Gluten Free in Utah

The Best of Gluten-Free Awards

2012-02-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

Do you have favorite gluten free products? Well, go here and let your voice be heard (or click on the picture).

And keep in mind that you can write in your vote in every category.

Here are some of my personal favorites...

GF Mixes: Grandpa's Kitchen (needs to be written in on "other") (bread, pancakes, flour mix, etc.)
Pre-baked products: Udi's (bread, muffins, bagels, granola, etc.)
Snacks: Usually Glutino (I've never been disappointed with their products like crackers and pretzels)

Go vote and then come back here and let me know some of your favorite gluten free brands!

Gluten Free Easy Veggie Stir-Fry, from Our Best Bites

2012-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

I made the Easy Veggie Stir-Fry from Our Best Bites (a favorite site) and I think I’m in love!

I’m not going to post step-by-step instructions or the recipe because their post is perfect already and I followed theirs *almost exactly. So go here to get the recipe.

*The things I did differently were: I forgot to cook the chicken before, so I just dumped some beef broth in a pan and cooked it in that before mixing it into the stir-fry. And I stir-fried the ginger in a separate pan and added it just to my food (my husband isn’t a big fan of ginger).

I loved this! It really was easy and the taste was SO good.

I bought 3 ingredients I’d never bought before to make this: fresh ginger (I can’t believe this was my first buying this), Sriracha sauce, and sesame oil (it would be 4 things, but I bought sesame seeds at the beginning of the month for the first time). It was worth buying all of those because I definitely plan to use them in the future now.

The main things I want to say is to make sure you use gluten free soy sauce. I use La Choy. Although it’s been gluten free every time I’ve looked at it, companies can change their ingredients without notice, so always check. Also make sure you check the beef broth. Some have gluten in them, especially the low-sodium ones, it seems.

Seriously give this recipe a try!

Giveaway on Grandpa's Kitchen Facebook Page!

2012-01-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

Go check out the Grandpa's Kitchen Facebook giveaway!

When 150, and then 200, "likes" are reached on their Facebook page, they'll do a drawing. To enter all you need to do is comment on the giveaway post (you'll be entered into both the 150 and 200 drawings with that one comment).

Go enter!

Gluten Free Dinner: Thai Kitchen product review

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

I did something this past week I rarely do. I bought a boxed dinner. I was checking out the rice noodles in the Asian section at Winco and the Thai Kitchen brand caught my eye. And this box in particular:The “peanut” part especially. I’m not sure whether or not all of the Thai Kitchen products are gluten free, but a whole lot are. And they’re all marked gluten free, so you don’t have to guess. I also picked up some Ramen Noodle like packages while I was there. Gross, I know, but sometimes it’s just nice to have a quick meal on hand. Those were around $.50 each and the Thai Peanut Noodle Kit was around $3. Not bad. You do have to add the chicken, peanuts, cilantro, and bean sprouts, so factor those into the final price.

All-in-all, I liked it. The flavor was delicious, the price was right, and it was easy to prepare. Downside: it contains MSG. Blah. Serving size says 3 and it fed me, my 2 toddlers, and my husband with no leftovers (well, my kids didn’t actually eat much of it because they weren’t sure about the bean sprouts, but they still had some on their plates). If you’re okay with the MSG, then I recommend this. It was tasty and a good price. That’s not easy to find in gluten free boxed dinners (heck, it’s not easy to find in gluten-full boxed dinners).

Directions (not hard):

Some of the ingredients and steps:

The bowl of peanuts I mashed to go on top:

Finished product. Yummy!

Have you tried any Thai Kitchen products? What’s your favorite flavor?

I was not compensated to do this post. I found this product on my own at the store and want to share what I think.

Gluten Free Dinner Idea: Mushrooms, garlic, and butter… yum!

2012-01-22T22:14:00.001-08:00

Seriously, you can’t go wrong sautéing mushrooms in butter and garlic and then putting it on top of chicken. It makes any plain ol’ dinner seem fancy. I just grill up some chicken on my George Foreman grill, sauté the mushrooms, and then add whatever sides I happen to have on hand (1-2 veggies and maybe potatoes). Totally simple, last minute meal that is heavenly. I use Johnny’s Garlic Spread seasoning when I do garlic butter (artichokes, garlic bread, etc). You could put the mushrooms on top of mashed potatoes, too.

If you don’t like mushrooms, you can use the same idea, but with toppings you do like. Cheese, onions, green peppers, or BBQ sauce, just to name a few. I also love buying fancy cheeses and doing this same thing (gorgonzola, blue cheese, feta, etc.).

What’s your favorite topping for chicken?

Gluten Free Copycat Chili’s Green Chili and Chicken Soup

2012-01-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

There’s not a ton of gluten free options at Chili’s, but at least you’re not trying to guess what does and what doesn’t have gluten in it when you go there. I would have guessed that their chips were gluten free, but I would have been wrong. Chili’s has a gluten free menu that they update often. Pretty cool. I really really wish their chips were gluten free, but oh well. At least they have their delicious Green Chili and Chicken Soup.

I had a bunch of avocados this week and was wanting to make this. Luckily the Picky Palate had a copycat recipe for me.This was perfect for me because it’s gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free. Unfortunately, I used chicken bouillon cubes for my chicken broth and they have MSG. At least I now know that MSG for sure makes me nauseous and fuzzy-headed. Figuring out what makes me sick is half the battle.

I left the cheese out of mine and just garnished with cilantro and avocado. DELICIOUS! I think it’s now time for me to learn to make my own chicken broth, so I can make this often.

Go here to get the recipe.

Enjoy!

Update

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry I’ve been missing for awhile. Here are my excuses:

Between a cruise (with the kids) right before Christmas, Christmas, and New Years I’ve been burnt out.
I’m trying to figure out my health issues and it’s time consuming. I think I’ve figured out what I have, but I need to figure out what to do about it. It appears that I have fibromyalgia that was caused by leaky gut syndrome and candida. I’ve been reading up on those things and working with a natural healer to figure out how to heal my body. Hopefully the fibromyalgia can be reversed. Besides gluten, I can no longer eat dairy or sugar. I haven’t been able to have egg whites for 1 1/2 years now and I’ve tried to stay away from preservatives and artificial flavors and dyes, but now it’s even more important. Figuring out new things to eat has also been time consuming.
I, of course, have two little kids to take care of and they are BUSY! Plus a husband that I like to hang out with and a house that never stays clean.
Prison Break. If you’ve seen it, you’ll understand. I can’t recommend it because it’s too addicting.
The fibromyalgia makes sitting at the computer painful. Oh, and in order to heal my gut I can’t take pain killers, so I have to be careful to avoid anything that I know will hurt me.

So there you have it. Those are my main excuses. And none of them are going away anytime soon (except Prison Break… hopefully we finish that one soon ). We only have a small break in big events. February and March brings my wedding anniversary, Valentine’s, my b-day (I have a real one this year… Feb. 29th… wahoo!), my husband’s b-day, and other family members birthdays.

I guess what I’m saying is, I’m sorry for being a slacker with posting, but don’t expect me to do any better anytime soon. When I feel the blogging bug, I’ll try to take advantage of it. I really do want to continue to post my favorite recipes and gluten free tips, so be patient and know that even if I don’t post for awhile I’m not gone for good.

Homemade Gluten Free Larabars

2012-01-13T19:53:00.001-08:00

Have you tried Larabars yet? I just did for the first time last month. Boy, have I been missing out! These bars are made with whole foods, no sugar, no gluten, no dairy, yet they’re still good! Some have as little as 3 ingredients (that’s a good thing).

My sister has been telling me about them forever, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy them because they’re pricey. I can no longer eat dairy or sugar and I was struggling to find good breakfast options, so I broke down and bought a box from Costco and have bought a second one since. The Costco box definitely makes them cheaper (I think around $.80/bar instead of more than $1), but it’s still a lot to me.

So when I saw that I could make my own Larabars, I jumped at the chance! They’re cheaper, plus I can make whatever flavors I want. The Costco box has peanut butter, cherry pie, and apple pie. All are delicious, but it’s fun to have other options. So you know, I still intend to always have a box of Larabars in my house. They don’t need to be refrigerated and they last longer than my homemade ones, and it’s definitely easier to not have to make them myself, but these homemade ones are really tasty and I’ll try to have them on hand when I can. The real Larabars will be backup.

This site has a list of a bunch of different Larabar recipe links. I went through them, copied and pasted the recipes that I wanted to try (and could find ingredients for) and made some of my own.

I made some cashew cookie and almond cookie ones from this blog (I added unsweeted coconut to them both) and some peanut butter chocolate ones that I made up. Each recipe only made about 3 bars and a couple balls (I wanted some small ones for my kids), which is perfect for me while I figure out what I like best. Some of the recipes make a whole cookie sheet of bars at a time.

I went to Winco and bought a bag of pitted dates. This was the first time I’ve ever bought dates and I now love them! They’re the key to making these bars good. They’re the reason you don’t need to add sugar. They’re sweet and delicious and they hold the bars together. Then you basically pick a nut to add and then anything else you might want (coconut, cocoa, fruit, cinnamon, etc) and you have a Larabar!

You can make a lot with dried fruit too, but I couldn’t find any at Winco that didn’t have added sugar. I’ll have to go to a health food store for those. A bunch of the recipes call for chocolate chips, but I can’t do those either. The cocoa made them plenty chocolaty for me (I love dark chocolate). You can also make these healthier by adding things like ground flax seeds or chia seeds.

I made mine in my “fake” Magic Bullet (Bella). I had to do about half of a recipe at a time. And the dates were surprisingly hard to blend. Most people do these in a food processor, but I don’t have one. The Bella worked well enough. After I blended them I put them in a bowl and then shaped them into bars or balls.

My favorites were the almond cookie ones

1/3 cup dates
1/2 cup almonds
dash of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
as much unsweeted coconut as I felt like
And about 2 Tbs cocoa

And then I rolled them in coconut.

YUMMY!

Have you had Larabars before? What’s your favorite? Do you think you’ll make some homemade Larabars? What kinds do you want to try?

How To Steam Broccoli in the Microwave

2011-12-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it can be hard to come up with a meal when you’re on a gluten free diet. If you work on getting a bunch of delicious side dishes in your recipe box it can be much easier. Season chicken breasts or tenders any way you like and pick two side dishes to go with it.

One of my families favorite side dishes is broccoli steamed in the microwave. I’m especially fond of this method because it’s easy and always turns out yummy. My sister-in-law taught me how to do it (and she learned from her days working at Outback Steakhouse, so you know it has to be good).

First, wash the broccoli. This isn’t just important for cleanliness, but because you need the moisture in the broccoli for the steaming.

Next, chop it up into good bite-sized pieces and place in a a freezer ziplock bag (you can actually use any brand, but you’ll want it to be a freezer bag. They can withstand the heat).This next step is why it’s so yummy . Add a lot of butter. Of course, you can use margarine, but butter is definitely the better choice. I used a half stick for my bunch of broccoli. You can use however much you want. Cube the butter like this:

Next add garlic salt. I sprinkle on quite a bit. Sorry I don’t have exact measurements for this.

Seal the bag and shake it to get the butter and garlic salt mixed in.

Once you’ve shaken it, open up a section of the bag for steam to escape.

I set mine upside down in the (microwave-safe) dish/bowl I’m going to be serving it in. Make sure the opening isn’t blocked off.

Next, pop it in the microwave and cook it for 5-7 minutes. I used to know exactly how long to do it, but then I bought a house and got an ancient microwave that doesn’t even have a turntable, so it takes longer. I just check it and put it in longer if it’s not soft enough. Start with 5 minutes and add 2-3 if it needs longer.

When it’s done, lift the bag and pour it right into the dish it was sitting in.

Be careful not to get burned by steam.

And enjoy! Delicious, garlic steamed broccoli in no time at all!

You can also use this method for carrots and cauliflower. If I have all of them I’ll often put them all in together and make a steamed vegetable medley. The carrots do take longer to soften, so keep that in mind.

Enjoy!

P.S. They do sell bags that are specifically for steaming veggies, but I’m cheap and also have gallon sized bags on hand anyway, so I just do it this way.

Gluten Free Brazilian Haystacks: with Feta

2011-12-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

I just made these Brazilian Haystacks (easy and yummy recipe), but used Feta instead of cheddar. Heaven!!!

I also added some of the Fuzzy’s hot sauce that I use for Fuzzy’s tacos.

Wow! It was so fresh and full of flavor! I always loved the original Brazilian haystacks, but if I have Feta in the fridge, I will definitely be using that. DELICIOUS!!!

Gluten Free Product Review: Helping Hands Bakery

2011-12-08T21:29:00.001-08:00

Remember when I first mentioned Helping Hands Bakery and said I was excited to try them? Well, they sent me a package of goodies, so I was able to!

Helping Hands Bakery is an awesome gluten free bakery that also provides jobs and job training for adults with special needs. They’re located in Boulder, Colorado, but you can purchase their products at Whole Foods Markets in Utah (and CO, NM, and KS) as well as online. Bonus: they offer free shipping! They’d love to be in even more stores in Utah, so ask your local stores to start carrying their products. Good for this wonderful company and good for you, so it’s easier for you to buy them. Win-win :).

They sent me a bunch of stuff. Here’s my review of each one (and don’t worry, the rest of the pictures were taken during the day and are much prettier):The Monster Bites were my favorites. Absolutely delicious! It’s a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie with raisins and coconut. A yummy and filling snack.

I didn’t really like the Snickerdoodles. They didn’t have enough flavor for me.

The funny thing about the Cranberry & Flax Bites was that sometimes I loved them and sometimes they tasted too “healthy” for me. Weird, I know. They definitely have a “good for you” taste going on (probably because of the flax), but the times I liked them, I really liked them.

I loved this Pumpkin Tea Cake! It was very moist and good! I’m a huge fan of pumpkin and this was a nice fall treat.

Here’s a different view to give you a better idea of what it is (since I didn’t take pictures of the unwrapped bars).

This Boulder Bar was incredible! It’s loaded with lots and lots of yummy stuff. GF oats, chocolate chips, almonds, coconut, flax meal, sunflower seeds, and cranberries. It’s perfect for a sweet snack when you’re feeling hungry.

Here’s another view of the Boulder Bar.

Papa’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar was yummy. I don’t know how to explain the texture except that it seemed to melt in my mouth. I liked it. It doesn’t have as much substance as the Monster Bites or Boulder Bar, but I enjoyed the light taste and texture.

Be sure to check them out and get some delicious gluten free treats for yourself (especially the Boulder Bar and Monster Bites… yum…)!

