Creative Options for GF VBS Snacks
With summer comes a whole host of really fun camps for kids! Our church has a really great Vacation Bible School program (VBS for short) called HotU that starts next week. If you have signed your kids up for HotU or any other VBS/Camp this summer and you are finding that you now need to organize a snack that fits your kiddo’s dietary challenges, I have some ideas for you.
Some things to consider before shopping for snacks:
- If you are attending HotU at Christ Community Church, you should know that they have posted the snacks for the week on their website. Just click on “snack list” here to go directly to it so that you are prepared for the week!
- Remember to communicate ahead of time to someone at your VBS/Camp about your child’s dietary needs. This will help give you and your child peace of mind while they are having fun. Hopefully, you will find yourself talking with helpful individuals whose goal is to make the camp experience as stress-free and fun as possible for your child. If not, ask for the person up in the chain of command!
On to my suggestions… Over the years, I have gone to great lengths to provide a snack “in kind” for my children while they are away. This really helps with the anxiety over what they will be having. I try to get as close as possible to the actual snack that the rest of the crowd will be having… that said, it can be a tall order! Here are some ideas that have worked really well for us and are usually pretty close to the snacks other kids are having:
- Rice Krispy Bars: With plenty of GF brown rice crisp cereal available, t is easy to make your own from scratch. If you need a recipe, click the following link for my version of a great rice krispy bar with gluten free versions of traditional ingredients. You can also find these bars pre-packaged in the gluten free section of some grocery stores. Trader Joe’s has a great GF Crispy Brown Rice Bar. At this time, even though Kellogg’s makes a GF version of their Rice Krispy cereal, their ready-made bars are NOT gluten free. We can only petition them to encourage a GF version of their bars and to help them see the need!
- Chocolate Chip Cookies: Thank goodness for Enjoy Life! They have really saved the day when it comes to gluten free cookies. I keep a stash of their cookies packs (chocolate chip and snickerdoodle varieties) on hand to make it easy for my kids to grab and go when they know there will be a cookie served. Each pack has two soft, gluten free cookies. The other reason Enjoy Life is my choice for the “cookie” snack is that they offer this single serve package. That is a lot of the “issue” for our children when they have to eat against the norm. At least they can bring something in a printed package from some company with a name other than “mom’s kitchen”!
- Fruit Snacks: These are much easier to find for the gluten free kid. Either fruit snacks or fruit by the foot tend to be gluten free naturally. Even Aldi’s has a version of fruit snack that is gluten free. Double check the package. Welch’s fruit snacks are a go as they use Modified Corn Starch and none of the ingredients listed show gluten. Just remember: if an ingredient list says Modified Food Starch your best bet is to avoid the product until you have called the company to make sure of what type of starch they use. Never assume something is gluten free just because there is no statement stating “contains: gluten” underneath the ingredients.
- Oreo cookies: I have said this before, Kinnikinnick makes a great gluten free chocolate sandwich cookie, rivaling the beloved Oreo. You can find Kinnitoo’s in three flavors, chocolate, fudge and vanilla. If you cannot locate those, you might find Glutino’s brand of chocolate vanilla creme sandwich cookies which are a good stand in as well.
- Animal Cookies: Orgran makes a great gluten free mini-animal cookie in snack size packages called Mini Outback Animals. They also have a few varieties (chocolate, vanilla, and graham). Look for a package of 8 snack size servings in the gluten free aisle of your grocery store or health store.
- Pretzels: Stock up on small packs of pretzels that are easy to grab and go as well. Ener-G and Glutino have a small bag of their mini Gluten Free pretzel twists that comes in handy. Or, just be economical and purchase a larger bag and create your own mini-packs by portioning out snack size servings into zip-top plastic bags or containers. Just as easy to grab and go.
- Popcorn and Corn Chips: Pre-popped popcorn, Original Tings by Pirate Brands and individual packages of Frito’s are also great to send with your child for camp. Many times, VBS staff provide just popcorn every day for a whole week! Get some small brown or white paper bags to put your gluten free popcorn in so that your kids can enjoy the nostalgia that comes with being handed a bag of popcorn!
