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

The first time I made Rice Crispy Treats, they turned out hard as a rock. After many attempts, I have a yummy and soft Rice Crispy Treat recipe, and it’s gluten-free and dairy-free too!

The key to making good Rice Crispy Treats is in both the ingredients and the technique. The ingredients in my recipe are different from the traditional Rice Krispies version. First of all, I  don’t use Rice Krispies because they are not gluten-free (they contain barley malt). This is changing in June 2011 — if you haven’t heard yet, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies is going gluten-free. This is wonderful news for so many families, and evidence of the growing and powerful gluten-free market.

I personally will continue to buy Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Gluten Free Cereal because I like the ingredients better: Organic brown rice, Organic brown rice syrup, Sea salt. (The new Rice Krispies will contain whole grain brown rice, sugar, salt and BHT.) Erewhon compares in taste and crispiness to Rice Krispies, and it has been a staple in my house for years.

The next change I made to the traditional recipe was to use dairy-free butter. I used Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread, and the result was soft and chewy. You can also use coconut oil, which will result in a chewy but not as soft treat with a hint of coconut taste.

Another difference in my recipe is a higher marshmallow to cereal ratio. I have always felt that rice crispy treats never had enough marshmallow, so I fixed that problem!

I discovered after trial and error that technique is important. You must slowly heat the marshmallows or you will get a rock-hard treat.

I hope you enjoy!

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Soft and Chewy Rice Crispy Marshmallow Treats

Ingredients:
Easy to remember! 4-4-4 (or 2-2-2 if you want just a small batch)

• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance dairy-free butter or coconut oil (coconut oil will result in crunchier treat with a hint of coconut flavor)
• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 4 cups crispy rice cereal (I prefer Erewhon Gluten-Free)

Directions:

1. Heat dairy-free butter or coconut oil on low heat until almost melted.
2. Add marshmallow and heat S-L-O-W-L-Y in a large saucepan, with little to no stirring, until the marshmallows are almost melded together. Be patient.



3. Stir gently until the marshmallows resemble marshmallow cream. The marshmallow cream should be light and fluffy. If you heat too quickly, it will become tough and sticky, making for a tough treat. If using coconut oil, it will seem like the oil is not stirring in at first, but gently continue to incorporate it in until you don’t see any more in the edges of the pan.

   

4. When it is creamy and the butter or oil is blended in, turn off the heat, and pour the rice cereal into the pan, gently blending the marshmallow with the cereal until evenly distributed.

   

5. Pour into any kind of greased pan.
6. Cut the treats with cookie cutters while warm or cool. If using coconut oil, it is better to cut the treats while warm, as they will harden. To cut, flip the treats out of the pan onto a cutting board. Cut with a knife or use cookie cutters. If using cookie cutters, you may have to run a knife along the edge to break the marshmallow strands. If the edges of the shapes turn out a bit rough, simply mold the edges with your hands to make smooth.

   

7. When cool, store in an airtight container or plastic bag.
8. Shapes can be frosted too!

Looking for allergen-free Easter candy or candy without artificial dyes?

I’d rather give my kids candy with natural flavorings and colorings over candy with artificial dyes, so I am happy to have found a great resource: NaturalCandyStore.com. I love their tag line: “All the FUN without the FUNNY stuff!” For Easter, they have added a whole section of Easter candy, categorized by allergen, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, and Feingold. There is something for everyone!

I am pleased to announce that the first Win Stuff Wednesday prize comes from the nice people at NaturalCandyStore.com who have offered one of my readers a $30 gift certificate! To win the certificate, let me know in the comments what your favorite candy was when you were a child. I used to sneak to the corner store to get my sugar fix — Tootsie Pops were my candy of choice. So, what was yours (and do you still eat it now)?

Contest ends on Saturday, March 26 at midnight PST. I will choose one winner and announce it on Sunday. Good luck!

