Have your cake and eat it too!

BS"D

One of the things I mourned when I both had to give up eggs in my baking, and later went gluten-free, was the convenience of cake mixes. Although I am an avid from scratch baker as well, I enjoyed using the cake mixes as a "jumping off point" for recipes, such as my favorite, the iconic Tunnel of Fudge Cake. Similarly Anne Byrn author of the "Cake Mix Doctor" series made a career out of "doctoring" store bought mixes to make beautiful Bundts, magnificent muffins and creative cookies. She has now tackled the gluten-free market with her latest book, "The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free". I can honestly say if I recommend one gluten-free baking book, it would be this one. Although dairy-free substitutes are provided for each recipe, they are not egg-less. But, ones own experimentation can be done with various egg substitutes.



Although normally from scratch baking is cheaper than using store bought mixes, it is not necessarily the case with gluten-free baking. Most recipes call for a blend of flours, sometimes as many as five (or more), each one may cost 5-7 times that of all-purpose wheat flour. Plus there is xanthan gum which can cost $13 a packet. And if you bake infrequently, these items will go bad over time (I store mine in the freezer to help prolong their freshness). Since Betty Crocker unveiled her line of gluten-free mixes, including cakes, cookies and brownies, the cost of gluten-free baking has gone down significantly. The Betty Crocker mixes are less than $4 (in my supermarket), and taste great. I particularly like the brownie mix, the texture and flavor are great. Although there are more and more gluten-free bakeries cropping up, most of us have to buy frozen or bake our own gluten-free cakes and cupcakes. So, the convenience found in these mixes is a boon to us. Anne Byrn puts a spin on the store bought mixes by adding ingredients to create such treats as Seven Layer Brownies, Snickerdoodle Cake and Lemon Bundt. She even gives step by step instructions for creating a gluten-free wedding cake! The cookbook is uncomplicated and yields great results. With just a few additions, Ms. Byrn shows you how you can elevate the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Along these lines, my friend Shuli recently threw a gala third birthday party for her son. Shuli's brother was diagnosed with Celiac disease as an adult, and she makes a great effort to accommodate his dietary needs. Catering the entire party on her own, she wanted to make the dishes as quick and easy to prepare as she could. She decided to make a spread of bagels, providing Udi's brand for her brother, flavored cream cheeses, hard cheeses, smoked salmon and salads (including a Caesar with gluten-free croutons and a rice noodle pasta salad). In this way, the gluten-free guest could enjoy all the dishes along with everyone else. For dessert, Shuli made a dessert bar that was entirely gluten-free! For this she gets the Gluten Free Maven's "Hostess with the Mostest Award" for 2011. Since she isn't cooking gluten-free on a daily basis, and did not wish to complicate things with buying a half dozen different flours she would use only once, Shuli decided to stick with mixes and store bought baked goods, which she "doctored". Being that the party was on Super Bowl Sunday, and her son was born the day our home team won the Super Bowl, she decided to make football shaped brownies. She used the Betty Crocker Brownie mix which she frosted with Duncan Hines Whipped Chocolate Frosting (gluten-free and dairy-free). Then, she cut out the shapes with a football cookie cutter (Shuli told me you could also bend a tin can into a football shape if you don't have a cookie cutter). Putting white frosting in a zip-top plastic bag, she snipped one corner and added the lacing to the footballs. The result was a big hit! She also made a decorated cake, individual trifles (see pic. above) using crumbled cake and decorating store-bought black and white cookies to look like a little boy's face. Adding a tray of fruit kebabs made her gluten-free dessert bar a spectacular looking and tasting success!

While we unfortunately don't all attend so many gluten friendly parties as this, we can still take along a dessert or dish to add to the festivities, and be enjoyed by all---gluten-free or otherwise.


The author recommends using Betty Crocker or Gluten Free Pantry brand mixes.

Chocolate Cloud Cookies

from The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free by Anne Byrn, p.p. 266-7

1 package (15 ounces) chocolate gluten-free cake mix
2 Tablespoons chocolate instant pudding mix
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening, melted
1 large egg
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Set aside 2 ungreased baking sheets.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, melted butter, and egg in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients nearly come together in a ball, 45 seconds. Place the confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl. With your hands form the cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball of dough in the confectioners' sugar and arrange 12 balls on each baking sheet 2 to 3 inches apart.

3. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake the cookies until they are puffed up , firm around the edges, but still slightly soft in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely, 15 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Store the cookies in a cookie jar or tin at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze the cookies, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a resealable plastic bag, for one month. Let the cookies thaw on the kitchen counter overnight before serving.

Optional: Fold in 1/2 cup of miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips into the cookie dough before rolling into balls.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen


This Caesar salad has a dairy-free dressing, and can be made egg-free by substituting a soy based mayonnaise substitute, such as Nayonaise.

Shuli's 1-2-3 Caesar Salad

Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tablespoon olive or canola oil
5 Tablespoons white or cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise or Nayonaise
salt and pepper, to taste

Croutons:
3 slices Udi's bread
non-stick cooking spray
salt, to taste
1 Tablespoon garlic powder (more or less to taste)

1 head romaine lettuce, washed patted dry and torn into pieces

1. In a small bowl, stir together dressing ingredients until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Lay bread on a cookie sheet. Spray both sides generously with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and generously with garlic powder. Bake at 350 until browned. Cut into cubes when cooled.

3. Place lettuce in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over lettuce, and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with croutons. Serve.

Serves: 6-8

How do Ud-do?

BS"D

Lillie's biggest wish in life is to go into a bakery and buy something. It's the sort of wish that might be reasonable for a poverty stricken child, or one caught up in the tumult of a war torn city. But when bakeries are prevalent on every main street and in every other strip mall, it's a bit odd. Unless your child can't eat gluten, or eggs, or nuts or any of the staples used in "normal" baking. As hard as I try with my home made creations, they just aren't enough for my daughter. She dreams of that giant sprinkle cookie or pastel laced cake in the bakery window, like an adult dreams of winning the lottery. As a parent I sigh and feel somewhat bereft that I can't fulfill such a seemingly simple wish. When Katz's came out with their chocolate frosted (and sprinkled) cupcakes, there was a glimmer of hope. I placed the see through plastic box of chocolate glazed goodies in front of Lillie and said triumphantly, "Like from a bakery"! Then I held my breath and waited for this rather picky girl to utter her decree. She smiled and said, "Yes, like a bakery." Breath released.

Katz's new line of gluten free cupcakes are fabulous and convenient. I ordered them online when they had a special promotion of free shipping for a $30 purchase. They also sent a 15% off coupon with a previous order. So, it was win-win. I ordered enough cupcakes for Lillie's whole class for her birthday party. Her school has a rule that you cannot bring in homemade treats for class celebrations, so in the past we've had to get creative, like having an ice cream party. But now, she feels she can be the same as all her classmates. This may be the first all gluten free birthday party in her school! The cupcakes are delicious, decorative, and really do pass for the real thing. They are a deep chocolate color and taste. Katz's is on the ball in terms of chocolaty taste. I also ordered a Chocolate-strip cake, which is similar to a Hungarian style cocosh cake. It looks like the "real thing" too. Keep up the good work Mrs. Katz!

My local supermarket started ordering Udi's frozen breads and bagels. The bagels caught my eye as they were large first of all, and browned on the outside. The fact that I had $1 off coupon from the Udi's website motivated me even more! They had a more "authentic" look than the Glutino version we've been using thus far. Although I still hold that the Glutino bagels are good, the Udi's ones are better. They've got the "crustiness" right that's elusive to many gluten free breads. No gluten free bread is really ever going to have that, very chewy texture of real bagels, because that comes from the evil scourge-gluten itself. The bagels have to be toasted for optimal flavor. When I made a pizza bagel for Lillie's school lunch, she reported that it got hard by lunchtime and didn't taste good. She is willing to eat pizza bagels at home though. Lillie will still only take Katz's sliced White Bread for sandwiches, as it doesn't get hard, and is good even un-toasted (unlike most gluten free breads).

I feel like I've won the lottery (OK, maybe just the food sensitivity lottery) this month by coming across these two great additions to our pantry. Having a food allergic or sensitive child is a daily challenge, but there every so often I come across a recipe which is a hit, and subsequently falls into our regular repertoire, or I'll come across a product that makes my life easier. On those days I sigh a happy sigh.