Interesting Article on Gluten

2011-11-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

My friend posted an article about gluten sensitivities on facebook that I found very interesting. It's stuff I've heard and believed, but hadn't seen actual numbers on it till now.

Click here to read it.

The parts I found especially interesting are these:

A recent large study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people with diagnosed, undiagnosed, and "latent" celiac disease or gluten sensitivity had a higher risk of death, mostly from heart disease and cancer. (i)

This study looked at almost 30,00 patients from 1969 to 2008 and examined deaths in three groups: Those with full-blown celiac disease, those with inflammation of their intestine but not full-blown celiac disease, and those with latent celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (elevated gluten antibodies but negative intestinal biopsy).

The findings were dramatic. There was a 39 percent increased risk of death in those with celiac disease, 72 percent increased risk in those with gut inflammation related to gluten, and 35 percent increased risk in those with gluten sensitivity but no celiac disease.

And:

Another study comparing the blood of 10,000 people from 50 years ago to 10,000 people today found that the incidences of full-blown celiac disease increased by 400 percent (elevated TTG antibodies) during that time period. (ii)

It also talks about the many different diseases associated with gluten sensitivity and how an estimated 99% of the population who have a problem with eating gluten don't even know it.

Definitely an article worth passing on.

Amazing Gluten Free Cream Cheese Cupcakes

2011-11-18T20:46:00.001-08:00

Are you ready for the most delicious and simple cupcake recipe ever?! It’s so simple because you just use a gluten free cake mix (I used Betty Crocker), add the filling, and you get the most amazing cupcakes! I will warn you, they’re extremely addicting. Extremely.
These are the cupcakes I make when I need a bunch for a big party. They’re easy enough to make a large amount and they’re so good that they’re always the star of the dessert. I also make a strawberry version and take them too. (The directions for those are at the very bottom of this post.)
Of course, you can use your own chocolate cake recipe if you prefer. It works with any chocolate cake batter (as long as it’s yummy). The star of these is the cream cheese chocolate filling. Here’s how I make them.

First, mix up some batter using this:

Then use this recipe from allrecipes for the filling (my recipe and notes are below):
Fill the cups with chocolate batter then cream cheese mixture.
Bake.
Enjoy either with our without frosting (I prefer without).
Maybe I should call them gluten free marble cupcakes. Thoughts?
I actually prefer the mini cupcakes for this recipe. They’re perfect for popping in your mouth and they have a lot of the cream cheese filling. Yum!
Seriously AMAZING!!!
Here’s the recipe all ready to be copied, pasted, and printed (if anyone knows how I can make these printable by clicking it, let me know and I’ll do it):
Gluten Free Self-Filled Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Gluten Free in Utah
Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use mini chips)
1 package gluten free chocolate cake mix
- Ingredients cake mix calls for

Directions for cupcakes:

Preheat oven to temperature on cake mix and line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
Prepare chocolate cake mix batter how it says on box, but do not bake.
In separate bowl cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Beat in the egg until well blended, then stir in chocolate chips.
Fill 1/3 full with chocolate cake batter.
Add cream cheese mixture to the center. *I do at least 1 Tbs (usually much more), but it’s up to you how much you use. Total the cup should be about 2/3 full.
Bake according to cake package directions.
Cool and frost. If you want to. They’re so delicious, I like them without frosting.
Enjoy!

*(The original recipe calls for just 1 tsp of mixture and then to put more chocolate batter on top. I do much more filling and don’t add batter to the top.)

Also, you should try a strawberry and white chocolate version of this recipe. Do everything the same except for these changes:

white gluten free cake mix instead of chocolate
strawberry cream cheese instead of white
white chocolate chips instead of regular

I haven’t tried the strawberry version yet, but I’ve made a gluten-filled version for multiple parties and they’re always a favorite. YUMMY!!!

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Samples at Gluten Free Foods in Layton- definitely go!

2011-11-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

Newsletter from the Gluten Free store in Layton:

Thanksgiving Day is next week.  We won't be able to guarantee you a Thanksgiving Pie, Dinner Rolls, Stuffing Mix or Pie Shells unless you preorder them. The Pies come in 5 flavors. Apple, Cherry, Key Lime, Pecan and Pumpkin. The pies/pie shells are frozen and you will need to bake them yourself. Key Lime Pie just has to be thawed. The stuffing mix is similar to Stove Top. Just boil water with some butter. It is that easy!   Most of the dinner rolls are prebaked and you can just warm up for a few seconds in the microwave. But if you are adventerous we do have some dinner rolls that are dough balls. Let thaw, rise and bake and you will have fresh hot rolls!
Preorders need to be placed ASAP!  Call us today at 801-776-1330 to place your orders!
Thanksgiving orders can be picked up on Tuesday November 22nd between 1 PM and 7 PM OR Wednesday November 23rd between 11 AM and 7 PM. *Please note pickup on Tuesday will be 1PM and later. We get most of our deliveries that morning so we need time to receive them and prepare the orders for pickup. Thank you for your understanding.
This Saturday is our sample day from 11 AM - 3 PM. Cheese Bread Mania will be here serving up some of their yummy cheese bread! *Goodness Gluten Free Bakery will also be here. They make dinner rolls/cinnamon roll dough. Just thaw, rise and bake for hot delicious dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. Please join us!
Thanks,
Jenny
Gluten Free Foods
1596 N Hill Field Rd #B
Layton UT 84041
801-776-1330
www.ieatglutenfree.com

*(Bold added by me) I just met Carol, the owner of Goodness Gluten Free, last night and she is awesome! Be sure to visit the store tomorrow to meet her and sample her delicious rolls!
(How awesome is it that she has delicious gluten free frozen rolls?!)

Grandpa's Kitchen: new stores and demo

2011-11-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Grandpa's Kitchen gluten free mixes (my favorite GF mixes) are now in Dick's Market in both Bountiful and Centerville. Click here for a list of the other stores you can find them.

Also, this Saturday (Nov. 12) Grandpa's Kitchen will be doing a demo in the Bountiful Dicks. There will be samples of pizza, pumpkin squares and their bread. Yum!

Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think!

Gluten Free Fair Saturday Nov. 12

2011-11-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Cool Gluten Free Company: Helping Hands Bakery

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to bring your attention to a new bakery I've just learned about.

Helping Hands Bakery

Check out the video they've got to learn more about them. It's VERY impressive! It's nice to be able to support companies that are doing so much good for their community!

You can purchase their products online or buy them at Whole Foods here in Utah (also in CO, NM, and KS). If you've tried them let me know what you think. I'll get my review up as soon as I have a chance to try them. I can't wait!

Tax Write-off on Gluten Free Products

2011-11-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

As many of my readers know, I have not been officially diagnosed as having celiac disease. My blood tests came back negative and I stopped there. I think my sensitivity is an intolerance and not celiac disease, but I'll now never know for sure because I won't go back on gluten to find out.

If you're just starting out on the gluten free path and are wondering whether or not you should go through the hassle of the tests, here's something to consider: you can write off the price difference of special gluten free products on your taxes, but only if you have an official doctor diagnosis of celiac.

Click here for some more info on it.

And here is another article.

Would the hassle of tracking all of your purchases be worth it? I think that depends on how many special gluten free products you buy. For the family at the Gluten Free Expo who told me they go through 2-3 loaves of Udi's bread a week at $5-$6 a loaf, I'd say it's definitely worth it!

What do you think? Is it worth it? Have you done this or do you think you will?

FYI (a little blog construction)

2011-10-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get more recipe buttons up so that it'll be easy for you to find different recipes on my blog. My problem is blogger is not making the formatting easy. Blah. So I'm seeing what I can do about posting in Windows Live Writer (where I have more control over the format) and then posting it. Then I'll eventually put it in the menu.

So for now you can find the recipe buttons in the regular blog posts. Just so you know what's up :).

Guest Post: Gluten free healthy meals

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today's post is a guest post by Brett H. from the Blog Content Guild. Brett writes about healthy eating, living, and lifestyles. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Healthy Meals

So, you’ve stopped eating gluten. You’re probably feeling a whole lot better now than you have in a while. Unfortunately, you do need to be aware of some of the potential side effects of a gluten-free diet. There’s a possibility that you could gain weight, have higher cholesterol levels, and not be getting all the nutrients your body requires. There are three key methods to help you avoid these side effects and eat healthy meals that are gluten-free. Check them out:

A. How to Get Enough Nutrients

To get enough of the vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis, you should explore a variety of healthy food choices. You may feel a little bit limited by your gluten-free diet, but there’s no need to feel that way. The meal possibilities are practically endless. All you need to do is try to eat a significant amount of vegetables and fruit every day. And include a decent amount of protein and dairy products in the meals you eat. You can easily add more nutritious variety to dishes you enjoy eating on a regular basis by substituting ingredients here and there. For instance, you can make a simple meal like steak and fries more nutritious by preparing seasoned green beans rather than fries. And instead of an egg white and cheese omelet, you can whip up a spinach, mushroom, and egg white omelet. You get the idea. Just play around with your options and have a little fun being creative!

B. How to Lower Your Cholesterol

Prepare your own meals, instead of eating out. This will help you to eat more foods that can help lower your cholesterol like walnuts and fatty fish. Eating meals you cook at home has a lot of other benefits too. There’s no risk of your food being cross-contaminated by gluten food products. This is a common risk when you eat out because some uninformed chefs will prepare gluten-free products in the same area they prepare food that contains gluten. Cooking at home allows you to be in charge of what food products are used in what you eat. This means that you can opt to use only healthy food products that are low in fat and empty calories.

C. How to Win the Battle of the Bulge

This section can apply to everyone, not just those on a gluten-free diet. A lot of people gain weight because they overeat. And a lot of people overeat because the plates they eat off of are much too large. We’ve been trained well to clean our plates, which is good unless our plates are huge. So, open your kitchen cabinets and check out your plates. If they’re more than 10 inches wide, think about buying some new ones. Aside from plate sizes, you should also try to eat at a more relaxed and slow pace, if possible. People who eat food slowly eat considerably less food than people who eat in a hurry.

If you’re on a gluten free diet, you don’t need to suffer from the unpleasant side effects commonly associated with it. Consider differing the food products you eat on a regular basis, cooking for yourself, and buying some nine-inch wide plates.

Thanks Brett, great info! I actually use the smaller plate trick and it really helps.

How to do Gluten Free Inexpensively: What to keep stocked up on

2011-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have a friend whose daughter just received a diagnosis of celiac disease and have been thinking about her a lot lately. It can be so expensive to eat gluten free if you get all of the special gluten free products. I've decided to write up a little guide of what I like to keep stocked in my house to make gluten free easier and hopefully a little cheaper. (And don't worry... I'm sure you'll find that you already keep a lot of these things in your home.)

Gluten free cereals. Cinnamon Chex is my favorite, but Rice Chex is cheaper. You can doctor up Rice Chex with fruit and nuts if you want. It's also great to have on hand to make Chex mix or muddy buddies (yum!). There's also gluten free Rice Krispies and Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles. Both of which you can also make fun treats out of. If you enjoy cereal for breakfast, this is definitely a cheaper route than the special gluten free brands. Plus you can pretty much always find coupons for them and they're more likely to go on sale. Of course, you can always do eggs, bacon, ham, hashbrowns, smoothies, etc. for breakfast, but I find it's best to have at least one gluten free cereal option on hand.
Rice Crackers. I get a big pack at Costco and the price is comparable to "normal" gluten-filled crackers. I rarely eat them plain, but my kids love them that way. I put cheese slices on the Artisan Four Cheese kind (for salty) and Nutella on the Sesame Seed ones (for sweet- it reminds me of pretzels in chocolate). They're always great for a snack when you can't find anything else and they're a great price.
Tortilla Chips (a gluten free brand, of course). I buy the Costco Kirkland chips. They say "gluten free" right on the bag and they're a great price. I use these for EVERYTHING! When I want a snack I could have chips and any kind of dip I feel like (salsa, cream cheese and GF chili, cheesy dip, etc.) or I can eat them plain. I also use chips as a base for a lot of things, pizza being a main one. I just melt the cheese and toppings on and then dip them in pizza sauce (I usually make my family a regular gluten pizza when I do this. If that will make you too sad, then everyone can have pizza nachos and I'm sure they'll love them). Regular nachos with refried beans and any other toppings you want are a fun and yummy dinner for the whole family too. I also crush up tortilla chips and use them in place of bread crumbs for a lot of recipes. It's way cheaper than using special gluten free bread crumbs and still tastes delicious.
Gluten free pasta. Yes, this is a special gluten free item, but I like to have it on hand. We don't have pasta very often, but it is nice to have in the pantry, because there are so many delicious pasta recipes out there. And although it dirties more pots, I make myself gluten free pasta and a different pot of gluten-filled for my family. Much cheaper. I don't worry about having specialty shapes (unless it's lasagna). I buy GF spaghetti noodles and penne pasta and decide which to use depending on the recipe. If you want, you can always use rice in place of pasta too. I prefer GF pasta, but I know a lot of people who are fine with the rice.
Rice. It's a great staple to have in the house whether you're gluten free or not. You can doctor up the rice for a side-dish or you can pour sauce over it. (Potatoes can work the same as rice as far as a side or to put sauce on.)
Cornstarch. Learn how to thicken gravies and soups with this. You can use it in place of flour in many recipes (when it's used as a thickener). It's a must.
Gluten free Cream Soup Mix. This is nice to have on hand for those recipes that call for a cream of something soup. I make up a mix and keep it in a container in my fridge.
Candy bars (gluten free ones, of course). I don't feel the need to do this anymore, but when I first went gluten free, I liked to have candy bars on hand for those times I really wanted to eat an off-limits dessert.
Naturally gluten free snacks. I think snacks are personal to each person/family and that you have to decide what you like to have on hand. We usually have string cheese and fruit snacks around and occasionally Veggie Straws or trail mix. Many chips are also gluten free. Read the labels of your favorites and see. Popcorn is also a bit time must for me.
Lots of fresh fruit and veggies. This is a good thing to do whether you eat gluten free or not. I like to have a big variety. That way, there's usually something that sounds good.
Gluten Free Flour Mix. I try not to use these often because the cost can add up, but it really does make life easier if you have at least a few cups of it for those times you really want to try out a new baked goods recipe or make an old family favorite. I prefer Grandpa's Kitchen Gluten Free Flour Blend because it already has the xantham gum in it and you can use it cup for cup in your regular family recipes. You can also mix up your own GF flour blend, but unless you really really really love baking, I'd wait on that till you're more comfortable with gluten free. (At the beginning for me I actually had just rice flour on hand and thought that was enough, but looking back I think this would have made things easier.)
A mix or two of gluten free dessert (or other special treat). I do like to have gluten free mixes on hand, though I rarely use them. It's just nice to have them there if a craving comes up. Pamela's has some good mixes and I also like the Betty Crocker dessert mixes. Oh, and you can't go wrong with the Gluten Free Pantry brand.

