Truffles, truffles and more truffles.....

Pumpkin truffles

Truffles....bite-sized pieces of amazingness!

I find baking a fun challenge, especially baking gluten-free.  There is something about baking that is thrilling when it is my first time trying something.  It is like I want to be able to prove that I can make something amazing, specifically when it is gluten-free.  You know the reactions you get at parties after you divulge the piece of information that you are gluten-free....either people feel bad for you, or people don't believe you, and just roll their eyes at you, or they even try to explain why it isn't really necessary. And that's ok.  You know why....because people will be so shocked with how good these little bite-sized treats are, they won't care if you are gluten-free or not, they will just want more!

Hot chocolate peppermint truffles

I got the idea to make the pumpkin truffles after a neighborhood children's Halloween parade.  There was a bake sale, and while I usually don't even approach the table, because I know I am not going to be able to eat anything, I decided to take a look, and I saw some adorable little cookie pumpkins.  It listed the ingredients, and while it looked safe to eat, I decided not to risk it, but couldn't wait to look it up when I got home.

White chocolate peppermint truffles

The closest thing I could find were Brazilian brigadeiro, which are little truffles popular at Brazilian parties.  I couldn't wait, I had to try them that night.  The ingredients are simple - sweetened condensed milk (one of the greatest inventions ever!), pumpkin, butter and sugar.  And, wow did they taste delicious. It is impossible to stop at one.  They are the perfect treat to bring to a party!

I couldn't stop there.  With the holidays around the corner and my love for peppermint, I was determined to make a wintery equivalent.

One key thing to keep in mind while making these truffles - you must stir!  And not stop.  So, put on some good music, a good TV show - you will be stirring until they are done.  It doesn't take long, but you can't walk away.  Don't walk away!  You don't want any stickage on the bottom of the saucepan.  Just keep stirring, and you will be pleased you did.


Pumpkin Truffles

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 tablespoon butter
dash of cinnamon

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1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
whole cloves (optional)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly;

Stir for about 20-25 minutes until it thickens, and all comes together in a kind of pumpkin blob;

Remove from heat, and place in a glass bowl to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes;

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl;

When the pumpkin mixture is chilled, lightly wet your hands and use a teaspoon to scoop up a ball and roll in your hands, and then roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Add a clove stem if you would like (but remind people not to eat them);

Place in small paper candy cups.


Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Truffles

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup chocolate powder
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/3 cup candy cane sugar (recipe)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly;

Stir for about 15 minutes until it thickens, and all comes together in a chocolate blob;

Remove from heat, and place in a glass bowl to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes;

Place the candy cane sugar in a small bowl;

When the chocolate mixture is chilled, lightly wet your hands and use a teaspoon to scoop up a ball and roll in your hands, and then roll in the peppermint;

Place in small paper candy cups.


White Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

8 ounces white chocolate
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream

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1/3 cup candy cane sugar (recipe)

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly;

Stir for about 10 minutes until it thickens;

Remove from heat, and place in a glass bowl to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes;

Place the candy cane sugar in a small bowl;

When the chocolate mixture is chilled, lightly wet your hands and use a teaspoon to scoop up a ball and roll in your hands, and then roll in the peppermint;

Place in small paper candy cups.

These are just 3 examples, but I think it would be really fun to try out different toppings - coconut, almonds, pistachios, pretty sugar toppings, the possibilities are endless.  Making an assortment over the holidays would be a great teacher or hostess gift.

Or, if you are really brave, have a truffle making party with friends!

Easy Peasy Refrigerated Oats

Who doesn't like easy and yummy? I am all about easy and yummy!  And here it is - refrigerated oats....there is no cooking involved....no cooking! How does this work?  Just mix a few items together, let them sit overnight, and viola!  You have breakfast, a snack, or even dessert ready to go!  I have really enjoyed these over the summer, but I will definitely continue to make these year-round.  I can't take credit for being the mastermind who came up with this sensational jar-sized snack, but as usual, I look at a bunch of recipes, and come up with my own.

These are individual 8-ounce servings, and work perfectly in small Ball jars.  I choose the plastic ones, they are cute, and I can take them to the pool.  You can buy plastic lids that fit specially on the glass version which is nice too.

I like preparing these at night, and then they are ready the next day as soon as I need a snack, and before I go for a handful of chips.  I like that these are full of fiber and protein, so they keep me going for a couple of hours.  Being gluten-free, and for the most part vegetarian, it can be really difficult to get protein throughout the day, and this solves that question.

One ingredient I love is chai seeds, one of today's "superfoods". They act as a thickener and are full of nutritious fiber and protein. And let's not forget, two words....chia pet.

