An Easy Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe!

I don't know where it came from, but when my oldest daughter was about 7, she asked me to make her a cream soup. I don't think she'd ever had cream soup at that time and her parents - us - didn't really make much cream soup at home. So, it was one of those out-of-left-field moments. But, it seemed like a fun challenge to figure out how to make a dairy free cream of chicken soup for her to try - and of course, it wasn't just a dairy free soup, it also was a gluten free soup.

As you may know from reading the blog, we're not just a gluten free, dairy free family, we're also soy free. So, it's not like we could just run down to the store and buy the soup. And at that time, alternative dairy free soup products were few and far between. 

Anyway, I found a recipe and tinkered with it a bit to make a dairy free cream of chicken soup. It may not be the best soup you've ever had ... but I think it was successful. My daughter loved it and ate it for two days. I also did one better, I made it in the slow cooker over the weekend. So, I dumped the food in the pot, turned it on, and left it all afternoon. I love 'easy' too. 

Here's what I did. You might tinker more with the "cream" ingredients to fit your family's diet needs and preferences. I obviously made this as a dairy free cream of chicken soup, but you certainly could make it any type of cream-based dairy free soup that you want - mushroom, celery, etc.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped into chunks
• sea salt and black pepper to taste 
• 1 tsp basil 1 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp sage 
• About 2-3 pounds of chicken -- any kind you prefer (I used bone-in breasts with the skin removed and later, pulled the meat off and diced it into small pieces) 
• 2-3 garlic pieces, crushed 
• 5 1/2 cups of water 
• Dairy free milk (I used rice milk) 
• Corn starch -- GF of course 

Place all ingredients, except the dairy free milk and corn starch in the slow cooker. Cook for four hours on high. When nearly-done, pull chicken out and cool. Remove meat from bones. I diced the meat into small pieces and put it back in the cooker.

Before serving, I pulled out the onions, since my kids won't eat them. 

Now, to make the cream soup. I took about 2 cup servings of the soup broth from the crock and poured it into a small stove-top pot. I turned the heat onto low-medium. In a small bowl, I put 1 tbsp of the corn starch and 2 tbsp of cold water and mixed with a fork until mixed well. Pour this into the pot and stir with a whisk. Note that this will thicken the soup quickly, so keep stirring and be sure the heat is not high. Once thickened, I poured about 1/4 cup of the dairy free milk into the mix and let it heat for another minute. Mix in some of the chicken pieces. 

This results in a tasty chicken soup, thickened by the starch and given that cream color by the alternative milk. 

A couple of notes ... 

• First, this is easy to freeze too. If you like the basic soup, freeze it in portions, like in ice cube trays, for example. 
• Second - if you don't remove the skins, you'll need to take the added step of cooling the broth and removing some of the fat.
• Last, if your child is a picky eater, this is great way to sneak them in. Carrots, celery, mushrooms, potatoes, rice, etc. You can make just about cream of anything. Chopping into small pieces or even blending a veggie to get it in is possible.

I hope you give this dairy free cream of chicken soup recipe a try! Happy eating.

5 Tips for Starting a Gluten Free Diet

Starting a new food or eating plan can be challenging, especially starting a gluten free diet for the first time. For many, it's often not just gluten - it's also learning how to start a gluten free and dairy free diet. 

This can be overwhelming at first. And, if you're venturing down this road as a parent of a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, Celiac Disease or similar health concern, this may feel like trying to climb a mountain. 

So, how do you do it? What foods can you eat? What foods can't you eat? Where do you buy the food? It's an endless string of thoughts that frustrate and many times deter starting the diet. 

There is help available to ease this process. And, the first -- and best -- piece of advice is this: DON'T PANIC! This does not happen overnight, nor should it. 

So, here's 5 tips for starting a gluten free diet and I hope they help.

1) TACA: The first place I recommend people go is the TACA website, specifically to the TACA gluten free diet page. There is a great piece on how to phase in the diet over 10 weeks. TACA stands for The Autism Community in Action - and their gluten free diet resources were a tremendous help when we first got started on this road.

