Archive for August, 2008

Peanut Butter & Honey “Truffles”

Aug 27

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 6 Comments

Have I mentioned that I LOVE peanut butter?!  From kindergarten through the twelfth grade I ate a peanut butter sandwich every single day at school (over 2,000 PB sandwiches consumed!). Recently, I discovered an amazing site which pays homage to one of my favorite delicacies.  I truly think the Peanut Butter Boy is my long lost brother (hey, in my family, you never know what other siblings are out there!).

Ahem, moving on…

So, Peanut Butter Boy is hosting “The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #4 – No Bake”. Oh yeah! No baking AND peanut butter – I am totally feeling this challenge. I immediately thought of a recipe my mom and I used to make when I was little. It’s no-bake, kid-friendly, and is a healthy treat. The original recipe called for wheat germ, however, I’ve substituted flax seed since “wheat is dead to me”. I must also note that I used to call these concoctions Peanut Butter Balls, but I decided to rename the recipe as it just didn’t sound very, uh, nice.

Peanut Butter & Honey Truffles

1 cup DRY milk (I used non-fat)
1/2 cup peanut butter (Crazy Richards Chunky)
1/3 cup honey (local)
1/4 cup ground flax seed (Bob’s Red Mill)

Mix all ingredients together. Form into small balls. Roll balls in coconut, cinnamon & sugar, or cocoa mix.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes and enjoy!

I humbly submit this recipe to my long lost brother’s Peanut Butter Exhibition #4 :)

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One Ugly “Calzone”

Aug 25

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation | 11 Comments

Let it show for the record that I in no way hold Chebe Gluten Free Bread responsible for the debacle I have created in my oven.

Let me set the scenario for you all…  Hubby has just walked in the door at 6:30 p.m. from usual gridlock commute from hell.  He’s hungry.  He does not want another Hot Pocket for dinner.  Crap.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 are eating an oh-so-nutritious dinner of bow tie pasta, butter, and Parmesan cheese.  Oh, and Kixx cereal.  Finally, at 7:15 p.m. I decide to cook something for myself.  I’ve been reading blog posts about good results with Chebe pizza crusts and decided to give it a whirl.

This is where it all began to fall apart.

The kids were completely off their rockers tonight and the screeching was beginning to pierce my (tiny) brain.  I think I must have read just part of the directions on the back of the package in between getting milk cups, a napkin, and a pickle (in no apparent order) for my family.

So I mixed up the ingredients for the pizza crust and happened to see that you can make calzones from this dough!!  I used to love, love,  love calzones, so I decided to make one for dinner.  It was only AFTER I put the calzone in the oven that I took the time to read ALL of the directions.  Apparently, I was supposed to separate the dough into four equal parts and make four calzones.

Um, I made one gigantoid calzone.  It was ugly and pretty much exploded in my oven.

I just had to take a picture to share because this, my friends, is the ugliest meal I’ve ever made.  What a train wreck…

On a positive note, the calzone was edible!  Albeit a bit chewy since the crust was like 12 inches thick, but after I sawed through it with my steak knife, it filled my tummy just fine.

Go ahead, laugh…you so know you want to!

If you’d like to check out some, ahem, successful Chebe creations, visit Sea at Book of Yum’s blog or Pete at No Gluten, No Problem.

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (Gluten Free!)

Aug 20

Posted by Maureen in Celiac "101", Hold The Gluten Podcast | No Comments

The latest episode of my Hold The Gluten Podcast is now live!

Episode 6 “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (Gluten Free!)” Features:

  • Getting to your destination.
  • Airlines offering GF meals.
  • Pack GF snacks in carry on (a must!)
  • Research, research, research!
  • GF blogs & newsgroups can provide info on where to safely eat at your destination.
  • Find chain restaurants and grocery stores in area.
  • Triumph Dining Cards - free GF American Dining Cards during month of August.
  • Lesson learned – unknowingly given grain alcohol on trip – told it was potato vodka.

Read the blog. Listen to the podcast. Educate yourself.

Rock on Celiacs!

Click the player below to listen to the show! Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes (or whatever media player you use) at http://feeds.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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Guac Totally Rocks!

Aug 18

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Appetizers & Dips, Related Disorders | 6 Comments

I have a special place in my heart for avocados…

When I was first diagnosed three years ago with Celiac Disease, I had no idea what the heck was safe to eat. I made the usual newbie mistakes, thinking “wheat free” labels meant gluten free (and totally glutening myself in the process). I was terrified to ingest much of anything for fear that my rear-end would literally self implode (ok, really bad visual, my sincere apologies). So, for the first month after going gluten free, I ate a block of sharp cheese, two avocados, and some sun dried tomatoes.