Nice to have and makes things easier, but didn't make it on the must list (I have these occasionally, but not always, but really... I love it when I do have them.):

Udi's bread. It's nice to have a loaf in my freezer in case I'm having a hard time finding something I want for lunch or a snack. I prefer my sandwiches without bread now (which means it's not a sandwich, I guess... it's a lettuce wrap), so I use it for toast or grilled cheese sandwiches mainly. You can usually find an Udi's coupon online.
Rice flour. It's the cheapest of the gluten free flours (and even cheaper if you grind it yourself). I don't actually use it that often, but like to have it around in case I want to coat some chicken or there's a recipe that needs only the rice flour. I keep it in the fridge, that's how rarely I use it.
Gluten free Bisquick. Yet another special gluten free item, but one I like to have on hand. Sometimes I just really love to have pancakes or waffles. This makes it really easy to do either. Watch for coupons for this. It can also be used to make a lot of different desserts. If you keep the gluten free flour blend, this isn't as necessary, but it's still nice to have on occasion.

Obviously, this list will vary depending on what your eating habits are, but hopefully it'll be a helpful start.

What are your gluten free staples?

Salt Alternative: Sunkist S'alternative

2011-10-24T11:02:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunkist S’alternative for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My cooking style has changed immensely since going gluten free. Besides the obvious things like not being able to use bread crumbs or regular pasta, I could no longer depend on all of the prepackaged processed foods or seasoning packets I'd used before. At first I was very frustrated by that, but now I am grateful. The extra "stuff" that's included in the processed foods is not what I want to be putting in my body. Salt is one of those extra ingredients that is often added that we shouldn't get too much of.

As good as I am about not eating much processed food, I'm not as good when it comes to adding salt to my meal after it's on my plate. I love flavor and salt is the obvious choice, right? Well, have you ever thought about squeezing a fresh lemon over your food instead of shaking on the salt? I hadn't before either. What an awesome idea! Not only are you skipping the salt, but you're also getting vitamin c and potassium in your diet. All without losing out on flavor! These great tips are why I was excited to write about the Sunkist S’alternative. They have tons of great tips, recipes, and info on decreasing sodium while increasing flavor. They even have a fun quiz to take!

Go take the Sunkist Sodium Quiz to find out where you fall on the sodium scale and then come back here and let me know what you get. I'm guessing you're going to do pretty well because most gluten free people are good at reading labels and are more aware of what's in their food (and if that's not the case, don't be scared to share your results anyway :) ). You can even share your results with your facebook friends and compare your results to theirs. Here's what I got:

Not bad! I was right about that label reading thing ;).

BTW, check out this stat from the Sunkist S'alternative site (highlights added):

The top five food sources of sodium in the American diet are yeast breads, chicken and chicken mixed dishes, pizza, pasta and pasta dishes, and cold cuts.

3 of the 5 biggest sodium culprits contain gluten. See, there are benefits to being gluten free besides feeling great :).

Now check out the awesome recipes on the Sunkist S’alternative website. They all look delicious and they're all naturally gluten free! Yay! Here's an example of one of them (it's fancy):

Sunkist® Lemon Seafood Paella -

Ingredients: (Makes 8 servings)
*1- 32 oz can low sodium vegetable broth
*1 cup dry white wine
*1 teaspoon saffron threads
*1lb. of firm, fresh pieces of whitefish such as tilapia, bass, halibut and swordfish, cut into 16-21 pieces
*1lb. or 16-21 mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
*1lb. or 16-21 medium sized clams, rinsed
*cup chopped fresh parsley
*3 Sunkist® lemons, zest and juice
*3 Tbsp. olive oil
*1 _ cups minced onion
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*teaspoon crushed red pepper
*3 cups uncooked short-grain rice such as Valencian, Arborio, or Calrose
*1 cup frozen green peas
*1- 8oz jar of sliced, roasted red peppers

Instructions:
• To prepare broth, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
• To prepare paella, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish pieces to pan and sauté 1 minute. Remove fish from pan, reserve and keep warm. Add onion to pan and sauté 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook 5 minutes. Add rice and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, bring to a low boil and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir in the peas and red pepper slices. Add mussels and clams to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in the reserved fish and chopped parsley and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in lemon juice and check for seasoning. Cover with a towel and let stand 10 minutes before stirring

Eleanor's Bakeshop Halloween Party

2011-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a great gluten free event coming up (again, courtesy of the Gluten Free in Utah County Facebook page):

Rodney Fife
On Oct. 29th Eleanor's Bakeshop and The Gluten Free Consumer are throwing a Gluten Free Halloween Party. It will be from 12 -4. There will be Games, Activities and Prizes. Feel free to call 801 903 8113 for more info.

Gluten Free Sandwiches and Cookies at Gandolfo's!

2011-10-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yum!!! I knew it was only a matter of time!
This was on the Gluten Free in Utah County Facebook page:

Jeffrey C Brown
Hello. I own a Gandolfo's deli franchise in Provo. I recently received approval from my franchisor to be a pilot store for GF sandwiches. 3230 N University Ave, Provo, UT 84604. Come by, try us out, and please let me know what you think. I've got GF cookies too! My in-laws (who all have Celiacs) love it.

Gluten Free Blog You MUST Check Out!

2011-10-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

I've talked about my friend, Gabby, in the past. She's the one who first helped me figure out I might have a gluten intolerance, and the one who helped me figure out how to do gluten free from the start, and she's the one who taught me how to make gluten free corn dogs (which happens to be the second most popular post on this blog). Pretty much, going gluten free without her in my life would have been a million times harder. She's one of the reasons I started this blog. I was blessed to have her in my life to help me out, but I know a lot of people are starting their gluten free journey on their own and I wanted to try to help them.

The thing is, even though I've been gluten free for 5 years now, I still learn a ton from Gabby. She's been doing it at least 15 years longer than I have. And here's some exciting news... she's posting on her blog again! Wahoo!!! So now you can all benefit from her knowledge as well!

Be sure to check out her blog! Especially this post (which is about my wedding... so funny!) and this one about buying gluten free products from Amazon. She's figured out what the best deals are and shared them. Yay! I'm not very good at doing that, so thank you, Gabby!

Go check it out and make sure you comment. Bloggers love comments (plus, I'm really hoping it'll motivate her to continue with her posts... I love them!)!

Schar Gluten-free Products

2011-10-20T19:01:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Schar for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you had a chance to try any of Schar's gluten-free products yet? Even if you haven't tried them, chances are you've seen their products - plus you'll soon have the chance to sign up for a free sample. Schar is a leader in gluten-free foods, offering a variety of products, including crackers, cookies, breads, and pasta.

I, for one, have seen Schar's Sub-Sandwich Rolls in the gluten-free sections of a lot of local stores. I haven't tried them yet because I'm weird, and after five years of being gluten free, I prefer lettuce wraps to sandwiches - even when the gluten-free bread tastes like normal bread, but these rolls look good. If you've tried them before, you should try them again. They're one of three products that Schar has re-launched, along with ciabatta rolls and baguettes.

I have to tell you, I am way excited to try the baguettes! The original Greek Dip recipe actually calls for baguettes, but I didn't realize there were gluten-free baguettes available, and I didn't want to bother trying to bake some myself. I ended up using chips - which work, but I'm sure it's not the same. I can't wait to try these with the dip! And how about dipping it into balsamic vinegar and olive oil like at fancy restaurants? That used to be one of my favorite things at Carraba's and now I can make my own! Wahoo! Can you tell I'm excited to learn about this? I'm definitely going to be trying the baguettes :).

Now I have tried the Schar Lady Fingers and let me tell you... DELICIOUS! I was going to make some fun dessert out of them (like in the picture), but I ate them before I got around to it. What? They were good ;).

Now for that free sample, so you can try out the Schar brand for yourself! Just head on over to Schar's website and sign up for the Schar club. Once you've done that, click on the left-hand side where it says "Giveaways" and it will take you to the page where you can order your free sample of ciabatta rolls. Free sample kits will only be sent to the first 2,000 members that request them, so get on it!

Besides the free sample, the other benefits you'll get from signing up for the Schar Club include exclusive access to new products, tips, recipes and promotions. Schar really cares about its customers and offers advice on living a gluten-free lifestyle.

What Schar gluten-free products are you excited to try? Like I mentioned above, I want to try the baguettes, but I think I also need to check out the Chocolate-O's.

Udi’s Gluten Free Foods: Info

2011-10-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

I learned a lot from helping out with the Udi’s booth at the Gluten Free Expo. I learned what peoples favorite Udi’s products are, what questions they asked the most, and what the answers to those questions were. Here’s my list of the things that stood out most. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have and I’ll do my best to answer (I love answering questions, so helping at a booth was perfect for me!).

Udi’s is pronounced “oo-dies.” Before becoming a Udi’s Ambassador I said “you-dies” and realized about half the people at the expo did too. So now you know how to say it :). (It’s a man’s name, fyi.)
Udi’s is based out of Denver, Colorado.
Most people’s favorite Udi’s products are the breads (obviously) and the bagels, though the muffins and hot dog buns also got a lot of talk.
Udi’s products can be found at most Smith’s, Whole Foods, other health food stores, Winco’s, and many Associated food stores (Macey’s, Harmons, etc.). You can check the store locator for stores near you (they also have a locator to find restaurants that use Udi’s products).
Udi’s flash freezes their products right after baking them, then ships them frozen. It’s up to the store manager whether or not they put them on the shelves or in the freezer section, so if you can’t find the products check both places (or just ask an employee).
Udi’s products have a shelf life of 7 days before needing to either be eaten or frozen. If your store displays them on the shelf then check the date to know how long you have (the store should have put it on the bag when they received the delivery).
People have a hard time finding the hot dog buns. Most seemed to have luck at Whole Foods.
If there’s ever an Udi’s product you’d like to purchase, but the store doesn’t have it (like hot dog buns), ask the manager if they can start carrying it. If they carry Udi’s products, they have the ability to order any of the products they want.
You can also ask stores that don’t carry Udi’s if they could start. If they get enough interest hopefully they’ll start carrying it.
The cookies are not dairy free, but the rest of Udi’s products are (including the amazing double chocolate muffins).
Udi’s has a ton of delicious gluten free products and are always working on creating more. Breads, bagels, pizza crust, muffins, cookies, granola, and hot dog/hamburger buns. Multiple flavors of all.
The newest bread is Millet-Chia. It’s very tasty and has a lot of protein and fiber. Good stuff.
People LOVE Udi’s products! More than half of the people who came to the table shared some sort of personal story about Udi’s. How they eat a muffin or bagel every morning for breakfast, how their family goes through at least 2 loaves of bread a week because they all love it, how they don’t know how they’d live without Udi’s… Seriously. People love it. Most also thanked us, which made it a really fun booth to help out with. :)

So there you have it. If you haven’t tried Udi’s products yet trust me when I say you need to. It is good stuff. I like to keep a loaf of bread in my freezer, so that I can have my toast (with either pb&j or Nutella on it) and grilled cheese sandwiches whenever I want. So good!

Thank you, Costco Samples: New gluten free snack idea

2011-10-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

I love Costco. So does my 3 year old daughter. If you ask her what her favorite store is she’ll most likely tell you it’s Costco. This is because we love the samples (of course, right?).

My kids and I have a good system. We go around lunchtime on weekdays (Saturdays are way too crowded) and we get full on the samples. Well, them more than me. The majority of the samples often contain gluten. That’s not a problem though. It’s really easy to check what’s in the product (the box is right there) and if it has gluten then my kids get an extra sample.

A few weeks ago I discovered a new favorite snack thanks to one of those samples:

cucumbers with feta cheese

SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was buying feta anyway (for both Fuzzy’s tacos and the amazing Greek dip), so I added cucumbers to my cart and I had a delicious new snack. (The samples actually had sliced feta, but I was already getting crumbled, so I went with that. It worked fine, but sliced would certainly be less messy.)

This is delicious, healthy, simple, and gluten free. Perfect!

Thank you Costco!

Gluten Free Expo

2011-10-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Gluten Free Expo was awesome!

The combination of being able to help out at a booth, try lots of yummy samples, learn about new companies, and meet new people made it wonderful! And having a reader, Elsa, say hi to me made my day :).

It was so nice to be at this big event where everyone there was either living gluten free or knew someone who was. I will definitely be going every year from here on out.

Over the next few weeks I hope to highlight some of the different companies that were there. Also, since I helped out at Udi's booth I learned a ton about their products and plan to do a post sharing that info with you. In the meantime, you can check out Traci's review of the expo (and be sure to watch for her coupon match up).

Gluten Free Expo Tomorrow! You should come!

2011-10-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Gluten Free Expo is tomorrow!!! I'm so excited for it!

Sadly, I decided not to do a booth for Gluten Free in Utah. With not feeling well it was just an added stress I didn't want right now. BUT I will be helping out at the Udi's table, so when you stop there, say hi! I'll be there the first half of the day and my cute sister will be there the second half.

Obviously, I think you should hit up all the booths, but especially be sure to check out Udi's (my favorite pre-made GF brand), Grandpa's Kitchen (my favorite GF mixes and flour blend), and Eleanor's Bakeshop (a favorite GF cafe/bakery). I'm sure all will have amazing samples!

Traci from HealthyDealsNSteals.com and BurntApple.com left this comment about the Gluten Free Expo. I think it's helpful, so I'm sharing it.

I will be going to this again this year. I suggest going as early as possible to get the best coupons and samples as they ran out last year early. Run, RUN to this event! It is fantastic!

Hope I get to run into you while you are there. I'm so excited for this! My kids have looked forward to it all year. It would be good to see you again! :)

I will be posting the coupon matchups after the event on my site again, so look for those. They had quite a few free products with coupons.

Traci
HealthyDealsNSteals.com
BurntApple.com

Her site Healthy Deals N Steals is wonderful! She posts deals on health foods, which often means gluten free. There's a link to her site on my "Utah Gluten Free Links" page for your future reference. Be sure to watch it the week after the Expo for the coupon matchups (GF coupons from the Expo matched up with store sales, so the products are at the lowest price you can find!).

As you can tell from the Expo schedule on the poster (9am pancakes, 10am Dr. Karnam speaking) and from what Traci said, it's best to get there early. If you can't make it till later, still come! It'll be worth it.

They'll also have a play area with bouncy houses for kids, so bring them. My kids love Costco samples, so I'm sure this will be like heaven to them.

Hopefully I'll see you there!

