A warm slice of bread topped with a dab of butter or touch of jelly is quite possibly one of the best things to have for breakfast. I have not had any type of bread for breakfast in a long time. I’ve been stuck in a breakfast rut. I have the same thing EVERY MORNING. It’s nothing exciting. I have a couple ounces of yogurt mixed with flax and chia seeds. It tastes fine. It gets my day started but it does not make my tastes buds dance.

I’ve made several variations of gluten free banana bread including this insanely decadent Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cream Cheese Glaze which is based off of my regular Banana Bread recipe. I wanted to make a healthier version that was both gluten free and egg free.

This was the first time I baked with Stevia. I have used it as a substitute in my coffee or tea but never ventured beyond using a sprinkle to add to my drinks. While it works quite well cup for cup, I have to admit it does have a bit of an aftertaste. I’m not sure I’ll use it again.

The bread has the perfect combination of just a hint of bananas coupled with the burst of sweet blueberries. I sliced it thin so that I can toast it and put just a little slab of peanut butter on it for breakfast tomorrow morning. I can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow!

For more sensational gluten free recipes, check out Udi’s Gluten Free Community. They offer tons of support to those on a gluten free diet.

Recipe adapted from Food.com and Bob’s Red Mill

*Disclosure: I am a community leader in the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community on The BlogFrog. As a community leader I may receive compensation and or product samples for sharing information about the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community and The Blog Frog. All opinions expressed are my own.

It seems like everyone I know is busy. A busy life means you sometimes need a snack you can eat on the go. A handful of nuts or an apple are suitable snacks but sometimes you want something a little more satisfying. One of my favorite snacks is a granola bar. There are endless types of ingredients that can go into a granola bar. The No-Bake Coffee Chocolate Chip Granola Bars pictured above are delicious. However, sometimes I just don’t feel like making my own snacks.

As a Community Leader for Udi’s, I have a chance to check out their new products. They recently released a new line of granola bars with a variety of flavors.

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

Ancient Grain Granola Bars

The bars are gluten free and egg free which is perfect for me. I love the variety of flavors. Keep an eye out for these bars at your local store.

*Disclosure: I am a community leader in the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community on The BlogFrog. As a community leader I may receive compensation and or product samples for sharing information about the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community and The Blog Frog. All opinions expressed are my own.

A few months ago I received a Facebook message from a friend who wanted to share a cookie recipe with me. It’s no secret that I love sweets, especially if they include chocolate. She made the cookies and they turned out fabulous. She knew I would love them. Usually I don’t have a problem adapting recipes. A few simple substitutions will do the trick.

This recipe proved a little more challenging than most. I wanted to use a little hazelnut flour instead of an all-purpose gluten free blend. The first time I made this recipe I did not take into account how absorbent the hazelnut flour would be. I made a 50/50 substitution for the all-purpose gluten free flour blend. The cookies tasted great but were way too brittle. I rescued that batch by crushing them into crumbs for future use as pie crust.

A little research revealed that you should only substitute up to one-third of the recommended flour in the recipe. Oops. Armed with that knowledge on my second attempt the adaptation proved successful. The cookies were perfect and very addictive!

In February I began contributing to Food Fanatic, an amazing new site that features a bunch of fabulous food bloggers. Each contributing blogger will be focusing on a different area or type of food. I have been providing gluten free recipes.

Head over to Food Fanatic for the Gluten Free Chocolate Cookie Recipe. While you are there, check out what the other bloggers have shared so far. You’ll find a wonderful variety of recipes.

Breakfast used to be something I enjoyed. I’m never quite hungry when I wake up but my tummy starts to growl soon after my morning cup of coffee. Prior to being diagnosed gluten and egg intolerant, I would eat two scrambled eggs and piece of toast for breakfast EVERY MORNING. It was the perfect way to fuel my day. I miss those mornings.

