C4C Flour - PRODUCT REVIEW

C4C Flour - Product Review

Well, someone may have finally gotten it right. Chef, Lena Kwak of The French Laundry developed this flour she calles C4C  (stands for Cup For Cup). The intention is that you can use one cup of C4C in replace of any recipe calling for a cup of flour. You can purchase this at Williams and Sonoma for $20. I have to say, I wish I could come up with the correct ratios and make this at home! Be careful if you have dairy allergies though. Milk powder is one of the last ingredients on the list.

I have used it once and my first impression is that it is worth every penny! I will use it a lot in the future and tell you if at any point it doesn't measure up.

In my gluten free baking experiences I have found that breads don't rise the way they used to. I have tried bread mixes and found the same thing to be true. We used to regularly eat corn bread. I tried to make it with my own flour mix and with other flour mixes on the market but it has never really been the same.

For New Years I made corn bread, black eyed peas and cabbage slaw. We had a late breakfast and this was our snack. I used the C4C in the cornbread and made Sweet Southern Cornbread. I could not believe it - it was just like cornbread used to be before going gluten free! WOW!

French Bread & Pizza Mix - PRODUCT REVIEW

French Bread & Pizza Mix - PRODUCT REVIEW

I saw the picture on this one and I was suckered in! Wow! It looks just like the bread I used to eat. I had conjured up the taste of the bread at macaroni grill or the french bread we used to make garlic bread out of for our spaghetti....It's close!

You can make the bread in an oven or bread maker. I do not yet have a bread maker so I used the oven. I was expecting to taste the yeast and have it crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Well, it wasn't much different than other gluten free breads as it didn't really rise in the oven although it rose while it was proofing in my warming try on low.  Don't get me wrong, it is nice to have fresh bread instead of frozen but in this case the picture seemed deceiving. It will be great bread for sandwiches and we even used it to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Maybe it turns out better in the bread maker? If you have a chance to try it, let us know!

Penne Pasta - PRODUCT REVIEW

Penne Pasta - PRODUCT REVIEW


Over time we have tried many different kinds of gluten free pasta. I think we are always in search of a wheat like pasta consistency. Well, I think I finally found one...

The winner for Penne pasta is Tinkyada Pasta Joy Brown Rice Pasta Penne (with Rice Bran). I am not sure where I picked it up at but I know they sell it on AMAZON.

I did not cook it per the instructions. I cooked it like I have other gluten free pastas - for about 6 min and checked it for doneness (other gluten free pastas over cook very easily-I usually take pasta off a bit before it is done for this reason). Next time I will try it per the instructions. The instructions indicate you should boil for one to two minutes and take off the heat, put on a lid and let sit for 20 minutes. The instructions indicate that you can over cook this one a bit without worry. (interesting!)

We eat pasta a lot. That means I make extra when I cook. One test that we have come up with is to see if the pasta will stand up to reheating. This is the first one that does. It is definitely a keeper!

Try this recipe with this pasta Cheesy Mac - Kid Friendly Recipe

Muffin Mix - PRODUCT REVIEW

Muffin Mix - PRODUCT REVIEW

We are always searching for ways to help the kids feel like they aren't "missing out" on foods they had before they were diagnosed and our household went Gluten Free. As a result, baking is usually a late night event when all the household chores are complete.

Thus, we try different mixes to make the process a little quicker!

For breakfast muffins we have found a product we really like. We use King Arthur Flour gluten free Muffin Mix. It is a vanilla muffin base and my kids really like blueberries added. Obviously you can add whatever you have on hand - chocolate chips, apple pieces, raspberries, nuts, dried fruits, etc.

Their instructions to finish the tops with coarse sugar make the finished product look like they came from a bakery!

I have to say that the kids eat them so quickly I have gone to making them in the mini muffin pan so that I can include them in their lunches.

TIP - If you aren't going to eat them quickly, freeze them. The muffins get gooey if they aren't consumed quickly. In the freezer they keep very well. Just put them in the microwave with a microwave safe cup or mug filled with water and microwave on 1/2 power. I usually check it after 30 seconds as microwaves vary.

