Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are so good!! I love mint chocolate chip ice cream and so when I saw these listed on a recipe website, I had to try them. The original recipe comes from a Betty Crocker recipe for their sugar cookie (yes I said sugar cookie) mix. I just took the changes and added them to my favorite GF sugar cookie recipe and they turned out delicious. I had several requests for the recipe.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Use your favorite GF sugar cookie recipe or use my favorite found here.

Additional ingredients:

1/4 tsp peppermint extract
6-8 drops green food coloring (optional)
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips (I used Andes brand)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Hershey's chocolate chips)

1. Follow your recipe as normal except add the mint extract to the wet ingredients.
2. After combining wet and dry ingredients, mix in food coloring.
3. Once your dough is finished, fold in the creme de menthe and semisweet chocolate chips.
4. Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. I flattened the cookies with the palm of my hand since sugar cookies don't spread like other cookies.
5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. The smaller ones I baked took 8 and the larger ones took 10 minutes. They were done when the tops held their shape when lightly pressed.

Sugar Cookies

I love soft sugar cookies and this one works great. You'll have to practice to get a feel for how much flour to use when rolling it out. I recommend putting the dough in the fridge or freezer for a while so it's less sticky and rolls out better.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 cup gluten-free flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture with sour cream; mix until smooth.
4. Cover bowl and chill bowl at least 1 hour.
5. On rice floured surface, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. (I have also just rolled them in balls and then flattened them after placing them on the cookie sheet.)
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not over bake. Tops should be firm enough to hold their structure when lightly pressed. If they are starting to turn golden, they are definitely done.
7. Remove cookies to wire rack or paper towels to cool.
8. If desired, frost when cookies are no longer warm; color frosting if desired.

The original recipe claims this makes 3 dozen cookies. I recently made some and didn't make them very large. I got closer to 5-6 dozen.

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

This is a delicious sheet cake that keeps them coming back for more. We often serve it with strawberries and ice cream. It tastes so good by itself, we rarely make the frosting that goes with it. It's plenty sweet on its own.

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

1 cup + 2 Tbsp butter;softened
6 oz cream cheese; softened
2 1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup gluten-free flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp egg replacer
1 tsp unflavored gelatin

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Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Beat in vanilla
4. Combine dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients.
5. Spread onto a baking sheet (18" x 30").
6. Bake at 325°F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Frosting Instructions:
1. Combine sugar and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Cover and cook for 3 minutes (do not stir).
3. Stir in butter and chocolate chips until melted. Cool slightly.
4. Stir; spread over cake.

Nana's Banana Bread

With whipping cream and brown sugar, this banana bread has a deliciously unique flavor you won't want to miss. It's one of our family favorites. People eat it right up and ask for more. Gluten-free goods with lots of fruit or fat usually have a really nice texture. The flavor gets even better if it sits for several hours. Often our loaf doesn't last that long.

Nana's Banana Bread

5 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Beat butter in large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat well.
3. Add egg, egg whites and vanilla; beat until well blended.
4. Add mashed banana, and mix on high speed 30 seconds.
5. Combine flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder in medium bowl. 6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with cream, ending with flour mixture.
7. Fold walnuts into batter.
8. Pour batter evenly into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan.
9. Bake at 350 until browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, approximately 55 minutes.
9. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
10. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Chicken Cacciatore

This recipe is so simple and yet tastes great. The sauce is yummy served over a side dish of rice.

Chicken Cacciatore

4 chicken breasts
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilis
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Combine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. (You may add the chicken immediately or wait for it to boil.)
2. Once the sauce is boiling, reduce to a simmer.
3. Simmer chicken until it is cooked throughout (I usually plan on 25-30 minutes). Frozen chicken can be placed in here as well, it just takes longer to cook.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

One of the things that I missed the most when I went gluten-free was the texture of cake. Gluten-free cake tends to be heavier and drier. This recipe is so good it reminds me of gluten-filled chocolate cake.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

4 oz unsweetened chocolate; melted and cooled
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups gluten-free flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate over low heat and allow to cool.
2. Mix chocolate, eggs, and sour cream.
3. Add water, butter, and vanilla.
4. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ones.
6. Pour into two 9" cake pans or 13 x 9 pan. I don't remember how long to bake the cake for. I just bake it until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle. I'm guessing somewhere around 30-40 minutes.

