In honor of Celiac Awareness Day I HAD to share with you this amazing recipe that was shared with me.

Source

As Celiac's, and others who have to avoid gluten, you understand the excitement when you find a good cookie or cake.  I mean, a GOOD one!  Right?  It's like finding the perfect shoe for your wedding (or prom if you're a little younger).  For guys, umm, it's like watching a good game?  Ha, sorry, I'm not so savvy in that department.

But, anyways, back to the cookie.  When you can't have "normal" cookies, you've had to go through some awkward, if not awful, cookies looking for something yummy.  And, due to that fact, your awesome friends (you know, those who understand) send you recipes when they find something gluten free that they think you might like.

So, this recipe today is for a gluten free AND vegan S'mores cookie!  Doesn't that just sound divine!  My lovely friend, Crystal, sent me the recipe and I can't WAIT to try to make them.  Yes, I have not yet tried these cookies.  But, I did look through the ingredients (and some delectable pictures) and I just couldn't wait to share with you.  Having been quite sick the last few months (more on that later, but we don't have time now...HELLO, I'm about to give you a cookie recipe!) I'm not sure when I'll finally have the energy to whip up a batch of these.

I figured, hey, my readers are good people.  Good people who have, sadly, had to endure some not so good gluten free cookies.  So, if I can get your hands on what I'm betting is a great recipe, why make you wait?  Seriously, I haven't been able to cook in like three months, so it could be a LONG while before I can give my opinion.

In the meantime, check these out.

Gluten Free and Vegan S'mores Cookies...complete with tons of gooey pics!

Hope you enjoy!  If you do make them, PLEASE share your thoughts...I can live vicariously through your baking. :)

Summer may be winding down as kids and teachers have gone back to school, but that doesn't mean the fun of summer has to be over.

Well, maybe a little.  I mean, we can't just continue to stay home because we want to. :) 

BUT, we can definitely still enjoy some of the great flavors as we sit by the pool or BBQ this weekend.  Maybe even a little treat for yourselves tonight?  I say, go for it! 

As I've shared before, I'm loving the joys of Pinterest.  It's completely addicting (at least for me).  Have you been sucked into the world of pinning yet?  If not, let me know and I'd be more than happy to send you an invite. :)  If not, that's ok too.  But, you may find some of these pins I'm about to share just too enticing!

In honor of summer, I wanted to share some refreshing treats with you today. 

X

First up we have, peach popsicles.
Gluten free AND refined sugar free!  Yum!

X

Next, a fun blueberry, basil lemon water.
This may sound a little different, but check out the the ingredient list.  Simple and delicious!

X

Another icy treat.  This time, blackberry frozen yogurt. 
Added bonus for this one is that it only has three ingredients.

X

Lastly, I just couldn't resist adding this one for all you margarita lovers.  Watermelon Margarita.
I'm sure this will be a BBQ favorite for many of you!

***NOTE:  As always, double check any ingredients you are using to insure they are gluten free.

Enjoy!  As always, we'd love to hear of you've tried any of these or if you have a different, favorite refreshing treat for the summer.

July Fourth is almost here, and I've been busy collecting some fun dessert recipes to share!  Well, I don't know if "busy" is the correct term to use.  Thanks to Pinterest, I've had a place to collect them all.

Pizza Recipe

Brownies 'n Berries Recipe

Ice Cream Recipe

Ice Pops Recipe

Fruit Flag Link (currently under construction...)

Decor Ideas

Mmm...dessert.

The best part of a meal, right?

Oh man, this recipe I'm sharing today will definitely be at the top of any dinner menu! Every time we eat it we love it!
PS-this is also courtesy of my brother, David, and his wife, Jen.

Are you excited?

Did I mention this dessert is super quick?

Oh, and it's relatively healthy too! Added bonus!!

Now are you excited?!?



Doesn't that just look delicious?

Ok, here's the needed details to whip this up!

Ingredients:
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Sugar
Organic Strawberries
Organic Blueberries
Crushed dark chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Fresh Mint (optional)

Directions:
1. Pour heavy cream and sugar into a bowl. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Whipped cream is done!
2. Wash all berries. Slice strawberries.
3. Put desired amount of blueberries and strawberries into separate bowls.
4. Crush dark chocolate and sprinkle onto the berries.
5. Cover with desired amount of whipped cream. Add fresh mint and serve!

