Recent updates

I just started the tradition of getting babycakes donuts and freezing them! Why didn't I think of this before I would have saved so much $$$$! I'm doing a scavenger hunt tomorrow w/Pogo and if it goes well and we stay in the city...I might make a gluten/vegan one! Of course it would only be for the summer but it sounds fun doesn't it?

Superbowl Gluten free Nachos w/all the fixings!

It was superbowl time and lately I've been craving nachos. So I had this perfect little idea the whole day and stopped at Whole Foods to get the ingredients. I picked up Gluten free Tortilla Strips(Green Mountain Gringo), Ground meat, Daiya shredded Cheddar, lime kale/carrots/cherry tomatoes (from the Whole Foods salad bar), and Sprouts mixture(Also from the salad bar) I browned the beef, put the daiya cheddar in, then the rest of the ingredients...so yummy! Delicious! Picture above!

My gluten free fig newtons

Best Gluten free Fig Newton Type cookies

So I've been looking for months for the best gluten free fig newtons...I even tried Orgran's Wild Raspberry flavored cookies...very very bad! I've seen a few recipes for gluten free fig newtons...and just haven't had the chance to make them until TODAY! Yes it was snowing outside and instead of me going out to get a cappuccino like I really wanted...I just love the frothed milk...I need to get a frother asap so anyways I made Fig newtons with the Turkish Figs I had gotten from Nutsonline. Here's the recipe (pictures to follow):

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup Agave
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour mix (with xanthan or guar gum in the mix) I used Coconut flour for half and Jules Gluten free for the other half
  
• 10 tablespoons melted, Earth Balance
  
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to dip glass in to press cookies
• Turkish Figs chopped up (make sure to take out stems)
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F / 190C

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone pads or lightly grease

Combine eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on high until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, lemon juice and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add gluten-free flour and beat just until combined. Slowly drizzle melted earth balance into the mixture and beat until combined.

Drop dough by heaping rounded teaspoons on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 11/2-inch space between cookies. Dip a small drinking glass in the extra sugar and gently press down on each cookie. Making sure each cookie is flattened put the figs in the middle and put another cookie on-top. Pinch them together and va-la!

Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and crisp. Cool.

Makes about 20 Fig Newton Gluten free cookies

Welcoming in 2011

I know I haven't written in this in months...probably should have taken pictures of all of my gluten free desserts I've made...well I made something fabulous for New Years Eve besides the really horrible spinach dip I tried making (dairy free of course) that was YUCK! But the Snowball cookies I made were a huge success. Here's the recipe:

Snowball Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups sifted Jules Gluten free flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup Earth Balance, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1-1/2 cups chopped Pecans
• 2 cups confectioners sugar to roll cookies in
• 2 tsp Ginger
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
  

Directions

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat softened earth balance with sugar until very light and fluffy. Mix in flour mixture. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate 20 minutes until easy to handle.
2. Make balls in the palm of your hand by tablespoons. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet, and bake in a 350 degree F. oven until golden brown, being careful bottoms do not burn.
3. Place confectioners sugar in a large bowl mix in the cinnamon and ginger. Take cookies from oven and gently put into bowl. Carefully, they are hot, toss cookies in sugar until they are coated.

Enjoy!

My new favorite breakfast food

I haven't written on this blog in what seems forever but I thought I'd add a great post about my recent gluten free finding! I made a long time favorite last week...rice krispy treats...well not exactly I used Chex Rice and Marshmallows along w/Earth Balance and it came out delicious! I then made it into portions and put it into 6 Ziploc bags. I'm currently munching on some Honey Nut Chex...very addictive! Now I can finally enjoy a cereal again...and its gluten free!

Halloween SAFE candies

Its been awhile since I've posted...yes I know I've been neglecting but not for long! Still looking for a nonprofit job but I wanted to post something I found that's an amazing list to have for everyone who has kids or just loves candy in general...especially perfect for Halloween Trick or Treating!