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce

I recently made this recipe for a camping trip to Red Fish Lake in Idaho. All of the family raved about the flavor and requested the recipe. I figured it would be just as easy to post it here as to type it up for an email.

Meaty Spaghetti

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1/2 lb spicy italian sausage
1 medium green pepper; chopped
1 medium onion; chopped
8 cloves garlic; minced
3 cans (14.5 oz) italian stewed tomatoes; drained and diced
2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans (6 oz) tomato paste
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons italian seasoning
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook beef and sausage until no longer pink; drain.
2. Transfer to a 5-qt slow cooker. Stir in green pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste, sugar, and seasonings; mix well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until bubbly. Serve over spaghetti.

I made four batches of this at once when I recently made this. Two batches don't fit into a crockpot or large pot. I think you could fit 3 batches in two pots/crockpots though. I just learned that you're supposed to leave at least two inches of space from the top of a crockpot. This allows it room to simmer. When making more than one batch, it's easy to burn sauce around the edges if you heat it too much. This is what happened to me when I turned up the heat trying to get the boiling started.

Yield: 12 servings

Cheese Bread

This is one of my family's favorite recipes. It's great with pasta or soup. It's fairly quick, too. It tastes okay with that dry fake parmesan cheese, but it's so much better with the real stuff.

Cheese Bread

1 1/2 cup biscuit/baking mix (see here)
1 cup mozzarella cheese; shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese; grated
1/2 tea dried oregano
1/2 cup milk
1 egg; beaten
1 tea xanthan gum
2 Tabl butter; melted

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients (batter will be thick).
2. Spoon into a greased 8-in. round or square baking pan.
3. Drizzle with butter; sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm. Reheat in microwave if it cools down.

Buttermilk Baking Mix

Of all the mixes that I've ever tried, this one has been one of my favorites. This is also one of Bette Hagman's recipes. It is meant to be substituted for Bisquick type baking mixes in recipes. It has always turned out so well. Of course, like any other gluten-free baking, it doesn't hold its shape like something with gluten. You might even want to look for recipes on the Bisquick website to use it for.

A few notes about when I make it. I always use butter in this since I don't do well with trans fats. Also, I have cut the butter sometimes (by as much as half) and it still has turned out fairly well. I usually still do the full recipe. I also like to make 2-3 batches worth because then it lasts forever.

Buttermilk Baking Mix

2 1/2 cup rice flour
1 2/3 cup potato starch
3 tablespoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder
3 tablespoon egg replacer
1 cup less 1 tablesp shortening or butter

1. In large mixing bowl, whisk together the rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, buttermilk powder, and egg replacer (if used).
2. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until no lumps appear.
3. Store in a gallon plastic bag or container in the frig.

Always add 1/2-1 tsp of xantham gum per cup of baking mix used.

Cranberry Muffins

These are being posted at the request of my mother-in-law. When I made these for Thanksgiving dinner one year, she and her parents loved them. Her request is coming on behalf of a friend who has recently discovered she can't have wheat. I have always used this basic GF flour mix. I have also added gelatin and egg replacer to the recipe because it helps with the texture. Check my ingredients post for more information.


Cranberry Muffins

1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon xantham gum
1 teaspoon gelatin
2 teaspoon egg replacer
1 egg; well beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup Sugar

1. Place cranberries in 1/4 cup sugar, stirring to coat.
2. Sift dry ingredients.
3. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry.
5. Add sugared cranberries.
6. Place in baking cups or greased muffin tins. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.

Gluten-free Flour

This is a standard recipe that Bette Hagman came up with. She is a pioneer in gluten-free baking. She was coming up with recipes and publishing them when very few people were diagnosed. Now that it's become more recognized, more and more people are baking and there are different recipes out there. This recipe isn't super healthy, but it works pretty well.

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

2 C rice flour
2/3 C potato starch flour (potato flour is different)
1/3 C tapioca starch

When baking with this, you can generally substitute cup for cup in a recipe. However, you must also use xanthan gum! When I first started baking, the rule of thumb was 1 t xanthan gum per 1 cup of flour. However, later, people started using 1/2 t xanthan per cup of flour. I usually only 1/2 teaspoon, but my mom still uses 1 t. It depends on various factors like humidity, elevation, the recipe, etc. which guideline is best. Try them both out and see what works best for you.

Feedback would be great!!

