5 Tips To Make Starting On The Gluten Free Diet Easier

Starting off on the gluten free diet isn't easy, but these five tips can help!

1. Start by figuring out What You Can Still Eat
Potatoes. Rice. Masa Herena. These three foods are simple, cheap, and gluten free. They are three staples in my kitchen. The possibilities are endless when it comes to these foods, and they are easy to use. There are also other foods that are surprisingly gluten free, such as Chex cereal, Tootsie Rolls, and Cheetos.

2. Master a few Basic Recipes
Start by learning to make a few simple gluten free recipes and go from there. One of the first gluten free recipes I ever made were these breadsticks (shown below, left.) This bagel bread (below right) is another, and my chocolate cupcakes are super easy.

   

3. Buy what you Need
Make sure you have all of the gluten free foods you need to stay satisfied bought and sitting in your fridge, freezer, or pantry. Buy string cheese and rice cakes for snacking. Pick up some extra fruits and vegetables. Stock your kitchen with gluten free foods that you love, so that you never feel tempted to eat something that you shouldn't.

4. Buy in Bulk
As long as you are going out of your way to find gluten free products, anyway, you might as well buy in bulk. That way you will always have what you need on hand and won't be so worried about the cost.

                   

5. Prepare Food ahead of Time
This is something that I've talked about before, and I still believe that it is important. Bake muffins and stick some in the freezer for when you crave them. Bring a few cookies with you when going out, so that you can have a treat when others are eating gluten-containing items. Have food prepared and always ready to eat, so that you will not cave and eat something with gluten, and so that you will not have to spend too much money on a specialty gluten free product, either.


I hope these tips help you out!
-Bethany

Birthday Cake "Cinnamon" Rolls

Sprinkles and a double sugar mixture make these "cinnamon" rolls extra special! They have a thick layer of buttercream frosting on top and all of the birthday cake flavors one could want in a gluten free "cinnamon" roll!

There are few treats I like better than a good cinnamon roll, and these birthday cake "cinnamon" rolls are so perfectly delicious and fun! Make them for a birthday breakfast, or for a treat any day, and your family is sure to love them.

Birthday Cake "Cinnamon" Rolls

• 2 Tablespoons Butter 
• 1/4 Cup Sugar 
• 2/3 Cup of warm Milk 
• 1 Tablespoon Yeast 
• 1 Flax-Egg (directions on side of blog)
• 1/4 Cup Canola Oil 
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
• 1/2 Cup Potato Starch 
• 1 Cup Corn Starch 
• 2 1/2 Teaspoons Xantham Gum 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

Filling

• 1/2 Cup White Sugar 
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 
• 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
• Sprinkles 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and sugar. 
3. Heat your milk, not too hot but warm enough to activate yeast, and add in the yeast. Whisk together until dissolved. 
4. Add the milk/yeast mixture to the sugar and stir together. Add the flaxegg, oil and vanilla, and mix again. 
5. Add all of the dry ingredients and mix well to combine, removing all lumps (expect the dough to be pretty soft/sticky). 
6. Sprinkle a big sheet of plastic wrap with sugar and plop dough out onto it. Add a second layer of plastic wrap and roll dough out between them, making roughly a 13" by 13" square. 
7. Mix together the white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. 
8. Remove top layer of wrap and sprinkle sugar/vanilla mixture over dough. Shake on the sprinkles. Then, lifting up an edge of the plastic wrap to help you, roll the dough. Cut with a knife and place in a greased pan (I usually bake mine in a 9x13 and they all fit). 
9. Bake for about 20 minutes (until tops are lightly browned), and frost when slightly cooled.

Buttercream Frosting

• 6 Tablespoons Butter 
• 1 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar 
• 2 Tablespoons Milk 
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt 

1. Cream butter in your mixer. 
2. Add the powdered sugar to the butter and beat until combined. 
3. Add the milk, vanilla and salt, and beat for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Enjoy!

-Bethany

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

These cookies are soft, full of chocolate flavor and white chocolate chips, and are perfect for sharing at a summer get-together. But I don't blame you if you want to keep them all to yourself.

These cookies are a mix between your typical cookie and a brownie, and they are oh-so-good. But don't take my word for it. Go ahead and try them yourself (and try not to eat all of the dough before getting them into the oven!)

These cookies need to chill a bit before you bake them, so keep that in mind and mix up the dough an hour (or more) before you are ready to get baking.

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Dark Cocoa Powder
• 3/4 Cup Rice Flour
• 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 Cup Butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons Water, heated
• 1 Tablespoon Flaxseed Meal
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1. Heat the 3 tablespoons of water and add flaxseed meal to it. Stir then set aside for ten minutes.
2. In a large mixer bowl combine sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, rice flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt. Mix together with a wire whisk, breaking up brown sugar into small lumps.
3. Melt the butter and add it, the flax-egg and the vanilla to the dry ingredients. Beat until combined.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop into balls and set on a parchment lined baking sheet, pressing down slightly then placing in the refrigerator for one hour. Makes 16 big cookies, or more if smaller.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

-Bethany

Easter Bunny Buddies

Easter is just around the corner, but it's not too late to add these Easter Bunny Buddies to your menu! This is a simple recipe that can be made on the day of, or before, and it has three times the chocolate deliciousness of your average puppy chow!

And not only are these Easter bunny buddies filled with chocolate, but there are sprinkles, too! This treat is colorful, fun, and perfect for spring!

Easter Bunny Buddies

• 1/2 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• Sprinkles
• Easter Sixlets
• 3/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Salt
• 4 Cups Rice Chex
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1. Melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave, running it for 20 seconds at a time and stirring to keep from burning the chocolate.
2. On a small piece of parchment paper, spread out the chocolate into a thin layer. Sprinkle it generously and place it in the fridge until hardened. Once hard, break or chop into small pieces.
3. In a medium size microwave safe bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter. Microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring, until melted.
4. Add the vanilla and a dash of salt and stir. Then stir in the Chex cereal.
5. Add the powdered sugar and stir or shake in a bag until evenly coated.
6. Add in the chocolate bark and Sixlets and stir them in. Eat now or save for later in a covered container.

Enjoy!

-Bethany


Linking up to Sunday Fitness and Food Link-up found here and here.