Easy Gluten Free Living

Posts Tagged ‘Gluten Free’

 Hi Mary,  Newbie celiac here with a question.  Other than really not liking the gf breads from the supermarkets, the transition has been fairly easy.  I never liked bread anyway, but I do miss pita bread.  I haven’t been able to find a gf pita bread anywhere, even though my town has three major markets with gf sections and several gf bakeries.  Do you have any suggestions for a recipe or a source?  (Vegan too if possible – that would be beyon heaven.)

Phyllis

Hi Phyllis. 

I know what you mean about the storebought breads.  Believe it or not they Read the rest of this entry »

As people in the city of Pittsburgh sat in line in front of the Apple Stores anxiously awaiting their new I Phone 4, little did they know that there is a new app for your IPhone, IPad and IPod Touch that will help make gluten free shopping just that much easier.

My Grocery Master is an inovative idea that Read the rest of this entry »

Barbara asked me last week, “What do you do to make good bread?”.  Bread is probably the hardest thing to make gluten free and still taste good.  I have yet to find a good store bought loaf.  Most of it tastes like cardboard or a dried out sponge.

Barbara also asked if I’d be willing to share a recipe.  So I decided that I would share a bread recipe from my new gluten free cookbook, A Gluten Free Holiday, that will be available within the next month.

A Gluten Free Holiday E-book Cookbook is filled with recipes and tips for getting together with family and friends.  It has the kind of food that you will be able to serve your guests or take with you to pot luck dinners and no one will guess that they are eating gluten free.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe.

                              Better Than Store Bought Gluten Free Bread 

• 3   Extra Large Eggs, beaten
• 3   Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 1/2   Cups Warm Water
• 1   Cup Sweet Rice Flour
• 1   Cup Rice Bran
• 1 1/2   Cups Brown Rice Flour
• 2 1/4   Teaspoons Xanthan Gum
• 3 1/2   Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2   Teaspoons Salt
• 1/2   Cup Powdered Milk
• 2 1/4   Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sift all dry ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate large mixing bowl, mix all wet ingredients until well blended.  (I use my electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.)  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, 1/2 cup at a time while mixer is mixing and beat well, until dough is thick but not too stiff.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. 

Cover and set aside in a warm location for one hour to rise.*  Once dough rises, bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until edges are well browned.  Remove immediately from pan and brush butter or margarine on top of bread.

Yield:  1 loaf (about 12 – 16 slices)

*I heat a cup of water in my microwave oven for about 1 – 2 minutes and then place my bread dough in the warm microwave to rise.

This bread is more like a whole wheat loaf of bread, rather than a loaf of white bread.

If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think of it.

I forgot to say that you want to keep your gluten free flours in the refridgerator or freezer.  Then bring to room temperature before using.    

Actually, gluten free baking works best with all ingredients at room temperature before using.

Just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, my husband brought home some gluten free beer.  Two different kinds to be exact.  Bards and Redbridge.  Both are made from Sorghum.

Just as some background, I like to mow the lawn.  I have a gas powered, push mower with the big wheels on the back.  We have two acres that are cleared and the rest is wooded.  When I mow the grass, it’s my time to think, reflect, and get some much needed outdoor exercise.  And when I am   finished I always love having a nice cold beer. 

Of course that was way before celiac disease.  Now I haven’t had a beer in almost 25 years.  My drink of choice since celiac has been ice cold lemon water.  (I know,  far cry from a beer, but it quenches a thirst.  So when my husband arrived with two bottles of gluten free beer, I was really excited and just a little hesitant to try it.  Would it be as good as I remembered ice cold beer tasting?

First I tried the Bards, it was really good.  I mean really good.  It tasted like real beer.  (At least what I thought I remembered real beer tasting like.)  So I said to my hubby, “Taste this and tell me what you think.”  He said, “It’s good”.

Later I tried the Redbridge, it was good too.  More like a pale ale, than a regular beer.  I used to drink a darker beer, when I drank beer, so the Redbridge seemed a little weak to me.

