Friday, November 30, 2012

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix review...

Hi everyone. Sorry I was off the web for quite a few days, I came down with a virus and I am just getting back into the grove of things as you can see.
I actually felt well enough today to conjure up some gluten free chocolate cupcakes using one of Betty Crocker's gluten free cupcake mixes. After days of chicken soup and toast I needed a change, and since chocolate is my weakness, I tried a mix I had on hand from Betty Crocker.
You might remember that my husband recently joined me in my gluten free journey a few months back, and although he is not as much of a "sweet' lover as I am, I was actually afraid I wasn't going to even get to try any of these delightful morsels. He asked for one the minute they came out of  the oven, and within a hours time another two had disappeared from the cooling rack as I waited for them to cool enough to ice.
I have to tip my hat to Betty Crocker on this one! Although the mix only makes one dozen cupcakes it was well worth every dime spent...My husband said they were the best cupcakes he has ever eaten, and I have to agree they were as good as he said, when I finally got to try one.
I also used Betty Crocker's Cream Cheese icing to decorate the remaining few, and the blend of flavors was simply divine. The cupcakes were moist, fluffy, and filled with a rich chocolate flavor.
They are as simple to make as any regular cake mix and just as tasty. I am now anxious to try their other Gluten Free products which include a  Vanilla Cake mix, Brownie mix, and Chocolate Cookie Mix. I have a few Christmas ideas for these mixes in mind which I will share with you in time to try for the Holidays! Mmmmmmmm....

Ingredients:
Sugar, rice flour, potato starch, cocoa processed with alkali, tapioca starch, leavening( baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate ) salt, guar gum, soy flour.

Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed these.
P.S. Sorry there is no photo....They didn't last long enough to take one!!!!!!!
Rating 5 Stars 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Are Egg Beaters Gluten Free?

Before I had posted the recipe for the delicious Crustless Thanksgiving Pie, which originally called for egg beaters instead of regular eggs,  I had contacted the company to find out if egg beaters were indeed gluten free. Since I hadn't heard back from them in time for pie making over the holiday, I used real eggs, which made the pie come out excellent by the way, but I did receive a email from the company upon my return that I would like to share...
 
 
Sharon,
 
Thank you for your email concerning our Egg Beaters.

We understand how important it is for people who have been medically diagnosed with gluten sensitivity to obtain accurate information about our food to help plan their meals and diets. And we continue to look for ways to meet the dietary needs of our consumers.

Since wheat is a major food allergen, if it is used in the product it would be listed in the contains statement following the ingredients list. The flour used in many of our products is wheat flour and you should avoid these products if you have gluten sensitivities. If any ingredient in the product includes rye or barley, it will be listed in parentheses immediately following the ingredient. Oats do not contain gluten, but they frequently have been exposed to wheat or barley and are not recommended for Celiac patients. If Natural Flavors, Artificial Flavors, or Spices listed in the ingredients list contain wheat, rye or barley, these ingredients would be listed in parenthesis immediately following the ingredient. Some fermented or distilled products such as vinegar may be derived from wheat. Most of the vinegar in our products is distilled and through the distilling process protein gluten is removed.

Starting January of 2012, we began producing the following brands validated as gluten-free with gluten-free printed on their labels:


-Cocoa: Swiss Miss all varieties
-Egg Beaters: all varieties-Tomatoes: Hunt's all varieties (excluding Pasta Sauces, Tomato Sauces and Ketchup's)
-Orville Redenbacher's: all Ready to Eat varieties
-Pudding: Swiss Miss & Snack Pack, excludes those containing Tapioca

Below is a list of some of our other products that do not contain added gluten*

Category/Brand/Items:

-PAM Cooking Spray: all varieties except PAM Baking
-Hebrew National: all items except Franks in a Blanket
-Wesson oils: all varieties
-Peter Pan Peanut Butter: all varieties
-Popcorn: Act II microwave, Orville Redenbacher jar and microwave, excluding Crunch n Munch and Poppycock
-Spreads: Parkay, Blue Bonnet, Fleischmann's and Move Over Butter
-David Seeds: all varieties
-Tomato Sauces: Hunt's tomato paste and sauces excluding pasta sauces
-Ketchup: Hunt's all varieties
-Reddi-Whip: all varieties
-Ro*Tel Tomatoes (excluding sauces)

*These items have been identified as not containing gluten. They are not currently routinely tested to affirm they contain less than 20ppm gluten for a 'gluten-free' claim.

We always advise consumers who may have sensitivities to recheck the ingredient list on each package. Products are oftentimes reformulated and the ingredients may change. If you have additional questions about your personal dietary needs, please consult your doctor or a registered dietitian.


Christine
Consumer Affairs Representative
ConAgra Foods
Case: 61320050

If you have any questions or concerns about any of their products you may contact them at the number listed (1-877-266-2472) or visit them at this site: http://www.congrafoods.com

Most companies will answer any questions or concerns that you are unsure of, if you will contact them.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday, and as always....Have a GREAT wheat free day!!!
Sharon


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Holiday Baking Ingredients...

