I think for celiacs this is as huge as the parting of the Red Sea!

I have been blogging about Udi’s for a few months now.  I think I called their gluten-free bread something like…  oh yeah, the “Holy Grail” of the gluten free world.  I’m not joking either!

The sandwich bread is moist and tender just like the Wonder Bread days of my youth.  Right out of the bag!!  No toasting required!  The whole grain bread (my personal favorite) is equally as tender and moist but with a more whole (shhh…”wheat” flavor), minus the wheat of course.

You can even leave an opened bag of Udi’s GF bread on your countertop for a few days (just like gluten bread), before you need to freeze it.

For me, the very best thing about Udi’s GF bread (being a mom of a celiac child), is that school lunches are a lot easier to pack everyday.  Sam proudly takes his very own PB&J to school and feels “normal” alongside his buddies.

While I am slowly coming out of my bag lady phase (bread bag that is…  yes, I carried a loaf of Udi’s GF bread with me everywhere just to have random folks try it)!  The best replies were always, a blank stare and the reply, “what’s the big deal?  It’s just bread.”  Bingo!

You can now Udi’s gluten free products online.  Breads, pizza crusts, lemon streusel muffins, blueberry muffins and something new for me to try, gluten free granola.  REAL granola, with GF Oats!!!!  Yipee!

There is one very disappointing thing about Udi’s gluten free online store though. WHERE ARE THE CINNAMON ROLLS???????  What happened to them?  I loved them and I only have one left.  I have been rationing my supply since July.  I have been reduced to licking it on occasion, just for a taste, since they seemed to have disappeared and I cannot get anymore…  sniff.

Anyhoo, if you have not tried Udi’s gluten free products yet, go online and order some today!!  By the way, I was kidding about licking the cinnamon roll, but now that it is in my head, I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens.    LOL!

Udi’s son, Etai tweeted about this funny Udi’s review on You Tube a while back and it is great.

Sam went to his first birthday party of the school year this past weekend.  Sam is new to this school and when he got the invitation he was really excited to go.  I noticed the hours of the party were around lunch time so we called to confirm that lunch was being served and when we found out it was pizza, we got down to work.

I just love Udi’s pizza crusts, not only are they the best GF pizza crusts I have ever had, they are awfully darn convenient and fit perfectly in my pizza box!

Now for the cupcake…

And off to the party for a great time!

Whew…I think I have made a passable (at least to a group of 5 and 6 year olds) Death Star Pinata for Sam and his buddy Garrett’s upcoming Star Wars birthday party.

This is what I used as a guide:

Overall, this was pretty easy.  Especially using what was originally a soccer ball pinata.  It was a ton of fun to watch Sam as I was making it. “Awesooooome!”  Aw, the joys of parenthood.

Now, if I can only be as successful with the 3-D Clone Trooper Helmet Cake next week!

While at my local Sunflower Market the other day I came across a few products that I have not seen before and thought I would share my findings!  I am also trying to keep an eye on dairy free products to experiment with.  Sorry about the quality of some of the photos, I took them in the store.  I can’t tell you how many funny looks I got!  That’s okay, I embrace my dorky side!

It was a fun 3 1/2 hours of my day! I think that is why Mike does most of the shopping now…I only went in the store for bananas!

On the way out of Sunflower, I contemplated one last purchase:

Nah…  don’t need it, don’t want it and definitely Do Not miss it anymore!

What is Gling you ask??

Put simply, Gling.com is a Social Collaboration Community (SCC) built for people committed to Gluten-free living.

Gluten-free living the Gling.com way means connecting with your local stores, GF bakeries and restaurants, as well as your current Gluten-free friends in your neighborhood and new GF friends around the world, sharing wonderful recipes and finding new foods.

I just joined and it looks pretty cool, check it out! Gling.com

Kim over at Gluten Free is Life just made a post on gluten free candy. Thanks Kim!

Halloween is fast approaching and it’s time to start compiling updated lists on what candy to keep and what candy to discard from the kiddos treat sacks. Kim has a list from 2008 here. Gluten Free in San Diego has a list here.

I recently subscribed to zeer.com and so far, I love it! For $4.95 a month you can login, and look up just about any product and check it’s gluten free status! They also have a new iphone app called Gluten Scan.