My preference…..Bards.  It just tasted more like a regular beer.   Even though Redbridge by Anheuser-Busch was the first ever produced, I think the guys at Bard’s Tale Beer Company have nailed it.

By the way, there are more and more restaurants adding gluten free beer to their menus.  Outback Steakhouse for one and P.F. Chang’s for another.  If they don’t serve it yet at your favorite restaurant, keep asking.  The more they realize there are a lot of us out here, the more they will be willing to provide for their gluten intolerant patrons.

If you have tried any of the other gluten free beers, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think of them.  What was your favorite and why?

And I feel I have to say this, drink responsibly, please do not drink and drive.  The life you save will very likely be an innocent sober person.

I had a newly diagnosed reader ask me if there was any food straight off the store shelf that she could eat.  So I decided that I would post some regular food products that I use regularly.

• Meat:  Poultry, Fish, Canned Salmon, Canned Chicken, Canned Tuna, 100% Ground Beef, Pork, Turkey, Chicken
• Prego Spaghetti Sauce
• Joan of Arc Kidney Beans
• Canned Tomatoes / Dei Fratelli Seasoned Diced Tomatoes
• Hormel Pepperoni and Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
• Any and all fresh fruits and vegetables
• Frozen Vegetables (Not packaged with sauces)
• Potatoes both white and sweet
• Pure Rice – Brown, white, basmati, (Not Rice a Roni or such, it has wheat pasta mixed in)
• Corn Tortilla Shells / Corn Taco Shells
• Ortega Brand Taco Seasoning Mix
• Quaker Plain Rice Cakes (not the flavored ones)
• Salsa
• Cereals – Chex Brand, Corn, Rice (or any with the new Gluten Free Label), Cream of Rice, Grits
• Eggs
• Milk – Cow, Soy, Rice, Goat
• Real Cheese (such as mozzerella, cheddar, and such), Velveeta Cheese, Philadelphia Cream Cheese (plain), Cheeze Whiz
• Sour Cream (not light or reduced calorie or fat free, they can contain fillers that could have wheat in them)
• Butter
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter brand Margarine (there may be others but this is the only brand I know for certain)
• Yoplait, Breyers, Yogurt, (check ingredient label, not all flavors are gluten free) 
• Cracker Barrel Cheeze
• Kaukauna Cheese
• Beans and Bean Flours
• Lay’s Potato Chips
• Dorito’s Cool Ranch Tortilla Chips
• Cheeto’s Brand corn snacks
• Salted or Plain Nuts and Seeds (as long as they are not seasoned)
• Nut Flour
• Heinz ketchup
• Kraft Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
• All Vinegars except Malt Vinegar
• Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (in the United States)
• French’s Yellow and Spicy Brown Mustard
• Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard
• Pickles
• Pickle Relish
• Be Wary of Soy Sauce there are some gluten free brands but you need to check labels.
• Most of Kraft Salad Dressings

Just remember to read labels.  All labels.  If you have any favorites that are not listed here feel free to leave a comment letting me know what I’ve missed.

Just as an addendum, my husband bought a bag of Snyder’s of Berlin Potato Chips the other day.  Snyder’s of Berlin Potato chips are not gluten free.  They say right on the bag that they are processed in a factory that also processes wheat products.

So please be sure to check package labels, always.

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

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

I’m sitting here at my computer, listening to Christmas music, and looking at all the snow we got yesterday, a little over 7 inches.  I know, a small amount compared to what some of the further eastern areas received. 

My labrador retriever, Charlie, loves this weather.  He just wants to go outside and play in the snow.  Charlie isn’t 2 years old yet, so if you know anything about labs, you know that they don’t reach maturity until after the age of 2.

