Apple Pie!  He and I both loved it.  And have to admit looking forward to doing it all over again next year.

This year we sent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family back in Mass.  Christmas Eve is spent with my mom's side of the family each year.  Lots of food and plenty of family to share the holiday with.  Its never a dull moment, trust me!  Christmas day is spent with my dad and step mom.  I had filled my parents in on Bryan's allergies and my step mom made one amazing meal.  Completely GF, DF and OF!  Prime Rib with DF scalloped potatoes, green beans with pancetta.  The only part that wasn't 100% GF, DF was the cheese cake.  My step mom makes the best cheese cakes, I swear!!  She even made me own special one with no crust.  Oh man I can still taste it.

They also wanted to take us out to dinner one night at the 111 Chophouse in Worcester.  I've been there once or twice before, but this was before finding out about having Celiac.  I made sure to bring my little Triumph Dining card with me, however I didn't need them.  The Chophouse has a gluten free menu.  Not just a few things either, it was a very complete menu.  It had apps, salads, main dishes, and deserts.  I was highly impressed with their selection for GF guests.  I ended up going with the Wagyu Flat Iron Steak. (Thanks again Dad and Sue for another amazing meal!)

After about a week in Mass we headed back down to New Jersey to spend some more time with Bryan's family and our friends.  We went to The City a few times, ate at Risotteria twice.  Shared the goodness of that place with our friends and Bryan's Dad. (I have to say they were good sports to go to a GF place just for me! - Thanks guys).  On our first trip to the City we also went to MoMA to see the Tim Burton Exhibit, which is AMAZING.  I highly recommend going if you are there.  He is an extremely talented man, that is for sure.  Next stop was the Empire State Building!!  My dream finally came true.  (I know a self proclaimed dork, but I've always wanted to go since seeing An Affair To Remember).  Not only was it almost empty - no lines believe it or not, but we got to go to both the 86th floor and the 102 floor!  Both of which are amazingly beautiful.  It was night time and the city looked like it had a million Christmas lights all lit up.

Our next trip was with Bryan's Dad to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, NYC (which sadly closed on 1/3/10). They had some amazing things on display.  When you first got in they show you a "movie" of different artists who have been inducted.  It made me sad that I've missed some pretty amazing artists growing up.  Don't get me wrong, I grew up listening to great music, but sadly didn't get to see any of these artists.  I realized that we have lost amazing talent over the years and most musicians now a days just don't measure up.

On our  way home we stopped at BabyCakes!! Its a small little place, but the cupcakes are unbelievable.  I walked out of there with six cupcakes and two brownie cupcakes.  Don't worry I didn't eat them all myself, I shared ;-)  I even love whats printed on the back of the box "Saving your behind one cupcake at a time".  My friend Adina gave me their cookbook for my birthday, and now I can't wait to try some of their recipes.

For photos from my trip back home visit my Flickr page!