Posts Tagged Betty Crocker Gluten Free

Celebrating Mother’s Day

May 3

Posted by Maureen in Hold the Gluten Blog | No Comments

At times, it’s hard for me to remember life before the title of “Mom”.   I have many other labels – wife, daughter, sister, and friend, but “Mom” feels most special.  Being loved unconditionally is a pretty amazing thing.  There’s nothing like your son telling you how pretty you look when in all reality your hair looks like a bird’s nest and your sweat suit attire should have been packed away five years ago.  I did get my son Ryan’s eyes checked after his adorable statement but his peepers were just fine.

My daughter Emma just turned 10 and my son Ryan will be 7 next month, so I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating many a Mother’s Day.   No matter how you choose to celebrate, the most important part of the day is being together.  With that said, presents, flowers, and sparkly objects will not be turned down…

Happy Mother’s Day from one mom to another!

Breakfast in Bed

I love to sleep.  I think it’s because I was sleep deprived for the first five years of my kids’ lives.  In my humble opinion, there is nothing better than being served breakfast in bed.  Well, an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii would totally be better, but that’s comparing apples to oranges.   Why not treat mom to a delicious gluten-free breakfast?  Don’t forget to clean up the dishes afterwards – that’s sure to score you bonus points.

There are so many gluten-free breakfast options!  Open up your box of Gluten-Free Bisquick to whip up some PB&J Waffles or a Coffee Cake.  Check out my hints to serve up mom a creative & tasty breakfast!  Than brew up a fresh pot of coffee or pour her a glass of OJ and start mom’s day off deliciously!

Picnic in the Park

Picnics are fun for the whole family.  Pack a picnic basket with mom’s favorite foods and head off to celebrate Mother’s Day while she relaxes on a blanket reading her favorite book or magazine.  Rain in the forecast?  No worries – bring the picnic indoors!  Set up in your living room and put on some of mom’s go-to music.

Picnics are all about easily transportable foods.  Pack up a container of Tomato, Mozzarella & Roasted Red Pepper Salad or White Bean Hummus with some carrots and celery.  Go Picnic has ready-to-eat meals for your picnic-themed jaunt. Want a sweet treat for mom?  Bring along some of Lucy’s Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Peanut Butter layer bars.  Mom’s belly will be full after your gluten-free picnic eats, so let her doze off for a bit (remember my comment on sleep deprivation?).

Dinner Fit for a Queen

Mom will truly feel like royalty has you prepare her a delicious Mother’s Day dinner.  If she loves “comfort food”, bake up a Glazed Meatloaf or a Bard’s Beer Chocolate Espresso Chili.  Surprise mom with a fine dining feel with Coq Au Vin.  Bake up a gluten-free Carrot Cake or a Gluten-Free Devil’s Food Cake with a Rich & Creamy Cherry Frosting.

Don’t forget to give your mom a big hug and a kiss.  Those moments will be forever treasured!

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Get hopping! Easter’s on its way!

Apr 3

Posted by Maureen in Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 4 Comments

Get hopping!  Easter’s on its way!

Looking for an egg-cellent (and tasty) activity to make with young ones?  I bake this adorable Easter bunny cake each year with my kiddos.  What a perfect finale to your egg hunt party or holiday meal!

Easter Bunny Cake with Cream Cheese & Coconut Icing

2 (15-ounce) boxes of Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix
2 sticks (1 cup) butter (softened)
4 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs
1 1/3 cups water
3 containers of Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
3 (14-ounce) bags of sweetened shredded coconut
Pink food coloring
Blue food coloring
Gluten-free jelly beans
Gluten-free gumdrops

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans with butter or olive oil spray.
  2. In large bowl, beat cake mixes, butter, vanilla, eggs, and water with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour evenly into pans.
  3. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  4. Place one cake in center of large platter for bunny’s head. Place other cake on cutting surface; cut two football-shaped pieces from each side of cake to use for ears. Place ears on top of bunny’s head. Place remaining piece under bunny’s head for bow tie.
  5. Reserve 3 tablespoons frosting. Frost entire cake–except insides of ears–with remaining frosting. To reserved frosting, stir in 1 drop pink food color; frost insides of ears with pink frosting.
  6. In a small food-storage plastic bag, shake 1/2 cup of the coconut with 1 drop blue food color. Carefully sprinkle blue coconut over bunny’s bow tie.
  7. Sprinkle remaining (un-dyed) coconut all over bunny’s head and edges of ears, leaving centers of ears pink.
  8. Make whiskers, eyes and mouth with jelly beans.  Use gumdrops for the nose and bow tie buttons.

