She would add buckwheat flour to pancakes, which for some reason I thought was horrible.  I don’t think so now, and my kids don’t either.  Maybe she added something else with it.  She added wheat germ, nuts, and raisins to baked goods, which totally ruined them for me.

I can remember thinking that I wish she wouldn’t ruin perfectly good foods by trying to make them healthier.  When I became a mother, I vowed that I wouldn’t do that to my kids.

But guess what?  Recently one of my kids asked me to make chocolate chip cookies.  He said he wanted them the normal way without anything different done to them.  That’s when I realized I had become like my mom.

I try using sugar substitutes for at least part of the sugar.  I try using better oils, such as coconut oil, which, until I recently bought Tropical Traditions brand, made foods that shouldn’t taste like coconut taste like coconut.  I try using healthier flours, and I add things like chia seeds.

I guess that’s what moms do, and I can’t say that I’m going to stop doing it.  However, I did make my son a batch of perfectly normal chocolate chip cookies, and I loved his response.

He ate a cookie and said, “Mmmmmm.  Thank you.”

I’m going to keep trying to use healthier ingredients, but I also want to make food they enjoy.  Desserts aren’t really expected to be healthy, and an indulgent treat once in a while is okay.  I hope I can keep a balance, and along the way, teach my kids to enjoy healthier options.

Are you that kind of mom?

Last week we had over 50 submissions so go back and take a look if you missed it.

If you get this post by email or RSS subscription, remember to click over to the site later in the day or sometime tomorrow to see what great ideas have been gathered here.

Ziplist:  If you haven’t yet heard about Ziplist’s recipe box and shopping list, I explained it earlier this week.

Monthly Theme:  Potatoes are January’s theme (which is only a suggestion) and this is the last week I’ll be looking for potato recipes to highlight.  February’s theme will be soups and stews.

Last Week’s Highlights:

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tamales – Gluten-Free Cat
Leek and Sweet Potato Frittata – Low Amine Recipes
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes – MJ’s Kitchen
Savory Hashbrowns – Premeditated Leftovers
Broiled Potato Chips –Raia’s Recipes

My Submission:  This week I have a delicious and easy meal to share.

Italian Sausage and Pasta

The Carnival: Please read!

• Keep the links to gluten-free eating ideas (recipes, reviews, menus)
• If you’re new, please read the guidelines.
• Leave a link back (I will not highlight any recipes that do not link back.)
• Thanks for participating!

This week’s kitchen tip is from Shannon of Enjoying Gluten-Free Life.  Shannon says,

“I learned in 7th grade home ec to always use an item then put it away. (This was a long time ago when all girls were required to take home ec). I take out baking soda, measure, put back in the cupboard. Cooking is more pleasant when I don’t have a bunch of containers to put away at the end and dirty dishes to wash.”

I agree with Shannon.  I do this as much as possible, but never really thought about it.

Do you put things away as you use them?

This stovetop meal is relatively quick and easy to prepare, and it has plenty of flavor.  My family enjoyed it, especially since broccoli is our favorite vegetable.

This would typically be a summer time meal for us, but this winter has been much warmer than usual.  I’ve prepared fewer soups, stews, and casseroles than I normally would.

Maybe it’s warm where you are, maybe not.  It’s good food whenever you eat it.

Recently you may have noticed a blue “save recipe” button showing up under a recipe on my blog.  That button is courtesy of Ziplist, and they offer a free personal recipe box and shopping list that I think many of you will enjoy.

After you create a free account, when you click the “save recipe” button, you have the choice of adding the recipe  to your recipe box or to your shopping list.  You can then go to your recipe box or shopping list if you wish.

Because you are accessing the recipe box or shopping list from my site, you will remain on my site, but what you added will show up in your recipe box or shopping list wherever you access your account.

If you choose to add a recipe to your recipe box, it will not be added to your shopping list.  But if you add a recipe to your shopping list, it will automatically be added to your recipe box.

