When I was in Atlanta over spring break, my sister took me to a Southern Living at Home party. While I have several items from Southern Living at Home and used to get to magazine, I had never been to a party before.

While at the party we played games – I love the purse game! Every time the consultant started to talk about a new topic (glassware, dinnerware, etc), we had to pull out things from our purse that started with that letter. I had a field day! I even had decaf coffee (Starbucks Via) in my purse! I won a Cappuccino Mousse mix that just happens to be gluten-free! I can’t wait to make it and review for y’all! (I just had to say “y’all” because I am talking about Southern Living.)

In our Southern Living Catalogs were a couple of recipes. The one that caught my eye was the Cake Mix Cookies. While the recipe wasn’t written gluten-free, it was easily converted to be gluten-free.

*Recipe courtesy of Southern Living at Home’s Incredible Cookies Cookbook

1 (18.25 ounce) Devil’s Food Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker’s Gluten-free, which is less than 18.25 ounces, but worked fine)

1/2 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed (I used Cool Whip Lite)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup chopped pecans (optional; I omitted these)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix 1st 3 ingredients, stirring well (dough will be sticky).

3. Stir in pecans, if desired.

4. Dust hands with powdered sugar and shape dough into 3/4 inch balls.

5. Coat balls with powdered sugar and place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets

6. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until done.

7. Remove to wire racks to cool

Yields: 5 Dozen per original recipe; I got about 3 dozen.

If you don’t want chocolate, give another cake flavor a try – lemon, strawberry, carrot. I bet that if you used Betty Crocker’s Yellow Cake Mix you could add in lemon extract & that would make some really great cookies!

These cookies turned out awesome! I served them on Easter to rave reviews. The cookies are so chewy!

Happy Easter! Did you find all of the hidden eggs? Don’t want those hard boiled eggs to go hidden for too long! This post is going to be shorter than my usual menu plan & weekly recap. I still have cleaning & prepping to do for our company that is coming this afternoon! I work best under pressure. I have had a horrible cold for the past week, so I got nothing done other than the runs that I needed to get in for my marathon training and feeding the kids. I am finally feeling better!

The weather here has been glorious! It was 84 here on Friday – unheard of for April! I had a wonderful, outdoor run on Saturday in shorts & a tank top! It was 60 degrees at 7 AM. No arguments here. I am thankful that mother nature is giving us a little break after our long, hard winter. I pray that the rain stops on the east coast, though. Rhode Island has had some severe flooding.

Onto the meals.

Sunday – Ham, rosemary roasted potatoes, steamed carrots & broccoli, salad

Monday -Mahi mahi, baked sweet potatos, zucchini & salad

Tuesday – Grilled Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, broccoli & salad

Wednesday -Breakfast for dinner – eggs, hash browns, bacon & fruit salad

Thursday -Pizza, roasted veggies & salad

Friday –Inside out burgers, parsnip fries & salad

Saturday -leftovers

Baked Goods

Bread

Blueberry coconut bars (didn’t get to make them last week)

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Short recap of the week – mostly involving recalls:

Zatarain’s recalls their Dirty Rice mix for undeclared wheat & barley.

Glutino recalls bread & Van’s recalls pancakes.

Have you voted yet for Jason’s Deli to carry gluten-free bread for sandwiches?

Easy gluten-free Snickerdoodles.

Miss Cheese-Its? You must try these crackers!

Did you see my new article on Live Gluten Freely? Also check out Vanessa’s.

Oh, and last, but not least, have you seen Gluten-free is Life on Facebook?  Come join the fun!

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Hope you all have a great day!! I hope to control my candy eating today. That is my goal. 😉 Oh, I need to get out of my chair, too.

Boar’s Head deli meats, cheeses & condiments are all gluten-free. Did you know that? I didn’t. I knew that the meats & cheeses were, but I didn’t know about the condiements. I have always been hesitant to buy deli meat from the deli due to possible cross-contimination issues. Boar’s Head has a great brochure that can be viewed online that outlines some safety measures to help prevent any possibility of CC. The brochure also contains several mouth-watering recipes.

History of Boar’s Head

Family owned for over 100 years

The first delicatessen products were distributed using the name Boar’s Head Brand in the New York City area in 1905. Products were delivered by horse-drawn wagon to small delicatessens and “Mom and Pop” stores.

By 1933, distribution of Boar’s Head Brand products had grown. It was at that time that the founder, Frank Brunckhorst, dissatisfied with the quality of cooked hams which were available to him, decided that he would open a manufacturing plant of his own. The first plant was started in a small building in Brooklyn with only three employees.