Sure, not all of these snack ideas are super nutritious. The key for kids at camp is to provide them with something they will feel comfortable eating around others. Their peers do not need any more “ammo” to single them out or make them feel weird about being different. Try and ease up on the nutrition requirements here and there to let your children experience a fun and stress free snack time at camp. They will tell everyone that you are the best mom (or dad) on the planet for it!
Favorite Boxed Macaroni & Cheese Options
In my last article, I gave you our families favorite homemade version of Gluten Free Mac ‘n Cheese. I want you to know that it is not a frequent visitor to our dining table! Mainly because it is not a recipe for the quick cooking needs of our fast paced days. Most of the time, when hard pressed to get “something” on the table, I turn to the little yellow box… Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar. I then dress up the cheesy pasta with something nutritious along side, such as a salad or side veggie. Or, there are the times when I choose to use it as the starchy side along with a roast, grilled chicken or, totally kid friendly, with hot dogs. I am not sure if you have found a replacement yet for that little yellow box containing all of your childhood memories. If not, here are a few that we highly recommend:
- Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar – four stars in our book. Plus, it helps that our favorite grocery store has lots of this cheesy pasta at a really great Gluten Free price! Usually found near the GF pastas at your local Trader Joe’s for around $1.99 a box.
- Pastariso Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese Boxed Dinners from Maplegrove Foods – Hands down, this is our favorite. The “white cheddar” variety is the best and it always cooks up consistently well. We get rave reviews from every guest at our table when we serve cheesy pasta from Maplegrove Foods. The down side is that it has become harder to find and a little pricey. Our local Woodman’s stocks some of their products for around $2.69 a box.
- Annie’s Homegrown Gluten-Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Mac & Cheese – This one is usually easy to find in the gluten free section of most grocery stores. Annie’s too makes a good, consistent product. We also like that the proportion of pasta to cheese sauce is very well balanced. They tend to be a little pricey (around $2.99 a box) but probably is the easiest to find!
While only one of these products come in the beloved little yellow box… we have found that any of these are really great additions to our lunches or dinners. Kid’s and kid’s at heart can still enjoy this “made at home, out of a box” favorite! Plus, there is help for gluten free mom’s everywhere trying to put something fun on the table that everyone can enjoy. One of the reasons I tried just about any box of GF Mac ‘n Cheese that I could find had to do with play-dates for my oldest child. I so desperately wanted to offer something familiar to the kids who venture to play and stay for lunch. I started searching for a brand of cheesy pasta that would match what kids eating traditional diets are used to. One child in particular specifically requests playing at our house for the boxed Mac ‘n Cheese I serve. This friend loves our families “choice” in cheesy pasta from a box so much that I was requested to tell the mom where to go to get it!
If you find that your local stores do not carry a box of cheesy pasta that you like, hopefully you can check out one of the products I mentioned above. Trouble finding any to try? Check out Amazon.com! The links I provided for all but the Trader Joe’s product are from Amazon.
Do you have a favorite Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese from a box? If so, share it with us! We would love to discover something new with you.
Gluten Free Mac 'n Cheese
Sometimes you just need a slice of comfort… “home made goodness” is what my family calls our favorite gluten free Mac ‘n Cheese. As I watch them at the table, everything just seems right. I recently made a large pan of our GF Mac ‘n Cheese for a potluck at our church. Among all the potato salads and tossed salads, this dish was one of the first to go… didn’t matter that I had labeled it “Gluten Free”! So, if you are searching for a bit of comfort amidst your gluten free cooking, rest assured that you can turn to this recipe and find what you are looking for. It does make a lot, so if you need to you, can cut the recipe in half and still have a good amount. As with traditional Mac ‘n Cheese recipes and other casseroles, this is always better the second day!
Gluten Free Mac ‘n Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 16 oz. package of gluten free elbow macaroni or shell noodles (you could even use the spiral shaped pasta)
- 4 Tbls butter, divided
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cups milk or nondairy substitute (I use rice milk), divided
- 1/3 cup Gluten Free flour mix (use one that does not have xanthan gum in it)
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated jack cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup GF bread crumbs
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook your pasta according to directions on the package. When pasta is tender, rinse under cold water and drain well.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 3 Tbls butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of milk with your GF flour mix. Add this to the onion/butter in the saucepan. Then whisk in the remaining milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened (about 10 minutes), whisking often. Remove from heat when thickened and stir in the grated cheddar and jack cheese. Then sprinkle in 1/4 cup of the grated parmesan cheese and the nutmeg and stir again.
