Sure Foods Living - gluten-free and allergen-free living

Last night my daughter ate a dinner of pasta (gluten-free) with a sauce of olive oil-sauteed red onions, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell peppers and chicken apple sausage. There was nothing left in her bowl… not because she is an amazing kid who eats anything, but because tonight she cooked it with me.

Let me back up a bit and introduce you to Michelle Stern of What’s Cooking. I was introduced to Michelle on Twitter by Stephanie O’Dea, the Crockpot Lady — this is the virtual blogger world that I live in, but we all live in the Bay Area and I now know them as real people. Michelle teaches cooking to kids. She has built a business around it, not because she is a businesswoman as much as she is a teacher, which is where she and I really connected. It turns out that she was a student teacher for a science class at the same high school where I was teaching history. Our paths didn’t cross at that time, but here we are now!

Michelle’s work inspires me to get my kids more involved in cooking and understanding where their food comes from. Her blog is full of great advice… recently she gave two tips for cooking with kids:

1. “Let go of perfection.” - I don’t know about you, but this is a hard one for me!
2. “Let kids DO.” - seems obvious, but this is easy to forget.
3. And I would like to add: “Have patience.” Give them time to learn.

Michelle and I met up for the first time at the farmer’s market where she encouraged me to buy kale to make kale chips (they were yummy!) Her passion has stuck with me since that day, although I really do forget to involve my kids enough in food preparation.

But not last night! Last night my daughter cut cherry tomatoes in half with a serrated knife for the first time. I taught her how to hold the knife, how to hold the tomato and how to cut with a forward and back motion. She was so proud of herself. (If your child isn’t ready to use a sharp knife, you can let him/her use a butter knife to cut olives, as shown in the picture.) She also stood at the stove on a step stool and stirred, as I added each ingredient. The result was that she felt that she cooked the dinner, and so of course she thought it was delicious! (Bonus: little sis also ate most of it, even the yellow peppers, because big sis was eating it!)

Involving your children in the preparation and cooking of healthy food helps them to appreciate it, understand it, and best of all — eat it!

I hope that many of you got a chance to watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. I found the T.V. series so inspiring, and like Jamie (otherwise known as the Naked Chef for his use of honest, real food) said: “Yes, this is a T.V. show, but it’s real life.”

He succeeded in making change in the school lunch program in a town chosen for its high rate of obesity. His mission — OUR mission — is so important: feed our kids well so that they can live healthy lives. Of course, there needs to be change not only in our lunch programs, but throughout our society. This change won’t come about easily, as we need education, dedication, motivation and of course, money. But it CAN be done and we need to try.

Many bloggers (including me!) are hoping to make a small difference by sharing tips and recipes for cooking real food in 30 Days to a Food Revolution, an online event dreamed up and organized by Diane of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

For 30 days, there will be 30 different food bloggers sharing 30 different ways to eat real food.

Less processed food, more real food is the goal! Most of us are living gluten-free or with other special diets, so hopefully you will find a wealth of good stuff to use in your own kitchens, and discover new blogs too.

I will be contributing my tip and recipe on May 4. In the meantime, you can follow these  participating blogs:

• gluten free easily – Day 1
• The Spunky Coconut – Day 2
• I Am Gluten Free – Day 3
  
• The Gluten Free Homemaker – Day 4
• Delectably Free – Day 5
  
• Jenn Cuisine – Day 6
  
• Sure Foods Living – Day 7
  
• dinners & dreams — Day 8
• The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen — Day 9
• The Messy Chef – Day 10
• One Frugal Foodie — Day 11
• Celiac Teen - Day 12
  
• Gluten Free For Good - Day 13
  
• Gluten Free Vegan Family - Day 14
  
• Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried - Day 15
  
• Simply Gluten-Free - Day 16
  
• Lexie’s Kitchen - Day 17
  
• Food Blogga - Day 18
  
• What’s Cooking Blog - Day 19
  
• Cook 4 Seasons - Day 20
  
• Gluten Free Gidget - Day 21
  
• A Year of Slow Cooking
• Tasty Eats at Home
• Gluten Free Doctor Recipes
• Ginger Lemon Girl
• Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
• The Daily Dietribe
• Celiac Family
• Andrea’s Recipes
• London Foodie in NY

There are also prizes to win! Go to the 30 Days to a Food Revolution page to see the details about how to enter.