Gluten Free Mexican Potato Casserole

2011-10-05T20:38:00.001-07:00

I figure it’s about time for an actual recipe post. I haven’t been feeling well, so I’ve been slacking a bit. I have still been making yummy dinners, so I’ve got a bunch to share with you, so be watching for them. I’m also (obviously, for those who have been reading this blog for awhile) working on the blog design. I’m still not set on what you see now, but I’m not sure what I’ll be changing (I’m not very good at this computer stuff, so it takes me forever!). If any of you are good at this blog design stuff, I’m open to suggestions. :)
Anyway, onto the food!
I asked my husband to write a list of dinners he wanted, so I could go shopping. He was awesome and went through a stack of recipes to pick out what sounded good to him. I was surprised to see this one on the list. We’d had it one time before, but I didn’t remember him really liking it that much, so I hadn’t made it again. Big mistake. We loved it! And the leftovers were delicious (that’s a big thing for me)! Also, like most of my recipes, it’s easy. The hardest parts are scrubbing and cutting the potatoes and browning the meat. Not too bad.
Here’s the recipe:
(Original recipe from here.)

Gluten Free
Mexican Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes, with peel
2 Tbs butter
2 1/2 Tbs taco seasoning
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped peppers (red, green, or yellow)- I used both red and green because I had them
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup salsa
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese- I used Colby Jack, cheddar would be great too

Directions:

Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and place in greased casserole dish
Melt butter… stir in taco seasoning
Pour over the potatoes and stir to coat well
Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 40 minutes
Stir… bake 10 minutes longer
Brown and crumble beef; add onion and cook until soft, then drain
Stir in salsa and chopped peppers
Pour over potatoes
Top with grated cheese
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes

Serve with additional salsa and sour cream if wanted.

Enjoy!

Join Gluten Free in Utah County Facebook Page

2011-09-21T11:09:00.001-07:00

Check out the great info you get from joining the facebook group “Gluten Free in Utah County!” It’s a great place to discover restaurants that offer gluten free choices and find out what people think about them. Look at all the gluten free pizza options:

Interesting articles and tips are often posted as well. I don’t live in Utah County, but have found it very useful. Check it out!

Subway Testing Gluten Free Options

2011-09-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been wondering when one of the sandwich restaurants would offer gluten free...

http://www.celiac.com/articles/22654/1/Subway-Slowly-Expands-Gluten-free-Tests/Page1.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

Who knows when they'll fully launch gluten free nationwide, but at least they're being careful and working to get it right.

I've heard some people say they'd still be nervous about eating there because of the possibility of cross-contamination. After reading the article, what do you think about that? Would you eat at Subway?

It's Coming! 2011 Gluten Free Expo

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Gluten Free Expo

is less than a month away!

YAY!!!

October 8, 2011

9 am - 4 pm

South Towne Exposition Center

Trust me when I say you want to go to this. First, check out the list of vendors here. Most will be giving out samples, coupons, and freebies. Yum! I recommend skipping either breakfast or lunch (depending on what time you go). I think you'll have plenty to fill you up there.

Also, yours truly will be there.

I really need to figure out what I'm going to do...

Any suggestions? :)

Gluten Free Nature Valley Granola Bars

2011-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:00


Photo from here

I finally found them! I'd heard about these gluten free granola bars awhile ago, but anytime I remembered to look for them at a store, they didn't have them. Luckily, I noticed these in the cereal aisle at Kent's in Roy. And the best part? They were on sale! The day I finally find them and they were $2 instead of over $4! (I bought them Wednesday, so they should be on sale till at least Tuesday, Sept. 13.) Pretty awesome.

And as far as their taste... they're good. It's basically nuts held together by corn syrup. Not the healthiest thing, but yummy. And a good price (even at full price) for a gluten free bar. It's a good combination of salty and sweet and a convenient gluten free snack.

Have you tried these? What did you think?

Grandpa's Kitchen Gluten Free Mix Winner

2011-09-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Grandpa's Kitchen Gluten Free Mix giveaway is...

Comment #6: Meghan Finley

Congratulations!

Everyone, be watching for more Grandpa's Kitchen giveaways. I'll let you know of any going on. Until then, go buy a mix and see how amazing it is for yourself. You won't regret it.

Meghan, please email me at glutenfreeinutah@gmail.com

with your mailing info and you'll receive your gluten free pizza mix soon (if you want a different mix than pizza, let me know)!

Eleanor’s Bakeshop: Gluten Free Brownie Review

2011-09-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

It’s taken me awhile to actually post this, which is ridiculous considering how utterly amazing this brownie was.

Every month or two we get together with my husband’s old roommates and their wives. We do dinner, dessert, and either games or a movie. This get together was for St. Patrick’s day (such a fun tradition!). Sara made a delicious cheesecake that wasn’t gluten free, so her husband picked up a gluten free brownie from Eleanor’s Bakeshop for me. It was seriously AMAZING!!! He didn’t know how I felt about corners, but guessed right and went with a corner (my absolute favorite. I think I need to buy one of those all edges brownie pans).
I’m not kidding when I say this was THE best gluten free brownie I’ve ever had. Everything about it was perfect. I even saved the last two bites, so I could enjoy them later.
Man, now I’m craving it .
My husband tried some too (I often make him do this, so he can compare them to regular treats, since he’s eaten them more recently). He said he never would have guessed they were gluten free and that they were some of the best brownies he’s tasted period, gluten free or not.
I haven’t tried anything else from Eleanor’s Bakeshop, but after trying this I can only imagine that it’s all good.
Have you tried anything from Eleanor’s? How was it? What do I absolutely have to get when I go there?
Thanks Sara and Ryan!

Gluten Free Onion Soup Mix Potatoes

2011-09-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve mentioned before that my absolute favorite side dish was Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix Potatoes. Well, unfortunately, Lipton has added Barley malt within the last year (good example of why you should check ingredients on everything, even if it’s usually safe; you never know when a company will change their formula).

Luckily, I found this at my local Associated Foods store (Kents):
I found this by the gravy. They’re sold in these individual packets (rather in a box like Lipton). The ingredients don’t show any gluten.* I used the recipe from a Lipton box to see how to do the potatoes.
They weren’t quite like Liptons, but they turned out good.
I also tried this recipe once to make the mix from scratch. The flavor wasn’t quite as strong, but I didn’t have celery salt and just left it out, so that’s probably why. I’ll probably be more likely to use this from scratch recipe in the future (*the store-bought mixes are full of too many chemicals).

Gluten Free Bacon and Cheese Rosemary Chicken

2011-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

This was one of those throw together meals that turned out awesome. I don’t even remember what the sides were, but this chicken was delicious!
All I did was stick frozen chicken tenders on the grill, sprinkled a little garlic powder on, and place a 2 sprigs of rosemary from my garden and grill. When it was almost done I sprinkled cheese and crumbled bacon on. Yum! It would have been really good without the bacon and cheese too. Just setting the rosemary on it while grilling was a perfect flavor. I did take the rosemary off when I ate it (too much stick for me to deal with).
My husband doesn’t love rosemary, so I just made his without and it was (of course) still delicious. I love easy recipes like this that don’t require much thought beforehand and that can be easily individualized to fit each persons tastes.
Give it a try!

Cupcake Chic: Gluten Free Cupcakes

2011-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

It’s writing posts like these that make me wish I were living back in Utah county.
See these delicious cupcakes? Well, guess what? They’re gluten free!

And they taste as good as they look!

You can enjoy a beautiful, gourmet cupcake thanks to this place:

Cupcake Chic.

Thanks to my wonderful sister, Paige, I have had the pleasure of trying 4 of their different cupcake flavors (pink lemonade is not pictured, but let me assure you… it is incredible!).

Neapolitan

Chocolate

and Paige’s favorite (I’m still undecided about my fave):

Red Velvet

And here’s a chocolate/Neapolitan hybrid (it’s what you do when there’s just one of each cupcake and both people want to try each one).

They were seriously all delicious! Such a fun treat!

Be sure to check Cupcake Chic out!

Cupcake Chic
727 E 1000 S
Orem, UT 84057
(801) 607-2968

FYI: I’ve never actually been in there, but my sister has asked them how they do the gluten free. Apparently, they make their gluten free cupcakes first thing in the morning, to ensure there’s no regular flour floating around in the air when they make them. It’s nice to hear that people know what they’re doing.

CLOSED: Giveaway time! Grandpa's Kitchen Gluten Free Mix

2011-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED: THE WINNER IS COMMENT # 6, MEGHAN FINLEY!

It's time for a giveaway!

And guess what? It's from my favorite gluten free brand, Grandpa's Kitchen!

Grandpa's Kitchen gluten free mixes are absolutely delicious and don't have any gross after-tastes like you'll find in a lot of gluten free mixes. I love them so much I'm helping get the word out (because seriously, everyone needs to try these mixes). I'm actually helping with their facebook page too.

Which is why the way to enter this giveaway is to "like" the Grandpa's Kitchen facebook page.

Go ahead. "Like" the page. I'll wait.

Then come back here and tell me in the comments that you have done so. If you've "liked" it in the past, that's fine. Just leave a comment telling me you did so.

You can also get a second entry by telling me which mix you'd like if you win (pancake, bread, or pizza crust). This will count as a second entry, but only counts if you've also done the first entry of liking the facebook page.

This giveaway will close Thursday, September 8th at midnight.

As always, you don't have to be gluten free to enter and/or win. You just have to like good food. And if you know someone who is gluten free you can share, but that's totally up to you. Just know they'll love you for it ;).

Good luck!

And here's some more exciting news about Grandpa's Kitchen (for those of you in Utah at least): it's made right here in Utah! I love supporting the local economy!

(For those of you not in Utah, this is still a giveaway for you too.)

Gluten Free Greek Dip

2011-08-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite recipe. It was the dish I made for almost all of the summer potlucks I went to and all of the parties I threw. It’s easy and delicious!
Click here for the recipe.
Now, obviously the baguette isn’t gluten free. I just use tortilla chips (GF) and it works great. I even serve it with the chips to all of my gluten-eating friends and family and they love it.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
P.S. The Greek seasoning is delicious, but it has MSG in it . MSG doesn’t contain gluten, but many people are sensitive to it. One of these days I plan to give this Greek seasoning recipe a try. The reviews say it tastes the same as the seasoning you can buy. Let me know if you try this and how it turns out!

More info on Gluten Free 5 Buck Pizza

2011-08-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've added more info to this post about 5 Buck Pizza in Roy, UT having gluten free pizza. (I'm doing this in a separate post for those who have already read that post and probably wouldn't go back to it otherwise.)

Go here to see the exciting news!

Check it Out!

2011-08-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

*******UPDATE AT BOTTOM******

This came in one of those money saver packets in the mail:
Let’s zoom in…
How exciting is that?! Can you imagine being able to get gluten free pizza from 5 Buck Pizza?! I’m expecting it to cost more than the $5, but we’ll see. I called at the beginning of August and the employee said they were expecting to get it later in the month. I went out of town after that and now that I’m back it’s too late at night to call. But don’t worry, as soon as I figure out details I’ll let you know!
Have you seen one of these flyers for your area? Or is it just for the Roy location for now?

UPDATE: I called and found out more info on the gluten free pizza. It costs $8.99 for a 12 inch, and I believe that's unlimited toppings, just like the regular 5 buck pizzas.

The employee on the phone told me they sterilize everything and they have gluten free utensils that are only used for gluten free. The pizza crust is already made, frozen, and shrink wrapped when they get it. They just open it, put toppings on, and bake. Sounds like they know what they're talking about when it comes to cross-contamination.

He also said it's just their location (Roy) doing gluten free and not a chain-wide thing. Which means, you either have to come to my city for your cheap yummy gluten free pizza, or you need to give your local 5 Buck Pizza a call and ask them to start doing the same thing.

Gluten Free Tin Foil Dinner (aka: hobo dinner)

2011-08-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

Tin foil dinners are an excellent gluten free dinner option. They’re packed full of veggies, the meat of your choice, and any seasoning you want. So good! Here’s how I do it:

Add lots of veggies. I love potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage. I added the cabbage once because I had it and needed to use it up… I’ll always add it now.

Place meat (I like hamburger in a patty shape) on the bottom, followed by potatoes (cut into steak fries), then carrots, onions, and cabbage. Season however you want. Just salt, pepper, and garlic salt is delicious, but you can also mix it up with Ranch dressing seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, or anything else you like. Salt, pepper, garlic, and some Worcestershire is my favorite.

Next, wrap it up.

Seal the edges.

And bake in a preheated oven (400 degrees) for an hour (or until desired doneness).

Everyone in my family loves this. My husband eats it with ketchup (since there’s potatoes/fry type things) and my kids favorite part is the meat. I especially love the meat and cabbage (which is weird because I never liked cabbage growing up). Give it a try!

And here’s a picture from another time I made it (to prove that there’s meat in there since you can’t see it in the other pics ).

Original recipe from here.
What’s your favorite way to make a tin foil dinner?

Gluten Free Rice Krispies: Review

2011-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Have you tried these yet? I've made rice krispie treats with them (using the recipe on the back) and I love them!!! Before going gluten free, if you asked me what my favorite cookie/bar dessert was I'd tell you it was rice krispie treats, hands down. I've always loved them and preferred them to cookies, brownies, or anything else like that.

To kind of satisfy my craving for them, I'd use Cocoa Pebbles (which are officially certified gluten free now), marshmallows, and peanut butter for a treat. Delicious, but not quite the same.

I was thrilled to try out the Gluten Free Rice Krispies and pleased to find them in all 3 of the stores I checked for them (Kent's, Smith's, Walmart). They cost the same as regular Rice Krispies and I had a bunch of coupons for the gluten free ones. Not bad.

When I made my first batch, I wasn't sure I liked them. I was trying to remember if that's how they always tasted and my tastes had just changed or if the gluten free version wasn't as good (they are made out of brown rice), but then I tried them the next morning and was in love! I made them to take on a family vacation for myself and my sister, who also eats gluten free. Unfortunately, my kids and I finished them off before we made it to the cabin. Luckily, I brought the ingredients to make them at the cabin and we were all able to enjoy them there (though I'm pretty sure I ate as much as everyone else combined). My husband and brother-in-law say they taste the same as regular gluten-filled rice krispie treats. Yay!

I haven't tried them as a regular bowl of cereal because they just don't sound good to me. I did read a review from someone who said they didn't taste the same as regular Rice Krispies. Oh well. I've never liked them in a bowl of milk anyway.

Have you tried the new Gluten Free Rice Krispies? And if so, how did you eat them and what did you think?

I'm guessing this is just the beginning of cereals that will become gluten free. It started with General Mills changing their Chex ingredients and now Post and Kellog's have started following suit. I'm excited to see what more will come!

