Chaos and Old Memories...

My favorite Christmas memory has got to be my Gramma Gordon making cinnamon buns for us - she's Canadian, they call them buns - it took me years of being made fun of to stop calling them buns...  She would come to our house for Christmas and it seems like the oven didn't stop for the duration of her visit.  But here's the kicker - no recipe...  She just tossed stuff in.  My sister and I have both tried to take notes during her cinnamon roll haze and both ended up with completely different recipes; neither of which was anything close to the heavenly flavor Gramma created.They were the most divine rolls you can imagine, all fluffy and soft, gooey and smooshy in the middle.  She created paradise.  I know you're on pins and needles - I want that recipe!  Nope, still don't have it. 

That's me, 40 weeks pregnant and attempting to get down Gramma's recipe. 

The pie-man and my mother.

Second memory.  My Dad makes pies.  They are the best pies it the whole world, he makes them every year and my sisters and neighbors beg for them.  They are the prettiest pies you've ever seen, perfectly browned, cute little designs on the top.  Who would have thought you could make a good gluten free crust.  My Dad has been gluten free almost my whole life, back when nobody knew what in the world celiac was - even doctors and the only place you could buy anything was to special order!  Anyhow, back to pie.  He served a church mission in France and apparently learned there, although his mom is the Bun Queen so there was probably a seed planted somewhere along the way.  Ready for another kicker.  I don't have that recipe either.  He's another one of those 'toss whatever in the pan and see what happens' chef.  So my goal, when I fly in to visit them in February!!!  Is to finally get a pie recipe - and I'll share it with Erin and she can share it with you :)

Okay, finally a recipe - Sour Cream Banana Bread.  THE BEST banana bread in the ENTIRE WORLD.  Yes, it's gf. No memories attached to it, other than I try really hard to make it a few times a month and it's always gone in a day.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups (I like Bobs Red Mill but that's because I can always find a good deal:)  )  All GF purpose flour
•   2 heaping tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 cup chocolate chips - best if they are the little one, or chop them up a bit, they tend to fall to the bottom.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Want another recipe just because I'm craving them right now.  Take a pretzel - glutino are my favorite brand (and the link is the cheapest place I've found them)  put a Rolo on top, then bake for a few minutes to soften the Rolo, then put a pecan on top.  Yummo.  I've seen them with M&M's instead of pecans too.  Still, yum :)  And really easy to pass out for Christmas goodies to your neighbors.

butter mints

Hello! I am very excited to be guest posting on Erin's blog today. My name is Jodie and you can find me over at Jodie Noted. My blog is an uplifting collection of things that fill my days, things that brighten my mood, and things I can't help but share with others.

I've known Erin for years and years and she has always been someone I admire and respect. I especially look up to her for her desire and ability to tackle something as intimidating as living gluten-free - and doing it happily! So let's all give a big hooray to Erin for letting us all in on her life-altering secrets, tips, and tricks.

The recipe I'm sharing today is as simple as it gets. They are called Butter Mints and they are a Christmas favorite of mine. My mom made them every year for our neighbors and friends, but was lucky to even get them out the front door thanks to me and my siblings' sweet-teethed cravings.

These delicious little candies remind me of some of my most cherished Christmas memories. And isn't that one of the best things about food? The emotional connection we have to foods we grew up with and foods that are made at special times - the memories unleashed at the smell of peppermint or the sip of homemade soup. When I make these mints, I think of my family at Christmas time. Many people have their favorite Christmas traditions - games played, movies watched, etc. My favorite tradition is simply the way my family spends our time together. Our Christmas mornings growing up were never rushed or outrageous. We turned on music and started a fire and watched patiently as each sibling took turns carefully unwrapping their presents. My husband jokes that when we spend Christmas morning with my family, we do everything in the world besides open presents. What can I say? We take our time. But those are the moments I remember most. The laughter and stories and "thank you"'s and surprises in between the actual gifts. I hope to always carry that attitude with me each Christmas season and pass it along to my children.

Okay, now I'm ready to divulge the much-beloved recipe. I hope you enjoy!