Easter is coming quickly! Are you ready?

Let’s cut to the chase! This list is by no means complete… but here are some ideas. You can also check out last year’s Easter article. Post more ideas in the comments if you have them!

JELLY BEANS:

• Jelly Belly
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy*, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
    
  • SuperFruit flavors are made with all natural colors and flavors and was recently accepted by Feingold Association.
  • Allergen info (via web March 2010):
    *Soy lecithin is used on Chocolate Pudding flavor.
    Are your Jelly Belly jelly beans gluten-free?
    All flavors of Jelly Belly beans are free of gluten. We do not use any wheat, rye, barley, or oats in the basic recipe for Jelly Belly jelly beans. The modified food starch listed on the package is cornstarch.
    If I am allergic to peanuts, can I eat Jelly Belly jelly beans?
    Please continue to carefully check all ingredient statements on packages and bulk bins for peanut ingredients.  We discontinued Peanut Butter flavor of Jelly Belly beans (this flavor contained peanut butter and peanut flour) however, it is possible this flavor may still be included in packages sold in retail stores.
    None of the other flavors of Jelly Belly beans contain peanuts as an ingredient.  We no longer process peanuts in our manufacturing plants.
    Are Jelly Belly jelly beans dairy-free?
    Yes.  We work very closely with all of our ingredient suppliers to ensure that all ingredients are free of dairy.
    
• Surf Sweets
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy*, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
  • Allergen Info (via web March 2010):
    Are your products gluten-free and casein-free? Yes, all of our products are both gluten-free and casein-free. Casein is the protein found in dairy.
    Are your products peanut-free? Yes, all of our products do not contain peanuts and are produced and packaged in a facility free of peanuts.
    Are your products produced and/or packaged in a facility with other common allergens? No, our products are produced in a facility free of: wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, tree nuts, nuts, fish, and shellfish.
    Surf Sweets products are made with natural colors and flavors, organic fruit juice and sweeteners, and provide you with your daily allowance of Vitamin C. We are also one of the only candies made without corn syrup.
• Gimbal’s
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
  • Allergen info (via web March 2010):
    Gimbal’s Fine Candies facilities are free of these eight most common food allergens.
• Just Born
  • Gluten-free
  • Free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish)
  • Allergen info (via phone March 2010)
    Please always check packaging as ingredients can change from year to year, but at this time, the jelly beans are free of gluten and the top 8 allergens.
• Update: Jolly Rancher, Starburst, Lifesaver and Mike & Ike Jelly Beans are all free of the top 8 allergens!

BUNNIES & CHICKS & EGGS, oh my!

• Peeps
  • Gluten-free (including chocolate covered peeps)
  • Regular peeps are free of top 8 allergens (wheat, milk, soy, nuts, peanuts, egg, fish, shellfish). Chocolate covered peeps contain dairy and have an allergen warning for peanut, tree nut, egg and coconut.
    
  • Allergen info (via phone March 2010)
    Please always check packaging as ingredients can change from year to year, but at this time, Peeps are free of gluten and the top 8 allergens.
• Hershey’s
  • Check label!
  • Stay away from Robin Eggs! These are Whoppers in an Easter disguise, and they contain gluten.
  • Hershey’s allergen info:
    The Hershey Company strives to provide its consumers with accurate, reliable ingredient statements upon which consumers can make their purchase decision. The Hershey Company has an Allergy Task Force that ensures that the ingredient statements are always accurate, and that any allergen statements placed on the label is understandable. Do your products share plants & equipment? We take food allergies very seriously at Hershey and have strict procedures in place to prevent crossover of allergens into other products that do not contain the allergen. In instances where we have a concern about possible crossover by an allergen we take the added precaution of including an allergy information statement on the label.
• Make your own chocolate eggs and lollipops!
  If you’re worried about the ingredients in the available chocolates out there, trying making your own! Here’s how I did it:
  1. I got Easter egg and bunny lollipop molds at a baking supply store (Cake Art).
  2. I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips.
  3. I tempered the chocolate in the microwave (see end of post for instructions), poured it in, and let it set in refrigerator.
  4. I wrapped the little chocolates with colored foil and the lollipops with clear plastic and a pretty ribbon.
  5. I marveled at my work — it was so easy I couldn’t believe it!
• Garnish baked goods with bunnies and other Easter decor
  If you can’t actually find a bunny to eat, then stick one on top of a treat! Last year I made these mini-cupcakes using Pamela’s Vanilla and Chocolate cake and frosting mixes, with Wilton sprinkles and some bunny decorations. They were a hit and I will be making something similar again this year.