Our Best Bites- GF Post

2011-08-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've already mentioned that I love Our Best Bites. Well, now I love them even more. Check out their latest post:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/08/gluten-free-rolls-gf-cinnamon-cream-cheese-rolls/

P.S. Do you recognize that awesome book?

2011 Gluten Free Expo

2011-08-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Are you going? This is the 2nd year for this expo and trust me, you want to go.
Last year there were TONS of amazing samples, freebies, coupons, and more. And that was the first year. This year should be even better. Here are some details:

Date: October 8, 2011
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Place: South Towne Expo Center
Price: $7 or $21 family 4 pass (This is a seriously amazing price! Especially considering everything you'll get out of it!)

Check out the list of vendors here.
Notice anything especially cool? How about this:

Yep, that's me (well, it's my too-big-for-the-page blog logo... we're working at fixing that). I'm going to be a vendor there, so be sure to come say hi when you go!

I've got a link to the Expo on my sidebar, so you can always find the info easily.

I'm so excited for it!

Gluten Free Coconut Chicken

2011-07-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

I have a new favorite recipe site. Our Best Bites. Have you checked it out yet? I’d heard of it and wanted to check it out, but didn’t till recently. Man, have I been missing out! It has AWESOME recipes!!! And the writers are stinkin’ cute. They’re normal, busy moms, so the stuff they cook is normal stuff that isn’t complicated (and kids like it). And they explain where you can find ingredients that you maybe haven’t bought before. It’s pretty great. I’ve been getting a lot of recipes from there and they’ve all been hits.

My latest favorite is the Cripsy Coconut Chicken Fingers. YUM! The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup panko bread crumbs, which obviously isn’t gluten free. So I improvised with what I had on hand. I used 1/2 cup brown rice flour and 1 cup crushed up (GF) tortilla chips. It worked great! See…

So good!!! I also left out the cayenne pepper because my daughter doesn’t like spice, but I think it’d be really good with it in.

I followed the baking directions exactly. 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

And they turned out perfectly moist. I tend to overcook my chicken, so this was a nice change.

I added some buttery/cheesy/garlic broccoli to the side (watch the movie Fat Head on Netflix and you’ll understand why I was craving that) and a salad with lettuce right out of my garden (I’m really excited about that!).

It was a great meal! My husband dipped his in bbq sauce. I started dipping mine in honey mustard sauce and that was good, but I liked it best plain. It was yummy!

Give it a try.

Grandpa's Kitchen Deal

2011-06-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Have you "liked" the Grandpa's Kitchen Facebook page yet? If not, you need to. Their mixes are delicious and they're based right here in Utah!

If you "like" the page you'll receive awesome info like this:

Grandpa's Kitchen Gluten-Free Mixes and Flour Blend: This is a wonderful deal! You get 3 of our best mixes for half the price and a certificate for 20% off our Gluten-Free Cookbook! Share this with your friends and family while it lasts. Today only!

So go "like" Grandpa's Kitchen Facebook page and then sign up for that great deal!

P.S. If you "like" the deal on the ABC 4 Deal page you get an extra $1 off :)

Betty Crocker Mix Giveaway Winner!

2011-06-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Betty Crocker Mix Giveaway is...

#9 Paige

Congratulations!

Please email me at glutenfreeinutah@gmail.com with your address, so you can receive your awesome prize pack!

(I used Random.org to choose the winner.)

Gluten Free Greek Style Chickpea Salad

2011-06-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here is another delicious lunch idea. Really delicious. I didn’t know much about chickpeas or whether I really liked them or not, but I thought I’d try this recipe out because it’s the bloggers favorite. I discovered I do like chickpeas. And so does my 1 1/2 year old son. The recipe is from a cute blogger named Emily who blogs at Remodeling This Life. I didn’t make it exactly like hers, but she says she switches it up all the time depending on the ingredients she has, so it worked. I love recipes that still taste good even if you don’t have all the ingredients.

Here’s a link to Emily’s recipe.

And the recipe:

Greek Style Chickpea Salad
Ingredients:

2 cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 small red onion, chopped finely (I used a whole small white onion)
1/2 large cucumber (I peeled mine and chopped it up. Emily doesn’t peel hers)
1/2 cup feta cheese (my new favorite food, so be expecting more recipes using it)
olives (I didn’t use any because I’m cheap and none were on sale. She usually uses kalamata but says black are fine, too)
fresh cilantro, chopped (I used some from my tiny new cilantro plant in my garden, so I didn’t use as much as I would have if I’d bought a bunch at the store)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt (to taste)
cracked black pepper (to taste)

Emily mentioned that she’s heard this recipe is yummy with tomato, but she doesn’t like them, so she doesn’t use them. I LOVE tomatoes. But I didn’t have any. Next time…

She also said:

It is best when made and then chilled for a few hours or overnight. I can never wait so I usually have some right away and the next day it is even yummier. It is good just as a salad by itself, or wrapped, or stuffed in a pita.

I couldn’t wait either. So I had some right then. And then 1 1/2 hours later. And some more a few hours later. I love fresh, filling salads like this! It did get better each time too. I’m actually looking forward to lunch tomorrow .

Enjoy!

Just an FYI about the Betty Crocker mixes giveaway...

2011-06-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

You don't have to enter the recipe contest to enter/win the giveaway. The giveaway is a way to get people excited about the recipe contest and to spread the word, but you don't actually have to submit a recipe. So go enter the giveaway! :)

Gluten Free Black Bean-Mango Salad

2011-06-13T19:35:00.001-07:00

I have a hard time with lunch. I hate having to stop in the middle of what I’m doing because I’m hungry and I hate trying to find something that sounds good. I’ve always been this way, but it’s even harder since being gluten free. I went on a search for new recipes and was quite happy to find a bunch of delicious, filling salads that are perfect for lunch (especially since they’re not the type of things my husband likes, so having them for lunch is better than dinner).

I got the recipe for this first salad I tried from the Nate Berkus Show website. It’s delicious! I actually ate it as a tortilla chip dip rather than a salad and can’t wait to go to the store for more onions, so I can make it again. Here’s the link to the recipe.

Isn’t this picture gorgeous? It’s from the Nate Show site. There’s a picture of mine at the bottom. Not as pretty because I used a white onion instead of red and I didn’t use a red pepper at all, so less color. Plus I’m obviously not a great photographer ;).

Black Bean-Mango Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
½ cup Italian dressing, any kind you like (I used Kraft)
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup chopped red onions (I used white because it’s what I had)
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped (these were way too expensive, so I left them out)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a food processor or blender, take ¼ cup of the mango with the Italian dressing until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining mango with the beans, red onions, and peppers. To the bean mixture, add the mango puree.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and chill until ready to serve.

Definitely not as pretty as theirs, but still tasted so good!

I had this for lunch for 2 or 3 days, plus I snacked on it throughout the day. Tasty. I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

Cookbook Giveaway Winner!

2011-06-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Cookbook giveaway is...

#5 Vickie Ewell

Congratulations!

Please email me at glutenfreeinutah@gmail.com with your address, so I can send you your copy of

Susan Bell's Gluten-Free Cooking Made Easy.

(I used Random.org to choose the winner.)

If you didn't win, don't worry, there's still another giveaway you can enter.

CLOSED: Announcing a Gluten Free Recipe Contest and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-06-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the Betty Crocker Baker's Challenge? It's a gluten free recipe contest! Here's some info on it, provided by MyBlogSpark:

We know baking in a gluten-free world poses its own challenges – as well as sweet rewards – so we want to give you a chance to show off the creative solutions and tasty treats that you’ve created for your family and friends.
Now through June 30th, visit www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge for the chance to win a Grand Prize of $5,000. The grand prize winner will also have the chance to be featured on a Betty Crocker^® Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick^® Gluten Free baking mix package and/or be featured in a Betty Crocker publication! All you have to do is submit an original gluten free holiday-themed appetizer, bread or dessert recipe, using any Betty Crocker Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix.

Recipes will be judged on five key categories: taste, creativity, ease of preparation, consumer appeal and appearance. Plus, we want you to keep baking deliciously, so if you’re one of 10 selected finalists, you will receive a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking gift basket filled with baking items and Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes. Even more exciting, finalists’ recipes will be featured on www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge and voted on by the Gluten Freely community to determine the Grand Prize Winner!

For great recipe tips, ideas, and suggestions, visit www.glutenfreely.com to help get you started and learn more about the Baker’s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest.

In addition, through the end of June, you can save 20% on the purchase of any of the five Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes. Visit http://www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore to buy yours today!

Sounds fun, huh? I need to get experimenting because I'd love to win that prize! The folks at Betty Crocker, through MyBlogSpark, kindly provided me with a box of each of their gluten free mixes to help get me started. And guess what? You have the chance to receive the same package! If you win everything you see in the picture below will be delivered to your door to help inspire you in the Baker's Challenge.

You can have up to 2 entries:

Leave a comment about the Baker's Challenge (i.e. which mix you think you'd use in the contest, whether or not you'll enter, what recipe from the Gluten Freely website you'd like to try, etc.)
Share the info that throughout the month of June you can save 20% on any of the 5 Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes at the Gluten Freely Store. You can do this through a blog post, tweet, facebook, email, whatever. Just come back here and leave a second comment letting me know you shared that info.

That's it. The contest will end just over a week from today on Thursday, June 16 at midnight. Good luck!

Edited to add: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ACTUALLY DO THE RECIPE CONTEST TO ENTER!

Gluten Free Gourmet Burger Ideas

2011-06-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: TWISTED ROOT BURGERS ARE NOT GLUTEN FREE! THE BURGERS HAVE BREADCRUMBS IN THEM. THIS IS A POST ABOUT USING THEIR IDEAS AND MAKING YOUR OWN GOURMET BURGERS

Do you remember how I mentioned that I came up with a bunch of different dinner ideas from my Texas trip? Well, Fuzzy's Tacos were by far my favorite, but another place I absolutely LOVED was Twisted Root Burger Company. It's a Triple D restaurant, so you know it's going to be good.

Unfortunately, I don't know how to fully copy their burgers. The meat was fresh and had a great flavor and I'm not sure what seasonings to use to get my burgers to taste the same. I also have no clue how to replicate their sauces (they were quite tasty). But I still wanted to try to recreate these burgers (minus the bun and sauces) until I go back to Texas to visit.

Check out the menu. I got the Green Chile, Guac & Pepperjack Burger, minus the bun. YUM! I never would have thought to put green chiles on my burger. Or half of the other ingredients on that list. So take your pick and make it. The ingredients are pretty basic, so you can easily recreate that part. Add a tomato, lettuce, and pickles if you'd like and you've got a yummy gourmet burger.

I made our burgers by melting the pepperjack cheese on it while it was on the grill and then adding green chiles right out of the can (I'm not sure whether or not they sauted theirs) and adding homemade guacamole. Tasty. Definitely not as good as Twisted Roots, but good enough. It was nice to get lots of new burger ideas.

The next time I make some gluten free gourmet burgers I'm going to do the Blue Cheese & Jalepeño Burger. My sister-in-law got that one and let me have a bite. Very good! I'm thinking it'd be fun to have a gourmet burger bar for a bbq. Put out all of those fun toppings and let people create their own.

If you think it's weird to have a gourmet burger without the bun, there are gluten free hamburger bun options. I generally don't use them. At this point I actually prefer bunless burgers anyway and these burgers are so delicious and packed with flavor that you don't really need them. It's completely up to you.

So give one of these a try and let me know what you think!

As a side-note, I'm really excited because while researching blue cheese for this post, I discovered this article that states blue cheese IS gluten free. Wahoo! I'd heard it wasn't safe since it's grown on wheat bread, but apparently that's not the case anymore. (Hopefully. If you're extremely sensitive you'll want to research this and decide for yourself.)

Disclaimer: The buns and actual meat at Twisted Root Burger Co. were not gluten free and I don't know about the Twisted Root Burger sauces, seasonings, fries, etc. If you go there you'll need to find out for yourself. The recipe ideas are gluten free because you'll be making them yourself.

Gluten Free Restaurant Review: Bella's in Ogden

2011-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

I had a date night last Thursday with my husband. It was fun and very much needed. For dinner we went to a restaurant that was recommended to us and I'm glad we did.

Before we even went I was feeling good about it because of what I saw on the first page on their website. See if you can guess what that was: http://www.ilovebellas.com/
Hint: it's on the left-hand side under "Bella's Menus"

Yep, "Gluten Free Menu" right there on the front page! Plus it's a full page of delicious gluten free options. Yay!

Then as a perused more around their site I liked it even more. The history of this restaurant is just sweet. Bella's is a family operated restaurant and it was renamed Bella's after their little sister who passed away in 2005. I especially loved reading how they ran the place when their kids were little. Really sweet.

So with all of that I was already liking the place and then we went and I was even more impressed. The atmosphere is awesome! There are beautiful koi ponds and waterfalls all over. I loved it! We ate inside, but apparently the outdoor patio is really neat as well.

Our server was really nice and good at his job. If you go there and Jason is your server, you'll know you're in good hands. He kept our chips, salsa, and drinks full. And even better than that (and I guess the most relevant part for this blog) he knew what he was talking about when it came to gluten free!!!

I asked him if I could get a gluten free menu and he immediately brought one out for me and then let me know that the chips were gluten free, but that they were fried in the same oil as gluten-filled items, so he could get me some fully gluten free chips that weren't fried. And he knew all of this immediately without having to go ask a supervisor! You know you're in good hands at a restaurant when the servers have been trained about gluten free and cross-contamination.

I got the carnita fajitas and it was yummy, as was the salsa. We were told later (by my father-in-law) that the other options of salsa are fantastic, so next time we go we're going to be sure to order them (we were offered them, but decided to just go with the regular).

It was a very pleasant dinner. And to finish it off, our receipt specifically said "gluten free fajita" on it. I loved that. It made me feel like they really know what they're doing and they weren't going to mess up and cross-contaminate the gluten free items because they categorized them separately.

I highly recommend Bella's for a gluten free dining option (and for non-gluten free dining ;) ). It's a great family business that supports the community.

Let me know if you go or if you've been before!

Quality Farm Foods

2011-05-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

So awhile ago on this post about Bountiful Baskets I received this comment:

miklamx has left a new comment on your post "Gluten Free Tip: Try Bountiful Baskets":

Have you heard anything about Quality Farm Foods?

I read the comment on my phone and forgot to look into it later when I was on an actual computer. Sorry, miklamx!

I'd never heard of Quality Farm Foods, so I googled it and found this. Very intriguing. I'm not sure what the prices are, but I'm going to see if I can find out.

Does anyone else know about Quality Farm Foods? Have you tried it? Do you want more info on it?

