AHHHH Sunday!! Time for some R&R, family time & most of all.. every American's favorite, FOOTBALL- which is my favorite thing in the Fall, Winter.. Spring & in the Summer I have withdrawls. Waking up Sunday mornings (or before noon sometime), making gluten-free waffles and watching Tim Tebow throw touchdown passes-(or Tom Brady) come on ladies, nothing beats that, right? And this week, we don't even have to change the channel! (Oh, but GO COWBOYS!!) :]
I love making delicious finger-foods throughout the day while the games are on. The fan favorite of the snacking dishes that I make is guacamole. If you make it at home from scratch, its already gluten-free, vegetarian, and so delish on tortilla chips, gluten-free flat bread, or save some for later and put it on your tacos! I chop all my ingredients by hand, but if you have a food processor or if you think your blender can do the job, go for it!!
Here's how to make the guacamole:
3-4 Hass Avocados
1 Medium White Onion
1 Medium Tomato
1 Jalapeno
Fresh Cilantro (about a teaspoon chopped)
Squeezed Lime
Gluten-free garlic salt (to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
If you're doing this by hand, chop everything and put in a medium bowl and use forks to help you blend and mix everything together. Guacamole is such a great snack because you can never make too much of it, and it goes great with anything.
I wanted to give some advice for some people who might not know about cross contamination, and to maybe help those of you who live in, what I like to call, "gluten houses". If you have Celiac Disease or think you might, you should keep your dishes separate from the rest. This includes your silverware and drinking glasses. You might not have noticed how many crumbs can collect in any corner or crevasse, I dare you to take a look in your drawer right now... no judging, just take notice. You should also be washing your dishes separate, and with different cleaning sponges. If you have a sanitize setting on your dish washing machine, you should wash all dishes on sanitize, but keep the gluten-free dishes separate. I promise if you start doing this, you might see a difference in how you're feeling.
Well, I will have an amazing lasagna for those on a budget that is super easy. I hope everyone is loving their awareness bracelets, I will be getting more soon. So please, keep sharing my blog and sending in your request and I'll get them out to you as soon as I get the new ones in. Have a great weekend!!!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy 2012. The year of Celiac awareness!
Happy New Year everyone!! I hope ya'll had wonderful holidays with your family.. as well as healthy and safe :] First I'd like to apologize for being so absent the last month or so as I was dealing with some health issues. (those dang wisdom teeth) Good news, I am back and I am busting at the seams with excitement of new information, recipes, advice, and some great deals on gluten-free brands!
As the holidays come to an end, and the new year begins, most people make resolutions. I have always been that one person who doesn't make any resolution because, let's be honest.. I won't keep it and end up forgetting by the time Valentine's days rolls around. I only ever cared to make the new year, better than the year before. This year, I will say I turned a new leaf and decided that MY resolution would be to spread the word about Celiac Disease and the importance of Gluten-free cooking. A couple ways I plan to go about this is I want to volunteer with the Celiac Disease Foundation to help educate myself, as well as my followers (On my blog & on my Twitter). My lovely Mother has been helping me with ideas to spread awareness and she came up with the idea of making silicone bracelets. (Umm.. GREAT IDEA MOM!!!) Nick, Mom and I put our heads together to come up with a couple "catchy" phrases.. something that will get people to scratch their head and ask; "What does that mean??" How many people have asked YOU about your Celiac or even what Gluten-free means or what is Gluten? The 3 of us really liked G-Free for life. Then, we came up with 1 of 133 because 1 of 133 people have Celiac Disease but 98% are not diagnosed. The bracelets are green (the color for Celiac Disease) with white writing so that everything stands out.
As the holidays come to an end, and the new year begins, most people make resolutions. I have always been that one person who doesn't make any resolution because, let's be honest.. I won't keep it and end up forgetting by the time Valentine's days rolls around. I only ever cared to make the new year, better than the year before. This year, I will say I turned a new leaf and decided that MY resolution would be to spread the word about Celiac Disease and the importance of Gluten-free cooking. A couple ways I plan to go about this is I want to volunteer with the Celiac Disease Foundation to help educate myself, as well as my followers (On my blog & on my Twitter). My lovely Mother has been helping me with ideas to spread awareness and she came up with the idea of making silicone bracelets. (Umm.. GREAT IDEA MOM!!!) Nick, Mom and I put our heads together to come up with a couple "catchy" phrases.. something that will get people to scratch their head and ask; "What does that mean??" How many people have asked YOU about your Celiac or even what Gluten-free means or what is Gluten? The 3 of us really liked G-Free for life. Then, we came up with 1 of 133 because 1 of 133 people have Celiac Disease but 98% are not diagnosed. The bracelets are green (the color for Celiac Disease) with white writing so that everything stands out.
