Category: Foods I’ve tried-Foods I Use

Short post, because… time is short before our next meatless Friday. 

On February 20th, I introduced the “Healthy Choice Country Vegetable” canned soup.  I hadn’t eaten it yet, but I mentioned how excited I was at the prospect of enjoying the luxury of cracking open a can of soup that I could eat.  This was not an exaggeration!  This past Friday I finally got to try it.

This is a recap of that lunch.

I was so pumped about my upcoming lunch of the canned vegetable soup, I packed my lunch three days in advance.  And then, while at Walmart, things got even better.  I found saltine crackers that I could eat! (“Schar Gluten Free Table Crackers”) Holy cow!  I hadn’t had a saltine cracker since 2011.  Friday’s lunch was going to be awesome.

It really was an enjoyable lunch.  The soup had good flavor and was loaded with vegetables.  The saltines tasted just how I remembered them.  Silly lunch to some, I’m sure.  But when everything you eat generally has to be made from scratch, the convenience of a can of soup and some saltines really is a big deal.

Next post I will give you the recipe for my tuna salad.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

In August, I blogged about my banana cream pie I’d made.  At the end of that same post, I had to tell you that it appeared Pillsbury was no longer making the pre-made gluten free pie crust I’d used for my pie. And I never have found it since. I then said that I would let you know if I found another pre-made pie crust I liked.  Well, I have! (Mallory, are you reading this?)

It’s made by Wholly Wholesome, a certified gluten free facility; dedicated to making natural, organic, great tasting foods.  The company’s website states their products are carried in Whole Foods, along with other independent natural and health food stores. I bought mine at Better Health.  I also found their pie crust at Fresh Thyme. They are sold two crusts per pakage.  www.whollywholesome.com

This is, by far, the best tasting gluten free pie crust I’ve ever had! I could already tell from the packaging that this was going to be good.  Their label is easy to read and details everything you would want to know about how this product is made. The pie tins the crusts come in are heavy and durable, not at all flimsy.  The plastic cover, over the top of the crusts is heavy duty.   They have put forth much time and effort in making sure this pie crust not only tastes good, but that it’s high quality.  It’s the “whole package” folks – nothing but quality and great taste.

I’ve made 2 pies now, a lemon meringue and a crumble top apple pie.  Both turned out great.

The lemon meringue pie was for a Christmas party.  Seriously, look at how beautiful that crust is…and you should taste it! 

My apple pie turned out awesome too. On the inside of the package’s lid, they actually have an Easy Allergy Free Apple Pie recipe. (I attempted to insert a pic of the recipe, but it just didn’t photograph well for reading. But, you’re going to buy the crust anyway, and then you’ll have the recipe.)  For the most part, I followed their recipe, except for a couple things.  I’ve detailed them below.

On the pie filling they called for ½ cup cane sugar.  I used ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar.  They didn’t have anything listed to help “hold” the filling together.  I’ve always used Kraft Minute Tapioca Mix in my fruit pies.  I used two tablespoons. I also sprinkled in a little nutmeg. (My personal preference when making apple pie.)

Regarding the crumble topping, they called for ½ cup rice flour; but I used ½ cup of my gluten-free sorghum flour blend, which I use for baking. I also used ¼ cup of oat flour and ¼ cup of crushed walnuts. (I don’t buy oat flour. I grind my oatmeal into flour in a small coffee grinder I inherited from my father-in-law.  Thank you Gerry, I use that grinder all the time.)  The recipe for the gluten-free sorghum flour blend can be found in my post titled “In the beginning: Our first encounter with food allergies – dated Nov. 29, 2017. And remember, the apple pie recipe can be found on the inside of the package’s lid.

