Chewy cholate chip cookies

Finally I found a recipe for choco chip cookies, gluten-free of course, that stay chewy and soft. Believe it or not, it was found on the "Land o'Lakes" Butter website. It is amazing what you can find when you google "gluten-free chewy chocolate chip cookies".

2 1/4 cups gf flour**
1 tsp bp
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cups softened butter
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

**gf mix I used was as follows: 2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cups potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca flour - makes more than what is asked, store extra in container for next time!

Method: cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until frothy. Slowly add all dry ingredients until well incorporated. With a spatula add chocolate chips.

Drop on a ungreased sheet (either covered with parchment paper or not) by the spoonful. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes or until JUST browning on the top. Be careful not to overbake, they lose their chewiness.

Important to allow to cool fully on sheet before moving to cooling rack. Store batter in the fridge while previous batches are in oven.

They are incredible!

Dinner from Greece

Home made hummus. Recipe is easy.....

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
2 tbsp of organic tahini
1 tbsp garlic, minced
large handful of parsley
1 tbsp cumin
salt and pepper

Place all in a food processor and slowly drizzle olive oil in until consistency is how you like it. I personally like it a bit chunky.
Greek salad - chop up cucumber, red peppers, and roma tomatoes ( no olives or onions for this girl - but feel free) and break up feta cheese. Top with dressing of choice, although I found a new one on the market here. Renee Gourmet greek feta. On the side of the jar it states..."no artificial flavours or colours, trans fat free, source of omega-3 polyunsaturates, low in saturated fats, no added sugar, gluten-free. How can one go wrong?
Risotto (I know, I skipped a region in Europe and this is from Italy...but we love it), with butternut squash and parm cheese. Pork skewers, marinated in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. We dipped them in tzatziki and Roger had pita bread.

A great Sunday night dinner.

Quinn ate tzatziki.

The best product on the market (imo)

The FAMOUS product. You can make cookies, waffles, pancakes, muffins, and it substitutes straight across in traditional recipes.
Turkey bacon....just because you are Celiac you should not deprive oneself! Everything tastes better with bacon....yummy.
Light, fluffy, loaded with flax seed pancakes. With real butter and Lundburg farms Brown Rice syrup. So delicious. I am in heaven readers!

The first year of being diagnosed with Celiac I bought about every kind of gf-flour that there was. Brown rice, chick-pea, white rice, tapioca, potato starch, .......and attempted many a concoction to create my own mixes. No avail. I was cautious to purchase any "already made" flours as not only are they pricy, but I thought they would be akin to buying cheese slices versus block cheese. Full of preservatives, convenience, and what if they are gross too? Then I am out $7 for a package of flour. Then I fell in love with Pamela's. It is AWESOME. So versatile, so tasty, and best of all, so convenient....all the things a Celiac looks for!

Now, what to do with all the flours in my pantry? Any ideas what I can do with chick pea flour?

A new member of the club

My sister was diagnosed with Celiac today. Funny story though. She did not have to wait very long to have a biopsy done, but had to wait 3 weeks to see her doctor. Funny how that is. She is overwhelmed right now, but like almost all of us, is so thankful to know what is that made her so sick.

My thoughts are with you sis, I have loads of information for you when you are ready.

Repost of Pizza Recipe for fabgrandma

Hey! I hear that you are experimenting with pizza - the ultimate in fast food. One of the items that I miss most being gluten free.

This is my stand by pizza recipe - so easy and fast. My daughters like this one better than the gluten-filled one. This one is thin crust, crispy on the outside and slightly chewy texture in the inside. I love it!

Enjoy!

The easiest and tastiest GF pizza dough recipe.

WARNING: not modified for your other allergies, Lynn, sorry!

1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup rice flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted butter

Beat eggs and milk together. Add the other ingredients, minus the butter. Mix well, THEN add butter.
Spread on greased pizza pan (biggie) that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Leave a thicker crust on edges.
Spread on your sauce, toppings and *cheese*. Often I eat this with pesto, chicken, peppers and goat cheese. YUM. So west coast though.
Bake in 350 oven for 20-25 minutes. Under broiler for last 5.

Piece (of pizza) out to you too Lynn.

BLOG LIFTED, BUT I LOVE THIS ONE!

On a blog site I like GF mommy wrote this for a contest. I thought that you would all get a kick out of it, I know that I relate to each point. Cut and copied in entirety.