So.. you want a bracelet???
Here is the deal... the bracelets are already made, they have already been paid for. My family and I ARE NOT looking to make a profit on this, nor are we trying to collect money for them. If you want a bracelet, please e-mail me (faiiithy09@gmail.com) or Twitter me (@Supbro13) send me your address and I will send you a couple of bracelets. Our goal with theses bracelets like I said is to spread awareness about Celiac Disease and Gluten-free eating.
Friday, December 9, 2011
O.M.GEE Chocolate Cake
Yay.. it is everyones favorite day of the week; Friday!!! One of the best days of the week. Payday for some, weekend for most and, if you're like most, you'll reward yourself with a nice extra large cocktail after a long week at the office or school. This week was one of our friends birthdays! I love it when my friends or family have birthday's. I just love spoiling the people I love on their day. Plus, I know how I feel when it's my birthday. Let's just put it this way; everyone on my block knows that it is my birthday and that it is my birthday for the entire week.. no less. no more. an entire week. I don't particularly care about getting gifts, I just want a cake and for everyone to know it is my day and to enjoy it with me. I took compete advantage that it was our friend Patrick's birthday, called my friend Mallory over and her and I made him a mouth-watering, gluten-free chocolate cake. Patrick doesn't usually eat gluten-free, unless he's having dinner at our house, he knows its gluten-free. But both Mallory and Patrick loved the cake & said they couldn't even tell it was gluten-free! (winning!)- It is also nice when you have Celiac Disease to offer to make something because then you know its gluten-free, and hasn't been cross contaminated on accident.
This chocolate cake recipe I actually got from my cookbook called "In the Kitchen with Gluten Free Mama". (She makes the most AMAZING flour. I actually use her flour for everything I bake.) It's her rich chocolate cake, except I threw in a couple of my own mixes to it. Here is the recipe:
2 Cups- Mama' Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
1/2 Cup- cocoa (Hershey's is gluten-free & tasty)
1/2 tsp- Salt
2 tsp- baking powder (make sure it's gluten-free)
1tsp.- xanthan gum
3/4 Cup- butter (I use unsalted)*
2 Cups- sugar
4 eggs
2tsp- vanilla
1 1/4 cups- milk*
1 cup- semi sweet chocolate chips
*-You can also use dairy free margarin and diary free milk.
Baking Directions:
Preheat over to 350. Grease 2 9in cake pans.
Mix together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum
Cream butter and sugar together in a separate bowl. Add eggs one at a time until mixed in. Mix in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. Then alternate adding flour and milk until all the flour is combined, then mix for 30 seconds longer.
Pour evenly into each pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Before you put your 2 cake pans in the oven, take one cake pan at a time and knock the bottom of the cake pan on the countertop a few times. This helps to remove any air bubbles that may have formed. (Thanks, Mallory for the tip)
After 30 minutes take a tooth pick and stick it in the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean when you remove it, the cake is done.
Let both cakes cool for about 30 minutes. I like to let them cool long enough for the center to still be warm. Frost one of the cakes after you have removed it from the pan. Before you put the other piece of the cake on top, take 1/2 of your semi sweet chocolate chips and sprinkle them on top of the frosting. Then, you can place the other piece of the cake on top, frost and garnish it when the other half of your chocolate chips.
The best time to eat this cake is when it is still warm, the cake melts the chocolate chips and chocolate just oozes out! I started calling this my O.M.Geee Cake because, well everyone says "Oh My Goshhh", with cake still in their mouth ;] Enjoy everyone! And I hope everyone has a great, safe, happy, healthy, gluten-free weekend!!
This chocolate cake recipe I actually got from my cookbook called "In the Kitchen with Gluten Free Mama". (She makes the most AMAZING flour. I actually use her flour for everything I bake.) It's her rich chocolate cake, except I threw in a couple of my own mixes to it. Here is the recipe:
2 Cups- Mama' Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
1/2 Cup- cocoa (Hershey's is gluten-free & tasty)
1/2 tsp- Salt
2 tsp- baking powder (make sure it's gluten-free)
1tsp.- xanthan gum
3/4 Cup- butter (I use unsalted)*
2 Cups- sugar
4 eggs
2tsp- vanilla
1 1/4 cups- milk*
1 cup- semi sweet chocolate chips
*-You can also use dairy free margarin and diary free milk.