Butter Mints


6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons peppermint flavoring
2 pounds powdered sugar
3-4 drops of green food coloring


Mix all ingredients with electric mixer until smooth. Using powdered fingers, roll dough small balls (it will feel like really thick frosting) and lightly coat in powdered sugar. Place on wax paper on cooking sheet. Press balls lightly with bottom of glass. Let air dry for at least one day.

And, if you're looking to kick it up a notch, go crazy and drizzle some chocolate over them. Yum!

Carrot Tomato Soup

Christmas time for us is always such a great time of year.  For the past few years we have been living away from home, in a different state.   During this time we have especially looked forward to Christmas because it meant that we would be able to see our families for a longer period of time.

As a kid one of my favorite memories during Christmas was my dad dressing up as Santa.  He would grow his beard out and wear an amazing suit that my mother made.  He would go to family gatherings and other parties to play the part of Santa.  When he would return home we would all take turns sitting on daddies knee to get our annual Santa picture.

With the cool weather here and Christmas right around the corner I decided to share a very delicious soup.  This recipe comes by way of a recipe book that I received from my brother and sister in law when they lived in Arkansas.  Very delish!

Carrot Tomato Soup

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 small onion diced
1 lb carrots peeled and diced
3 tbsp water
1 large can of whole stewed tomatoes
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1 sprig of thyme
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks

Directions

Melt butter in large saucepan, add onions and carrots and cook over medium heat 5 min. Add water. Simmer for 15 min covered until carrots are tender.

Add tomatoes, sugar, garlic, thyme, stock and bring gently to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15 min covered.

Allow mixture to cool briefly,then puree in a blender. (If you have an immersion blender use that instead then you don't have to switch pots)

Pour soup into a clean saucepan and simmer for 5 min. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Whip cream with egg yolks in a small bowl. Stir some of the hot mixture into the bowl to temper the eggs; gently blend this mixture back into the soup. Stir well; do not boil or mixture will separate. Check seasoning.

Enjoy with your favorite salad or GF rolls!!  

It has been great being able to guest post!! Thanks Erin

Check out our personal blog where my hubby and I enjoy all kinds of fun adventures at www.smiths-ourlife.blogspot.com

Also you can check out our YouTube channel1  and YouTube channel 2 to see more.

Chocolate Coconut Bars: by Ashley

Hi, I'm Ashley and I'm a Celiac.  :)

Haha.....it does feel like gluten free eaters are a part of this secret support group though.  Once you meet someone else that eats gluten free, it's like you suddenly have tons to talk about.  When I met Erin a few months ago, we were at a BBQ and somehow it came up.  She and I and one more girl (Hi Michelle!!) all realized that we were all eating the same gluten free diet.  And now we have recipes to share and gluten free restaurants to tell each other about.  I love it!!

Anyway, I'm living in Colorado with my husband and 3 kiddos..........an almost 5 year old girl, a 3 year old boy and a 9 month old girl.  I have a craft blog that I write called Make It and Love It.  There are a few other gluten free recipes over there that I add to here and there......so if anyone is looking for some simple recipes, there are a few to check out there.  (All of the recipes have been adapted to be GF.....even though they don't specifically say gluten free.)

Anyway, thanks for inviting me over Erin, to share a Christmas treat with everyone.  I love that you decided to do this!  Maybe we should all get together and bring samples of our recipes so that we can try everything out.  Wanna plan that? :)



When I started thinking about traditional Christmas treats that I grew up eating, they were all gluten-full.  Darn.  My most favorites still haven't been adapted so I am always trying new things each year......which is always fun too.  Just last week, I decided to try these Chocolate Coconut Bars from Martha Stewart.  Yep, they were delicious.  But really rich.  My husband doesn't care for the intensity of them as much as I do.........but he snuck bites here and there and gobbled them right up with me!

But for those of you who like sweets and like chocolate and miss making a bar that actually stays together.....give this one a try.

The coconut on top is crispy and the inside is chewy and delicious.  No joke.

