Product Review of Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Cookie Mix

This is a tasty cookie mix, and I like the lower price compared to some other gluten-free mixes (although any gluten-free mix costs more than a gluten counterpart, unfortunately).  I am rating it at 7 out of 10.  The flavor is good, but the cookies tend to fall apart easily.

Photo Source:  amazon.com

Recipe for Mandarin Orange Salad

If you are looking for a delicious gelatin salad, this is a creamy and smooth recipe.  It is found on Page 79 of my cookbook.  I couldn't find tapioca pudding when I went to the grocery store last week, so I bought coconut cream pudding and it was a great substitute.

Mandarin Orange Salad

1 small box of orange gelatin

1 small box of vanilla pudding (not instant)

1 small box of tapioca pudding (not instant)

3 cups water

12 ounces whipped topping

2 small cans of Mandarin oranges

1. Place gelatin and pudding in large pan. Add water and bring to a boil for one minute, stirring often.
2. Cool mixture in large mixing bowl in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. Add whipped topping and oranges.

Serves 8 to 10

Delicious Gluten-Free Stuffing

I love it when gluten-free stuffing is consumed just as quickly as the gluten-type stuffing.  :)  I hope this recipe will come in handy next week for Thanksgiving.  Give it a try.


*It is helpful to make the bread ahead and freeze it, or buy Udi's Rich and Hearty Whole Grain Bread if you don't have time to make bread.

Delicious Gluten-Free Stuffing

8-9 slices Whole Grain Bread (see earlier blog post on 9-28-12 for this recipe or my cookbook on P. 42)
6 tablespoons butter
Half of an onion
2 stalks celery
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Garlic salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth

Step 1:  Slice bread into cubes using a sharp knife or an electric knife.  This is easier if the bread is partially frozen.

Step 2:  Dice onion and celery.  I like to do this in my blender with water added, and then drain off the water.  It chops it finely.  (You can get the same results with a food processor).

Step 3:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in frying pan. Add diced onion and celery.  Cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Season with poultry seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper.

Step 4:  Add bread crumbs and chicken broth and stir well.

Step 5:  Bake for 30-35 minutes in greased 8 X 8" baking dish, covered with foil.

Product Review of Mom's Place Gluten Free Luscious Lemon Squares

These lemon squares are quite tasty.  I love the tart lemon taste, but both of my daughters and my son puckered a little and they feel the lemon squares are too sour.  My husband shocked us all since he is very opposed to sour foods, and he loves the taste.  Pretty amazing.  Eight out of ten is my rating for this product.

The preparation was easy and quick.  The first step is to prepare the crust and bake it.  Here is a photo of the crumbs.  It kind of made me nervous because the butter didn't mix in with the crust mix to become a creamy texture.  It looked like coarse crumbs.

Yet, when I pressed the crumbs into the baking pan, it combined together easily.

I baked the crust and I took it out at 18 minutes instead of the 20 minutes specified--probably due to the dark baking pan I used.  The next step was to add the sugar mix from a separate packet enclosed in the bag, to which I mixed in eggs and water.  I poured it over the slightly-cooled crust and baked it the full twenty-five minutes.

As you can see, the crust was a bit crumbly, but mostly just on the first piece out of the pan--which is tricky to remove.  Mom's Place Gluten Free scores again!  :)

Recipe for Gluten-free Clam Chowder and Corn Bread

I have a guilt-free way of eating clam chowder and corn bread. Small servings.  :)  I don't think the butter can be left out of these recipes for lower fat purposes, 'cause it just tastes too good!*  So...serve up a nice, big salad on the side, and enjoy the creamy flavor of the clam chowder (P. 52 in my cookbook) and the moist cornbread (P. 46 in my cookbook).

Moist Cornbread

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

16-ounce can creamed corn

4-ounce can green chilies (optional)

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

¾ cup rice flour 

¼ cup tapioca flour

½ cup gluten-free cornmeal

½ cup gluten-free corn flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1                    Preheat oven to 350°F.

2                    Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Add creamed corn, green chilies, and cheese.

3                    Add rice flour, tapioca flour, cornmeal, corn flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum.

4                    Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Freeze leftovers.

Serves 12

*Tip: If you can't tolerate dairy products, Earth Balance Spread^® (a dairy-free margarine) is delicious and has been used successfully as a substitute for butter in the recipes in this cookbook.

Tip: Any bread that includes baking powder should be mixed only until combined.

Clam Chowder

6.5-ounce can minced clams

1 cup finely chopped onion 

1 cup finely chopped celery

2 cups chopped red potatoes 

1 cup butter

¾ cup brown rice flour

4 cups milk or half-and-half (or 3 cups almond milk plus 1 cup soy milk)

1½ teaspoons salt 

½ teaspoon sugar 

¼ teaspoon pepper 

1 teaspoon gluten-free chicken bouillon powder 

½ teaspoon minced garlic

Bacon pieces and green onions (optional)

1                    Drain clam juice into water that barely covers the vegetables. Reserve clams.

2                    Simmer vegetables until tender. Do not drain.

3                    Melt butter in a small saucepan and add rice flour. Stir until mixture begins to gently boil.

4                    Add milk (or half-and-half or substitutes), salt, sugar, pepper, bouillon, and garlic. 
5          Stir over medium-high heat until thickened.

6                Add cream sauce and clams to the vegetables and mix well.

Serves 7 to 8

Tip: If you don’t like clams, leave them out and serve as a potato soup.