Gluten-Free Mi-Del S'mores

I have to admit that I have not tasted these little s'more cookies, but, considering the number of times my 2 youngest kids have asked for these, I have to believe they are super yummy!  I ordered these on-line as a lunch box treat.  
The S'mores are manufactured by Mi-Del, are peanut-free and packaged in 90 calorie snack packs.  Mi-Del is a large manufacturer of gluten-free foods, however their foods are produced in a facility that also processes wheat.  Mi-Del routinely employs the ELISA testing method to ensure that their products contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.  
Both kids have been begging me to order more!  So, I just placed a new order for the new year.

Tu-Lu's Gluten-Free Bakery

My hubby and I hosted Christmas dinner this year.  My brother and his fiance brought gluten-free treats from Tu-Lu's Gluten-Free Bakery in New York City!  My hubby and my little guy were thrilled!   So, the next time you're in the big apple - check them out.  Tu-Lu's also has locations in Dallas or you can order on-line!

Gluten Free Reindeer Food

Ingredients

2 TBSP Gluten Free Oats

2 TBSP Flaxseed

2 TBSP Sanding Sugar(we used blue ice)

Gather your children measure and mix together all ingredients.

At dusk, head outside and sprinkle on your lawn.  The reindeer can smell the oats and see the sparkling sugar.

Merry Christmas!

Gluten Free Molasses Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP Bob's Red Mill Sorghum Flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t xanthan gum
1 t bround cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground ginger
1 cup organic granulated white sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter - MELTED
1 large brown egg
1/3 cup molases
small bowl of sanding sugar

makes 24 delicious cookies

THIS DOUGH MUST CHILL FOR 4 HOURS BEFORE BAKING

In a medium bowl mix all dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine melted butter and sugar.  Blend in the egg and then the molasses.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out a tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball and roll in the the sanding sugar.  Repeat with remaining dought.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are crackled and set.
Let the cookies cool fro 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy

Simply Shari's Gluten Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies

I picked up a bag of Simply Shari's Gluten-Free Lemon Shortbread cookies at our local T.J. Maxx for $4.00 for a 6 1/2 oz bag.  I love hitting the Maxx to see what g-free treats I can find.  Sometimes they have a better selection that the grocery store!
Created by a mom with a Celiac dad and an Autistic daughter, Simply Shari's is a made in the USA company and all products are GMO free!  So you can truly feel good about supporting this company.  The Lemon Shortbread cookies are a bit crumbly and slightly gritty in texture.  However, they have a nice lemon taste with bits and pieces of real fruit sweetened lemon.
Simply Shari's website is full of helpful information ranging from lifestyle tips, healthy eating suggestions, links to blogs and articles about Celiac Disease and even a teen blog!
These shortbread cookies would be fantastic with some sparkling lemonade or a warm afternoon white tea.

Product Review: Gluten Free Funky Monkey

Well, I ordered an entire case of these Funky Monkey MangOJ snacks thinking they would be a great lunch-box item for my kids and my Celiac hubby.  My hubby works a lot, gets little time for lunch, and has a bit of a commute, so I thought these would be great for him leave in his car or desk.  
Unfortunately, not one of the five of us enjoy these fruit snacks.  The Funky Monkey fruit is 100% real fruit, no sugar added and gluten-free, but it's also freeze-dried.  It's extremely dry, crispy, and brittle.  Each piece is oddly shaped, hard and just feels odd in your mouth.  I told my kids it was astronaut food thinking they might think that was so cool it would be worth eating, but my innocent ploy is not working.  
My oldest daughter is performing in a high school band concert tomorrow night and the band is collecting donations for our local food pantry.  I'll be donating the entire case!  I hope someone else can enjoy these nutritious yet odd little snacks.

Gluten Free Jackpot

I hit the gluten-free jackpot at T.J. Maxx yesterday!  Dr. Lucy's cookies in a variety of flavors for only $3.99 per box!  If you can't find them, buy them in bulk!  They're delicious and my kids love them!

Who knew I could get so excited over a few boxes of gluten-free cookies:)

Favorite GF Product: GoGo Squeez Fast Fruit

Three new fast fruit flavors from GoGo Squeez!

