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The time for salads!
2008-06-07 18:00:00
Summer is absolutely the time for salads! You don't need to turn the oven on and your entire dinner can be fixed in minutes!! I have been craving salads nearly every night of the week in this already hot and humid weather.Salads are light, cool, crisp, and refreshing on a warm summer evenings. They are also packed full of nutrition if you make sure to add lots of fresh vegetables! I made this particular layered salad several weeks ago for a picnic. Michael really enjoyed it, so it will be on our weekly menu rotation soon! My favorite part is the super easy homemade dressing. I was out of my standard packet of Hidden Valley ranch... so we had to make due! Simple and delicious! We'll be "making due" more often!!What do you enjoy in your layered salads?Carrie's Simple Strata Salad4 cups -or- 1 small head green leaf lettuce, rinsed, patted dry and torn into pieces1 package grape tomatoes, halved -or - 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided1 cup froz...
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Grillin' It up with Carol of Simply Gluten Free
2008-06-05 15:55:00
Welcome to May/June 2008?s Hot Smokin? Edition of: For this edition, please welcome Carol , of Simply Gluten Free !Ginger Lemon Girl: Carol, welcome to the Grill this month! First, let?s start with why you decided to start a gluten free blog? Carol of Simply Gluten Free : I started my blog primarily as a form of discipline. I wanted to start getting my recipes in one place and I felt that if I had a blog it would force me to work on it. Then I found that I really love the aspect of writing and food photography as well as the cooking. I never expected to find such a great community out there. Now I am hooked. I have made great friends through the world of blogging.I love your recipes! They always seem fresh and simple! What inspires you to create recipes? I think it really is what I say in my blog ? celebrating the abundance of gluten-free living. I love to eat well and live well. I don?t like the idea of deprivation. By changing my viewpoint from one of deprivation to one ...

A Menu, A Blogging Event, and News!
2008-06-01 23:02:00
Please welcome my newest cousin Gracie! She was born last week! Isn't she beautiful!You probably noticed I've been posting less frequently as of late.Life gets busy and sometimes priorities must be rearranged.I've also felt the need to only post recipes that truly work well. You see, I want you to have success in your gluten free kitchen, especially when you do me the honor of trying one of my recipes. It's a sincere compliment for you to take the time to print out a recipe and make something that I have shared.I feel at times I've been in a hurry and I've shared recipes that actually needed a bit more tweaking before being posted. So, I hope you will bear with me as I try to simply post what I feel are my best recipes. Meanwhile, If you have a recipe to share with me (and I'm always seeking out new ideas) please feel free to email me at gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com.I have several things to share with you today. First being the menu for this week. With our crazy work sch...
More About: News , Event , Blogging , Menu

My Favorite Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
2008-05-28 18:43:00
When I first started a gluten free lifestyle last summer, the thought of making homemade bread scared me. So for several months on our rare trips to Raleigh, NC (the closest town with a store that actually had a gluten free foods section) I would stock up on frozen gluten free sandwich bread. I quickly realized that there had to be a better way. It was simply too expensive and too inconvenient to rely on store bought gluten free sandwich bread.I read many articles and several gluten free cookbooks for a good starter recipe on gluten free yeast/sandwich bread. I've always tried to focus on whole grains and healthier foods, so my first loaf (and the loaf I used for many months) was this loaf, which was originally a Bette Hagman recipe, which I revised for more fiber and nutrition.I made the loaf in a bread machine that I borrowed from my mom-in-law. Bread machines are really wonderful (and now they even make several versions with a gluten free cycle) and are incredible time-saving d...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Favorite , Sandwich

How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies - A Step by Step Guide
2008-05-20 13:35:00
Okay. I will admit it. When it comes to baking, I am a perfectionist. Especially when it comes to baking something that I think I am especially good at. In today's case: Michael's favorite chocolate chip cookies. This is one of my favorite recipes and one that I am very proud of. I used to make these cookies with wheat flour. When I started the gluten free diet this is one of the first recipes I converted. We love these cookies and it's one recipe I can always count on to turn out well.I've had many, many compliments on these cookies. I think Gluten Free Steve declared me a friend for life when he made these cookies, and he never fails to make me blush by reminding me how much he enjoys them! I've had many readers of the blog to let me know how much they enjoy them... but for all the people who love them, there are many who said they didn't work.The biggest complaint is that the cookies spread too much when baking. Another complaint was that they were too salty. Up until this ...
More About: Gluten Free , Cookies , Chocolate , Guide

