I just discovered Enjoy Life Soft Baked Snickerdoodle Cookies and I am hooked! I needed a little pick me up after a busy morning and thought I would make a cup of Stash’s Orange Spice Black Tea … the perfect pairing for these cinnamony soft cookies.

You know me by now, I read the packaging and really love this one! The back says – Have you ever heard a belly laugh? Their business is about making your insides happy! Gluten Free and made without the eight most common allergens. There is also a suggestion for more fun food ideas to use the cookies to make a pie crust with them or warm them up in the microwave for a fresh baked taste. I really appreciate it when companies take the time to think about things like this instead of just putting a product out in the market to get in the game. I applaud the team that probably puts in numerous hours just trying to come up with products that are more than just palatable. Products that are actually tasty and make you want more! I must say that I am not usually a fan of a soft cookie but this one won me over. I like knowing that it doesn’t contain wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish. Granted the last two should never be in a cookie but it is really hard to make a yummy treat that even kids would eat without the basic foundations of egg and butter. Even if you can still have everything but Gluten in your diet, it is nice to expand your palate and know that you can still enjoy life without them!
Enjoy!

Lisa

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES  events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com .  I look forward to hearing from you!

Yes …. that is what I said … FOOD ART – Honey Crisp Apple with Almond Butter wrapped in Peppery Bacon on a stick! This is a perfect treat for an appetizer, finger food for a game, party or dessert (aka anytime). Yes … I allow myself to have bacon once a week and this is one of my favorite ways to devour it. If you are going to make it, I think you could vary the ingredients but I really like this particular combination best. Trust me … I researched this up and down … back and forth and this is the best combination for its’ particular sweetness-tartness-creaminess-salt and pepperyness (you know what I mean). The key is making sure that you get a bit of each in every bite for maximum enjoyment. Not that I need to say this but the apples and almond butter are organic. I made the almond butter myself. Nothing to it! The bacon is … you got it …Niman Ranch Pepper Bacon – Gluten Free. Hey … at least we are getting our fruit in for the day … it counts!

Tip – best way to assemble this piece of
“food art” – slice up the apple into quarters and apply the Almond butter liberally on all slices.

Take a stick and pierce the lower end of bacon and wrap it across the apple with the almond butter
diagonally, and be careful of your fingers as you go through the apple and bacon.

Assemble in a container like a vase for maximum viewing and enjoyment!

So this one is a quicky today. Try it this weekend and your family and friends will adore you even more!

 
Enjoy!
Lisa
 
Caution – the stick is for display purposes only. Do not eat this while on the stick.

For more info about the  GLUTEN FREE FOODIES  events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com . I look forward to hearing from you!

 Celebrate Celiac Awareness Month

with the

GLUTEN FREE FOODIES

October 24, 2009 1:30 – 3:30 at Element 7 Wellness

Learn about Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance and Food Allergies while you exchange ideas, experiences, information, meet new people and

 best of all … really great Gluten Free food! 

 We will be sampling Teas provided by Element 7 Wellness in the

new Tea Lounge.

Bring your favorite Gluten Free food to share with a recipe card of all the ingredients so that others with additional Food Allergies can decide if the food is good for them too!

Element 7 Wellness is located at

123 Bjune Drive, suite 111, just off Madison Road on Bainbridge Island.

For more info and to RSVP by October 23, 2009 – please email me at

glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

I look forward to seeing you!

Lisa

GLUTEN FREE FOODIES  - Celebrate the foods that you can eat!

Who knew that Sweet Potatoes could be so good?

Did you know that the sweet potato isn’t just for holidays?  It is allowed to be enjoyed throughout the year.  As a matter of fact,  I know it might sound wierd to some people but I really love sweet potato mash for breakfast.  I usually add some Unsweetened Coconut Milk to a bowl with about a cup of Sweet Potato, add some Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste.  Sometimes I add Ginger depending on my mood.     Once everything is heated then I mix it together and add Walnuts or Coconut flakes.  It is a really easy and satisfying way to start the day.   Sweet Potatoes are a really great way breakfast food because they are high in Beta-Carotene, B & C Vitamins, Potassium and Iron.   Best of all they are low on the Glycemic Index, the Unsweetened Coconut Milk is high in MCFA’s and the Walnuts give you Omega – this will help give you energy and keep you satisfied until lunch.

