Bob Red's Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies
I tried making these today with a 3 year old. We had fun, and she was able to help a lot, which was the point! However, it could be because we didn't use raisins, or just because they are gluten free, but there was defiantly a "different" taste to them. I cannot quite place my finger on what it is or isn't, but they are not really like the oatmeal cookies grandma used to make!
(Photo to come soon!)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
I &hearts, the grill!
I love the grill. For the first time in my life I grilled out last night. I have always had a secret fear of the grill. The thought of open flames and the huge tank of propane has always made me a little leery of it! I love, love, love grilled veggies, however, so I put my fear behind me and along with the guidance of How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques, I set out on my mission.
Prepping the veggies was easy, I choose asparagus and corn on the cob. I also grilled chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
I was super nervous starting the grill. I re-read the instructions on the inside panel again. I could hear the neighbors across the fence, a bunch of women were gathering on the back deck. Oh great! This would be the night to have people over, "here come watch this girl blow up our neighborhood"! I ignored the chattering and started up the grill.
Turns out grilling is easy! My one issue was that I didn't realize how to let the grill heat up, and it took longer than planned. Other than that it was great!
How was the food? Too good! The asparagus didnt even make the plate, so obviously no pictures were taken, haha!
Any good grilling veggies? Send them my way! Yum, yum :)
Prepping the veggies was easy, I choose asparagus and corn on the cob. I also grilled chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
I was super nervous starting the grill. I re-read the instructions on the inside panel again. I could hear the neighbors across the fence, a bunch of women were gathering on the back deck. Oh great! This would be the night to have people over, "here come watch this girl blow up our neighborhood"! I ignored the chattering and started up the grill.
Turns out grilling is easy! My one issue was that I didn't realize how to let the grill heat up, and it took longer than planned. Other than that it was great!
How was the food? Too good! The asparagus didnt even make the plate, so obviously no pictures were taken, haha!
Any good grilling veggies? Send them my way! Yum, yum :)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Babycakes Blondies..my epic failure to live up to the Babycakes way!
Ever have a recipe stuck in your mind and you know that you just cant live your life any longer until you just try it? That is how I have been with the Blondies in Erin McKenna's gluten free cookbook, Babycakes. Ever since I stumbled upon this cookbook last year I have been a little bit obsessed. I love it. I love the wording, the photography, the history of the bakery itself. I guess I secretly wish that I too was a part of the Babycakes Bakery. (Sigh..) So, by trying to recreate their deliciousness I am living vicariously through them.
I do have a few problems when it comes to living out my Babycakes fantasy. The first problem is the expense. (I don't make a lot of money, in fact today I was sitting back pondering the idea of someday moving out of an apartment and was hit with the awful fact that it may never happen for me.) If you have ever shopped gluten free you can understand my frustration, where a disgusting loaf of store brand white bread can cost a mere .99 on sale, a loaf of gluten free bread located in the freezer department can average around $5-6. Same goes with baking ingredients, and especially for this cookbook as it is also dairy, egg and mostly sugar free. I went to the local co-op to purchase most of the items needed for this particular recipe. It called for vegan chocolate chips. When I looked at the price I wanted to say "no thanks, Tollhouse will do!". Then I remembered you can buy that type of thing in the bulk food section to save money. Perfect. I found a few of the other ingredients I needed over there as well. After carefully selecting what I needed and scooping what I hope is a cup of the chocolate into a little plastic baggie I begin weighing my purchases. There is a woman behind me waiting to weigh her oats or whatever. I smile politely, as the machine is dispersing my stickers. Really I want her to notice the unique variety of baking supplies I am getting. Then perhaps she would comment on it, and then I would say something like, "I mainly bake gluten free and dairy free." Then she would be impressed and go on to tell me how she just doesn't have the time, yada, yada.
That did not happen, instead the woman impatiently tapping her foot, interrupted my daydream by asking if I intended to weigh my evaporated cane sugar twice. I apologized and went on my way. Glancing down at the stickers I walked to the checkout. How much was that cup of vegan chocolate? $2.40. I ignore it, and once again resume my role as Melissa, baker extraordinaire, reach the check out and had over an hours worth of work for five measly things.