This Week's Menu (May 19 - May 23)
2008-05-19 05:08:00
*For more gluten free menus this week, please visit Cooking and UNcooking for the Gluten Free Menu Swap roundup.* For more weekly menus of all kinds, visit Org Junkie's weekly roundup.Boy, do I feel organized! I actually have this week's gluten free meals prepared and our menu squared away! Maybe I'm finally getting the hang of 10 hour work days. If only the laundry was done...We had an interesting weekend. We were at home for once, which was wonderful, and we had a mouse in our AC duct work.We discovered the mouse as we were watching a movie on Saturday night. Two of the cats, Max and Maya, were sitting patiently at the AC duct vent in the living room. They sat there for over an hour, we could not figure out why. Every now and then I heard a faint noise that sort of sounded like a cricket. I was a little nervous because we were watching a movie with lots of suspense.A bit later, I walked towards the back of the house and I immediately noticed a loud metal grating sound in the gu...

Kid-Friendly Food Fridays - GLUTEN FREE PIZZA!! (GF, CF, EF, SF)
2008-05-16 20:00:00
Welcome back to Kid-Friendly Food Fridays! We started this weekly event to feature healthy, yummy, delicious, and quick recipes to make for kids! For more information on this weekly event, please visit the Kid Friendly Food Fridays Headquarters! We welcome you to submit recipes and ideas for this feature to gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com! This week I'm featuring a wonderful recipe from a book by Carol Fenster called, "Cooking Free ."This book by Ms. Fenster was published in 2005 and it is still very up to date and perfect for the gluten free diet. The great part about this book is that most of the recipes are also egg free, wheat free (of course), sugar free, and dairy free! How accommodating is that?This book is perfect for those following a gluten free and casein free diet. Many of the recipes in this book are perfect for kids and most are recipes that can be prepared quickly (my favorite!) There are over 200 recipes in this well-written, informative book. The book includes ve...
More About: Pizza , Gluten Free

Why I Write This Blog...
2008-05-15 18:06:00
** Disclaimer: I wrote this post for an "about me" page to list on my side bar -- Then I decided that regular readers of my blog might enjoy it as well. It's an introduction to this site and why I started living gluten free. **In August 2007, I discovered food blogs for the first time. The first blogs I read and became acquainted with were: Fridge Magnet, The Amateur Gourmet, and The Wednesday Chef. I started reading these food blogs on a daily basis. At some point I ran across Gluten Free Girl, and something clicked. I wanted to do that too. I loved cooking and baking (though at that point I was not gluten free), and I enjoyed writing for fun.I was familiar with Blog ger and I thought I would give blogging a shot. My first post was published in late August 2007.I had attempted blogging several times before, but I never found a "niche" I was really interested in.I didn't want a blog just to talk about my life -- that seemed a bit too personal.My faith is extremely important to me ...
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Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger -- The Good Eatah
2008-05-13 14:48:00
I've been meaning to post about The Good Eatah for nearly 3 weeks. Needless to say, I'm a little behind!I chose "The Good Eatah" for this month's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event (started by Sea, over at Book of Yum) because she has such a great variety of naturally gluten free recipes! The Good Eatah shares her gluten free and dairy free recipes on a regular basis. She also has an adorable dog named Henry, and she's a new aunt!!There were so many recipes I wanted to try! Her zucchini fritter-tatas, her cranberry walnut bread, her spanish tortilla (I still may have to add this to my menu soon!), her apricot chews, it's endless!I finally settled on The Good Eatah's German Chocolate Brownies, a creation she entered into a Pamela's products recipe contest!Why this didn't win first place, I'll never know!This recipe is based on using a brownie mix (or your favorite brownie recipe) and then adding a german chocolate streudel topping!Oh. My. Word.Delicious! These brownies are so...
More About: Gluten Free