This is how I figured out how to cook a sweet potato, fast and easy.  I will wash it, pierce it 3-4 times with a knife, put it on a plate and  bake it partially in the microwave, for speed.  I take it out with hot pads and then I will drizzle some Olive Oil on top, I then wrap it in parchment paper, then foil and put it in a baking pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  When it comes out I let it cool for a few minutes and then unwrap.  The skin slides right off and you have a treat ready in no time.  30 minutes tops!  I usually eat some hot out of the oven with a butter substitute like Earth Balance - Soy Free and Dairy Free.  I store the rest in the fridge in a glass, airtight container and it is ready for the rest of the week. 

Enjoy!

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES  events like the this

Celebrate Celiac Awareness Month

October 24th 1:30-3:30 at Element 7 Wellness 123 Bjune Drive, Suite 111 just off Madison Road on Bainbridge Island.  Please bring your favorite Gluten Free treat to share with an ingredient list on a card so that others can see if it is good for them to eat too!   We will be sampling a variety of Teas in the new Element 7 Tea Lounge. 

I look forward to seeing you!

Lisa

If you would like to chat with me via email or have questions glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

Ahh…It’s Sunday morning and I just finished my yoga and I am hungry! It is rainy and cool so I think it is time to heat things up with my Sunday morning special …. Spicy Eggs and Potatoes with Bacon.

I really like quick and easy on days like today -
Put some olive oil in a pan
Slice up 4-5 small golden potatoes
Spice up the potatoes with Paprika, Chili Powder, a dash of Garlic, Rosemary, Salt and Black Pepper

Slice up 1 or 2 strips of Niman Ranch Gluten Free Bacon and add it to the pan.

Heat everything in pan until the potatoes are cooked and crispy.
Scramble up some eggs and add pepper flakes to your desired heat! Eat!
Enjoy!
Lisa

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com  I look forward to hearing from you!

Howdy Y’all …     it is time for the Longhorns to beat OU this weekend at the Cotton Bowl aka Texas State Fair. I have such fond memories of going to the TSF each fall and seeing BIG TEX. He would welcome everyone and scare the … bleep out of me each time because he would say “Howdy Y’all … Welcome to the TEXAS State Fair … every 15 minutes …
did I forget to mention that he was really BIG, originally at 49 feet tall, made of papier mache and iron pipe! He was originally created as a Santa Claus to help boost holiday sales in the Dallas area in 1949. Big Tex made his debut in 1951 at the fair when R.L. Thorton purchased “the Santa” for $750. After a Texas style makeover he became BIG TEX at 52 feet tall!
So while I was strolling down memory lane earlier today on the TSF website, I was looking to see what foods they were fixin’ – deep fried Texas style and oh so NOT Gluten Free!  I wanted to get some inspiration and ideas as to what … if anything I could make similarly … but Gluten Free.
Here are a few of their fixins’
Deep Fried Peanuts – YUM
BBQ Stuffed Wings … everything is better when it is stuffed
Stuffed Wings on a Stick – oh! stuffed and on a stick – BONUS
BBQ Stuffed Wings …. some more stuffed
Texas BBQ Boomerangs … this sounds like it will come back to haunt you for days …
Deep Fried Pizza … are you kidding me??!!
Fried Apple and Peanut Butter on a Stick – Now you are talking …
Chocolate Jalapenos … I think these 2 may be possible!
So I am going to work on this and get back to you on the results.
In the meantime … I’m going to start fixin’  my version of 

 Gluten Free Football Food for the Longhorn Game

• Spicy BBQ Chili with Fritos
• Cornbread stuffed with Chorizo
• Pickles on a stick … this counts as a veggie … right?
• Apple slices with Almond Butter wrapped in Bacon … on a stick!

You can still have fun with Gluten Free Food as long as you find some inspiration and motivation.

HOOK EM’ HORNS !!!!

(Click on this link to hear BIG TEX, click on the picture of him in the upper left corner!)

 For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES  events  or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com . I look forward to hearing from you!

I am amazed at how something so simple, that even I can bake, is so rich, moist and delicious!

The recipe is by Elana Amsterdam and is in her book “The Gluten free Almond Flour Cookbook”. I mentioned this book a few weeks ago when I was talking about “expanding my flour horizons …” You can see in the picture how lovely everything works together and it doesn’t need a topping. I also think there is the perfect amount of sweetness to go with a hot coco, coffee or tea. The recipe uses grapeseed oil, which I think is the key to the very moist, buttery taste. It also uses agave, eggs, sea salt, vanilla, 2-3 very ripe bananas, dark chocolate and of course blanched almond flour. I used Enjoy Life semi sweet chips and was surprised by the tiny little morsels. Don’t let the size of these rich chocolate chips fool you the best part is that they are dairy, soy and gluten free. By now you know me, I love the fact that those words are clearly marked on the front of the package! I am a big fan of these little chocolate chips and look forward to using them in more recipes in the future.

