Month: April 2020

Categories
Favorite Gluten Free Brands

Favorite Cake Mixes

Most of our family birthdays occur in the spring, so I thought it fitting to post about our favorite cake mixes. There will be more information on our favorite individual cakes coming to the “Favorite Recipes and Dishes” category very soon. In our family I am notorious for a having a sweet tooth, so talking about cakes is right up my ally. If you saw my “Easter Eats” post you know that Brooke loves making angel food cakes. Her favorite box mix to use in the Kinnikinnick brand. It is an easy mix and tastes great. For regular chocolate and vanilla cake mixes our must have brand is: Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Cake Mix. It requires minimal ingredients, it’s moist, it’s rich, and it tastes amazing. It is a great cake base that can be dressed up or down no matter the occasion. Think of this mix like your favorite basic t-shirt, versatile. When it comes to baking cakes many of our staple recipes can be found in “The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free” written by Anne Byrn. This cook book offers a wide variety of delicious gluten free cakes and treats. For anyone in the market for a new dessert cookbook I would 11/10 recommend this gem.

Until next time,

Brynn

Categories
Favorite Gluten Free Brands

Favorite Gluten Free Flours

It’s easy to dream about flowers right now as it is April 13th, but snow is covering the ground. That said, I will be writing about our family’s favorite gluten free flours today;) instead. I have found that baking with gluten free flour can at times feel like a science experiment. It’s not easy to get the right consistency or moisture within a gluten free dough/batter without some alterations of a recipe; whether that be adding an extra egg, some more water, or even apple sauce. However, having the right flour makes all of the difference. Below you will find my favorite flours to cook and bake with.

Bette’s Gourmet Featherlight Rice Flour Blend: This flour is a must in our kitchen. It incorporates very well into recipes and requires minimal moisture additions. A quick tip to baking with gluten free dough is to let the dough chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes prior to shaping and baking it. This allows for the flour to soak up more of the dough’s moisture. We use this flour in everything from crusts and breads to pancakes and even homemade pasta. Another great aspect of the flour is that you can order it on Amazon.

Another flour we love to keep around our home is pink peonies. Oops, just kidding, I have spring flowers on the brain again.

In all seriousness another flour we almost always have in the pantry is: King Arthur Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour. It’s another amazing flour for cooking and baking and can be found in almost any grocery store. It incorporates very well into diverse recipes and is lightweight. It can get a little dry, so small amount of additional moisture to a batter or dough doesn’t hurt.

Categories
Favorite Recipes and Dishes

Easter Eats

Happy Easter everyone! I know due to COVID-19 this Easter felt a bit different. Thankfully at times of celebration we can rely on those closest to us and long standing traditions to help regain a sense of normalcy. After watching church as a family on the living room T.V, the kitchen was filled with activity. I prepared deviled eggs as hors d’oeuvres, Brooke created an angelic dessert, and mom baked some popping rolls to be served at our Easter dinner.

Deviled eggs are a recent favorite of our family. Today we used Ree Drummonds deviled egg recipe and they turned out devilishly delicious. I’m punny, I know. 😉 The recipe was super easy and required ingredients that we had just laying around the house. However, I like to freelance in the kitchen, so I added sriracha instead of the tabasco sauce listed on the recipe.

Brooke loves light and fruity desserts, and has become a master of baking them. Some of her staples include pavlova and angel food cake. Today she made an angel food cake, decorated with chocolate covered strawberries. She loves the Kinnikinnick brand, (see more in the “Favorite Gluten Free Brands” category) the cake held its shape very well, was light and airy, and had a crisp outside that the whole family loved.

Stephanie (Mother) prepared some popping popovers. She used her mother’s popover recipe and converted it to gluten free using a gluten free flour blend. Our favorite flour blends can be found under the “Favorite Gluten Free Brands.” She makes the popovers for every holiday and they seem to run out instantly.


From our family to yours I wish you all a very happy and healthy Easter. I hope you enjoyed hearing about some of our favorite Easter dishes.

Until next time,

Brynn

Categories
Favorite Gluten Free Brands

Top 3 favorite Bread Brands

Udi’s- A great loaf of bread for sandwiches, and is also conveniently found in most grocery stores. The taste is good, just be warned it does crumble easily. Udi’s has many other gluten free food products. I remember Udi’s as one of the first gluten free brands utilized in our home after Brooke was diagnosed in 2009.

Against the Grain- This is our family’s favorite gluten free baguette and bun brand. It tastes great and holds together very well. It originated in Vermont, which is a very special state in the heart of our family because Dave (father) was born and raised in St. Albans.