Veggie Cheddar Melt

1 gluten free bagel, thawed and split open, or two slices gluten free bread
2 Tablespoons gluten free salsa or gluten free thousand island dressing*(optional)
1 vine ripe tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts (I like the spicy ones), rinsed and patted dry
1/4 avocado, thinly sliced
2 ounces, or 2 slices, cheddar cheese or soy cheese

Spray a piece of foil or baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place bread or bagel halves on foil. Spread salsa over bread. Layer tomato, sprouts, avocado and cheese. Broil on 450F degrees for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly, and the remainder of the sandwich is heated through. If desired, lightly toast bagel before constructing sandwich.

Serve warm.

Yield: 1 serving or 2 for smaller appetites

*To make your own dressing: In a small bowl, stir together 4 Tablespoons mayonaise, 1 Tablespoon ketchup, 1/2 Tablespoon pickle relish, 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, pepper to taste.

Snow Break

BS"D

After I heard last night there would be no school the following day due to the blizzard, I was wandering around the house whispering to myself my snow day mantra, "Embrace the snow day, embrace the snow day." I used to hate snow days. The kids would be so bored despite my efforts at crafts, baking, play dates with the nearest neighbors, and I would get nothing done around the house. Then I decided to mentally reframe how I thought about snow days. I decided to see the positive in them: I didn't have to get the kids dressed and out the door at the crack of dawn, ditto for me, no lunches to make, no carpool. Of course, there is also the memories that are made from watching the little ones make snow angels and catch snowflakes on their tongues.

Fortunately, my husband was off this snow day. He spent most of the day shoveling, and my kids went outside to play around in the snow as he cleared the walkways. The neighbors wandered over and the children made snow angels with their friends. Rosie didn't like that Lillie threw snow at her. I told her that's how you "play" in the snow. When they came inside their noses were pink, and their clothes coated with snow like a donut with powdered sugar. "Hot cocoa, hot cocoa", they cried. No problem, easy enough request. Wait, no, the packet of hot cocoa is processed on equipment that processed wheat. Once again the seemingly easy becomes not so easy. I decided to pull down the canister of Ghirardelli cocoa, and make the hot cocoa recipe on the back. Hot cocoa became easy once again. Once you try making cocoa from scratch, you will never go back to the packet. There is a richness which cannot compare to the boxed stuff.

I can't say the day was exactly idyllic, moral begins to break down by early afternoon, but while all the kids were gathered around the kitchen table drinking their hot cocoa, they were quiet and content. So make yourself a cup of cocoa and embrace your snow day!

It's worth buying better quality unsweetened cocoa powder. I think Ghirardelli natural unsweetened cocoa is the best you can get in the supermarket. It's not much more than Hershey's, and if you put the two side by side you can't help but see the difference in color and richness of texture. There is also a type of cocoa called Dutch processed, which contains alkali. For an easy primer on dutch cocoa versus plain, click here. For this recipe, you can use either.

Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate

1 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup milk (dairy, soy, rice, coconut)

Whisk together first two ingredients in a small saucepan. Add the milk, whisk together until blended. Heat over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until small bubbles appear on the surface. Whisk occasionally while heating. Serve immediately, garnished with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired.

Microwave method: Mix cocoa and sugar and set aside. Pour milk into a mug and heat on high for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir in cocoa mixture.

Serves 1

Swap This!

BS"D

I feel like every magazine this time of year has a cover story on cookie swaps. These are parties where groups of people get together and bring several dozen of one kind of cookie, and a large container. Then they each take a few of the other people's cookies, resulting in a stunning array of goodies without doing all the work to make such a variety. People often try to show their personal best at these affairs, either by bringing elaborately decorated cookies or outrageously delectable ones. But once again, these parties are gluten fests for which the Celiac doesn't benefit.