My second issue with Babycakes? I fail. I am a failure. I have hopelessly failed 4 recipes from the book and semi-succeeded in the pumpkin muffins. That means all that ingredients that I worked so hard to buy is literally washed down the drain. This frustrates the crap out of me! I will admit failure in a few areas of my life, but in the kitchen? Argh!
This is the problem I ran into with the blondies. If you look up the recipe, or have the cookbook, you will notice you are to bake them in mini muffin tins that are greased with coconut oil. I greased, trust me I did! Every single one stuck in the tin. Grr.. So for tin number two I was smart, I greased and I floured. I used brown rice flour because it was the closest thing to me and I was in somewhat of a rage! Luckily they didn't stick this time. They also didn't come out all cute like the picture in the cookbook either. When all was said and done 2 out of 36 came out of the tin presentably. Next time, if there is a next time, I will try muffin cups or something!
My next adventure? The banana bread! I have failed it twice, I REFUSE to give up! It looks so pretty in the picture...
Oh gheez, I really do live in a fantasy land!
I do have a few problems when it comes to living out my Babycakes fantasy. The first problem is the expense. (I don't make a lot of money, in fact today I was sitting back pondering the idea of someday moving out of an apartment and was hit with the awful fact that it may never happen for me.) If you have ever shopped gluten free you can understand my frustration, where a disgusting loaf of store brand white bread can cost a mere .99 on sale, a loaf of gluten free bread located in the freezer department can average around $5-6. Same goes with baking ingredients, and especially for this cookbook as it is also dairy, egg and mostly sugar free. I went to the local co-op to purchase most of the items needed for this particular recipe. It called for vegan chocolate chips. When I looked at the price I wanted to say "no thanks, Tollhouse will do!". Then I remembered you can buy that type of thing in the bulk food section to save money. Perfect. I found a few of the other ingredients I needed over there as well. After carefully selecting what I needed and scooping what I hope is a cup of the chocolate into a little plastic baggie I begin weighing my purchases. There is a woman behind me waiting to weigh her oats or whatever. I smile politely, as the machine is dispersing my stickers. Really I want her to notice the unique variety of baking supplies I am getting. Then perhaps she would comment on it, and then I would say something like, "I mainly bake gluten free and dairy free." Then she would be impressed and go on to tell me how she just doesn't have the time, yada, yada.
That did not happen, instead the woman impatiently tapping her foot, interrupted my daydream by asking if I intended to weigh my evaporated cane sugar twice. I apologized and went on my way. Glancing down at the stickers I walked to the checkout. How much was that cup of vegan chocolate? $2.40. I ignore it, and once again resume my role as Melissa, baker extraordinaire, reach the check out and had over an hours worth of work for five measly things.
My second issue with Babycakes? I fail. I am a failure. I have hopelessly failed 4 recipes from the book and semi-succeeded in the pumpkin muffins. That means all that ingredients that I worked so hard to buy is literally washed down the drain. This frustrates the crap out of me! I will admit failure in a few areas of my life, but in the kitchen? Argh!
This is the problem I ran into with the blondies. If you look up the recipe, or have the cookbook, you will notice you are to bake them in mini muffin tins that are greased with coconut oil. I greased, trust me I did! Every single one stuck in the tin. Grr.. So for tin number two I was smart, I greased and I floured. I used brown rice flour because it was the closest thing to me and I was in somewhat of a rage! Luckily they didn't stick this time. They also didn't come out all cute like the picture in the cookbook either. When all was said and done 2 out of 36 came out of the tin presentably. Next time, if there is a next time, I will try muffin cups or something!
My next adventure? The banana bread! I have failed it twice, I REFUSE to give up! It looks so pretty in the picture...
Oh gheez, I really do live in a fantasy land!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Happy Birthday Emily
My Grandma's birthday was this week.