How to temper chocolate in a microwave oven to make chocolate molds (from the Guittard website):

1. Place chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl. Place the bowl of chocolate in the microwave oven. Set power level to 5 or 50%. Set time to 30 seconds. Heat for 30 seconds.
2. Take the bowl out of microwave oven and use a rubber spatula in a gentle sweeping motion to stir the chocolate, even if none of it has become liquid yet.
3. Return the bowl to the microwave oven. Heat for 30 seconds more. Remove. And stir.
4. Repeat the intervals of heating and stirring until about two-thirds of the chunks become liquid and about one-third are in soft lumps. The temperature of the liquid chocolate at this point will be about 100°. Continually stir to cool the chocolate until the soft lumps disappear and the temperature lowers to 89°F.
5. At this point the chocolate should be in temper and ready to use.

Want a simple, yet elegant spread for your gluten-free crackers or toasts? Try a Simple Salmon Spread! This would be a great appetizer for an Oscar soiree, and is part of the menu for the Gluten-Free Progressive OSCAR dinner party.

Alison’s Simple Salmon Spread on Gluten-Free Toasts

INGREDIENTS

• About 8 oz. of cooked salmon, skin removed. Bake the salmon in a 375-400 degree oven until just cooked through (about 15-20 minutes). Anyway you want to spice the salmon when you cook it is fine — the flavors will come through in the dip. For my dip, I used leftover barbecued salmon from our dinner the night before, which my husband had spiced with his top secret marinade of olive oil, brown sugar, cayenne and thyme (now I have to kill you).
• About 3 oz. of cream cheese.
• Some lemon.
• Some salt.
• Some dill would be nice (I didn’t have any).
• Sliced bread (gluten-free), toasted and cut into squares. I used Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain bread.

DIRECTIONS

1. Put salmon in food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth.
2. Add cream cheese and process. Add more or less depending on your preference.
3. Squeeze some lemon and add dill and a little salt, gradually until you like the taste.
4. Serve in a bowl and let guests spread on the gluten-free toasts.

This recipe is one of the stops of the Gluten Free Progressive Oscar Dinner Party!
Each day this week you’ll find new gluten free dishes being “served” by other bloggers. This month’s offerings will help make your Oscar party award-winning! Follow the schedule as you would a map through a neighborhood. Stop by, leave a comment, pass on the information to your friends and have a wonderful time!

Here is the schedule:

Monday February 22nd:
Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup from Shirley at gluten free easily

Tuesday February 23rd:
Avatar-Inspired Millet Eggplant Croquettes and Chips from Sea at Book of Yum

Wednesday February 24th:
Kale Chips from Karen at Cook4Seasons
Gluten and Dairy-free Whipped Cream from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Southern Fried Oysters by Shirley at gluten free easily

Thursday February 25th:
Simple Salmon Spread by me

Friday February 26th:
Ellen at I am Gluten Free

Past Progressive Dinner Parties:
Light Winter Warmers
Dessert

Valentine’s Day is about love. And who doesn’t LOVE pizza? Better yet, gluten-free pizza?

Decorating cookies is fun, but decorating a heart-shaped pizza is another great activity to do with kids. Bonus: you have dinner made!

To make heart-shaped gluten-free pizzas, I make the pizza dough using the Chewy Pizza Crust recipe on the bag of  Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix. I add some salt to the dough while mixing because it cuts the sweetness a bit which I like better for a pizza crust. This pizza is also dairy-free, soy-free and egg-free!

You can do the following for any pizza dough recipe:

1. Grease baking sheets or pizza pans or heat a pizza stone.
2. Divide the dough into as many pizzas as you want. You can make the pizzas as thick or thin as you want, or as big or little.
3. Pour some olive oil on a little plate and press your palm into it.
4. Use only your palm to spread the dough. Don’t get your fingers in the dough because they will get sticky! If you get dough stuck on your hands, wipe it off and start again with a clean palm in the olive oil. Kids can try spreading the dough themselves!
5. Shape the dough into a heart and let rise as directed. After dough rises, reshape the heart if needed.
6. Partially bake as directed.
7. Put out different toppings and let the kids decorate their pizza. Sliced olives and salami (not spicy like pepperoni) are a favorite. We make some without cheese since my kids don’t eat dairy. You could go for an all red pizza — sauce, tomatoes, red peppers, pepperoni.