As I peruse the the recipes the home magazines give, usually accompanied by a lush photo spread, I "tsk, tsk" to myself that they are train wrecks for the food sensitive--full of eggs, nuts, wheat flour and butter. But can you expect much more from the "non-sensitive world"? Then every so often, I will serendipitously come across a recipe that works well with gluten free flour subbed for "regular" all-purpose flour. Butter in these recipes is easily switched with non-dairy margarine, ditto for milk. Occasionally, I will even find a recipe that is egg less--then I'm dancing in the streets!

Below, I am presenting two sweet treats that no-one will even suspect are gluten and allergen free. They are stand outs on their own. If you are bringing them to a cookie swap, or putting them on a buffet or platter with gluten-ful goodies, I suggest wrapping them in cellophane bags with a ribbon bow. This will keep them uncontaminated while attractively presented. Holiday's are especially difficult times for the food sensitive, with all the celebrations and gatherings that include festive foods. But with a little creativity no one has to be left out!



This recipe was adapted from a cookie contest winner in the January 2011 Cook's Country Magazine. The nuts in the recipe are optional, and the cookie is totally fine without them. You may want to mix up the types of chips you use (i.e. white chocolate or cinnamon flavor), as long as the total equals 1 1/2 cups. Judging by the look on the faces of those that have eaten these bars, they are truly bliss!

Chocolate-Cherry Bliss Bars

1 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum* (such as Jules' brand)
1 1/2 sticks non-dairy margarine (such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks), chilled, cut into cubes
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (light brown works fine too)
1/4 granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted**
1/2 cup gluten-free old fashioned oats
1- 12 ounce jar cherry preserves
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted** (optional)


Pre-heat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, with 3 inches of foil hanging over the edge of the pan. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, margarine, sugars, salt and cinnamon until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a medium sized mixing bowl, and stir in coconut and oats. Reserve 3/4 cup of mixture, and press remaining mixture into prepared pan. Bake 15-18 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Spread jam over warm crust. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts (if using), top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Cool on wire rack, about 1 hour. Lift cookies out of pan using foil sling or parchment paper. Place on flat surface, and cut into 24 bars. Store in airtight container.

Yield: 2 dozen bar cookies

*If your flour blend doesn't include xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum to dry ingredients

**To toast coconut or nuts: Spread coconut in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown, turning occasionally. Coconut can go from
brown to burnt quickly, so keep checking it.

Anyone who has seen snow in New York City needs no explanation for the name of these cookies. This recipe was inspired by one in a Joanne Fluke mystery.

New York City Snowballs

1 cup (2 sticks) non-dairy margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond or mocha extract (optional)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum* (such as Jules' brand or Better Batter)

1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut or finely chopped nuts (or half of each)

Confectioner's sugar

Pre-heat oven to 325F degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together margarine and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla extract, cocoa and salt. Mix until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour in 3 additions, blended well after each addition. Stir in coconut or nuts.

Dampen fingers, and roll dough into walnut sized balls. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm. Switch cookie sheets halfway through baking time.

Allow cookies to cool a few minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely (at least 30 minutes).

Place confectioner's sugar in a small bowl. Roll cooled cookies in confectioner's sugar. Store in covered container.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

*If your flour blend doesn't include xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum to dry ingredients

Donut Mix-Up

BS"D

During the holiday's it can be especially difficult to find substitutes for ones family's tried and true recipes and memory evoking foods. For example, giving a child a store bought gluten free cookie is no substitute for freshly made sufganiyot, the fried jelly donuts traditionally eaten at Chanukah time. To me it is especially important to have nice gluten free and allergy free options at home, since there are so many parties at school (and elsewhere this time of year) where my kids need to bring their own food. I want them to feel caught up in the festivities like everyone else. And, let's face it, inevitably food contributes to the celebration.

Last year I thought I was really clever when I discovered a shortcut to make great gluten free donuts---gluten free pizza dough mix! I used Whole Foods 365 brand, and it was great. I came to this by dusting off an old syllogism I learned in college (if, then, therefore). I remembered reading that Paula Deen's mother made donuts from refrigerator biscuits (the kind you buy in the tube), and I thought the gluten free pizza dough mix yielded a biscuit like crust, therefore it may also yield a decent donut. And, it did just that.The only thing I did different than the package directions was add an extra 1/4 cup sugar. They fried up beautifully in 350 degree oil. I used a pastry bag to fill them with strawberry jam, and put out melted chocolate and confectioner's sugar for toppings. Lillie loved them!!!