When adding a recipe to you shopping list, the ingredients in that recipe are automatically added to the list according to the type of ingredient it is like this:

When in your recipe box, you will see a picture of the recipe, details, and ingredients, but you will need to click to the site to see the instructions.

To help you organize your recipes, you can add tags to them, such as the tags at the bottom of this image:

For sites that don’t have a “save recipe” button, you can add the recipe clipper to your bookmarks bar.  Then, when you find a recipe you want to save, click on the recipe clipper link and it will automatically find the recipe within that post.

If you decide to give Ziplist a try, you can easily access your recipe box and shopping list from my site by clicking on the links I have added in my orange link bar:

I think Ziplist has some pretty cool features, and I hope some of you will enjoy using it.  I like what they have to offer and the fact that it is free.

Let me know what you think of Ziplist.

This is a heron who stopped by our little backyard pond recently.  Between herons and hawks, our fish are all gone.

We’ll get more in the spring along with better ways to help them hide.

The Gluten-Free Homemaker a Year (or Two) Ago
Biscuits
Pressure Cooker Pea Soup
Managing Gluten in Your Kitchen

Gluten-Free/Celiac
Choosing a Gluten Free College
Passage Foods Teams with Renowned Gluten Free Chef
Queen-OA Gluten-Free Ale
Developing a Taste for Gluten Free

Cooking/Recipes (not necessarily gluten-free but adaptable
and/or inspirational)
Organic Vegetable Broth
30 Sugar Substitutes
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Slow Cooker Mexican Chili

Home/Family
25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier – Love these!
10 Nutritious Vegetables and How to Grow Them

Computer/Internet
14 Tips fo Using Google+
Free Online Montly Budget Calculator
Giant Dogs

Animal/Nature Photos
A Dog’s Seeing Eye Dog
Bearded Dragon Playing Ant Crusher Game
Bassett Puppy

To view my disclaimer and previous Surfing Saturday posts, visit the Surfing Saturday page on my blog.

There is no doubt that gluten-free foods are more expensive than their gluten-filled counterparts.  If you’ve been gluten-free for more than a week, you are well aware of that.

How can you save money on gluten-free foods?

1.  Eat Naturally Gluten-Free Foods

This may not be the answer you want to hear, but I’m putting it first because it’s the easiest, healthiest, and often most frugal way to eat gluten free.

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store for things like fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat, as well as eggs, milk and cheese (if you can eat those).

Rice and beans are a classic frugal combination.  I recommend rinsing dry or canned beans before eating them.

2.  Shop Around

There are many stores carrying gluten-free products.  My son’s favorite cereal can vary as much as $2 per box depending on the store.

My experience is that independent health food stores tend to be pricey, but they might carry items you can’t find elsewhere.

Chain health food stores such as Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Mom’s Organic Market tend to have the best prices.

Most regular chain grocery stores carry some gluten-free specialty foods, but prices can vary.  They do sometimes put items on sale.

 
There are a variety of places where you can buy gluten-free foods online.  Even with shipping, it can be cheaper than buying at a store, but you need to compare prices and always include the cost of shipping.

Amazon had good deals on gluten-free food, especially if you use Subscribe & Save where available.  Remember, you can always change when the next delivery will be.

A couple other good choices are iHerb and Nuts.com.

4.  Coupons

Check manufacturer web sites for coupons they may offer.

Janelle from Gluten Freely Frugal has a list of coupons available right now.

5.  Samples

Attending gluten-free or celiac events and vendor fairs can often mean that you come home with product samples.  It usually costs to get into big events, but if the cost is low and the number of vendors attending is high, then you will likely come home with more product than you paid for.

Take time to talk with the vendors and let them know you have difficulty affording gluten-free products.  They need to hear from us on that issue, and they might give you extra samples or coupons.

How do you save money on gluten-free foods?

Thanks for stopping by and adding your link or browsing around.  Either way, I’m glad you’re here!

Giveaway: This week Nuts.com is offering a $25 shopping spree.  Don’t miss a chance to win.  They sell hundred of certified gluten free products.