Even back then there were thousands of delicatessens in New York City, and there were a great number of small manufacturers of delicatessen specialties. The competition among these manufacturers was keen; and as a result, very high standards were set for the quality of delicatessen products. Frank Brunckhorst set his own high standards, and he would not vary from them. Before long, Boar’s Head Brand products could be found in all of the best delicatessens, gourmet stores and fine food establishments in the New York area.

Over the years since that time, most other manufacturers of delicatessen products have made compromises in quality for the sake of convenience and economy. But the manufacturers of Boar’s Head Brand have never done so. To this day, four generations later, descendants of the family still insist on the same unwavering commitment to those high standards set by Frank Brunckhorst long ago.

By the mid 1970’s, requests had begun to come from all over the country for Boar’s Head products. Now, Boar’s Head Brand products are shipped by truck to distributors all over the country. Boar’s Head is proud and honored that today – from New England to Key West, and all across the nation, from Seattle to San Diego, in thousands of Mom and Pop stores, and in the most prestigious supermarkets in America, delicatessens who care about the products they serve to their customers, serve Boar’s Head Brand.

So next time you are at your local grocery store, stop by the deli & check for Boar’s Head deli meat & cheese.

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I hope you are all having a Happy Easter!! We are celebrating with familiy and having an Easter egg hunt in the backyard. The weather is supposed to be glorious – so unusual for April in Ohio!

While traveling to Atlanta last month, we stopped to stay the night in Knoxville, TN. We stayed in the Turkey Creek area, right off of 75. While pulling into the hotel after midnight on Thursday, I noticed an Earthfare grocery store right next to the hotel. I made a mental note that I had to stop there before leaving for the remainder of our trip then next day. I have heard so many amazing things about Earthfare, I just knew that I had to go inside.

I think I may have walked through the store with my jaw dropped. We have several stores here locally with amazing gluten-free selections, but Earthfare carried a lot of stuff that my stores don’t carry! In the refrigerated section of the store there were many single-wrapped desserts that were gluten-free. I know we don’t have the brand here, but being the overwhelmed tourist that I am, I didn’t write down the name! There were Udi’s treats – muffins and bread and all of the standard gluten-free stuff I can find at Raisin Rack or Whole Foods. But, there were a couple of items that I had never seen before – Liz Lovely Cookies and Maria & Ricardo’s Tortilla Factory Gluten-free Flour Tortillas. I picked up the tortillas & figured that it wouldn’t hurt to bring them on our trip. I wish I had more time to spend in this place! I could have spent hours in there! Earthfare had the largest chocolate section I have ever seen. I may have picked up an 82% Dark Chocolate Schaffenberger bar (I will gush over that in another post). I also picked up some Almond Breeze that was on sale.  You can find a list of gluten-free foods that Earthfare carries here.

I love Earthfare’s Food Philosophy:

Earth Fare sells foods that are as close to the ground as it gets. Products with these ingredients/processes will not be sold at Earth Fare:

NO hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils (added trans-fats)
NO high fructose corn syrup
NO artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners & preservatives
NO antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones or animal by-products in the feed (fresh meats & milk)
NO bleached or bromated flour
NO irradiated single source spices, produce or meat
NO animal by-products in pet foods
NO inhumane treatment of the animals providing us with dairy, meat and eggs

Earthfare also has “The Boot List“. What is The Boot List? See below:

Earth Fare makes healthy eating fun and easy.
In other stores and restaurants, consumers are bombarded with unhealthy choices that have unhealthy consequences. Not at Earth Fare! We offer products with healthy ingredients. We read the labels so you don’t have to.

Simply stated, we offer guilt-free shopping.

Download our list of banned food ingredients, and give unhealthy eating the BOOT!

Take healthy eating one step further by joining our Boot Patrol – a program that helps everyone stay healthy! STEP 1: Download our Boot List. STEP 2: Help us help you!!! If you find a product in Earth Fare that does not meet our food philosophy, we will give you a $50.00 gift card! Simply email us the item’s name, brand, UPC number and what you think the banned ingredient is…

I just may take “The Boot List” to my pantry and see how it rates. I have really been on a kick this year of making a point to know what is in my food. I know that I have to read labels to check for gluten, but some of the other stuff in our food is scary and un-necessary. I sure wish we had an Earthfare here, though I am sure my husband is glad there isn’t one.  To see if you are lucky enough to have an Earthfare close by, click here.