2) Lisa Lewis books: These books were super helpful when we first ventured into the world of gluten-free diets and autism spectrum disorders. Even though many, many books have been written since with similar information, I still her cookbooks and the Encyclopedia of Dietary Interventions to be invaluable resources - and in particular, for those looking to start a gluten free and dairy free diet..

3) Find a good online community. Twenty years ago, there weren't too many online communities - a couple via Yahoo and Facebook. Today, there are numerous channels to look for online help, through Facebook groups and other social media channels such as Reddit, Instagram, blogs, etc. Take some time to look around and find one that suits your needs and personality.

4) Use Google to search for a local group that may be able to help and offer support and guidance - especially if you're dealing with an autism spectrum disorder such as PDD or ADHD, or even Celiac.

5) Look for groceries and stores in your area that sell a variety of gluten free, dairy free and organic products. We turned to a local food coop as they sold items in bulk, which reduced our overall cost, and carried a much wider variety of flours, grains, breads, snacks, alternative milks, etc. You can search for a food coop near you online using a directory. Many cities have Whole Foods, Trader Joes and similar stores that sell these products. And, if nothing else, use Amazon to find products like Bob's Red Mill and other brands that market gluten free items.

If you're on a tight budget, don't worry. This still can be done. Buying in bulk cuts food prices down. Shopping at ethnic groceries often is far less expensive than Whole Foods. Look for local farms that sell meat, vegetables and fruit -- you'll likely buy better quality stuff for less than the local supermarket.

For example, I buy meat from a farmers market that's free of hormones and preservatives. I pay about $1 less per pound than I would at the local supermarket.

If money's not an issue, you can find prepared foods that fit the gluten free diet at most larger supermarkets today.

So, if you're just starting a gluten free diet - you can do this! Use these tips as a starting point and keep learning and growing.

Lindsay's Bread - an easy gluten free bread recipe

This is a great, moist, easy to make gluten free bread recipe (also soy/dairy/rice/corn free). It's a variation of Tom's Bread, which you may already be familiar with. I developed this variation for my daughter's lunches. It's a moister bread, for one. She didn't like dry bread. And, second, I didn't want to use the bean flour, nor did I prefer the brown rice flour. So, I tried sorghum flour, which I love for  baking. Please note this is a yeast bread, which I know is an issue for some of you out there. And, it has eggs. I've not tried making this without real eggs, but, I'll bet you could make this using flax egg alternatives. See my recipe for flax eggs to try it out. You'll also note that I use a flax egg in this recipe along with real eggs. 

So, here's how to make this gluten free bread recipe. I hope you enjoy Lindsay's Bread (when she was very young, she called it Salami Bread -- it was the bread we used for her lunch sandwiches).

Lindsay's Bread - Gluten Free Bread Recipe

- 1 cup sorghum flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/2 cup potato starch (potato starch is key here -- it adds to the moist texture)
- 1 1/2 cups tapioca starch/flour
- 3 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 3 tbs. sugar (or alternative)
- 1/4 tsp. creme of tartar
- 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 flax egg (I use golden flax seeds, ground fine -- you can do this in your coffee grinder, or buy it ground. See directions below)
- 1 1/3 cup warm water
- 3 tbs. oil (I use olive oil)
- 2 1/4 tsp. yeast (I use Red Star)

Make the flax egg -- mix 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp water. Heat in microwave for 30 secs. Let sit for at least 5 mins.

Meanwhile, mix all other dry ingredients, including yeast. Using potato starch makes a world of difference. I've tried this using corn starch, but it's just not as moist. So, if you cannot use potato, I'd suggest adding more water to the recipe or cutting back on the starches.

Then, mix all the wet ingredients, including flax egg, in another bowl.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Scrape sides to get it all mixed in.

Grease a bread loaf pan -- I use Spectrum organic shortening. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until it doubles in size -- about 40-50 mins.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 40-45 mins until toothpick comes out clean. This rises! So, if too tall, consider cutting off the top. And, next time, don't let it rise so long. Let it sit 5 mins. Then put onto wire rack to cool. It will sort off deflate slightly. It's OK.

Once cooled, slice and eat. This is a great gluten free bread recipe to use for a daily, all purpose bread at home. Enjoy.

