These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....

It has been a while.  Sorry about that.  I was on vacation, teaching summer school (preschool!) and finally started my new year at school.  Luckily we are not on strike, like another district I know.  We ratified our contract the day before school.

It has been a hectic start to the school year.  New students that have caused numerous headaches already, switching from 4 class periods per day to 6 (quite the adjustment!) and I am also training for my first (and last) marathon!!

While training for this marathon (Nike Womens Marathon), I have been HUNGRY!  And there isn't much to eat with all of my allergies.  At least not the things that all the real runner people say to eat.  So I have been finding new things that are working to keep me hydrated, full, and running!

Before all the allergies, I drank chocolate milk after a hard workout.  Doesn't work anymore.  Now I drink Chocolate Coconut Milk!  Although it is difficult to find.  I have drive a ways to a Whole Foods to get my fix -- and I make sure to stock up.  It is the perfect after run drink! 

One of my newest favorite protein is Sunbutter -- especially the No-Stir kind.

I never liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches growing up -- but now I am obsessed with sunbutter sandwiches!  Sunbutter and jelly, sunbutter and honey!  Yummy!

The hardest thing has been finding granola bars that are safe to eat.  You can find gluten free, but it has nuts and/or soy, you can find nut free but it has soy and gluten.  UGH!  I finally find just ONE that I can eat and it really isn't that bad tasting.  NuGo Nutrition Bars make one kid that works for me: the chocolate version!

I also have been having a hard time finding safe (and good) things to eat while running.  Not only can I not eat all the allergen stuff, I also can't have caffeine which happens to be in a lot of energy items for running.  I have found a few items to eat while running that I could recommend: Clif Shot Gel Chocolate, Clif Shot Bloks -- my favorite is strawberry, and Hammer Gel -- my favorite is Montana Huckleberry!

My marathon is three weeks away so pretty soon I will carbo-loading.  How do you carbo-load without gluten?!  We will find out -- stay tuned!  And I promise to update with a few recipes I have baked over the summer..... And I just got a Cooking Light Best Baked Goods special edition.  Can't wait to adapt some recipes!

Mama's Ranger Cookies

I'm about to eat the Ranger Cookie!

Mention Ranger Cookies in my family and you can get varied responses: pure joy, anger because you might not have any on you, childhood, skiing....

I grew up taking a few trips to Sun Valley, Idaho to ski.  [Great skiing by the way.]  There was a place in Ketchum, Idaho (the town) that made these amazing cookies called Ranger Cookies.  We would get them anytime we went -- and usually take a few packages home with us.  But the cookies would eventually be gone.

My dad then found a way to order them to our house!  We would get a box in the mail piled high with Ranger Cookies.  There would be eight in a package -- two piles of four saran wrapped with a Styrofoam bottom.  Nothing fancy, but they were yummy!  We would freeze them and eat them straight out of the freezer.  Amazing!  The best was when you found a lost package buried in the freezer long after the cookies were considered gone. 

I am not sure why the cookies stopped -- I think because the company went out of business or something.  But somewhere along the line my mom ended up with a recipe.  And I adapted it so I could eat Ranger Cookies again!

Mama's Ranger Cookies (taken straight from my mom)

1 C palm oil shortening
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 C gluten-free flour blend
¾ tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
2 C oats
2 C corn flakes cereal [I used gluten-free corn flakes
½ C sweetened shredded coconut

Heat oven to 350
Whip shortening and sugars
Add eggs and vanilla
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder (and xanthum gum!) and mix well.
Add oats, corn flakes and coconut and mix well
Greased cookie sheet [I used a silpat sheet]

Bake 10-12 minutes

These taste amazing frozen, warmed up -- or with vanilla "ice cream" :)

Challenge Update

I am sad to admit that no, I did not enter the Betty Crocker Challenge.

Things got just a little insane at the end of my school year which happened to be right around the time of the challenge due date. We had a few suspensions, a kid go to jail (yikes!) and an investigation -- all within the last 3 weeks of school. Entering a challenge was far, far from my mind!

But I did at least try and make a few different things: Apple Cinnamon Cake and Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes* (recipe coming soon -- I promise)!









*Plus, if I am going to enter a contest, then I need to try out the recipes a few times -- right? And STUPID Betty Crocker decided to change their chocolate cake mix and added SOY flour! NOT cool Betty Crocker, not cool. So I am no longer able to eat the chocolate cake mix. Therefore, I am not going to post the Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes -- since I can't eat the mix anymore, I won't be making it again. Maybe instead I should write Betty Crocker and ask why they changed the mix? Probably should calm down a bit before writing a not so nice email/letter.....

Grammie's Strawberry Shortcake

I bought some amazing strawberries at the store the other day.  And I love, love whip cream.  Love it.  So why not add shortcake and make a whole dessert?

Cybele Pascal makes a really good shortcake, but it is more of a group dessert thing rather than individual sized portions.  So I searched through my Grandma's Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.  (Not sure from what year but I know that it is the 8th printing and the pages are already yellowing....)  I LOVE using this book to cook.  It reminds me of my Grammie every time I open it.  But now I have to change a lot of what is in the book....