Gluten-friendly and Gluten-Free (Safe) Candy and Treats for Halloween

3 Musketeers fun size
3 Musketeers Mint with dark chocolate

A
Act II Popcorn Balls
Albert’s Gummy Eyeballs
Albert’s Iced Halloween pops (lollipops)
Almond Joy fun size bars
Amanda's Own Confections Chocolate shapes and chocolate lollipops
Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks
Applehead, Grapehead, Cherryhead,

B
Baby Ruth
Bazooka Big Mix (includes bubble gum, bubble gum filled candy, candy chews, and bubble gum filled lollipops)
Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot Wicked Webs Berry Wave mini feet
Betty Crocker Halloween fruit flavored snacks – “Gluten Free”
Bit•O•Honey
Butterfinger fun size
Big Blow bubblegum
Black Forest Gummy Tarantulas
Black Forest Gummy Fun Bugs Juicy Oozers
Bubbly lollipop + gum

C
Candy Checkers (made for Target)
Caramel Apple Pops (lollipops made by Tootsie Roll)
Charleston Chew fun size
Charms Blow Pops
Charms Candy Carnival Package (Blow Pops, Sugar Babies, Zip a Dee mini pops, Sugar Daddy, Pops, Sugar Mama Caramel, Tear Jerkers sour bubble gum, Blow Pop Bubble Gum)
Charms Fluffy Stuff Spider Web cotton candy
Chewy Atomic Fireballs
Chewy Lemonheads and Friends
Child’s Play
Colombina Scary Eyeballs bubblegum
Colombina Fizzy Pops
Comix Mix Candy Sticks (Tom and Jerry, Flintstones, Scooby Doo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Popeye) – “Gluten Free”
cracker Jack caramel coated popcorn and peanuts
Disney Halloween Candy Mix (jelly beans, gummies, candy bracelets and candy characters from Cars, Tinkerbell and Toy Story)
Dove pieces (Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate, Caramel Milk Chocolate)

D
Dots Gumdrops – including Candy Corn Dots (candy corn flavored), Ghost Dots (assorted fruit flavored), and Bat Dots (blood orange flavored)
Dubble Bubble bubblegum
Dum Dum Lollipops (including Shrek Pops) – “This product does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat or gluten. It has been manufactured on dedicated equipment.”
Dum Dum Chewy Pops – “This product does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat or gluten. It has been manufactured on dedicated equipment.”

F
Farley’s Kiddie Mix (includes Smarties, SweetTarts, Now and Later, Jaw Breakers, Super Bubble and Lolli-pops)
Ferrara Pan Caramels
Ferrara Pan Lemonhead & Friends candy mix (includes Applehead, Cherryhead, Grapehead, Chewy Lemonhead & Friends, Chewy Atomic Fireball, and Red Hots)
Florida’s Natural Healthy Treats Nuggets, Sour String, Fruit Stiks – “Gluten Free”
Fright Fingers Popcorn Kit
Frankford’s Bugs Gummy Candy
Frankford’s Gummy Body Parts
Frankford’s Marshmallow Pals
Fun Dip
Fun Dip Sour

G
Game Night boxes of candy game pieces (includes Operation, Sorry!, Monopoly, Life, and Clue)
Grave Gummies (Yummy Gummies)
Gummy Pirate Choppers

H
Heath milk chocolate English toffee bar snack size
Hershey’s Kisses - Milk Chocolate Only!!
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate snack size bars
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds snack size bars
NOTE: As of September 2010, the only candies Hershey's considers gluten-free are plain milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar in the 1.55 ounce snack size and Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar in the 1.55 ounce snack size.