8. Bake as directed. The longer you bake, the crunchier it will get. Also, judge the baking time based on how thick or thin you made the dough.
9. Say “I love you” and/or “I love pizza” as you bite into your delicious  gluten-free Valentine pizza!

Homemade gluten-free pasta — can it be done? I used to help my mom roll wheat pasta dough through a hand-cranked pasta machine and then hang it out to dry on clothes drying racks! Freshly-made pasta has such a wonderful texture and taste. If you eat gluten-free, you rely on packaged dry pasta as your substitute. It’s good, but to experience fresh pasta again would be such a treat. After watching Jacqueline Mallorca make fresh gluten-free pasta, I think I may soon get together with my mom to relive our pasta-making days!

Jacqueline Mallorca is the author of the cookbook “Gluten Free Italian, Over 150 Irresistible Recipes without Wheat — from Crostini to Tiramisu.” She was also the guest speaker at our December 2009 meeting of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin. Today she appeared on the View from the Bay to demonstrate how to make gluten-free pasta. Here is the clip from the show:

Get the recipes for the dishes made in the video in the Gluten Free Italian cookbook or on abc.com.

If you are interested in getting together for a specially arranged gluten-free Italian dinner in San Francisco with Jacqueline Mallorca and members of GIG of Marin, email us at glutenfreemarin@yahoo.com for details.

I wonder if she got to see Harrison Ford who was also on the show today!

I love roasted vegetables. Pretty much any vegetable tastes great when roasted in the oven, so when thinking about something to contribute to this month’s Gluten-Free Progressive Dinner Party, I thought I’d try turning some yummy roasted winter veggies into a soup.

Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale and others, that is known for cancer-fighting properties. Cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, and folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, manganese and omega-3 fatty acids. (For more nutritional information about cauliflower, including its cancer-reducing ability, visit The World’s Healthiest Foods.)

Cauliflower is a winter vegetable, which means it is as its best during the winter months. Look for a cauliflower that is white with no spots on it and stay away from bags of pre-cut cauliflower! Cauliflower is low in fat and a great soup ingredient in place of the starchy potato.

The bottom line is… it’s good for you! And I think you’ll like the taste too…

Use the soup recipe below as is, or add in any of your own favorite spices (cumin, curry, cayenne) or garnishes (a swirl of creme fraiche, chopped fresh parsley).

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Gluten-Free Croutons

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks (green stem and leaves discarded)
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks (peeled or not — doesn’t matter!)
• 1 medium to large red onion, cut into chunks (definitely peel this one!)
• olive oil
• salt
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or more if you like a thinner soup (see which chicken broth is gluten-free)
• 2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or other vinegar, or lemon juice
• gluten-free croutons, or 3 slices of any gluten-free bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Throw chunks of cauliflower, carrots and onion in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet with sides.
2. Drizzle olive oil over all of the veggies and sprinkle with a little salt. (I use a salt grinder and do a quick grind over everything. Less is better, because you can always add salt to the soup later.) Mix the veggies around a little to evenly distribute the olive oil and salt.
3. Cook veggies in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.
4. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a pot on the stove and add the broth.
5. Bring pot to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes. Carrots should be soft when pierced with a fork — if not, simmer until they are.
6. Puree* the vegetables and broth to desired texture. Add more broth if a thinner consistency is desired.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings. Does it need more salt? Add pepper and other spices as you wish, or leave it with just salt. Add in the vinegar or lemon juice to give it a little extra flavor.
8. Garnish with croutons**, chopped herbs, a swirl of creme fraiche — whatever you like!

*To puree soup:
I prefer to use an immersion hand blender. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t even make soup if I didn’t own one of these! You stick it into the pot, push the button and it magically turns anything into soup. (I also use it to foam milk for cafe au laits in the morning!)
If you don’t have one, let the contents of the pot cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender or food processor and puree in batches. Be careful you don’t splatter yourself with hot soup! Transfer the pureed soup back into the pot.