The following recipe is for maple blueberry oats, but you can try any combination. I love blueberries, so this is my favorite, but I have also replaced the blueberries with raspberries and strawberries.  For my daughter, I replaced the blueberries with bananas, and the maple syrup with Nutella. She absolutely loved it. You could use cocoa powder, peanut butter, mango, agave, coconut, the possibilities are endless...

Maple Blueberry Refrigerated Oats
(recipe is for one 8-ounce jar serving)

1/3 cup uncooked old-fashioned gluten-free oats

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1/3 cup milk (I like to use almond milk)

1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 cup fresh, washed blueberries

Combine the first 5 ingredients directly in the jar, cover and shake;

Add the blueberries, cover and shake again gently;

Place in the fridge overnight, and enjoy the next day!

I like to make several at once, and leave them in the fridge up to 3 days.

Giveaway: Glutino Peppermint Yogurt Covered Pretzels

First, let me say, I love all things peppermint, and I love the holidays!  I am one of those people that want to put my decorations up right now!  When I feel a chill in the air, I am ready to snuggle up to Love Actually, and a mug of Mexican hot chocolate with a sprinkling of crushed peppermint on top.

I even bought extra candy canes last year, just so I could crush them in my food processor and enjoy "peppermint sugar" year round.  So, when these babies arrived in the mail today from Glutino, I almost could not not contain myself. It took major self control to wait the hour I had, to pick my daughter up at school, so we could enjoy the first bite together.

Glutino yogurt covered pretzels are already one of my favorite snacks...add peppermint to them, and I will follow you anywhere.  They were even better than I could have imagined, a total treat! You cannot eat just 1, or 20!  My daughter loved them just as much, and I have had to put a couple away in the corner out of reach, just so my husband can try them when he gets home from work.  But really, I am the one with celiac in my family, so I am allowed to inhale all of the gluten-free goodies that come my way, right?

So, because I am so enamored with this savory, sweet minty treat, I asked Glutino if I could give some away to a fellow gluten-free eater out there.  To enter this giveaway of 2 bags of gluten-free Glutino Peppermint Yogurt Covered Pretzels please leave a comment below about your favorite holiday treat with your email (or how else will I be able to get these sent to you), and tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, with a link to this post.

I will draw a winner, at random, on Friday, November 22nd at 10pm.

Good luck, you will not be disappointed!

Dunkin' Donuts gluten-free options, yay or nay?

Earlier this year Dunkin' Donuts announced it would be testing some gluten-free products in a few of it's stores, and now it looks as if by the end of the year, we can expect to see them nationwide at their stores.  They will be offering gluten-free cinnamon sugar donuts and gluten-free blueberry muffins that are baked in a dedicated facility and individually packaged to avoid cross-contamination.

After reading Gluten Dude's post this morning, I am in full agreement... I just don't see this as exciting, at least not to me personally. I get it, there are people out there jumping for joy, and I can see how it would be great for special occasions, or for children who are no longer told they can't eat anything there when other kids are able to indulge.  Or when your child is at a birthday party watching all of the other kids enjoying donuts.  Sure, the donuts may not be warm and freshly baked, but they are something.

But will you eat them?

I won't.

Maybe, when I was first diagnosed, I would have been in the excited club,  and ran over to Dunkin' Donuts to try one, but not now.  Mainly, I didn't go to Dunkin' Donuts before I was diagnosed with celiac, so why would I go now?  I don't need to be adding something packed with calories, and non-pronounceable ingredients which I wasn't eating in the first place.

And, let's talk a little bit about the calories.... gluten-free items are often higher in fat and sugar so that they can keep up with the gluten-filled counterparts in taste and texture, and this is definitely true with the Dunkin' Donuts offerings.  The cinnamon sugar donut will be packed full with 320 calories, which is more than their gluten-filled glazed donuts (260 calories)!  Their blueberry muffin will contain 400 calories!  I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a deal for me.  That's a meal's worth or non-nutritious calories.

I have read several announcements online about this new introduction to the gluten-free world, and what gets me, is when the media makes Dunkin' Donuts out to be offering healthier options.  This is misleading.  Call it what it is...yes, they are providing options for those who are gluten-free, and kudos for that!  But, this is not a healthier option.  These items are still packed full of sugar, fats and non-pronounceable ingredients, so they can stay "fresh" in their plastic packaging.

The most important thing to realize is that, yes, celebrities might be touting the gluten-free "diet" as a way to loose weight.  The new gluten-free donut and muffin at Dunkin' Donuts will not help you loose weight like a celebrity, or even a non-celebrity for that matter.

Is it nice to have a gluten-free alternative when everyone else at the office or a birthday party is able to dig into that warm, jelly-filled donut...sure it is!  I am not denying that one bit.  But, if you weren't going to eat it before, why would you eat it now.