Baskets filled with (gluten-free) Easter joy!

Unsure what candy is safe and what is gluten-filled?  Never fear!  Before you fill those baskets with sweets, stop by MyGlutenFacts.com for an amazing listing of gluten-free holiday candy.  Their comprehensive directory is even broken down into two categories – jelly beans and candy.

From the Hold The Gluten family to yours, enjoy your Easter holiday!

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My-Oh-My Cherry Pie (Cheesecake)!

Mar 28

Posted by Maureen in Hold the Gluten Blog, Let's Eat Out, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

April is one of my favorite months of the year. The sun seems to shine a bit brighter.  Yards and gardens are waking up from their long winter naps.  Families excitedly emerge to work and play outdoors.  All is new again.  Hello Spring, welcome back!  Despite Punxsutawney Phil’s chilly prediction, the warm weather has shown up a month early.  March has definitely been more of a lamb than a lion!  In your face groundhog!

celiac coeliac cherry pie

Every year, my family travels to our nation’s capital, Washington, DC for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.  In 1912, Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo gave the gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the city of Washington, DC. The annual celebration honors the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan.  This year, the world-famous National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the 100th anniversary of the gift of the cherry trees.

Viewing the cherry blossoms is absolutely breathtaking.  Light breezes blow through the tree branches and create a shower of delicate pink and white petals while our national monuments serve as a stunning backdrop.  An added bonus for visitors is that Washington, DC is a fabulously gluten-free city!  Dining options abound, from casual to elegant. Be sure to save room for a gluten-free dessert (or two!). For more information on gluten-free travel, visit Delight Gluten-Free Magazine’s interactive map of Washington, DC.

In honor of the Cherry Blossom Festival, I’ve created this delectable cherry-themed dessert. Happy spring!

Gluten-Free Cheesecake with Cherry Topping
Who needs a graham cracker crust?  Whip up a delicious Chex Cereal crust for this cherry cheesecake!

Chex Cereal Crust

2 cups of crushed Rice Chex cereal
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted salted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a food processor add all crust ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined. Press crumbs against the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Cheesecake

3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese , room temperature
1 ¼ cup white sugar
3 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Gluten-Free Bisquick
1 can (21-ounces) cherry pie filling

While crust is baking, blend cream cheese until fluffy with a mixer. Slowly incorporate sugar until thoroughly combined.  Add eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, and Gluten-Free Bisquick.  Using a spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl to ensure the batter is thoroughly combined.   Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan. Bake in center of oven for 60 minutes at 350 degrees F. Place a baking sheet filled with water on the rack beneath the cheesecake to eliminate cracking and maintain moistness.  After 60 minutes, turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and let the cheesecake remain in the oven for 1 hour.  After 1 hour, refrigerate cheesecake to chill. Add cherry pie topping and serve.

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Gluten Free Waffles & Waffle Bar!

Feb 5

Posted by Maureen in Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Breakfast | 3 Comments

Our family loves breakfast! Breakfast for breakfast. Breakfast for lunch. Breakfast for dinner.  Who doesn’t love gluten-free waffles?

gluten free waffles

If you don’t have a waffle maker in your kitchen gadget arsenal, stop everything (well finish this post first), run to the nearest kitchen gadget store, and buy one! My waffle maker is one of my go-to appliances. The kids love waffles for our weekend family breakfasts. Since weekdays are absolutely crazy with school, soccer, piano, gymnastics, and other random sports the kids are involved in, I’ll cook up a large batch of waffles and freeze them for a quick breakfast during the week. Waffles are also the PERFECT substitute for bread!  Think BLT, egg and cheese, or (one of my favs) Nutella and Nutella with some extra Nutella on the side (I have a bad obsession with this stuff).

