Tuesday To Do List: what to buy, spy, and try! (or sometimes cry about)

Tuesday To Do List is my newest attempt at bringing you tidbits from the gluten-free world each week. This will continue until my mind-that-doesn’t-rest comes up with another way to entertain you guys. Cross your fingers I am back here next Tuesday with another list…

 

• I spy some snickerdoodle bars I need to try! (and maybe even buy the new fall baking cookbook from Simply Gluten Free?!)

• Go check out Elizabeth Barbone’s updated site: glutenfreebaking.com  She has been one of my go-to people since day one of my gluten free adventure and I still use her baking book every year at the holidays. Tip: there are some fun fair foods on her site that you should try before summer slips away!

• You’re buying Lakefront’s New(er) Grist with Ginger, yes? Add a slice of orange or lemon for a treat.

• I’m all about trying new super simple summer drinks to sip — try saying that five times fast after a few of these!

(Add Tito’s vodka to orange or lemon San Pellegrino)

 

• Trying my hand at some canning this year — there seem to be two kinds of canning people: those who do it with ease and never break a sweat, and those who are terrified and usually skip it all together. 😉  (I’m somewhere in the middle, but finding my way!)

(dilly beans from Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving)

 

• Gluten Free in Sioux Falls, SD: should you find yourself waaaaaaay over to the west… be sure to try Chevy’s in Sioux Falls. I somehow kidnapped celiac sista for a sisters’ night out and we celebrated with margaritas and mucho queso. They have a separate GF menu and will keep the chips and salsa coming!

• I’ve been buying Califia Farms coconut-almond milk blend lately — have you tried it? I don’t drink milk by the glass, but I do like putting it into my iced coffee. Have also had it over cereal. I had tried their almond milk in the past and wasn’t a big fan, but something about the blend of both gives it good flavor. Next on my list is to try their Horchata!

(I call this “liquid sunshine” — cold brewed coffee, slightly sweet chai from Oregon Chai, and milk of choice. Just trust me on this one.)

• My final hurrah of summer is a trip to the fair — have you been gluten free at the Minnesota State Fair? Do tell. I know the lovely Amy Leger from The Savvy Celiac joins forces with other area organizations to put together a list of treats to try. Let me know if you’ve been and what we should get our hands on first! (and I’ll put up this year’s list as soon as it goes live!)

• Want to try THE best enchiladas in the area with me next week? Join me and other GFFs at Cocina DeLeon in Brookfield for our August Gluten Free Get Together event. RSVP via the Facebook invite and bring your appetite!  #glutenfreeinMKE

 

And stay tuned… I had such a good experience being gluten free in Rochester, MN and I’ll tell you all about it soon!

 

NEWS FLASH: finds & photos

 

 

 

 

Hi.

What’s new?

 

A Gluten Free Halloween

Join in on the Teal Pumpkin Project to celebrate an allergy friendly Halloween with non-food treats.

For more non-food Halloween treats from 100 Days of Real Food, click HERE.

Looking for traditional treats? HERE is the gluten free Halloween candy list.

 

Gluten Free in Milwaukee #glutenfreeinMKE

The new BelAir Cantina location is now open on Downer Avenue. (just four blocks from my office at UWM = DANGEROUS!)

Gluten-Free Mondays and Wednesdays at Transfer happen every single week: no up charge for GF pizza or apps and 2 for 1 taps of New Grist. Join us THIS Wednesday for our October GF Get Together at Transfer.

I have told you guys in the past about my love for the minestrone at Sala, (also near UWM) but I may have a new favorite — their Pumpkin Sage soup is my go-to lately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW to the collection:

Sweet & Simple Gluten-Free Baking Irresistible classics in 10 ingredients or less! by Chrystal Carver, photos by Mary Bernsen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chrystal was kind enough to send two copies of her new book to give away at our monthly GF Get Together events — the GFF (gluten free friend) who won last month was thrilled at the idea of simple recipes with ten ingredients or less. And if you’re joining us this month (RSVP here) you will have the chance to win the second copy!