Let’s be honest, tofu may work as a substitute in dishes like this quiche but there is nothing fluffy and fabulous about tofu compared to an egg. My breakfast since my diagnosis has consisted of a variety of things that pale in comparison to my eggs and toast. I decided to make this simple quiche as something of a starting point for future breakfasts to come. While it may not be as tasty as my old breakfast, I think it has some real potential. I made several different versions that included tomatoes, onions and spicy sausage. They were fabulous but more complex than I wanted my first meal of the day to be.

The key to a good tofu quiche is 1.) make sure the tofu is drained completely before attempting to mix it with any other ingredients; 2.) make sure that you process the tofu in the blender to the point that it is smooth; and 3.) use ingredients that will infuse some flavor into the tofu. The blue cheese I used for this recipe gives it a nice little kick. As I mentioned before, this recipe is endlessly adaptable. I used broccoli that I had already steamed the day before. I’ve also used wilted spinach and it was just as good. Be creative. Enjoy!

This dish is naturally gluten free. Of course, always check the label of the ingredients you are using to make sure there is no cross-contamination. If you are gluten free, check out this great discussion started by Rachel, author of Finding Joy, about creative one sentence responses to describe what it means to be gluten free.

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There was a small pint of vanilla ice cream sitting in my freezer. Each time I opened the freezer door I would catch a glimpse of the ice cream and resist temptation. I’ve been tracking my calories and fitness in an effort to keep my weight in check. Ice cream is something I did not want to splurge on without making it really worthwhile. I decided the ultimate way to enjoy my ice cream would be to pair it with a baked treat.

A warm gooey brownie seemed like the perfect treat to indulge in. I have several recipes for brownies but I wanted something that incorporated black beans. I love the idea of using black beans as a secret ingredient. I used white beans in this recipe for Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies. No one could detect the secret ingredient.

A quick search lead me to these fabulous Vegan Black Bean Brownie Bites from Dana at My Little Celebration. They were incredibly easy to make. As Dana indicates, they taste just like rich, fudgy brownies and the black beans are entirely undetectable. I am pleased to report that a warm brownie bite paired with a scoop of ice cream was just what I was looking for. The bites only have 107 calories!

For more sensational gluten-free recipes, check out Udi’s Gluten Free Community. They offer tons of support to those on a gluten-free diet.

For the Vegan Black Bean Brownie Bite recipe head over to My Little Celebration.

*Disclosure: I am a community leader in the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community on The BlogFrog. As a community leader I may receive compensation and or product samples for sharing information about the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community and The Blog Frog. All opinions expressed are my own.

Getting your daily dose of vegetables does not have to be hard or time consuming. The process of roasting vegetables takes very little thought or effort. The roasting process maintains the flavor and nutrients of the vegetable. A little bit of oil blended with a few seasonings will transform most vegetables into a simple, healthy side dish.

This month I began contributing to Food Fanatic, an amazing new site that features a bunch of fabulous food bloggers. Each contributing blogger will be focusing on a different area or type of food. I will be providing gluten-free recipes.

Head over to Food Fanatic for the Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower recipe. While you are there, check out what the other bloggers have shared so far. You’ll find a wonderful variety of recipes.

This time of year is full of awards shows. It’s a great excuse to host a party. Join me, Anne-Marie, Toni, Alta and Jo-Lynne on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. EST to chat about the perfect snacks and appetizers to serve at your movie awards party. We’ll be chatting about gluten free celebrities and movie themed gluten free dishes. Plus, we’ll be giving away Udi’s goodies.

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Photo from iStockphoto

Meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods. I love to make it. The problem with this meatloaf is that I had no intention of making it. This was supposed to be a post about Buffalo Chicken Meatballs and a tangy Blue Cheese Yogurt Sauce that would be perfect for your Super Bowl Party. One small problem, the meatballs were a mess.