I’m going to share one of my special recipes: PB&J Waffles. I am a self-proclaimed expert on all things peanut butter & jelly since I ate a PB&J sandwich every.single.day from Kindergarten to High School.  Seriously, I’m not kidding… Why not take this waffle craze a step further and host your own Waffle Bar? Imagine how fun Sunday Brunch will be at your house!

Gluten-Free PB&J Waffles
Makes 4 six-inch waffles

1 1/3 cups Bisquick Gluten-Free mix
1 ¼ cups milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 ½ cups of warmed jelly

1. Stir ingredients until blended
2. Pour onto center of hot greased waffle maker, close lid
3. Bake according to waffle maker instructions
4. Remove waffle and serve with warmed jelly in place of syrup

Host Your Own Waffle Bar!
Hosting your own Waffle Bar is SO easy… Here are some topping ideas to include in your buffet. Get as creative as you like, the possibilities are endless to what you can top a waffle with!

Sweet Waffle Toppings
Bananas
Chocolate Chips
Blackberries
Raspberries
Homemade Whipped Cream
Maple Syrup
Cinnamon & Sugar

Savory Waffle Toppings
Crumbled Bacon
Caramelized Onions
Cheddar Cheese
Diced Ham
Sliced Almonds

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Gluten Free Coffee Cake

Oct 19

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Breakfast | 3 Comments

gluten free

The holidays are coming!

Let the panic/stress/I’m off my rocker festivities begin!  All joking aside, I seriously love celebrating the holiday season by serving up a delicious breakfast buffet.  Breakfast is much more manageable than attempting to clean a turkey and make like 26 side dishes from scratch.  Don’t forget the hand stamped and embossed place cards.  Yeah, I’m so over it!  Why not join my holiday mutiny and kick off your celebration with a warm and cozy gluten free breakfast?  Since we’re all family here at Hold The Gluten, I’m sharing my Good Morning Gluten Free Coffee Cake recipe with you!  Now don’t you feel special?!  You’ll not only find the cinnamon-sugary streusel mix on the top of this fabulous coffee cake, but in the center as well.  Can you say gluten free goodness?  I would but my mouth is totally full of coffee cake…

gluten free

Good Morning Gluten Free Coffee Cake Recipe

Streusel Mix
2/3 cup Bisquick Gluten Free mix
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup butter

Coffee Cake
2 ½ cups Bisquick Gluten Free mix
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
½ cup sour cream

Pre-heat oven oven to 350°F. Spray an 11-inch round springform pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, prepare the streusel mix using 2/3 cup Bisquick mix, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cut in butter, using a mixer until mixture is crumbly; set aside.  In medium bowl, stir all coffee cake ingredients until blended. Spread half of the coffee cake batter in pan; sprinkle with half of the streusel topping, spread remaining batter and then top with remaining streusel topping.  Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm! Store tightly covered.

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Gluten Free Peanut Butter Pancakes

Oct 11

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Breakfast | 3 Comments

 

gluten free pancakes

As a little girl, pancakes for supper was a special treat.  We’d feast on stacks of pancakes, crispy bacon (nom nom nom), and hash browns.  What kid wouldn’t love a meal like that?  Way better than roast beef and (gag) turnips.  Although watching my grandfather eat scrapple still traumatizes me just a bit even to this day.  That stuff is just nasty!  To keep the tradition going, my kids and I eat a lot of pancakes for dinner.  We even get a little crazy and add chocolate or vanilla chips or fresh berries.  A few nights ago I decided to add a little chunky peanut butter to the batter.  The result?  Totally awesome!

Peanut Butter Pancakes

1 cup Gluten Free Bisquick Mix
1 cup milk
2 tbsp oil
1 egg
2 tbsp peanut butter

Stir ingredients until blended.  Make sure the peanut butter is thorouglhy mixed in.  Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot greased griddle.  Cook until the batter starts to form bubbles and the edges are dry.  Flip pancake and cook until golden brown.  Serve with warm maple syrup.  Makes about 8 pancakes (we like ours on the big side).

 hold the gluten

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How to be a Happy Gluten Free Camper!