From The Zeer Blog:

GlutenScan is the first iPhone app that allows people to pick up a product in the grocery store, type in a Name or UPC and determine if that product is safe or not.  If a product contains gluten, glutenScan automatically searches the database and recommends gluten free alternatives.

Yipee! Life is getting a little easier

A follow up from my post yesterday on Mac and Cheese.  My mom made a couple of great casseroles that I loved as a kid, a Monte Cristo something or other (need to find the recipe now that I have exceptional substitutions) and the following, Macaroni Green Beans Supreme. I am not sure the source of the recipe as it is at least 25 – 30 years old but over the years, my mom added a couple of cool tweaks of her own…The original recipe is in black, my mom’s add-in’s are in green and my gluten free tweaks are in red.

Macaroni Green Beans Supreme

7 1/2 oz. pkg. Macaroni and Cheese (using my scale, I weighed out 7 1/2 oz. of Tinkyada Elbow Noodles)

1 1/2 oz. Cheddar Cheese Powder

4 Tbs. Margarine (I used Smart Balance in the Tub)

1/4 cup milk (I used Skim)

1 “can” Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

16 oz. can Cut Green Beans, drained

3 1/2 oz. can French Fried Onions (I measured out 3 1/2 oz. of the french fried onions I had made the day before for the Green Bean Casserole post)

5 Hot Dogs, sliced and sauteed in butter or butter substitute (I did this with Smart Balance)

1/2 cup Milk (I used skim)

• Cook macaroni as directed on package. Drain.

• In a bowl, add cooked macaroni, butter, cheddar cheese powder, and 1/4 cup milk. Mix well.

• Saute Hot Dogs in Butter

• Add soup and 1/2 cup milk, stir.

• Fold in green beans and sauteed hot dogs.

• Pour into a baking dish.

• Top with french fried onions.

• Cover and Bake at 350° for 30 minutes

I serve this casserole alongside a bowl of fresh seasonal fruit.

I am a homemade Macaroni and Cheese kind of girl. My hubby makes a very good one with a blend of 4 different cheeses, prosciutto and a bread crumb topping. But lets face it, not all kids will embrace this type of macaroni and cheese! My 6 year old likes it, my 2 year old will either put it on his head or throw it on the floor for the dogs to eat!

I make my own copycat version of Kraft’s “Mac and Cheese” because I have had Annie’s GF Rice Pasta and Cheddar and Trader Joe’s GF Rice Pasta and Cheddar and I personally do not like either of them. Mostly, it is because I don’t like the pasta. It is either too chewy or if you cook it a little longer to avoid the chewiness then it is mushy. My boys had gone without mac and cheese since we became a GF household simply because they would not eat it when I bought it. I know a lot of people do like it, but I am not convinced it is because of the taste, but rather because of the convenience!

I started to look around for other ideas to make this quintessential kid favorite and got the idea to use Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Topping in the blue can and just sub in my own pasta. Not bad but not great.

So looking further I decided to try  Frontier Natural Products Mild Cheddar Powder and Frontier Natural Products White Cheddar Cheese Powder (as you can see, it is A LOT cheaper, less shipping, on Amazon). I called the company and while they would not say whether or not these products were definitely gluten free, the woman I spoke to said they use Good Manufacturing Practices and clean the lines between products. She said what is listed on the ingredient label is what is (intentionally) in the product. She said because they do not test for gluten in the end product (from cross-contamination), then they cannot say for sure it is gluten free. This is where you will have to make a decision for yourself.

That’s the rub. Do you strictly buy products that are labeled “gluten-free”, and/or “made in a dedicated gluten free facility” or “no gluten ingredients used” or “manufactured in a facility that uses Good Manufacturing Practices,” etc. etc. That is a personal decision that each one of us needs to make until the FDA formally adopts a definition of “Gluten Free.”

After speaking with Frontier, I decided to accept the risk. I think both powders are tasty and thus far I have never had a gluten reaction. BUT, just because I haven’t exhibited any symptoms, does not mean my insides are not reacting… I do however get the celiac blood panel run each year to check my levels and I just had a biopsy in May that showed very happy villi!!

When it comes to pasta, Tinkyada is pretty much it for me, and I always buy the Tinkyada with Rice Bran. It has THE BEST texture of all the GF pastas I have tried. The pastas with Rice Bran also have 2 grams of fiber per serving.