My husband is wrapping presents for me, since I am so far behind.  I have had a cold for about 2 weeks now and I think it has developed into a sinus infection.  I’ve had a temperature ranging between 99.2 and 103.4 for the past 3 days, along with a screaming sinus headache.  So I haven’t gotten anything done as far as my baking, or present wrapping done that I was planning on doing yesterday.

So I was just wondering how ready the rest of you are for the holidays?  Is it just me or did they seem to come earlier this year?  Thankfully, this is my off year.  You see, we celebrate Christmas with my side of the family on Christmas Day and my husband, Jim’s side of the family on New Years. 

Every other year the celebrations are at our house.  So this is our off year, we will be travelling to Westmoreland County to my sister’s house Christmas day and then off to the eastern part of Pennsylvania to Gettysburg to my sister-in-law’s farm New Years Day, (weather permitting).

How do you celebrate the holidays at your house?  Tomorrow I’ll be back with some idea’s and tips on traveling and making sure you have some gluten free foods to eat at someone else’s house.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

,

The Virtual Cookie Exchange was a smashing success.  I have recipes squirting out of my ears.   Of course some of them will have to be re-worked to make them gluten free, so you will see them at a later date on this blog. 

So I am off today to bake Christmas cookies with my daughter and granddaughter.  My granddaughter is 2 1/2 and at the age where she loves to bake with Granny (that’s me)

This is a picture of Eilidh, helping me with a recipe for a  Gluten Free pumpkin roll that I was working on for my Holiday Cookbook, the day after Thanksgiving.  (Just in case you’re wondering, Eilidh was born in Scotland.  Her name is Scottish Gaelic and pronounced (Long A-Lee.)  I love cooking and baking, and doing both with my granddaughters just makes it more fun.  Today we are not making a gluten free cookie because these are for my daughters’ cookie exchange at work.

We tried a cookie from the cookie exchange.  They were Russian Tea Balls, from Kathie at The Creation of Possum Manor.  This was the first time I had ever made these kind of cookies.  They turned out really well and according to my daughter tasted really good.

As I mentioned in my blog on Monday, I want to make my blog fun as well as informative, so starting in January Thursdays will be Product Review Thursday.  Since I babbled away today about baking cookies with my girls, I will be reviewing a Gluten Free Hamburger Helper type product tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free

My friend, Susanne Myers, The Hillbilly Housewife, is hosting a virtual cookie exchange.  The following cookie recipe is my contribution.  I hope that you enjoy them.

                                        Gluten Free Mock Thin Mints

1 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder + some extra for dusting
1/4 teaspoon Rumsford Baking Powder
6 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/2 teaspoon gluten free Vanilla extract

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter & sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer.  While still mixing add in the egg and vanilla.  Set mixer on low speed and slowly add flour mixture,  so as not to have it pouf out at you.  Mix on medium high speed until all ingredients are incorporated.

Dough will be very soft so cover bowl with plastic wrap and refriderate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  With a teaspoon,  scoop up a teaspoon size piece of dough and roll in your hands to form a ball.  Place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart.   

Dip the bottom of a glass into the extra cocoa powder and flatten dough balls into 1 1/2″ rounds (about 1/4″ thick).

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch, rotating cookie sheets half way through baking time.

Transfer cookies immediately to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Replace parchment paper on cookie sheets.

                                  Chocolate Coating for Cookies

One – 12 ounce bag semi sweet morsels
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 Tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a double boiler or a heat proof bowl,  set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate morsels, peppermint extract, salt, and the sweetened condensed milk .  Heat,  stirring occasionally until smooth.

When cookies are completely cool, hold each cookie with a finger and thumb and frost with chocolate mixture.  I use the tines of a fork instead of a knife, so as not to get too much chocolate on each cookie.  Coat both top and bottom.  Place frosted cookie on parchment covered cookie sheet and repeat until all cookies are coated.

Place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, at least 1 hour.

Cookies can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an air tight container between layers of parchment paper.I hope you enjoy these cookies and all the others that you will find at the Virtual Cookie Exchange.

Mary Blackburn

Living Gluten Free