Aug 4

Posted by Maureen in Celiac "101", Hold the Gluten Blog | 3 Comments

gluten free smore

Ahhhh, the great outdoors.  There’s nothing quite like enjoying the company of family and friends while kicking back in nature.  If you are planning on getting your recreation on, here are some tips and advice to a fun and successful camping trip!

Breakfast Menu

Just because you are away from home (and your kitchen), doesn’t mean that you can’t have a tasty and filling breakfast.  How about toasting a delicious Udi’s bagel and topping it with cream cheese or even making it into a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich?  Break out the cast iron pan and whip up some chocolate chip pancakes using Gluten Free Bisquick.  Gluten Free Chex Cereal with fresh fruit is a great start to the day as well.  Don’t forget your percolator for freshly brewed coffee!

Lunch

Lunch is time to recharge and refuel.  What’s more filling than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Udi’s Whole Grain Bread?  You could get really adventurous and try my favorite sandwich – peanut butter and bacon!  It sounds a bit vile, but I promise you’ll be hooked once you taste it.  Homemade or store bought soup warmed over the campfire is another great choice.  You could always keep it light with yogurt topped with gluten free granola and mixed berries.

Mid-Day Snacks

I am obsessed with making my own gluten free Chex Mix!  It’s so easy to make and very portable.  The Chili and Garlic Chex Mix is my favorite, but the possibilities are endless.  Another great snack option is fruits and veggies.  Crunchy apples or carrot sticks will tide you over till the dinner bell sounds.  Some grab and go ideas are Larabars, Nature Valley Nut Crunch bars, or Glutino Pretzels.

Dinner

Pack some gluten free hamburger or hot dog buns so you can grill up a gluten free sausage with peppers and onions or a double decker hamburger.  Roasted potatoes and veggies cooked in a tin foil pouch are an easy side.  Premix all of the dry ingredients at home for skillet cornbread and add the wet ingredients at the campsite for traditional camping fare.  Get shucking and serve up grilled corn with chili-lime spread.  Grilled corn on the cob has such awesome flavor!

Dessert

What’s a camping trip without s’mores?  I’ve taste tested the Kinnikinnick GF Graham Crackers and they are awesome for s’more making?  Or be creative by using two Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cookies to sandwich your chocolate and roasted marshmallow.  Just bake the cookies ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in your cooler.  Premade Gluten Free Brownies or Gooey Rice Krispie Treats are also a well-deserved treat after a day of exploring.

A little pre-planning will help to make your camping trip an awesome experience.  Remember to pack your own utensils and pans to avoid cross contamination.  Be sure to educate your fellow campers of your gluten intolerance and the need to keep your foods separate from their gluten filled eats.

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Gluten Free Cake Pops!

Jul 5

Posted by Maureen in Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 3 Comments

Gluten Free Cake Pops

Birthdays are a time of celebration (and an excuse shamelessly to eat lots of cake!).   I’m beyond happy that gluten free dessert options have come such a long way!  I remember my first gluten free birthday.  Truth be told, “pre-celiac” my version of baking involved going to the bakery and buying something.  It was safer for all involved if I steered clear of the oven.  Then I went gluten free and I was basically forced to become one with my kitchen, 15 different types of gluten free flour, and a strange ingredient called Xanthan Gum.  I baked my first birthday cake and it was a disaster.  It tasted like burnt cardboard and looked like a squashed pancake.  However, in the past six years, I’ve learned to (gasp) enjoy baking!  I love creating new gluten free recipes and coming up with fun and tasty treats.  If I can do it, you can too!   Want to get creative for your next sans gluten birthday dessert?  This recipe was a huge hit with adults and kids alike.

gluten free cake pops

 

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Pops Recipe

Cake:
1 box of Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1 stick of butter
3 eggs
1 cup water

Icing:
8 ounce cream cheese (softened)
¼ cup of butter (softened)
1 cup confectioners sugar
½ tablespoon of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional Items:
2 packages of lollipop sticks (from local craft store)
Parchment paper
2 packages (four cups) white or dark chocolate chips
Sprinkles, non-pareils, sugar beads, or shaped sprinkles

