Gluten Free recipes for JULY 4

For all my fellow gluten avoidant/gluten intolerant buddies, I wanted to share this ...

I was browsing for some gluten free recipes for July 4th, and I stumbled upon this article by Examiner.com/Columbia.  Click on the link below to go to the actual page (which includes the recipes). 

Top ten gluten free July 4th summer recipes


1.  Sweet and Sassy Red Potato Salad – Bored with your old potato salad? Think again and try this zesty twist on a traditional favorite!


2.  Apple Mint Salad – a crisp, different, and delicious take on a fruit salad for your summer party!

3.  Simple Strata Salad – a southern favorite, the layered salad with lots of meat, veggies, and cheese. Great for a side dish or lite dinner!

4.  Summer Squash Scramble - What can you do with all that leftover yellow squash or zucchini? This recipe is the answer for you!

5.  Homemade Caesar Salad – If you’ve ever wondered how to make a REAL Caesar salad this is your guide. Perfect to go with your grilled hamburgers and hotdogs!

6.  Fresh Strawberry Pie – Always a favorite, but with a perfect gluten free crust it makes the best dessert on the table for your July 4th celebrations!

7.  Secret Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies – Your kids won’t eat vegetables? They will now! They will never know the secret ingredients of these delicious kid-friendly treats!

8.  Easy Skillet Cornbread – The easiest and most delicious gluten free cornbread you will ever make! Perfect to go with your baked beans and corn on the cob this July 4th!

9.  Southern Fried Summer Squash – The classic southern fried squash you love. If you haven’t tried this already with your Farmer’s Market finds, you need to now!

10.  The BEST chocolate chip cookies – Your friends and family will NEVER know these truly amazing cookies are gluten free. Enjoy these classic cookies on your dessert table this July 4th!
 
So ... I have not yet tried any of these recipes so you and I are in the same boat ... sitting here with our mouths watering as we read over this list wondering if they are as good as they sound.  The southern fried summer squash, strawberry pie, and skillet cornbread are all on my list of things to make this July 4 weekend, though.  Yes, mom, add it to the list of yummies we'll be enjoying on our trip ;)

I'm stoked about the cornbread, in particular, because I have tried several attempts at 'the perfect cornbread' since I've been gluten free ... am still tryin! My only concern, though, is that I will be baking this up in the mountains this weekend which I know can affect rising ... correct? Any suggestions?

As an added note ... I sometimes make fried zucchini/squash as an appetizer in the summer time when I have family/friends over.  When I do, I make a HORSERADISH DIPPING SAUCE to go with it that's pretty yummy.  I don't have a recipe as I just sort of throw things together, but typically, it includes:

• fresh horseradish (not prepared sauce as I find those to be a little too sweet for my taste - also I can be sure this way that it's GF)
• mayo (again, I don't prefer the sweet stuff generally so I often go with Kraft)
• a little garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• a squirt or two of lemon
• and a little dill weed. 

 
I'm hungry now. 
 
Jessica

New Mt. Pleasant restaurant BISTRO 536 offers some gluten free options!

BISTRO 536    Both of my sweet sisters are now working at a new restaurant that just opened in Mt. Pleasant, Bistro 536 (across from Belle Hall Shopping Center - next to Subway - where the Nirlep and Seal's Fish Camp used to be).  This restaurant is owned and run by a former chef from 5 Loaves (downtown).

"Alastair Nairn is offering Mount Pleasant a new casual, upscale dining experience. As owner and head chef, Alastair wanted to give customers eclectic food at fair prices. With inventive food pairings, Bistro 536 is sure to surprise the senses."  http://bistro536.com/


I have had the opportunity to dine there a few times, and as most of you know, I am allergic to gluten.  This significantly limits not only my food options, but my 'eating out' options.  The chefs and staff at Bistro 536 are able to provide me with gluten free options, and (even more) I trust their knowledge about not only what contains gluten, but proper food prep as well.

I just wanted to share this info with all my fellow gluten intolerants ... it's nice to know our options.  "YEAH!!! ANOTHER RESTAURANT WE CAN EAT AT!"

Please spread the word! I want this restaurant to do well for several reasons ...

1)  This is not a chain, but owned and run by locals
2)  The owners and staff support the "buy local" mindset, and include this within certain menu items
3)  I really want to keep one of the few places that provides safe eating for those with gluten sensitivities
4)  The food is high quality and amazing!

Visit the BISTRO 536 website (see above) or find them on FB! Actually, just go in. 

Jessica

Gluten Free Chocolate Eclairs at Chucktown Coffee!

Wow - I just ate a gluten free chocolate eclair ... at a coffee shop! I went up to the register like a normal person and ordered a pastry! It was amazing.  It tasted like a chocolate eclair and the custard inside was perfection! Sweet Jennifer, the owner, has recently ordered several wonderful pastries from a local gluten free bakery.  In the case right now are gluten free Lemon Bars, gluten free Cheesecake Bombs, gluten free Chocolate Eclairs, and gluten free Coconut Macaroons. 

If you live in or near Mount Pleasant, stop in! If you have celiac/gluten intolerance, you know how few and far between gluten free options are (outside of making it yourself) ... especially in our area.  Starbucks used to carry a gluten free muffin, but stopped because they said they didn't sell.  I am convinced that it's just because noone knew! I surely didn't know, and I'm constantly online looking into GF options/looking up GF brands.  I never saw it posted anywhere. 

