Super Easy Cookies June 3, 2008

Just like salt and pepper, ketchup and mustard, and popstars and disaster go together, so does peanut butter and chocolate. This yummy “buckeye” recipe combines the best of both worlds. These are like little peanut butter and chocolate balls. You basically mix it all up together. It is a perfect recipe to do at a sleepover or for parties. It is pretty simple and it really doesn’t take too long. It takes about as long as chocolate chip cookies do, maybe a little longer, but if you love chocolate and peanut butter, you’ll love this. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. You’ll need wax paper, a double boiler, a cookie pan, and a medium bowl. In the medium size bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar (mixture will be stiff).
2. Shape into balls and place on a pan covered with wax paper. Place into the refrigerator.
3. In double boiler, melt chocolate and shortening. Pour into bowl and dip balls with chocolate. Refrigerate for thirty minutes until chocolate is firm.

Pancakes! May 22, 2008

I love pancakes! They remind me of my dad cooking up stacks of warm, buttery pancakes on Sunday mornings. Of course, they were gluten free, but if I ever wanted to have some pancakes on a regular day…not going to happen. But, ever since a Trader Joe’s moved in by my house, that place has been an endless wonderland of great GF foods. One of my favorites so far is their Homestyle Gluten Free Pancakes. These are great! All you do is pop them in the microwave for a little bit, take ‘em out, slather with butter and drench in syrup and you’re good to go. The thing I love the most is how quick and delicious they are. It breaks up my every-day cereal routine, and they’re yummy. Unlike some microwave pancakes, they aren’t rubbery, and they don’t even taste “gluten-free”. They are available in the frozen food section of Trader Joe’s, which has locations in 9 great states. Check out their website at http://www.traderjoes.com/.

Happy Eating!

XO,

Juliet

Seven Layer Bars May 21, 2008

Who doesn’t love these? Seven layer bars are some of my favorite treats, and here is a yummy gluten free version. (thanks to allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

• 7 ounces flaked coconut
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 8 ounces unsalted peanuts
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C ). Generously grease one 13×9 inch baking pan.
2. Spread 2/3 of the flaked coconut evenly on the bottom of the baking pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch morsel, chocolate chips, and peanuts evenly over the coconut layer. Pour condensed milk evenly over the whole pan. Top with sliced almonds and remaining coconut . Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Link Day 5/18 May 19, 2008

All of you chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream lovers! Rejoice! Celiac Teens found a GF ice cream.

Gluten Free Girl has something for you to try out tomorrow morning.

Simply Gluten Free has a fresh rice noodle salad.

OMG! Take a look at these decadent chocolate dipped brownie torte wedges from a gluten free mommy.

Stay Good Without Gluten with this yummy salsa.

Mmmmm…Mac and Cheese! May 17, 2008

One of America’s favorite foods, macaroni and cheese is one of the easiest, most delicious foods to make. GF mac and cheese is hard to come by, and you have probably seen your fair share of hard rice noodles in a watery sauce. Not true with this mac and cheese. This is easily my favorite mac and cheese EVER! I even liked it when I wasn’t diagnosed. And it couldn’t be easier to make. Pop in the microwave for 4 minutes, and you’re good! Whenever a new box is bought at my house, it becomes a race to see who can make and eat it first. The noodles aren’t hard or mushy, and the sauce is creamy, cheesy, thick, rich and delicious. I am a food snob, and CD has made me even snobbier, but this passes the test. It is sold in most Whole Foods stores, and any other grocery stores that carry microwave meals. And, unlike most microwave meals, it looks and tastes as good as it does on the box. I couldn’t love this stuff more. Actually, I think there’s a fresh box sitting in the fridge right now…..

Eating Out (as a SillyYak) May 13, 2008

Hugs, Kisses, Snaps, Claps and LOTS of love to all of our GF homies over there at Silly Yak.com!

They have posted a 230 page (yes, you heard me right) list of all the restaurants across the good ol’ USA that we can eat at! And to make it even better, they list all of the things we can eat at that specific restaurant. Amazing. BUT always check at restaurants, because things always change. Happy Eating!   sillyyaks-restaurant-guidebook-as-of-january-29-20071

XO,

Juliet

What do you do? May 13, 2008

For a Celiac, being gluten free makes many aspects of life harder. One of the most common problems of a Celiac teen is…….going to a friends house, sleepover, party, etc. Of course, you always feel like a burden, reciting the litany of wheat, rye, oats, barley, modified food starch, distilled vinegar, malt………..etc. This makes it especially hard to go to parties and sleepovers, since many parents are very unfamiliar with this disease. Either you can hand them a 50 page packet explaining everything, or you can do what is easy. When going to a party, your best bet is to bring your own food. You may look a little weird, but people will understand. I bring my own (gluten free) dressing with me in my purse always, and I use old hotel shampoo bottles to keep them in. This is good for school and work. Also, bringing one of those heat-in-the-microwave soups is good as well. Near my home, there is a bakery/foodshop that is designed to be gluten free. They sell mini pizzas which are good to take along. You can order them online at www.madwomanfoods.com, but if you don’t live in MN, WI, IA, IL, ND, or SD, the shipping is pretty expensive. I also love Amy’s foods, at www.amys.com, and there are stores all over the US. They have wonderful microwave foods, pizzas, and many others that are gluten free. (just a note, their rice mac & cheese is to DIE for). Going to parties are only as hard as you want to be, and being proactive with your food is important. Party away!

XO,

Juliet

Link Day! May 10, 2008

Happy Saturday! I have some great links to some great sites, so here you go!

Gluten Free Girl is baking some yummy looking lemon poppyseed cake.

Reyanna at Celiac Teens has some great ideas about cheese.

Wake up with some Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones from Gluten Free Goddess.

Snack on something delicious with Simply Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Kill The Gluten with this great pizza recipe.

XO,

Juliet

Quick Snacks May 7, 2008

After school today, I was craving a quick, easy snack that I could just grab and go. For us Celiacs, it’s not as easy as just grabbing a cookie from the jar, so I compiled a list of some that are naturally GF.

Snack List

Jell-O

Pudding

Nuts

Peanut butter with fruits/veggies

Marshmallows

Rice cakes

GF Cereal in a baggie

Rice crackers

Cheese

Applesauce

Yogurt

Fruit cups

Salad

GF cookies

Yogurt raisins

Trail Mix (Craisins, peanuts, M&Ms and marshmallows

Popcorn

Craisins/Raisins/Other dried fruits

Chips and salsa (Fritos, Cheetos, Ruffles, Tostitos)

Fruits/Vegetables

Hummus w/rice crackers (I absolutely LOVE Nut Thins…review coming soon)

Yummy Choco-chip Cookies May 7, 2008

Chocolate chip cookies are some of my favorite things in the world! I especially love this recipe, just don’t overbake!

Delicious GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 4 dozen small cookies

2¼ cups Gluten-Free Mix (I like Beth’s Gluten Free Pantry brand)
1 tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Xanthan Gum
1/8 tsp Salt
2 sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
¾ cup packed Brown Sugar (I use ½ cup of light brown sugar)
¼ cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
2 tsp Gluten-Free Vanilla
1½ cups or more Chocolate Chips
1 cup Walnuts, lightly toasted

1. Mix together the gluten-free mix, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt.
2. Cream the butter until white.
3. Add both sugars and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the egg and vanilla. Blend well.
5. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts
7. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
9. Using an ice cream scoop, place mounds of cookie dough on the cookie sheet, leaving 3 inches between the mounds.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges will be set but the centers will be soft.
11. When cool enough, transfer to a cooling rack