I followed the directions on the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix box.  Let the cake cool completely.  Now for the fun part, plop cake into a large bowl and begin breaking it up with your fingers.   In a separate bowl, cream together one 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese, ¼ cup softened butter, 1 cup of confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon of milk, & 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.   Once the mixture is fully creamed and smooth (if necessary, add a bit more milk), transfer the mixture into the bowl of crumbled cake.  Using your hands, combine the cake and icing.  Transfer cake/icing mix to refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Roll mixture into 1 – 2 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.  Once all balls are formed, insert a lollipop stick into each cake ball.  Pop the cookie sheet into the freezer for 15 minutes.  While cake pops are freezing, begin melting your chocolate in a double boiler (or microwave) in a deep bowl.  Begin dipping each cake ball completely into the chocolate.   Get creative and sprinkle on whatever toppings you’d like!  Place lollipop back on parchment paper and allow chocolate to harden.  FYI, these can be frozen for a future celebration!  Makes approximately 40 cake pops.

gluten free cake crumbsgluten free white chocolate

gluten free decorated cake pops

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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake!

Jun 30

Posted by Maureen in GF Product Reviews, Hold the Gluten Blog, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | No Comments

Cake or ice cream?  Tiara or party hat?  Big bash or intimate celebration?  We all like a birthday (or other festivity) with options.  Not only can we gluten free peeps have our cake, but thanks to Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix we have other tasty choices!  I was super excited when I (insert modesty here) ingeniously decided to use Betty Crocker’s GF Cookie Mix to create a ginormous and scrumptious cookie cake!  I’m sure you’ve all seen cookie cakes in your local grocery store.  However, those cakes are loaded with gluten (boo hiss).  So I easily made my own gluten free cookie cake and it ended up costing less than the price of a store bought cake!  That’s a big ol’ win/win in my book.

Here’s how to make your very own gluten free cookie cake:  follow the directions on the Betty Crocker gluten free cookie mix box.  When cookie mix is a soft crumbly dough, transfer it to a 10 inch pie pan.  Evenly press the cookie dough around the base of the pie pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes (cookie will be light golden brown).  Let cool completely before decorating.  To decorate this cookie the size of sputnik, I used Betty Crocker Easy Flow Decorating Icing (it comes with four tips for different style options).

Before you blow out the candles, don’t forget to make a wish!

Disclaimer: please don’t judge me on my cake decorating “skills” cause I have none!

 

gluten free cookie cake

 

gluten free cookie cake

 

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Traversing the Grocery Store – Gluten Free

May 25

Posted by Maureen in Celiac "101" | 5 Comments

I remember when I first went gluten free; I would spend hours at the grocery store.   Fear not!  You can easily tackle gluten free food shopping with some important tips in mind:

1)      Do your research and create a list before you shop.  Compile a “cheat sheet” of what is gluten free before hitting the supermarket and bring your reference guide with you.

2)      Stop by the customer service desk.  Many grocery stores are now providing a list of gluten free products they carry in store.  Some stores even have a downloadable version you can access online.

3)      Shop the perimeter of the store.  Naturally gluten free fruits and veggies, meats, poultry, fish and dairy products can be found in the outer aisles of most grocery stores.

4)      Explore the inner aisles for gluten free finds such as canned goods, rice, corn tortillas, Frito Lay snacks, Chex gluten free cereal, Betty Crocker Gluten Free cake, cookie and brownie mixes, and Gluten Free Bisquick.  Chain stores as well as food stores such as Target, Trader Joes, Wegmans, and Whole Foods also carry a nice selection of gluten free food products.

5)      Speak to the store manager.  Is there a certain gluten free food that you are wishing your store would carry?  Talk to the manager and ask to fill out a product request form.

6)      Read all labels.  As time consuming as it may be, reading ingredient labels is the one way you can make absolutely certain if a product is gluten free.

7)      Shop during non-peak times.  If at all possible, plan to do your shopping during a time when your grocery store is not busy (early morning, late evening, weekdays).  You’ll feel less pressured when the aisles aren’t jam packed with frenzied shoppers.

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