I used to get irritated when people would compliment me on losing my baby weight from my first pregnancy and then immediately discount it when they found out I was on a gluten-free diet. Oh, of course, you are thin! Of course, nothing! It takes discipline whether you are following a diet for health reasons, due to celiac disease, or to just plain lose weight. However, some things about having Celiac disease does make it easier. I will let you in on the secret.

1. Convenience- I think one of the reasons America is overweight is the prevalence of convenience (read ‘junk’) foods. When you go on a gluten-free diet these foods might as well cease to exist. Nearly all convenience foods contain wheat or gluten of some kind. These high-fat, high-sodium foods are off-limits on the gluten-free diet. I am sure you can imagine your dress size dropping too.

2. Low prices- Specialty gluten-free products are much more expensive than mainstream products. I don’t know about you, but I think twice about eating a second cookie after paying $4 for a box of six small cookies. I buy and eat in moderation!

3. Strawberries- Well, ok not just strawberries, but naturally gluten-free things like strawberries. I am talking about things God has put on this earth that don’t come with labels at the grocery store. I never appreciated the full flavor or value of a strawberry until going gluten-free. I eat my five fruits and vegetables a day now that I am on a gluten-free diet. Instead of grabbing a cookie or some other processed food, I grab a handful of strawberries. Aw, the simple things in life! (By the way, this goes hand-in-hand with #2 - compared to prepackaged junk food, fresh fruit and veggies cost next to nothing–in both the short and long term.)
4. Immunity to most Marketing Tricks. Since I avoid most of the central aisles of the grocery store that contain the processed foods, I am not subject to most of the marketing ploys that food companies and grocery store chains are using*. I cannot just grab the newest brand or newest product in the shiny new packaging without calling or sending the company a letter or email inquiring about their manufacturing practices and the product’s gluten content. It really kills the ‘impulse’ in the impulse buy. (Which subsequently kills the ‘buy’ too.)

5. Ubiquity- People living on a gluten-free diet can not stop at every restaurant or buy gluten-free products at every corner grocery store. Since gluten-free food is not available everywhere, you don’t eat so much or so often. So many people in America talk about cutting back on their fast food intake, but one quick diagnosis of celiac disease and that problem has been eliminated for you! I estimate that about 95% of the food served at fast food restaurants contains gluten and the other 5% of the menu items have been cross-contaminated. Just imagine packing a healthy cooler filled with sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and homemade baked goods when going on a road trip. Who does this? Celiacs do! Some celiacs even take their rice cooker on the road with them! How much weight would you lose if you could never eat fast food? I bet the thought has made you reconsider throwing away those college jeans for one more year…I certainly haven’t thrown mine away yet.

*If you are interested in learning more about how the food industry manipulates consumers into impulse buys and other unwise purchases check out Marion Nestle’s book What to Eat

* Also, check out Lucy’s Free From Blog! She wrote a great post for the contest, Top Five Places to Eat Gluten Free.

*Also, check out Karen’s post at Gluten Free Food Reviews, Top Five Gluten Free Foods to Make Your Mouth Water.

Interesting....

Just finished reading "Celiac Chicks" blog and this was a link within her rave review of gf pizza crust (nudge nudge Lynn). When I read it I was awestruck. I cannot believe how much crap is making its way into our food. No wonder our life expectancy is shorter than that of our grandparents. I guess being celiac does have its positive points after reading what is added to flour and wheat.....

read all about it here.

Clean out your fridge Quiche

I LOVE quiche. Something about the texture of baked eggs, cheese and whatever filler you want to add is very appealing to me. I make it about twice a month, and dine on it whenever the craving hits. It is modified (as is everything) to make it gluten free - just omit the crust. I never use a recipe for this one, just chuck whatever the fridge may hold in its clutches for the week.

Clean out your fridge Quiche.....

*6 eggs
*1 cup milk (or cream if you are daring enough)
*lots o' cheese, whatever you have - cheddar, parm, havarti, goat, or a mixture thereof
*seasonings (now, I use McCormick seasonings, they are gluten-free and come in a whole host of flavours like garlic, table salt, lemon pepper, cajun.....)

*Fillings:
-chopped mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, bacon, chicken, or WHATEVER you want to add to make up 2 cups.

Mix egg and milk together in a bowl, add seasonings and cheese. Pour into a "pam-sprayed" pie plate or quiche pan (which believe it or not, I do not own). Add filling and push down into egg mixture so that it is covered. Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You know the drill.

Yummy goodness. I especially love the bacon, tomato, havarti cheese combo. Spinach, chicken and pinenuts is good too. Make up your own concoction and enjoy quiche. It is for real men you know.