Definitely a quick and easy dessert. And SO satisfying! Just looking at the picture and writing this out makes me want to whip it up again!


QUESTION before you go: What's your favorite quick and easy dessert? Please share in the comments below! We love hearing from our readers.


Rachel aka Gfreegal

If you live in, or anywhere near, Bakersfield, CA, you have to check out these great ice cream places (if you don't...at least scroll down to check out the delectable pics).  This town has really stepped it up with their gfree selections this last year or two, but OH man...their ice cream is where it's at! Bakersfield has gluten free ice cream that will make your mouth water!


Here's our top choices:

1. Moo Creamery
2. Dewars
3. Yogurtland

Moo Creamery's GLUTEN FREE Mint Chocolate Chip

First up, Moo Creamery.  If you have not eaten here, you are missing out.  It might as well be called Gluten Free Moo Creamery because there are SO many awesome options for meals and desserts here.  They are a local franchise and their stuff is to die for!  We come here very often.  Just ask our friends, they always laugh at how many of the employees know us! :) But for today, I'll just be highlighting their awesome ice cream. 

The yummy goodness you see above is their mint chocolate chip ice cream.  They use fresh mint in this treat and it rocks!  Crosby and I often finish off our dinner with their ice cream (thus the two spoons!).  *One SUPER important note: We always tell them I'm allergic to gluten and ask them to reclean the scoop with soap and water.  We also ask them to scoop from a new place in the ice cream tub (sometimes they even pull out a fresh tub for us!).  I've gotten sick here once...when I wasn't diligent about asking the above questions.  It's so important people to ASK for what you need and as always, be super polite about it!!

Dewars GLUTEN FREE Red & White Shake and Peppermint Ice Cream with Marshmallow Topping

Second is another local gem, Dewars. They've been around for decades and their stuff rocks as well!  We went in a few months ago, very hopeful, but not knowing if there were any gluten free options.  Turns out, the manager knew exactly what I could order!  Crosby chose the red and white shake which has tons of strawberry & vanilla goodness, while I got their delicious peppermint ice cream.  Needless to say, these were not "his and hers," but quickly became communal!  I still can't decide which one I liked more.  If you have not been to Dewars, you should go!

Yogurtland Yumminess

Lastly is a national favorite, Yogurtland.  We go here quite often, just ask my hubby! :)  Almost every Saturday for the last month I've asked if he wanted to go!  Luckily (especially for my waistline), we haven't gone THAT often.  However, it's next to a beautiful park, complete with a lake, benches, walking paths, etc. We love getting our yogurt then going to the lake and sitting on the grass to eat our yogurt. 

Now, the goodness above is: strawberry, vanilla, dutch chocolate and red velvet cake.  The toppings: strawberries, butterfinger, almonds, chocolate chips and m&ms.  What I just love about this place is you can choose what you want and how much of it you want.  Obviously I went for it on this one, but I've gone before and spent less than $2!

Added bonus to Yogurtland:
The nutrional facts (including GLUTEN FREE!) are clearly labeled next to the yogurt!  Now, as far as toppings, I choose what is NOT near any gluten or has cookie crumbles spilled in it.  I've even asked for fresh toppings from the back if there's something I want that either has been contaminated or is in front of a contaminant (ie cookie dough balls).  The employees are always super accomodating.  Just remember, be nice and polite and it usually helps! :)


Have you been to any of these establishments?  Also, what's your favorite place to get ice cream/frozen yogurt?  I'm kinda addicted to this cold treat and I'd love to try a new place.

*As always, PLEASE make sure you specify that you are gluten free and ask to speak to a manager so that you can insure your food is safe! 

Spring is coming. 

The sun seems to be shining more as it sneaks through the clouds and warms us up in the afternoon.  Walking outside is even more enjoyable as flowers and tree branches begin to bloom.



A top view of our wedding cake.

 And what to do about this great new warmth?  I say, bake a cake.  Seriously, a nice tasty lemon cake sounds perfect!