My ADD IN's - You know by now I can't leave well enough alone. When I first started baking gluten free my kids said what I was making from mixes wasn't the same sweetness as baking I did before. So, I have gone to adding things to the mixes.
For this mix, I add:

• 2 packets of Stevia in the Raw
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions!

NO GII Protein Bar - PRODUCT REVIEW

NO GII Protein Bar - PRODUCT REVIEW

Before we understood what was going on with my son's dietary restrictions, we were aware that he was borderline diabetic. Protein became something we sought out regularly. He would be fine one minute and the next his lips were white and he could barely walk. He frequently spoke of being dizzy.

I set out on trying to find protein bars we could stash here and there for emergencies. We tried a lot of bars and many really do taste like cardboard. Some are edible while others we choked down. The price became a factor as we needed to purchase them in bulk.

A lot of times we bought a box that the kids liked but they became tired of the same thing before the bars were consumed.

AFTER the Gluten Free diet was implemented, we were on a search for a new bar that didn't contain gluten. A friend suggested we try Hasselbeck's NOGII No Gluten Super Protein Bar. The bar we chose is 390 calories and contains 30 grams of protein. We chose the Chocolate Peanut Butter Carmel Crisp. I have to say it felt like we were eating a candy bar. It tasted great, had a great texture and was HUGE!

If they don't carry them in stores near you, feel free to go to www.nogii.com. Elisabeth has her bars for sale as well as cookbooks. She has a few Gluten Free recipes posted as well. There is a store locator by zip code for you to see if the bars are sold close to you. It seems even Walgreens carries them! I purchased mine at Market Street - a grocery store close to my home.

Waffles & Pancakes MIX- PRODUCT REVIEW

We found a gluten free waffle and pancake mix that is better than any non gluten free we have tried. Again, if you prefer a different brand, please let us know so we can all try it!

Namaste Foods - Waffle & Pancake Mix
We have a hard time getting this at the store now for some reason. I assume it's because they are always out. From time to time I can find one at the back of the shelf but it seems to be scarce. I will have to try another store (two seem to consistently be out). If I get desperate I will see about ordering!

My add ins: (we double the recipe because there are 5 of us and usually have at least 2 extra over on the weekends)
- 2 packets of Stevia in the Raw
- 3 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
-1 teaspoon of vanilla
Sometimes we add in 1.5 cups of blueberries if we are making pancakes. This is an option you may like. My kids like for me to crisscross two pieces of thick, center cut bacon in the middle of waffle iron while the waffles are baking. I know it sounds weird but it really is good! The waffles are amazingly crips on the outside!

Banana Bread (Nuts optional) - PRODUCT REVIEW

Banana Bread Mix - PRODUCT REVIEW

One of the things that I find we miss most are things others call "Comfort Foods". Baking Gluten Free is probably one of the hardest things I have tried to master. I would say I have failed quite a few times. I have tried mixes that don't turn out, have a strange consistency, etc. When we find one that works, we tend to buy it over and over again. If you have a mix for Banana Bread that you prefer over the one we have chosen, please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to try something new but when it works, we just don't mess with it!

The Really Great Food Company has an incredible Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix.

My Additions -
1 tsp of vanilla
2 packets of Stevia in the Raw
1 EXTRA cup of overripe bananas (sometimes it is a little less - I just use what I have on hand. The recipe calls for 1 cup but I think at a minimum I would put in 1.5 cups for our taste)

Try it and let me know what you think! This doesn't stay around very long at all. If something happens and a loaf gets missed and it is starting to get a bit old, we use it for french toast!

Chocolate Cupcakes - PRODUCT REVIEW

Chocolate Cupcakes - Gluten Free - PRODUCT REVIEW

The twins turned 12 and wanted cupcakes. My daughter can eat whatever she likes but her brother can not. We were busy with family in town and working on Thanksgiving foods so I needed a short cut. I used the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix - Devils food and it was amazing. No one knew they were gluten free and everyone was asking for me when we were out. Leave it to me to do a bit more to the recipe to "enhance" it....the additions are below.