P.S. I've started my own produce co-op, similar to Bountiful Baskets, in Roy. If you're interested in joining or just want more info, let me know. :)

Save the Date: Gluten free food fair

2011-05-28T07:00:00.001-07:00

I received this info in an email from Jenny of Gluten Free Foods:

Below is some information from the GIG groups in Utah.

SAVE THE DATE

GIG Gluten-Free Food Fair
Saturday, August 27,10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wheeler Historic Farm
6351 South 900 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84121

http://www.wheelerfarm.com/activities/activities.html

GF food, prizes, fun for everyone!

http://www.gfutah.org/

Gluten Free Chicken Fettuccine and a Giveaway!- CLOSED

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Remember the gluten free banana muffins I made?

And remember how amazingly delicious they were?
And how I got the awesome recipe from this book:

Well, I have some exciting news:

I’m going to share another recipe with you from Susan Bell’s book and
a lucky reader is going to win a copy of their own!

First for the recipe:
I didn’t have any mushrooms, so I left them out this time, but I love mushrooms and will use them the next time I make this.
I did sauté some fresh spinach in the garlic butter (rather than mushrooms) and it was tasty! Then, instead of combining the bacon and spinach with the sauce, I just added it to the top. (Only because I ran out of spinach and there wasn’t enough to mix in. It was still good this way though.)
Verdict: This was a very tasty dish and it was easy to prepare. I’ll definitely add the mushrooms next time I make this and maybe even keep the spinach. Give it a try!

Now… onto the giveaway!
You can have up to 2 entries:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what your absolute favorite food is (gluten free or gluten-full, it doesn’t matter).
Head over to Susan’s blog, check out her great posts (full of recipes, interesting articles, product reviews, and more), then head back over here and let me know you did so (and even better, leave a comment on her blog as well).

That’s it! 2 entries just for doing those things.
The giveaway will end June 10, 2011 (2 weeks from today) at midnight.
Good luck! This is a great book and I’m excited for the lucky reader who wins!

Can't Wait!

2011-05-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Remember this Gluten Free Deal? Well, I just ordered my Betty Lou's Sampler pack and I can't wait till it comes in the mail! Especially since the last few days I've been crazy busy running tons of errands and it can be hard to find quick gluten free snacks that will actually put a dent in my hunger. I can't wait to try them!

I'll let you know how they are.

Also, be sure to comment on this post about gluten free dining/shopping around Utah National Parks, so we can help Lesley out. Thanks!

Need Your Help: GF dining near UT national parks?

2011-05-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

I got an email from a reader who will be traveling to Utah national parks this summer (I'm totally jealous!). Her 10 year old daughter has Celiac and they need to figure out gluten free dining in the areas they'll be going. Unfortunately, I haven't visited any of these places since being gluten free and don't know what's there.

So, I need your help in giving her great gluten free options! Here's where she's going: Moab, Springdale (near Zion), Tropic (near Bryce) and Kanab. Also, any help on good gluten free grocery shopping in those areas would be great too.

Thank you so much for your help and thanks for the question, Lesley!

Gluten Free: Best Tacos Ever!!!

2011-05-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I should probably explain the lack of good posts for the past month or so. Along with the normal craziness of life, my sister was in town one weekend, my sister-in-law another one, I’ve been trying to work on the yard on warm days, and I visited my sister-in-law in Texas. Phew! It’s been fun, but busy!

So, please forgive me for the lack of recipes, but as a result of my trip to Texas I’ve got some amazing recipes to share. AMAZING!!!

Have you ever heard of Fuzzy’s Tacos? Sounds weird (and moldy), I know. It’s not. It’s a fun restaurant with the most amazing food EVER! We went twice while I was there and I wouldn’t have minded one bit if we’d gone more. I came back to Utah craving a Fuzzy taco and not being able to get one (we don’t have any in UT ). So I set to work making my own recipe. I don’t know that it’s exact, but it’ll do until I can go back to Texas again for a real one.

So do you want to hear what makes Fuzzy Taco’s so different from taco places we have around here? See if you can tell from this picture:That’s feta cheese and cilantro. I never would have thought to add those ingredients to a taco! And the most essential ingredient that you might not be able to see: creamy garlic sauce. HEAVEN!!!

So obviously the cilantro and feta were easy to figure out. And for the meat (you can get any kind you want at Fuzzy’s) I went with pulled pork because I have an awesome pork carnita recipe (the meat wasn’t the star of the taco for me, so I wasn’t as concerned with getting that flavor the same). The garlic sauce was what had me stumped. It’s the star of the taco, so I knew I had to at least get it close. And I think I did ! So good! Here’s my recipe:

Fuzzy’s Taco (copycat) Ingredients:

GF taco shells or tortillas (they taste even better if you heat them up a bit)
Garlic sauce (recipe to follow)
Pork (recipe to follow)
cheddar cheese, shredded
lettuce, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
cilantro, chopped
feta cheese, crumbled
Optional/if you’re lucky enough to have it: Fuzzy’s hot sauce (purchased at Fuzzy’s)

Creamy Garlic Sauce:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb. butter
1 cup mayo
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Sauté garlic in butter over low heat until golden (about 5 minutes). Add garlic/butter to 1 cup mayo and blend. Add pepper and garlic powder. Put on your taco first thing and enjoy!!!

*I used this recipe as my inspiration.

Slow Cooker Carnitas:

(I usually double the spices)

1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp crumbled dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth
1 boneless pork shoulder roast

Mix spices together. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker and place pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.
Cover and cook on low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks.
To get a little crispiness, spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet, add some of the liquid from the slow cooker, and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

(This pork recipe is delicious and freezes really well.)

*I used this recipe and changed it according to the reviews.

Now just put all the ingredients together for the tacos (lots of garlic sauce, not much cheddar, an equal amount of the veggies, and a generous sprinkling of the feta) and enjoy! Seriously, so good!

Now I just need to figure out how to make Fuzzy’s salsa. Also heavenly!

FYI: These ingredients are awesome separate too. I kept getting bowls of the pork and adding garlic sauce, feta, and cilantro. Yum!

Gluten Free Chicken Taco Soup

2011-05-19T14:30:00.001-07:00

My go-to easy recipe used to be Taco Soup (hamburger, tomatoes, beans, corn, taco seasoning), but I think I’ll have to change it to this. Still easy (and everything is in my pantry/freezer), but with even more flavor.

Basically you just put these ingredients (plus chicken):

Into a big pot (or crockpot if you plan ahead) and cook it.

Then add whatever delicious topping you prefer (I love cheese, sour cream, and chips and will try to add it to anything I can).

Here’s the recipe:

1 can corn
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes with green chilis
1 (4 oz) can of green chilis
1 lb. shredded chicken
1 dry pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch
1 dry pkg. taco seasoning
cooked chicken (however much you want)- or you can cook it in the soup if you plan ahead enough.

Mix it all together, heat up, and you’re done! Add whatever yummy toppings you want.

Gluten Free Deals- 50% off Betty Lou's

2011-05-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

You know how it's super hard to find on-the-go gluten free snacks that are also healthy and filling? Well, Betty Lou's helps solve that problem. They offer delicious, healthy, gluten free snacks that will actually fill you up.

And guess what? You can get a sampler pack of Tasty Bars and Nut Butter Balls for just $24! And that includes shipping!!! The sampler pack comes with 25 gluten free items. That's a lot of snacks. Healthy, filling snacks :).

Click here or on the link on my sidebar to take advantage of this awesome Gluten Free Deal before they sell out.

BTW, before I recommend these deals to you, I do google searches for reviews on the products I haven't personally tried. Betty Lou's has amazing reviews! I can't wait to try them!

Check them out here.

May: Celiac Disease Awareness Month

2011-05-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

Picture from here

Did you know May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month?

It is.

Pretty cool, huh?

Be on the lookout for gluten free promotions at grocery stores, restaurants, and online because of this.

Click here for a list of restaurants participating in the Chef to Plate campaign this month (Utah is on page 20). Here's a brief description of what the 2011 Chef to Plate campaign is all about:

This is a grass-roots campaign to help spread awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance throughout the nation and into Canada and even Turkey this year, using restaurants that already have a gluten-free menu and have a solid working understanding of how to treat gluten-free menu orders. We will be sending out Posters and Table Tents to these restaurants to post during the month of May (national Celiac Awareness Month).

Watch for those posters and table tents. The exposure is awesome!

Just a few years ago people would look at me with a blank stare as I explained that I couldn't eat flour. They'd ask if gluten was in beans, fruit, rice, etc. Nowadays when I tell people I have a gluten intolerance they usually know what it is, know someone who has it, and know the basics of what gluten is in.

I love it!

And months like this can make it even better. Easier for us at restaurants. More gluten free choices in the grocery stores with lower prices. More undiagnosed people discovering the solution to their health problems. And on and on.

So be sure to take advantage of Celiac Disease Awareness Month, both by raising awareness and by taking advantage of gluten free specials you'll find.

Zucchini “Boats”

2011-04-27T13:17:00.001-07:00

This is such a delicious and easy way to use up zucchini. And the best part about it is you can add any seasonings you feel like. Here’s a basic recipe to get you started.

First, cut the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out a bunch of the insides, like this:(Don’t scoop it out to the skin. Leave some zucchini in there.)

Next, mix frozen corn, cheese, and garlic salt/powder together in a bowl.

Then add anything else you want. I added spinach, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Other ideas are cooked ground beef, taco seasoning, onions, tomatoes, spices, etc. Whatever sounds good to you!

Spray the bottom of the zucchini “boats” with cooking spray and fill them up with your corn mixture.

When I make this I like to make extra corn mixture and add it to the zucchini that I scooped out at the beginning. Then I put it in foil “plates” like this to cook for my kids.

Cook on grill until zucchini is fork tender and cheese is melted. You could also bake it in the oven.

It’s delicious, versatile, and the perfect way to use up all the zucchini you’ll be getting this summer!
(For those who aren't as familiar with zucchini, eat the whole thing, including the skin. Be sure it's cooked enough that the skin is soft.)
I love to serve this with seasoned grilled chicken.
Enjoy!

Gluten Free Party- Sunflower Market in Orem Thursday

2011-04-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

I got an email from Kami Fletcher (Event Coordinator at the Orem Sunflower Market). Here's a part of it:

Gluten-Free Party this Thursday, April 14 from 6-8 pm at the Sunflower Farmers Market in Orem, UT. We’ll be sampling some of those pricey pre-made gluten-free products, sharing stories, and hopefully making new friends who are in the same boat.

Sounds fun! I love being able to sample gluten free products before buying (since it's so hit and miss on whether or not I like them) and it's always nice to get together with other gluten-freers to chat.

I won't be able to make it this time :(, but Kami promised to keep me in the loop about future parties, so hopefully it'll work out for me to go to one of those.

Check it out and let me know how it is!

My GF Journey: Doing tests

2011-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I realized I haven't posted very much about my gluten free story. I had another blog before this where I posted the story, but I didn't put it on Gluten Free in Utah. Here is part 2 of 2 about my gluten free journey. (You can find part 1: Why I Went Gluten Free here):

So once I figured out there was a good chance I had a gluten intolerance I decided I'd better stop eating gluten, but also that I should find out what my doctor had to say about it. I can't remember the exact time frames, but basically I tried to go gluten-free, messed up within a week or two, saw my doctor sometime during those 2 weeks, had blood tests done, and had the tests come back negative for celiac.

Now, you may be wondering why in the world I would do something as extreme as going gluten-free if I'm not celiac. Here are my answers:

I still might be. There are a lot of reasons I say that. Some are founded by medical research (done by other people, of course) and some are just what other people have told me. A few of the reasons are:
I could still have a gluten intolerance. Which can cause just as many problems as celiac, but it isn't doing the damage to your intestines like it does if you have celiac. I have read that if you have an intolerance and continue to eat gluten, the intolerance can become celiac (if you have the gene for it).
Most importantly: I feel better when I don't eat gluten. Actually, that's an understatement. It's more like, I feel awful if I do eat it. Maybe I'm just crazy (like all the doctors thought) and it's all in my head and I don't have any sort of gluten intolerance at all. Maybe it's having the whole "placebo effect" on me, but hey, I feel 100 times better than I used to and that's a good enough reason for me.

Cookbook Review and Gluten Free Banana Muffins!

2011-04-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to review the book “Gluten-Free Cooking Made Easy” by Susan Bell. What a great book! I often run across the same problem with gluten free cookbooks that I do with gluten free blogs: the recipes in them aren’t ones I want to prepare for my family. This book is not one of those. It’s very family friendly!

The description on Deseret Book says:

No more preparing two separate meals at dinnertime — one for family members with celiac disease and one for those without it. With Susan Bell's kitchen-tested recipes, you can serve meals your entire family will love. In this book, you'll find delicious breakfasts, breads and muffins, main dishes, soups and salads, side dishes, desserts, drinks, and even home-canning recipes.

The recipes looked good from reading them, but of course the true test is making them.

So I made the Banana Muffins!
And it was easy!

I’ve always used a gluten free baking flour mix or just plain rice flour and this was the first time I’ve bought Xantham Gum (shocking, I know… more about that another time). I was a bit nervous to bake gluten free from scratch, but with this cookbook there was no need to be.
First I went to Whole Foods and bought my ingredients:I was able to get everything in the bulk section except the Xantham Gum and Sorghum Flour.
I pulled my ripe bananas out of the freezer:(They look gross, huh? This is the best way to do banana bread though. Anytime you have an over ripe banana, you don’t have to throw them out and you don’t have to suffer through eating them. Just throw them in the freezer till you’re ready to bake your bread of muffins, then pull them out and let them thaw for a little while on the counter.)

Then I went to work making the muffins:

I had two awesome helpers

Who fought over who got to hold the bowl…

and who liked to stir the dry ingredients with their hands…

But I kept working

And so did my helpers

And we were rewarded with some amazing muffins!

I still can’t believe how delicious these things were! I had planned on freezing at least half of them… but that didn’t happen. They were gone within a few days. And that was with me holding back, trying to make them last longer.

I’m excited to try out the other muffins in the book (as in, I’ve been craving them since making these)!
Here’s the recipe from Susan Bell’s book “Gluten-Free Cooking Made Easy”

Gluten Free
Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

6 ripe bananas
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
¼ cup corn flour
¾ cup sorghum flour
1½ cups tapioca flour
½ cup brown rice flour
¾ cup potato starch
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Use a blender to mix the bananas, oil, and eggs at high speed until smooth.
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Add mixture in blender to dry ingredients and combine. (Overbeating the batter will cause the texture of the bread or muffins to become tough.)
Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, about ¾ full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

This recipe freezes well.