So, spread the word! Chucktown Coffee (in the Target shopping Center) has gluten free pastry options!

Jessica

Your Weekend Recipe

Hello and Happy Friday! What was the recipe for your week? Did it turn out as you planned?

How about this ... what is the recipe for your weekend? Sometimes my weekend consists of way too many ingredients (even though they may be good, sometimes it's overkill).  Sometimes my weekend is Triple Chocolate Pistachio Almond Walnut Coconut Cherry Strawberry Apple Brownie when it would have just been marvelous to "just" have a Chocolate Pistachio Cherry Brownie.  My point? Even with the best of intentions and even with all the best ingrediants, sometimes we pack too much in and the result is that it's just ... well ... too much.  I would like my weekend recipe to certainly include some bit of much needed rest and relaxation, but if I'm not careful, I will tend to cram pack my weekend with "to do's", making no room for rest.  This always results in me going into a new work week feeling worn out.  Not good!

Speaking of recipes and yummy desserts, I wanted to mention a few gluten free related items that I have had and loved.  For all of my gluten intolerant clients and web friends, here are some things I have discovered.

1)  Whole Foods brand (365 brand) of Baking Mix (GF flour mix) is AMAZING! It has made every thing I have attempted taste accurate.  After attempting my mom's cobbler recipe a few different times with various brands and combos of GF flour mix, I used the 365 brand and it actually tasted like my mom's! The taste and the consistency and texture was like Mom's! I have also used this to make my carrot cake and it tastes just like it used to (before I found out I had a gluten allergy).
2)  Whole Foods brand (365 brand) Chocolate Cake Mix is amazing! Be sure to look at the ingredients you need before leaving the store (as they are not your typical cake mix ingredients).  My only recommendation here is to be sure to not overmix.  Betty Crocker now has a GF cake mix (chocolate and vanilla), but I haven't tried it yet.
3)  Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (and Brownie Mix) - amazing and accurate!
4)  Don't trust regular corn meal mix.  I use the Hodgson Mill Corn Meal (says Gluten Free), and love it! Once I discovered this, my fried shrimp/fish/chicken tasted "real", and I was finally able to have "real" tasting corn bread!
5)  Annie's brand of boxed Macaroni and Cheese - I actually enjoyed this! I doctored it up a little with cream and butter, but it was great.

I'll add more on another day ;)
Enjoy your weekend,
Jessica

Gluten Free Candy Corn?

Hello fellow GF friends -

Does anyone know what brand of CANDY CORN is definitely gluten free? Evidently Brach's technically doesn't contain gluten ingredients, but are processed in a facility that also processes wheat (cross contamination risk).  UGG! I love candy corn, and would really like to have a little this year (especially since it's a seasonal thing).  I've looked it up on the internet, and have had difficulty getting an answer on this one. 

While I'm on the subject, I am also looking for GF licorice (or licorice jelly beans, gummies, etc).  I adore black licorice, and as you know, traditional licorice is made with wheat as a main ingredient.  Oh how I miss this!

Thanks!
Jessica

Love Disney

Good Friday morning. Mine is a bit hectic so far as I try to get my Friday work done as well as tie up any loose ends from the week. I've got a nice, relaxing weekend in my view, and working hard to get there. This is the first weekend in 4 weeks that I won't be going out of town! I'm hoping to have some lazy time in or by some body of water this weekend ;)

Today I wanted to mention something that I keep meaning to mention. As many of you know, I have a gluten allergy and had a really rough time for 3-4 years, health wise, before someone finally caught it. Any of you who have celiac/gluten sensitivities (or know of anyone who does) knows that eating out can be near to impossible unless you are going somewhere that you absolutely trust (who not only has a gluten free menu but also a gluten free awareness when it comes to food prep and such). Locally, one of my favorite restaurants even before I knew I was allergic to gluten was Five Loaves. I have since found that they have a great awareness for gluten, and most of their soups are made gluten free. Needless to say I eat there often!

In preparing for out of town trips, I typically make a Whole Foods run to stock up on GF meals and snacks. I have two main reasons for this: 1) I need to have back up in case there are no GF options/restaurants/resources, and 2) I don't want my GF needs to dictate every place we go and every thing we do (so as to not inconvenience others terribly).

So, in my recent trip to Disney World (Fla), I was more than prepared with my Whole FoodsGF baggie. I traveled with my best friend who is so precious because she was determined to find at least one GF place to eat while we were there. However, she had mentioned at one point that she really wanted to go to House of Blues one night. I was determined to go, and had intended on eating a can of GF soup in the hotel before we left.

When I mentioned to our hotel that I had a gluten allergy, they went above and beyond by helping me to search out GF options (we were on the Disney resort). They gave me a phone number to call to inquire about various restaurants. I found that most any restaurant on Disney not only is very familiar with all the various

allergies, but they can cater to them by providing safe options.

That first night, I was able to eat a regular meal at the House of Blues! We even had a chef assigned especially to me (my best friend thought this was the grandest thing!).

The next night we ate at a restaurant in Magic Kingdom called The Crystal Palace. Again, I was assigned a chef, and he came out and personally showed me everything that I could eat (and there were so many options!). He also brought me soft warm tapioca rolls with my meal, and a delicious GF brownie for dessert.

I wanted to share this with all of you who are gluten sensitive, have a child with gluten sensitivities, and/or travel with persons with a gluten sensitivities. DISNEY IS AMAZING!!!

Jessica