Grammie's Book

Grammie's* Strawberry Shortcake

2 1/2 cups gf flour blend
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
1/2 cup shortening (or futter) -- either way, it should be cold
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup rice milk**
3-4 cups of sugared sliced strawberries (I used about 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar)
whipped cream (recipe to follow)

1) Put all dry ingredients in a mixer then cut in the butter until the mixture is like coarse crumbs

2) Combine the egg and the rice milk

3) Add the liquids to the dry ingredient/shortening mixture -- add liquids all at once -- mix only until moisten

4) Take all the dough and put on a floured surface (I sometimes like to use powdered sugar instead of flour), knead the dough gently for about 30 seconds, then pat out until about 1/2 inch thick round -- cut with a round cutter, then place on an ungreased baking sheet (although I did use a silpat sheet)

Bake at 450 degrees for 10-14 minutes (depends on the size of your cutter).


Whipped Cream

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1) Combine these two in a small saucepan -- be sure to whisk out all the lumps!  Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes thick.  Once thick and smooth, remove from heat and let cool.  [Note that once the mixture starts to go thick, it gets thick fast so keep stirring and don't cook it too long!]

2) While the milk/cornstarch mixture is cooling, mix the shortening and the powdered sugar together.  Add in the milk/cornstarch and mix until smooth.

You now have dairy and soy-free whipped cream (courtesy of Cybele).

Put it all together -- strawberries, shortcake, and whipped cream -- anyway you want!

I ate all the whipped cream before we could take pictures -- oops!!

*No, I never made strawberry shortcake with my Grammie -- we made grilled cheese and pickles!  But since it came from Grammie's cookbook, why not honor her?

**If you have coconut milk yogurt, you might want to try and add that instead of the milk or even do about 1/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup yogurt.  If you want!

Allergies on the Rise!

I was listening to the news the other night and heard something about food allergies.  This got my interest (food allergies and education -- that is what I turn the volume up for!).  Turns out food allergies are on the rise.  Newest data: 1 in 12 kids have some sort of food allergy.

Today Show Report

I also found this article: from CNN.  It was about a dad who lost his son to a food allergy.  It also mentioned that having a food allergy isn't "cool."  My favorite quote from the article:

"There's a sense of embarrassment associated with food allergies for teens in particular, especially when they have to decline a kiss from a date who has just eaten peanuts or other offending foods."

This could not be more true.  Those of you that know me, know that I found out about my allergies the hard way.  In college, I kissed a boy after he had eaten peanut butter.  And away I went to the hospital.... 


me and Steve (aka: peanut-butter boy) about a month after the hospital trip

[Don't worry, we are still good friends.  He is forever known as "peanut-butter boy" at my parents' house.  My mom always asks: "How is peanut-butter boy?"]

I found out later in life that I was allergic to peanuts.  And then tree nuts... and then soy.  Finally, adding wheat and dairy.  It was a HARD adjustment.  Especially when it came to my social life.  I hated, HATED, going out to eat.  Hated it.  I could never eat anything -- and the waiters always give you this horrible look and say "Oh, I am so sorry....."  It sucks. 

And yes, I had to ask boys what they had eaten before I kissed them.  Luckily, my amazing friends asked for me!  But it was embarrassing.  And annoying.  But necessary.  Going to the hospital telling the doctors that you kissed a boy and wound up in the hospital is not the best situation.  Hilarious, yes.  Fun, not so much. 

You would be surprised at how little people know about food allergies.  Yes, you can die from a food allergy.  It has happened.  More than I want to admit.  But food allergies are out there.  And becoming more prevalent.  1 in 12 kids.  You will know someone with food allergies.

Please, please learn more about food allergies -- make those with food allergies feel welcome and less embarrassed.*







*I must say that my friends and family are the best.  They often make things for me to eat or find places where I can eat.  I mean, my mom made an ENTIRE allergen-free Thanksgiving dinner last year.  Now that is just plain awesome!  And the Future Husband is constantly perfecting a gluten-free pasta recipe -- and making allergen-free ravioli -- YUM! 

Calling All Recipes!

As I was looking up the Betty Crocker Gluten Free products, I came across this challenge.  So, those of you who read this -- what in the world should I bake?!  It doesn't have to be something that I have already baked. 

What do you want to see made safe for you to eat?!

I have about three weeks so send me your suggestions!

And of course, I will keep you posted on the trial and errors of my baking :)

Product Placement

I had to run to the store to grab a tomato for our dinner tonight.  And I also picked up some Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix.  You didn't know those two items were in the same aisle?  I had had a rough day at work and the store didn't have chocolate sorbet....

So I figured I would buy the mix and then blog about it -- and eat some chocolate to make my day better!  It is tough trying to bake with allergies.  You can't just go to the store and buy a mix with a can of frosting and away you go.  It doesn't work that way.  You have to plan things out.  And go to the speciality stores to buy the ingredients you need.  Until Betty Crocker.  Who rocks, by the way!

You can now go to the store and get gluten free mixes.*  Chocolate Cake.  Brownies.  Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Vanilla Cake.  And my personal favorite: Bisquick!!!!  I have not tried any of them, until tonight!  (I am extremely excited to try the Bisquick!).

The recipe was really easy to follow.  Add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter (of course I used Futter) to the mix -- how easy is that?!  I used an 8x8 pan and glad I did.  The mix was really thick and I had to use a spatula to spread it out in the pan.  It also didn't rise very much (the reason I was happy I used the 8x8 pan). 

But.... after it cooled and I took a bite..... it was YUMMY!!!  And it was so easy to make.  I am HIGHLY recommending this product :)




*Make sure the mixes are also free of your allergens.  The brownie mix was safe -- and I actually think the others are safe as well.  Just use safe add-ins (like rice milk, egg replacer, futter, etc.) and enjoy!