These pie crusts are not cheap, but they are so worth it.  Especially when I think back on all of the wasted time and ingredients on failed pies because the crust wouldn’t hold together, or was one soggy mess, or it had the consistency of sawdust. (Back in the day – before being gluten free, I baked pie regularly, so I miss fresh baked pies. I was an award winning pie maker. Honest, I actually won a ribbon at our church festival pie contest one year.) Since going gluten free, I only make pie about once every 3 months. As good as both of these pies turned out, I plan to start making pie a little more frequently.  Paying a bit more for a really good pie crust is definitely worth it to me. I think I’m going to try a chicken pot pie with this crust too.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!                             

I got home from work the other night and Kevin said we were having pizza for dinner.  He’d found a box of “Chebe Gluten Free Pizza Crust” in the cupboard and he wanted to try making it.  The recipe called for eggs and since we had duck eggs in the fridge, he figured the timing was right.  (Remember, if you have an allergy to chicken eggs, before trying other eggs please check with your doctor.  You can also use an egg replacer with this mix.)

Kevin asked me to check out the consistency of the dough.   The recipe called for 2 eggs, but he’d only used 1, because duck eggs are huge.  The 1 duck egg was definitely enough.  The dough looked and felt great.  I noticed there were herbs in the dough.  Kevin said the herbs were already in the mix. Remember, I’ve said it before:  When baking gluten free, added flavor makes a huge difference.  How cool that Chebe does that for us!

The two of us finished assembling my pizza; loading it up with pepperoni, browned ground beef, sweet peppers, onions, mushrooms and daiya mozzarella.   While my pizza baked, he ran into town for his. (Since my dairy, egg and gluten allergies were diagnosed; pizza is a rarity at our house.  When we do have pizza, I don’t subject him to my gluten free, cheese-less pizza; he gets real pizza.) 

The Chebe crust was great!  By far, the best gluten free pizza crust I’ve ever had!  Better than any of the other gluten free pizza crust mixes or the pre-made crusts or daiya frozen pizzas I’ve bought. It had great flavor and baked consistently.  It wasn’t real thin.  (Maybe that’s because I didn’t cover the whole pan with the dough.)  I was able to cut it with our pizza cutter.  It was not tough or chewy.  This crust is the closest I’ve come to a real pizza since I’ve gone gluten free.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  In fact, I ate half of it.  I ate the other half the next day for lunch.  Second time around, the crust was a little tough and definitely chewy. Lesson learned – eat the whole thing in one setting.  Lol  

To conclude: I’ll still buy the pre-made crusts and the frozen daiya pizzas because of their time saving elements.  But I will also, definitely, buy the Chebe crust mix again.  https://www.chebe.com/

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

Kevin and I love pancakes.  At least once a week, he loves to whip up a batch.  Since I received my dairy, egg and wheat allergy diagnosis, its’ just not that simple.  We now have to mix up two separate batches, cooking them in two different skillets.  Why?  Because a gluten free pancake just doesn’t taste as good as a regular wheat flour pancake.

Over the years, I’ve battled with a great many pancake recipes and mixes, to no avail.  I just can’t find any that will give us a light, fluffy pancake. I’d love to find a recipe or mix that both of us would enjoy, eliminating the need for making up 2 separate batches.

So far, the closest I’ve come to a pretty good pancake mix was while staying with friends.  We picked up a package of “Full Circle Gluten Free Waffle and Pancake Mix” at Neiman’s Family Market in Tawas City.  The next morning we cooked up the whole package and everyone ate them up!  Trouble is, I haven’t found the Full Circle brand around here, so I keep searching for the elusive, good, gluten free pancake. 

In my quest, I recently picked up two different mixes and decided to do a head to head comparison.  One was an Organic Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix with a recipe for pancakes on the back. (I never found a company name. If anyone can tell me what brand this is, I’d appreciate it.)  The other was Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix.  Both recipes were essentially the same:  Milk/Milk Alternative, Egg/Egg Replacer and Oil.  Neither mentioned adding vanilla, but as I’ve said before, when cooking/baking something gluten free; vanilla usually helps (a lot).  I also added blueberries to both.

The baking mix was ground super fine.  As I poured the mix into the measuring cup, I was coated in a cloud of fine baking mix powder.  Same thing happened as I added the ingredients and stirred them up. 

