At Least You Can Eat Cheese

Nov 26

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast | 10 Comments

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

Episode 30 “October aka Celiac Awareness Month” Features:

betty.crocker.gluten.free.snacksGluten Free Giveaway! The fantabulous folks at Betty Crocker sent me a their gluten free fruit-flavored snacks to sample.  They’d also like to share the gluten free goodness with one lucky Hold The Gluten listener!  Leave a comment for a chance to receive a Betty Crocker “Simple Joys” prize pack that includes 2 boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks, a retro Pick ‘em Up Sticks game, a light-up yo-yo and a classic Frisbee.  Betty Crocker Fruit-Flavored Snacks is a snack you can feel good about as they are made with real fruit and each serving is less than 100 calories! Now kids – and kids at heart – can enjoy the simple joy of a fun, great tasting gluten free snack.    Deadline to enter is 12/14/2009.

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

Rock on Celiacs!

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread

Oct 31

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 7 Comments

Trick or Treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat!

Happy Halloween everyone!

gluten free pumpkin corn bread

I was recently perusing the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens and noticed a naturally gluten-free recipe within their “Thanks for Thanksgiving” article. Score one for the gluten intolerant! I loved the idea of Pumpkin Cornbread and had to give it whirl. As you know, I am very fond of cornbread — it’s so delicious and easy to make. I slightly tweaked some of the ingredients and added a sugar base. This recipe is fantastic! The family enjoyed it warm topped with melted butter. A drizzle of real maple syrup would be tasty as well.

Gluten Free Skillet Pumpkin Cornbread

6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons masa harina
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup buttermilk
8 ounces sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
demerara sugar for bottom of pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of cast iron skillet with melted butter, set aside remaining melted butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, sugar, masa harina, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl combine remaining butter, buttermilk, sour cream, egg, and pumpkin. Whisk into cornmeal mixture. Sprinkle demerara sugar into bottom of cast iron pan (enough to coat) before pouring batter. Bake 25 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean).

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October aka Celiac Awareness Month

Oct 23

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast | 40 Comments

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

Episode 29 “October aka Celiac Awareness Month” Features:

ShabtaiGluten Free Giveaway! Leave a comment for a chance to win Shabtai Gourmet’s Gluten Free Prize Package!  Shabtai Gourmet is a unique Gluten Free Bakery line specializing in Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Soy Free, Casein Free, Peanut Free & Dairy Free Cakes and Cookies. Shabtai has brought a fresh and exciting new approach to allergen free baking. Shabtai and his family owned bakery has grown over the years, yet has never lost its old world out of this world taste.Three lucky winners will be chosen.  Deadline to enter is 11/06/2009.

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://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

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Betty Crocker Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Review

Oct 17

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 10 Comments

betty crocker gluten free cake

June 1, 2009 was a historical day for the gluten intolerant.  Gluten free peeps all over America were able to buy GF cake, cookie, and brownie mixes at their local grocery stores.   I sped like a maniac cautiously drove to my supermarket with grand visions of eating gluten free cake for lunch that day.   Much to my amazement, I arrived at the store and saw not one measly box of gluten free mix.  The gluten-filled mixes mocked me from their shelves.   With a heavy heart, I returned home empty handed and washed down a handful of chocolate bits with some Hershey’s syrup.  Two months later, the day of rainbows and unicorns finally arrived!  I’d procured a box of GF vanilla cake mix that I didn’t have to purchase online, at a specialty food store, or three states over by way of catamaran.

I’d read on several gluten free blogs that the Betty Crocker Vanilla Gluten Free Cake Mix was on the dry gritty side, so I decided to doctor it up a bit.  To the cake mix, I added one cup of sour cream (I used reduced fat) and one vanilla pudding mix.  Here’s my (humble) opinion of the product and my tweaked results:

Pros

  • Ease of purchase (even my local podunk grocery store carries the GF product line).
  • Minimal ingredients = tasty cake in belly sooner rather than later.
  • With the sour cream and pudding mix added, I loved the cake!  My picky, gluten-eating family thought it was delicious as well.

Cons

  • My wondrous gluten free cake mix for $4.00 was sitting right next to a lovely 99 cent box filled with wheat.
  • The box of Betty Crocker gluten free cake mix is 15 ounces.  Betty’s glutenous cake mix is 18.25 ounces.
  • The glutenous Betty Crocker cake mix makes TWO eight inch cakes or 24 cupcakes.  Those who make the gluten free version will get ONE lonely eight inch cake or 18 cupcakes.  Seriously, why do gluten intolerant people get less product for a greater price?  Something seems wrong with this picture.

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Hold The Gluten Hiatus No More

Oct 6

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast, Up Close & Personal | 5 Comments

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

Episode 28 “Hold The Gluten Hiatus No More” Features:

  • Hold The Gluten is back!  Where I’ve been and what the heck I’ve been up to.
  • Recap of NFCA Appetite for Awareness Event on September 30, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Upcoming Gluten Free Giveaway from Shabtai Gourmet.  Drawing will be held next podcast.
  • What do YOU think of this HTG Podcast? Leave your feedback wherever you download this podcast!

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://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

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I’m Baaaaack!