- Butter a large glass baking dish (9×13 size) or two smaller dishes with a little butter.
- Pour the drained pasta into the baking dish. Then pour the hot cheese sauce over the pasta and mix slightly.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining 1 Tbls butter. Stir the bread crumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese into the melted butter. Sprinkle this over the top of the pasta/cheese sauce mixture.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Cool a little before serving, or you can make this ahead and just warm it in a 300 degree oven about 15 minutes before you need to serve it.
You can also add some crumbled bacon or chopped up ham to the casserole if you wish. For those who cannot have dairy, I have made this with dairy free cheese in the past; however, the casserole does not have the same robust flavor as it does when you use the real sharp cheddar cheese. But it can be done. You might want to add some other herbs to jazz it up if you are using a dairy free cheese alternative and don’t forget to use a butter alternative as well. Enjoy!
Trader Joes GF Oats and their Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
Happy 4th of July everyone! While shopping yesterday, I found a gem on the “Look What’s New” shelf at Trader Joes… Gluten Free Rolled Oats!! A big 2lb bag… that’s 32 ounces folks! At other grocery stores, you can find Bob’d Red Mill GF Oats for approximately $5.99 – $7.99 a 32 ounce bag or order online from the Gluten Free Oats Company for around $10.00 per 2 lb bag. Wow! So, mornings will be happy with plenty of oatmeal for everyone around here.
You might be asking what is up with oats? All over the store, people were talking about them… “why aren’t they gluten free?” was the big question. Well, a few years back I asked this very question to a farmer friend of mine. As it goes, the farming community uses oats as a rotation crop with other gluten containing crops (mostly wheat, barley and rye). Therefore, oats are contaminated with gluten in the field. On their own, they contain no gluten proteins whatsoever (the two proteins most responsible for gluten intolerance are gliadins and glutenins). But, when grown in fields that hosted say “wheat” the year before and then farmers harvest the raw oat groats with the same equipment used to harvest other gluten containing crops, there you have it… gluten in your oats. There are farms that have dedicated their land and equipment to serve the gluten free community with oats that are now safe for us to consume. (A note of caution here: it is always wise to check with your doctor regarding the use of oats in your diet if you have a medical condition that requires you to omit gluten. Some individuals who are gluten intolerant are also sensitive to the protein found in oats. Oats contain a distinct protein called Avenalin.)
To help make gluten free oats (or any oats for that matter) more digestible, it is best to soak them overnight. All you need to do is measure out 1 cup of water and add a 1/2 tsp of salt and 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Then, add 1 cup of oats to the water. Stir and then cover. Leave this on your counter overnight for at least 7 hours or up to 24 hours. This activates the enzyme phytase, which works to break down phytic acid in the bran of all grains. Therefore, making it easier for the more sensitive stomach to digest the oats. They are a great way to add fiber and valuable nutrients to your diet. Once you are ready to have breakfast in the morning, just drain your oats and add them to one cup of boiling water in a saucepan on the stove. Cook until desired consistency. They will cook fairly fast after soaking, often within just 5 minutes!
Here is my version of the Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookie Recipe that I tried from the back of the bag of GF Oats from Trader Joes. I loved that they had nut butter listed in the ingredients! I did make a few adjustments and so this is not the exact recipe printed on their package. These cookies turned out crispy and full of flavor! Enjoy tonight with the fireworks!
GF Oatmeal Cookies hot out of the oven!
GF Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla, gluten free
- 1 cup Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter can also be found at Trader Joes!)
- 1 cup gluten free oats, finely ground in a food processor
- 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
- 4 oz. raisins or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter. Using the paddle attachment for stand mixers, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the eggs, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Mix well until very creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the Sunbutter and 1 cup of finely ground gluten free oats, mix well.