What are your thoughts on Dunkin' Donuts new gluten-free menu items?  Yay, or nay?

Uncle Maddio's Pizza

I recently discovered Uncle Madio's Pizza when my daughter wanted to go out for pizza her birthday.  Well, I wanted pizza too! Yes, I guess I am that selfish, that I actually want to eat pizza along with my family and not have to sit there drinking my drink, waiting until I can go home and eat.  Crazy, I know!

We have a lovely pizza place in our cozy neighborhood, that is walking distance, has a gorgeous patio and is the place to hang out and see friendly faces and socialize, but unfortunately, the only thing I have when I go there is wine. Well, maybe that is not so unfortaunte, but seriously, I get to sit next to everyone else and smell their pizza, while I sip my wine.

So, when I went to the Twitter community and asked for suggestions for gluten-free pizza places that were kid-friendly, Uncle Maddio's was mentioned.

I was thrilled, it has a Chipotle-style format, so you go through a line, and decide on what topping you want for your personal pizza.  They were very helpful in telling me how they prepare the gluten-free pizzas and that it is on a separate dish than the gluten-filled crusts.  It is quick, it is clean and it is yummy.  And honestly, I think my crust looked tastier than the gluten-filled alternative, but then...what do I know?

Uncle Maddio's put out a PR release today with a quote from me, announcing kid-sized gluten-free pizzas.  Check it out.

I look forward to going back soon.

Introduction to me

**Please read this first**

The short....

Join me and my rambling observations and insights about food and living life gluten-free. I love everything about food...eating it, creating it, looking at it, reading about it, so when I learned I had celiac it became an even greater challenge and lots more fun. My gluten-able husband, M, and daughter, Z, live happily in our 100% gluten-free home. I also write for examiner.com and celiac-disease.com. I would love to hear comments and feedback, and like all of us living gluten-free, I am constantly learning everyday. I am not anywhere close to being a doctor, a paper cut makes me wince, so please don't take any of my opinions as medical fact.

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The long...

I guess I should give a rundown of my celiac past. I have never had to watch what I ate before, I love exploring and trying out new things from the random little bakery around the corner or the quirky Middle Eastern deli. I bought it, I ate it, no questions asked. I never gave food intolerances or allergies much thought. There was just no reason I ever thought I would have to. Sure, I had the common seasonal allergies, but that was it. I would always joke that I had a stomach of steel, because it was rare that something disagreed with me. I had my daughter in the spring of 2005 by emergency c-section due to severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. I recovered quickly and felt great, but I would joke that the doctors must have put my intestines back in the wrong way, because since then I would easily get really bloated. I just assumed that is what it was and went on with my day. Then the weekend of Thanksgiving 2008 I had my first case of heartburn, this was not even something I experienced when pregnant, so it was totally new and freaked me out a bit. I figured it was from all the food I had eaten that weekend and cut out all heartburn causing foods, and it helped, but it would come back occasionally, so a couple of months later, I mentioned it to my doctor at my annual physical. She also brought up that I had lost a good amount of weight (gee, isn't this a good thing?!), and have a history of low iron. She mentioned that she was going to test for gluten intolerance, and I actually laughed out loud at that telling her how I bake like crazy, and I am fine when I eat all my baked goods, so there is no way I could have a problem with wheat, let alone gluten!

I called the nurse two weeks later to get my results after not hearing from them. I figured if something was up, I would know by now. The nurse tells me everything was fine, however, I tested positive for the h.pylori bacteria and to call the pharmacy for some meds. She is about to hang up the phone when I then ask how the gluten test came back. She says, "hmmmm.....let's see.....oh yes, it says positive for celiac". I was beyond shocked, and asked her to repeat it. I was thinking, so what do I do with this piece of information now??? I asked what I should do about it, and she replies that I should avoid gluten. Oh great,thanks! When I got off the phone, I broke down crying hysterically, I couldn't believe it, I have a diease, I am going to die! My life will never be the same! How as this happening to me??!! I immediately called my husband and my mom. Being the worrier that I am and my self-inflicted censorship of medical sites, I was terrified to even look up celiac disease and see what my chances of survival would be.

