Gluten Free Review: Whisk Bliss creamy cooking base

I recently had the opportunity to try out the gluten-free version of Whisk Bliss.

Whisk Bliss is a product from the Utah-based cooking solutions company called Shirley J (yay for a Utah company!). Simply put, Whisk Bliss is a just-add-water cream sauce. You can use it as the base for hundreds of creamy recipes. Think of all those recipes that call for a can of cream-of-something soup or the soup recipes that want flour for thickening. Now you can easily make them gluten free (even easier than making up my gluten free cream soup mix recipe)!

They’ve got recipes if you need ideas on how to use it, but you can also just use it in any recipe needing a yummy, creamy base.

I made an alfredo sauce with it and it was so easy!

I didn’t have any of the Shirley J Chicken Boullion, so I just used the gluten free kind I already had on hand.

Ta Da! It really was as simple as the pictures make it look!
I love that companies are recognizing the need for gluten free. Their gluten-free products make my life easier .

Shirley J also has another exciting gluten-free product that I’ll be reviewing soon and that one will come with a giveaway, so watch for it.

If you’d like some Gluten-Free Whisk Bliss you can go to the Shirley J website and order some for yourself. Or you can check to see if there’s a store near you (if you’re in Utah, they’re all over, but they’re also in stores in 14 other states, so be sure to check if there’s one near you even if you’re outside of Utah) and go pick it up. Yay for yummy and simple!

Gluten Free Traditions, Monkey Bread and Peach Muffins

Food can be such an emotional thing, often being attached to meaningful family traditions. If the majority of your family can eat gluten, it can be especially tricky when it comes to those traditions. If your family has traditions that involve gluten-filled foods you can’t eat, it’s important for you to figure out a gluten-free alternative, so you don’t feel left out.

These days, many gluten-filled products have a gluten-free alternative that you can just buy. And for those that don’t, you can either make your own or make something else just as good (or better). Stay positive about it. Remember the delicious foods you CAN have and be grateful for those. More importantly, focus on how great you feel when you don’t eat gluten. There are so many people who constantly feel awful and don’t know why. You do. Be happy about that. Choose to dwell on the positive in your life instead of dwelling on what you can’t have (easier said than done sometimes, I know, but the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it). 

One of my family’s traditions is having “monkey bread” (although we called it butterscotch pull-a-parts until in-laws came in and called it monkey bread) for breakfast every six months before we watch LDS General Conference on Sunday morning. That stuff is good! But it’s definitely not gluten-free.

Luckily for me, I have an amazing mom who is great at creating wonderful gluten-free alternatives for me and my sister.

She’s used the Glutino muffin mix for the past few years (actually, it was just the Gluten Free Pantry when she first started using it for this, but now it’s officially Glutino on the box) and it’s always been yummy, but she perfected it this last time.

Unfortunately, she makes it up as she goes, so when I asked her for the recipe she wasn’t completely sure what she did. Here’s what she said:

I think I just put chopped pecans and dry butterscotch pudding mix (NOT instant) in the cupcake papers.  I'm not sure the amounts I used of butter/brown sugar/cinnamon.....possible 1/2 c butter, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1 t cinnamon.  Melt butter, mix in brown sugar and cinnamon, pour some into cupcake papers, add muffin dough.  I think it also takes a bit longer to bake because of the extra butter in it....maybe 15 minutes?

So sorry.  I really do make it up as I go.  It did seem extra yummy this last time, so I hope this is correct.  I've done it before when I put the sauce in the middle and on top.  This still seemed the best.

Love you!
Mom 

So we’re going to go with this:

Gluten Free Butterscotch “Monkey Bread” Muffins

Ingredients:

• Glutino muffin mix
  • 6 Tbsp softened butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• chopped pecans
• dry butterscotch pudding mix (NOT instant)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put cupcake liners in pan
• Mix up Glutino muffin mix according to directions on box, set aside
• Put chopped pecans on bottom of cupcake liner (however much you want… I like a good layer on the bottom)
• Sprinkle thin layer (or more if you want) of dry butterscotch pudding mix on bottom of cupcake liner
• Melt butter, add brown sugar and cinnamon, then pour into cupcake liners
• Add muffin batter
• Bake 16-30 minutes (I know, I know… big difference between 16 and 30. It says 16 on the box, but we had to bake it longer when we did it because of the butter on the bottom. Test after 16 minutes and decide how much longer it needs.)