Every single day.

This odd trio of items were the three things I knew for certain were safe.

Three years later, I am (thankfully) educated like nobody’s business on the intricacies of Celiac Disease. Despite branching out from the avocado, cheese, and sun dried tomato diet, I still eat 1/2 an avocado most days on my usual serving of nachos. Recently, I have become slightly obsessed with guacamole. It’s very easy to prepare and the avocado provides a bevy of nutritional goodness.

Two important things to remember: (1) avocados practically turn brown as you are slicing them open, so plan to eat your guac in a timely manner and (2) be sure to select medium ripe avocados — you can check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm, yet will yield to gentle pressure.

Guacamole is glorious with corn tortilla chips, as a topping for enchiladas or nachos, or as a filler for quesadillas. Kick back, enjoy some freshly made guacamole with a tasty mint mojito and savor the goodness of gluten free food!

Guacamole

2 avocados – peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 onion diced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced (note – the seeds within the pepper provide the heat)
1 lime juiced
1 large tomato or 10 cherry tomatoes seeded and diced
1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with a fork. Mash as little or as much as you like. Fold in the the remaining ingredients and mix well.

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Happy Hour, Gluten Free!

Aug 6

Posted by Maureen in Celiac "101", Hold The Gluten Podcast, Recipes: Beverages | 7 Comments

The latest episode of my Hold The Gluten Podcast is now live!

Episode 5 “Happy Hour, Gluten Free!” Features:

Read the blog. Listen to the podcast. Educate yourself.

Rock on Celiacs!

Click the player below to listen to the show! Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes (or whatever media player you use) at http://feeds.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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Curse You Gluten Free Bloggers!!!

Aug 4

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation | 7 Comments

Ok, I don’t mean this literally. Please don’t shun me from the blogging community. But, c’mon people, do you really have to post such luscious, tasty recipes of gluten free goodness?

Let me explain. In less than two weeks, I will be going on vacation (and attending a podcast expo) with my hubby in Las Vegas. A real vacation, just us (my in-laws are happily watching Thing 1 and Thing 2). Now, I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but from what I’ve read and seen, it’s the Land of the Hot People. Twenty-somethings in scantily clad bikinis with not an ounce of cellulite in sight.

Holy crap – somebody call my shrink, I’m having a panic attack.

I can do Las Vegas, right? I’m not too far past my prime. I can still hang (well, at least until 11:00 pm if I have a nap during the day). I want to look hip and trendy for Vegas. I want to wear glitter and get a little (gasp) hootchie mama.

In “Training For Vegas” (cue Rocky theme), I’m eating healthy and exercising. My problem is visiting these gluten free blog sites is like going to the grocery store on an empty stomach. Bad, bad, bad! These bloggers make living a gluten free life look fulfilling and oh-so-satisfying.  My willpower to abstain from decadent delights goes right down the drain… Sigh.

I’d like to share some of my favorite stomach grumblers with you. Check out the sites, try a recipe or two, and, think of me, desperately trying to avoid the (insert expletive here) Internet at all costs.

The good news is that after August 17th I can go back to wearing my “mom pants” again :)

Book Of Yum’s Gluten Free Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake. I LOVE cheesecake! Before I was gluten free, I could devour a 12 inch cheesecake with just a fork and a smile. Sea’s creative recipe knocks it outta the park!  YUM!

Ginger Lemon Girl’s The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Carrie, a lovely southern girl, was the Grand Prize Winner for these scrumptious cookies. She bakes like nobody’s business!

Gluten Free Steve’s Surefire, Never Miss Cinnamon Rolls. Steve’s recipe puts Cinnabon to shame. I love to visit Steve’s “Rants” section — it’s just genius! I admit it, I’m a celiac with anger issues… Steve is my Zoloft.

Simply…Gluten Free’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie. Carol is witty, can cook, and takes a mean food photograph. I have had to stop myself from licking the computer screen. Seriously…

The Crispy Cook’s Blueberry Pizza. Rachel boldly took on the challenge of cooking gluten free for her celiac husband. How awesome is that?! My poor hubby (who doesn’t have celiac) is lucky if he gets a Hot Pocket for dinner.

Trav’s Gone Gluten Free’s Chocolate Fudge Cake. I totally want to be Trav’s new best friend. He is always baking chocolately goodness for his (lucky!) compadres. Trav, my other restraining orders for “stalking” have been lifted. BFF pinkie swear.

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