That was the wrong way to go because it made for many set backs and temptations.  If I didn’t have a plan I would somehow make excuses or try to convince myself that the “easiest and  fastest” option was actually GLUTEN FREE and it probably wasn’t.  Oh …. I paid for it royally!   My pain would last for days and little did I realize that I was actually doing more damage than good.  So please, take my advice and make a plan.  Make a menu as to what you will eat for the first few weeks.  Have a few options that will allow a little flexibility in your routine.  Here are a few examples as to what I keep on hand at any give time.  My pantry is actually a recycled locker. I repainted it a matted silver and cleaned it out several times. (It is 10 ft high by 3 or 4 ft wide) … old school … I know but it is fun to use it and reminds me of all the lessons that I have learned through this process.

 1) Lundberg Brown Rice Cakes with cream cheese and jelly
I also like these with peanut butter and jelly or any sort of Nut Butter and Jelly.

2) Hot Cereal like Cream of Rice with dried fruit like blueberries or cranberries and coconut.
This really helps me on days that I really want Oatmeal.  The other thing you can do is use leftover brown rice and add some of your favorite milk, coconut milk, almond milk or soy and heat it up in the microwave.  Add the same dried fruits, walnuts, pecans and coconut.

3) Eggs any way you like them, Frittata, Omelett, scrambled  or over easy … I like them all ways but I must have hot sauce!

4) Grilled Chicken – always great to have as a hot meal with veggies, wrap for lunch, in a salad or a bowl with rice and sauteed veggies.

5) Amy’s Refried Black Beans (low sodium)  or Traditional – This is just a great side dish or main meal at 3 g of fat or 7 g of protein.  Sometimes I have a scoop of beans and a corn tortilla with my eggs to make Huevos Rancheros.

6) Corn Chips or Corn Tortillas – I really like Mission Style White Corn Chips but if I am in the mood for something a little heartier I will get Tostitos or Fritos, the scoop style.  I use them in place of croutons in a salad if I just want more of a crunch.  I also mix them with my eggs and top with salsa.  The obvious way to eat them is as nachos or with a dip - bean or guacamole.

7)  Pacific Food Natural Broth - This is just great to use as a base for homemade soup or to use in place of  water for brown rice, quinoa or mashed potatoes to add more flavor.

Any of Pamela’s Products – Cookies or Biscotti – really all of her mixes and products because they are all so versitile and easy to make! 

9) Equal Exchange Dark Chocolate with Almonds Bar - It is Dark Chocolate without SOY and Almonds which are good for you … need I say more?

10) Instant Potato Flakes – I like to have these on hand at all times to make the obvious mash potatoes.  I also like to use these as a “breading” to coat chicken  or pork chops. If I the rare chance that I am out or low I will also use crushed up plain potato chips, which add an extra crunch!

I hope you find this helpful and in honor of Gluten Free Awareness Month -

Did you know one of the easiest things to do when you go into your favorite grocery store is to go to the customer service desk and ask for their GLUTEN FREE FOODS LIST. It is now becoming more common for grocers to provide the information on their website like Whole Foods Market. I get particularly giddy when I go to Trader Joe’s, because I don’t get to go very often because the closest one is in Seattle, across the water … a ferry ride … hint hint we need a Trader Joe’s  in Kitsap County … I was saying that I get giddy because they are now providing an in house symbol – a g with a grain – that means no gluten. Check out Trader Joe’s extensive list. Look in the lower left corner of the box of incredibly decadent Chocolate Mousse.  I highly recommend that you grab these when you see them.  I also stock up on TJ’s Tamales in Chicken, Beef or Cheese with Chiles.  I usually bring a cooler so that everything makes it home still frozen.  It is really kind of funny because the people look at me as if I am really, really hungry!  I usually am when I walk into TJ’s …

On this side of the Puget Sound in Kitsap County, Central Market and Town & Country Market also provide lists but not online. You will need to go to the customer care counter and ask for the paper list.

I really like this service that the stores are now offering because it allows you to plan ahead and to see what products you may not be aware of or have tried. Try highlighting your list the next time you go into one of these stores and see how much easier it is to shop. Also most stores are more than happy to place special orders for a product that they may not currently carry. Just another reason to get to know the Customer Care staff at your favorite store. Another great tip – most will give you a discount if you buy a large quantity of the item that you are asking them to special order. Each store is different so be sure to check out their policy.

A few more things to think about … in honor of Celiac Awareness Month