Gluten-Free and Allergen-Free Valentine’s Day food and treat ideas so you can enjoy your day of love feeling happy and healthy:

♥ Make a gluten-free Valentine’s Day pizza!

♥ Follow the trend of cake pops – gluten-free, of course!

♥ Make sure your Valentine’s candy is gluten-free!

♥ Explore some Gluten-Free Chocolate Recipes for Love!

♥ Serve up some morning love (no, I don’t mean that!) — Chocolate Cherry Drop Scones that are free of gluten and refined sugar!

♥ Make heart-shaped gluten-free brownies and frost with Valentine’s flair!

♥ Make Allergen-Free Sugar Cookies or Allergen-Free Red Velvet Cake!

♥ Buy your sweetie some See’s Candy – make sure you check the allergen info first!

♥ Make allergen-free Sweetheart S’mores!

If you have any more Valentine’s Day ideas, leave them in the comments!

If I have a weakness during the holidays, it is See’s candies. As soon as a box is opened, my willpower goes out the window. See’s candies has an allergen list on their website, which may be different from the information I posted on See’s candies allergy information in 2008.

The current list is as follows from the
CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPT.
PO Box 93024
Long Beach, CA 90809-3024
(800) 789-7337

Seeʼs Allergen Information (valid July 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010)

We have listed the most common food allergy inquiries below. If you do not see a particular allergen listed or would like additional information, please contact Seeʼs Consumer Affairs Department at (800) 789-7337 and one of our representatives will answer your questions.

Egg-Free
These products are egg-free:

• All Foiled Novelties Milk Chocolate Drops
• 62% Premium Dark Bar Nonpareil Jelly Eggs
• Assorted Sugar Sticks Peanut Brittle
• Black Cherry Lollypop Peppermint Twists
• Butterscotch Little Pop® Pumpkin Spice Lollypop
• Butterscotch Lollypop Root Beer Lollypop
• Café Latté Little Pop® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Café Latté Lollypop Sour Bats
• Chocolate Little Pop® Sour Bunnies
• Chocolate Lollypop Sour Heart
• Cinnamon Lollypop Sour Stars
• Citrus Twists Sugar Free Almond Cluster
• Dark Chocolate Almond Bar Sugar Free Dark Bar
• Fancy Mixed Nuts Sugar Free Peanut Brittle
• Hot Hearts Sugar Free Peanut Cluster
• Jelly Bean Eggs Sugar Free Walnut Cluster
• Licorice Medallions® Toffee-ettes®
• Milk Chocolate Bar Vanilla Little Pop®
• Milk Chocolate Bar w/ Almonds Vanilla Lollypop
• Milk Chocolate Bar w/ Toffee Nuggets

Soy-Free
These products are soy-free:

• Citrus Twists Peppermint Twists
• Fancy Mixed Nuts Sour Bats
• Hot Hearts Sour Bunnies
• Jelly Bean Eggs Sour Hearts
• Licorice Medallions® Sour Stars
• Nonpareil Jelly Eggs Sugar Free Peanut Brittle
• Peanut Brittle

Nut-Free
These products are nut-free: CONTINUE READING »

It’s the last day of Hanukkah and this morning I found out that my daughter’s class would be making latkes. Ugh — eggs. So what does an allergy mom do but rush to the store, rush home and come up with a recipe for gluten-free egg-free latkes of course! I grew up eating latkes, so I was excited by the prospect of making them allergy-free. Searching the web, I came across a recipe called Maxine’s Latkes and at that moment I knew that I would be able to create the perfect latkes for my daughter Maxine! And I did. I hope you enjoy them too!

Maxine’s Allergy-Free Latkes

Makes about 20 latkes. CONTINUE READING »

Are you celebrating Thanksgiving gluten-free? This will be my 7th Thanksgiving since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. The first year was hard, but each year got easier and yummier as family members and I adapted traditional dishes and created new ones.

I am thankful for many things in my life, but here I would like to express my thanks for the people who have visited this blog and have shared their life stories, their insights and their advice. I have learned so much from you all and have been so moved by your comments and emails, so THANK YOU to my readers!