The muffins did this cool puffy thing that I can’t really describe. The yummy stuff on the bottom came up on the sides, the muffin puffed up really cool and it was just amazing!!! Sadly, I didn’t think to take any pictures. Next time…

I DO have pictures of some other yummy muffins I made:

They’re these delicious things:

Glutino’s Peaches ‘n’ Cream Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups Gluten Free Pantry Muffin and Scone Mix
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (or cinnamon)
• 2 whole eggs, beaten slightly with a fork
• 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 3/8 cup whole milk (May need slightly more if using sour cream.)
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1 heaping cup, peeled, diced peaches (about 2 medium peaches)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Stir wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
4. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir well to combine thoroughly.
5. Fold in fresh peaches or use good quality canned peaches, well drained. Fresh nectarines may also be used.
6. Spoon into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees, 15-16 minutes.
7. Or transfer to a lightly oiled 4x8-inch loaf pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean.

Yield: 12 to 14 muffins or 1 loaf

I love peaches!

I can’t wait till the peaches from Perry are ripe! I made these ones with canned peaches and they were good, but I will most definitely be making these with the fresh Perry peaches. YUM! (Those of you not in Utah, if you have a chance to come here at the end of the summer be sure to head to the Brigham City/Perry area to try their peaches. So good!)

And if you don’t love peaches or butterscotch, you can always try out some…

Chocolate Cherry Muffins

or

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Or perhaps some banana bread (recipe on the back of the box) or blueberry. Yum! Add in anything you want. Easy and delicious!

Enjoy!

 

What’s your favorite kind of muffin?

A Gluten Free Company that Knows What it’s Doing

As I’m sure you’ve learned, it’s hit and miss when it comes to gluten free products tasting good. Well, if you’re new to doing gluten free, let me tell you… you’ve got it easy. Back when I started living gluten free 6 1/2 years ago there were way more “misses” than “hits.” Every time I purchased a new gluten-free product it felt like I was throwing my money down the drain.

Luckily, my friend who’d been gluten free most of her life was there to help me. She gave me recipes and told me which products were the best.

She told me there was one brand I could always buy without worrying I was wasting my money. That brand was Glutino. She said they’d been around for a long time (since 1983) and knew what they were doing.

And she was right. I’ve never had a Glutino product I didn’t like.

Would you like to hear some awesome news you might not know? How about three bits of awesome news?

Of course you would.

1. Glutino acquired Gluten Free Pantry back in 2004, (I didn’t realize this until a month ago. I just knew that every Gluten Free Pantry mix I’d tried was excellent), and then in 2011 Boulder Brands (formerly Smart Balance) bought Glutino, and they recently bought Udi’s as well! I love Udi’s! That is another company that I completely trust. The point of this is to say, be on the lookout for a lot of awesomeness coming from the Boulder Brands company. They know what they’re doing, and based on the companies they’ve been acquiring, they know what’s good when it comes to gluten free. 
2. Something else great about Glutino and Udi’s products are they’re made from natural and non-GMO ingredients (they’re working with the Non-GMO Project to get verification on their products… some are already done). I believe a huge mistake many people make is they think that if a product is a special gluten-free item, it must be healthy. That’s definitely not true! You need to be selective with the gluten free products you consume, especially if your digestive system has been damaged from gluten in the past. I love that I can trust Glutino and Udi’s to taste good AND be made with quality ingredients!
3. The last bit of news is on a much smaller level, but it’s just as exciting. I’ve been asked to be a part of Glutino’s blogging community!* This is exciting for both me and you. Each month Glutino will be sending me a product to try out and I’ll get to tell you about it and give you ideas on how to use it. And even better for you: I’ll get to do some product giveaways (yay!), so be on the lookout for those.