Makes 26 to 28 muffins

For bread, use two greased pans (8½ x 4½ x 2 3/4 -inch) and bake the bread at 325ºF for 45 to 55 minutes.

We made one pan of mini muffins too, because my daughter insisted on it. She thinks they’re “so cute.” We baked them for 16 minutes.

Give them a try! And be sure to check out Susan’s blog while you’re at it.
Her cookbook is for sale at deseretbook.com, amazon.com, latterdaylightbooks.com, barnesandnoble.com (all of these links are on her blog) and at your local LDS bookstore. It will also be available soon at associated food stores in Utah. Check it out!

Seriously Good Video about Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance

2011-04-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

You need to watch this. Really. Trust me on this. It's a very informative (and non-boring) video about celiac disease and gluten sensitivity/intolerance.

This is one I'll be sharing on my personal family blog because it's one I want my friends and family (especially blood relatives) to watch.

My GF Journey: Why I went gluten free

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

I just realized I haven't posted very much about my gluten free story. I had another blog before this where I posted the story, but I didn't put it on Gluten Free in Utah. Here is part 1 of 2 about my gluten free journey:

I've had weird aches and pains almost as long as I can remember. It started with stomach aches and nausea, which was diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome when I was in elementary school. I also had body aches, joint pain, headaches, and other issues. Pretty much I think half the doctors (along with friends and family) thought I was a hypochondriac. Not cool.

In the fall of 2002 I moved to Provo for college. One of my new roommates (who has become one of my best friends) had celiac disease. I didn't really know what that meant at first except that she couldn't eat wheat or flour and if she did it made her really sick.

In the summer of 2006 I was pretty fed up with feeling crummy. I always had stomach aches, headaches, body aches, fuzzy/foggy brain, blurry eye site, etc. One evening at work when I was feeling particularly "blah" and frustrated with it all I had a sudden thought- could I have celiac disease? I had learned a lot more about it from my friend throughout the years and had heard her talk to other people who had learned they were celiac and it suddenly just clicked that this could be my answer as well.

I immediately called up my friend and asked her what the symptoms of celiac disease were. She told me there are a ton (I've since found out there are at least 250) and that everyone manifests it differently. I told her my symptoms and she said they all fit celiac. After work I immediately got on the internet to figure this all out. Not only did all of my symptoms fit, but there were more that I'd never have associated with celiac disease. (Sinus infections and canker sores can also occur as a result of eating gluten if you have an intolerance to it.)

I couldn't believe it! All those years of doctors not knowing what was wrong with me (and many probably not believing anything was wrong at all) and I had figured it out! I tested it out and had some blood work done by the doctor and came to the conclusion that I definitely have a gluten intolerance, if not celiac (more on the testing later... this is already a long post).

I am so grateful for my friend! If I hadn't known her so well and learned about celiac I wouldn't have been able to self-diagnose myself. I also wouldn't have been able to get to the point I am now without her. She was (and still is) an awesome support for me in dealing with the changes the gluten-free lifestyle brings, always being there to answer my questions and give me advice. I'd like to pay her kindness forward by doing my best to support anyone else out there who is switching to the gluten-free life.

Gluten Free Product Review: Shabtai Gourmet

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

A few weeks ago Shabtai Gourmet contacted me to see if I’d like to sample some of their products and write a review about them. Heck yes I would!
A few days after I responded I received 4 full-sized gluten free treats. Yay! Here’s what I got:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Florentine Lace Cookies
Swiss Chocolate Roll
Raspberry Roll

Here’s some info about the company from their website:

Shabtai Gourmet is committed to servicing individuals with multiple allergens by baking our cakes & cookies in an allergen free dedicated bakery. All of the ingredients that pass through our doors are Gluten Free, Casein Free, Lactose Free, Soy Free, and Dairy Free. We are certified Kosher for Passover and Kosher Parve – otherwise known as Dairy Free- by the OK Kosher Supervision. They oversee our production and ensure the highest quality of our products.

Shipping is always a flat rate of $5.95, which is nice. You can try multiple products and not worry about your shipping rate going up with each one you add.
I love learning about gluten free companies!

Here are my thoughts on each product I tried:
Chocolate Chip Cookies They look pretty! I had them sitting on a cake platter on my counter and they seriously looked awesome, to the point I almost didn’t want to eat them, so I could use them as decoration (I really should have taken a picture of that). They are perfect little circles with perfect tiny chocolate chips on the top. But I guess that’s not the important part. Taste is what really matters.
So here’s the thing. Don’t think of them as regular chocolate chip cookies because that’s not how they taste. They have a cinnamony taste to them. My brother was the one who pointed that out to me. I wasn’t liking them when I thought of them as chocolate chip cookies, but once I thought of them as yummy cinnamon chocolate chip cookies I thought they were awesome!
Now onto the next important thing when it comes to gluten free: texture. These have the same type of texture as those crunchy Chips Ahoy cookies. I like that. I love the crunchy. They are ones that you’ll want a drink to go with them because they are slightly dry. But the taste really is good. My gluten eating brother, sister-in-law, and husband all agree.

Florentine Lace Cookie
I didn’t like these. At first I thought I did because they reminded me of toffee (which I love)when I first bit into one, but they weren’t toffee. They had a flavor I didn’t like. I didn’t like the after-taste either. Neither did my other testers. I’ve read some other reviews from people who love them and used to eat them when they were younger. Maybe that makes a difference.

Swiss Chocolate Roll
Remember those chocolate roll lunch treats from your pre-gluten free days? Well this looks like a giant version of those. How awesome is that?! Just don’t expect it to taste like them.

I realize it's totally random to have chapstick next to it, but I wanted to show the size. Plus, Burt's Bees is gluten free, so it fits, right? ;)

Like the (cinnamon) chocolate chip cookies, I didn’t love this at first. I don’t know why. My husband liked it right away, but it took me longer. But I did end up loving it. And when I say I loved it, I mean it was gone way faster than it should have been.
The cream in the middle was absolutely delicious and I loved that thin layer of shiny chocolate on the top. I used to peel that stuff off of my little chocolate roll lunch treats and eat it by itself. Good stuff!

Raspberry Roll
This was one product I liked consistently from the first bite to the last (which, like the chocolate roll, was not a large amount of time). The coconut topping and raspberry filling was yummy! And there seemed to be a slight hint of lemon, which I liked. The raspberry roll was moist and delicious!

The raspberry roll was mine and my husband’s favorite (and probably would have been my brother’s and sister-in-laws if I’d been willing to share ;) ).

So there you have it! If you’d like to order some of their products for yourself you can find them here. Utah does not currently carry any of their products in stores, but if you go to the website you can find out how to request that your local store carry them.
I’m especially curious about their rainbow cookie squares.
Wouldn’t those be awesome to take to a party?!

Thanks to Shabtai Gourmet for letting me try these delicious treats!

Gluten Free Treat/Snack: Strawberries with Nutella

2011-03-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this combination is pure HEAVEN!!! Simply cut the top (stem) off your strawberry and scoop out a little bit of the inside (or you can skip a step and hollow it out at the same time you cut off the stem… I was able to make them look pretty my way).

And then add a big dollop of Nutella and enjoy! YUMMY!!!!!! And it’s a good, healthy snack with zero preservatives, dyes, or any of that other yucky stuff. Just all natural goodness!

I’m seriously in love with Nutella.

Gluten Free Deal: Save 50% on Liz Lovely Cookies

2011-03-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this weeks Gluten Free Deal yet?

Check it out!

Those cookies look seriously heavenly. I went searching the internet world for reviews on them, and it looks like I'm right. People love these things! And apparently they're huge, so it makes it an even better deal because you get more cookie for your buck!

Be sure to get in on this awesome deal. Yum!

Gluten Free Salsa Chicken Quesadilla

2011-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

This meal is easy, delicious, and you can hide tons of veggies in it!

Here’s what you do:

Add salsa, corn, beans, whatever, to a skillet. Depending on the salsa I use, I often add garlic too. Amounts are totally up to you. Just make sure there’s plenty of salsa because it’s the base and the chicken needs to simmer in it.

Next add whatever veggies you have on hand. I shredded carrots in and spinach. I think I’ll always add carrots. It add a little bit of sweetness without having to add sugar.

Then add chicken breasts,…

…cover, and simmer till chicken is cooked.

Then shred the chicken and simmer just a bit longer.

Put salsa chicken mixture on a white corn tortilla.

Put shredded cheese in it, pop it in the microwave to melt it, then add sour cream and you’re done! And it’s delicious!

Enjoy!

Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake

2011-03-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we had a quadruple birthday party at my parents (mine, my husband’s, my brother’s, and an exchange student staying with my family). My mom made my sister and I this delicious gluten free German chocolate cake!

She used a Betty Crocker gluten free chocolate cake mix, which was yummy. (I also recommend Gluten Free Pantry and Glutino cake mixes. You'll need either buttermilk or yogurt if you make the Gluten Free Pantry cake. I've made it 3 different times, once using buttermilk, once yogurt, and once a homemade buttermilk with milk and vinegar. All tasted excellent, so just do whichever you feel like.)

Here's the recipe. There are more ingredients at the bottom of the recipe, so be sure to read the whole thing before going shopping for the ingredients. German Chocolate Frosting

Gluten Free
German Chocolate Cake Frosting

1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
3 slightly beaten egg yolk
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
Stir over medium heat until thick (12-15 minutes after it boils)
(when it's golden and pops it's done)
remove from stove and add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 cup pecans

Serve with gluten free ice cream on the side and enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Gluten Free at Red Robin

2011-03-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

My husband’s birthday was last week. He had a coupon from Red Robin for a free birthday burger and he loves burgers, so that’s where we went. I wasn’t overly excited about it because when we went for the same reason 3 years ago the waitress had no clue what gluten was and after I explained it to her she asked me if beans had gluten in them. Needless to say, that wasn’t the best restaurant experience, but thankfully this time was completely different!

My husband and daughter at Red Robin 3 years ago.

Often before going to a restaurant we’ll check for a gluten free menu online (that majority of restaurants have one), but we didn’t this time. When we got there my husband asked the hostess for a gluten free menu. It took them awhile to get one (they usually have on one on hand, but couldn’t find it, so they had to print off a new nutrition list which was 23 pages long), so I guessed on what I could have and they checked it once it was printed.

Birthday boy with daughter last week.

The manager came out to talk to me about it and was extremely nice and helpful. Both him and our waitress were knowledgeable about gluten and which of their items it was in (i.e. you can have the fries, but only without the seasoning salt). You’ll want to ask the manager at your specific location questions about how they prevent cross-contamination (preferably before you get to the restaurant). I talked to the manager about this and feel confident that the Layton Red Robin location knows what they’re doing. He told me they have a dedicated french fry fryer and the seasoning salt is added afterwards and the grills are also dedicated for breaded and non-breaded chicken. He even talked about being sure to use separate bowls and tongs for everything to prevent cross-contamination. Big change from 3 years ago!
The food was yummy, too! Click here to see their gluten free menu. It’s detailed and great!

Bonus: The waiting area has TVs on the floor and an arcade to help entertain your busy kids!

Gluten Free St. Patrick’s Day Meal Idea: Corned Beef and Cabbage

2011-03-16T14:45:00.001-07:00

Since we were married 4 years ago, my husband and I have celebrated St. Patrick’s day with his old roommates and their wives. So fun! We have an Irish meal, dessert, try to make up some limericks, watch an Irish movie (this year it’s Far and Away), and always toast to Ned Devine with root beer (we turn the movie Waking Ned Devine to the part at the very end where everyone toasts him and join in). It’s a blast! And it works perfectly to do with friends because it isn’t a holiday usually celebrated with extended family.

Anyway, my point of sharing all of this with you is because part of the Irish meal we have is always corned beef and cabbage. The first year we did this I was quite worried. I didn’t know if I liked corned beef and I didn’t like cabbage as a kid. It ended up being delicious! Really delicious! Now, whenever I see corned beef on sale on the store, I snag some up and St. Patrick’s day season is the best time to find it on sale.

Winco in Clinton had it for $1.68/lb last Saturday, so I got some. Yum! You simply put the meat and seasoning packet it comes with (how awesome is that?!) into the crock pot, add a little water and cook! Add cabbage when there are a few hours left. It’s easy and delicious! I also added potatoes when I made it on Monday.

Give it a try. It’s perfect for St. Patrick’s day!

(I just guessed on the amount of water and cooking time, but you could check online to get exacts.)

Gluten Free Deals: 50% off at Custom Choice Cereal

2011-03-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out this weeks Gluten Free Deal yet? It's awesome! For just $10 you get $20 to Custom Choice Cereal, a cool company where you can create your own gluten free cereal. I love this! One of my favorite cereals before going gluten free was Berry Basics and it's one I've missed. Now I can make my own!

You choose your base cereal and then add whatever mix-ins you want. They have berries, nuts, seeds, and more. And here's one of my favorite parts: you can name the cereal anything you want and they'll put that name on the label! I don't know why, but I love that! I keep imagining creating a delicious cereal for a gluten free friend, naming it something funny and personalized, and sending it to them as a gift. Seriously, how awesome would that be?

So go ahead and sign up for this deal now!

Gluten Free Cajun Chicken

2011-03-11T22:13:00.001-08:00

In honor of Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday” this past week I made some Cajun food. Some Cajun Style Baked Sweet Potato fries and Cajun Chicken. I’ll post about the sweet potato fries another time. This post is all about the delicious chicken.
It’s way easy to make and is so flavorful! And even better than that, you only have to marinade it for 1/2 hour! Perfect for someone like me who doesn’t think about it soon enough. It does have a bit of a kick to it, but not too much (I can be a wuss when it comes to spicy). It’s the perfect amount.

I followed the recipe (which I got from Allrecipes here) for the spices exactly and made a few changes of my own. I only used 2 chicken breasts, so I didn’t need as much oil. I mixed the spices and then dumped them into a gallon-sized plastic bag and poured in the oil until I thought it was enough (I used some vegetable oil and some olive oil). I then put cut up chicken in to the bag, shook, made sure every piece was covered, and stuck it in the fridge to marinate for about 45 minutes. Then I grilled it on my Foreman grill. DELICIOUS! I loved the chicken being cut as small as they were. It meant there was more of the yummy flavor in each bite.

Here’s the recipe with added notes of what I did:

Gluten Free Cajun Chicken

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable oil (I used less and I used some olive oil)
2 Tbs Cajun seasoning
2 Tbs dried Italian seasoning
2 Tbs lemon pepper
garlic powder to taste
5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness (I used 2 and didn’t pound them down. I just cut them into bite-sized pieces.)

