Disclaimer: You can click on the above image to learn more about The Gluten-Free Diner (downloadable) Cookbook. The image link is also an affiliate link and Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom will earn a small commission if a reader orders the cookbook from the above link or on the image in the lower left sidebar of this blog (50% of ALL net revenue earned from this blog will be donated to various Gluten Sensitivity causes).

That being said, this is a great cookbook and I want to share it with everyone, especially all the guys out there that might be wondering if the comfort foods of days gone by have disappeared forever, as their wives are feeding them more beets, Brussels sprouts, dark leafy greens and quinoa salads.  Yes, I am referring to my husband and sons.

While they have been troopers with my food enlightening, there are times when I can see the longing in their eyes for some deep-fried goodness, like chicken wings and onion rings.  I am sure you can imagine their excitement when Diane from The W.H.O.L.E. Gang offered me a complimentary copy of The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook to review on my blog (she is also graciously offering a second copy to one of my awesome readers!).

As I was browsing through the recipes to see just how bad this was going to mess up my veggie parade, I was enthusiastically pleased to see that as far as comfort foods go, the recipes in this cookbook are actually pretty healthy.  Diane doesn’t simply offer gluten-free, dairy-free versions of classic recipes (which often call for unhealthy ingredients), she demonstrates how you can cook better and still enjoy many old favorites, without the all the negative consequences.  The recipes are high in flavor, not fat and added sodium.

There are 48 Diner-inspired recipes in The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook (click the link to see all the recipe titles that are in the cookbook).  I have only had the chance to make a few thus far, and I can’t wait to try more.  I surprised my guys one evening with Eggs and Potatoes on the Fence (that would be a bacon fence, LOL!) for dinner, all Mike could say was “Thank you Diane!”

**Quick ADD Tangent:  Over the past six months, I have been aggressively reducing our sodium intake.  Too much sodium in your diet can have devastating health consequences.  If you are interested in learning more, there is a great Mayo Clinic article, “How To Tame Your Salt Habit Now,” that is definitely worth reading.

As a parent (not a health professional), I cannot encourage other parents enough not to start a craving for salt with your children.  I have witnessed several of my friends add salt to baby foods, and I am personally guilty of allowing Sam to add salt to his carrot sticks at one point in time (because he saw me do it).  After I realized that I was setting him up for a lifetime of salt cravings that is hard to break and potential health consequences down the road, I began to make serious changes (I had the devil of a time kicking Sam’s salt habit, and he is only 6!).  Children come into the world with a relatively blank pallet and their taste preferences are influenced by what we feed them and what they see us eat.

One of the many ways I have cut back on sodium is by switching to a low-sodium bacon.  If you like bacon, I definitely recommend trying a low-sodium version, I buy Hormel’s Black Label Low-Sodium Bacon (it’s gluten-free) and we love it.  Each pan fried serving of low-sodium bacon has 230mg of sodium (vs. 330mg found in the regular Hormel Black Label Bacon), but moderation is still key!

In the end, it’s all about b.a.l.a.n.c.e.

My personal favorite breakfast recipe in The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook is the 3 Grain Hot Cereal.  Super easy to make in the crock-pot before you go to bed at night and when you wake up; a hearty, nutritious hot cereal is waiting for you!  Diane also gives a great tip for storing pre-portioned leftovers of this cereal long term so you can have a healthy breakfast in a jiffy.  This is a breakfast that I plan on serving often before school, high in fiber and protein to sustain growing boys and help them concentrate in class!  Sam and Luke both loved it (sans the bananas and walnuts, but I am working on that one!).  Waking up to the aroma of cinnamon and vanilla throughout your home is a great way to begin the day!

My favorite topping for the 3-Grain Hot Cereal is fresh bananas, chopped walnuts and sugar-free maple syrup.

Yesterday, I made the boys the Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup for lunch and it was another hit (the really cool thing is that it filled them up so much, they didn’t immediately start begging for dessert)!  This will be easy to send in a thermos to school for a healthy hot lunch.

I made a little tweak and I added some So Delicious Coconut Milk to make it creamier, which is the way my boys like tomato soup.

Because I still eat a little dairy (addicted to real cheese and Greek yogurt!), I made some Parmesan Basil Cheese Crisps to top my soup (then I went and hid in a closet to eat it)!  I feel a bit guilty that I am not completely dairy-free yet, especially since Luke is involuntarily gluten-free because of me…  I’m making progress though.

Before listing the details for The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook Giveaway, I want to wish my dear friend Shirley of Gluten Free Easily a wonderful Happy Birthday!!  Shirley, I made some gluten-free, dairy-free cream puffs in honor of you!   Recipe and product review coming soon (not in The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook).

Would you like a chance to win a FREE copy of The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook?

There will be 9 different opportunities to enter this giveaway, simply do any or all of the following, then leave a comment to this post for each completed task you do (basically, you can earn one entry or nine, it’s up to you!)