- In a separate bowl, toss the remaining 2 cups of oats with the raisins/chocolate chips and sunflower seeds. Stir the oats/raisins/seeds into the creamy mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Place 1 ounce spoonfuls of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart as they will spread a bit. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy around the edges and just browning slightly. The longer you bake them, the crispier they will be.
- Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Well, we all make them! Don’t we? I will own up to it and say that I definitely do. Sometimes, it’s not really even a mistake… but an error in how a recipe is written. In my case, my recent “Oops!” had more to do with proper measuring I think than anything else. It was a batch of vanilla cupcakes that I goofed up. A recipe that I have made before with good success. So, I am pretty sure I did not measure something right! It is usually the potato starch flour that gets me. The stuff is so clumpy that it is important to fluff it up with a fork or whisk and spoon the powdery substance into the dry measuring cup. In a hurry to make birthday cupcakes a few weekends ago, I think I just dipped and scooped… a huge “don’t” with many gluten free flours (especially potato starch flour)! So, here are my “disaster” cupcakes…
What to do with gluten free baking disasters...
Lovely, huh!?! I am so past the days of pouting and tears when something does not work. Let’s face it, early on when learning to bake with gluten free ingredients things can get frustrating. Now, I know it is just part of the job – being gluten free that is. I have learned just to move on AND put the “disaster” off to the side and forget about it for a little while. Why not throw it away? Well, there are many things that can be done with baked goods that don’t turn out. It just takes a little thinking and I usually need time, removed from the situation, for my brain to get to work on the “what now” part.
Here are some ideas that I have come up with over the years that have really worked well:
- bread crumbs – from savory bread disasters – use a blender or food processor to pulverize into crumbs (trim off any burned parts first). Then freeze for use to garnish casseroles, in recipes that call for bread crumbs (such as meatballs or coating baked chicken parts).
- croutons – If the flavor is not off, just cut into cubes, drench with olive oil and your favorite herbs and toast in a 300 degree oven until crispy. Store in an airtight container or individual serving size zip-top bags for salad fixings!
- cookie or cupcake crumbs – from cookie or cupcake disasters – to be made into a sweet crumb crust for an easy pie or frozen ice cream dessert. You might need to toast the crumbs to remove any excess moisture first before freezing. Once ready for a sweet crumb crust, process with some extra sugar and melted butter/coconut oil to make a great crust!
- cookie crumbs for ice cream toppings… Toast the cookie/cake crumbs until crunchy and then process in a food processor into bits. Once cool, you can mix these with mini chocolate chips, toasted sunflower seeds or nuts, or even sprinkles!
- pudding dessert layers… use the cookie/cake crumbs to make a quick Trifle dessert! Layer pudding or pastry cream, sweet crumbs, fresh berries and whipped cream into a large, clear bowl or individual serving size cups. Be sure to finish off with a sprinkle of cookie crumbs!
- cut-up cake cubes or cookies for homemade ice cream. Once you have your ice cream whipped up in the ice cream maker to soft serve consistency, fold in either the cookie or cake bits and then freeze your homemade cookie crunch ice cream the rest of the way!
- french toast! Savory fallen bread or not quite right quick breads can be made into awesome french toast! Add some cinnamon or other yummy spices to your egg wash as you dip your toast slices to help with any boost in flavor needs. Served with butter and maple syrup, these gluten free french toasts will be gobbled up in a hurry I am sure!
- Cheesecake – Usually you use a “graham cracker” type cookie for cheese cake; however, if you just think of how to dress up the crumbs, I am sure you will come up with a winning cheesecake that everyone will enjoy.
Sweet Cupcake crumbs ready for the freezer or your favorite dessert!
Do you have any great “what to do with a baking disaster” ideas? Please share them! As for these sad cupcakes, here is what I did to give them new life and save the cost of the ingredients:
“Oops” Crumb Crust
- 1 1/2 cups disaster cupcakes or cake crumbs
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- Optional: spices such as cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, chopped candied ginger, lemon zest, …
Method:
- First, break the cupcakes into pieces with your hands (discarding any burned pieces) and spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast the cake pieces in a 300 degree oven until toasty and hard. Stir them every 15 minutes or so with a wooden spoon… Careful not to burn them or you really won’t want to use them then!
- Once toasted, cool slightly and then process in a food processor until well pulverized.
