Creating a Gluten Free Easter Basket is Easier than You Think

Today I would like to welcome my friend Karon Thackston of  glutenfreeproductlist.com. 

Karon is guest blogging for me today, and she has some really good information for you here.   She has some great ideas on Gluten Free Easter Baskets.  Karon has a very informative website full of  everything gluten free.  Thank you Karon for sharing your expertise on gluten free Easter baskets.

Living gluten free can be hard for adults, but if you have kids with Celiac disease, the challenge is even greater. With so many things they can’t enjoy with their friends, you might feel like the Wicked Witch of the West for saying “no” so often. Christmas cookies are out. S’mores are off limits. Boisterous birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese’s are a no-no. Even the kid-food staple, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carries a serious risk if not carefully prepared using only gluten free ingredients.

 Easter, the Gluten Free Holiday

 There is one holiday that lets you be Super Mom, though – Easter. Do you remember the baskets the Easter bunny used to bring when you were little? They were probably full of chocolate rabbits, Tootsie Rolls, and Marshmallow Peeps. You didn’t know it at the time, but those sweet treats are all gluten free. In fact, so are lots of popular candies, which makes Easter a very happy holiday for your gluten intolerant children.

 A gluten free Easter basket can be stuffed with all these favorites: Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, Marshmallow Peeps, Junior Mints, Sugar Babies, Tootsie Pops and Tootsie Rolls, Baby Ruth, Bit-O-Honey, Goobers, and Raisinets. Aside from the obvious sweet choices, don’t forget that a well-planned Easter basket can contain other items as well. Small toys, books, and other gifts are a fun addition.

 However, if you purchase from a mainstream store, remember that even gluten free candies are at risk for cross contamination if they are produced in factories which also make foods containing wheat, rye, or barley. In the United States, food manufacturers are required to indicate the possibility of cross contamination on the label, so be sure to take the time to carefully check each item before including it in your child’s basket. You can also contact the candy manufacturers if you have questions.

 Gluten Free Easter Baskets without All the Work

 Easter is just around the corner. This year it falls on April 4, 2010.  If you don’t have the time to build your own gluten free Easter basket, or if you’re planning on giving the basket as a gift and would rather stick with “certified” gluten free products, then purchasing a premade basket is the best choice. You’ll find a lot of options on the Internet, but use caution. Just because an item is gluten free doesn’t make it a good choice.

 Many manufacturers have tried to redesign traditional favorites into gluten free alternatives by substituting ingredients. Sometimes the results are delicious, but often what you end up with is not only expensive, but nearly inedible. No gluten free Easter basket is going to be well-received if the treats don’t taste good. The safest and least time-consuming alternative is to shop sites that only offer top-rated gluten free products. You’ll save yourself, and your little ones, a lot of disappointment on Easter morning.

 No time to create gluten free Easter baskets? Not sure what to include?  GlutenFreeProductList.com ONLY offers gluten free baskets and candy with 3, 4 or 5 star ratings. Shop with confidence today.

5 Gluten Free New Years Eve Appetizers-Menu Monday

I can’t believe that Christmas is over and we are winding down the last few days of 2009.  New Year’s Eve will be here before you know it.  So for todays Menu Monday I thought I would give you some gluten free appetizer recipes that you can use for your New Year’s Eve Party or to take with you to a party that you’ve been invited to. 

If you are going to a party instead of hosting your own you may want to check out last weeks Menu Monday, 10 Tips to a Gluten Free Holiday, if you haven’t already.

                                               Bruschetta Bites

• 1  (32 ounce) can whole tomatoes drained
• 1 Cup fresh Basil leaves, and a few more for garnish
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• 2 large French-Syle Gluten Free Baguettes, sliced 1-inch thick (you can get these in the freezer section at Whole Foods or other specialty stores that carry gluten free breads)
• 1 1/2 pounds shreded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a food processor bowl add tomatoes, basil leaves, olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper.  Pulse until smooth, but still chunky. 

On a baking sheet , place gluten free baguette slices.  Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle grated cheese on hot bread and put back in oven for about 45 seconds, to melt the cheese.  Remove from oven and put about 1 tablespoon of the tomatoe mixture on each piece.  Chiffonade (slice thinly) the extra basil leaves and place on top to garnish.