Schär- Schär is another great brand for gluten free products. Their baguette is exceptionally good, and is a very close second to Against the Grain at our dinner table. It is also dairy free, for my gluten free foodies out there who cannot have dairy.

Categories
Living a Gluten Free Lifestyle

Sneaky Places Gluten Can Hide

Gluten is becoming labeled better on most food items, but sometimes it can hide in various products. It’s important to not only check the label for wheat, but also barley and rye. Gluten can also hide in the form of cross-contamination. Most often fried foods are fried in the same oil as products that contain gluten. If you have Celiac this amount of gluten will likely make you sick. There are plenty of gluten free substitutes for the items listed, but to avoid getting “glutened” it’s best to always check the label. Below you will find a list of products that gluten can hide in.

Carmel coloring ( most often found in soy sauce and root beer)

Dressings, sauces, gravy, and condiments.

Canned soup

Meat substitutes

Beer

Brewer’s yeast

Play dough

Medication

Lip balm

Cereal

Oatmeal

Malt

Chocolate (Lindt and Ghirardelli both contain gluten)

Categories
Living a Gluten Free Lifestyle

Getting “Glutened”

What to know:

No matter how diligent you are about avoiding gluten sometimes getting “glutened” just happens. Firstly, identify if you have experienced a major glutening (sourced from eating large quantities of gluten) or a minor glutening (sourced from cross-contamination or very small amounts of gluten). Second, listen to your body. Symptoms of getting “glutened” vary from person to person, and the quantity of gluten consumed. Symptoms can include, but are not limited too: diarrhea, constipation, reflux, bloating, stomach cramping, headache and fatigue. Your symptoms can come in any combination. Look for patterns within your symptoms upon occurrence to help identify if you’re feeling ill due to gluten. Source: Anderson, Jane. “What Does It Feel Like When You Get Glutened?” Edited by Emmy Ludwig, Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 12 Nov. 2019, www.verywellhealth.com/what-does-it-feel-like-when-you-get-glutened-562469.

How to feel better:

So after getting “glutened” and identifying your symptoms, the next question is how to feel better? As I said above, symptoms can and will vary. My go-to method of feeling better involves getting as comfortable as possible. If I have time, I will take a relaxing bath in some eucalyptus epsom salts or hot shower. I then change into my favorite sweatshirt and sweatpants combination; I never want to wear anything tight. Once i’m dressed I make myself a mug of of peppermint tea. Peppermint tea will soothe the stomach and allow for some relief. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water. From here, just rest. Getting “glutened” puts the body under an immense amount of stress. There is no shame in taking time to yourself to rest and allowing yourself to recover mentally and physically. In your recovery time you could consider taking a nap, watching your favorite show, or participating in a short mindful meditation. This will allow you to focus inward, and relax. Some of my favorite guided meditations can be found in the app called “Headspace.” The guides are very positive and create a relaxing environment. The focus of the meditation is to be present within yourself, in a non-judgmental manner. I find this relaxing and non-judgmental environment helpful after getting “glutened” as it puts me in a more positive frame of mind, and allows me to recovery fully in mind and then body. It should be noted that don’t have endorsement contracts with any of the apps, restaurants, brands, etc. that I list. I just want to be as honest as possible with what works for me and my family, so I can help and inspire my fellow gluten free foodies.

Until next time,

Brynn

Categories
Living a Gluten Free Lifestyle

New to the GF Crew

Hello All,

My name is Brynn! I am Brooke’s older sister and have been with her throughout the entirety of her Celiac journey. I have always loved making her my favorite pre-Celiac dishes to experience. I am a firm believer that anything can be made gluten free. I have been gluten free officially for a year now due to my own medical reasons.

A little about me: I am a political Science student at the University of St. Thomas, aspiring to practice law in the long term. In my free time I love to exercise, my favorite program right now being Peloton- such a positive environment. I also love to travel and experience the unique cultures and cuisines around the world. I find that food is the best way to immerse oneself into a culture. However, being gluten free that can sometimes seem daunting. My fellow individuals with food allergies please remember, there is strength in uncertainty and often times the most growth is found outside of the comfort zone. Delicious gluten free dishes can be found around the world. I love using the “Find Me Gluten Free” app to guide me towards some of my favorite restaurants. This fall my roommates and I will be living in an apartment with a kitchen that we are all very excited to use. 3/4 of my roommates have food allergies and I’m sure experimenting with recipes will give me plenty to write about.

My presence on this blog will largely be to share my favorite gluten free go-to meals, review gluten free restaurants, and describe the results of new recipes I will be trying. I often use cooking and baking as an outlet for stress as a student. I hope to promote positive mindfulness through food on this blog.

Check in next week for some of my favorite gluten free brunch foods.

Until next time,

Brynn.