I hardly use butter at all anymore…I use Smart Balance and so far, it has proven a worthy (if not better) replacement in just about everything I have used it in (not so much on popcorn though). I have fried, baked and used it on bread…

So here is the breakdown on making your own Mac and Cheese (I bought a box of Kraft a while back and cut out the directions and adhered it to a recipe card. I also weighed the packet of cheese).

GF “Kraft Style” Mac and Cheese

4 Tbs. Margarine ( I use Smart Balance)

1/4 cup milk (I use Skim)

1 1/2 oz. Cheese Powder

7 1/2 oz. GF Macaroni or other shape

Prepare macaroni as directed. Drain (Do Not Rinse)

Add Margarine, milk, and cheese powder to the pasta and stir well.

Ufta! Sorry I haven’t made a post in a couple of days, yesterday was nuts because I had our carpets cleaned and in the excitement of that, I decided to rearrange my pantry…  which led to me painting the pantry…  which led to me painting the boys bathroom!   Ahhh, I love ADHD at times, I can get quite a bit accomplished, or at least I can get quite a few projects started, then beg my husband to finish them for me

Anyhoo, Since the holiday season is fast approaching and I have found what I believe to be a very close and easy replica for condensed soups, I thought I would give the Green Bean Casserole one last go of it.  I say one last go because Green Bean Casserole has been public enemy #1 for me over the past 5 years, and I have all but decided to move on to a new side dish.

I don’t know about you, but Green Bean casserole was a staple at our Thanksgiving table when I was growing up.  It was great, pop open 4 cans, add some milk, stir it all up and pop it in the oven…  it was the easiest part of the meal!  Fast forward many years and a celiac diagnosis then all of a sudden, GB casserole has become an “angry” obsession.  I can envision it, like in an old western movie, standing in the middle of a dirt road, staring down my enemies (condensed soup and french fried onions), slyly reaching down to my holster to grab my whisk and as I cock my eyebrow and give the menacing look…  POW!  I am down and out, another year, another bust!

Not this year though, I have slain the dragon and boy does it feel gooooooooood…

First, we need Gluten-Free Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Next Up:

The french fried onions that I have tried in the past have been good but had room improvement.  Yesterday, I found the following recipe  by Natalie from Gluten Free Mommy.  I made my own “tweaks” and tried the following:

French Fried Onion Rings

2  Large Onions, peeled and sliced in rings

Enough Milk for soaking onions

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. White Pepper

gluten free flour blend (I used 1/2 cup Expandex Modified Tapioca Starch, 1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour, 1/2 cup Soy Flour)

oil for frying

Measure out your flours, salt and pepper in a bowl, use a whisk to incorporate all the dry ingredients.

Meanwhile, put the sliced onion rings in a bowl and cover in milk, let soak while you prepare everything else.

I put about an inch or so of Canola oil in a dutch oven and allowed it to get hot.  You will know if the oil is ready by flicking a few drops of water into the oil and if it sizzles, it’s ready.

I put a few of the pre-soaked onion rings (allow excess milk to  drain off) into the bowl with the flour mixture.  Stir to coat (tip: whenever I go to Pei Wei, I always snag a few sets of disposable chopsticks to use when dredging onions in flour, this helps to void getting a club hand).

Place onions in the hot oil, a few at a time and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.

Remove, drain and add extra salt if you want.

Repeat until all of the onions have been cooked!

Once you have your condensed mushroom soup and french fried onions in hand, just follow the directions for Green Bean Casserole!

Mmm, Mmm, Good…just the way I remember!

Okay…the recipe title is probably (okay, it is!) less than appealing, but this really is delicious! Take a chance and trust me :-p

As I mentioned in the post with my cream puff recipe, I am of German descent. That being said, I developed a taste for sauerkraut at a very young age. I know a lot of people, my mom included; just opening a can or jar of it is enough to send her out of the house, for the entire day!

The following recipe is a dish I make every Autumn as the leaves begin to turn and there is a distinct chill in the air. Football is on the TV in the background and hot apple cider is simmering on the stove. This is also a recipe my mom made when I was growing up and to my recollection is the only way she will eat sauerkraut. My boys LOVE this and they are in the “picky” phase of childhood. Sam ate two helpings and Luke, who is so picky that if it is not covered in chocolate, he just puts it in his hair…ate his entire plate without putting a single morsel on his head!