The Bob’s mix was the familiar consistency of a wheat based pancake mix.

Time to cook:  I used the same cooking temperature for both. I was curious if they would cook differently depending on the pan I used.  So, I did one of each pancake, first in a non-stick skillet and then one of each in a cast iron pan.

The baking mix only said to cook the pancakes till the edges were golden brown.  The Bob’s said to cook 3-4 min. on first side, 2-3 min. on the flip side.  I used Bob’s instructions for both. Don’t skimp on the cooking time!  Even after cooking both for the 6 min., they were still doughy inside.  I even tried cooking one of each with a cover on the pan. (I have to say right now; that never before have I felt the need to cook a pancake with a cover on the skillet.)  Even after cooking each of them covered, I still had doughy insides. 

As you can see by the pictures, these pancakes are not exactly pretty.  They are not a lovely golden brown, nor are they fluffy.  While the consistency of the two mixes are very different from each other, in the end, the pancakes look the same. 

Taste?  Kevin and I both agreed, Bob’s won hands down.  Good enough for Kevin to give up his pancake mix?   No, not gonna happen.  But I ate them!

So ends the great Halfman Pancake Taste Off – until another day.

Thanks for stopping.

Happy New Year!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

Chances are, if you’re living dairy-free, your aching for a good piece of pumpkin pie.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve found it impossible to make a pumpkin pie without evaporated milk.  Trust me, I’ve tried.  You can replace the eggs with applesauce, but that elusive evaporated milk has done me in.  Seriously, I’ve danced that recipe dance many times.  Each dance ended, not with thunderous applause, but with a sad “Awwww” from my family.  For years, I didn’t let this get me down.  No.  I kept trying and with each disastrous pie, I still found myself both surprised and disappointed with my results.  (And some say I’m not an optimist…) But, I am also a realist and, eventually I succumbed to the realization that I just wasn’t going to have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.  (Another collective “Awwww” from my family.)  I will now give you a brief synopsis of my many dairy-free pumpkin pie debacles.

Dance #1:  The online recipe which boldly stated that the evaporated milk was overrated.  You don’t really need to use 12 ounces of evaporated milk for pumpkin pie.  Just use 12 ounces of your favorite milk alternative.  Only had to try that once.  (Results below, read ‘em and weep.)

Dance #2:  The online recipe which said if you’re not able to use 12 ounces of evaporated milk, just use 8 ounces of your milk alternative.  I tried that one a couple times.  (Results below, read ‘em and weep.)

Dance #3:  The online recipe which proclaimed: “You too, can make your own evaporated milk with rice milk!”  I boiled that godforsaken pan of rice milk for two hours, careful not to scorch or scald it.  It did boil down to the required 12 ounces.  I then put that pathetic excuse for evaporated milk in with my pumpkin pie mixture.  (Results below, read ‘em and weep.)

Results:  (The following results are not necessarily listed respectively.  I just made a lot of bad pumpkin pies; hoping each time, maybe just maybe, it would work.)

I’ve had pumpkin pies that looked like they were literally boiling while in the oven.  Pumpkin pie isn’t supposed to boil or bubble while in your oven!

Every pie I pulled out never firmed up.  You know how you use a butter knife to check if the pie is done?  I had to use a spoon.

I baked a couple pumpkins pie for an additional hour over the recommended baking time.  It didn’t help.

In fact, each time I attempted to make a pumpkin pie without evaporated milk I ended up with the same thing:  pumpkin pudding.  Warm, soupy pumpkin pudding nestled in a soggy gluten free pie crust.  Even an optimist like myself has to cry “Uncle” eventually.  I had to reconcile myself with the cold hard truth (unlike the warm soupy pudding I kept pulling out of my oven) that I just wasn’t going to have pumpkin pie…ever…again…on Thanksgiving Day.  (A collective “Awwww”, right now, from all of you would be very comforting to me.)

 Day of discovery!