Directions (how I did it):

Mix spices together in a gallon-sized bag. Pour in oil till it looks like it can coat the chicken. Cut chicken into size you want and put in bag. Seal bag and coat the chicken with the seasoning. Put in refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat grill for high heat (or Foreman grill).
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on hot grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you haven't already, hurry and get this Gluten Free Deal! It's for GoPicnic and just needs a few more deals purchased for everyone to get it. I want to get the deal!!! The food looks delicious!

Gluten Free Sun-Dried Tomato Creamy Baked Penne

2011-03-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

This recipe is one I invented myself. I’m quite proud of that fact because though I make up recipes often, this one is far superior to all of them. I really need to make it again soon, it was delicious!

My original plan was to make this recipe from Martha Stewart, but I couldn’t find oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for a good price (there was no way I was going to spend over $5 for the jar I did find). What I did find was a jar of sun-dried tomato pesto, so I decided to work with that. I got it at Walmart for around $3.

I also got the gluten free penne pasta I used from Walmart. I really like the Heartland brand. I can’t remember the price on it, but I think it was probably around $3 as well and I didn’t use the whole thing (I made my family a separate dish with gluten-filled pasta).
I didn’t measure exactly how much of some of the ingredients I put in, like pasta and cheese. Sorry. Next time I make it I’ll measure it out. The sauce recipe made 3/4 bag of the Heartland pasta plus enough gluten-filled pasta to fill a regular sized casserole dish for my family, so if you’re doing just gluten free either half the recipe or use around 2 bags of the gluten free penne.
Now for the recipe:

Gluten Free
Sun-Dried Tomato Creamy Baked Penne

Ingredients:

6 Tbl butter (plus more for baking dish)
salt and pepper
gluten free penne pasta, cooked al dente
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
1 jar sun-dried tomato pesto
grated mozzarella cheese (1 1/2 - 2 cups)
grated parmesan cheese
optional: chicken, cooked w/salt and pepper and diced
optional: 10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Butter 2 shallow baking dishes.
Cook noodles and chicken if haven’t already.
In big pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk some of the cold milk in with the cornstarch until you get a smooth consistency, then add to butter and continue whisking for at least 1 minute (don’t stop or the cornstarch will clump). Slowly add the rest of the milk while whisking. Add garlic.
Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and pesto. Whisk and cook 1 minute.
Add chicken and pasta to baking dish. Pour sauce over it and mix. Add mozzarella cheese.
Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

I've linked this over at Gluten-Free Wednesdays at the Gluten Free Homemaker.

Save 50% at GoPicnic with Gluten Free Deals!

2011-03-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this weeks Gluten Free Deal yet? It's $30 worth of product from GoPicnic for $15! I've heard of GoPicnic before, but never ordered from there before. They have ready to eat meals for when you're on the go. That's hard to find when you're eating gluten free!

I'm excited to pick out my food! I love cheese, so I'm thinking I'll definitely have to get some of the parmesan peppercorn cheese spread. And one of the steak nugget meals (funny thing- when I first read steak nugget I was grossed out... until I realized they're like a jerky... yum!). I'm not sure what else. If you do this deal let me know what you'll get!

Click here to sign up!

Also, I have a couple reviews coming up and a fun giveaway, so be watching for those!

New recipes will also be coming, including an amazingly delicious one I made up myself! Seriously, it's awesome.

Gluten Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

2011-03-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

We don’t go out for Valentine’s Day dinner. Too crowded. Plus our wedding anniversary is the week before, so we’ve just barely had a romantic outing. We’ve decided to make Valentine’s day a family day for our kids.

I’ve always wanted to try meatballs, so I decided to make them for our Valentine’s dinner. I know, I know. How can I be 26 years old and never had meatballs? I wouldn’t try them when I was a kid because I thought they were gross. Now that I actually want to try them I can’t because they usually have gluten (bread crumbs) in them.

I used this recipe from allrecipes. It was pretty good, but next time I’ll cut down on the sugar (like the reviews suggest).

Instead of the bread crumbs I used this:

I found them in Highland at Kohler’s grocery store. I bought them because they cost around $2. Cheap, huh?! I used the last of them on these meatballs, so I really need to look around for more. I put Italian seasoning in them to make them “Italian seasoned bread crumbs.”

For the noodles I used what I had on hand (my sister-in-laws mom gave these to me):

I’m not sure where she got them, but as you can see, she got them on clearance for $1.60. I'm really glad I was given these because I never would have given them a chance otherwise. I thought rice pasta was the only gluten free way to go. Potato pasta gets mushy and I thought corn pasta would have too strong of a corn taste. I was wrong. At least with these ones. Really good!

I’m super cheap, so my family had regular gluten-filled pasta while I had this. It turned out really good!

I don’t know that the meatball recipe I used is the best out there (there’s a Martha Stewart meatball recipe I want to try- it has bacon in it!), but it was pretty good. Mostly I just want to let you know that the gluten free corn flake crumbs worked wonderfully and were a great price!

It was a fun dinner! We also had jell-o with strawberries in it and green salad (the rest of my family also had heart shaped garlic bread- yeah, I’m that nice. I make things for them I can’t eat.).

Do you have a favorite meatball recipe?

Gluten Free Deals- 50% off Glenny's Bars

2011-02-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free Deals is having their official site launch and have great gluten free deals lined up for the next 5 weeks. This weeks deal is $15 for $30 worth of Glenny's Gluten Free Fruit and Nut Bars!

Image via Glenny's site

It can be hard to find good gluten free snacks that are quick and that will give you the extra energy you need. They look tasty and they don't contain anything artificial (hard thing to find in packaged snacks these days).

Check it out!

Go here to sign up for this deal or sign up on my sidebar!

Gluten Free Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2011-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe is delicious! It’s from the blog 365 Days of Slow Cooking (not to be confused with A Year of Slow Cooking, which you should also check out because it’s entirely gluten free crockpot recipes).

I followed the recipe exactly, up until I got to the roux part. Instead of using 1/2 cup flour I used 1/4 cup cornstarch. Mix the cornstarch with cold water first then add it to the butter and keep whisking it so it doesn’t chunk up.

This has a lot of flavor and tastes like something you’d get at a yummy soup restaurant only it’s better because it’s gluten free .

Give it a try!

Gluten Free Side Dish- Jerusalem Artichokes

2011-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

This past week I got these in my Bountiful Basket:
I thought it was ginger, but I found out they’re Jerusalem artichokes. They’re delicious!
I used this recipe from Jamie Oliver. I didn’t have any white wine vinegar, so I used red wine vinegar and it was really tasty.

My daughter wouldn’t give them a chance, but my son (1 1/2 years) devoured them.
They reminded me of potatoes (texture-wise), but they have a nutty taste. Really good! I have no clue what the price would be at the store, but I will be checking into it. I want to try these with bacon chunks in it.
Yum! Give it a try!

Gluten Free Tip: Try Bountiful Baskets

2011-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

I realize a lot of you already know about Bountiful Baskets, but I want to do this post in case you haven't or to convince you to try if you're sitting on the fence.

Bountiful Baskets is a produce co-op where you can get fresh produce at a great price because so many people are participating. A basket costs $15 (plus $1.50 processing, so $16.50) and you get around $40 worth of produce. They try to do 50/50 fruits/vegetables.

Here are some baskets I got a few years ago (back when I took pictures to send to my sister each time):

The box of citrus was an add-on ($12, I think?), so the $16.50 included everything that isn't in the box. Awesome, right?

This was another add-on (around $7 maybe?). It was the Italian pack. It's how I discovered I love ratatouille.

Great stuff, huh?! There's often 1 or 2 items in each basket I never would have bought on my own because I didn't know what it was or how to use it. Now I love some of those things! If you join the Bountiful Baskets Facebook page you'll get good ideas on how to use the produce you get.

It's the perfect option for those on a gluten free diet! It's good for anyone, but especially those doing gluten free. Fruit and vegetables are all naturally gluten free, so it gives you a large variety of snack options and meal ideas. It has really broadened my recipe collection (watch for a Jerusalem artichoke recipe post coming up). When your options are limited this is a very good thing. Plus, it can save you money.

They have locations all over Utah as well as Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. If your state isn't listed here check around for a produce co-op near you.

Actually, the reason these pictures are from over a year ago is because I started my own produce co-op when I lived in Woods Cross. I got a bunch of friends and neighbors (24 to be exact) and we bought our produce at wholesale since there were so many of us. Since moving I've started doing Bountiful Baskets again because I don't know 24 people well enough to start a co-op going. I would love to again though (I got my basket for free doing it that way).

If you have any questions about Bountiful Baskets or about how to start your own co-op, let me know and I'd be more than happy to help!

Gluten Free Waffles from GF Bisquick

2011-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

I finally branched out and made something other than pancakes with the Gluten Free Bisquick mix and it was delicious! Actually, I’ve made these 3 or 4 times. Yum!
My favorite thing to do when I make waffles or my family is to have tons of add in options and they each get to pick what they want for each waffle. Here are some ideas: blueberries, heath toffee chips, chocolate chips, walnuts, raisins, coconut, strawberries, etc. My favorites are blueberry and a mix with toffee, chocolate chips, and coconut.
I also love to experiment with different syrups/toppings. Some ideas: maple syrup, jam, yogurt, a cream cheese/powdered sugar glaze, etc.

Pros:

Delicious
Tastes like normal waffles
Easy to make

Cons:

Doesn’t make very many.

Just be aware that one batch of waffles will only make 3 sets of waffles (as in 12 individual waffles if you pulled them apart). I tend to eat 2 sets at a time and that only leaves one for leftover (I’m big on leftovers) and if I was feeding someone else who was gluten free I’d need to double it. Not a huge deal, but be aware. The pancake recipe feeds a lot more (which makes sense).
Give these a try if you haven’t already.

Gluten Free Lunch Idea: cream cheese chili dip

2011-02-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Figuring out what to eat for lunch on a gluten free diet can be tricky when bread is out of the question. I like to occasionally share some ideas from what I eat. Now, to be honest, lunch has always been the hardest meal for me to eat, even when I ate gluten. I don’t mind eating it. I just hate taking a break in the middle of the day to figure out what sounds good. So posts like this are as much for me as they are for you. I need reminders of what I enjoy.
This is one of my daughters favorite lunches (even though she looks less than thrilled in the picture). She asks for it often.
It’s delicious and simple. Blend together 1 can of gluten free chili (I use Hormel) and 1 brick of cream cheese (8 oz). I use an immersion blender to mix it. Also, I’ll sometimes only use half a brick of cream cheese to save money.
Heat in microwave.
Eat with GF tortilla chips. Add a vegetable and fruit on the side. When I’m feeling especially ambitious I’ll also do a fruit dip and add ranch for the veggies and we’ll have a dipping lunch.

(BTW, I eat much more than the amount of chili dip that’s on this plate. This was for my daughter.)
I hope this helps you with ideas!
Enjoy!

Gluten Free Spinach Salad

2011-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

This used to be the staple salad my mom would take to potlucks. It’s delicious! (Although, I’ll admit, I didn’t appreciate it as a kid. I was only after the jell-o salads at that point.)

Salad Ingredients:

1 9-10 oz. pkg. baby spinach
1 head romaine lettuce
cooked bacon, crumbled (or the crumbled kind in a bag from Costco)
1/2-1 pint cottage cheese (decide how much you want as you mix it in)
Optional: GF croutons (I left these out)

Mix all together.

Dressing Ingredients:

1 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs dried onion
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried mustard
Optional: 1 tsp MSG (I didn’t use this because I don’t like MSG, but it’s supposed to enhance the flavor)

Mix all together and pour on salad right before serving.

Give it a try. It’s delicious!

Gluten Free Utah Blogs- Roll Call!

2011-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Image from here

I know there are a lot of great gluten free blogs out there written by Utahn's, I just don't know what they all are.
If you're in Utah and have a gluten free blog, I'd love it if you'd leave a comment with the blog address. I'm going to link them all up on my sidebar.

And if you know of any I'm missing, whether it's yours or not, let me know.

Thanks!

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Soufle

2011-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of those dinner side dishes that could pass for dessert. I love those! I make this for my big extended family Christmas day potluck every year.

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Soufle

Ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes or yams
2 large eggs, beat until foamy
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk (can use soy or rice milk to make dairy free)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Peel, cut, boil, and mash the sweet potatoes/yams
add beaten eggs, vanilla, milk and cinnamon
put in 9x13 casserole dish
mix butter, sugar, and pecans in separate bowl and sprinkle on top of potatoes (usually you add flour to this and you could use GF flour if you wanted, but I don't think it's lacking anything if you just leave it out altogether)
bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Enjoy!

Bonus: You can freeze this!

Easy Sponge Cake from Gluten Free Gobsmacked

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Remember my awesome brother-in-law. Colton? Well, he made my sister (Paige- his wife) and I another treat. I had been wanting to try this recipe for awhile and finally bought all the ingredients needed to make it while at my parents house. The only problem? Paige and Colton also brought Toy Story 3 to watch that evening and I’d never seen it (love that movie, btw!). Colton had, so he offered to make this treat by himself. Actually, he insisted. It was awesome of him!

Besides looking yummy, the ingredient list wasn’t too intimidating. Or expensive. (Potato starch is very inexpensive and readily found in normal grocery stores- check out the section with Bob’s Red Mill products).Next time I have someone make this for me I’ll buy more whipped topping and berries for it. It was yummy, but needed more of those things. (That was totally my fault for not buying enough. Colton made it perfectly.)

Also, I had discovered 2 weeks before that I am now egg white intolerant (awful, I know). I can have baked goods with eggs in them, but only if it’s a small amount of the food. I can’t have things like meringue because egg whites are a big portion of the recipe. So I was scared to eat this with it’s high egg content. I ended up being okay, but I did only have one tiny piece .

Anyway, in conclusion, try this! Especially if you can eat eggs without a problem. Just buy more berries and whipped topping than I did. And if you’re not convince from my awful pictures, check out this picture from Gluten Free Gobsmacked:

Beautiful, huh? Check it out! There’s even a link to the printable recipe.

Gluten Free Valentine’s Day Fudge

2011-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

My cute sister-in-law posted this easy fudge recipe on her blog. It’d be a fun one to have your kids help with and perfect for Valentine’s Day! They could each have their own little individual bag (she puts the recipe amounts for personal bags too).
Check it out!

Here's the one I made:

All the ingredients put in the bag.

Even though it seems like it will be forever dry, it does eventually get to this point.

Then I rolled it out flat and cut it into pieces.

I have a small heart cookie cutter I should have used, but I was dying to try this and didn't want to bother. After taking this picture I sprinkled some pink coconut on them. This stuff is DELICIOUS, EASY, and GLUTEN FREE!!!