- Cool completely.
- In the food processor, add 1 1/2 cups of the crumbs, sugar, optional spices or flavorings and melted butter. Process until the crumbs will hold together when pinched with your fingertips.
- Grease a glass baking dish or pie plate with a little butter or coconut oil or other gluten free spray. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the glass dish and push a little up the sides. Make sure to pack it tightly.
- Your crust is ready for the main star ingredient of the dessert! Think, ice cream pie, cheesecake filling, cherry pie or other fruit filling, melted chocolate, etc.
In my case, I used this crust as the cookie base for our Dad’s Day Buster Bar dessert! It was so great and none of us even could tell that the cookie crust was made of those not so lovely cupcake disasters from weeks past! See, you can really use those gluten free “Oops”. Just think about letting them be the background for another winning ingredient or two and I am sure you will come up with something great!
Gluten Free, Nut Free Buster Bar... Ice Cream for Dad!
Dad’s Day & Dessert… that just goes together. Every Father’s Day, I find myself planning dessert. The presence of “grilled food” is just a given. But the dessert is the main event! This year I enlisted the help of my kids to figure out what would be a great Dad treat. My first offering… scrumptious gluten free banana bread (which they gobble up like crazy). I got weird looks. Okay, back to the drawing board. Several nutritious (but definitely treat worthy) options later we landed on something with ice cream…
My Dad loves a good bowl of ice cream. As a kid I recall stopping after church for an ice cream sundae on numerous occasions. Plus, anytime we wanted to celebrate something, he would take the family out for ice cream. If the Ice Cream Man came around, there was always a dollar in his pocket and he was quick to the curb. My husband is no different. If ice cream is in the house, he is so very glad to have it! He also loves taking us to our favorite spot for frozen treats, Graham’s on 3rd Street in Geneva. The staff at Graham’s is always so accommodating with our nut free needs and they have a great attitude about their procedures when someone asks for “special treatment due to allergies”. As a reminder, anytime we have chocolate, we use Enjoy Life’s chocolate products to ensure that we do not have any issues with nuts. They really save us in this area as just about every chocolate out there has a nut cross-contamination issue!
So, today I was challenged as to what to do to make our plain vanilla ice cream a lot more fun. Seeing my kids anticipation, I recalled an awesome ice cream treat that my mom used to make… Buster Bars! The only challenge that I could foresee was how to make this decadent treat without peanuts and with what I had on hand. So, we talked through some options, and came up with the following recipe that really hit the spot!
Buster Bars, Gluten and Nut Free
A whole pan of icy bars right after topping with chocolate!
- 10 oz. cookie crumbs (traditionally, these are made with crushed Oreos but we were out of our gluten free favorites* see my note below for substitutions)
- 7 Tbls unsalted butter or Palm Oil Shortening, melted (you could also use coconut oil)
- 1 Quart Vanilla Ice Cream (any kind you like, so this can also be made dairy free if need be!)
- 1/4 cup Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds, toasted, salted and cooled (if you cannot have seeds either, just omit them or use another crunchy/salty item like crushed gluten free pretzels or toffee bits)
- Chocolate topping (an additional 1/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips or mega chunks, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, about a 1/2 cup milk or non-dairy alternative, 1 tsp gluten free vanilla)
Method:
- Remove ice cream from freezer and let soften on your counter. Prepare a 9×9 inch square pan or glass baking dish by brushing with butter, palm oil shortening or gluten free pan spray. Set aside.
- In a food processor, crush cookie crumbs very fine. Then, with the machine running, pour in the melted butter/shortening through the opening on the top. Process by pulsing until the cookie crumbs are well moistened with the butter/shortening.
- Pour the cookie crumbs into the prepared pan and press down firmly all over to compact. This is your “crust” layer.
- Once the ice cream is soft enough to spread, use an ice cream scoop to dollop the ice cream all over the crust layer. Working quickly so the it does not melt completely, sprinkle the 1/4 cup chocolate chips and the sunflower seeds all over. Using a spatula, smooth the ice cream layer, pressing down on the chips and seeds so that they are somewhat mixed in.