It was mid-October.  I was perusing the aisles of the Better Health on            W. Saginaw.  There I saw it, in the freezer section, ‘daiya’ brand Pumpkin Spice Cheezecake!  I had to try it.  I bought it.  (It costs about $8.)  I already had a tub of ‘So Delicious Coco Whip Coconut Whipped Topping’ at home, so I was golden.

That night Kevin and I each had a slice of pie.  It was SO good.  We (Seriously, who am I kidding?  It was me) ate the rest of the pie over the next two days.

I had to find more.  I looked at the Better Health Store in Frandor.  They didn’t carry it, although they did have daiya’s four other cheezecake varieties.  I found the pumpkin spice at both Whole Foods on Grand River and at Fresh Thyme on Trowbridge, buying one at each place.  I hope to be picking up another one or two more.  I will be taking one to my sister’s for the family Thanksgiving party.  The remainders will be stashed in my freezer, because I read somewhere that the pumpkin spice cheezecake is seasonal.  (Just like Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte.)

Looking to satisfy that craving for pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving?  Check out the stores I’ve listed above to pick up a ‘daiya Pumpkin Spice Cheezecake’.  Don’t forget the ‘So Delicious Coco Whip’!

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping.

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

 These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

Recently a friend told me her doctor suggested she eliminate gluten to relieve some of her IBS symptoms; but she said finding gluten free foods was tough.  She asked for some food suggestions.  So, here they are.  Some of this may be redundant because I mentioned some of these foods in my Tying Up Some Loose Ends I & II posts, but those posts listed a variety of the different foods I eat.  This will only list my gluten free foods.  I also list the stores I’ve found them in. I didn’t list websites for these foods.  You can google them and find their sites easily.  Also, because I am allergic to dairy and egg, my gluten free options are a bit limited.  Many of these companies carry a large variety of gluten free products that may work for you, so check them all out!

First the easy stuff:  Lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Bread:  Schar Brand (My three favorites listed below.) (Meijer, Walmart, Better Health Store)

Artisan Baker Multigrain (or White) Bread Loaf:  Great for sandwich, toast or just buttered.  I also use this in my Thanksgiving stuffing.

Ciabatta Rolls:  Because these are partially baked; I cut them open like a bun and fry with either butter substitute or I drizzle olive oil on and sprinkle with oregano, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  Great with spaghetti, soups or stews. (Sorry no picture.)

Baguettes:  I cut loaf into 1/3’s, next, I cut it open like a bun. I prepare it as garlic bread like I do the Ciabatta rolls, but my favorite is to make French bread pizza.  I drizzle on olive oil, oregano, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, fry to toast the bread.  Place on baking sheet.  Spread on pizza sauce and add favorite toppings, bake 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Tortilla Shells/Wraps:  Use for tacos, fajitas, quesadillas and “sandwich” wraps.

Toufayan Bakeries Gluten Free Wraps – Original (Meijer Deli)

Rudis gluten free bakery Gluten-Free Plain Tortillas (Better Health Store)

Mission Gluten Free Tortilla (Meijer – International Foods Section)

Pasta: For spaghetti, lasagna, goulash, macaroni salad, pasta salad, casseroles.

Barilla (Meijer, Kroger, Walmart)

Ronzoni (Meijer, Kroger, Walmart)

Meijer brand Penne Rigate and Cut Cavatappi (Meijer)

Heartland Oven Ready Lasagna (Walmart):  It says oven ready, but I boil it first, then build my lasagna.

Crackers:

Van’s gluten free Fire Roasted Veggie and the Perfect 10 (Meijer and Walmart):   Either is great alone or served with summer sausage.  (Heads up:  The last box I had of Perfect 10 tasted like cardboard.  Not sure why, so I will give them another try.  Hope it was a fluke.)

Wasa Light Rye Crisp Bread (Meijer):  Love these with chicken or tuna salad or with deli meat.

Schar Gluten Free Honey Grahams (Meijer and Walmart):  Pricey, but so worth it because I get to have smores again!  (Sorry no picture.)

