Archive for Food
Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Appetizer Everyone Loves: Pepper Jelly with Cream Cheese
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You’ve probably tried Pepper Jelly over Cream Cheese with crackers, right? When we get together with my husband’s family, we almost always have it for an appetizer. My mother-in-law makes a wonderful pepper jelly every year. Sorry, I don’t have that recipe to share with you. Simply Recipes has a good recipe for it. But you can also find it in the stores or on Amazon
Here’s the very simple non-recipe: Place your cream cheese on a plate or serving dish and pour the jelly over the top. Then, spread gluten-free chips or crackers around it, for a nice presentation. How easy is that?! Now check out my notes and my new twist on it below.
Additional Notes and Ideas:
- I like to use whipped cream cheese (or whip it myself) because it’s a little easier to dig into with crackers.
- If you’re like me, and don’t tolerate dairy well, then try Toffutti’s non-dairy cream cheese. I buy the Non-Hydrogenated Plain variety in the yellow tub. With the jelly on top, you won’t notice the difference. OK, maybe you will, but it still tastes really good.
- Another fun option is to buy the blocks of cream cheese (Tofutti’s works, too) and cut them into holiday shapes with cookie cutters. You can make a whole tray of cream cheese Christmas trees, stars, holly leaves, etc.
Use any favorite gluten-free crackers or chips that don’t break too easily. Gluten-free rice crackers, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers, and FoodShouldTasteGood Multigrain Tortilla Chips
(in the photo above) are my favorites for this.
- Sometimes I get jelly or jam that is too solid, and doesn’t want to pour or spread easily. In this case, I usually just put the jelly into the microwave for 20-30 seconds and stir well. Then, pour/spread it over the cream cheese.
- For a festive holiday look, use both green and red pepper jelly. Add sweet pepper slices, cranberries, or raspberries for garnish.
- Use any kind of jelly. Pepper jellies have a nice spice and flavor that complements the cream cheese, but you can use any favorite jelly. In fact, that’s just what I did by combining two flavors that always taste good together: chocolate and raspberry.
Chocolate and Raspberry Variation. When I received a sample of FoodShouldTasteGood’s Chocolate Tortilla Chips, I knew what I wanted to try: Cream Cheese and Raspberry Jelly served with the Chocolate Tortilla Chips. Delicious treat! (It looks nice with a couple fresh raspberries on top, but I didn’t have the raspberries or the raspberry jam for the photo. Fortunately, the triple-berry jam I used in the photo turned out just as tasty.)
If you haven’t tried the Chocolate tortilla chips, you really should. They have a rich cocoa flavor, and are just lightly sweetened. The flavor really works well with the creaminess of Tofutti, and the tart, sweetness of the jelly.
More Holiday Gift Ideas — Gluten-Free Food Gifts
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I’ve got more gift ideas to give to friends and family who are following a gluten-free diet. I told you last month about some new ideas for gluten-fee cooks: cookbooks, calendar, and magazines. Now, I’m thinking about food gifts. This is something that is not always easy to find for people who are gluten-free. In the past, you’d have to make it yourself, package it, and deliver/ship it. But now there are some options to make your holiday shopping a little easier. Here are some that I found online.
GF Baking Mix Starter Pack
GF Muffins and Cupcakes
Holiday Dinner Box
Gluten-Free Food Packages
Gluten-Free Palace has a variety of gift boxes and baskets with gluten-free cookies.
Gourmet Gift Baskets has a selection of gift baskets with gluten-free food products — cookies, crackers, chips, dips, etc.
I Can Have That! offers gift baskets that are tailored to your special diet needs. You can order, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, or free from any of the other major allergens. And right now they’re offering free shipping on orders over $65. Enter coupon code “Holiday 2012″ at checkout now through Dec. 19.
Jules GlutenFree. In addition to her books
Gluten-Free Cookie Box
Katz GlutenFree is a gluten-free bakery that ships delicious gluten-free goodies: Breads, Muffins, Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Doughnuts, etc. Everything is baked in a dedicated facility that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. They have also put together some gluten-free gift packages that I’m sure would be appreciated by celiacs and others eating gluten free. With their wide variety of tasty treats, you’re sure to find something to send to your loved ones.
Nuts.com - Assuming there are no nut allergies in the house, these are a great option. This site sells a lot more than just nuts: sweet treats, dried fruit, snacks, and baking supplies. Check out their gluten-free page of products to get started.
Saratoga Gift Basket Company offers several gift baskets with gluten-free treats, snacks, dessert items, etc.