Hot Tamales – “Gluten Free”
Humphrey Popcorn Balls

J
Jolly Rancher hard candy and Doubles Candy
Jolly Rancher lollipops and sticks
Jr. Mints fun size
Jujyfruits

K
Kellogg’s Spongebob Squarepants fruit flavored snacks
Kraft Jet-Puffed Boo Mallows marshmallows

L
Lemonheads
LiveSavers Gummies

M
M&M’s – original, peanut, peanut butter
Mallo Cup
Marvel Heroes Candy Sticks (Hulk, Spiderman, Wolverine) – “Gluten Free.”
Melster Peanut Butter Kisses
Milk Duds
Mike and Ike – “Gluten Free”
Mini Mentos
Mini Sour Dudes Straws
Monstaz Pops (jack-o-lantern lollipops)
Monster Hunt plastic monster eggs filled with candy bones, skulls and pumpkins (made for Target)
Mounds dark chocolate fun size bars
Mr. Goodbar

N
Necco’s Sky Bar 4 in 1 chocolate bar
Nestle Milk Chocolate fun size bars
Nestle Raisinets (milk chocolate) fun size
Now and Later

O
Operation Gummy Candy

P
Palmer Peanut Butter Cups
Pay Day peanut caramel bar snack size
Peanut M&M’s
Pearson’s Bun candy - maple and roasted peanuts
Peeps Jack-o-lanterns, Ghosts and Chocolate Mousse Cats – “Gluten Free”
Pez candy – “Gluten Free”
Pop Rocks
Pixie Stix

R
Rain•Blo Bubble Gum Eyes of Terror
Raisinets
Red Hots
Reese’s Fast Break candy bars and snack size
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups snack size and miniatures
Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins
Reese’s Pieces
Reese’s Select Peanut Butter Cremes
Reese’s Select Clusters
Reese’s Whipps
Rolo chocolate covered caramels

S
Sixlets
Skeleton Pops (lollipops)
Skittles fun size – “Gluten Free”
Skittles Crazy Cores fun size – “Gluten Free”
Skittles Sour fun size – “Gluten Free”
Smarties – the small pastel-colored candies sold in rolls, not Nestle’s chocolate version) – “Contains none of the following: gluten (from wheat, barley, oats and rye), milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soy beans.”
Snickers
Snickers Fudge bar
Sour Patch
Starburst Fruit Chews fun size – “Gluten Free”
Starburst Gummibursts and Sour Gummibursts – “Gluten Free”
Sugar Babies
Sugar Daddy Caramel Pops
Super Bubble bubble gum
Swedish Fish treat size
Sweethearts conversation hearts Forbidden Fruits (candy packaging of The Twilight Saga, New Moon the movie)
Sweet’s Candy Corn Taffy – “This product is Gluten Free”

T
Tootsie Pops (original and miniatures)
Tootsie Rolls midgies and snack bars
Transformers Candy Mix – gummy shields, fruit chews, candy shields, gum rocks

W
Warheads – Extreme Sour hard candy and Sour QBZ chewy cubes
Wonka Bottlecaps
Wonka Chocolate Laffy Taffy
Wonka Giant Chewy Nerds Jelly Beans
Wonka Giant Pixy Stix
Wonka Gobstopper Everlasting
Wonka Gobstopper Chewy
Wonka Laffy Taffy Ropes
Wonka Mix-Ups
Wonka Monster Mix-Ups – SweetTarts Skulls and Bones, Spooky Nerds, Howlin’ Laffy Taffy
Wonka Nerds – carry a cross contamination warning on the Spooky Nerds orange and fruit punch flavors
Wonka Pixy Stix
Wonka Runts
Wonka Runts Chewy
Wonka SweetTarts
Wonka Sweetarts (regular)
Wonka Sweetarts Chew
Wonka Sweetarts Giant Chewy
Wonka Sweetarts Mini Chew
Wonka Sweetarts Chewy Twists
Wonka Sweetarts Shockers
Wonka Tart N Tinys,
Wonka Tart N Tinys Chew
Wonka SweetTarts Boo Bag Mix (SweetTart Chews were OK, but other packages in the bag were labeled with a cross-contamination warning. See list below.)