I may be a little partial because our wedding cake was lemon (and strawberry, yum!), but nonetheless, I think it'd be the perfect treat to enjoy right now.  I can just imagine myself sitting out on my back patio, soaking up some much needed vitamin D and basking in the deliciousness of a nice, moist lemon cake. Complete, of course, with our dogss jumping around at my feet!  Ahh...

Forget all this talk, I'm getting to baking so I can enjoy this too!

But first, here's the recipe.  This recipe comes from Living Without, the first gluten free magazine I subscribed to when I was diagnosed a few years ago, and one that I still love.

Gluten-Free Luscious Lemon Cake

MAKES TWO 9-INCH LAYERS
With its sweet-tart lemon curd filling and lemon frosting, this moist cake by Mary Capone is a crowd pleaser. The recipe makes two 9-inch rounds. For two 12-inch rounds, triple the recipe. For a three-tier layer cake (two 6-inch rounds, two 9-inch rounds and two 12-inch rounds), multiply the recipe amounts by 6. See cake-building instructions, here. This recipe can be made egg free with good results; see instructions here.
4 large eggs*
2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut milk or milk of choice
1 cup mild vegetable oil of choice
¼cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2½ cups Mary’s Flour Blend  or gluten-free blend of choice
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon fine-grind sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. In a heavy stand mixer with a whisk attachment or with a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine coconut milk or milk of choice with oil, lemon juice, zest and extracts.
4. In another bowl, whisk together Mary’s Flour Blend, xanthan gum, sea salt and baking powder.
5. At low speed, slowly add dry and wet mixtures to egg and sugar mixture just until combined.
6. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Place in preheated oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake center springs back to touch. For 6-inch rounds, bake 28 to 30 minutes. For 12-inch rounds, bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Each serving of cake without filling or frosting contains 146 calories, 8g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 22mg cholesterol, 73mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 1g protein.

Wow, does this recipe brings back great memories.  Granted, my wonderful friend Grace made our cake (gluten free for us, regular for our guests), but hopefully the flavor of this one is comparable. 

For more great information about this cake and how to make it fancy (can you say wedding cake?!?!), check out some great step-by-step tips from Living Without HERE!  This link also includes a lemon curd filling and lemon frosting recipe!  Yum!!

Looking for a last minute treat to make your sweet?!?! 

Here's a quick, easy, AND delicious way to say Happy Valentines Day to the one(s) you love. 

I hope mine look like this! :)

Homemade Peppermint Patties (naturally gluten free!)
*Note: this recipe is quite large and includes peppermint pieces crushed on top (a little more "Christmas-ish"), but you could easily omit the peppermint pieces and shape your patties into hearts! :)  I'll be following a recipe that yields less patties, so I'll try to get that to you later today.  BUT...I didn't want to wait until I was done to share this wonderful treat with all of you!

This recipe was taken from here.

Homemade Peppermint Patties
(adapted from Allrecipes)
yield: approximately 28 large (2½-inch) or 40 smaller (1½-inch) patties

• 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 4–5 cups of confectionery sugar (I used a little under 5)
• 24 oz. of dark, high-quality chocolate (I used only 21 oz. and it was barely enough)
• a handful of soft peppermint candies, crushed

Combine the condensed milk and peppermint extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the confectionery sugar until the mixture is stiff and no longer sticky.
Form into balls and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten with the bottom of something smooth (like a glass).
Allow the patties to dry out at room temperature for about 2 hours. If they still feel a little soft after 2 hours, pop them in the fridge so they’ll stiffen up and be easier to dip in the chocolate.
To temper the chocolate:
Roughly chop chocolate, then place around a little bit less than 2/3 of it in the top pan of a double boiler. Stir occasionally with a silicon spatula until the chocolate has completely melted and reached 115°, then remove from heat.
Stir in the remaining chocolate, making sure all of it dissolves. Continue stirring until the temperature of the chocolate is between 91°–88°.
Dip patties in chocolate and place on wax paper. Immediately sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies on top.

The original patties

Give the candies about an hour to set, then dig in!

This post has been promised since making these cookies for a Christmas party and is LONG overdue!  My apologies.

But, it's FINALLY here!! 

The best part about this recipe is that it's naturally gluten free and you likely already have the ingredients in your house.  Just thinking about these scruptious babies makes me want to go home and whip up a batch!  Did I mention you'll be done in less than an hour (from start to finish!)?  No joke!
Enjoy!