Along the same topic, has anyone else been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution? Have you signed the petition? If not, please sign it!! I don’t know about you, but watching Jamie make those chicken nuggets was very eye opening. If you missed it, you can see it here. This is not the exact version that was shown on Food Revolution, but it is Jamie doing the same experiment with other kids. It really is time for parents and all of America to demand better food in schools and for that matter, everywhere.

I normally use my blog to talk about living my life gluten-free and helping my son navigate his life gluten-free. However, things do come up from time to time that I believe are important enough to get the word out about and they have nothing to do with eating or living gluten-free. This is one of those messages.

It is a shame that it takes a tragedy to make us think to ask these things…

The 7 y/o daughter of a friend of mine that lives in Texas collapsed at school this past week during lunch and later passed away. At this point, they believe she started choking and instead of asking immediately for help, went to the restroom. She came out in further distress, collapsed and a teacher took her to the nurse. The nurse, EMT’s and the ER personnel did everything they could but were not able to save her.

When Hannah came home from school yesterday, I asked her if she knew what to do if she started choking. She said no, and did not know the universal sign for choking. Needless to say, she does now. She now knows the worst thing that she could do would be to try and fix the problem herself and go to the bathroom or just tell a friend.

Which then leads me to the question of do all of the teachers and cafeteria workers that staff the lunchroom (at the minimum) know CPR and the Heimlich and what to do in the event a student starts to choke? I believe that they probably do, but I don’t know for sure and felt I should definitely ask.

Jensen’s Mom and I have known each other since we were pregnant and due the same month, her with Jensen and I with Hannah. Obviously, there is nothing that is going to bring Jensen back, but if what happened to her could possibly help to save others, then maybe something good can come from this tragedy. Are the children taught what they need to do in the event that they start to choke? If not, could 5 or 10 minutes be taken to show and tell them what to do?

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Girls_Death_folo_0331.201428d34.html

The universal sign for choking:

I sent the above letter to our school system’s superintendent, the building principal where Hannah attends school & her teacher.

Do your kids know the universal sign for choking?

If you haven’t seen it yet, your chance is coming. Food, Inc will be shown on POV on PBS – April 21, 2010 from 9 PM to 11 PM. If there is one movie or TV show you watch this year, this is it. Talk about eye-opening. I had no idea that some of these practices were going on in the US. You can view the trailer here.

I was shocked after I saw this movie. I was appalled at the way the animals were being treated. The chickens were being grown so big that their own legs could not support their weight. They are kept in these dark, crowded houses. So sad. And that is really only the tip of the iceburg.

Also, don’t forget that the 3rd episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution airs tonight on ABC at 9 PM. I am a huge fan of this show!

I am not normally one to depend on frozen prepared meals on a regular basis, however, I do like keeping them on hand for crazy schedule days. Having 2 active kids that are both involved in sports makes some of our afternoons & evenings very crazy. I try to plan meals in advance, as seen by my weekly menu plans, but there is always that one time when the inevitable happens and I end up scrambling to toss something together. It is days like these that the frozen meals come in very handy.

Gluten Free Cafe sent me some complimentary coupons to give some of their frozen entrees a try. I picked up the Fettucini Alfredo for Jon, knowing how much he loves it, when we were on spring break in Atlanta. What I really like about Gluten Free Cafe items is that they seem to be available in most mainstream grocery stores.

Jon really enjoyed this meal. I added some fruit, veggies & a leftover taco on the side, as he is a growing teenage boy. I tasted it before giving it to him and was impressed with the flavor. The sauce was creamy & the noodles were cooked perfectly, not overcooked.

I have enjoyed another of Gluten Free Cafe’s meals a little over a year ago. I had the Pasta Primavera. While the Pasta Primavera was very good, it was not big enough for a meal for me. I added some additional veggies & a salad to complete the meal.

Gluten Free Cafe is part of the Hain Celestial Family. Gluten Free Cafe is certified gluten-free. Some more info on GFC:

Following a gluten-free diet can be a challenge. How can you trust that a particular product is pure and safe to consume? How can you be sure that the manufacturer maintains stringent gluten-free and quality standards? In short, how do you know what you’re getting?

We understand your concern, which is why all of our Gluten Free Café products are certified by The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), a program of The Gluten Intolerance Group®…and the only gluten-free certification program in existence. The GFCO supervises gluten-free food production according to consistent, stringent, science-based standards to ensure safety and give you the confidence and peace of mind you deserve.