X
X-scream Mouth Morphers Fruit Gushers – “Gluten Free”

Y
York Peppermint Patties Pumpkins

Z
Zed Candy Skulls and Bones (fruit flavored hard candy)

My big find plus two recipes

Up until a month ago I thought most products would be impossible to find gluten free...I was wrong! Arbonne has over 50 gluten free products. Just check the list on my new Arbonne website www.holistic.myarbonne.com plus they have a 45 day money back guarantee. Since self-diagnosing myself as gluten intolerant I know how important it is to have gluten free items. I'm glad I made the choice to try Arbonne!


I also find a great recipe for chocolate cake w/gluten free beer! Check it out: Chocolate Beer Cake
Ingredients: 1 cup dark gluten-free ale (Green's Dubbel Dark Endeavor Ale) 8 Tbs. unsalted butter or non-dairy alternative (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks or Shortening) 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch Alkalai Processed) 2 cups granulated cane sugar (Wholesome Sweeteners®) 3/4 cup sour cream, dairy or non-dairy (Tofutti® Better Than Sour Cream or Follow Your Heart® Sour Cream Alternative) 2 large eggs 1 Tablespoon (*not teaspoon) gluten-free vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla) 2 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour 1 Tablespoon (*not teaspoon) baking soda
Directions:
(*Note- you will need a large saucepan for this recipe, not a mixer and mixing bowl!)
Preheat oven to 350 F (static) or 325 F (convection).
Prepare a 9-inch springform tube or bundt pan by buttering and dusting lightly with Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour.
In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla.
Measure out 1 cup of beer and let the head settle to be sure your measurement is correct. Pour the beer into a large saucepan (you can drink the rest!). Add the butter and heat just until melted over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and the sugar until smooth.
Add the egg mixture into saucepan mixture and whisk. Add the flour and baking soda until mixed.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out fairly clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then invert to remove from pan onto a cake plate.

Gluten free Croatian Donuts like what I cheated with on my trip but here's a gluten free recipe just find a yeast alternative:

Ingredients: 1 quart rice/soy milk Find yeast substitute and use it 6 egg whites Grated rind of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 Earth Balance Brown sugar- 1 cup for making mixture for inside 1 Tablespoon Gluten free Vanilla powder/extract for mixture for inside 2 cup agave 6 cups of Jules Gluten free flour

Directions: Dilute yeast in a large pan or bowl with a little warm milk and flour. Let rise until light and bubbly (sponge). Then add lemon rind, flour, agave, egg whites, salt, butter and beat with a wooden spoon. Beat until dough bubbles and crackles leaving spoon free of dough. Cover with a warm floured cloth. Let rise until double. Take dough by spoonfuls and drop on floured board. Flatten out with the palm of your hand. Dot each center with brown sugar and vanilla mixture. Take another spoonful of dough and flatten on top of the brown sugar mixture. Dip the edge of water glass in flour and cut doughnut out or use a regular doughnut cutter. Re-use also the ends of dough that are left over. Spread a clean floured cloth on a tray and place doughnuts far enough apart because they rise quite a bit. Drop doughnuts into hot grease and fry a golden brown. Keep pan covered when doughnuts are first put in, turn doughnuts over once and let them remain uncovered. Remove to a pan lined with paper towels to absorb grease. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. Braids: Make 1 recipe of DOUGHNUTS (above). Take by spoonful and drop on floured board. Roll out by hand and braid or twist into shapes. Drop into hot grease and cover. When golden brown on one side, uncover pan and turn doughnuts over and fry uncovered. Remove when golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Spoon Doughnuts: Make 1 recipe of DOUGHNUTS (above). Make the dough in a pan or bowl. Take by spoonfuls and drop into hot grease. Fry to golden brown. Cover until one side is browned, then remove cover and fry other side uncovered. Remove when golden brown. Drain on paper towels.