- Cover the pan with saran wrap and place immediately in the freezer to chill and set for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- About 15 minutes before you wish to have dessert, make your chocolate topping by adding all the topping ingredients to a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat until every thing melts together and begins to bubble. Stir constantly until thick, about 4-5 minutes. You may have to adjust your milk to get the proper consistency. Cool slightly.
- Remove your pan from the freezer and pour the chocolate topping over the ice cream. Cut into bars or wedges and serve with extra sunflower seeds or cookie crumbs for sprinkling on top. You can also do this step in advance and just put the whole thing back in the freezer to setup and serve at a later time if you wish. Just make sure your ice cream has set for a few hours so that the chocolate topping pretty much freezes on contact for best results.
Happy Father’s Day to my Dad and to my husband, the two best dad’s in my life!
(By the way, I did make the gluten free banana bread… it will be a great treat at work I think!)
* Note: To substitute for the Oreo’s, you can use Kinnikinnick Foods KinniToos Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookies or any other cookie crumbs you prefer… does not have to be a chocolate variety. I actually did not have the KinniToos on hand this weekend and ended up using some vanilla cupcake crumbs from an “oops – that didn’t work” baking experience that I had stashed in the freezer… more on that later!
SCD, Gluten Free, and Low Salicylate Muffins
Tonight, I just wanted a simple dessert for our family… something sweet but not too much work. Life has been really hectic lately. Having to follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and eat with low salicylate foods in mind has really worn me out. But I press on… as long as we have our version of “dessert”!
Well, my idea of ice box graham crackers went too long in the oven and burned. (Grrr! That’s one of the drawbacks to baking with coconut flour. You have to watch your goodies and keep the temperature as low as you can otherwise they will burn very fast.) So, what to do in short order? I decided to try my luck at creating a muffin with low salicylate ingredients that I had on hand. I knew this would not be sweet though. Honey is very high in salicylate’s and so I have not been baking much with this in mind. The use of pear juice is a good stand in but does not offer the sweetness one wants in a cupcake… hence, these are truly muffins. They turned out beautifully and we had a nice treat that did not challenge our digestive systems too greatly! If not following SCD, you could use either maple syrup or agave in place of the pear juice.
hot out of the oven and promising!
Low Salicylate Muffins (SCD)
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs, separated
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbls Sunbutter, unsweetened
- 4 Tbls pear juice
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (2 oz.)
- 3 oz. (about 3/4 cup) ground sunflower seeds (or other nut based flour)
- 2.75 oz. (about 1 1/4 cup) unsweetened coconut flakes, finely ground
- 1 Tbls coconut flour, sifted
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix with a fork or your fingertips (this mixture will be crumbly) until pea sized clumps form.
- Add the crumb mixture to the beaten egg whites and fold in until well combined.
- Quickly fill the muffin cups 3/4 full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
Once out of the oven, these muffins had somewhat of a mocha aroma to me. There is no chocolate or coffee in them though! Interesting how that happened. To keep the muffins SCD and low in salicylate’s, I use ground sunflower seeds and unsweetened coconut flakes with pear juice for the liquid sweetener. This also makes them gluten free by default. I think they would be great for breakfast, warm with butter and jam! Well, I will have to wait for the jam as that would increase the salicylate load. For now, a pat of butter will have to do. Enjoy!
My Version of GF Rice Krispie Treats
Have you heard the news? Kellogg’s now has Gluten Free Rice Krispies! I am still waiting to find a box at our local grocery; however, their website lists the ingredients as: “Whole grain brown rice, sugar, contains 2% or less of salt, BHT for freshness”. The original version of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies contains malt flavoring, which makes them not gluten free, and is made with white rice. So, the change to using brown rice in their new gluten free version is very welcome as well!
Over the years, I have been making our family treats using Erewhon’s Crispy Brown Rice Cereal or Barbaras Bakery Brown Rice Crisps, Fruit Juice Sweetened Cereal. Both of these cereals have been a huge blessing to our house while following the gluten free diet. I do not think that I will move right toward Kellogg’s new product; however, it is great to see that they have an option now. Just like the gluten free Chex cereals by General Mills and gluten free Bisquick by Betty Crocker, here is another addition to the new gluten free products on the shelves today. While these manufacturers goal is to offer a gluten free product and to be part of the “trend”, they are not quite up to par with the wholesome and nutritious cereals and product offerings we have been used to searching for high and low.