Ribs N’ Kraut with Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce (on the side)… Both of these recipes were made in a Crock-Pot.

3 -4 lbs. Pork Country Style Ribs with bones (DO NOT use boneless Pork Country Style Ribs, the marrow from the bones is essential to the “sweetening” of this dish)…(I always double this because I usually have a line out the door when I make it)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

2 cans Sauerkraut, undrained (I used 1 big jar plus 3 cans for 7 lbs. country style pork ribs with bones)

1 large Onion, sliced in rings (I used 2)

1/2 tsp. Caraway Seeds (I just “eyeball” it and taste along the way, caraway can become overpowering if you use too much)

1 cup Water (I omit this and just use the juice from the sauerkraut)

1 tsp. salt (I omit this too)

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper.

Brown ribs in a heavy skillet with hot oil.

Put alternate layers of sauerkraut, sliced onion rings, caraway seeds (if you want them) and ribs in the crock-pot/slow cooker. I start with kraut and end with kraut. Cover and set Crock-pot on low for 8 – 10 hours.

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce…in the Crock-pot!

I woke up yesterday to an email with a link to Kimberly Bouldin’s article in the Columbus Gluten-Free Food Examiner on Crock-Pot Applesauce, which was inspired by Stephanie O’Dea over at A Year of Slowcooking. I make homemade applesauce every year but yesterday was the first time trying it in the Crock-pot!

8 large Apples (I used a blend of Jonathan, Roman Beauty and McIntosh apples), peeled, cored and cut in quarters
1 tsp cinnamon (more or less to taste)
1/3 cup brown sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup Apple Cider (if you do not have apple cider on hand, you can use water..I just like to “bump up” the apple flavor a bit).

Peel, core and cut your apples into quarters, place in the Crock-pot.

Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat.

Add cider.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. When the apples are soft, mash with a potato masher or you could use an immersion (stick) blender to achieve a super smooth texture. Personally, I like my homemade applesauce chunky so I lightly mash with a potato masher.

A nice bonus to making applesauce in a Crock-pot is the lingering aroma of apples and cinnamon filling the house…very cozy!

So, as you can see it is a “brown” meal! I could jazz it up with some color, etc. but quite frankly some things are good enough to withstand the lack of visual appeal! Although, I did add a sprig of parsley for the photo

Now for Star Wars…

I am embarking on what could quite possibly “make or break” me in the coolness category for a couple of 5 3/4 year old boys. My son Sam and his pal Garrett are turning 6 early next month. Since their birthdays are very close together and they share the same friends, Garrett’s mom, Kristen and I decided to throw a co-party for Sam and Garrett. Not only does this save some moolah, but it saves TIME, which seems so sparse this time of year. As I am sure it is with many boys of the 6 year old age group…they are OBSESSED with Star Wars. Sam actually started watching the movies when he was 2 with his dad and is transfixed by “the dark side.” Wondering if I be concerned??

Anyhoo… Kristen made Storm trooper helmet invitations. These are so cool! She designs SVG files on her computer so her Cricut can cut them out. I love it, wish I new that BEFORE I bought all of my Cricut cartridges! Kristen is brilliant in the creativity department. I am in constant awe of what she creates. If you are a crafty person and like card making and/or scrapbooking, you should check out her blog, Katydid Creativity and Paper Adventures. Kristen is also a member of the design team at BasicGrey Challenges. We made assorted colors to represent the different troopers and even included pink and purple for the girls!

Storm trooper helmet invitations:

I am going to *try* and make a cake like this but take it a step further and make an attempt at using fondant. I am going to stick with a clone trooper helmet because the storm trooper helmet looks a bit intimidating! I have never used fondant in my life so if I can carve the shape correctly (I am currently going to cake carving school via “Ace of Cakes” on the Food Network!) and the fondant is a bust…I can still decorate with regular icing. There are also cupcakes in the freezer for backup!

I am also making a Death Star pinata! Inspired by another blogger, Aimee Austin, I am going to follow her lead and buy an already complete pinata, dismantle it and recreate the death star. Aimee used a Halloween eyeball pinata to start and I found a soccer ball pinata at Target…just need a ball! I am making good progress, have taken off all the fringe-y  tissue paper and am decoupaging white tissue paper on the ball to smooth it out. Today I am going to begin painting it then I am going to use black art tape for the detail work. I will post my progress as I go!

Wish me luck!

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