In honor of her big day I am writing this blog and sharing this recipe! :)
When I was a little girl I would spend a week in the summer at my grandparent's little cottage in Canada. The first summer that my parents had me go visit I was a little hesitant. I was seven and had not spent a whole lot of time with my dad's parents. It only took me a day or two to get used to the cabin life. I soon was busing myself with helping my grandma in the kitchen and my grandpa in his garden. I was a very imaginative child and it didn't take long for grandma and grandpa to play along. My Grandma's pretend name was Emily, I was Jennifer and Grandpa was Mr. P. My Grandpa taught me about gardening and driving a boat. My Grandma would get out little trinkets and things that belonged to her as a child. I always felt very special to share that with her. One of my favorites was her child's cookbook called Kitchen Fun. (I recently found my own copy at a thrift store and was ecstatic!) I will never forget my summer's up north, and I hope that my grandparents wont either. I bet they never imagined what they were getting themselves into when their eldest son dropped a scrawny blond seven year old at their doorstep twenty years ago!
I have always had good intentions of writing about my adventures in Canada. I have been wanting to put it into a book for years. As I got older I kept journals of my trips too. Someday...
Well Grandma, (or should I say Emily), this is for you! My favorite recipe from Kitchen Fun, even though it's not gluten free. :( Happy Birthday!
In honor of her big day I am writing this blog and sharing this recipe! :)
When I was a little girl I would spend a week in the summer at my grandparent's little cottage in Canada. The first summer that my parents had me go visit I was a little hesitant. I was seven and had not spent a whole lot of time with my dad's parents. It only took me a day or two to get used to the cabin life. I soon was busing myself with helping my grandma in the kitchen and my grandpa in his garden. I was a very imaginative child and it didn't take long for grandma and grandpa to play along. My Grandma's pretend name was Emily, I was Jennifer and Grandpa was Mr. P. My Grandpa taught me about gardening and driving a boat. My Grandma would get out little trinkets and things that belonged to her as a child. I always felt very special to share that with her. One of my favorites was her child's cookbook called Kitchen Fun. (I recently found my own copy at a thrift store and was ecstatic!) I will never forget my summer's up north, and I hope that my grandparents wont either. I bet they never imagined what they were getting themselves into when their eldest son dropped a scrawny blond seven year old at their doorstep twenty years ago!
I have always had good intentions of writing about my adventures in Canada. I have been wanting to put it into a book for years. As I got older I kept journals of my trips too. Someday...
Well Grandma, (or should I say Emily), this is for you! My favorite recipe from Kitchen Fun, even though it's not gluten free. :( Happy Birthday!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Plain old Joe!
I'm a black girl.
No I don't mean African American, I am referring to my coffee selection. I usually never put anything in my cup of joe. However if I am going to indulge it is a triple grande soy sugar free vanilla latte. YUMM...
Today I was browsing through the grocery store and I saw the international delights creamer was on sale for .99. (CREAMER, seriously Melissa? That stuff is like liquid sin! What can I say...I was weak! ) They have one called Vanilla Latte, so I figured what the heck? It beats spending $4 on coffee at Starbucks. I bought it.
I got home, made a pot of coffee and added my creamer...NOT IMPRESSED. What a waste of .99!
Like I said...I'm a black girl.
No I don't mean African American, I am referring to my coffee selection. I usually never put anything in my cup of joe. However if I am going to indulge it is a triple grande soy sugar free vanilla latte. YUMM...
Today I was browsing through the grocery store and I saw the international delights creamer was on sale for .99. (CREAMER, seriously Melissa? That stuff is like liquid sin! What can I say...I was weak! ) They have one called Vanilla Latte, so I figured what the heck? It beats spending $4 on coffee at Starbucks. I bought it.
I got home, made a pot of coffee and added my creamer...NOT IMPRESSED. What a waste of .99!
Like I said...I'm a black girl.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Thursday, November 26, 2009
what i did wrong!
And now I figured out what I did wrong!
http://www.babycakesnyc.com/2009/11/publishers-weekly-just-posted-an.html
http://www.babycakesnyc.com/2009/11/publishers-weekly-just-posted-an.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)