In addition, I am grateful for a mainstream brand that I can refer friends and family to when they want to make something gluten free either for us or another individual who follows the gluten free diet. These mainstream brand products are very close to their original counterparts and so I know that anyone who is trying to cook or bake with them will have success and it will be easier to find. That makes life a lot easier! My hope is that local grocery stores will continue to carry the more nutritious brands so that we are not forced to go looking for these products in speciality stores again.
Here is my version of the famous brown rice treats, Enjoy:
Gluten Free Rice Crispy Bars
Storing Gluten Free Rice Crispy Bars
Ingredients:
- 4 cups Gluten Free Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
- 2 cups Gluten Free Puffed Millet Cereal
- 5 cups Gluten Free mini-marshmallows
- 4 Tbls butter or Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening
- a pinch of salt
Method:
- Line a 9×9 square baking pan with waxed paper. Spray the waxed paper lightly with cooking spray (gluten free!) so that the bars will not stick to the paper.
- In a large pot, melt the butter and the mini marshmallows over medium heat. Make sure to stir while they are melting so that the marshmallows do not burn.
- Once melted, turn off the heat and add all of the cereals. Mix by hand with a wooden spoon until well coated with marshmallow.
- Pour into the prepared pan and press down with an additional piece of waxed paper until tightly compacted.
- Allow the cereal to cool, in the pan for a few hours. This will help them set. Once cool, remove from the pan by lifting up on the waxed paper. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container on your counter top.
Note: In the picture, my bars “appear” to have those tiny marshmallows mixed in. However, those little white balls are actually the puffed millet. It gives the bars more nutrition and the kids something to talk about!
SCD Turkey & Squash Casserole
Our youngest absolutely loves squash! Preferably the orange varieties (butternut, acorn, pumpkin) and slowly roasted to bring out their sweet flavors. So, I try to give variety in our meals but also aim to keep the dish simple for me to make. I came up with this casserole the other night that has had them asking for more… just about every meal! It comes together really easy if you have leftover roasted squash and would freeze well if you were trying to plan ahead. So far, the dish is licked clean within a day or two at our house, so I have not been able to try out the freezing idea. If any one tries that, please let me know how it goes!
I am sure this casserole would go well with a hard cheese shredded and sprinkled on top instead of the crumb topping that I came up with. Our youngest still cannot have cheese, so I was going for something resembling crunchy potato chips on top… I recall my mom adding potato chips on the top of tuna noodle casserole when I was a kid. That was always my favorite part! So, this casserole is not only SCD and dairy free, it also has kid appeal!
SCD Turkey & Squash Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 2 cups Roasted and Mashed Squash (such as Butternut, Acorn, or Pumpkin or any combination of those)
- 1 cup Ground Turkey, cooked
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/4 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds (or almond meal if you can tolerate it)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a casserole dish by coating the bottom with a little bit of coconut oil.
- Saute onion in the olive oil until translucent and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the squash, cooked turkey and the onions. Pour into a casserole dish and spread flat and smooth. You should have a layer about an inch thick.
- Spread the thawed peas over the top of the squash mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine the coconut, ground sunflower seeds, coconut oil and parsley with a fork. Sprinkle over the peas and then season with salt and pepper if you wish.
- Bake the casserole (uncovered) in the 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.
GF Scones from the Thursday Farmers Market
Good morning! I hope you have had a chance to head on out to the market at the Daley Plaza in the last few weeks. Even in the rain, the tents are always there. I needed something to lift our spirits with all this wacky weather and a trip to the market always does the trick. Vegetables love the rain! This week, I thought I would show you the awesome gluten free scones I have found! Our new favorite breakfast item is from Ivy Uppercrust Pastry at the Thursday market. The scones pictured above were from last week (on the left is lemon/ginger and on the right is cranberry)… this week she has gluten free and dairy free lemon ginger or gluten free (with butter) apricot scones. We might just eat these before anyone gets a picture this time!
And, don’t forget to pickup a loaf of bread too. Enjoy!
