news flash: finds & photos

I know, I know — you’re waiting for one of these posts to be a recipe, right?

 

I’ve got some things up my sleeve. Don’t you worry. But for now, let’s catch up on what’s happening around the web and the gluten-free community.

 

Snacking on: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s. Run, don’t walk, to your nearest TJ’s and buy them. They are $3.99 at the one here in Glendale, WI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been waiting six Christmases for these. (and they are on my list for Santa)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Road trip find: Erbert & Gerbert’s gluten free subs. I first had them in Sioux Falls, SD last summer. (bread was softer there, better made sammie) But they also have them at their other locations and have a separate area in the back where they make the subs, store separate GF ingredients, and totally avoid cross contamination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New-to-me product: BFree wraps. I first met the BFree team in Chicago at the GF Expo last year and was a big fan of their breads. I found these wraps at Sentry in Delafield — which you should check out, their GF section is insane — and have been using them for breakfast burritos. They stay together, even full of ingredients. They aren’t your typical flour-like tortilla, they are wraps, pliable and a great vehicle for holding all the goods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you made my Jalawhoppers yet? They are just like the ones at Jose’s Blue Sombrero. When you have leftover taco meat, they are a no-brainer. (and Lincoln approved.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving menu: it’s underway! I’ll be at home in Minnesota with my family for a whole week, hanging with my mamasita as she recovers from surgery. That means I’m teaming up with my celiac sista to make a feast. (and it also means I’ll be spending the week in yoga pants sipping tea and watching the entire DVD collection of Downton with my mama!) 🙂

Check out this post on a GF Thanksgiving, and then this one on our traditional family favorites. And don’t forget the pumpkin spice cookies! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gift to give: Woolfred Cannot Eat Dandelions – A Tale of Being True to Your Tummy by my blogger friend Claudine Crangle of Gluten Free Gift. 

From the publisher…

 “Most sheep will eat almost anything they come across, whether it’s good for them or not.

 Woolfred, however, has a delicate system. He cannot eat dandelions. It i   isn’t fair — the other sheep can eat whatever they want. He knows what will happen if he eats them, but still all Woolfred can think about is dandelions, dandelions, dandelions!

Eventually, Woolfred discovers that focusing on what’s missing can mean not seeing the good things in life…even when they are right in front of you.”

I will be giving one to my GF nephew for Christmas, and many more might find this in their stocking.

 

Gluten Free in Milwaukee Happenings

• Our friends from Sweet Ali’s bakery will be doing tastings at all of their Metro Market locations on Friday, November 14th:  9-12 at the Bluemound store, 9:30-12 in Mequon, and 1-3:30 in Milwaukee.  Note that the times may vary slightly depending on traffic times. If I were you, I would go to them all. We’ll be up north, but please go for me and eat no less than three cupcakes. 😉

• The November GF Get Together will be at P.F. Chang’s on Wednesday, November 19th — RSVP now via the Facebook invite. (and start thinking of cookie recipes for our holiday cookie exchange party in December, it will be the week before Christmas.) Remember to use hashtags #glutenfreeinMKE when posting to social media so others will see the posts and the options in our area when they go looking for Gluten Free in Milwaukee.

 

Today kicks off birthday week for me — yes, at this age, you get a week to celebrate. Our friends at Transfer spoiled me with a brownie yesterday, heated to perfection. When you go in, make sure to check it Danielle is working, she has been our favorite server for years and she will always take good care of you. I think 29 (again) is going to be a great year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EnJOY your weekend!

xoxo

NEWS FLASH: finds & photos

 

Hello. Hi. Hola.

Remember me? 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are eeeeeeeeasing into fall over here.

Mostly by eating as much Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake from In Johnna’s Kitchen that our tummies will hold.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go.make.this.NOW.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin seems to be the theme pretty much everywhere you look. (don’t bother buying your PSLs, make them at home!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it’s probably time to bust out the Pumpkin Spice Cookies with RumChata Cream Cheese Frosting, yes?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tired my hand at making pumpkin scones and although I was happy with how they turned out, I’m still working on the recipe.