I made an appointment with my doctor to discuss the whole h.pylori issue and my refusal to take all the meds she ordered for me. 4 different meds, including 2 different antibiotics to be taken 7 times a day for 2 weeks. And being allergic, already, to 3 different antibiotics, I couldn't imagine this having a good outcome. Not to mention that all of these meds would probably make me feel worse rather than better. She also confirmed I did have celiac, and I said I wanted a second opinion about both from a GI specialist. In addition, I discovered I had a B-12 deficiency and started taking injections weekly and was tested for pernicious anemia (key word here..pernicious...deadly so you can imagine my state of anxiety at this point...it ended up being negative, I also learned pernicious anemia is fine if controlled). I went to the GI and basically he said that without doing the biopsy by endoscopy, he could not really tell me anything. Thanks Doc! I denied the procedure, basically because I already had the bloodwork saying I have it, and was terrified to have it done. We agreed, I would go gluten-free, and I would see how I feel in 3 months. My daughter's birthday was coming up, and I had already planned this amazing princess cake to for her party, and didn't have time to learn how to make a gluten-free version, so I gave myself 2 weeks until I would go completely gluten-free, the day after her party, cold turkey...just like that.

I enjoyed that cake for my daughter (Z), it was pretty amazing. A homemade pound-cake in the shape of a princess skirt with a princess barbie sticking out the top, and she loved it. It was the highlight of her day. I also indulged in some tasty pizza and then after midnight, it was over. No more gluten for me.

I decided, if I was going to do it, I was going to do it right, and the entire house was going gluten-free. I do all the cooking, and food shopping, so it seemed only fair to me, and my husband (M) was supportive. I gave away all of my fancy flours and other products I could find....herbal teas, sauces, spices, pasta, and on and on.... I also went through my lotions, shampoos, cleaning solutions and make-up. I emptied every cabinet and drawer and scrubbed them down. I gave away my favorite cutting boards, strainers, Krups Belgian waffle maker and wooden spoons to charity. I bet someone is really enjoying that waffle maker now!

It was really difficult in the beginning....learning everything that contains gluten (and still learning), and being around people who could eat everything they wanted, and watching them with envy. Being at parties and get-togethers, and not being able to enjoy what everyone else can enjoy. I felt bitter and resentful those first few months. It didn't seem fair....I was always so careful about what I ate, bought organic, didn't eat crap preservatives and junk-food, and now to add this to it. The good thing about me being so paranoid is that after reading what untreated celiac can do, I knew I would never touch it again, no matter what! I am way too careful about what I put in my body to mess with it intentionally.

People will always ask me if I noticed a difference after going gluten-free, but the truth is, I didn't really feel bad before...well until the heartburn started, so I pretty much felt the same. I have always had good energy, I didn't have the D word that is common with many celiacs, or bad skin, or many of the other common symptoms. However, the heartburn did go away and I was no longer bloated. And unfortunately for me, I started gaining back the weight I lost. I finally gave in and did the endoscopy, just to make sure there was nothing else going on, and finding out for sure if I had h.pylori. It was actually pretty easy, and was kind of like a much-needed deep nap.

The result...yes, I have celiac. No, I don't have h.pylori....I was so thankful I didn't take those meds I was ordered to take! The injections of B-12, turned into daily oral vitamins, and that went back up as well.

I decided to go to someone who was an expert in the field, and met with Dr. Kupfer at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. It was so nice going to someone who really knows what they are talking about, because even your average GI doesn't know that much about celiac. I brought all my records, my biopsy slides, and again...yes, I have celiac. But this time, I had a list of questions and knew she would be the right person to ask.

This past year, I took it upon myself to research celiac and gluten-free living endlessly. My cell phone is my new best friend. And my own personal mission has been to bake and cook foods that taste better than their gluten-filled doppelganger. I have had some misses, but overall, I have been extremely excited how good everything tastes. I just need to stop eating so much of it. I feel much better about being at parties and get-togethers, it can still be a little rough, but nothing a glass of wine, or a strong mojito can't heal.

I should also mention that I am technically a pescatarian....the only meat I eat is from the sea, so when you add this to a GF diet, being at a BBQ or party can be even more daunting, but I will admit, I gave in and had a bratwurst a few months ago, and while it goes against so many of my beliefs, that bratwurst tasted so, so good! 99% of my cooking is vegetarian, and even some of it vegan, which is completely unintentional as I could never cut out the dairy....well, until I am told I have to.

My house is now 100% gluten-free, and when we have people over for dinners or parties, I ask that they bring drinks and leave the food to me. The last place I want to worry is my own house.

This past year, I have had the pleasure to write for two great web sites about living gluten-free, Examiner.com and Celiac-Disease.com. I have met so many people, so far, on my journey who have been incredibly helpful and kind. It is such a comfort to know I am not alone in this and awareness is growing among the general public.

Of course there is more to life than food...but hmmm...is there really? I also love traveling, road tripping, snowboarding, hiking, music, gardening and European soccer....and my favorite thing of all, even above cooking, is my daughter, Z.

Please join me on my gluten-free adventure....it's all good.