If you try out these recipes, let me know. Tell me what worked, what didn't work, and how you liked them. I guess I just want to know that someone is actually finding them useful.

Best of luck!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I am in charge of activities for our congregation at my church. Recently I prepared a gluten-free dish for an adult dinner since there are several people who have wheat/gluten issues who would be attending. Because everyone else was eating chicken cordon bleu, I decided to try my hand at a gluten-free version. The gluten-filled chicken cordon bleu were bought frozen and already prepared, so I had no recipe to use. After talking to some people, reading several recipes, and testing a couple different versions, here's what I came up with. It turned out pretty decent. The hardest part was figuring out what spices to use. I like this version, but it needs just a little something else to make it incredible.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Spice Mix:
1 1/4 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Flour mix:
1 C gluten-free flour
1 t spice mix

Dipping Mix:
1 egg
1 T honey

Breading Mix:
1 C Rice Chex (name brand because they are gluten-free and off brands aren't), crushed in a food processor
1 t garlic salt

Rolled Chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 slices swiss cheese
8 slices ham (I use the hormel natural choice--no preservatives and GF)

butter
salt

1. Measure spice mix. You only need 1 teaspoon, so left over mix can be reserved for later.
2. Mix flour mix and breading mix in separate plastic bags or bowls. Whisk together egg and honey in a bowl until well mixed. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Flatten chicken breasts with a mallet until 1/2" thick
4. Place 2 slices ham, 1 slice swiss cheese on chicken and roll. Secure with cooking string or toothpicks. (I've actually been using thread.)
5. Dry chicken off with paper towels (this is what someone told me to do, don't know if it matters)
6. Place chicken in flour mix and coat
7. Place chicken in dipping mix, rotating to completely dampen outsides
8. Coat chicken in breading mix
9. Heat saute pan and melt butter. I just put a couple of tablespoons in and let it melt.
10. Place chicken in pan and brown outsides, rotate to cook outside all around the roll. This will make chicken crunchy.
11. Place browned chicken in baking dish, sprinkle with salt to taste, and cook in oven for 20-25 minutes.

Some notes--You can use gluten-free bread crumbs if you'd like instead of rice chex. I just didn't have any. I tried using potato chips in some of my test versions and rice chex turned out better.

Ingredients

I'm going to keep a list of ingredients here. I'll update it as often as I can and give more information about ingredients. If you haven't used an ingredient before, it might be a good idea to google the ingredient name and "gluten-free". For instance, "chicken broth gluten free". I cannot stress enough that things change. I have found sometimes the labeling changes to something like "Made in a facility that also handles wheat" I'm not sure if the facilities have changed or the labeling practices. So, every time you buy your products, quickly check the ingredients to verify they are still gluten-free.

bouillon powder -- I used to use a powdered brand from the health food store, but I've been using the Organic Chicken Bouillon from Better than Bouillon that I found at Costco. I don't use it very often so I'm not sure if I like it better yet or not.

buttermilk powder -- I really like this stuff. It actually has less junk in it than the liquid buttermilk you find at the store. I have been able to find it at most stores in the baking aisle, even Walmart. It is anywhere from about $3.50-5. Here's some information and a picture so you know what to look for. I've always found it in the baking supplies aisle.

cheese -- It's generally gluten-free (basic types such as mozarella, cheddar, swiss, etc. are). However, I have heard blue cheese is made by using gluten during the processing. (I don't use it, so I've never really verified this.) So check to make sure your more exotic cheeses are okay.

chicken broth -- I found a blog post that went into some description of brands here. Remember ingredients change, so always check the can. I use the Natural Goodness Swanson's Chicken Broth.

egg replacer -- I buy Ener-G egg replacer from a health food store or in the health food section of a store. It is anywhere from $5-7. It aids in having better texture and in getting the baked item to rise.

gelatin -- This is just basic plain gelatin. It helps the texture as well as holding things together better. You can usually buy a big box full of packets for about $8-10 at a regular grocery store.

green chilies -- as far as I know, these are gluten-free across brands but always check

potato starch flour -- This is different than potato flour. However, potato starch and potato starch flour are the same thing. It can be found in health food stores (bulk sections often are cheapest, though may have contamination issues) or Asian food markets. I've found Asian food markets to be cheaper in most places I've lived, but where I live now I don't think they are.