Breakfast foods:

General Mills Rice Chex and Corn Chex (Most grocery stores):  I like these because they don’t have BHT preservative on them.

Little Northern Bakehouse Delicious Gluten Free Cinnamon & Raisin Loaf (Whole Foods):  Great toasted or do it up as French toast!

Van’s gluten free Original Waffles (Kroger):  Not as light and fluffy as a homemade waffle, but good in a pinch.  I take these when we’re going to stay at a hotel that offers a continental breakfast – which means they’ll probably have pancake syrup available.  I toast or microwave them. (Sorry no picture.)

Food For Life Gluten Free English Muffins Brown Rice (Whole Foods):  Little chewy, but nice for a change.

Pizza:

daiya (Kroger and Whole Foods):  I like Supreme, Fire Roasted Vegetable and Margherita.

Mama Marys Gluten Free Thin 2 Pizza Crusts (Walmart)Follow directions on package and you’ll be pleased.  Be sure to read the package carefully,  Mama Mary makes crust with and without gluten.

Snacks:

Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists or Sticks (Meijer, Kroger, Walmart):  I’ve converted more than one person over to these pretzels.

Snyder’s of Hanover Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks Honey Mustard & Onion (Most grocery stores):  Read package carefully to be sure it’s gluten free.       “ Oh my!”, is all I can say about these!!  (Sorry no picture.)

Larabar, Kind, Nature Valley (green box) Crunchy (Most grocery stores)

nature’s bakery Gluten Free Fig Bar (Horrocks)

Lucy’s brand cookies (Whole Foods)

Simple Mills brand cookies (Whole Foods)

Baking Mixes:

Hodgson Mill Cookie Mix (Meijer and Kroger)

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Chocolate Cake and Brownie Mixes (Kroger and Meijer)

1-2-3 Gluten Free Mixes (Meijer): I like their bar and cake mixes, but not their cookie mixes.

Whew!  I think that’s enough.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!)

This is a continuation of last week’s post on different products I’ve recently tried.  My last post focused on purchased foods – the good and the bad. Today’s post will again, focus on purchased foods.

 “Herdez” Guacamole Salsa (Mild):  Saw it, it was on sale and I picked it up on a whim.  Really good, with just a little bit of bite.  I will be buying this again.

“So Delicious Dairy Free Coco Whip!” Coconut Whipped Topping:  So excited to find this in the freezer section!  The guy at Whole Foods told me they’ve carried it for a few years now.  Who knew??  Its’ just like Cool Whip – only without the dairy.  It is a coconut milk product and every once in a while I could taste the slightest hint of coconut.  Kevin (who is not a fan of coconut) said he never picked up the coconut taste. Glad I bought two tubs of this, we already ate one.

“Kirkland Signature Nut Bars”:  Very good.   They reminded me of a “Kind” bar.  Our friend Lerry had these.  He said he bought them at Costco.  I’m not a Costco member, but I did find I can order them online.

“365 Everyday Value” Strawberry fruit bars:  These are a Whole Foods brand product.  They reminded me of the “Outshine” Fruit Bars.  I’ve not compared ingredients between the two. I do know; I could only eat ½ of the bar because it was really sweet.  The jury is still out on these.  I need to do a little more research.

“Albanese” brand gummy candies:  Our nephew, Hennace, recently stayed for two weeks with us.  It bothered him that my dairy, egg and wheat allergies greatly limited my candy options. He made it his mission to find a candy I could eat and also buy locally.  (Small town = three gas stations/party stores and a dollar store – no grocery store).  He found the Albanese candy at the Dollar General here in town and bought two bags for me.  Towards the end of his visit with us, Hennace bought one more bag of the Albanese candy – at an “AGO” gas station we stopped at while driving north for a camping trip.