So what a disappointment on the first night of Chanukah this year, when I took the remaining box of 365 Pizza Dough Mix out of the cabinet and mixed up the contents only to find that it had a weird smell. Checking the box I saw to my chagrin it had expired a while back. Yikes. The clock was ticking and I had a kid with a special diet who I didn't want to disappoint on the first night of Chanukah. To add insult to injury, I used all my eggs on the rotten mix. I frantically thought and remembered the box of Gluten Free Bisquick I had in my fridge. I remembered once seeing a recipe for Bisquick donuts with the non GF variety. I quickly went to the Betty Crocker site and did a search, no luck. A Google search finally yielded the recipe. My nice and ever prepared neighbor lent me another dozen eggs, and I set to work with a prayer on my lips that this would work. I had to add more liquid to the GF version, but they came out lovely. One advantage of the Bisquick donuts over the pizza crust version is that they stayed soft even the next day. Gluten free baked goods often harden when not eaten fresh. But Lillie was able to take one in her lunch for a party at school! So for this mother, I found that necessity is indeed the mother of invention!

As a postscript you may be wondering what Rosie ate, as the donuts contained egg, I have a little secret I use to make super easy eggless and vegan (but glutenny) donuts. E-mail me at the address on the right if you would like to know!

If latkes are your thing, pretty much any recipe will work, just substitute potato starch or any gluten free all-purpose blend for the flour or matzo meal called for in the recipe. As an egg substitute, you can use Ener-G Egg Replacer, or 1 Tablespoon potato starch dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water. This acts like a "glue" to keep the latke together.

If sugar cookies are your thing, I tried Better Batter's Vegan Sugar Cookie recipe this year. It came out nice, but not as sweet as I would like, although the kids didn't seem to care. Sugar cookies are more about the process than the end result in my opinion---especially if you're 4 years old. It seemed as if it would work great in a spritz press though, just don't refrigerate first.

Happy Holidays!

The gluten free version of Bisquick is dairy free as well---a nice plus in my opinion. I call these "anything fritters", as you can add just about anything to them, such as grated apple or zucchini, or sliced bananas. They are easy to make and delicious to fresh and hot.

Gluten Free Bisquick Donuts

2 cups gluten free Bisquick

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup rice, soy or dairy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Confectioner's sugar

In a large mixing bowl, mix together first 6 ingredients. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if mixture is very thick. Cover and refrigerate until oil heats.

Meanwhile, heat 3 inches of oil in a large pot on medium-high (375 degrees) heat. To test readiness of oil, drop a walnut size piece of dough into hot oil. If it floats and small bubbles appear around it, the dough is ready. Using two tablespoons, scoop up batter in one and push it off the spoon with the other into the oil. Don't crowd the pot. Fry only 2 or 3 donuts at a time. Using a slotted spoon, turn donuts when they appear golden. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove donuts to a paper towel lined plate and drain well. Repeat until all batter is used up.

Hint: Put a two inch piece of peeled carrot into the boiling oil to soak up all the yucky brown stuff that appears when frying. It keeps the oil clear and your donuts looking good.

Allow donuts to cool for 5 minutes. Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, fill donuts with jam. Place confectioner's sugar in sieve and sprinkle over donuts. Best served warm. Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Yield: 1 dozen small or 9 large donuts.

Make and Take

BS"D

Well another major holiday season is upon us, and that makes me nervous. Anytime I have to take the kids out for meals or any food related celebration at another's home. I run through the usual concerns in my mind: will there be items they can eat, will they be victims of cross contamination, will I hear the "no fair" blues from them? But, as I illustrated in a previous post, there are tips I can offer to make your experience more pleasant.

1) Be Pushy

I'm not one to elbow my way to the front of a buffet line, no matter how hungry I am, but in the case of food sensitivities it is important to be served first in order to lessen the chance for cross contamination. If you don't believe me, observe a buffet table and I will guarantee you will see someone serve themselves glutenny stuffing and then stick the same spoon in the carrots (otherwise permissible). Even better, ask your host if you can make up a plate for your child in the kitchen before the food even hits the table.

