My sister – the Gluten Gal – was coming for a family dinner. We were doing meat on the grill, along with salads, fruit, baked beans, etc. For dessert, I had pie and ice cream, but also wanted a gluten-free dessert. I picked up a Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mix at the store and planned to make the frosting Larraine told us about in a post.

Then I thought, why not make something a little more special? I went to the Betty Crocker site and found recipes that use the gluten-free mixes. I decided on Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It turned out so pretty and tasted delicious! Many of the guests tried it and were surprised at how moist and yummy it was.

(Note: Larraine also eats casein-free, so I used shortening with a dash of salt instead of butter in the recipe.)

You can check out the recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake and other Betty Crocker gluten-free recipes at:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/health-and-diet/gluten%20free

]]> http://www.theglutengal.com/feeding-the-gluten-gal-by-susie/feed/ 1 http://www.theglutengal.com/feeding-the-gluten-gal-by-susie/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheGlutenGal/~3/_Q0Ww8fa31Y/ http://www.theglutengal.com/sugar-cinnamon-sweet-potato-fries/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:42:07 +0000 Larraine http://www.theglutengal.com/?p=2703 What most people don’t know about me is that the REAL reason I create recipes is that I just LOVE to eat! And truthfully, MOST of the meals I make are made with regular items found in regular cupboards, fridges and regular stores! During a month of meals, there are probably only about two that I make that use ingredients that are actually “gluten-free,” such as gluten-free pasta or flours. Now I also eat casein-free, so I choose things, like olive oil or shortening, instead of butter. And it’s amazing how I don’t miss cheese, like I thought is would!

Today I created a new and very EASY recipe, using sweet potatoes. You’ll love this sweet and vitamin packed treat! Find my new Sugar & Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries under “Side Dishes” in my Gluten-free Recipes. They’re a hit with my family!

My daughter-in-law, Louise has made us her delicious baked “potato chips” several times. I have added my version to my recipes – “Sliced Yellow Potato Bake.” Look for this under Side Dishes in my Gluten Free Recipes.

For our family dinner today, I added fresh corn on the cob and baked lemon-herb chicken breasts, which went well with these potatoes!

This shows my assembly line. And here’s the pan – ready to bake.

I didn’t know when I started out that it would turn out to be such a big project! I had just one small eggplant, so I bought one more, and it was quite big! I was surprised when I went out to my garden for a zucchini and found three large ones! I used two of them. I picked three medium tomatoes, like I created my recipe for. I ended up with two cookie sheets of sliced vegetables, two layers thick, waiting for me to prepare and fry them! It was a big job, but also lots of fun!

My daughter, Kayli baked chicken while I fried. We were rather fascinated, watching these vegetables fry, bubble and brown before our eyes. When it was time to eat, we definitely had eyes larger than our stomachs! We got full on just our tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini! The baked chicken had to wait!

This was a fun “experiment” to add to our summer recipes! You can find “Gluten Free Fried Green Tomatoes (also Zucchini & Eggplant)” under “Side Dishes” in my gluten free recipes!

My assembly line… ready to cook!

To make ten, I cut the tops off the green peppers, cleaned them out and then mixed the following ingredients together in a bowl:
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup GF oats
1 pkg Knorrs Vegetable recipe mix
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup salsa
2 eggs

I lined a cookie sheet with foil, sprayed it with cooking spray and then stood the peppers in the pan. (Some needed to be sliced off carefully at the bottom so they would stand up straight.) I spooned the hamburger mixture into the peppers and smashed down a bit, then topped with ketchup (probably one or two Tbsp each). They cooked in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour.

We also ate some fresh-cooked garden zucchini, sliced and cooked on medium in a small pot with ¼ cup olive oil. YUM!

]]> http://www.theglutengal.com/gluten-free-stuffed-green-peppers/feed/ 1 http://www.theglutengal.com/gluten-free-stuffed-green-peppers/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheGlutenGal/~3/IFyRHTtLrWY/ http://www.theglutengal.com/pudding-pops-by-christine-roach/#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:00:10 +0000 Larraine http://www.theglutengal.com/?p=2575

I recently bought a whole bunch of boxed instant pudding, and I was so excited because there was no gluten or dairy listed in the ingredients. I planned on making my kids some yummy pudding for a treat, when I noticed another sentence on the box: “This product will not set with soy milk.” I use soy milk, and I assume the same thing is true with the other non-caseine milks. Feel free to leave a comment in the comment section if anyone has found an alternative to regular milk that works for setting pudding. I did solve this problem in an even tastier way, however. I made the pudding with the soy milk anyway, then used the plastic popsicle containers (can be found at Wal-mart and many dollar stores) to pour the pudding in. They took several hours to freeze, but once they did, they were a big hit. It felt almost like I was giving my kids icecream pops. What a hit, and such a great idea for a cold yummy treat in the summertime.

See my recipe for GF CF Potato/Corn Chowder under “soups” in my recipes section of this website!

I use the cake mix, substituting the butter with Crisco. I make 12 cupcakes instead of the suggested 18. For my frosting recipe I use:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup Crisco
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp rice milk (you can use soy or almond milk)
1/8 tsp salt
I add food coloring for a fun touch!

Just mix together to make the frosting light and fluffy!

When cupcakes have cooled, frost and decorate, using sprinkles, marshmallows, or fruit snacks! Get creative! Your child will LOVE these cup cakes! Enjoy!

When I was young, when asked about my favorite food, my answer was always “potato salad!” Yes, the home-made potato salad was always my favorite part of every family picnic!

Since I’ve become a wife and mom, I’ve loved pleasing my own family by making my own home-made potato salad, and they love it too! I also love making it, when asked to bring a dish to a party or another event.

This summer we’ve already had some fun picnics and parties! I’ve taken my potato salad with us, to picnic at an amusement park. We had a family picnic for Father’s Day, and very recently, we surprised my husband with a big party for his birthday. I doubled the size of my potato salad for that day. And coming up this week is my Mom’s 84th birthday, that we are celebrating with a picnic in a beautiful canyon. Yes, I’ll be making a double-sized potato salad for that too!

I have added my “Summer Picnic Potato Salad” to my recipes, under “Salads.” Happy Summer, everyone!

]]> http://www.theglutengal.com/summer-picnic-potato-salad/feed/ 1 http://www.theglutengal.com/summer-picnic-potato-salad/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheGlutenGal/~3/9JETEundf_Q/ http://www.theglutengal.com/joining-a-celebration-while-eating-gluten-free/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:04:17 +0000 Larraine http://www.theglutengal.com/?p=2472

My grandson, Gavin, had his first birthday. On the menu was Little Caesar’s Pizza and Birthday Cake. By planning ahead, I didn’t have to feel left out. My daughter, Kayli, made both a regular cake and a Betty Crocker’s Gluten-Free cake for me. I made the frosting using 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup Spectrum (dairy-free spread), 1/2 tsp vanilla and 2 Tbsp soy milk.

For my pizza, I bought frozen gluten-free personal pizza crusts and used my own toppings – pizza sauce, onion, mushrooms, olives, green pepper, bacon and pepperoni.

The party, the family, and the food was a success!

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