My First Successful Sugar Cookies!

 I've been trying to find the perfect gluten free sugar cookie dough for a long time now. I've bought a few box mixes that were good but pricey and not really good enough to do cut outs with. Well today I finally mastered it and guess what? I used the recipe on the back of the C & H sugar bag and just substituted gf flour blend and Earth Balance buttery sticks. So simple, easy and tasty! 

 We decorated using Betty Crocker frosting since it is labeled gf.

 Finally have sugar cookie cut outs that taste like I remember! 

Everyone in the family loved them! Yahoo!

Here is the recipe from the C & H sugar bag:

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups butter, softened (I used Earth Balance so they'd be dairy free) 

2 eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (make sure it's gf) 

3 1/2 cups gf flour blend (I use Silvana Nardone's, I'll post that below)

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

directions: 

1. combine sugar and butter with an electric mixer until creamy, about 3-5 minutes
2. add eggs one at a time, blending well
3. add vanilla, mix well
4. in a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, & salt
5. add flour mixture to butter mixture one cup at a time until well blended 
6. pour onto wax paper in a log shape and refrigerate for 2 hours
7. roll out onto wax paper (this dough is a little more fragile that regular dough, I just rolled it slowly and used a dusting of gf flour each time and it worked just fine). 
8. cut out with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet. 
9. bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes
10. let cool and frost! Enjoy! 

Gluten Free Flour Blend: 

(From Silvana Nardone's book called, "Cooking for Isaiah")

-6 cups rice flour

-3 cups tapioca flour

-1 1/2 cups potato starch

-1 tbsp salt

-2 tbsp xanthum gum

Mix in a big container and store in an air tight container. I keep this on hand at all times and have found that it substitutes perfectly in all recipes, I love it! 

I need help answering a question

Does anyone know the answer to this: If a chicken is fed wheat bread crumbs will the egg it lays contain gluten? 

A friend of mine raises chickens and feeds them bread. I recently ate some of her eggs and got so so sick within a few hours of eating them. I am still feeling the effects 3 days later, I definitely feel as if I've been "glutened" but just can't seem to find the culprit other than the eggs. 

If anyone knows the answer or has a thought on this, I'd love to know. I've googled the questioned a bunch of different ways and just can't seem to get an answer. 

Thanks!

Romio's

 Our very favorite gluten free pizza place is Romio's. We go to the one in Totem Lake but I know it's a chain so there are more around. They have this AMAZING gluten free cheese bread. Obviously, not dairy free but so worth it every once in a while!

 They have a huge variety of gluten free pizza's and sandwiches. Their crust and bread is hands down the closest to the "real" thing we've found. Every time we go there Lauren says, "Mom, are you sure this is really gluten free?" 

The very first time we were there I called the waitress over and told her I was afraid we'd gotten the wrong pizza because it didn't seem like it was gluten free. She assured me it was and she was right, I felt just fine afterwards! 

We highly recommend Romio's if you are looking for a great gluten free pizza & sandwich experience!

A couple good deals at Fred Meyer

Just read the Fred Meyer ad and they have 40% all Amy's products and 35% of Bob's Red Mill products starting today through next Saturday! I'll be stocking up for sure! 

Roasted Chicken and Goat Cheese Pizza

Made this for dinner tonight. Super easy and super yummy. I just used the Namaste Pizza Crust Mix (the whole package) and baked it without the toppings for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet (the actual directions say to cook it longer but I think it's way over done if you do that). Then drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, roasted chicken (I buy the ones at Costco, they are labeled gluten free!), goat cheese, rosemary, and tomatoes. I also sprinkled a little garlic salt and onion salt on just to add a bit more flavor. Baked it for 7 more minutes until everything was slightly toasted and voila! Dinner is served. 

2 Costco Favs

 These may not be super healthy (but they aren't super bad either) and they are perfect for those rushed nights when we need a quick dinner (or lunch!). Both of my kids love them and they are gluten free. I buy them at Costco in the freezer section and I think they are around $10 for a giant box that lasts us a few months. 

And I am THRILLED that they have this hummus. They got rid of the Meza hummus earlier this summer and I was so sad because it was by far our families favorite. I tried a few of the new ones they got to replace it and wasn't really a fan of any of them. Today I spotted this, the same looking design and package but a new name. I brought it home and crossed my fingers as I took my first bite and YAHOO- it tastes just like the Meza hummus! Small things thrill me these days:)