2 Stevia in the Raw packets (I get complaints that the GF mixes are not sweet enough)
1/4 cup Kahlua
1 Tablespoon instant Coffee

You can choose the icing of your choice... my kids wanted strawberry!
We made mini muffins and regular size cupcakes - these would be good made ahead and frozen. You could ice them as you needed them. A nice lunch box surprise or for when a child that is GF sensitive has a birthday party to go to - they don't have to do without the cake!!

How It All Began!

How It All Began!
I'm sure we can all remember the long road to discovering we had a gluten intolerance. The road that was chocked full of misdiagnosis! My story is similar to yours, I am sure.
Truthfully, I can't remember a time I didn't have trouble with my tummy. Sorry if it's "TMI" but if you can relate...long sessions in the bathroom, pain and eventually food aversion! Over time I gained new issues related to my hormone cycle - severe cramping, passing out, nauseousness, and irregular cycles.
I thought this was normal! Can you believe that? My mother had similar problems so I always assumed if it wasn't like that for everyone then it was just the genes I inherited!
The ER visits became quite frequent and were usually followed by antibiotics and a hospital stay. I had ruptured cysts on my ovaries over and over again.
The doctors thought I was faking, my parent's began to believe I was faking and I was starting to wonder what was really wrong with me. Maybe everyone felt this pain but it didn't hurt them like it hurt me. Maybe I had a very low pain tolerance. It was frustrating for me to think that anyone thought I wanted to be sick all the time. Looking back I had a cold all the time as well. At the time, I knew it could have been allergies but I was always told it was a cold. We lived in Beaumont, Texas near refineries so I always assumed the "cold" issues were from pollution.
I went off to college and ended up in the ER over and over again. My mother made me move colleges and go to school closer to her because she just couldn't help take care of me hours away. In the end, I had missed so much school that I had to sit a semester out.
I moved schools to find that it was a commuter school. I wasn't going to make friends without joining a sorority. Yes, I was probably the oldest person going through Sorority Rush but it didn't seem to phase me. During Rush I ended up in the hospital again. I got out just in time to finish up Preference Night.
After joining the sorority, I ended up in the hospital several more times. I had more Laproscopic surgery than anyone should. To be clear, I actually had it done so much that I had to have my belly button worked on the last time to try to get it's normal shape back.
After one laproscope surgery; in which they cleaned up ruptured cysts for the "upteenth" time; I immediately felt the pain again. I insisted that the OB/GYN understand that whatever she kept fixing wasn't the source of my pain. Her husband was a general surgeon so she opened me up once again and WAH LAH! He saw immediately what he assumed was the culprit all along. I had had chronic appendicitis for probably a good eight years.
The appendix was gone but there were more complications. I was diagnosed with Chron's disease. The general surgeon had seen my intestines and called in a GI doctor. So now, I wasn't in pain but I was learning that my bathroom troubles were serious. An illness that there is no cure for and no way to know what the quality of life would be later.
FAST FORWARD...I had children of my own and they have stomach problems. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of tests later, we still don't have an answer.
DING, DING, DING, DING...a friend has been reading about Gluten Sensitivities and and knows the struggles I am having with my son. She gives me a book and I am astounded! Wow! All of the symptoms I have are in the book. All of the symptoms my son has are in the book. Why hasn't this been diagnosed correctly?
EASY...we changed our diets and it changed our lives! 
GIVING BACK...In my readings, I found that 50% off the population is gluten sensitive and doesn't know it. Learning the ropes has been expensive! This blog will give you product reviews, recipes and information all in one place. I welcome your feedback and only ask that you pass on the blog site to others - post it on your Facebook, tweet about it and tell anyone you can. This will allow me to spend the time reviewing the products, trying out new recipes and searching for new information to share!