Review of King Arthur's Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix

Wow!  Ten out of ten for this mix. It was delicious!  The texture was perfect, too.  I served these cupcakes at a dinner and all of the guests said they couldn't tell a difference between the gluten-free cupcakes and regular gluten cupcakes.  Awesome!

(Photo Source:  www.kingarthurflour.com)

Gluten-free Pad Thai

We enjoy going to a Thai restaurant...especially since they use rice noodles and there are several gluten-free choices.  I love choosing Pad Thai.  I am excited to share my gluten-free Pad Thai recipe with you.  Enjoy!

Pad Thai

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pkg. Tinkyada Fettuccine Noodles

1/3 cup fish sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ tablespoon sesame or peanut oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Juice of one lime

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon minced garlic clove

1 cup cooked shrimp

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

½ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

1 cup cilantro leaves

Slice chicken into cubes while slightly frozen.  Fry chicken in canola oil.  Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Combine fish sauce, brown sugar, sesame or peanut oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Remove chicken from frying pan when fully cooked.  Beat eggs and scramble eggs in frying pan.  Add garlic and shrimp and sauté for several minutes.  Add cooked noodles, chicken, and sauce mixture.  Before serving, stir in peanuts and cilantro.

Serves 6-8

Recipe for Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

I love Tinkyada noodles.  It is wonderful to be able to make nearly any pasta dish and have it turn out nearly the same as pasta with gluten.  Yum!

Pasta Salad

½ package Tinkyada Curly Noodles

¾ cup Italian dressing

½ cup black olives

½ cup cucumber, diced

½ cup red or yellow bell pepper, diced

6 slices of pepperoni, diced

½ cup tomatoes, diced

½ cup cheddar cheese, grated

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Add Italian dressing to warm, cooked pasta.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and add olives, cucumbers, peppers.  Before serving, add pepperoni, tomatoes, and grated cheese.  Sprinkle top of salad with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 5-7

One Step in the "Gluten-Free Kitchen Makeover"

I love a little booklet I received from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.  It is called, The Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Living.  There are many great tips in this booklet.  Here is one for us to remember (though I added a note at the end about something I feel strongly about):

"Even if you follow...precautions, you may still be vulnerable.  Crumbs on the counter, flour gone astray from baking or cooking, re-used utensils and canisters, can make safe foods very unsafe for you.

"For protection, there's nothing like basic good housekeeping techniques.  Thoroughly clean any surface that's been used for regular bread, cake, pastry or flour before you use it for safe foods.*  Divide your utensils and containers into two sets, one strictly gluten-free, and keep them separate."

*I would add that it is better not to have airborne flour in a kitchen where you are striving to keep things gluten free.  When my mom was first diagnosed with celiac disease, she thought she could make gluten rolls for my dad...as long as she didn't taste the dough.  She nearly went into anaphylactic shock from breathing the dust from the flour.

Product Review of Mom's Place Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

This mix is quite good and is easy to prepare.  I chilled the dough overnight and I decided to roll it out on parchment paper.  I tried doing it without dusting the parchment flour with gluten free flour (which is specified in the instructions :).  The dough rolled out easily, but removing the cookies was another story.  It was a sticky mistake.  So, my daughter scooped up the dough and got it off the parchment paper, and we started over on a new piece of parchment paper that was dusted with gluten-free flour.  It worked much better and we were able to remove the cookies with ease.

The mix directions specify to roll it out to 1/2 inch thick, but I prefer to roll them out thinner and add more frosting. :)  These cookies have great flavor, but because they are a little bit dry, I am rating them at 7 out of 10.

Merry Christmas!

My husband wrote this beautiful tribute to the Savior that I want to share with you.  I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

One cannot overstate the glory and power of the Savior's life and sacrifice for each one of us. The hymn "Redeemer of Israel," written by William W. Phelps, tries to capture the greatness of Jesus Christ.

Redeemer of Israel,
Our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call,
Our shadow by day
And our pillar by night,
Our King, our Deliv’rer, our all!

The phrase, "our all"  is powerful.  It is as if W.W. Phelps in trying to describe the greatness of Jesus Christ came to the conclusion no title or list of titles describing greatness could adequately capture who the Savior is and what He has done.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is both grand and glorious while being very personal and powerful.  It reaches out to all of God's children in the world and to world's without number while helping each of us in our daily personal struggles.  His sacrifice is for everyone and can mean everything to each one of us.  

Merrill J. Bateman stated, "The Atonement involved more than an infinite mass of sin; it entailed an infinite stream of individuals with their specific needs. Alma records that Jesus took upon himself the pains, afflictions, temptations, and sicknesses of his people. In addition, he experienced their weaknesses so that he would know how to help them (see Alma 7:11–12). Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would bear “our griefs, and [carry] our sorrows”; that he would be “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:4–5). Paul explained to the Hebrews that Jesus tasted “death for every man” and woman (Hebrews 2:9). No wonder “his sweat was as it were great drops of blood” coming from “every pore” (Luke 22:44).  (BYU Devotional Sept. 1997)

During this Christmas Season we pray that you and your family will feel the power of the Savior's love and atoning sacrifice.

Product Review of Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito

Every once in a while, it is nice to know there is something in the freezer that you can warm up quickly for lunch on a busy day.  My daughter and I tried out a Glutenfreeda Chicken and Cheese Burrito.  Unfortunately, it wasn't the tastiest.  I am rating it at 6 out of 10.  The texture of the tortilla was kind of spongy, which looked different than usual...but we are acquainted with some gluten-free food having an unusual texture. The biggest drawback was the lack of great flavor overall, and the chicken tasted like turkey--with a rubbery texture.


                      (Photo source:  google.com images)