Nothing can quite satisfy the craving for a yeast doughnut—-except a yeast doughnut. Problem is, when you have food allergies, running to Shipley’s down the street just isn’t an option.

Although some companies DO make yeast gluten-free doughnuts, they all contain eggs or the dreaded common gluten-free food additive—tapioca—-which makes me even sicker than wheat.

Recently, I’ve been perplexed regarding quick breads and breakfast foods. I normally hit the ground running in the mornings, so if I do eat, I want something quick. Doughnuts have always been a treat, and although I have a good baked doughnut recipe, I never attempted a fried yeast version until today.

These came out simply scrumptious and I can’t wait to get them in my freezer. Gluten-free breads taste even better once they settle, so I can only imagine how delectable they will be when I reheat them in the mornings for a quick breakfast.

Vince Lombardi once said “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

Although I think the good coach most likely had football on his mind when he passed along this gem of wisdom, I must beg leave to apply it to my own humble circumstances today. After years of skirmishes and lost battles, I’ve finally won the war.

That is, the war of trying to make delicious gluten-free brownies.

For some reason, despite my other successes in the kitchen, I’ve always fallen short when it has come to brownies. I can make waffles, muffins, and even doughnuts gluten-free, but the simplest of desserts had alluded me.

But, oh how I’ve tried. I’ve tried mixes. I’ve tried blends. I’ve tried substitutes. Believe it or not, I’ve even had a disastrous (albeit very memory-making) cooking adventure with a kind friend who had stumbled upon a black bean brownie recipe. But no matter how hard I try, my brownies normally wind up good enough only for the garbage can. Or on a REALLY good day, fit enough to eat….with a spoon.

Thanks to my allergies, I had to have a brownie recipe that was not only gluten-free, but hardest of all, egg-free. For some horrible reason, those one or two eggs make all the difference in the world.

BUT….today I experienced victory in the kitchen. I had been craving brownies for a few days, so I decided to have ONE more go at it. I’m so glad I did!

The recipe is a cinch to make, so easy in fact that it can be popped in the oven in a matter of minutes. When I took them out of the oven, the first thought that came to my mind was that “Oh WOW, they LOOK like brownies!” I fought off the temptation of eating them piping hot out of the oven, and instead let them settle for about a half hour. As I sunk my teeth into a corner (my favorite piece), I was overjoyed. Not only was it light and chocolatey, but it held together perfectly and was deliciously gooey at the same time. I’ve been gluten-free for a long time, but not long enough to forget what a real brownie tastes like. And these, well, they taste like the real deal.

So now that I’ve made you drool, here’s the recipe. Don’t put off trying it—-your tastebuds will thank you.

Some foods were just meant to go together, like macaroni and cheese or peanut butter and jelly.

This fall I came across a recipe for pumpkin bread which sounded so delicious that I simply had to try modifying it to be allergen-free. One thing I’ve discovered in gluten-free baking is that often smaller pastries & bread do better texture-wise, so I converted the recipe from pumpkin loaves to pumpkin muffins.

And just because pumpkin and chocolate belong together like eggs and ham, I tossed in a few chocolate chips for good measure.

Tis’ the season to be baking! But when it comes to carting your culinary creations, things can get a little tricky.

I saw this handy Do-It-Yourself cupcake carrier online the other day and I can’t wait to try it out! You can even get creative by using a colored gift box, or by covering a plain box with all that extra wrapping paper you have lying around.

According to Real Simple, a shirt sized box will hold eight regular sized cupcakes. Just cut “X” marks into the top of the box and you’re all set!

Saturday mornings are some of my most favorite times. I love waking up with the soft morning light brightening my room as a new day of relaxing adventures dawns.

Ordinarily, I don’t get to enjoy those minutes of lying in bed carefree with all the time in the world, but on Saturdays I treasure that time. It gives my soul a chance to come alive once again, refreshed by a time to reflect on my blessings and enjoy some extra fellowship time with my Lord.

“Lying in bed would be an altogether supreme experience if one only had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling.” G.K Chesterton

Another one of my favorite things about Saturday morning is that it often gives my family an opportunity to have breakfast together. During my pre-food allergy days, breakfast would often include scrambled eggs, waffles, omelettes, pancakes, bacon, or quiche—-all delectable things on my off-limits list.

Or so I thought.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with different flour alternatives and I’ve really begun to enjoy brown rice flour. So when I stumbled across this recipe for waffles, I knew this was the one to use as a base for Belgian waffles, one of my favorite breads. My family, who is non-GF, loved them and I think this will become a new staple around our Saturday morning breakfast table!