                                               Broccoli Cheese Party Quiches

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 Cups chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour 12 mini muffin cups.  Whisk evaporated milk, eggs, flour salt and pepper in a medium bowl until blended.  Spoon 1/4 cup of mixture into muffin cups, filling almost to the top.  Stir mixture frequently to keep ingredients evenly mixed.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are lightly brown.  Cool in pans for about 15 minutes.  To remove from pans, run a knife around the inside edges of the muffin cups.  Remove quiches carefully.

                                               Spinich Dip

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 container gluten free sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
• 1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
• 1 small onion finely diced

Combine all ingredients well and refridgerate at least 2 hours.  Serve with your favorite raw vegetables or gluten free crackers or chips.

                                               Polenta Bites

• 1 Cup cornmeal
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce

Grease a jelly roll pan and set aside.  In a 2 quart saucepan over high heat bring 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of butter, and salt to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine cornmeal and 1 cup cold water and stir.  Add cornmeal mixture to boiling water mixture, bring back up to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Continue to cook until mixture thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cheese and tabasco sauce.

Spread cooked cornmeal mixture into prepared jelly roll pan evenly to about 1/2 inch thick.  Refrigerate, uncovered for at least 30 minutes.

After the polenta is cool, cut in to bitesized shapes, about 2 1/2 inch in diameter.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat remaining butter and oil.  Add polenta shapes and cook 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.  Serve with Spicy Salsa.  (Recipe follows)

                                              Spicy Salsa

• 1 Cup Fresh ripe tomatoes diced
• 3 tablespoons minced onions
• 1 Tablespoon cilantro
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours to blend the flavors.  (Makes about 1 Cup)

                                             Cheese Ball

• 1 (16 ounce) tub Philadelphia cream cheese, (not the bricks of cheese)
• 2 (8 ounce) tubs Kaukauna extra sharp cheddar cheese  (check the ingredient list, besides Kraft Cracker Barrel in the tub which has become next to impossible to find this is the only brand I know of that is all cheese)

Set these out to soften for about 2 hours.  In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and the extra sharp cheddar cheese with an electric mixer.  Refrigerate until firm, place on a platter or cheese plate and form into a ball.  Sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve with your favorite gluten free crackers.

Both of my granddaughters love this cheese so much they eat it on everything.

I hope you enjoy these recipes.  Please let me know how you and your guests liked them. 

Have a safe and Happy New Year and may your 2010 bring you all that you hope for.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

Dinner in a Hurry?

If you have Celiac Disease, you know that the days of dinner in a hurry pretty much came crashing to a halt with your diagnosis.  Gone were the days of coming home and slapping a frozen pizza in the oven or calling the pizza delivery man or if you had half an hour, Hamburger Helper.

However, last week I found a product that has changed all that.  I was in a grocery store that I don’t usually frequent and came across an end-cap that had all Gluten Free products on it.  There was a chocolate cake mix, brownie mix, pasta, cookies and crackers.  All products that I’ve seen before. 

As I looked over the products to see if there was anything new, I came across Hamburger Helper look alike boxes.  Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Dinners. 

Since I don’t have the luxury of being a full time work at home woman, “yet”, I was extremely interested in trying these.  However, since my husband is not a celiac, and not completely gluten free, I asked him if he wanted to try them.

My husband has been so supportive throughout my whole celiac ordeal, so of course he said yes.

We took home the Beef Stroganoff, and the Creamy Tuna (the tuna was my husband’s choice).  We tried the beef stroganoff that night.  It was very good for a boxed dinner.  I’ve become very spoiled in that I really like to cook and bake, so I’m very critical of boxed foods, but these were good. 

We tried the Creamy Tuna a few days later.  I was not too excited to try this because I didn’t think a boxed tuna dinner could taste very good.   But since we didn’t get home from work until late, this would be a quick dinner.

I was pleasantly surprised.  It was very creamy and flavorful.  Since my husband has high cholesterol, we used ground turkey breast instead of ground beef for the stroganoff and tuna packed in water instead of oil for a more healthful meal.  I will definately buy these again and try all the other flavors.

Mrs Leeper’s makes 6 different varieties of dinners:    

• Beef Stroganoff
• Creamy Tuna
• Cheeseburger Mac
• Chicken Alfredo
• Beef Lasagna
• Mac & Cheese       

There are also topping suggestions on the side of the box, that are appropriate for the dinner being made.                    