Simple, Naturally Gluten Free Cookies
*adapted from Real Simple Magazine (December 2011)

Ok people!  It's time to rally up!! :)


Yummy Samoas!




The excitement of anything chocolate and peanut butter is always a favorite desire in our household. But something that's both tasty as well as healthy is hard to find.

Rachel was of course in one of her moods, ya know, craving something yummy moods. (I think we're both always like that) Anywho so she decided to make some amazing chocolate peanut butter cups.

This recipe comes from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet.

In her book, Alicia says "Back in the day, I was obsessed with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Now I make this healthier version and they are way better. In fact, I think they are the most ridiculously delicious things in the entire world. Look for graham crackers that are naturally sweetened or low in sugar (Health Valley makes a good one), and store the leftover crackers or crumbs in an airtight container for future use."

• 5 whole graham cracker squares (GF S'moreables)
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter (Unsalted Organic Butter)
• 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
• 1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener (1/8 with agave and 1/8 with organic sugar)
• 1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips
• 1/4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk (Organic Reduced Fat Milk 2%)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts
  
  
  (Instructions)

1. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (If You Care makes unbleached liners made from recycled paper.) We used a 24 cup mini muffin tin because of how rich these things are...
2. Break the graham crackers into large chunks and place in a food processor or blender. Pulse on and off until they are ground to fine crumbs. Measure out 3/4 cup of crumbs (reserve the rest for another use) and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.

     5.   Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture.


     6.   Top with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.


     7.   ENJOY!!!


Now we chose the smaller muffins because these bad boys are super rich, but OHH SO YUMMY! We put half of the incredible desserts in the freezer to save for a later day.

Have you tried these or anything else on our blog, let us know! We want your feed back as well!

It is the afternoon and I am hungry!  It is also over 90 degrees, so naturally my first inclination to satiate my hunger is ice cream!

In our house, ice cream is a regular part of our weekly menu.  Now, of course, it doesn't end up written on the actual menu, yet it is not rare for my husband to follow dinner with, "Do you want an ice cream cone?"  He makes the best ice cream cones!  He really could be considered an ice cream artist! :)  You know what I mean, just the perfect amount of ice cream inside the cone before placing a small scoop on top!  Perfectly delicious!

We've had ice cream 1-2 times a week for the past few weeks and we have yet to tire of it.  This leads me to believe that ice cream is just like pizza...it never gets old!  Such an interesting phenomenon about these food items.  Now back to the item at hand, the ice cream & it's cone.

My cone (pictured):

• Edward & Sons "Let's do...Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones"
• So Delicious Organic Chocolate Velvet Soy Ice Cream
• Trader Joe's French Vanilla Ice Cream

Crosby's (my husband) cone:

• Let's Do...Organic "Organic Sugar Cones"
• Trader Joe's French Vanilla Ice Cream

These ice cream cones never disappoint, but for my choice this afternoon I wanted something quick and a little extra chocolaty.  

Thanks to my lovely mother, I had these chocolate covered vanilla raspberry ice cream bars in the freezer.  Ciao Bella's Gelato Dips are gluten free and they are tasty!!  Now, they are also quite rich, so be prepared for that.  Nonetheless, they were just what the doctor ordered this Wednesday afternoon.  Look, even our dog seems interested!! :)

I was in the mood for dessert and decided to make these red velvet cupcakes from a recipe in the latest Living Without magazine.

Sadly, the amount of red food coloring the recipe called for was not nearly enough. Only 3 drops! I should have known better! And this being my first time around with red velvet, I didn't want to go too crazy (although I did try double the amount of food coloring, but to no avail). Rather than be sad, I improvised and turned the icing red. :-)

One interesting note about these cupcakes is that they're made with stevia to replace a good portion of the sugar.

Ingredients:

• Gluten free all purpose flour
• Xanthan gum
• Baking powder
• Cocoa
• Red food coloring
• Vanilla
• Salt
• Baking soda
• Cider vinegar
• Egg yolks
• Egg whites
• Stevia
• Sugar

So essentially this was a normal recipe for cupcakes with gluten free flour and xanthan gum in place of regular flour and stevia in combination with pure sugar.