Shopping list:

Bob's Red Mill Sorghum Flour

Potato Starch

Tapioca Starch

Xanthan Gum

Flax seeds

Try this gluten free vegetable recipe - Spicy Spinach!

Getting my kids to eat fruits and vegetables is a real chore. I know that many PDD/ADHD kids are fussy with food and it's extremely difficult getting them to try new things - not to mention the challenge of finding allergy friendly vegetable options. So, having a winning gluten free vegetable recipe is a huge deal. 

I've had a little success in this area, mostly by setting clear rewards for their attempts at trying new things. I mostly don't make a big deal out of the new food and I hardly ever call it -- at first -- by its real name. I'll provide this example, since it leads to the very easy gluten free vegetable recipe that follows. One night recently, I served dinner to my kids, burgers and potatoes, and then I sat down with the same food plus a small pile of cooked spinach. My oldest quickly asked, what is that? Without missing a beat, I said, It's spicy spinach. I kept eating. A minute later, she said, Can I try some? I gave her a small bite from my fork. She asked for more. Then, I asked if she wanted some on her plate. She did. Bingo!  

I know, this approach doesn't always work. But, it does sometimes. And, I've learned to use what's given to me as an advantage. My kids love spicy food. So, I make a lot of spicy things. 

And so, here is my quick recipe for spicy spinach - a tasty gluten free vegetable recipe. And, it'd be very easy to modify to your individual taste.

Ingredients

• 1 bag of fresh spinach (8 oz bag) 
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper 
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano
• 1 tsp oil (I use olive oil)

Wash the spinach and let dry or pat dry. Heat a tsp of oil in pan over low heat.

Mix the dry spices in a small bowl. 

Add the spinach to the pan and let it heat for a couple of minutes. Then, add the spice mix over top and gently stir to mix the seasoning into the leaves. 

Let this cook to your desired texture preference. Then, spoon into a serving bowl and eat!

Very simple. Very tasty. Very healthy. 

Another Gluten Free Pizza Sauce Recipe

I found this simple pizza sauce recipe on the web many years ago and I've been using it ever since on my homemade gluten free pizza  - and if you've not seen my homemade gluten free pizza crust recipe, check it out here. This is my go-to gluten free pizza sauce recipe.

Of course, I tinkered with the recipe a bit to get the right taste, texture and "spreadability." But, what I really love about this recipe is that it's so quick, so easy to make and works. I've not found another gluten free pizza sauce recipe that I like better.

And, I can make it quickly while my crust is baking in the oven. It literally takes about five minutes to make. Finally, and as you'll see, it's easily adaptable. Don't like garlic, skip it and use onion powder instead. Prefer basil or rosemary, add it. You decide!

Ingredients:

6-ounce can tomato paste (I use Hunt's)

2 tbsps oil (I use olive oil)
½ cup water
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp sugar (you could sub any sweetener)
1 tspn sea salt
¼ tspn pepper
½ tspn vinegar (I use Heinz)

Directions:

In a stove top pot, add the tomato paste, olive oil and water over a low heat. Stir slowly to combine the ingredients and until the paste liquifies and blends into the mix. 

Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

Continue on the stove until thoroughly heated, but not boiling.

Let sit for a few minutes while your crust is baking. Spoon or ladle onto your crust and enjoy this wonderful gluten free pizza sauce recipe.

Got dairy free milk?

People with dairy allergies or following a casein-free diet, like many autistic children, can't drink cow's milk. But there are dairy free milk alternatives and the variety of options continues to grow. Many people drink soy milk or almond milk. You can easily find these, even at regular supermarkets. Or, order online via Amazon and have a case shipped to your door.

However, soy and nuts also are common allergens, meaning many food allergy sufferers cannot turn to these options. Don't worry, there are other dairy free milk options.

A good one is rice milk, which also are commonly found on store shelves. People intolerant of gluten should know that Imagine Foods' Rice Dream is made using a process that exposes it to gluten. Some people do not react to this, while others say they do.

Another option is Darifree. This is potato-based -- no soy, no rice, no gluten. It's harder to find and comes in a powder. You can order it at the company's website. My younger daughter cannot have rice, so I have used Darifree in recipes.