While the GFCO sets the standards for safety and quality, our own Chef Deb is the authority on taste…setting new standards by creating absolutely delicious Gluten Free Café dishes that meet GFCO requirements.

The GFCO certification mark represents quality, purity and integrity…and you’ll find it on every Gluten Free Café package.

…and Fortified!
By definition, a gluten-free diet does not include enriched or whole wheat flour, and reliance on other grains can result in certain nutritional deficiencies, plus dietary fiber loss. To help ensure your good health, all Gluten Free Café entrees are fortified according to the FDA’s science-based recommendations, with essential B Vitamins (Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Folic Acid), Vitamin D, minerals (Calcium and Iron), and Inulin, which provides the benefits of fiber.

Our Commitment to You
In our ongoing quest to satisfy your need (and taste!) for wonderfully delicious gluten-free food, we are expanding our Gluten Free Café offerings with more appetizing choices – all certified gluten-free, and all certified delicious! Look for more mouth-watering entrees…plus luscious desserts. Coming soon to your local grocery store!
And remember, following a gluten-free lifestyle can taste great.

Sincerely,
Your Friends at Gluten Free Café

There are 2 other frozen entrees in the GFC line: Asian Noodles & Lemon Basil Chicken. Have you tried any of the frozen entrees from the Gluten Free Cafe line? If so, which ones and what did you think?

Eden Organic Foods sent me a complimentary sample of their dried cherries a month or so ago. They cherries have an amazing, tart taste with the perfect texture. I love to add these cherries to my salads or oatmeal. You may even catch me eating them by the handful, right out of the bag.

Eden Organic Foods has a pretty significant gluten-free list. There are dried fruits, beans, pastas, whole grains, snack foods & more. To read more about Eden Organic Foods & their statement on gluten-free labeling, please click here. One thing that stood out in particular about Eden Organic Foods is this: No BPA-lined cans. All 33 of Eden’s canned beans, chili and rice & beans are in BPA-free cans.

Here is some more information about Eden Organic Foods:

A Dedicated Natural Food Company

Family owned and operated since 1968, remaining independent and not publicly traded

Only the finest whole food that can be procured, from growers and processors we personally know and trust

Doing everything it takes to acquire the absolute best, no shortcuts

Full transparency; complete disclosure of ingredients

Making food that tastes great and is good for you

U.S. facilities rated Superior and Excellent by AIB

You can view the full story here.

Want to find Eden Organic Foods in your area? Click here for a store locator.

You can also follow Eden on Twitter and Facebook.

We don’t eat out a lot, but when we do, Chick-fil-a is one of the places we depend on for fast gluten-free food. Chick-fil-a has a gluten-free menu that can be viewed here. I love to get the Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad – it is a really good size salad and keeps me full for a while. I also steal a few of Jon’s waffle fries!

Jon loves to get the chargrilled chiken breast, waffle fries & vanilla shake*.

As you can see Jon was eating the food faster than I could get pictures of it! LOL! Now, a warning about the shake. The ingredients of the vanilla shake are gluten-free, but be cautious when ordering. The shakes are handspun and the shake mixer may also have mixed cookies & cream shakes. So, unless you are there when they are not busy & can get an employee to clean the machine, you may want to stay away from the shake. We happened to be there at 11 AM on this day and the manager was very accommodating.

To find a Chick-fil-a near you, click here.

I wanted to share some last minute, helpful info with you guys for Easter Candy. I have been partaking in too much already, as is the norm every year. I used to give up sweets for Lent, but stopped because it was pure torture! There are lots of sales this week on candy, so I wanted to make sure to get this posted so you can print the list and take it with you, if need be.

My Gluten Facts is a great place to look up your candy. It is free to join! You can find the Easter Candy List and also printable versions for the US or Canada.

Surf Sweets & YummyEarth also have gluten-free candy for Easter.

Now, let us talk about Peeps. I think that you either love Peeps or you hate them. I am part of the “hate them” group, or I was. I have this theory that chocolate makes everything better & that stands to hold true with Peeps! Have you seen the new Chocolate Covered Peeps?

Yeah, chocolate makes Peeps palatable and dare I say this – good! They are even labeled “gluten-free” on the back.

Starburst Jelly Beans are plentiful in my house right now. They also say “gluten-free” on the package.

I love companies that make it easy for us!! I will buy these jelly beans over another brand that isn’t labeled gluten-free. I proudly support those companies that recognize that eating gluten-free can be a real struggle and do what they can to simplify my life.

What is your favorite Easter candy?