I serve whole fruit every morning with breakfast and after school every day as a snack.  But it's great to have "fast fruit" to toss in a lunch box, throw in a back pack, or stow in the car for "emergencies".  This time of year is incredibly busy with school performances, classroom celebrations, holiday parties, winter concerts.....  So, it's nice to have a quick, easy and healthy snack - that won't get bruised or turn brown and turn off little taste buds.

Holiday Madness

Shopping for family, shopping for friends, shopping for teachers, gluten-free baking, picking out the "perfect" Christmas tree, decorating the tree, decorating the house, decorating gingerbread houses, creating Christmas cards, creating handmade holiday gifts, mailing envelopes, gluten-free baking, school performances, school concerts, school classroom parties, wrapping gifts, hiding gifts, managing a slightly naughty Elf on the Shelf, did I mention all the gluten-free baking....

Not much time left for gluten-free blogging.  But I still have a lot to share, so more to come after I catch up with the rest of my life!

Product Review: Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcake Mix

 

I recently came across Heartland Gourmet Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcake Mix in my local T.J. Maxx. The mix was simple to use, I only needed to add eggs, oil and water and cost $4.99 to make a dozen cupcakes.  Heartland Gourmet Lemon Cupcake Mix is also dairy free, all natural and organic.  

Heartland Gourmet is a family owned American company producing a variety of all natural, organic products in Nebraska.

Candy Cane Hershey Kisses

Sadly, Hershey's Kisses Candy Cane are not gluten-free:(  

Here is the direct link to Gluten Nutrition information for all Hershey's candy products.

Happy Holidays!

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

My food critic just turned 10!  Double digits:o)  She requested an angel food cake with a blue swirl.  Angel Food has long been a family favorite for Mother's Day, Easter, graduation and birthday events. We've always served it with fresh whipped cream and fruit.  

Finding a gluten-free angel food cake mix was no easy task.  So, I ordered one online directly from Kinnikinnick.  The mix is dairy free, casein free, lactose free and nut free.

I was surprised that I had to add 12 eggs whites to the mix as "regular" angel cake mixes only call for the addition of water!  So, be prepared if you plan on using a gf angel cake mix - don't foret to buy a dozen eggs too!  Egg whites that come already separated in a carton are not recommended for baking.

Our gluten-free angel food cake wasn't quite as light and airy as a traditional angel food cake, but it look fabulous and tasted delicious!  Most importantly, my food critic was thrilled and enjoyed every birthday bite.

Elf on the Shelf Eating Holiday Marshmallows

Apparently our Elf decided to dive right in to a bag of Kraft Jet-Puffed Holiday Mallows!  The good news is that the Holiday Mallows are gluten-free so our little Elf shouldn't get a tummy ache - unless he eats too many of course:)

Adam's Gluten Free Surprise

To provide full disclosure, Debbie Simpson, author of Adam's Gluten free Surprise, sent me a copy of her book for review on my blog.  I have to admit, I felt so honored at the request and was delighted to receive an autographed copy.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, I read Adam's Gluten Free Surprise to my 10 year old food critic and my 7 year old gluten-free guy.

Adam's story was all to familiar for my little guy.  He identified with Adam immediately.  Adams journey actually brought a tear to my eye as this story immediately reminded me of certain aspects of my little guy's own journey.

When reading how Adam couldn't eat the cupcakes or pizza at a school party, my food critic, who is very close with her little brother, declared "Wow!  That happened to Sawyer too!".

Adam's Gluten Free Surprise is a great story for kids with Celiac who are in the 2nd-5th grades.  Perhaps even more significantly, I think this book should be read by classroom teachers, teacher aides and assistants, school nurses and cafeteria personnel who work with students with Celiac Disease.  I'd love to see this book shared as a read-aloud during elementary school faculty/staff meetings to help those adults working with children better understand the daily struggle and disappointment kids with CD face.  The impact of Adam's story provides valuable lessons for adults who are responsible for creating a nurturing, inclusive environment for their students.

We're going to keep our autographed copy of Adam's Gluten Free Surprise.  But, we're going to pay it forward by purchasing a copy to donate to my little guys school library.

Thanks Debbie!