This piece has made its rounds across the internet over the years, but it is just way too funny to not repost. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Dear friends,

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I’m telling you in advance, so don’t act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won’t be coming, I’ve made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I’ve gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I’m sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children’s recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don’t own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We’ve also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like.

In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table.

In a separate room.

Next door.

Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress “private” meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress.

I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed.

It stands to reason that I will eventually win.

When I do, we will eat.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that “passing the rolls” is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread. Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of you diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains.

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won’t come next year either.

I am thankful.

Original author unknown

Image Credit: clspeace

I believe in cloning.

Now before you start thinking I’ve finally gone off the deep end, let me clarify. I don’t believe in human cloning, however, I see no ethical, moral, or religious reasons to avoid restaurant cloning. On second thought, scratch religious. Some of these recipes border on sinful and should be accompanied by a Surgeon General’s warning that it might be hazardous for your waistline.

What is restaurant cloning, you might be asking? It’s a little-known trick that has saved me countless dollars through the years and thanks to a new find online, will save me a lot more in the future.

Have you ever eaten at your favorite restaurant chain, for example, Cheesecake Factory, Macaroni Grill, or Red Lobster, and fallen in love with a dish? Wiping your mouth at the table, you vowed that you could eat it every day and never get sick of its flavorful appeal.

That is, until you looked at the bill.

I don’t know about you, but a twenty-dollar entree x seven is a bit much for my budget. Even if I had to settle for once a week that is still $80.00 a month that could have been spent better elsewhere.

This is where restaurant cloning steps in to the rescue. Many restaurant dishes can be prepared easily in your home kitchen and for a fraction of the cost. All it takes is a few ingredients, a little courage, and the right recipe. You don’t even have to figure out the measurements.

EveryLastRecipe.com has compiled a comprehensive listing of some of the most sought-after recipes from popular restaurant chains such as Outback Steakhouse, Benihana, Cinnabon, California Pizza Kitchen, Chili’s, Applebee’s and even Ben & Jerry’s. Due to the restructuring of CopyKat recipes, a site linked to by EveryLastRecipe, some of the links do not work. However, you can find all the CopyKat restaurant recipes at one location under the this category.

Of course, there are a few off-the-wall recipes, but for the most part, everything looks scrumptious. Although why anyone would want to clone food from Taco Bell is beyond me.

Bon Appetit!

[Hat Tip: Lifehacker]

Yesterday morning I woke up with a craving for blueberry pancakes. Pancakes are one of the easiest gluten-free breads to make and are simple to whip up for a quick treat.

These can be made with fresh blueberries, but personally I enjoy cooking with frozen instead. I find them to be juicy and delicate, two things crucial as the pancakes cook in a matter of minutes.

I love baked goods. Name one of my favorite cities and I can give you a verbal essay on the pillow-soft French breads of New Orleans, the chewy bagels of New York City, the light tortillas of Houston, or the delicate pizza crusts of Chicago.

When I was first diagnosed with a wheat allergy, this was my first major roadblock. A life without pastry . . . you have got to be kidding! After the initial shock lessened, I started doing my research and headed for the kitchen. After all, when life gives you lemons make lemon bars. That is, if you can figure out what to substitute for flour.

I quickly discovered that bean flours are definitely not my thing. Garbanzo beans are delicious in a salad. Grinding them up for use as a flour makes your cookies unpleasantly beany—-a little gassy.

Tapioca starch keeps your pastries light, but after a few attempts, I realized that I was even more so allergic to tapioca than I was to wheat. I can justify taking an allergy pill for a slice of my local bakery’s cake, but taking a pill just to swallow a cake made out of potatoes, corn, rice and tapioca is not worth it.

Countless gluten-free companies offer flour blends for sale, but because of the tapioca I’m allergic to most of them. And the others (such as Pamela’s) include buttermilk, a no-no for me because of the dairy.

However, after three years of searching, I finally found a blend that bakes beautifully and tastes close to the real thing. Best of all, it is affordable, and will save you from buying expensive prepackaged mixes. You can buy white rice flour and potato starch in bulk online or at markets like Whole Foods, and although the xanthan gum is somewhat pricey, it lasts for a long time as you need only one teaspoon per batch.

One of my favorite holiday dishes is green bean casserole. I created an allergen-free version of Guy Fieri’s Mean Green recipe for this year’s Thanksgiving.

The best part was cooking my own gluten-free french fried onions. Before developing allergies, I loved French’s and often ate them in casseroles and salads. It is virtually impossible to find a gluten-free version in the stores, but after eating these homemade ones, I probably would not buy them anyway.

I plan to post the green bean casserole recipe soon, but in the meanwhile, enjoy these delicious fried snacks.