If you are relatively new to the gluten-free diet or need a reminder, you will find my Thanksgiving gluten-free and food allergy tips helpful. If you’ve been at it for a while, you might like to try a new gluten-free stuffing recipe, the one I have made many times to rave reviews.

Or, check out these other wonderful resources to make your gluten-free Thanksgiving a success:

• The Ultimate Thanksgiving Prep Series: Allergen-Friendly — a planning schedule and recipes from my new friend Kim
• Pamela’s Holiday Dinner Menu — recipes and tips from the amazing Pamela, using her products
• Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing — plus other Thanksgiving recipes from the Goddess
• Gluten Free Thanksgiving 2010 — recipes from Elana
• Gluten-Free Thanksgiving 2010 — recipes from Gluten Free Girl and many others
• Thanksgiving Tips, Recipes and Resources

If you have other resources, links or gluten-free Thanksgiving ideas you would like to share, feel free to add them in the comments. There is a wealth of help out there today — what a difference from 7 years ago!

Our next meeting of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin will take place on Tuesday, December 7th at 6:30.

For our holiday meeting, we will welcome special guest Pamela of Pamela’s Products who will share fun stories and great baking tips! We are starting earlier than usual, at 6:30pm, with a potluck — bring your favorite savory or sweet dish to share (and you might want to bring an extra container to take home leftovers!).  Samples of Pamela’s cheesecake and other goodies will be offered.

Please let your gluten free friends and family know about this special chance to meet Pamela and experience GIG of Marin. The meeting is free; however, please consider a donation of $5 or more to cover the costs of renting the meeting room, printing the handouts, etc.

Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or are learning more about gluten free living for yourself, family or friends, we welcome you to the GIG of Marin. New members, friends, and loved ones are always welcome.

As always, we request that you RSVP to this event by emailing us at: glutenfreemarin@yahoo.com.

The Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin will meet:

• Tuesday, December 7th
  
• 6:30 to 9:00pm
  
• Community Room at Corte Madera Town Center (upstairs at PF Chang’s end) 770 Tamalpais Dr. Suite 201, Corte Madera, CA, 94925

We look forward to seeing you!

Okay, if you are like me, you don’t always (never?) have time to make roll out sugar cookies, cut them into shapes and decorate. Though they are fun, they really are time-consuming. And I still haven’t experimented enough to find a reliable gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free roll out sugar cookie recipe.

What I have been doing lately is make whatever cookie is good (in this case it was oatmeal cookies) and pipe decorations onto them. The kids love them! If you don’t own a piping set, you really must get one. It’s so easy and fun to make your treats look fancy!

Don’t miss the 2010 Halloween Candy lists:

• Halloween Candy List – Gluten-Free Allergen-Free Status – 2010
• Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010
• Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM 2010. THE 2011 HALLOWEEN LIST IS HERE: Halloween Candy List Gluten-Free Allergen-Free 2011

Here’s the list you’ve been looking for… but first, you get to see the giant spider I made in my yard last year for Halloween! The Home Depot guys cutting the black pipe to my specifications thought I was crazy! The spider is coming out again this year with some modifications (furry perhaps?)

Now on to the candy…

Each candy shows if its ingredients contains wheat/gluten, milk (dairy), soy, egg, nuts, or peanuts (6 of the top 8 allergens — fish and shellfish are not included since I have not found this to be a concern with candy). I do not include coconut as a tree nut and have not listed coconut as an allergen. I called many of the manufacturers and/or checked their websites for gluten and allergen information,which I have noted at the end of each manufacturer’s section. To print this list, click on the Print icon above the title. If you don’t see the print icon, click on the title of the article first.

Note: Please, as always, double check ingredients and also check with the child’s parents before giving them any candy or allowing them to eat anything! I will not be held liable for any accident occurring due to the use of this list. It is meant as a guide only.