I’m not going to share the recipe here because obviously it did not work out. I was adapting a recipe that someone else used without any problems. I made a substitution for the eggs and breadcrumbs by using tomato paste and gluten free breadcrumbs. The meat mixture was not the consistency it needed to be to make balls so I decided to throw a loaf together and call it a day. I did not feel like trouble spotting at that point. I’ll have to go back at some point and figure out where I went wrong. I think I needed to use fresh breadcrumbs instead of the packaged version that I used but I’m not sure.

The good news about this experiment is that I was able to make a very tasty yogurt sauce. I ended up nibbling on the sauce with some celery sticks and using it as a dipping sauce for the meatloaf. I’ll keep tweaking the Buffalo Chicken Meatballs recipe and report back once I have successfully made it. In the meantime, check out the recipe for the sauce.

Recipe from Food Network

There’s a great discussion taking place in the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community about gluten free game day treats. We’ve shared a lot of great dip recipes so far. Have any to share?

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*Disclosure: I am a community leader in the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community on The BlogFrog. As a community leader I may receive compensation and or product samples for sharing information about the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community and The Blog Frog. All opinions expressed are my own.

Did you ever cry into a bowl of Brussels sprouts? No? A few weeks ago I had one of those moments where I struggled with what to eat. I’ve been incorporating a lot more fruits and veggies into my daily regimen. Most of the time it’s been pretty easy for me to follow a healthy diet. I know that fruits and veggies fuel my body. I know they are good for me but sometimes I JUST DON’T WANT THEM!

I was contemplating what to eat a few hours before going to the gym. I had a little bit of protein for my snack but needed a fruit or veggie. I love Brussels sprouts. It’s not that I don’t dig them. The problem was that I could not stop thinking about all the other things in the house: potato chips, cookies, ice cream, etc. I wanted to eat for comfort not for fuel. I fought the temptation but it took everything I had to fight it. I roasted some Brussels sprouts and found myself near tears as I sat down to eat them. Eating healthy is a struggle. Eating healthy is hard. I was proud of myself for fighting the temptation but exhausted at the emotional struggle I faced.

I made it to the gym that night. I was thankful I fought the temptation to eat for comfort. After the gym I had no desire to eat anything but a healthy dinner and call it a day. I just wish it was that easy all the time.

In order to avoid another meltdown I’ve been dressing up my meals to be more colorful to cheer up my winter doldrums and make healthy eating a little more fun. This salad is a light meal I would definitely want to eat before heading to the gym.

Kale has been touted as one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. The walnuts provide a great source of protein. The pomegranate seeds and red onion give the salad a nice bite to it. If you find yourself struggling to eat healthy like I did make sure to put this salad into your rotation. It will definitely cheer you up and fuel you up!

Recipe from Whole Living

Do you listen to your body? Do you know what foods make you thrive and what slows you down? As I indicated last week, I recently recommitted to going gluten-free and egg-free. I was not feeling well. I knew my diet was the culprit but it took me a little while to accept it. Going gluten-free is pretty easy. Going egg-free is the real challenge. Eggs work as an excellent binding ingredient in baked goods. Also, eggs taste awesome in so many breakfast dishes! I miss sitting down to a plate of scrambled eggs. Sigh.

Baking egg-free was a bit tricky at first but I think I have the hang of it. Unsweetened applesauce is my go-to substitute when a recipe calls for eggs. I was recently searching for a citrus infused cookie recipe where I could sneak in some fruit. I found this Lemon Blueberry Cookie recipe from What Runs Lori and knew I had to try it. I made a couple changes including substituting the egg and egg white with unsweetened applesauce. I also added a lemon glaze to sweeten them up a bit. The cookies turned out a little more cake like for me but I think that can be attributed to the substitutions I made. They were exactly what I was looking for.

Recipe adapted from What Runs Lori

I’m sharing a recent discussion I started over at the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community Page where I discussed having a food allergy to multiple foods. Do you have a food allergy? Do you have to avoid multitple foods?

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*Disclosure: I am a community leader in the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community on The BlogFrog. As a community leader I may receive compensation and or product samples for sharing information about the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community and The Blog Frog. All opinions expressed are my own.