The Golden Ticket

For this blog entry, I want to veer from gluten-free cooking.  I am feeling reflective today.  It is so very important for us to "stop and smell the roses" as we journey through this life.  Dieter Uchtdorf sums it up perfectly with the following thoughts about the golden ticket:

"In the beloved children’s story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the mysterious candy maker Willy Wonka hides a golden ticket in five of his candy bars and announces that whoever finds one of the tickets wins a tour of his factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

"Written on each golden ticket is this message: “Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this Golden Ticket … ! Tremendous things are in store for you! Many wonderful surprises await you! … Mystic and marvelous surprises … will … delight, … astonish, and perplex you.”³

"In this classic children’s story, people all over the world desperately yearn to find a golden ticket. Some feel that their entire future happiness depends on whether or not a golden ticket falls into their hands. In their anxiousness, people begin to forget the simple joy they used to find in a candy bar. The candy bar itself becomes an utter disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket.

"So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket—the ticket that they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about. For some, the golden ticket may be a perfect marriage; for others, a magazine-cover home or perhaps freedom from stress or worry.

"There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings—we hope and seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”⁴ The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event—our golden ticket—to appear...

"The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy." http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/forget-me-not?lang=eng&media=video

It is easy to plod along and forget that we have many things to be thankful for...and people who love us.  Often God works through other people to help us to know we are loved by Him.  Again, Dieter Uchtdorf: 

"At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him!"  http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/you-matter-to-him?lang=eng

Recipe for Seafood Salad

I used to make crab salad with artificial crab until I found out I had celiac disease.  I was shocked to find out that artificial crab usually has wheat in it.  I decided it was time to make a seafood salad, and I would just have to save my pennies and buy a can of real crab meat for it.  It was worth it.  Here is the recipe:

2/3 package Tinkyada Spiral Noodles
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
6 oz. can crab meat (Remember:  Artificial crab likely contains wheat.)
6 oz. can shrimp
3/4 cup mayonnaise, or more as needed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Horseradish sauce, to taste
Garlic salt, to taste

1.  Boil the gluten-free noodles in water until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain noodles and place in serving bowl.

2.  Prepare sliced vegetables and olives.  Add to noodles.

3.  Open and drain cans of shrimp and crab. 

4.  Combine mayonnaise with Parmesan cheese and horseradish.  Stir mixture into noodles and vegetables, along with the shrimp and crab.

5.  Sprinkle garlic salt over salad, to taste.

E-mail Me with Your Ideas and Tips

When I was at my book signing on Saturday, I had a wonderful time!  I always enjoy meeting people at these signings and I appreciate the ideas shared with me about how to cope with celiac disease.  I often come away with a new idea for a gluten-free product to try--or a tip or recipe that might be helpful to our family and others.  I would also love to hear from you with any information, tips, or recipes you would like to share.  Please e-mail me at gfcookingmadeeasy@gmail.com.

Book Signing Near Ogden, Utah

Hey...if you are in the Salt Lake City area this week-end, I would love to meet you at Deseret Book in Riverdale--near Ogden, Utah.  The address is 4151 South Riverdale Road.  I will be there from 6-8 p.m. signing my cookbook.  I am hoping to bring gluten-free muffins for you to sample.  Hope to see you there! :)

Review of Road's End Gluten-free Pasta

Hmm.  I'm afraid I might be at my "wit's end" with Road's End Mac and Cheese--Alfredo Style.  I haven't come across too many gluten-free products that we couldn't finish off--or at least add some other ingredients to it in order to make it taste better.  I couldn't add anything to this to make it desirable.  Sorry to be so critical...but it is too pasty and too "beany," (if that is a word).  Instead, we like to buy Tinkyada Elbow Noodles and add the cheese packet from Kraft Mac and Cheese.  We give away the gluten elbow noodles to someone who can use them for soup or a pasta salad.  :)

(Photo source:  http://edwardandsons.com/reo_info.itml)