In a hurry? Check out these:
Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010
Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010

NOTE for bloggers: If you are going to post or share this list, would you be so kind as to give me credit and link to me? This took many hours of my life and I even got kicked out of Walgreen’s for taking notes in the candy aisle, so please be considerate of my hard work!

Mainstream candy listed by brand, in alphabetical order:

ADAMS & BROOKS

• Scooby Doo! Fun Pops (lollipops with picture of Scooby Doo)
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, wheat/gluten, soy
  • Ingredients contain: no top 8 allergens
  • Package statement: “Packaged in a plant that processes peanuts and tree nuts.”

AIRHEADS

• Airheads Bars and Airheads Bars Sour
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, wheat/gluten
  • Ingredients contain: soybean oil
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat flour”
• Airheads Xtremes Rolls
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk
  • Ingredients contain: wheat flour, soybean oil
• Airheads Xtremes Belts
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy
  • Ingredients contain: wheat flour, wheat starch
• Airheads Pops and Whistle Pops
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy, wheat/gluten
  • Ingredients contain: none of the top 8 allergens

AMERICAN LICORICE CO.

• Sour Punch Twists
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy
  • Ingredients contain: wheat/gluten

ANNABELLE’S

• Big Hunk
  • Ingredients free of: wheat/gluten, milk, tree nuts (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: peanuts, eggs, soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• Rocky Road
  • Ingredients free of: none of top 8!
  • Ingredients contain: milk, tree nuts (cashews), wheat/gluten (barley malt and wheat flour), soybean oil
  • Package statement: “may contain peanuts, eggs, and flour”
• Abba Zabba
  • Ingredients free of: tree nuts, eggs, milk, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: peanuts, soybean oil and soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• Look
  • Ingredients free of: tree nuts, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: milk, peanuts, soy lecithin, eggs
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”
• U-No
  • Ingredients free of: peanuts, eggs, wheat/gluten (see company Gluten-Free info below)
  • Ingredients contain: milk, almonds, soy lecithin
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that uses milk, egg, treenuts, wheat and peanuts”

Gluten-Free info (via phone Sept 2010): The only guaranteed gluten-free candy is the 2 oz. (regular size) Big Hunk. For all other candies, including the mini Big Hunks, there is the possibility of contamination from flour that is used on the belts. While there is no flour used specifically for the Big Hunk minis, there is flour used on the belts for the manufacture of the Look bars.

CONTINUE READING »

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM 2010. THE 2011 HALLOWEEN LIST IS HERE: Allergen-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2011

This is a 2010 quick list of Halloween candy with ingredients that are gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens. I have included a package statement if it mentions allergens. For a more complete listing, along with company allergy statements, please read the Halloween Candy List – Gluten-Free Allergen-Free – 2010. For a gluten-free listing only, please read the Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Quick List 2010. To print this list, click on the Print icon above the title. If you don’t see the print icon, click on the title of the article first.

NOTE for bloggers: If you are going to post or share this list, would you be so kind as to give me credit and link to me? This took many hours of my life and I even got kicked out of Walgreen’s for taking notes in the candy aisle, so please be considerate of my hard work!

Mainstream candies:

ADAMS & BROOKS

• Scooby Doo! Fun Pops (lollipops with picture of Scooby Doo)
  • Package statement: “Packaged in a plant that processes peanuts and tree nuts.”

AIRHEADS

• Airheads Pops and Whistle Pops

CADBURY ADAMS (now part of Kraft Foods)

• Swedish Fish
• Sour Patch Kids and Sour Patch Extreme
• Sour Patch Xploderz
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that handles peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy and wheat.”

CE DE CANDY

• Smarties (only USA, not Canada), Smarties in a Pouch, Tropical Smarties, Bubble Gum Smarties, X-TREME Sour Smarties, Smarties Parties, Easter Smarties, Smarties Double Lollies, Smarties Mega Lollies, Smarties Pops
• Candy Money
• Love Hearts
  

FARLEY’S AND SATHERS

• Super Bubble and Super Bubble Blast
  • Package statement: “Manufactured in a facility that manufactures products containing traces of eggs.”
    