• “Like” The W.H.O.L.E. Gang on Facebook.

• “Follow” The W.H.O.L.E. Gang on Twitter.

• Subscribe to The W.H.O.L.E. Gang Newsletter.

• “Like” Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom on Facebook.

• “Follow” Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom on Twitter.

• Share this Giveaway on Facebook and include a link pack to this post.

• Tweet about this Giveaway on Twitter and include a link to this post.

• Mention this Giveaway in a Blog Post and include a link back to this post.

Phew…

I will use a Random Number Generator to pick the winner on Thursday, July 15th, 2010, Good Luck!

Elizabeth Barbone is one of my favorite gluten-free cookbook authors, I love my Easy Gluten-Free Baking cookbook.  I remember when I first got the cookbook, I soaked up her recipes, especially the “Tastes Like” chapter at the back of the book.  Elizabeth has recipes for gluten-free “Oreos,” “Twinkies,” “Devil Dogs,” and more.  I do believe I actually cried while I was reading them, because this was not long after Sam was diagnosed with celiac disease and I had had my own final “day of reckoning,” when I realized I could deny my disease no longer.

The “Tastes Like” chapter reminded me of the foods I grew up on and that Sam would never be able to have, at least from a package.  Isn’t it funny how we like to re-live our childhood memories through our children?  I remember when my dad would try to re-live his childhood memories through me, I thought he was a dork. Now I’m the dork.

Elizabeth also has a resourceful website, called GlutenFreeBaking.com that I encourage you to check out and sign up for her monthly newsletter.  In last month’s newsletter, Elizabeth shared her favorite pasta recipe, just be careful before you click the link though, it may screw up your current dinner plans this evening!  If you want to learn more in depth cooking and baking techniques, you can join her website for as little as $2.49/month with an annual membership.  A small investment for learning baking skills that you will have for a lifetime (and MUCH cheaper than going back to school!).

A little background info on Elizabeth Barbone:

Elizabeth Barbone is the founder of GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth is an alumna of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park NY and Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, WI. With her solid professional baking background, Elizabeth is known for creating gluten-free recipes that taste “just like” their wheat counterparts.

Her first cookbook, Easy Gluten-Free Baking, features easy to prepare gluten-free recipes. The recipes, from breads to cakes to cookies, have won acclaim from gluten-free bakers all over the globe.

The recipes in the Easy Gluten-Free Baking cookbook are just that, easy.  You will not find the more exotic, hard-to-find (and usually much more expensive) gluten-free flours in her creations.  Elizabeth uses a variety of Rice flours, Cornstarch, Potato Starch and other easy to find ingredients.  This is especially useful if you are just beginning your gluten-free journey.  She also has a great tutorial on how to set up a Zojirushi Bread machine for baking gluten-free bread!  I found that tutorial alone to be worth the price of the cookbook!  It prompted me to actually use my Zojirushi that had been sitting in it’s unopened box for a couple of years… ya know, just in case my Dr. called one day to say he had made a horrible mistake!

There is so much to learn when one begins living a gluten-free life (it is so much more than a “diet!”), and it can be utterly overwhelming at first (but TRUST ME, it does get easier, I am living proof of that). Elizabeth is a great teacher and I am so appreciative of the skills I have learned through her.

So I thought I would tie up this post with some “Friday Fun,” and direct you to Elizabeth’s recipe for Gluten-Free Tie Dye Cupcakes!  The picture you see is Elizabeth’s (not mine), but the cupcakes are too cool looking not post here as a teaser for some of the fun recipes over at GlutenFreeBaking.com!  The Tie-Dye Cupcakes would be great for a child’s birthday party or for a gluten-free child to take to another party and feel super cool!   I’m wondering how they would work with all-natural food colorings? Hmmm…

On Saturday, I thought I would surprise my guys by trying to make a “real” sub sandwich. I think I came pretty darned close, thanks to Annalise G. Roberts, author of Gluten-Free Baking Classics.

The recipe is appropriately called “Submarine Sandwich Bread” and is on page 178.  If you decide to buy this cookbook, you will also need a french bread pan to make the classic shape of the submarine roll.

The bread is really easy to make, my husband, whose idea of cooking is either on the grill or in a vat of oil, has even made bread in a french bread pan…  and I think he is even better at it than me!  This is the redeeming quality about GF bread, it takes significantly less time to make than it’s gluten containing counterpart because you do not “knead” (LOL!) to develop the gluten.

The deli meats I used for the sandwich are all Boar’s Head and they consist of low sodium turkey, low sodium ham, and Genoa salami.  The cheese is provolone.  My favorite add-in’s are lettuce, tomato, onion and banana peppers.  I also used Boar’s Head brand Deli Dressing.

This was the first time I have ever had a GF sub.  Now, I realize that my taste buds have changed over the years of being GF, but I would have seriously questioned it’s GF status had not made it myself!

Thank you Annalise for such a wonderful cookbook!