Rice Chex -- General mills worked with one of the celiac organizations to create a dedicated facility to make their GF chex line. Generic chex is going to have malt flavoring (filled with gluten) or is going to be made on the same lines as non-GF cereal.

sandwich meat -- There is a great line out by Hormel called Natural Choice. It has no, or few, preservatives and is more natural. It also says it is gluten-free.

spices -- When I first went gluten-free, people talked about how some companies used fillers, like flour, in their spices. Since then, labeling laws require that major allergens, including wheat, have to be listed.  McCormick's and Schilling have always guaranteed their spices were 100% spice so I have tended to go with them.

sour cream -- A lot of sour creams have all sorts of processed icky stuff in them. I've never seen gluten though. I use the Daisy brand because the ingredients are so much nicer.

sweet rice flour -- This is different than rice flour. I believe it's a little sweeter and heavier. Some recipes call for it. It's good for thickening soups and other things.

tapioca starch -- This can be found in health food stores (bulk bins are usually cheaper though sometimes cross contamination might be an issue), but Asian food markets often carry it and it's usually cheaper. Tapioca flour and tapioca starch are the same thing.

tortilla chips -- I have found some tortilla chips which actually have flour in them, so check the ingredients. Also, there could be cross-contamination. Lately I've been using the Costco organic ones. I was using the Costco organic ones and then I recently checked the label to see that it is made in a facility that also uses wheat. That wasn't on the label before. Now I use the regular Kirkland Signature ones. This is why you check the brand every time you buy it. Things change on you.

xanthan gum -- This needs to be added to hold together baked goods because gluten is what holds things together normally. Use 1/2-1 t per cup of flour. It can be found with gluten-free flours usually. It is about $10-12 for 8 oz, however it lasts a long time. I recently found (here in Utah) that a local coop -- The Blue Chip Group-- has put together some supplies and mixes and Walmart was carrying them. The xanthan gum from them was $8 for 14 oz! They only carried it for a little while so I'm back to buying it at the health food store. Some stores with natural health sections might also carry it there. One brand is Bob's Red Mill so wherever the store sells the flour, they might also have xanthan gum.

Tortilla Soup

We just had this for dinner last night. It's so yummy. Thanks to Katharine Lambert who gave me the recipe.  She brought this meal to me when I had a brand new baby and it hit the spot.

Tortilla Soup

6 cups chicken broth (I use Swanson's Natural Goodness-- 3 cans is close enough to 6 cups for me)
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup rice, uncooked

3-4 T green chilies, diced (this will be less than a 4 oz can)
2 Cups cooked chicken, diced
1 t cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh is best)

garnishes:
cilantro
cheddar cheese, shredded
tomatoes, diced
tortilla chips
avocado
sour cream

1. Bring chicken broth, onion, and rice to a boil. Cook until rice is tender.
2. Add green chilies, chicken, and cumin. The soup requires no additional cooking at this point but can continue to be simmered.
3. Add lime juice just before serving.
4. Allow diners to place garnishes of their choice in their bowls of soup.

An introduction to Celiac Disease and Gluten

For anyone who doesn't know what celiac disease is, it is an auto-immune disease in which one's own immune system responds to eating gluten by attacking one's body.  Damage is primarily in the small intestine. But, the immune system can also attack other areas of the body. The typical symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, etc. Sometimes symptoms aren't typical. For instance, anemia, arthritis, migraines, ... I'm not going to list everything because it gets really long. Google celiac disease if you want more information. Not only are there many different symptoms to celiac disease, the severity of symptoms varies. Some people don't have any pain after eating gluten and others only need to touch something with gluten in it before touching their mouth and they will be in agony. I will just say that even if a celiac doesn't feel bad after eating gluten (some people don't), the intestinal damage can result in major health problems down the road--like cancer or complications of malabsorption. If you have been diagnosed, please avoid it and don't cheat.

How do you get diagnosed? The gold standard is to get a biopsy, go on a gluten-free diet, and get another biopsy. If there is intestinal damage in the first biopsy and improvement in the second biopsy (i.e.--you are healing by not eating gluten), you have it. I have to admit that I didn't get officially diagnosed. I went on a gluten-free diet and felt so much better, I gave gluten up completely. I actually didn't know about the biopsies until later. In order to guarantee enough intestinal damage to show up in a biopsy now, I would have to eat gluten for a month. Not worth it!! There are some additional tests they can do now. There is a blood test for for antibodies to gluten (antibodies are the part of your immune system that help your body remember what to attack).  You have to make sure to get the right tests and there are some people that will have false negatives.  I believe that you have to be eating gluten in order to have enough antibodies to get a positive result.  When I last was reading up on it about 3-4 years ago, the consensus was that children under 4 generally didn't have enough antibodies to show up using this test. You can also do genetic testing. The problem is that you can have the genes and not have celiac disease. That's because celiac disease doesn't actively start until it is triggered by some event. Sometimes the trigger is illness and other times it's something else. For me, it was getting parasites.

