Allergen Friendly Gingerbread House Kit

Are you looking for a gluten free gingerbread kit this holiday season?  Well look no further.  A&J Bakery makes an allergen friendly gingerbread house kit. The kit is not only gluten free, but is also peanut, tree nut, wheat, egg, soy, dairy, and sesame free.

Check it out:  http://www.aandjbakery.net/Gingerbread_House.html

What a great way to let your little one get into the holiday spirit!  Enjoy!

Living Social Deal from GlutenFreely.com

There's a great deal from GlutenFreely.com on Living Social today.  For $25 you get a voucher for $50 to spend on gluten-free products.   The voucher is good thru May 11, 2012, so you have quite a while to use it.  

Personally, I am a fan of voucher websites because you really can get some really great deals.  However, I have never seen one for gluten free products.  I definitely suggest purchasing this one, it is a great deal!

Click on the link below to make your purchase from Living Social.

  https://livingsocial.com/deals/133855?ref=conf-jp&rpi=35031818

Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Cookie Mix

I was wandering around my local grocery store when I came upon this box of Hodgson Mills Gluten Free Cookie Mix.  I had never heard of the brand before but thought I would pick up a box since the ingredients said they are all natural (brown rice flour, sugar, tapioca starch, amaranth flour, cornstarch, baking soda, xantham gum, & flake salt).  When baking from scratch I like to substitute sugar with honey or agave nectar but thought I would give this new brand a whirl.

Another thing that appealed to me about the box was that this cookie mix is a base and you can add different things to the mix to customize it for the type of cookies you desire.  The back of the box even has 5 recipes listed on the back for almond cookies, pecan cookies, chocolate cookies, peanut butter cookies, & chocolate chip cookies.  I decided to make the chocolate chip ones.

Something else I liked about this mix is that there were few ingredients to add.  It calls for 1/2 cup butter, 3 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, 1 box of the Hodgson Mills gluten free cookie mix, 1 large egg, and 2 tsp. vanilla.  I actually substituted the shortening with coconut oil and felt like the consistency still turned out great.

I followed the recipe on the back of the box, with the exception of substituting the shortening for the coconut oil.  

After making the mix, I added the chocolate chips and created small cookies to place on the cookie sheet.

 

Then, I baked the cookies for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Last, I removed the cookies and let cool!

 

I suggest picking up a box of Hodgson Mills gluten free cookie mix for yourself.  They really were fantastic!  You can even visit their website and see the other great gluten free products that they make.  These include: brownies, cake mixes, pizza crust, bread mix, and pancakes & waffle mix.  I also visited Amazon and when I typed in Hodgson Mill gluten free, a bunch of other products also popped up including: muffin mix, lasagna noodles, penne, angel hair, & elbow pasta, and multi-purpose baking mix.  Check it out for yourself here and enjoy!

SUN CUPS-Sunflower Butter & Chocolate (Gluten Free & Nut Free)

I think I've found my new weakness.  I've just recently discovered Sun Cups, which are essentially just like peanut butter cups but are made with sunflower butter.   These delicious, sweet treats are kosher, organic, nut free, and gluten free.

Since I am a huge fan of sunflower butter, these are quite the treat.  These cups come in both dark and milk chocolate and can be purchased either online or at a local grocery store that carries natural items.  I bought the dark chocolate ones at Raley's but also found them online at Amazon and other online merchants.  It looks like the manufacturer also makes caramel cups and mint cups-yum!  Here are links to just a few of the other online merchants I found:  Seth Ellis Chocolatier, Peanut Free Planet, and Natural Candy Store.

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:
16 oz. bag of gluten free pasta
2 tbs. all purpose gluten free flour
2 tbs. butter
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups of shredded sharp shredded cheese
A bit of shredded cheese to sprinkle on top


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 16 oz. of gluten free pasta.  (You can really use any type of gluten free pasta but I used Trader Joe's organic brown rice pasta).  When pasta is fully cooked, drain and pour into a large glass pan.

2.  In a small pot, melt 2 tbs. butter. 

3. Add 2 tbs. gluten free flour to butter and stir vigorously.  

 
4. Add 1 1/2 cups milk to the small pot and continue to stir with a whisk.

5. In the same small pot, slowly add 1 cup of shredded cheese at a time until you have added all 4 cups of cheese.  (For best flavor use sharp cheddar cheese.  I used 2 cups of sharp white cheddar cheese and 2 cups of sharp orange cheddar cheese.  However, if desired, you can use 4 cups of the same type of sharp cheese).  Stir vigorously with a whisk until the cheese is fully melted.

6.  Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta until all pasta is fully covered with cheese.  You can stir the cheese mixture around if desired.

7. Sprinkle some additional sharp cheddar cheese on top of the dish.

8. Bake macaroni and cheese for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  When fully cooked, put oven on broil for a few minutes in order to crisp the top of the dish.

9. Let cool for a few minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

JASON Kids Shampoo & Bath Gel

I've found two great new kids product!  If you enjoy natural products and love knowing that the products are both wheat and gluten free, even without having to read all of the ingredients, then these products are for you.  Both of these products are made by the brand JASON.  One of the products is a kids shampoo and the other is a kids bath gel.  The shampoo is extra gentle and the scent of the bath gel is berry burst.  Both products clearly state on the front label that they are wheat and gluten free, tear free, and paraben and sulfate free.  JASON products pride themselves on being pure, natural, & organic.   What more could you ask for in products for your little gluten free kiddo? 

You may be able to find these products at one of your local natural food stores but Amazon also sells them.  Follow these links below and check them out!

JASON Extra Gentle Shampoo

JASON Berry Burst Bath Gel

If you go to Amazon and type in Jason Kids, you'll actually find that JASON has an entire line of natural and gluten free kids products including shampoo, conditioner, bath gel, foaming hand soap, and toothpaste!

Cheesy Dinner Rolls-Gluten Free & Yeast Free

I used Chebe's Original Bread Mix to create these cheesy dinner rolls.  I simply followed the directions below, which are listed on the back of the package.

Ingredients:
1 package of Chebe Original Dinner Roll Mix
2 tbsp. oil
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
4 tbsp. water

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, use a spoon or fork to blend 1 package of Chebe Original Dinner Roll Mix, oil, parmesan cheese, and eggs.  Continue blending while adding 4 tbsp. water.

2. Knead dough with hands until it is smooth and well blended.  If too dry, add more liquid 1/2 tsp. at a time.  (I had to add one additional tbsp. of water and one tsp. of water).

3. Separate dough into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece into balls no more than 1" in diameter.  Place on a non-greased baking pan.

4. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serve warm.  Rolls should have a light crust with a soft chewy center.

I purchased this package of mix at Whole Foods but you can also purchase this yummy bread mix on Amazon.  It looks like they changed their package from the time I purchased mine, but it's the same product. I placed an order with Amazon yesterday.


http://www.amazon.com/Chebe-Bread-Original-7-5-Ounce-Bags/dp/B001ACMCNU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305779189&sr=8-2

Enjoy!