Discuss with older children what their options are on the table. Although you may wish that your protective wings will always be spread over your children, they won't. At some point your children will have to go out into the world and be in charge of their own illness or allergy. This is a good opportunity for them to test the waters.

If your grandmother tells you that little Susie can have "just one of her special nut crescents; it won't hurt her". You have to politely and firmly educate grandma and reiterate that one nut crescent, however delicious, is one too many.

2) Be Clear

You should definitely speak to your hosts beforehand so that they know the special dietary needs of your family members. Whether they do anything special is another story. Don't resent them if they don't. Some people are very confused when it comes to food allergies and celiac disease. They are afraid of "messing up", so they prefer that you bring your own food. This is fine, and in many cases preferable in my opinion. On the other end of the spectrum you have those that want to try really hard to accommodate special dietary needs, but fall short. For example, once I spoke to a hostess and told her I would like to bring meals for two of my children. She was adamant that she would be able to provide food for them. We discussed that in the context of her planned menu, she would leave a couple of pieces of chicken plain for the girls. When dinner was served she said, "Ooops! I totally forgot. But I made the sauce myself (that's on all the chicken), it's just honey and mustard, nothing else." That's lovely except Rosie is allergic to mustard.

For Thanksgiving you may have a situation where the host seems to understand your needs, but goes ahead and puts flour in the turkey baking bag (as is suggested by the manufacturer---sub-potato starch by the way), either forgetting about the gluten issues, or thinking that doesn't "count". Well, it does and you must be clear about everything.

3) Bring a Dish

If your hostess' husband decides to pour the gravy (thickened with flour--again sub-potato or cornstarch) over all the turkey which your very diligent hostess made otherwise gluten free, you are out of luck for a main course. So, it is a good idea to bring a dish that is filling, and everyone can enjoy. Just be careful, as above, about cross contamination once the dish hits the table. I also like to bring an extra special, showstopping dessert. I feel this makes Lillie and Rosie feel less bad about not being able to eat everything on the table. In addition, for children their ages, desserts are a big deal. At holiday time, they are often extra special offerings, so I want to ensure they feel included and satisfied.

Overall, it is not impossible to eat at others homes and enjoy the camaraderie and festivity of celebrations, but you must do your homework beforehand, and not let down your guard at the actual event.

Happy Eating!

This corn pudding is both gluten free and vegan. You may substitute one large egg for the cornstarch mixture, which will render it vegetarian, but not vegan. This is a hearty and homey side dish, and can be a filling main course for those who forgo meat on Thanksgiving.

Vegan Corn Pudding (Spoon Bread)

2 Tablespoons non-dairy margarine (such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

3/4 cup gluten-free yellow cornmeal*

1/4 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend or oat flour (gluten free certified oats only)

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (or agave nectar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons warm water

1- 15-ounce can non-dairy cream style corn (such as Green Giant brand)

1-11-ounce can whole sweet corn, drained (frozen corn, thawed or steamed, fresh may be used)

1/4 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot sauce (or any that is gluten free)

2 Tablespoons jarred or canned sliced jalapeno peppers, drained and chopped (optional)

1 1/2 cups soy or rice milk (reduce by 1/4 cup if a more cornbready texture is desired)

*Note: I didn't have gluten free cornmeal on hand, so I used gluten free dry polenta (corn grits), which I ground finer in the food processor. Cornmeal has the same contamination problem as oats, so be sure to buy one that is marked gluten free. You can also use Ener-G brand Corn Mix.

Pre-heat oven to 375F degrees. Place margarine in a 9x9 or 8x8 square pan and place in oven until melted. If you are using Pyrex, this may be done in a microwave. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add next five ingredients until well blended. Whisk in soy milk.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for one hour, or until top appears golden brown, no longer moist, and slightly cracked. Serve warm.