You'll also find a number of other dairy free milk options, including coconut milk, hemp milk and even sunflower seed milk. You'll even find options such as almond milk and coconut milk at discounted prices in stores like Aldi's, which helps save a few bucks if you're following a special food plan.

Is there gluten in oats?

This question - is there gluten in oats - is very common among people trying to follow a gluten free diet. It can be confusing since oats are a gluten-free grain, but many oatmeal products sold in stores are not labeled as gluten free. There's a reason.

The problem with oats is that they can easily be mixed, or come into contact, with gluten grains, like wheat. And if that happens, then the oat product you're buying would not be gluten free. 

So, this essentially boils down to companies that are willing to ensure the oats they buy and sell remain gluten free - or that steps are taken to eliminate any cross contamination.

This is why that question - is there gluten in oats - is sometimes tricky to answer.

The good news is that there are companies doing this and you can find gluten free oatmeal on store shelves. So, oatmeal can be gluten free. You just need to be aware of the product your buying, read the labels and look for a brand you trust.

I'm not personally endorsing any products here, nor is this a product review, but I want to point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

To give you a sense of what's out there, I've listed a few examples below. You can also find a wide range of gluten free oatmeals available online through Amazon or through The Gluten Free Mall.

• Quaker Gluten Free Oats: In the familiar cylindrical container, Quaker offers a quick-cooking gluten free oatmeal.
  
• Quaker Instant Gluten Free Oatmeal: If you prefer the instant oatmeal packets, Quaker offers this as well in a variety of flavors.

• 
• Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Gluten Free Rolled Oats: You'll find Bob's in stores that offer
organic foods and in store aisles featuring gluten-free products. This is pricier, but respected.
• Live G Free Gluten Free Quick Cook Oats: Lower cost options? Yes, if you have an Aldi's near you, look for gluten free oatmeal there under the
  Live G Free brand.

Like many gluten free products, the variety and pricing for gluten free oatmeal has greatly improved. If you like oatmeal, you should find one of these options near you or order online. I hope this post has helped you better understand the question - is there gluten in oats?

Quick and easy Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets -- just like McDonald's

I found a recipe for Batter Fried Chicken Nuggets over at the GFCF Recipes Yahoo site at Recipe Circus (so, no credit to me for t
he recipe).

At first glance, I didn't think it could possibly work, meaning I did not believe I'd end up with the tasty, fried fast food nuggets that you can buy in many drive thru's - at least not gluten free chicken nuggets with the same taste. 

Well, to my surprise, it does. I - of course - played with the recipe a little bit. It's hard to not tinker in the kitchen and make a recipe your own. The best part of this recipe is that you can use basic gluten-free flours and it turns out pretty much like the nuggets you'd buy at McDonald's. 

I made the recipe specifically using Bob's Red Mill products. Why? Reliability. I found Bob's to have the best selection of gluten free flours and other products, available in many stores - including the grocery down the street, and the quality was always high. So, that's why I endorse Bob's.

Specifically, I used these two flours to make the flour mix:

- Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour

- Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour

I'll point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

So, if this is the style of gluten free chicken nuggets that you're looking for - this is the recipe.

• Chicken: I cut up about 3 breasts.
• 1/3 cup gluten free flour (I used about 80 percent brown rice flour and 20 percent tapioca)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Heinz vinegar (or other gf brand)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup water

Wash your chicken and then cut it up into nugget sized pieces. 

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Then, combine the vinegar and soda in another small bowl, quickly dump it in the flour as it reacts. Then, quickly add the water. Whisk well. Let this sit for about 5 minutes. It thickens. 

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a frying pan. Mix your chicken pieces in the batter and let them sit in there while the oil heats. When hot, fry until golden brown and cooked through.

Trust me, this works. And it's quick. And it's very simple. Say hello to homemade drive through gluten free chicken nuggets!

Is this Gluten Free Mac and Cheese also Dairy Free Mac and Cheese?

I never thought I'd be able to make good old macaroni and cheese again for my kids, especially not a good gluten free mac and cheese! Of course, we're on the gluten-free dairy-free diet, but also no soy. 

So, years ago (mid-2000s), there was no good cheese substitute to try - and even those that were soy-based were truly gross.