Kid Friendly Food Fridays - Creamy Chicken Tacos!
2008-05-09 13:36:00
Welcome back to Kid-Friendly Food Fridays! We started this weekly event to feature healthy, yummy, delicious, and quick recipes to make for kids! For more information on this weekly event, please visit the Kid Friendly Food Fridays Headquarters! We welcome you to submit recipes and ideas for this feature to gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com! Photo credits: Becky Luigart-Stayver, and Jan Gauto, Cooking Light Sept. 2002Today's recipe comes from our friend Kelly. You are probably familiar with my friend Kelly by now, as she contributed a recipe for outstanding waffles several weeks ago. I trust Kelly's opinion on kid-friendly recipes because she is wonderful mom to two young children, who love her gluten free cooking! During the summer in the Ginger Lemon Girl household, our work schedules change and it always takes Michael and me a few weeks to adjust our new, usually later, dinner routine. We have to come up with fast, easy, and hopefully nutritious meals, or we'll be eating ...
More About: Chicken , Tacos

Why didn't I think of that...
2008-05-07 14:00:00
Normally, I try to do my own baking and creating early on Saturday mornings.It is at that time that the light is best in my kitchen for photography, Michael is still sound asleep, and there is a peaceful quiet resounding throughout the house. I think best during those times, and yet, lately I've been finding myself making other people's recipes more than creating my own! I have weeks like that. I see amazing recipes that others have posted and I don't even feel like tweaking... I just have to make them!So today, I'm going to share with you several recipes that I have tried in the past few months that Michael and I are in LOVE with... and I really wish I had thought of them first!Hhhhmmmm... I'm starting to sense a carb addiction around here!Sally's Egg Free, Casein Free, Yeast Bread -- That Sally, the girl really has a knack for allergen free baking and cooking! I was so excited to try this great bread from her. I often feel like I'm going to put chickens out of business with...

This Week's Menu (May 5 - May 9)
2008-05-05 15:28:00
In the 8 years that I have lived in eastern North Carolina, one thing never ceases to amaze me. Summer begins in April.Hot, humid, air-conditioning-already, summer.I've learned to enjoy summer more since I moved here. I'm really a cold weather girl, but since that weather is few and far between in these parts, summer has become welcoming.This weekend we planted more azaleas (thanks to my green-thumbed mom-in-law), a yellow tea rose, and the white daylilies have begun to bloom!We are continuing very simple, pantry-friendly meals. The chosen ingredient of the week is potatoes, which we eat often. A simple baked potato topped with chili or broccoli is one of my favorite meals!For more gluten free menu ideas this week, head over to Cooking, Illustrated, for a fantastic roundup!This Week's Menu SundayKelly's Creamy Chicken Tacos (will post this recipe soon!)Strawberry ShortcakeMondayLeftover creamy chicken tacosSalad with fresh avocadosTuesdayItalian Pasta BakeGreen Beans and CarrotsW...

Kid-Friendly Food Fridays -- Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)
2008-05-02 14:00:00
Welcome back to Kid-Friendly Food Fridays! We started this weekly event to feature healthy, yummy, delicious, and nutritious recipes for kids! For more information on this weekly event, please visit the Kid Friendly Food Fridays Headquarters! We welcome you to submit recipes and ideas for this feature to gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com!***********These chocolate chip cookies are a secret!Yep, a big secret.Don't tell anybody, but these cookies actually have some nutrition packed deep inside. They are hiding a wonderful veggie that you can really sneak into almost anything ...the humble zucchini.Zucchini is a great ingredient to add to gluten free baked goods. Zucchini provides an almost perfect vegetable protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, and iron.These cookies are also hiding excellent sources of fiber and vitamins by using oatmeal and ground flax seeds.I also think with the moisture zucchini provides and the gellin...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Cookies , Chocolate

