Holidays

I recently attended a gluten, dairy, and soy-free cooking class at Williams-Sonoma at The Forum in Norcross. All of the recipes we sampled were quite tasty, but the Apple Spice Hummus was ‘smack you lips’ fantastic. I have never had what I deem to be dessert hummus before and one that was also healthful, so I just had to share. Read More »

Let me preface this post by noting that Valentine’s day is not a holiday I, personally, subscribe to. The cards, the flowers, the mush, the grand gestures, and all the things that some expect of this day…none of that is really my jam. So, last year, after I requested no frills or fancy dinners or grand gestures, my boyfriend, Mike, presented me with a terracotta pot with a yellow lily and some dirt in it. (Read: don’t scoff yet…) Upon further inspection, it turned out that the “dirt” was finely crushed chocolate cookie bits covering a blue Solo cup filled with his gluten-free version of cookies and cream ice cream (my absolute favorite) that he had mixed and made himself. This gesture seemed small to some in my life, but to me, the girl who hadn’t had cookies and cream ice cream in almost two years, it was the grandest gesture of them all.

Betsy’s Bakery in Camp Hill, PA

That one grand gesture, when someone went out of his way to make sure that I could eat what I loved and not get sick is why the the candlelight dinner at Betsy’s Bakery in Camp Hill, PA is so important. This little bakery is hosting a reservation-only, gluten-free candlelight dinner on Valentine’s day this year. Taking your gluten-free sweetie to this dinner may be the gesture they’ve been looking for if you haven’t quite mastered the gluten-free vibe in the kitchen, or if you’re tired of going out to eat at the same “safe” restaurants all the time. Read More »

I may have. just discovered the BEST or the WORST thing ever.

Did you know peppermint bark is one of the easiest things to make? Why didn’t I ever know this? I thought the fact that you had to melt then cool…then melt…then crack and sprinkle toppings on, meant that I would be running around screaming What’s the next step?! before the chocolate hardened, like it was some type of rocket science.

Turns out I was totally wrong.

This recipe, given to me by Kathleen over at Celiac Baby, is one of the easiest things to make. It looks pretty fancy too, if I must say. I hope you like candy canes and chocolate, because it’s.about.to.go.down. Read More »

It is that time of year again! We have shining lights on all the streets, the fire light of Menorahs shimmering through windows and stars twinkling atop 6-foot tall trees.  The winter holidays are by far my favorite despite the accompanied stress they tend to bring.  Personally, I love when the whole family gets together for the holidays. We don’t have any of the often satirized family drama you see on TV and in the movies about family gatherings during the holidays.  The holidays usually bring around a different type of stress for me: how to avoid gluten during all of the holiday dinner parties.  This year, however, this won’t be an issue because my family has figured out how we can tweak our Italian traditions to be totally gluten free. Read More »

“And he himself carved the roast beef”

Although none of us live in a microscopic, snowflake world, we can all learn a little something from the Who’s of Who-ville. You know, the characters of that one movie about that green guy that steals everyone’s gifts with the help of his adorable dog, Max.

I know you’ve read the book, or have seen the movie (and if you haven’t, you can probably catch it on TV sometime in the next couple of days). The Who’s of Who-ville LOVE Christmas, with their singing, decorating, and all-around holiday spirit. Then of course there’s The Grinch, a Read More »

(Taken from Food Network and Adapted)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour ( I used Jules Gluten Free)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (Omit if you use Earth Balance Butter Sticks)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used Earth Balance)
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Make Sure GF) Read More »

Santa Hat Cupcakes courtesy of Lauryn Cohen

I know you might think I’m clever, but really, I’m not. Full credit goes to Lauryn Cohen, aka Bella Baker, who came up with this cute concept. Lauren is the queen of sweet and is known for her uniquely creative treats and crafts. She recently launched a holiday baking guide (entitled Sweet Gifts Holiday Baking and Crafting Guide– available nationwide) filled with innovative and delicious recipes for the holidays.

Lauryn was nice enough to share one of her creations with The Family Chef. In this recipe, she calls for a red velvet cupcake (you will find a gluten-free, no-dye recipe in my upcoming cookbook). You can always use a basic vanilla (gluten-free).

Here is her technique for making super cute holiday cupcakes for your friends or family. Read More »

Last April I attended the Nourished conference. This was an amazing experience for me and I am still thankful I had the opportunity to attend. Because I had school, my parents and I flew into Chicago the day of the conference and arrived at the “nick of time.” 

I quickly grabbed my badge, and walked into the first session room I saw. At the time I had no idea there were multiple sessions going on, but as a new blogger this session was perfect for me. The session was taught by Mary Fran Wiley of FrannyCakes and was all about Blogging 101. This was probably the one session that stuck with me the most, and was essentially what inspired me to Read More »

You don’t have to build your cookies in a tree shape – but, boy it looks cute and festive!

Let’s be honest, If there was no Jules Gluten Free Flour there would be no family recipes recreated, no homemade cookies or cakes, and no way I could enjoy something special from time to time. I may be a exaggerating a bit here, but Jules’ flour is a product I {and my mom} are so thankful for. It was the product that gave me the courage to get back to baking after becoming discouraged, and has now allowed me to take risks in the kitchen. 

Like many of my virtual friends I have never met Jules, but she is one of the “gluten-free celebrities” I want to meet one day. Not only am I thankful for her flour, but I am also so thankful for all the support she has given me over the last two years of blogging, often Read More »