**To make gluten-free croutons:
This is so easy, but sometimes I forget that croutons are a nice addition to a soup or salad. To make croutons, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then,

1. Cut the slices of gluten-free bread into cubes.
2. Coat with olive oil.
   You can do this many ways:

• lay bread cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and toss them around
• use a pastry brush and brush the oil on while they are in the pan
• spray the cubes with oil
• put cubes in a bowl and toss with olive oil

1. Season with salt and pepper. Other seasoning options are garlic salt, fresh or dried herbs such as basil, rosemary or thyme.
2. Bake in oven on a baking pan until crunchy, about 10-15 minutes. Toss the croutons with a spatula part way through for even browning.
3. Or you could totally cheat, like I did in the picture, and just toast the cubes in your toaster oven! As long as they’re crunchy, they qualify as croutons in my opinion!

This recipe is the first stop of the Gluten Free “Light Winter Warmers” Progressive Dinner Party!

Each day this week you’ll find new gluten free dishes being “served” by other bloggers. This month’s offerings will warm you up during these winter months. On the lighter side, these should work with your New Year’s resolutions! Follow the schedule as you would a map through a neighborhood. Stop by, leave a comment, pass on the information to your friends and have a wonderful time!

Here is the schedule (I will fill in with links to the posts each day so please check back):

Monday January 18th:
Me at Sure Foods Living
“Creamy” Potato Leek Soup from Karen at Cook4Seasons

Tuesday January 19th:
Winter Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup w/ Prosciutto topping from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.

Wednesday January 20th:
Mexican Seafood Soup from Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Vegan Un-Chicken Roasted Vegetable Soup from SeaMaiden at Book of Yum

Thursday January 21st:
Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard from Amy at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Wassail (hot spiced punch) from Shirley at gluten free easily

Friday January 22nd:
Moroccan Chickpea and Potato Soup from Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

You don’t have to miss out on making or eating a gingerbread house just because you are gluten-free or have food allergies. Gluten-free allergen-free gingerbread houses can be done! Here are some ideas:

• Make the one I made last year, using Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix: Allergen-free gingerbread house
• Order a gluten-free, allergen-free gingerbread house KIT from A&J Bakery! The Allergen Friendly Gingerbread House Kit is peanut, tree nut, wheat, gluten, soy, egg, dairy, and sesame free. The are all made in a dedicated nut and gluten free facility. The cost for the kit, which includes the gingerbread house pieces, candy and some non-edible decorations is $30 and can be ordered online. Or call them in Cranston, Rhode Island, at (401)228-8696.
• Order mixes from Jules Gluten-Free, who is offering a holiday special that includes a recipe for a gingerbread house.
• Follow the recipe for a gluten-free gingerbread house from Jenn Cuisine - it looks great!
• If your child has egg allergy, use a recipe for allergen-free gingerbread house frosting.

If anyone has more ideas, please comment!

This recipe is the first stop of the Gluten Free Dessert Progressive Dinner Party!

When I think about my Grandma Anne, a smile always come to my face. I picture her sitting at her kitchen table, holding a hand of cards, playing gin rummy. She was tall, with thick white-gray hair, and if you took too long to decide what card to play, she would prod you with a snappy “Today!” She had a dry sense of humor (which I’m pretty sure is genetic), and had some memorable sayings, such as “Here’s your hat — what’s your hurry?”

I have memories of food also. I remember her making some traditional Jewish dishes like brisket and matzoh ball soup, and I remember thinking a little cup of jello with fruit chunks was the best thing ever! And then there were the Butterhorns — rolled little pastries with dollops of meringue. We knew these Butterhorns so well, but nobody has made or eaten them since Grandma Anne passed away many years ago.

I wasn’t sure if I could recreate her recipe to make it gluten-free, but I took on the challenge for the Gluten-Free Progressive Dinner Party (see below!). I had a wonderful time doing it and I am so pleased with the results.  It makes me happy to carry on her memory with this gluten-free adaptation of her Butterhorns! I hope you enjoy them.

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

• 2 cups Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix*
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) - you can use the packet included in Pamela’s Bread Mix
• 4-5 teaspoons sugar (if you like less sweet, use 4)
• 1 cup shortening (I use Spectrum Palm Shortening)
• 2 eggs yolks, well beaten

* I chose to use Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix rather than mix my own flours because I liked the blend of flours in the mix and thought they would work well for this recipe (why reinvent the wheel?) Pamela’s bread mix contains sweetener, salt and xanthan gum. If you want to use another gluten-free flour blend, you may want to increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons, add 1 teaspoon salt, and a teaspoon of xanthan gum. I have not tried this recipe with other blends.