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart but I just adapted the ingredients a bit.  They are tasty and will be made in our house again for Christmas.

And instead of using graham crackers or wafers (like the recipe below)......I ground up some of these (that I bought at Wal-Mart) in the food processor.  Worked great!

Ingredients

• 3 cups finely ground cookies (12 ounces), such as graham crackers or chocolate wafers, or a combination
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly splash a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet evenly with water, then line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until combined. Evenly press onto bottom and up sides of prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until firm, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool, about 20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle cooled crust evenly with pecans and chocolate. Pour condensed milk over the top, spreading to cover completely (do not let it drip over the edges). Sprinkle with coconut.
4. Bake until coconut is toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Trim edges, if desired, and cut into equal-size bars.

As for Christmas traditions.......I love the countdown.  Each day we talk about how many days are left and let the anticipation become crazy intense.  I love walking around the toy stores and letting the kids just walk around, touch everything, and soak it all in.  I also really love extending our drives home from the store and taking long detours around random neighborhoods, checking out the Christmas lights.  I also really like to add to our kid-friendly manger scene each year.  We have several that the kiddos are allowed to touch and bang around and play with.  We tell them them the Christmas story over and over again, using the figurines as we tell it.....and it's fun to eavesdrop on them while they are telling it to each other later on, when they think we're not listening.  And one of my most favorite traditions is re-enacting the Christmas story on Christmas Eve.  Everyone takes part as we dress up, read from Luke, and remember the Christ child.  We then sing carols, open up new jammies, and then off to bed.  It's a beautiful season......one I fall in love over and over again each year.

Thanks again Erin for inviting me over!  I have loved reading everyone's recipes.  There are so many to add to my GF file.........our Christmas will be full of all sorts of new treats!!

Ashley

Candied Almonds from {Life Should Be Delcious}

Hi Taming of the {celiac} Sprue readers! I'm so flattered that Erin asked me to Guest Post today! Her and I became friends while our husbands were in Optometry school and I love her! She's the most amazing, positive, happy person ever and I feel lucky to call her my friend!  I'm super excited to be sharing a Christmas tradition and yummy GF recipe.

I'm Angie from Life Should Be Delicious. My sisters' and I do this recipe blog just for fun but all the recipes on there are tried and true, and are favorites, feel free to stop on by! Most of the credit for our blog should go to my amazing sister Holly at Scatter Sunshine. You can also check out the service project we do yearly at Calling All Angels, we'd love you to stop on by and see what we've been able to do because of the generous people willing to donate!

There are so many Christmas memories and traditions we had growing up! I LOVE the feeling of the Christmas Season! My favorite Christmas Tradition was the manager we filled with straw for baby Jesus. Starting on December 1st we would draw a name of a family member and throughout that week, we would secretly do something nice once a day for them and leave a piece of straw where we had done the good deed and once they found the straw they would place it in the manager. At the end of each week we revealed who we had and then drew names again for the next week. We had to be super secretive, creative, and sly but by Christmas Eve the manger was full for baby Jesus.

You can't have Christmas without Candied Almonds! I just love love love the smell of them, the taste of them, everything about them! Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I do! 

Candied Almonds

1 C water
2 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 C whole almonds
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine water, sugar & Cinnamon. Stir until dissolved over medium heat in a non stick frying pan. When boiling add almonds. Stir continually for 4-5 minutes. When the mixture starts to change and becomes thick and almonds are well coated, dump on an ungreased cookie sheet and stir occasionally as it cools to keep almonds from sticking together.

If you like them not as sweet use this recipe:
Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cold water
4 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250°. Lightly grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Lightly beat the egg white; add water, and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool, then store nuts in airtight containers.