I would suggest you try these.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

Gluten Free Beef Burgandy Recipe

A couple of days ago I was talking about Christmas Eve at my house and that I serve Beef Burgandy for dinner.  So I decided to share this recipe with all of you who read my blog.

This recipe is my mother-in-law’s recipe.  She would serve this when my sister-in-law and her family would come to visit for the weekend from Gettysburg and we were all there to eat.  She was a fantastic cook and an immaculate housekeeper until she developed Azheimers disease.  Just about anything she made was delicious, and I learned a lot about cooking, and canning from her.

She and my father-in-law moved in with us in 2001 and lived with us until Dad passed away in 2002.  He was Mom’s thread to reality and after he was gone, she went away from us (mentally) very quickly.  She is now 88 years old and lives in a very nice nursing home for Alzheimer’s patients just about 5 miles away from us.  We go visit her every week but more for our sake than for hers, because she doesn’t know us.

Sorry for my rambling, I just wanted to give a little background about this recipe.  Anyway, here it is:

                                          Ruth’s Beef Burgandy

• 2 pounds beef cubed (about 1 inch cubes)
• 8 small onions peeled and quartered
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups Burgandy wine  (make sure it is a gluten free variety)
• 1 cup water
• 1 can sliced mushrooms (I don’t like mushrooms so I leave them out)
• reserve the liquid from the mushrooms (if you use them)
• 1  1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 cloves of Garlic crushed or put through a press

Brown Beef cubes and onions in margarine.  Add wine, water, mushrooms, mushroom liquid, salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaves, and garlic.  Simmer covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is tender.  Stirring occationally.*

*If you want to use a slow cooker or crockpot: 

Brown the beef cubes and onions in margarine in a skillet, then transfer to the crockpot and add all the rest of the ingredients and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

This recipe as is serves 6, but can be easily doubled for larger families.

Serve over either rice or gluten free noodles.

In my opinion, this recipe is better the longer it cooks.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.  Happy Holidays.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

10 Tips to a Great Gluten Free Party-Menu Monday

December is all about the holidays.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or something else, there are always parties to attend or host.

At my house we celebrate Christmas, and it’s all about the true meaning of Christmas, family and good food.  Christmas eve is a really good meal then off to Christmas Eve services.

Dinner is a nice Beef Burgandy.  What makes it easy is I make it in the crock pot.  That way it takes minimal watching and I can concentrate on other last minute preparations.

Now, how do you make sure the food is something you can eat?  If the celebration is at your house, you need to decide, is everyone eating Gluten Free or is there going to be gluten filled food? 

If there is going to be a combination of gluten filled food and gluten free food make sure you prepare your gluten free food first to avoid cross contamination.  Think about making little signs to place on your buffet in front of gluten free food to keep your gluten free food, gluten free.

What if the party is at someone else’s house?  How can you be sure that there is food there safe for you to eat?

1. Remember you’re the guest.  You want to have fun but you won’t have fun if you’re spending the whole time in the bathroom.
2. Call the hostess.  If you’re not going to a close friend or relative’s house who knows your condition, call and talk with the hostess.  Offer to bring a dish.  If the affair is going to be catered, ask the hostess if she would mind you calling the caterer.  If the caterer can’t give you a list or label the dishes, arrive a few minutes early to speak with the caterer about ingredients in the dishes.
3. Keep in mind the possibility of hidden glutenous ingredients.  Just because something looks safe, doesn’t mean it is.  If you’re not sure of ingredients, ask.  Better safe than sorry.
4. If you don’t have a spouse or significant other, maybe ask a friend to help you keep informed of potential hazardous foods.  Extra eyes, and ears will help to keep you gluten free.
5. Eat before the party.  If you arrive full instead of hungry, you won’t be tempted to eat something you might not eat, if you weren’t hungry.
6. BYO Food.  Bring your own dish to share.  Let the hostess know that you would like to bring a dish.  Make sure it tastes good and will add to the buffet.
7. Try to be first in line.  If food is being served buffet style be first, to avoid cross contamination.  If that’s not an option, ask your hostess if you can prepare a plate ahead of time.  Then eat your plate when everyone else does.
8. Stick to food you know.  Eat foods that you know to be safe.  Avoid no no’s like bread, and pasta, and be aware of marinades, dips, sauces, casseroles, and desserts, unless you made them.
9. Be Gracious.  Thank your hostess for being accomodating.
10. Have Fun.  Remember this is a party.  Keep the above tips in mind and enjoy yourself.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free