My Favorite Gluten Free Breakfast -- A Grits Bowl
2008-05-01 15:00:00
A Grits Bowl . Sounds pretty fancy doesn't it.Okay, so it doesn't.And it's not.It's simple. Yummy. Naturally gluten free goodness at it's best.Michael and I usually make this yummy breakfast on Saturday mornings, or even on a weeknight if we don't have anything planned and need something quick for dinner.While it isn't exactly brimming over with good nutrition, it's still a hearty, pleasing dish with healthy proteins and B vitamins!I've even thought of adding cooked spinach to this wonderful bowl after reading Sally's post about adding greens to breakfast, but I'm not sure Michael will go for that... yet. Give him time, he's still learning to like greens!I love this gluten free breakfast because it is fast, easy, and super yummy comfort food. I also like this one-dish meal because Michael doesn't mind making it on his own if I'm not home, or we are super busy and happen to have different eating schedules! I think this would be a great dish for older kids to make since t...
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Daring Baker's Challenge # 3 - Cheesecake Pops
2008-04-27 06:01:00
I need a Stairmaster. I need one now. Because I am so addicted to these cheesecake pops! Who knew! I was actually rather "baking-shy" about this recipe. I had never made a "real" cheesecake before and I wasn't sure how well this was going to turn out.I probably shouldn't have learned!These cheesecake pops are so incredibly rich and heavenly! Oh my word! So good! They do take some time, so you need to plan ahead before making them, but they are worth it.This actually turned out to be one of the easiest recipes I've tried as a member of Daring Baker's! Here are the changes I made: I halved the original recipe, I used sweet rice flour in place of the wheat flour, and I used additional vanilla extract for flavoring. Next time I make these pops I will reduce the amount of sugar used in the cheesecake since the candy coating is so sweet. I will also try using a lower-fat cream cheese, so the saturated fat content is not so high in the overall recipe. Other than that... these yummy pop...
More About: Challenge , Cheesecake

Kid-Friendly Food Fridays -- Gluten Free Waffles!
2008-04-25 18:49:00
Welcome to the first installment of a new series on Ginger Lemon Girl! This series is in response to you, my dear readers, who sent me a whirlwind of comments asking for kid-friendly, healthy, quick, delicious, and veggie-filled gluten free meals!!I hear ya' folks! And even though I don't have kids myself, I do have one picky husband whose favorite meals are pizza, cheeseburgers, and macaroni and cheese! So hopefully his taste-buds will please your kids!While I cannot guarantee a post for you every Friday, I'll try to make this as regular a feature as possible!!I will need your help!! If you have a great idea for a recipe to be featured on "Kid-Friendly Food Friday," please email me at gingerlemon_girl at yahoo dot com! I would love to hear your ideas and comments! You will be given full credit for any recipe that you submit! For more information on submitting recipes and ideas, please visit the Kid-Friendly Food Fridays Headquarters.************Today we are featuring two recipes...
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Gluten Free Grill April 2008 -- Melanie of The Gluti Girls
2008-04-21 17:21:00
Welcome to April ’s smokin' hot edition of: April 2008 Melanie , of The Gluti Girls Ginger Lemon Girl: Melanie, why did you begin a gluten free diet? Melanie: I started a gluten free diet because my doctor suspected celiac disease. I have suffered from digestive troubles for as long as I can remember. I went in for a check up with a new doctor and she did a blood test on me for celiac, which came out positive. To make a very long story short, I did have a biopsy done, but the answers were not clear. I had a positive response to the diet along with the positive blood test, so my regular doctor thinks celiac disease is what I have, but I do not have a positive biopsy.Why did you start blogging about being gluten free?When I found out about celiac disease and the reality set in about how my life would change, I was really overwhelmed. I was so happy to finally know what was wrong with me, but how would I do this? Then I found the blogs. These people were not only living glut...
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This Week's Menu and a Giveaway!!
2008-04-21 14:40:00
Finally! I'm back with my weekly menu plan! The past few weeks I have been thrown off due to a different work schedule and some unexpected trips. Michael is now the first one home most days and he's been in charge of starting dinner, which means SUPER simple, but yummy meals. (Amy, aren't you impressed!) And since Michael has been so willing to be in charge, he's choosing the meals!The ingredient of the week with the gluten free menu swap is cilantro. I'm not a fan of cilantro so we won't be making anything with this herb, but visit Gluten Free Mommy for more gluten free menu plans and meal ideas this week!It's also strawberry season in North Carolina! Make sure to check out my recent post on how to make a gluten free fresh strawberry pie!This Week's Menu :MondayAsian Veggie Stirfry with Brown RiceTuesdayBaked Macaroni and Cheese with GF hotdogs (Kelly -- see what you started!!)Green BeansCinnamon ApplesauceWednesdayOut for MexicanThursdayBaked potatoes with chili or veggie...