Overall I was quite pleased with the results, although I overfilled many of the cupcakes (it's been awhile since I've made these things and I remembered right in the middle of pouring the batter to only fill each cup half way)!


For the frosting I bought powdered sugar and followed the recipe on the box (adding about 8 drops of food coloring).




Okay, so I have to modify the above comments.  I had another cupcake today (day after making them) and they were perfect!  Super moist and delicious!  The sweetness was just perfect!  My guess is that trying a cupcake at 10pm when you are about to go to sleep (which is what I did yesterday) is what causes your mouth to believe they are too sweet!

As for the cupcakes, I'll have the true test when my husband tries them, especially since he is the non-Celiac and still eats "normal" flour. :-)

My husband tasted these this morning and said they were, "a tasteful treat that satisfies any diabetics dream!" Haha...that's what I get for asking him his direct opinion!  Earlier when he ate them he said they were, "really, really good!"  Yay cupcakes!!

Happy baking!!

While tasty, I did find these cupcakes a bit too sweet. So I have a small request, if you know of a tasty frosting alternative that's good, but less sweet, please let me know so we can try it. Thanks! I also don't know that I'll bake that often with stevia knowing that it is a ton sweeter than sugar. But, I will continue to use it in my coffee as that is delish!!

Could you imagine gluten free samoas?!?!?!?  Oh my goodness, I would be in heaven (with a small headache from sugar overload!). :)
Cookie petition and complete article

Change.org has a petition for gluten free and allergy free girl scout cookies!  They started the petition May 8, 2011 in honor of Celiac Awareness month and Food Allergy Awareness week.  Go them!

From the site: "The cookie manufacturers and Girl Scouts have indicated that when they see enough of a need, they will consider manufacturing such a cookie.  If you or a member of your family have a food allergy and you have not been able to buy Girl Scout cookies because of this, please sign this petition letting the Girl Scouts know that they have lost out on your business but you would buy a box of cookies from them if they made a delicious cookie that is free from the top eight food allergens."

Please, please, please, please, please sign!!!!!!  

Greatest find ever!!!

Okay people, if you know what's good for you, drop what you're doing and head immediately to Trader Joe's and purchase these macarons.

I've been eyeing these beauties for months now and I finally succumbed to my desires and purchased them. Such a smart choice!

Picture the best brownie you've had in your entire life, combine that with the best cookie you've had in your life...these are even BETTER! As my husband just said, "I want to smear them on my face!"

Dinner with family and friends...such a wonderful thing that we don't do nearly enough. It's hard with how busy everyone can be, but it's such a blessing when we can make it happen.

The particular dinner featured here was at my father-in-laws house.

He and his wife are "normal" and didn't know much of anything about Celiac until they met me. This is quite typical of people as I've heard things like, "I'll get you a vegetarian meal!" Makes me giggle, but it's not that people are purposefully being insensitive, they're just unaware. Then again, I was eating gluten free for a few months when I was first diagnosed not knowing I was "poisoning" myself with garlic salt every time I cooked!! Side note, garlic powder and salt, separately, are fine but when bought as a combo (sorry I don't remember the brand) contain gluten.

My advice for all those unaware is WORK WITH THEM! As with a restaurant it pays to be apologetic and it pays to talk ahead of time. Talk with your friends and family. Discuss what their cooking plans are and work together to find a meal that fits.

This was the case with my wonderful in-laws. We were over for a fourth of July feast, complete with a bunch of fireworks we brought too!! Man, it was fun to light fireworks! I even lit some myself!!! A first for me and a brave move (thanks hubby!)!!! So, back to the food. My hubby's dad has a new Traeger grill, which we were excited to learn came with spices that are gluten free.
The menu:

• New York steaks (seasoned with worchester sauce, salt, and pepper)
• Corn on the cob
• Grilled veggies-red & green bell pepper, yellow squash & zucchini (seasoned with tregger's veggie shake)

The overall experience was delicious! It was wonderful to have a completely gluten free meal that everyone could eat and enjoy!



We even had junior mint homemade ice cream from their neighbor for a second dessert!!! So so good!

Anyone want to give us an ice cream maker?!?! :-)