And, the gluten free noodles on the market then weren't great. My biggest gripe was that they were really mushy, soggy, and even slimy. 

Unfortunately, that meant no gluten free mac and cheese for me!

Then, a couple of then-new products changed all of this, at least for me.

First, I found Tinkyada gluten free pasta. The reason I like Tinkyada gluten free pasta is the firmness of the noodles. This difference was huge for me. I had been avoiding GF noodles, but this brand brought them back into my pantry for good. This texture is important for this particular recipe, too. 

I'll point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote products specifically by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

And then came Daiya cheese. Similar to the Tinkaya experience for me, Daiya was the first cheese of its type that really had taste and melted in a manner similar to real cheese. And, it had no dairy, no gluten and no soy.

Combined, this meant making a gluten free mac and cheese that also was dairy free mac and cheese was possible.

So, here's the recipe - it's just adapted from a typical mac n cheese recipe.

I promise, this will work. Enjoy.

Gluten free mac and cheese

(... and dairy free mac and cheese)

• 1 cup cooked Tinkyada gluten free pasta
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon margarine (Try a vegan to avoid dairy and soy)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca or corn starch
• Dash black pepper
• 1 ¼ cup non-dairy milk
• 2 cups shredded American/cheddar Daiya dairy free cheese

Directions:

• Cook the gluten free pasta according to directions.
• In a saucepan, cook onion in margarine until tender. Stir in flour and pepper.
• Add milk.
• Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
• Add cheese. Stir until melted.
• Stir pasta into cheese.
• Transfer to a 1 quart casserole.
• Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes – until bubbly.

Now, enjoy your gluten free mac and cheese - and, yes, dairy free mac and cheese!

Gluten free pizza crust recipe

One of the most common questions I get is about finding a good gluten free pizza crust recipe.  For many years, the in-store and restaurant options for pizza lovers on a GFCF diet were limited-to-disappointing. That's changed in recent years. I see some GF frozen pizza options in my local supermarket's freezer section. I also see some gf options on the non-freezer shelves - pre-made, ready to make. And, there are gf pizza crust baking mixes on the market as well - and I'll always recommend Bob's Red Mill products simply due to reliability and availability. Bob's has a good mix that you can buy online. 

The other big factor for pizza recipes had been finding a good non-dairy cheese. Since Dayai came on the market, I've pretty much used that exclusively. I find it tastes OK and melts well in the oven. And, unless you're dealing with a tomato issue, there's plenty of store-bought and homemade sauce options (if tomato is an issue - try pierogi pizza or pizza without sauce).

Another issue worth mentioning here - and one reason I turned to a homemade gluten free pizza crust recipe - is the cost. I find the in-store options to be pretty expensive for what you get. Combined with the homemade version having a better taste (imho), I'd rather make it on my own.

I'll point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote products specifically by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

With this gluten free pizza crust recipe, I can make a simple, tasty crust that doesn't take very long. I'll admit, this has taken years of adapting, tweaking, changing, etc ... but, I like this version and want to share it here. It's also very adaptable to various allergies and sensitivities. For example, if you can't use brown rice flour, use sorghum flour. So, here it is:

Shell ingredients 

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 2/3 cup chickpea flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 tsp xanthan gum (I order lowest cost item via Amazon)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder (buy in store or online via Amazon)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3/4 cup water 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1/2 tbsp sugar (or any sweetener like agave or honey) 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix dry ingredients. Note: as an alternative, if you prefer to not buy the flours and xantham gum individually, replace the flours and xantham gum with a cup of pre-made gluten free mix, which you can also order online. Still add the baking powder. If you buy the pre-made, you can use the yeast packet if you want, but it's not necessary for this recipe.
• Add wet ingredients and mix well.
• Grease baking sheet with shortening (we use Spectrum) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I mostly use the parchment rather than shortening).
• Plop dough onto middle of parchment lined sheet - might need a spatula to get it all out.
• I do this next part at the sink since you'll need wet hands - the dough is sticky. Turn the tap on and wet one hand. Use your hand to push down on the dough and smooth it out into a pizza shell shape (circle, square or rectangle). You'll have to repeatedly wet that hand to keep from sticking. I do this until it's about 1/4" thick. I pinch the edges like you would for a pie crust.
• Bake 12 minutes, then, use a spatula or other utensil to gently loosen the crust from the sheet and slide onto an oven rack.
• Bake for another 5 minutes without the sheet underneath.
• After five minutes, again use a spatula or utensil to gently slide the crust back onto the baking sheet. Remove from oven.
• This is where you'll add sauce, cheese and other toppings as desired. Generally, I add these and then bake for five more minutes to heat. Then eat!