While camping; we stopped at the Tubb’s Lake Resort camp store, which was near our campground.  We picked up the usual things and Kevin and Hennace both ordered hot fudge sundaes before we left.  While waiting for their order to be completed, Kevin looked in their little frozen treats freezer.  He found individual “Outshine” frozen fruit bars and one pint cartons of “Almond Dream” Cappuccino Swirl ice cream.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Woohoo!! I bought the Almond Dream ice cream.  The fact that they actually carried 2 different dairy-free individual treats made my day. I let the girl working there know how much I appreciated it.  Positive feedback will hopefully convince them to continue carrying these items.

What I’ve discovered while writing these last two posts, is that not only do I need to look around a little bit more while buying groceries, I also need to look in places where I’d least expect to find food items I can safely eat.  Places like Rite Aid, the Dollar General, a gas station and a small camp store.  If stores are making the effort to carry some food allergy friendly foods, we owe it to them to not only buy these products, but also thank them for selling these items.  They need to be made aware that what they are doing makes a difference to us.  They also need to know that the extra effort they are making to provide these foods is worth it.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!)

 

 

Recently, I flipped through my phone discovering pictures of foods I’d intended (but forgotten) to post about.  I found foods I’d baked from mixes, pre-made foods I’d purchased, foods others bought for me (bless their hearts) and even a couple meals I’d photographed intending to post; along with their recipes.  Looks like it’s time to tie up some loose ends and I gotta tell you, this is going to take more than one post.

Today’s post will focus on purchased foods – the good and the bad.  {If you follow my Facebook page – Vegan with a Side of Beef – some of the foods may look familiar. I sometimes post a picture on FB, but don’t blog about it.  Check out my FB page sometime if you haven’t.}

 “Better Bites Mostess” Mini Cupcakes:  Oh, Yum!  So satisfying, just one or two will take care of your sweet tooth.  They keep well in the freezer.  I bought mine the end of February. My last cupcake (pictured) was photographed on May 17^th, right before I ate it.  I can only find them at Whole Foods.

“Lucy’s” gluten-free cookies:  So good.  Chocolate Chip, by far, my favorite.  Second favorite: the Sugar Cookies.  They remind me of the crunchy sugar cookies (kind of a flower shape with a hole in the center and large sugar sprinkles on top) that my mom used to buy. The Cinnamon Thins are good too. I have a hard time finding these cookies locally, but can find them in Whole Foods.  I found the package in my picture in a Gladwin Rite Aid. (That’s why it’s setting on the dashboard of the truck.)  Recently I found these cookies sold in a bag of six individual cookie packets.  Great to keep a packet or two in the car!

“Simple Mills” Naturally Gluten-Free  Cookie:  Another good cookie.  I’ve found Chocolate Chip Crunchy and the “Soft Baked Snickerdoodle”, at Whole Foods.  The soft cookie is a nice change because it’s hard to find “soft” gluten-free baked goods.

 “nature’s bakery” Gluten Free Fig Bar (Raspberry):  I have a nephew who shares the same food allergies as myself.  We bond over food.  He’s great about sending me pics and links of things he finds dealing with our like food allergies.  He recently returned from California and brought back a “nature’s bakery” bar for me.  Although it traveled in his luggage and got a little squished, it still had great flavor and a soft cookie texture.  I will be looking for more of these.

Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative Fails:  Woof! I don’t want to offend anyone or hurt someone’s feelings, but wow, I found some bad dairy-free yogurts.  I’ve pictured three different brands I recently tried with my thoughts in the caption below.  Personally, I will stick with the “So Delicious” Dairy Free Coconut Milk Yogurt Alternative.

Brownie mix fails:  I just can’t seem to find a brownie mix that works for me.  Years ago, I had one that made a really good brownie (it may have been “Bob’s Red Mill”). – The first time I made them for Abby, she ate the whole 8”x8” pan in one sitting!  Not kidding. –  I keep trying different mixes, hoping for the best.  They take forever to bake, do this weird bubbling; almost breathing thing, are extremely oily and chewy – until they cool and become oily and rock hard.  If anyone can help me out, feel free to leave a comment.

Next post will have even more products I’ve tried.

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                

 These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know? Just read your labels! Do your research!)