Baking Directions:
Preheat over to 350. Grease 2 9in cake pans.
Mix together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum
Cream butter and sugar together in a separate bowl. Add eggs one at a time until mixed in. Mix in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. Then alternate adding flour and milk until all the flour is combined, then mix for 30 seconds longer.
Pour evenly into each pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Before you put your 2 cake pans in the oven, take one cake pan at a time and knock the bottom of the cake pan on the countertop a few times. This helps to remove any air bubbles that may have formed. (Thanks, Mallory for the tip)
After 30 minutes take a tooth pick and stick it in the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean when you remove it, the cake is done.
Let both cakes cool for about 30 minutes. I like to let them cool long enough for the center to still be warm. Frost one of the cakes after you have removed it from the pan. Before you put the other piece of the cake on top, take 1/2 of your semi sweet chocolate chips and sprinkle them on top of the frosting. Then, you can place the other piece of the cake on top, frost and garnish it when the other half of your chocolate chips.
The best time to eat this cake is when it is still warm, the cake melts the chocolate chips and chocolate just oozes out! I started calling this my O.M.Geee Cake because, well everyone says "Oh My Goshhh", with cake still in their mouth ;] Enjoy everyone! And I hope everyone has a great, safe, happy, healthy, gluten-free weekend!!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Hello Blog World!!
I am so excited about starting this blog!! I have been wanting to start a blog for some time now, and finally getting the courage to do so feels great. My goal is to share my journey on the Gluten-free path with those who may be just becoming gluten-free, or people who have been gluten-free for awhile. Having Celiac Disease is a challenge, but just being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and facing a whole new world is one of the hardest things someone may have to deal with.
My boyfriend Nick- (who is my whole inspiration for this blog, and who I dedicate this blog to) was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in December of 2010, he was one of the very lucky ones who was diagnosed early. Some people go years and years undergoing tests, and being put under anesthesia more than a few times. (anesthesia or "going under" is not my favorite thing, it is a fear of mine that I will be put under for a surgery and wake-up randomly in the middle of the surgery and freak out. So I feel others don't enjoy it too much either.) Anyways, Nick did go through a tough time & multiple tests before he was actually diagnosed, but it was a matter of 2 months.... 2 very long long months. BUT, the process of becoming Gluten-free is an ongoing process of educating yourself, fending for yourself, having to beat your cravings, and knowing what you're putting into your body. After Nick was diagnosed I decided it would be easier for our household if I became gluten-free as well, then shortly there after, my doctor told me I had an intolerance to wheat. How ironic, right? So here we both are, Nick with his Celiac and me, with my wheat intolerance at the age of 23, when we should be filling our bodies with fried fair food, beer and burgers. We can both say we feel healthier and happier... that is the goal in life :]
I hope those of you who read/ follow this blog find it educational, helpful, tasty and witty. I have a deep passion for making the people I love feel good, and if that means with food, so be it... I'll be in the kitchen if you need me!
My boyfriend Nick- (who is my whole inspiration for this blog, and who I dedicate this blog to) was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in December of 2010, he was one of the very lucky ones who was diagnosed early. Some people go years and years undergoing tests, and being put under anesthesia more than a few times. (anesthesia or "going under" is not my favorite thing, it is a fear of mine that I will be put under for a surgery and wake-up randomly in the middle of the surgery and freak out. So I feel others don't enjoy it too much either.) Anyways, Nick did go through a tough time & multiple tests before he was actually diagnosed, but it was a matter of 2 months.... 2 very long long months. BUT, the process of becoming Gluten-free is an ongoing process of educating yourself, fending for yourself, having to beat your cravings, and knowing what you're putting into your body. After Nick was diagnosed I decided it would be easier for our household if I became gluten-free as well, then shortly there after, my doctor told me I had an intolerance to wheat. How ironic, right? So here we both are, Nick with his Celiac and me, with my wheat intolerance at the age of 23, when we should be filling our bodies with fried fair food, beer and burgers. We can both say we feel healthier and happier... that is the goal in life :]
I hope those of you who read/ follow this blog find it educational, helpful, tasty and witty. I have a deep passion for making the people I love feel good, and if that means with food, so be it... I'll be in the kitchen if you need me!
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