Here's some of my topping ideas for this gluten free pizza crust recipe:

Sauce: I make my own and the recipe I follow is on this page. I typically make this while the crust is baking - doesn't take more than five minutes.

Cheese: I use one bag of Dayai cheddar. You can just sprinkle the cheese and I see that Dayai now sells "liquid cheese" in containers too. I prefer to mix this and make my own melty cheese. So, dump it into a small pot. Add a quarter(ish) cup of rice milk (or any other milk alternative). Heat on medium until the milk heats and cheese starts to melt. Stir continuously to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Add milk as needed to gain the right cheesy consistency that you want. I make mine until it's sorta like a cheese dip so that I can ladle it over top of the pizza. My kids call it a "cheese blanket."

Veggies: My kids like any mix of chopped onions (small pieces), thin green pepper strips and mushrooms. Of course, add whatever you like.

Meat: I've used pepperoni (our store has a gluten free pepperoni), and I've also used ground meat to make "cheeseburger pizza." You could use any meat.

So, typically, I'll spoon the sauce, ladle the cheese, sprinkle the veggies and add the meat - then bake five minutes. I'll let the pizza rest for five minutes after coming out of the oven before cutting.

One final note - I've made a larger rectangular gluten free pizza when my kids had friends over simply by doubling the recipe. Worked just fine.

An Encyclopedia of Dietary Interventions and GFCF Help

Finally, there is a book that covers the use of diet in treating our children with developmental disorders, such as PDD and ADHD, etc. It's called The Encyclopedia of Dietary Interventions.

This is the kind of book that should answer a lot of those questions about what foods contain gluten and what foods are beneficial, and why? It's especially useful for any parent with children on the Autism Spectrum and looking at the positive and negative impacts of certain foods - the dietary interventions. 

We went this route with our children years ago as we realized that dietary interventions produced positive results with our family. We wish there had been a resource like this available to help guide us. 

You can grab a Kindle version online for a reasonable price. And yes, that is an affiliate link, but as I repeatedly note on this blog, I'll only promote products that I've tried, used and personally endorse. This is a good book and worth reading - whether you buy it or not.

Happy 2009 to all my gfcf recipes friends!

I just wanted to take a minute and say how much I enjoyed sharing with all of you in 2008 and how great it was to meet -- electronically -- so many people. This blog started as a simple way to share recipes with people who most likely were in the same boat as us. As many of you know, I have two daughters diagnosed with PDD and we embraced a gluten and casein free diet to help. 

And, it has helped. This blog has grown tremendously -- way beyond what I ever imagined. It's not really a source of income for us. I've not made a dime from it yet. But, that never was the point. The point was to try and help, just as so many people have helped us. 

I'd like to share a few facts about how many people this blog has reached in 2008: 

• 13,682 visitors, or roughly 38 visitors every day. 
• Those visiting the blog live in 84 countries. The countries with the most visitors were 1) U.S., 2) Canada, 3) Australia, 4) Philippines and 5) the U.K. 
• Some other countries that might surprise you: Malaysia, Iceland, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Panama, Portugal, Brazil, Pakistan, Israel, Norway, Turkey, China, Qatar, Estonia, Venezuela, Bahamas, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Anguilla, Iraq, Kenya, Faroe Islands, Malta, Chile, Iran and Latvia. 
• The city with the most visits in 2008 was Burnsville, Minnesota. 
• This blog holds the top Google ranking under the "gfcf recipes" search and the fifth spot under the "gluten casein free recipes" search. 

So, thanks to all of you for making this such a wonderful experience. I hope you've taken something worthwhile from this site and I hope to meet more of you in 2009. 

jim

Gluten free "Rice Krispies" treats - Glennys product review

I came across this treat in the store the other day. It's expensive -- I think about $5 a box. But, it was a nice surprise for my kids and will be an every-so-often treat for them. I'm going to try and replicate this recipe. If I do, I'll post it here.

