One of my friends, Christina Davis, has written a beautiful gluten free cookbook called Irresistibly Gluten Free that comes complete with gluten free family (think kid-friendly) recipes and a photo for every single one of them, so you know what it will, er, should look like when you're finished. And let me tell you, she's got some winners in here, like corn dogs and hamburger buns and cream of whatever soup and my personal favorite, graham crackers. And, yep, they're all gluten free.
You may remember that I met Christina at the Gluten Free Expo back in October. Since then we've had a nice little email chat and here's a little bit about Christina, just so you can appreciate the fact that she is a published author and not completely crazy. She has been cooking gluten free for 15 years after her diagnosis and is the mother to six children, three of which are gluten free, so she basically cooks every meal three times a day for a family of 8. Wow! However, to save her brain cells from overload, she's come up with her own gluten free flour blend that she calls UNflour, which is easily made from gluten free flours you can find at your local grocery store or buy in bulk and keep in an airtight container. Here's the genius part: she spends one Saturday a month making up some mixes for easy recipes she keeps in her pantry and her kids can easily get a mix and cook themselves some grub. Christina says:I LOVE having my mixes, which I make once a month. I spend a couple
hours making a ton of mixes and a huge mess, but it is then done and
cooking is so much more doable on a daily basis. And I spend less than $2
per mix by buying my flours for the Unflour in bulk. Lifesaver!
If you are interested in making labels for your own gluten free mixes, click here.
I asked Christina what food she missed the most from her pre-gluten-free days, because I'm one of those people who are always wondering when they're going to come out with a cereal that tastes like real Apple Jacks, and she said she really used to miss Tiny Spicy Chicken or Sweet and Sour Chicken from a Chinese restaurant, but she figured out how to make it and now she eats it all the time. Two thumbs up for ingenuity and creativity, Christina! And actually, let's face it, for not giving up in the face of an obstacle. (Incidentally, her new most-missed food is now Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. Good one.) Her favorite recipe? In her own words:
My favorite recipe from the cookbook is probably the Rolls and Hamburger
Buns. I had been making GF bread for years before it dawned on me that I
could use the same recipe in a muffin tin and make rolls, or in a tuna can
and make hamburger buns. I use to sit at big family dinners and tell
myself that it really didn't bother me that everyone else was enjoying a
homemade roll with jam. Now that I can enjoy one too it almost brings me
to tears I'm so happy! (I was good at fooling myself in my pre-roll life!)
And to be able to go to a neighbors back yard Bar-B-Q and eat a hamburger
with everyone else makes me feel like I am not the
crazed-lunatic-that-accidentally-got-invited-to-the-party-with-her-lettuce-wrapped-
burger woman that no one wants to make eye contact with! Bliss!I love it. Tuna cans? Muffin tins? I'm so stealing those ideas. Check back tomorrow to read all about our adventure with the Graham Cracker recipe. So, to win your copy of Christina's beautiful book, simply leave me a comment telling me this: what is your most-missed gluten food? And if you've found a replacement, what is it? Enter until Wednesday, December 15 at 5:00 p.m., when the winner will be announced. If you're impatient like me and just want to buy Christina's book for a present for yourself, click here to purchase from Amazon.Happy eating!
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What I miss most since my son was diagnosed with celiac is easy eating out. I know it is much better now than it used to be, but as we contemplate a 4 state drive, it's hard to know where we can safely feed him. Drive through french fries are too scary and it makes him sad to be the only one with apple slices. So an all-night drive with a car full of GF snacks it is.
ReplyDeleteI also miss my yummy homemade whole wheat bread. Yes, I can still make it for the rest of us, but I've been busy experimenting with GF breads so I haven't made it since July. :( He's not that impressed with most of the GF breads I've tried, so I'm interested in trying hers. I'd say that good bread is what he misses most.
I miss flour tortillas. The Taco Time soft flour taco. I now eat corn tortilla when I make them at home or eat the crispy ones at taco time.
ReplyDeleteI would love this cookbook I always struggle with dinner ideas that I can eat that my family will eat also. It tends to be the same thing every week.
I miss normal foods. Seems like most gluten free recipes out there are so different from the average stuff I'm used to. I also miss EASY to make, cheap food. Everything has so many ingredients and usually 3 or 4 differnt kinds of flours. I LIKE EASY! My most missed foods are/were pasta and bread. I've substitued the pasta well with Tinkyada products, I can't tell much of difference between it and the regular stuff. My favorite bread mix is Grandpa's Kitchen, love that stuff! Still, I'd give anything for a regular hamburger on a regular bun...
ReplyDeleteI miss eating out...we have gluten, dairy, and soy sensitivities in our house, which makes it nearly impossible to enjoy eating out. There is one restaurant here in Logan, UT (Juniper Take Out) that we can all eat at, but that's about it. I've gotten really good at making chicken nuggets and fries at home, so we can still have the kid's meals every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI miss the most the ease of just eating. Now we have to always plan what to eat and especially when traveling or eating out that there will be some place safe for my daughter to eat. The thing I miss the VERY most is being able to just go to a dinner with all the family and not to have to call ahead to find out what is being served and always have to bring my daughter her own dessert and bread and sometimes the whole meal.
ReplyDeleteI just found out I am wheat intolerant about a week and a half ago. I am having a difficult time. I keep finding and realizing how wheat is in so many things we eat! I was just looking for a way to make Chicken Divan when I came across your blog. I was so frustrated to see wheat in my cans of Cream of Chicken, and Cream of Mushroom soup!!! Help!
ReplyDeleteI think so far what I miss the most was yesterday when we all went to TGIFridays and my husband ordered the fried green beans and I had to watch every one else eat them while I sat and sipped my water.
I miss the bread that you can eat at a restuarant and flour tortillas for tacos! Nothing quite beats those items, so no I have not found a replacement. :( Well, it does cut down the calories, so it does have its bonuses when I am fighting the urge to snatch from the bread basket at the restaurant. :)
ReplyDeleteI miss going out and getting a fresh, hot slice of pizza! I know I could make it myself at home, but I haven't been so inspired as of yet...maybe, this cookbook would be the perfect inspiration, it looks wonderful. Thanks for this opportunity!
ReplyDeleteI miss croissants. So light and fluffy and flaky. I agree with a lot of the other commenters. I truly miss the ease of eating out.
ReplyDeleteI miss waffles... cakes...cookies... great now I'm getting hungry!
ReplyDeleteI miss eating honey whole wheat toast with my eggs. Yes, there are gluten-free breads that I could use, but I miss that whole wheat flavor.
ReplyDeleteI miss flour tortillas for wraps and quesadillas! I use brown rice tortillas instead, but they just aren't what I crave sometimes!
ReplyDelete