When I first discovered I had celiac disease at age 18, doctors were not very well informed about it. They still believed it was very uncommon. The accepted numbers then were something like 1 in 2000. Now they know it is as common as 1 in 133 people. That means you'll be running into a lot of people who have it. After first being diagnosed, it's nice to have a support group. There are often local support groups. I used to visit a celiac disease forum online. The community had many knowledgeable people, including some doctors, who were celiacs. If you have any questions, this is a great resource. Here's the link.  Click the "Start Reading" button on the left to view all the posts. Also, realize that food is a very emotional thing. You may find you have to mourn not being able to eat your favorite foods or the loss of convenience eating gluten-free brings. Eventually it will get better. I don't remember what many gluten-filled foods taste like or miss them anymore.

What exactly is all this fuss about? What is gluten? It's a protein and it is found in wheat, rye, and barley. At least, those are the typical grains listed, but there are other grains that are related enough to wheat, rye, and barley that they are a problem. For instance, I know spelt and kamut also have gluten. Technically, oats do not. However, oats are often processed in the same facilities as wheat and so there is usually some wheat mixed in. You can find some oats that are grown in dedicated fields and processed in dedicated facilities. Some celiacs, including me, still have problems with these dedicated oats.  My advice is to avoid them. Some items that can be used to make gluten-free flours are rice, potatoes, tapioca, corn, quinoa (keen-wah), beans, buckwheat or kasha, millet, and sorghum. I'm not making exhaustive lists here, just giving you an idea of what's out there.

For those who haven't thought about it, where do you find gluten? It's in flour--even white flour (still made of wheat!). So, any bread, cookies, cakes, etc. contain wheat.  Soups use wheat flour for thickening so canned soups are usually not okay. Most cereals, even rice crispies, aren't gluten-free because they are made with malt flavoring and malt comes from rye. That also means no beer! Even foods that have no gluten in their recipes can be a problem--they might be processed on the same equipment with things that do contain gluten. Allergy labeling has gotten much better. Many manufacturers will now say something like, "Produced in a facility that also handles wheat" or "This product contains wheat." Some people are willing to eat food that might be contaminated. And, it's true, the food may never come in contact with wheat. But, you'll have to decide if you're willing to take that chance. I'm not. The best way to figure out what has gluten is to read the labels!! Chex has recently created a dedicated facility just for gluten-free cereals so Rice Chex, Corn Chex, and some of their other flavored Chex cereals are gluten-free. It says on the box, so make sure you check. One other place people never think to check for wheat is soy sauce. One of the primary ingredients of most soy sauce is wheat flour. There are some brands that don't have wheat in them, or you can find tamari sauces which don't use wheat. White DISTILLED vinegar, made from wheat, used to be considered to have gluten. Now, however, they have determined that the gluten doesn't survive the distillation process (it involves evaporation and condensation--gluten is too heavy to evaporate or something like that). An easy way to avoid gluten, especially as you're coming up to speed, is to stick to simple, unprocessed foods.

Again, the information I've included here isn't exhaustive. It will hopefully give you a place to get started.

Welcome!

I've been wanting to post my favorite gluten-free recipes online for a while now. I posted a couple on my family blog when someone requested some help preparing a GF (gluten-free) dessert for a teacher. I posted a ton of information about cross-contamination and other gluten-free issues. It soon became apparent that the recipes would overtake my family blog if I let them. So, I'm creating a separate blog.

Changing how you eat is always hard. I've done it several times, either to avoid certain foods or to try to eat healthier. You have to buy new ingredients (sometimes this means finding new stores!) and prepare unfamiliar recipes. I absolutely hate when I work hard to make a new recipe only to toss it because it doesn't turn out or because I hate it. I can't guarantee everyone will like all of my recipes, but most of them have found approval with people who don't have to eat gluten-free.

If you have any good gluten-free recipes to share, please let me know. I'm always looking for more.