If you are fairly new to gluten free holiday baking, as I am, then you know how hard it can be sorting and reading through labels on all those baking products needed to make your favorite cookies and other holiday treats into gluten free.. I have added a list of  just a few of the most used  gluten free ingredients needed in making those beautiful Holiday delicacies. I hope the list helps to make your holiday baking a little easier this year, and  that you can use the time saved to spend with friends and family!.


  Jellies, Peanut Butters & Spreads:
  
   Polaner All Fruit
Jiff Peanut butter-all types
Skippy Peanut butter-creamy, crunchy, reduced fat, and roasted honey nut
Smuckers Jellies and Jams
Smuckers All Fruit
Smuckers Natural Peanut butter
Welch’s Grape jelly and jam
Marshmallow Fluff
 
Molasses and Karo:
 
Brer Rabbit Molasses
Grandma’s molasses
Karo corn syrups-light and dark
 
Butters, Shortenings, Oils, Spreads, and Sprays:
 
Cabot Butter
Cabot Whipped Butter
Crisco Oil
Crisco Shortening-regular and butter
Fleishman’s Light Margarine
Mazola oils and sprays
Smart Balance Shortening and Cooking Spray
Smart Balance Buttery Spread
I Can’t believe it’s not Butter, -all types
Benecol spread (reg and light)
Land O Lakes butter-salted, unsalted and whipped (NOTE: light butter is NOT gluten free)
 
Sour Creams, Yogurts:
 
Axelrod sour cream
Cabot Sour Cream-regular and lite
Columbo yogurts-fat free, light, low fat, classic
Yoplait yogurts-original, light, thick and creamy, whips, go gurts, smoothies
Axelrod Yogurt
Dannon plain yogurt-low fat, nonfat, natural
Dannon Dan Active plain yogurt
 
 
Baking Goods/milks:
 
Carnation Evaporated and Fat Free Evaporated Milk
Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
Thai Kitchen Light Coconut Milk
Thai Kitchen Premium Coconut Milk
A Taste of Thai Coconut Milk

 
Sugars and Misc:
 
Arm and Hammer Baking Soda
Domino’s sugar-brown-light and dark, confectionery, and granulated white
Fleishmann’s Yeast
Splenda Sweetener
 
 
Chocolate and Chocolate chips:
 
Hershey’s chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, baking chips
Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa, unsweetened baking bar,
bittersweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips,
semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and baking bar
 
 
Spices and Extracts:
 
McCormick’s extracts (all flavors, pure and imitation)
McCormick’s spices (not blends)
McCormick’s food color
Real Lemon and Real lime juice
Nestles Toll House morsels
Betty Crocker candy sprinkles
Betty Crocker Neon decorating gels
Splenda Sweetener
Durkee Spices
 
Pie Fillings:
 
Comstock pie fillings-all flavors 
Lucky leaf pie fillings
Libby’s pure pumpkin

* As always it is up to the individual to read labels to make sure that products used in recipes posted are gluten free, as companies do change ingredients from time to time.

* Splenda...There are no gluten containing, grain based ingredients derived from wheat, rye, or barley, nor any ingredients derived from oats, used to produce SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener (sucralose) or the SPLENDA® Sweetener Products. However they do not test their finished products for the presence of gluten.

As always have a great wheat free day!
Sharon

Friday, November 16, 2012

Crustless Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie...


Ingredients:


1 - 15 ounce can Libby's Pumpkin puree...not pie filling
1  - 12 ounce can Carnations fat free evaporated milk
3-  egg whites
1 tsp  Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves)
2/3 C Splenda for baking

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Prepare 9" glass pie dish by spraying with Smart Balance cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth and well blended. Pour mixture into prepared pie dish.
Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes; reduce oven to 325 F and bake for additional  45 minutes, or until a knife  inserted in the center comes out clean.

 Allow to cool completely for several hours before slicing.

* Splenda...There are no gluten containing, grain based ingredients derived from wheat, rye, or barley, nor any ingredients derived from oats, used to produce SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener (sucralose) or the SPLENDA® Sweetener Products. However we do not test our finished products for the presence of gluten.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Thanksgiving Gingerbread Cake

It is 4:44 in the morning and although I am tired I just can not sleep with all the thoughts running through my mind. My husbands job has brought us to sunny Tennessee and I will be here for two weeks, of which one has already passed.

I am not an early bird by nature, but since my husband is working twelve hour days, up at 3 AM each morning, and we are staying in a RV for the duration of the visit, it is hard not to be woken during his morning routine of getting ready for the day. I prefer to stay up late and sleep in, not the case as of late!

I decided instead of tossing and turning that I would simply post on the blog. Since I haven't had my computer up and running for over a week I have much catching up to do. I have hundreds of emails to sort through and answer, and I find that the products I need to sample and review will all have to wait until I return home, as RV life is somewhat of a challenge when it comes to cooking!!!

My first attempt at baking a pre-made GF pizza in the tiniest of ovens

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Katz Gluten Free storm and shipping update...

Hi all. I just received this email from Katz and thought I should share with those of you who have possibly placed orders.

To all our valued customers:

Unfortunately
Katz Gluten Free has been affected by the Storm that has passed through the Northeast.

Buckwheat - Gluten Free -- Grass Free

 Buckwheat, which is actually not in the wheat family at all, has somehow gotten a bad rap over the years. I personally have avoided it basi...