• Trolli Gummi Bears, Trolli Sour Brite (Frite) Crawlers
  • Package statement: “Made in allergen-free facility but packaged on equipment that packages products containing traces of milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Jujyfruits, Jujubes
  • Package statement: “Made in allergen-free facility but packaged on equipment that packages products containing traces of milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Brach’s Candy Corn and Gummi Candy Corn (not flavored candy corns — see below)
  • Package statement: “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
• Brach’s Mellowcreme Pumpkins
  • Package statement: “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein”
    
• Heide candies — Jujyfruits, Jujubes, Cool Grape, Red Raspberry Dollars, Wild Cherry
  

FERRARA PAN

• Lemonhead, Red Hots, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Applehead, Grapehead, Cherryhead
  • Package statement on some: “This product was manufactured in a facility where peanuts, almonds, milk, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, soy and egg are used in the production of other products.”

FRANKFORD CANDY & CHOCOLATE COMPANY

• SpongeBob Gummy Krabby Patties
  • Package statement on some: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, and wheat.”
• Gummy Body Parts
  • Package statement on some: “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, milk and soy.”
    

HERSHEY

• Jolly Rancher Hard Candy and Hard Candy Sticks

IMPACT CONFECTIONS

• Warheads Sour Chewy Cubes

JELLY BELLY

• Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

JUST BORN

• Mike & Ike
• Hot Tamales
• Peeps Pumpkins and Ghosts

NECCO

• Necco Wafers
  

RIVIERA

• Spooky Candy Rings (eyeballs, Frankenstein heads and other shapes on rings)

SPANGLER (may contain traces of soy oil)

• Dum Dums
• Chewy Pops
• Saf-T-Pops
• Circus Peanuts
• Candy Canes
• Chewy Canes

TOOTSIE

• Dots

WRIGLEY

• Starburst
• Skittles, Skittle Sour and Skittle Crazy Cores
• Lifesavers Hard Candy and Lifesavers Pops
  • Ingredients free of: wheat/gluten, peanuts, nuts, egg, milk, soy (except some flavors, like Butter Rum)
    
  • Ingredients contain: soy lecithin (some flavors)
    
• Lifesavers Gummies, Big Ring Gummies regular and Sweet and Sour

WONKA

• Bottlecaps, Everlasting Gobstopper, Runts, Fun Dip and Fun Dip Sour, Pixy Stix, Sweetarts (regular), Tart N Tinys, Nerds, Spree
  • Package statement: “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.” (Sweetarts)
• Giant Chewy Nerds
  • Package statement: “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts, milk, wheat and soy.”

Natural/specialty candies:

AMANDA’S OWN CONFECTIONS (www.amandasown.com)

• Chocolate shapes and chocolate lollipops

ANNIE’S

• Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks (Flavors: Tropical Treat, Berry Patch, Sunny Citrus, Summer Strawberry)

ENJOY LIFE (www.enjoylifefoods.com)

• Boom CHOCO Boom Dark Chocolate Bar, Crispy Rice Bar, Milk Bar

INDIE CANDY (www.indiecandy.com)

• Halloween Chocolate Lollipops, Halloween Crystal Lollipops, Halloween Gummies

PURE FUN (www.organiccandy.com)

• Halloween Pure Pops
  • Ingredient statement: “Manufactured in a segregated area of a facility that may product products containing nuts.”

SURF SWEETS (www.surfsweets.com)

• Gummy Worms, Gummy Swirls, Gummy Bears, Fruity Bears, Jelly Beans, Sour Worms, Sour Berry Bears

YUMMY EARTH (www.yummyearth.com)

• Lollipops, Candy Drop, Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms

Looking for non-candy ideas for Halloween? Read How to have an allergy-free Halloween.