Start the Day Right

Current favorite breakfast (besides homemade peach pie...yes, I have been known to eat gluten-free pie...cake...ehrm...brownies...for breakfast..don't judge, you gluten people eat donuts and chocolate muffins for breakfast!):

Rice Chex

with Almond Breeze Almond Milk

and Raisins (or Craisins...or fresh fruit)

(That's what you get when you google "fruit")

Delish!

um...YES

That's all I could think when I saw this picture. It's like they were made for me, me who is sitting here eating M&Ms at 10:30 am.

They are saying now that celiacs can eat "gluten-free" oats, or oats that are processed in a totally wheat-free facility. They don't think there is gluten in oats, but that since oats are always processed with wheat, there is a ton of cross-contamination. But, they also say that a small percentage of celiacs still don't tolerate gluten-free oats well. They think this is because the gluten in oats is too similar to the the "toxic" (to us) gluten in wheat, rye and barley.

This is why a bag of Bob's Red Mill GF Oats has been sitting in my pantry for two months untouched. I am afraid.

But this recipe might just push me over the edge. I bet you could even eat it for breakfast, because, after all, there are oats in it. And hello, no bake?! Sweet!

Thanks, Betty!

Betty Crocker sure is giving this whole gluten-free thing a nice shot. I certainly appreciate it, because I think above all else it makes gluten-free people feel a little more normal. There's something comforting about knowing you can eat something that good 'ole Betty made. There's something even more comforting to your friends who never have any idea what in tarnation to make for you, who can now grab a box of gluten-free cake mix right next to the box of gluten-FULL cake mix.

Let's all breathe a collective sigh of relief. There!

That said, I think they have a little ways to go in perfecting these mixes before they come out just right. My cousin tried the chocolate chip cookies and hated them. These weekend though, our sweet niece made us a gluten-free yellow cake for our family (hubby's side) get-together. She covered it in whipped cream and strawberries, and it really turned out well. It really worked as a short cake or pound cake as it was definitely quite dense. I wouldn't recommend it for a true white cake. Our aspiring chef neice hit the nail on the head though with the whipped cream and strawberries! Not gonna lie, I ate some for breakfast today. Yum!

Easy Peasy

I love nothing better than an easy dinner, except of course an easy dinner that is delious AND- hang on to your seat- good for you.

My mom discovered spaghetti squash a couple years ago and when she tired to introduce it to me, I was skeptical. Yeah right, substituting a veggie for noodles. No thanks. I grew up being required to at least taste everything though, a great lesson that continues to stick with me as an adult. Always try; if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, but if you do, you've discovered something new!

So I tried it.

And I loved it.

Granted, spaghetti squash is not a direct substitute for spaghetti noodles. They don't taste exactly the same, of course. That would actually be weird. But you serve them just like noodles, with sauce and meat and cheese, and the squash is sweet and delicious. Yum!

Here's how to make it:

Cut the squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds with an ice cream scoop.

Drizzle the halfs with about two tablespoons of olive oil, or put a pat or two of butter in the middle of each half.

Microwave on high (you literally plop each half right in the microwave) until tender, rotating once, about 7 minutes.

While the squash microwaves, brown some ground beef and add some canned sauce, spicing it up as you wish. Or, heat up some pre-made gluten-free chicken meatballs from Costco, like me. Or, you could do a "latin" version with taco seasoning and a can of tomatoes and some beans, too. You could do anything you want.

When the squash is done (it will flake away in strands with a fork) carefully (because it's HOT) take the halves out of the microwave with a potholder. Using a fork, scrape out the squash from the rind. Put a scoop in each bowl and add your meat and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and enjoy!

Image from: http://superspark.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/spaghetti-squash-with-tomatoes-and-basil.JPG

The Best New Bread

I've long touted Tenzo Artisan Bakery in Baltimore as well, awesome. We actually stumbled upon that bakery in Baltimore when we were looking for a gluten-free wedding cake, and were utterly amazed from the first taste. One of the highlights of my life was eating as much cake as we possibly could in a 24-hour period on our first anniversary. We'd saved wedding cake for the occassion, and brought it with us on our trip to Savannah and Charleston. It had buttercream frosting though, and we didn't have a fridge, so we had 24 hours to eat or toss. So we ATE. For dessert, then breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. It was glorious. Everyone should be in that situation at least once.

So when I came upon Breads by Anna (the owner/head baker of Tenzo) at Roots in Columbia, MD I was immediately curious. I've been a pretty big fan of Sweet Sin's sandwich bread for some time, and like most celiacs, I can tend to be wary of trying something new "gluten-free" once I've found something I like. Gluten-free stuff isn't cheap, so if you don't like it, you feel like you wasted a lot of money.

Well, I went out on a limb, bought the bread, and never looked back.

It was AMAZING.

Finally, a gluten-free bread that tastes like bread. Whole wheat bread, even. It has a rich, nutty flavor, and it's good for you. Her recipe includes all kinds of awesome nutty flours. It's even rice-free and soy-free, too!

I ate a turkey sandwich for lunch, then dinner, then lunch the next day, and I had a grilled cheese last night. And gosh darn it, I think I'm going to have one for breakfast now too.

Well said!

I don't know how, after years of enjoying Ms. Ahearn's writing, I missed this article.

It is one of the best descriptions of gluten-free baking and eating I've ever read, and is enormously helpful in explaining the different types of flours. If you are new to the gluten-free ride, this article is for you. If you've been on it for awhile, you probably won't pick up anything new, but, like me, you will want to leap from your chair and shout, "Amen! Preach it, sistah!"

Also, the first of her "secrets" is one of the first things I always say to people going gluten-free:

"Focus first on foods that are naturally gluten-free. There is so much bounty." Shauna Ahearn

I always tell people to make a list of foods familiar they love that are already gluten-free; steak and potatoes, spinach salad, eggs with cheese, Snickers bars, Breyers mint chocolate chip ice cream, whatever. Then, armed with the list, try to eat only those foods for a couple of weeks, with a stop at Outback Steakhouse for a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under along the way. It will make the transition insanely easier.

I promise you this: You do NOT have to live on rice and chicken for the rest of your life. True, you may never get a good piece of crusty, chewy bread again. I'll be honest about that. But you'll survive. Thrive, actually, because you will be WELL. And with all of the incredible and delicious foods out there that we are so blessed to have at our fingertips, you will rejoice.

Why doesn't my food look like that?

Bea has yet another beautiful clafoutis recipe over at La Tartine Gourmande. Defintely try making it, because it is sure to be yummy, but don't expect yours to look like hers! Utterly incredible, that woman is. How does she find such perfectly congruous strawberries?