Oct 2

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast | 5 Comments

Bacon Diet Coke

Where has Hold The Gluten gone?  I’ve been busy drowning my sorrows in Diet Coke, Bacon, nachos & Chex cereal.  Never fear gluten free friends, I (finally) recorded Episode 28 of Hold The Gluten podcast!  It will be posted in the next few days, so please stayed tuned!

I also want to thank you for your messages and well wishes.  What an awesome gluten free community we have!

Maureen

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Gluten Free: It’s What’s For Dinner

Aug 11

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast | 7 Comments

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

Episode 27 “Gluten Free:  It’s What’s For Dinner” Features:

  • Announcing Aleia’s Gluten Free Giveaway Winner!
  • WOW Baking Company “Tell Us Your Story & Get a Free Cookie”
  • Two GF friends share their fav bread recipes.  Michello’s Farmhouse Buttermilk Bread and Gluten Free Bay’s Miracle Bread
  • Proclaim your gluten free freedom with a tattoo?!
  • Easily gluten free in the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia).
  • Random Primetime TV mention of “gluten free”  – Hung on HBO
  • Listener question answered:  Can you gluten yourself if you don’t actually swallow the food?
  • You Tube videos:  Dr. Peter Green and The Celiac Disease Center of Columbia University
  • What do YOU think of this HTG Podcast? Leave your feedback wherever you download this podcast!

AleiasWeb-logo
CONGRATULATIONS MARTHA!  Martha was the lucky Gluten Free Giveaway Winner! She’ll be munching on Aleia’s Gluten Free Italian bread crumbs, parmesan croutons, almond horn cookies and chocolate chip cookies!

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://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

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Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar

Jul 27

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews | 6 Comments

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar is NOT the cheesiest.  Nor will you find Sponge Bob Square Pants, Scooby Doo, or Pokemon-shaped pasta inside the box.  That said, this mac n’ cheese does taste good.  A little doctoring of the cheese portion was needed (I like my pasta happily smothered in cheese sauce), but overall this is a great product to have on hand for a quick meal.

gluten-free-rice-pasta-cheddar

Pros:

  • Uber-simple to make.  Even a monkey could prepare it!
  • The rice pasta tastes like the “real thing” — no gritty texture.
  • Reasonably priced at $1.99 for 6 ounce package.

Cons:

  • The cheese portion of the mac n’ cheese was more like watery cheese soup.  It’s very thin and needs to be thickened up with extra cheddar.
  • The box of gluten free mac n’ cheese is 6 ounces.  A traditional glutenous box of mac n’ cheese is 7.5 ounces.  Um, hello, why do gluten intolerant peeps get less?

trader-joes-gluten-free-rice-pasta-cheddar

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Gluten for Punishment

Jul 24

Posted by Maureen in Hold The Gluten Podcast | 44 Comments

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

Episode 26 “Gluten for Punishment” Features:

  • Glutened by Sami’s Bakery Millet & Flax Hot Dog Buns.  My story.
  • Betty Crocker FREE coupon to sample one of their gluten free products (cake, cookie, or brownie mix).  Call 1-800-446-1898, select Option 4, and provide your name and mailing address.
  • Starbucks discontinuing their Valencia Orange Cake.  Sign Triumph Dining’s petition to bring back the Gluten Free Cake.
  • Trader Joe’s GF Pancake/Waffle Mix and GF Mac N’ Cheese review.
  • Check out Gluten Free Faces – the latest social network for gluten free peeps.
  • Celiac Disease Insights:  Clues to Solving Autoimmunity (thanks for sharing Mike!).
  • What do YOU think of this HTG Podcast? Leave your feedback wherever you download this podcast!

AleiasWeb-logo
Gluten Free Giveaway! Leave a comment for a chance to win Aleia’s Gluten Free Italian bread crumbs, parmesan croutons, almond horn cookies and chocolate chip cookies!  Deadline to enter is 08/07/2009.

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://feeds2.feedburner.com/htgpodcast

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Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Jul 11

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 7 Comments

gluten-free-blueberry-muffins

“You’re my boy, Blue.”  Will Ferrell, Old School

The above reference has absolutely NOTHING to do with my blueberry muffin recipe, but I had to include it.  As I began working on this post, I battled a case of writer’s block.  While these blueberry muffins are indeed delicious, said muffins were not inspiring writing greatness.  Grasping at straws, I searched for a witty quote about lovely blue fruits (yes, I was really reaching).  All I could find was a wordy poem about blueberries by Robert Frost.  Um, ok.   Then my mind started wandering (it has a tendency to do that more often than not) and I started thinking about the movie Old School and Joseph “Blue” Palasky.  At the ripe age of 89, Blue was the oldest member of a bogus fraternity.  Sadly, the navy veteran met his demise while preparing to wrestle two scantily-clad girls in a blow up pool.  But I digress…

Tranquilizer guns, beer bongs, and streaking aside (hmm, not a very successful transition), these blueberry muffins are moist, freeze wonderfully, and are pretty darn tasty.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup POM juice
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 mashed ripe banana
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup millet flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries
Lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, lemon and POM juice, orange extract, canola oil, agave nectar, mashed banana, and brown sugar thoroughly.  Add in brown and white rice flours, tapioca starch, millet flour, flax seed, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir until combined and then fold in blueberries and lemon zest.  Using a spring loaded ice cream scoop (this is so much easier than trying to pour directly into the muffin tin!), evenly distribute the batter into muffin tins.  Bake 30 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean).  Makes two dozen muffins.

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