I know many of you will love Chrystal’s definition of an “easy” recipe: 30 minutes or less to prepare, less than an hour to bake, and has 10 ingredients or less. Sweet and simple, yes? 😉

Any time a new baking book comes out, I head straight to the table of contents to see if there is a chocolate chip recipe. You’ll be happy to know her book does have a chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe and with just nine ingredients! We made them up north when some non-GF friends were visiting, and they gobbled them up — even before I could snap photos, shocking, I know. We also used them for ice cream sandwiches that weekend.

The other recipe I made was the apple crisp. Good news: Chrystal is sharing her apple crisp recipe with all of you!

Before I share the recipe, let me tell you a little “keeping it real” baking story from my kitchen: I forgot the flour. Yes. The entire 1/2 cup of flour that is called for in the apple crisp recipe. I had it out, measured, ready to add into the ingredients, and then I forgot it. I thought the topping seemed kind of off, but figured it was a new recipe, and who was I to judge? I realized my mistake when it was almost done baking and I pulled it out of the oven to find a pretty liquidy situation in the baking pan. Then it dawned on me — I didn’t add the flour!

I was determined to save it though, so I did at a few sprinkles of GF flour mix and kind of mashed it in with a fork, I didn’t want to mix it all together, but it did help soak up some of the extra liquid. I then just cooked it for longer than called for and the apples softened up and the topping came together just fine, it even got a crispy on top — it was delicious!

So there you have it. I mess up in the kitchen all.the.time. But I keep baking. And you should too.

Why not start with this simple recipe for apple crisp?

APPLE CRISP

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 minutes

SERVINGS: 8

INGREDIENTS

4 medium granny smith apples, cored, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend*

1/2 cup gluten-free quick oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup butter, softened

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Position the oven rack in center of oven. Lightly spray or grease a 8x8x2-inch square pan.

Spread apple slices evenly on the bottom of the pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Evenly sprinkle the topping over the apples.

Bake for 30 minutes or topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. If desired, serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Store at room temperature.

*For this recipe, Chrystal uses her all-purpose gluten-free rice flour blend that has been prepared in advance. Rather than making a whole batch, you can scale it down to ¼ cup white rice flour + 2 tablespoons tapioca flour + 2 tablespoons potato starch.

SARAH’S NOTES: After realizing I had forgotten the flour, I did add some Pamela’s GF baking mix on top and mashed it down with a fork and it turned out just fine. I may just omit the flour in the future and just cook longer to absorb liquid. I am going to try it with coconut sugar next time. In her book, Chrystal uses garbanzo bean flour in one of her flour mixes, I am not a fan of the distinct bean flavor it has, so be sure to try out this flour first to see if you like it before making a whole batch of the flour mix.

This book really is sweet and simple — perfect for someone new to GF baking or for kiddos who like to help in the kitchen.

Bake on!

 

*Wednesday Wishes*

This post has nothing to do with food. (Unless you count that tasty looking Crispin Cider in the photo – miss you, Crispin)

Sometimes I share things with you other than food. It’s rare, but it has happened before.

This post is about making wishes.

They’re not just for candle filled birthday cakes anymore, my friends.

So grab some of your besties.

Write them down, light them, watch them fly.

(But don’t start your hair on fire. No bueno.)

Flying Wish Paper is where it’s at.

My Wednesday Wishes

• For you to join us for this month’s Gluten-Free Get Together at Cocina DeLeon in Brookfield. See the invite here.
• For these legs of mine to carry me through week one of the Couch to 5k.
• For you to help someone else’s wish come true and give what you can to Nella’s 2 for 2 Fund — read all about it here.
• For the energy and motivation to stick to the Real Food pledge as long as I possibly can – it’s DAY 10 tomorrow!
• For  articles about gluten-free living to stop using words like fad, trend, hype — I’m in this for the long haul.

What’s on your Wednesday wish list?