Here’s a sneak peek…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And after posting those photos on Instagram, my best gal Katie (spreading JOY as she always does) gifted me a fancy scone pan! Now accepting taste tester applications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Need another excuse to add pumpkin to your routine? Add it in with Greek yogurt, granola and apples in the morning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe you’re more of a salted caramel in the fall kind of person — you’ll be happy to know you can find Sweet Ali’s Bakery salted caramel cupcakes at all Milwaukee area Metro Markets! (other flavors too, including red velvet)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for GF events in Milwaukee? (remember to use hashtag #glutenfreeinMKE)

• THIS weekend our friends at Bacchus are hosting a Gluten-Free Cider pairing dinner. Read all about it HERE.

• Empty Bowls Milwaukee is happening NEXT weekend and they contacted me about having more GF options for our community — let me know if you go!

• I have started a private Milwaukee GF Get Together Group on Facebook — if you live in the area and would like to be part of this group, email me celiacinthecity[at]gmail[dot]com and I will add you. That way you won’t miss out when Facebook only allows a small percentage of you see my regular posts. It is a friendly community where you can ask questions, post about new products, share recipes, etc. And to keep seeing my CITC posts there, be sure to like posts, add comments, and interact to keep the status updates and photos coming.

 

Other things I’m snacking on now — these cute little “dunker” minis from Ginny Bakes. Loving the coconut oatmeal combo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news — it’s HONEYCRISP season! I wait for this all year… even more so when you have the cutest best buddies to share. (check out my twin nephews’ first time with a “real,” meaning whole and not cut up, honeycrisp apple.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shine on, my friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with RumChata Cream Cheese Frosting

It doesn’t have to be October for you to enjoy pumpkin spice cookies — but doesn’t it kind of feel like fall in Milwaukee this week? 

I’m doing some recipe testing for a fellow blogger, and was left with some pumpkin puree to use up. These pumpkin spice cookies will leave nothing to waste. And as for the RumChata frosting? You don’t want to waste any of that bottle either, so feel free to add a little RumChata to your cup of hot chocolate, waffle batter, or mix up your next White Russian by adding some RumChata with the cream.

Trust me — a RumChata White Russian. Yes.

So, go forth and use up. Nothing to be wasted here.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with RumChata Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes approx. 36 cookies

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Unless you bake using a Silpat, (or other baking mat) you will need to grease your baking sheets or use parchment paper.

12 oz gluten-free flour blend: 4oz each of sorghum flour, sweet rice flour & tapioca starch

*you can use a mixture of any gluten-free flours/starches: white/brown rice flour, millet flour, potato starch, cornstarch, etc.

*for my non-GF friends, you can substitute 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon guar gum

1teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼  teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼  teaspoon ground ginger

*you can play with the spices, use nutmeg, allspice, etc. instead of the pumpkin pie spice, or use a mixture of both, as I did here)

½  cup sugar

½  cup brown sugar

1 egg (see egg substitutes here)

½  cup butter softened

1 ½  cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine flour mix and guar gum with baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside. Cream sugars and butter. Add in pumpkin, egg,  and vanilla. Beat until nice and smooth. Slowly add in flour mix, until well blended. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets.

Bake 15-18 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are firm enough to hold their shape. (I used a 1 ½ tablespoon scoop for mine, so they took around 18 minutes) You might like yours baked a tad longer. Go for it. Let them rest a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to cooling racks. When cooled completely, frost.

RumChata Cream Cheese Frosting

The thing about frosting is that you can make it any way you’d like. So take these measurements as a guide. Throw it all in a bowl and beat ingredients to your desired texture. (note: the RumChata is not required for this frosting to be amazing on its own, just leave it out and carry on with the frosting party.)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons real maple syrup

1 oz (or a few, if you’d like) RumChata

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice, or skip it if you’d like)

Maybe frosting isn’t your thing (it shocks me when people say this). That’s okay too, you can serve them up with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Do you have other ideas for using up pumpkin puree? Or what about RumChata — are you a fan of the “tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch milk” craze? I’m very open to new uses for that as well.