Filling:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• cinnamon
• chopped walnuts, other nuts, fruit or any other filling are optional (I didn’t use any nuts due to my daughter’s nut allergy, but my grandmother used walnuts)

DIRECTIONS

Dough:

1. Combine yeast with 1/4 cup warm water and set aside.
2. Combine Pamela’s Bread Mix flour with the sugar (and salt, if using own GF flour blend)
3. Cut shortening into flour, using 2 knives or a pastry cutter until the shortening is the size of peas or smaller.
4. Add beaten egg yolks to the dough and mix well.
5. Add yeast and water to the dough and mix well.
6. Divide dough into 3 equal balls.
7. Roll out each ball into a 9 inch circle, using wax or parchment paper on the bottom and top to prevent sticking while rolling. You may want to flour the bottom paper a little to prevent sticking.
8. Cut the circle into 8 equal pie-shaped wedges.

Meringue Filling:

1. Beat the eggs whites until they form soft peaks. You can do this with a whisk and a medium sized bowl — turn the bowl with one hand while vigorously (but with a loose wrist) whisking the egg whites.
2. Add the sugar to the soft peaks and whisk vigorously again until thick and spreadable.
3. Spread the egg white & sugar mixture (meringue) on the rolled out dough.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon (I used a sifter), however much you want!
5. Add chopped nuts, if desired.

Roll ‘Em Up and Bake Them

1. Roll each pie-shaped wedge from the outside in. If the dough sticks to the paper, just loosen with a spatula. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
2. Spoon a small dollop of meringue on the top of each roll.



3. Let the rolls rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. If you’re not sure whether the dough doubled or not, don’t worry about it! Just move on to #4.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until meringue is light brown.
5. Remove rolls from baking pan right away and let cool.

This recipe is the first stop of the Gluten Free Dessert Progressive Dinner Party!

Each day this week you’ll find new gluten free desserts being “served” by other bloggers.  Follow the schedule as you would a map through a neighborhood.  Stop by, leave a comment, pass on the information to your friends and have a wonderful time!

Here is the schedule (I will fill in with links to the posts each day so please check back):

Monday December 7th: Baked Desserts
Me at Sure Foods Living
Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Tuesday December 8th: Frozen or Chilled Desserts
Shirley at gfe gluten free easily
Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang

Wednesday December 9th: Chocolate Desserts
Karen at Cook4Seasons
Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Thursday December 10th: No-Bake Desserts
Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang

Friday December 11th Favorite Desserts
Melissa at Gluten Free For Good
Jean at Gluten Free Organics

You might also enjoy:
Gluten-free gingerbread house recipe (dairy, soy and egg-free too!)
Gluten-free funny Christmas video

So, I’ve been a little out of touch these past couple of weeks. I even missed Thanksgiving. No turkey, no stuffing, no pie. Don’t feel sorry for me though — my family decided to check out this year and spend the holiday in Mexico! I must say that it was really nice to not have to deal with the whole gluten-free food planning and making. And although traditional Thanksgiving meals were being offered in many Mexican restaurants, we opted for a traditional Mexican meal instead.

With the evening breezes blowing, we dined on Chicken Pozole, a Mexican stew that dates to pre-Columbian times.

Naturally gluten-free, pozole is a soup usually made with pork or chicken. The key ingredient is hominy, which is dried corn that is then soaked and its hull  removed. You can find canned hominy in grocery stores or specialty markets.

What also makes this soup special are the garnishes included. Here, I was offered cubed queso fresco (Mexican cheese), diced onions and jalapenos, dried oregano and chili peppers, and fresh lime, all served on a crisp corn tortilla which can be broken into pieces and added.

Also served on the plate are chicharrones, or fried pork rinds. You would never catch me eating fried pork rinds out of a bag, but these house-made ones somehow make it into my belly every time!

Mmmm, now that I have returned to winter, this stew sounds even more appealing. Delicioso!

Here are a couple pozole recipes that sound like the one I enjoyed above:

• Chicken Pozole from Simply Recipes
• Chicken Posole from Real Simple magazine
• Slow-Cooker Chicken Posole from Woman’s Day magazine