Fresh Strawberry Pie (Gluten Free)
2008-04-20 21:37:00
I have such amazing memories of being in the kitchen with my great-grandmother. Her best dessert is a fresh strawberry pie. I believe this is the only way you should make a strawberry pie!Making this pie marks the beginning of spring for me. In eastern NC, spring seems to get here earlier and earlier each year. These beautiful berries were my first purchase from a local strawberry farm. Thankfully they will be selling them through May, so you can bet neighbors will be getting a strawberry pie or two this month!Strawberry pie is actually a very simple pie to make. I try to make several gluten free pie crusts ahead of time and freeze them. That way, when it's strawberry season, you can just pull out your ready made pie crust, bake it, and you are ready to go!Here is how to make my grandmother's strawberry pie:Buy a quart of strawberries from a local farmer! If you are going to use them immediately rinse them off, and place them in the fridge. If you are going to use them later, DO ...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Fresh

Chocolate Brownie Bites (Gluten Free, Vegan...)
2008-04-15 22:14:00
Low Carb, Soy Free , Grain Free, Dairy Free, Casein Free, Egg Free, Taste Free... KIDDING! These little brownie bites are so amazingly delicious, they are definitely NOT taste free! About a month ago, I was at a grocery store and starving (not a good combination) and I found these little bars called, "Pure Bars". On the wrapper they were listed as "raw" food. In other words, not cooked, pure, organic ingredients. I thought for sure the bar would be awful! But I was hungry and the package stated that it was free of gluten it was "chocolate brownie" flavor, so I thought I would try it for the ride home.How can you resist something that says "Like a Good Mood in a wrapper!" ;-) Oh. My. Word.It was amazing. It was so good! The bar was rich and super chocolately and didn't feel the least bit healthy, even though it said on the package it was! I thought they were lying! Now, I will warn you, it does clearly state on the package that while it is free from any ingredients that contain glut...
More About: Gluten Free , Chocolate , Vegan , Brownie

Whole Grain Banana Nut Muffins (Gluten Free)
2008-04-15 14:32:00
We traveled over the weekend to visit my Great-Grandmother. She fell last week and broke her hip along with several vertebrae in her neck. Despite that hard fall, she is doing wonderful and is ever spunky and surprising! I have no doubt she will make it through rehab with flying colors, even at 97! We truly appreciate all the well wishes and kind thoughts we received through email and comments!!There is something therapeutic about making muffins. I made these muffins last weekend for our trip to see Grandma, and then again when we returned home for our "grab and go" breakfasts this week. Packed with nutritious whole grains, healthy proteins and fats, and just a touch of sweetness, these muffins are satisfying and delicious!I need a "photographic lighting" fairy to visit my kitchen! That hole in the muffin is where a walnut resided. It was yummy!This recipe is an updated version of my "Easy Banana Nut Muffins ." This version is made with more whole grains for a heartier muffin. I al...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Grain