 

The treat -- a gluten free marshmallow treat similar to Rice Krispies Treats -- is made by "glenny's." And, it's gluten-free and casein-free. 

Note that the box says there's the possibility of trace amounts of tree nuts.

These are very good and really provide a nice option to give kids their own gluten free rice krispies treat. And, the kids love the colorful wrappers.

I've noted the Glenny's website is not very thorough or up to date and the Facebook page is dated as well.

Allergy book for kids

As if there aren't enough challenges finding and making foods for your children on a gluten-free, casein-free diet. Toss in a few added food allergies or intolerances and life can be difficult, at the least. And then, there's trying to explain to your child why he or she cannot eat the same foods that most of the other kids enjoy. Pizza. Ice cream. Grilled cheese. Oreos. Etc. I'm trying to explain this to my young daughters now. Through a friend, I've found a great book that helps young children understand and accept the food issues they face. It's called "One of the Gang" and it's authored by Gina Clowes. You can find this on Amazon by clicking here. If you're having difficulty explaining this to your kids or find they are having a difficult time accepting their issues, this book might help.

GFCF pumpernickel bread

For some reason, my kids don't like light-colored bread. They'll go for dark-colored breads every time. There's a GFCF bread on the market that's made from a red rice that they like, but it has yeast in it and my youngest can't tolerate yeast very well. So, I set out to make my own yeast-free GFCF pumpernickel bread. I did it. Here's the recipe. This makes two loaves. I froze one and I'm using the other. I'm gonna tinker with this recipe more, so I'll update the blog if I can improve it. Ingredients 2 flax eggs ( see my recipe) 1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup GF molasses 1.5 cups water 1 tbsp baking powder 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice 2 cups corn starch 1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch 1/4 cup corn meal 1.5 cups sorghum flour 1/2 cup flax seed meal (ground flax) 1/4 cup cocoa or carob powder 4 tsp xanthan gum 1 tsp salt Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Get out two larger mixing bowls. Make the flax eggs in the microwave and let those sit for 5 mins. Meanwhile, in one bowl, add the water, oil, vinegar, molasses and juice. Stir. In another bowl, add all of the dry

ingredients. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the flax egg. Mix on a low speed until combined. Note -- this will be thicker than pancake or cake batter. If it really seems too dry, add a little water. I greased two bread pans with Spectrum organic shortening and I split the dough between them. I flattened the dough using a wet spatula. I baked in the oven for about 50 mins. After 45 mins, I checked every 5 mins. until a toothpick came out of the center clean. That's it. Let cool after baked, put on a rack to cool. I might tinker with the flour mixtures. Sorghum works well, but I'm sure you could use buckwheat flour, for example, or brown rice too. I might try brown rice mixed with sorghum next time. I might add some potato starch instead of all corn starch to moisten the bread. I'll let you know. Also, there's golden and dark flax. I just used ground golden flax because that's what I had in the house. The dark flax obviously would go better with the dark color of the bread. I grind it up in a coffee grinder. I use the carob powder because one of my girls cannot handle the cocoa. So, I hope you enjoy this bread. My youngest loves it with GF salami and mustard.

GFCF Rice Chex

So, hello everyone. I've been lax in posting for a while, but I'm still here. I realize I'm likely very behind on this one, but I didn't find out that General Mills made its Rice Chex cereal gluten-free. I popped in the supermarket today to check. They did. So, if your kids like cereal, this is a great option that you can grab in a bind. However, I noticed it's priced higher than the Health Valley Rice Crunch Ems I normally buy for my kids. So, which should I buy? With health value in mind, I'm sure the Health Valley is better, with no preservatives, etc. Pricewise, the Health Valley is less expensive and thru my food co-op, I can buy it in cases at a 20% discount. But, there's also some value in supporting a mainstream company -- General Mills -- that's willing to offer a gluten-free product on my supermarket shelf. Hmmm. Maybe, I'll buy one of each.