*I want all of you to know that Glutino has always been a favorite brand of mine and that my opinion of their products hasn’t suddenly changed because of this new relationship with them. Nope. I’ve always loved what they do. The story about Glutino being the first gluten-free brand I trusted is entirely true and I am excited to learn more about the brand and their products.

Happy National Pretzel Day (gluten free style)!

Did you know April 26 is National Pretzel Day?  Well, it is.

Being gluten free you might think this doesn’t concern you, but thanks to Glutino, it does.

Glutino’s gluten free pretzels are delicious! So now you can celebrate National Pretzel Day right along side all of your gluten-eating friends.

They have pretzel sticks, pretzel twists, pretzel sesame rings, and (wait for it…) chocolate covered and yogurt covered pretzels!!!

 
Click on picture for more info

I have personally tried all of these, except the chocolate (fudge) ones and let me tell you… I’m a huge fan! I’ll admit, it’s been awhile since I’ve had pretzels, so I can’t promise they’re exactly like the “real” thing, but I can tell you they’re good. And my kids (who can have gluten-filled pretzels) love them. I can also tell you that I’ve had some gross gluten free pretzels. These taste nothing like those ones.

I’m actually quite in love with the yogurt covered pretzels. They’re AMAZING!!! And addicting. I’d go to the cupboard thinking I’d eat just 3… well, you can probably guess the rest of that. Pretty much, I had planned to share them with my sister, but that’s not going to happen until a trip to the store is made. I’m guessing the chocolate ones are the same way. The plain ones taste like pretzels. Which is a good thing.

So, to help you celebrate National Pretzel day on April 26th the way you ought to (besides the help I’ve already given you by letting you know about these delicious Glutino pretzels), here are some recipes that use pretzels and no other flour/gluten products. You can also be lazy like me and eat them plain… well, as plain as you can call yogurt and chocolate covered pretzels… yum!

 

Ideas for Celebrating National Pretzel Day:
the gluten free way
(click on the picture to go to the recipe)

Mustard-Baked Chicken with a Pretzel Crust

This looks so tasty!

 

Chocolate Mint Pretzel Bites

Easy Pretzel Turtles


These are from Our Best Bites, so you know they’re going to be awesome. In fact, the next 3 are also from them.

Dipped Pretzels Rods

Just use the smaller pretzels for these. Still delicious! (And be sure to eat some of the caramel bits plain… they’re my favorites.)

 

Creamy Strawberry Jello Pie (with a pretzel crust)
Wow. I want this now!!!

Candy Crayons

They’ll be skinny crayons, but I’m sure your kids won’t care

 

Peanut-Butter Pretzel Candy

From Martha Stewart and only 5 ingredients

 

Honey Mustard Pretzel Crusted Chicken Salad with Spicy Honey Mustard Dressing
This looks and sounds absolutely incredible!!!!

Loaded Cheesy Pretzel Nachos
True, these nachos were done with pretzel crisps, but I think they’d be awesome with regular pretzels too.

 

Pretzel S’Mores

These MUST be made this summer!

Pretzel Peanut Bark

Valentine Pretzel Buttons

These can be made to fit any holiday. Love it!

Caramel Pretzel Meringue with Fresh Berries

Meringue is such a great gluten free dessert.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

My sister makes this often and says it’s delicious. I think it’s about time I tried it…

And those were just the first gluten free (besides the pretzels) recipes that caught my eye when I searched “pretzel” on Pinterest. I know there are TONS more out there. Plus, you can make the pretzel recipes that also take some flour and just use some gluten free flour in it. So many yummy possibilities!

Have a happy pretzel day!!!

Do you have a favorite pretzel recipe?

Gluten Free Dinner: Thai Kitchen product review

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 Product Review: Helping Hands Bakery

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…)!