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (Gluten Free)
2008-04-11 14:08:00
One of Michael's favorite meals is a simple Asian-inspired stir-fry. We usually make this meal fast and frugally using a frozen package of "stir-fry" vegetables, leftover meat from a previous meal, and quick brown rice. We rely on this meal at least twice a month, and for me, it satisfies a craving for foods I used to order at Chinese restaurants in my old gluten filled days.For a new twist on this old favorite of ours, I decided to make a teriyaki marinade for the chicken, which I would later grill instead of adding to the stir-fried vegetables.Grilling the chicken, instead of adding it to the stir-fry, really brought out the flavors of the teriyaki marinade. It also gave the dish a delicious new presentation!I think this marinade would also be excellent on salmon steaks, tofu, or beef!Grilled Teriyaki Chicken 2 Tablespoons olive oil2 Tablespoons sesame oil1/4 cup lemon juice1/4 cup gluten free, low sodium soy sauce1 teaspoon ground mustard2 Tablespoons brown sugar1 Tablespoon bl...
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Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger -- Lea is Gluten Free
2008-04-10 14:25:00
This month for Sea's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event, I adopted Lea, of Lea is Gluten Free .I've always enjoyed reading Lea's blog! She has wonderful tidbits of her gluten free life, occasional gluten free product reviews, and excellent recipes! She's also a huge animal lover with her four furr-babies that I enjoy hearing about!The Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event gave me the opportunity to try one of Lea's recipes!We had a short cold spell last week in the Carolinas and I decided to try Lea's Stuffed Cabbage Soup! I had been meaning to make this soup ever since Lea posted it! It was absolutely wonderful!! I only changed a few things to meet the ingredients I had on hand. Michael begged for potatoes in the stew instead of rice, and I had a container of leftover vegetables that needed to be used, so I threw them in as well. The soup was absolutely delicious!! We ate this fantastic soup for 3 meals and still had leftovers (it makes a TON of soup!)The flavors of this soup are t...

How to make Gluten Free Bagels (2.0)
2008-04-08 19:32:00
Since making these bagels (and posting about them), I've read a variety of other bagel recipes.One important method I noticed in these recipes is that apparently my original process of boiling the shaped bagels, letting them rise, and then baking, is not the "authentic" way to make them.What makes much more sense (and I'm kicking myself for not realizing this!) Is that you FIRST want to let the shaped bagels rise in your 200 degree warmed oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. THEN boil them (20 seconds on each side) right before baking. This will allow the yeast to work much better in rising the bagels. It will also give a more chewy texture by boiling right before baking. So those of you bagel gurus out there, forgive me! This was first attempt at boiling baked goods! I'm still learning!Unfortunately, this week I don't have time to test this baking method, as my great-grandmother (whom you will remember from this post -- a personal favorite of mine) had a very bad fall and is in inten...
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How to Make Gluten Free Bagels
2008-04-06 20:12:00
When I was growing up, other than a bowl of grits or oatmeal, my favorite breakfast was a bagel. We ate LOTS of bagels. I'm not sure how my parents came to love a bagel. They certainly didn't eat them growing up, but somewhere along the way, they became dedicated bagel fans!My favorite bagels were the savory type: Garlic and Onion, Poppy seed, Sesame seed, the "Everything" bagel, etc... I liked the sweet bagels okay... but I LOVED the savory. And I slathered them with cream cheese.It's safe to say since I've been gluten free, I have not encountered one store bought gluten free bagel that I have really enjoyed. Not once.But this weekend I felt bold! I've been a member of the Daring Baker's for several months and one thing these fab bakers have taught me is not to be afraid of a challenge!So, we made bagels! We made LOTS of bagels! And they are GOOD my friends! If you have missed a "soft,chewy on the inside, and hot, crispy on the outside" bagel.... these are for you! They do ...
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Crusty Millet Flat Bread (Gluten Free)
2008-04-04 14:50:00
Freshly baked Millet Flat Bread It always makes my day when cooking experiments turn out even better than you thought they would!With the help of Natalie at Gluten Free a Go Go, I've been trying to use less xanthan gum in my baking. I've been trying to incorporate other alternative gluten free baking ingredients for structure and texture, such as ground chia seeds, whey protein powder, and psyllium powder. It's fun to experiment, even when things do not go as planned. I've been able to eliminate xanthan gum in cookies, bars, muffins, and quick breads successfully, but yeast bread has been a different story. I've learned a lot.Millet Flat Bread slices for sandwiches... see those beautiful air pockets!!And I've learned that with yeast breads in particular (at least in my baking experience), xanthan gum is needed for creating the structure and texture you need for rising.The interesting thing with this recipe is that it makes a wonderfully light flat bread with very little xanthan...
More About: Gluten Free