Bad GFCF pizza crust

I love to talk and write about the GFCF foods I love. Here's one I really didn't care for -- and I'll tell you why. This is the Nature's Hilights Brown Rice Pizza Crust. This looked great in the freezer section at Whole Foods and I thought I'd give it a try for ~$5/2 crusts. 

I usually make my own, but this was worth a shot. Here's the problem, the crusts are very chewy after they're cooked and they only become tougher and chewier -- like jerky -- upon cooling. It's actually just bad. I would not recommend this to anyone. For now, I'll keep baking my own crusts.

GF/CF/SF Rice Cheese

OK -- so I've had a few comment about the kind of rice cheese I'm using. This is gluten free, casein free and soy free. I understand it might be tricky finding this stuff, but I assure you it exists. To prove it, I'm including a photo of the packaging. It clearly states gf, cf and sf. And, the ingredients indicate the same.

I buy this at a local Whole Foods and also at a local food co-op. I notice two things about this particular item that might help you find it.

First, it's not the brick of cheese, it's just the slices.

Second, this packaging also has a lot of Spanish on it. I've seen other sliced Galaxy cheeses that contain either soy or casein. This one is different.

I hope that helps and I hope you can find it.

GF/CF/SF Toasted cheese sandwiches

Here's another great classic you now can make, thanks to Galaxy cheese slices, which are gluten-free, casein-free and soy-free. Note again, as in previous posts, that the Galaxy cheese chunks are not casein free, just the slices. So, head out to a Whole Foods or your local food co-op and find the following: -- Galaxy cheese slices, either American, Cheddar or Pepper Jack flavors. -- Ener-G gluten free bread (I buy the brown rice, yeast-free bread. There's others.) -- Whatever type of margarine or oil you use that's dairy-free. Some use Fleischmann's Light spreadable margarine, or ghee, or oil. I use canola oil. -- Sea salt. You know how to make this. It's easy. I'll note a couple of tricks that I found helpful. And, of course, you can use any type of gluten-free bread. I just happen to be using the Ener-G bread right now. Other times, I'll make my own. OK, get a frying pan out and pre-heat on medium-high. Let it get hot. This is crucial to get the nice toasted bread markings. While it's heating, get out two bread slices and put a slice of cheese in the middle. I add a small pinch of sea salt. The cheese is low-salt and this adds a bit of flavor. When the pan's hot, add the oil or margarine. If oil, just a tsp will do. Not too much. Now, place the sandwich in the pan. You should hear a slight sizzle. Brown on one side. This only takes a minute or so. Then turn over and brown the other side. You'll probably notice the cheese really isn't melted. So, turn off the pan. Put the toasted sandwich on a plate. Microwave this for 15 secs (try 10 secs in yours first -- in mine, it's 15 secs). This will melt the cheese AND keep the toasty bread. There you go. Toasted cheese. And now that you know how to make this, you obviously can make a nice ham and cheese sandwich or even a turkey and cheese sandwich. Buy your gluten-free lunch-meat and add a slice to the cheese sandwich before toasting. Very tasty. The cheese is a bit pricy, but to me, it's well worth it. I can't stand the soy cheeses. They're aweful. And most other cheeses have some form of casein in there. This is the best I've found. I plan to make a pizza using this cheese sometime next week -- also with a new GF crust I found. I'll let you know how that goes.

GF/CF/SF chili-cheese fries

Bet you didn't think this was possible on a gluten-free, casein-free diet. Well, it is possible, and even without soy too. For my money, the soy-based cheeses are really bad. So, how do you do this? You can grab everything in one trip to Whole Foods. -- French fries: either Whole Foods' 365 brand or Cascadian Farms brand. -- Chili: Amy's brand chili is OK. -- Cheese: Galaxy brand rice cheese (yes, the slices are casein-free, not just lactose free -- be careful because the bricks are not casein-free). 

They sell sliced pepper-jack, american and cheddar. The pepper jack adds some zip to this. So, toss the fries in the oven for 10 mins, then turn them over. Bake another 5 mins. Spread the chili over top and bake another 3 mins. Add the cheese with about 1 minute left. I cut this up into smaller pieces and toss over top. There you go. You could also add some salsa to this if your kids like it -- plain Tostitos brand salsas are OK and so is Muir Glen brand, among others.