Monthly Theme: Potatoes are the theme for the month of January, and it’s an easy theme as far as I’m concerned.  We eat a lot of potatoes.   The theme is always a suggestion, not a requirement, but I’ll be looking for potato recipes to highlight this week.

Last Week’s Highlights:

Dill Pickle Soup – Wheat Free Meat Free
Potato and Teff Spice Muffins – Enjoying Gluten-Free Life
Purple Potato and Dill Salad – Stuff I Feed Brian
Potato Corn Chowder – The Nourishing Home
Mashed Potatoes, Allergy Frinedly – The Willing Cook

My Submission:  I have another potato recipe this week.

Slow Cooker Meatloaf and Potatoes

The Carnival: Please read!

• Keep the links to gluten-free eating ideas (recipes, reviews, menus)
• If you’re new, please read the guidelines.
• Leave a link back (I will not highlight any recipes that do not link back.)
• Thanks for participating!

1. Video: Homemade Yogurt (SCD/GAPS)

2. Video: Lacto-Fermented Beet Kvass

3. Could It Be B12? — Interview with the Author

4. Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken: Dairy & soy free

5. Raspberry Swirl Chia Pudding – Valerie

6. TOP 10 HEALTH POSTS OF 2011!

7. DIY RICH DELICIOUS HOMEMADE COFFEE SUB

8. Gluten Free Vegan Fig Newton Bars

9. Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cheese Crackers

10. Vegan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tamales

11. Bacon Turkey Corn Chowder (Shirley @ gfe)

12. Our Favorite GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

13. Treating Candida Naturally

14. Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Buckwheat Cake

15. Gluten-Free Cactus Bread-melts in your mouth!

16. Sausage Lentil Soup

17. Savory Hashbrowns

18. GF Chai Spiced Coffee Cake

19. Quinoa-Salmon Cakes (Gluten-Free)

20. Carrots and Parsnips with Horseradish GF

21. Baked Chili Meatballs @ Recipes to Nourish

22. Blue Cheese Dressing

23. Sugar Mamas Chocolate Chip Cookies

24. Jenn Cuisine (Garlic & Parmesan Croutons)

25. Apple Sauce

26. Jalapeno Poppers Potatoes

27. Taco Chili in the Slow Cooker

28. Chickpea Salad with Warm Blackberry Balsamic

29. Compulsive Behavior and Gluten Intolerance

30. Quinoa Sausage Bean Soup

31. Cooking NT: Chk w/ Cream Sauce {mossgrownston

32. Chopped Salad You Can Eat With a Spoon

33. Yummy Grilled Cheese Sandwich-great GF lunch!

34. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake – GF+

35. Lasagna (Gluten Free)

36. First Time Preparing Venison

37. Chocolate Coconut Baked Bananas

38. Unbelievably Fabulous Fruit Dip

39. Lentil Bocconcini Salad, fridge to table in 3

40. Dairy-Free Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding (SF, GF)

41. Slow Cooker Beef Stew

42. Broiled Potato Chips

43. GF Superbowl Party ideas

44. {Sweet Herbed Bread & Deux Potato Soup}

45. Gluten Free Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

46. Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

47. Sweet Potato Tacos – GF, DF, Vegan

48. YUMMY White Bean Chicken Chili!

49. GF Fruit Smoothies

50. Gluten-Free Leek & Sweet Potato Frittata

51. Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

52. Whole red lentil and mung bean Daal soup. Vgn

My mom taught me this tip when I was a little girl learning to bake.

When measuring dry ingredients, put a piece of wax paper on the counter and set your measuring cup on top.  Then scoop the ingredient into the cup so that it is a little over full.

Use a straight edged knife or spatula to level the cup and let the excess fall onto the wax paper.  After emptying the cup into your mixing bowl, pick up the wax paper on two ends, curving it in the middle and carefully funnel the excess back into the storage container.

The flours I use regularly are in containers with large openings that allow me to measure over top of them without any excess spilling on the counter.  However, I use this tip when measuring ingredients from packages.

Do you have a kitchen tip to share?  I’d love to hear yours and will consider featuring it as a Kitchen Tip.  Just send me an email.