Spring Spinach Walnut Pesto
2008-04-03 14:30:00
I was working at a daycare in college when I first discovered pesto! Yes, a daycare.One of the daycare teachers was making fresh pasta with her kids and on top of the pasta she swirled on this lovely spring green sauce. I had to have some. It was so fresh and delicious! I'm not sure how much the 3 year olds enjoyed it... but hey.. you have to start somewhere right?Last October, Natalie, of Gluten Free Mommy had a great post on her cilantro pesto grilled cheese sandwiches. They looked delicious and I was truly intrigued with the idea of using pesto on a sandwich!I came up with this wonderful spinach walnut pesto because fresh basil and pinenuts just don't seem to be stocked at the local piggly wiggly... and with gas prices the way they are (and the fact that we are truly trying to budget)... you learn to work with what you have... and this simple fresh pesto is fantastic!!I love the bright spring green color, and the warm, fresh flavors of the garlic, olive oil, spinach, and walnu...
More About: Spring , Walnut , Spinach , Pesto

This Week's Menu (3/31 - 4/4)
2008-03-31 16:51:00
Oh dear... my favorite citrus fruit of all time, if you hadn't guessed already,would be the lovely lemon! Natalie, of Gluten Free Mommy, has chosen lemons as the ingredient of this week for the Gluten Free Menu Swap!I think I could eat "lemon" something everyday. Whether it's a lemon bread for breakfast, hot tea with lemon, cakes made with lemon, lemon zest in everything, baked chicken with lemon, a lemon vinaigrette for a salad, I even love adding lemon zest and juice to my Dad's Caesar Salad (hmmm... that's a good idea for this week!)I even made a cake with lemon zest and lemon juice earlier in March for the Daring Baker's Challenge, you can read about that here.We're trying to be rather frugal on the home front so we are eating simple meals from the pantry this week! Thankfully I have a lemon or two I've just been meaning to use!Unfortunately, I don't have a cookbook review for you this week! Check back next Monday for another favorite cookbook from my shelf and a recipe!...

Daring Baker's Challenge # 2 -- Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake
2008-03-30 14:00:00
Finally, a Daring Baker's Challenge this gluten free, ginger lemon girl could handle! They really believe in a serious challenge every month, those pesky Daring Baker's! But I love it! It's fun to be given a secret challenge once a month to bake something that I most likely have never baked before! This month's challenge, hosted by Morven, is Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake .Can we say SUGAR HIGH?Oh my goodness. Yes!Actually, as much as I love sweet desserts, Hershey's chocolate bars, and chocolate icing... I just can't take things SUPER sweet. I really can't. And this cake IS SO super sweet!!It's a beautiful cake and it was relatively easy to convert to gluten free, but next time I will cut the sugar in half... or more. I also need to work on how to change the consistency of the cake. I think I may have added a bit too much xanthan gum, which gave the cake layers a very gummy texture. I also lowered the amount of fat from the original recipe. I used reduced fat cream ...

2 Everyday Cakes (Gluten Free, Casein Free)
2008-03-28 13:13:00
One bowl. Simple. Goodness.These two cakes are fun, delicious, and super easy to make. They are easy, one bowl, one-layer cakes perfect for a quick evening dessert or last minute cupcakes.I made these cakes on Easter Sunday for dessert. I am very excited about these cakes. They are so simple and so delicious, it almost seems as easy pulling out an old box of Duncan Hines... except these cakes are much better and completely gluten free! The carrot cake is also naturally casein free, and the chocolate cake can easily be made casein free by using a rice or nut milk substitute.I wish I had been able to capture a shot of an individual serving of these cakes, as they are seriously moist, highly risen, and have a very tender crumb.The cakes were so delicious that both were demolished by our family before I had a chance for pictures! Both cakes rise beautifully and can be frosted right in their baking pan after cooling. No need to get fancy with these cakes. You can also make 9 medium sized...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Cakes