Yield: 8-10 servings

The Best we could do

BS"D

I stared down at the finished cake on the counter in front of me. Instead of looking like the beloved image of Minnie Mouse I had known since I was a child, a slightly crazed looking cartoon mouse stared back at me. It reminded me of "Itchy and Scratchy", The Simpsons' slightly crazed version of the iconic "Tom and Jerry". I sighed and said to myself, "It's the best I could do, and I just hope it's the best cake a four year old has ever seen." It was late and I had spent an hour decorating the cake that Rosie had requested for her birthday. Not to mention the hour it took to bake, plus the time spent going to the store to buy the mold, and the time researching a vegan and gluten-free recipe which will satisfy all my children's needs. I thought back to how I once stayed up until 1:30 am, with a sinus infection, 8 months pregnant to decorate a 3-dimensional duck cake for Lillie's second birthday. If that's not love, I don't know what is!

I looked down at the kitchen floor and debated whether to mop it. I easily decided against it, as I would have nearly over a dozen four year olds tramping across it the next day. The living room was strewn with toys and Daisie's clothes, which she now changes at will for seemingly no reason several times a day. Posie slept peacefully in her swing as I debated what I could do to make the house look presentable before she woke up and demanded my attention, possibly until the wee hours of the morning. I sighed. It will just have to do, and laughingly thought I'll just try and keep the parents at the door, the kids won't care how my house looks. Finding it impossible to be a perfectionist these days, even if I wanted to, I decided it's just the best I could do. And, I think that's the most anyone should expect from any parent. When I had my first child, a friend of mine, who is a child psychologist, told me about the "Good Enough Parent" concept. Gone are the days of perfect parents imagined in the Dr. Spock era. Followed onto the trash heap are the overindulgent yuppie parents who tried to not only be perfect themselves, but also to make perfect children (all probably ending up in intensive pshycotherapy BTW). Nowadays just being good enough is enough. What a great concept! When you have a child with special needs for which you try to compensate, I think the idea of trying to do everything perfect in the act of compensation is quite prevalent. For me, my child has to have the perfect gluten free cupcake in order that she doesn't feel different from all her other classmates eating bakery cupcakes. I've been searching for the perfect gluten free bread so that Lillie can have a decent sandwich at lunchtime. It can be tough, but ultimately I think it's only as tough as we make it for ourselves. Recently I spoke with a parent who was in the process of going gluten free for her son. I ran into the woman dropping her son off at the first birthday party he was attending as a gluten free eater. She took out his permitted snacks, then told me she ran into technical difficulty trying to make a gluten free pizza for her son. It was so important to her that he could have the same thing as everyone else for lunch at the party. She had spent all morning on the endeavor only to end up empty handed. She felt slightly defeated and greatly frustrated. The mother told me she was running over to our local pizza shop to get him an order of fries in order that he would have something special for the party. "But" I said anxiously as she had one leg in her car, "they fry the breaded onion rings and mozzarella sticks in the same oil--it's not really gluten free!" She froze and looked like she might either strangle me or cry or both. I instantly felt bad. "It is good enough for now" she said. I didn't disagree.

As I watched the kids at Rosie's party chomp on their cake without any indication they knew it was gluten free or vegan, I thought that we're often harder on ourselves than we believe others are of us. We're our own "toughest customers". At the end of the day, a smile on our child's face is the biggest indicator that we are "good enough"!

I discovered a fabulous new recipe book called The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. It has recipes that are gluten, wheat, dairy, egg, soy , peanut, tree nut and sesame free. It is my new baking bible. The page for chocolate cake is already batter streaked and worn. Run, don't walk, to buy this book! The author calls for using her own flour blend, but as I had difficulty finding the ingredients required, I substituted Jules All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend, and it worked beautifully.

Chocolate Layer Cake

from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, p.p. 106-107

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour blend (see note above)
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (if not included in flour blend already)
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 1/4 cup rice milk
1 1/4 cups rice milk
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups warm water

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line with cutout parchment paper, grease again, and dust with a little cocoa powder (or just spray with Pam).

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the egg replacer, rice milk, canola oil, vanilla, and warm water and beat on medium-low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.

5. Bake in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Bake until the cake is pulling away slightly from the sides of the pans and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. Let cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Cover the cake pan with a large plate, flip, peel off the parchment paper, and flip the cake back onto the rack, right side up, to cool completely. Repeat with the other cake. Frost as desired. Store covered.