Christmas Eve Layered Pudding! :)

Just to start off with, this picture is NOT the recipe! Whoops, I dropped the pan that had the crust in it and it shattered all over my kitchen. *sigh* So I improvised. :)

My name is Yvonne and I was super excited Erin asked me to be part of her blog today. My oldest daughter, Aspen, was diagnosed with Celiac almost 3 years ago at the ripe old age of 1 1/2. That was a scary time, my baby was losing weight, looked like a starving child with stick arms and a huge distended belly. On the one hand, it was a relief to know what was wrong, but on the other hand it completely freaked me out at first, i went straight to panic mode of "what in the world am I supposed to feed my toddler? there is NOTHING." Erin was the only person at that point that I had ever known with Celiac so I contacted her and bless her heart, she emailed me recipes, tips, advice. The thing I remember the most that I have repeated over and over to people is this: "there is more she can eat than what she can't, so focus on what she can eat." That has made all the difference.

Now my sweet Aspen is 4 years old, healthy, strong, spunky. She is a complete joy and always makes sure things are gluten free before she eats them. She's great. :)

Ok, now on to our Christmas tradition. Every year we have a dinner of appetizers on Christmas Eve, then go on a night hike (if we're lucky, in the snow!!!)and then come back to devour this most delicious layered pudding that my mom has made since i was a kid. Its simple, its delicious, its chocolatey. What more can you ask for? And....its easily adapted to gluten free. I try to the majority of the time stick to things that are naturally gluten free, but this one was too good not to switch it up! Here is the delicious recipe:

Crust:
1/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup gluten free all purpose blend (I prefer JULES all purpose gluten free flour for this recipe www.julesglutenfree.com)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Blend flours and butter with pastry cutter until crumbly, stir in nuts. Place in a 9x13 pan and cook at 350 for 15-20 min, or until golden brown. This is what it looks like before going in, and be careful when taking it out that you do not burn yourself, drop the pan and shatter your favorite 9x13, along with all your hopes and dreams of a buttery and flaky crust for your delicious dessert....)


Cream Cheese Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softenend.
1 cup cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar

Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat together well. Spread over the cooled base. Let set in the refigerator for 30 minutes.

Pudding Filling:
2 small (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk

Mix together in a bowl and stir until thickened. Pour over the cream cheese filling.

Topping:
Top with a layer of cool whip, then sprinkle with shaved chocolate and chopped pecans. Chill in fridge for several hours, or overnight. Cut, serve, enjoy! And then go on a night hike. :) Merry Christmas!!!

Or, if you are like me and ruin the base, you can layer it all pretty in a cute container and your adorable son can get into it while your back is turned and enjoy...

English Toffee

Hi! My name is Krista, I live in Dallas, Texas, I am a senior in high school, and I am excited to help out with my beautiful cousin's blog today!

A tradition in our family is making English Toffee. This recipe consists of a pound of butter, two and a half cups of sugar, and two heaping spoonfuls of pure heavenly bliss. Seriously, it's that good. Even smelling English toffee will probably give you diabetes (which probably isn't the smartest marketing technique to tell you that), but don't worry because everyone knows that calories are freebies during the holidays.

This super secret recipe has been passed down from my great grandmother, and has been my favorite part of Christmas for as long as I can remember. My mother will make as many as 12 batches a year to give to family, friends, and teachers. We usually buy some cute and inexpensive containers from Hobby Lobby and load them full of candy to give out as gifts. Fortunately, this recipe is also gluten free so you lucky ducklings get the honor of tasting some of the most beautiful food this world has to offer.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup Karo

1 lb butter

2-3 cups pecans

about 2 cups of chocolate chips

Prepare a greased cookie sheet and cover with 2 cups of chopped pecans. Put the first four ingredients all in a large pot and heat to boiling. Continuing stirring until the mixture reaches 300 degrees or hard crack stage. It will turn dark brown, and when you start to see puffs of gray smoke come up, the candy is done cooking. Pour the boiling candy over the pan of chopped nuts and spread with a wooden spatula. Wait about 5 minutes, and then sprinkle about 2 cups of HIGH QUALITY chocolate chips over the top. Once they melt, spread with a knife or spatula. Sprinkle the top of the melted chocolate with 1-1 1/2 cups of finely chopped pecans. Place in a refrigerator to cool. Break into pieces with a knife and watch your thighs expand.

Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday!!!