So Lucky is an online business that prepares and ships gluten-free food and gift packages. The gluten-free food products are thoughtfully put together in fun themes. The So It’s Time to Entertain Holiday Box includes Emily G’s Cabernet Sauvignon jam, Bob’s Red Mill Cornbread Mix, 2 Turkey Gravy Mixes, 2 Suss Cinnamon Apple Caramels, Namaste Spice Cake Mix, Glutino Multigrain Crackers, and a seasonal dish towel. Check out all of their products at SoLuckyGifts.com.
Other Food Packages that may be Gluten-Free – Check labels and/or with Customer Service before purchasing.
Harry and David – They offer a variety of food gift packages and many include gluten, so I recommend that you order their delicious fruit. They have a variety of fruit presentations from which to choose. Some of the baskets in their holiday fruit gift collection do come with products that contain gluten, so order carefully.
Hickory Farms – We’ve eaten products from Hickory Farms in the past with no problems from gluten. However, they don’t claim that all their products are gluten-free. So make sure you confirm with the company that what you’re ordering is gluten-free. Or, to be on the safe side, you can’t go wrong with a fruit and nut basket.
Wines – Most people in the gluten-free community consider wine to be gluten-free.
Wines Country Gift Baskets – To avoid gluten, I would stick with ordering just the wine. They ship wine to most states, but check before you spend too much time placing an order. They also sell holiday wreaths and decor, which make nice gifts.
Wine.com – Another site that ships wine, champagne, and gift products. Check out the holiday wine sets, but avoid the food and candy products that may contain gluten. They sell a group of “green wines” that use sustainable, organic and/or biodynamic practices. They also sell accessories for wine and entertaining.
Gluten-Free Treats and Snacks in the Classroom
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Earlier this month, I mentioned in my review of Mi-Del cookies that I give my kids’ teachers a small care package of gluten-free snacks at the beginning of the year for them to store in the classroom for my kids. These are not meant to be the snacks that my kids get to eat everyday. (I send my kids to school each day with gluten-free snacks and lunch.) The snacks in this care package are there for backup reasons because sometimes snacks and treats are offered in the classroom that aren’t gluten-free. And having these in the classroom makes sure that my kids are not left out of any last-minute activities involving gluten. For example:
- Probably the most common situation: A classmate brings in cupcakes, cookies, or treats to share with the class for their birthday. My son chooses a package of cookies out of his gluten-free package.
- The class earns a reward (popcorn) for good behavior or reaching a class goal, but the teacher isn’t sure if it’s gluten-free. My son gets a bag of popcorn or chips out of the gluten-free package.
- The teacher creates a project that involves building something with pretzels or crackers, but forgets to tell us in advance. My daughter gets out her gluten-free pretzels or crackers to use instead.
- My daughter’s snack or lunch didn’t make it to school and the cafeteria doesn’t offer anything gluten-free. My daughter can eat from her GF care package if I’m unable to bring it to school.
- It is perhaps unlikely, but should an emergency situation arise and the school is on lock-down, I know my kids will have something they can eat without getting sick.
What’s in a Gluten-Free Care Package? I like to choose self-contained, single-serve, small packages of gluten-free items that won’t spoil in the teacher’s cabinet or desk. I also try to present it to the teacher in a small container that is easy for them to store. A large zip-style bag, or medium size plastic container clearly labeled Gluten-Free for my son or daughter seems to work well. Here are some items that we have used for this purpose:
Sweet Treats:
- Midel, S’mores cookies
- Pamela’s 2-Count Cookie Packs: Chocolate Chunk Pecan Shortbread
and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- Pebbles Treats Fruity Pebbles variety
and Cocoa Pebbles variety
- Schar Chocolate Hazelnut Bars
- Schar Sandwich Creme Cookies (2 cookies in each package) Vanilla Creme variety and Chocolate Creme variety
- Surf Sweets Gummy Bear Snack Packs
Salty Snacks:
- Ener-G Foods Pretzel Rings
- FoodShouldTasteGood Multigrain Tortilla Chips
- Glutino Pretzel Twists Snack Packs
- Pirate’s Booty
- Schar Gluten Free Snack Crackers
These come in a box of 6 individual packs. Each pack contains 8 crackers.
- Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn
(Be careful! We have not experienced any problems with this product, however it is not guaranteed gluten-free. According to Frito-Lay, there are no gluten ingredients in this product. Unfortunately, they do no currently test these for traces of gluten.)
Fruit Snacks:
- Annie’s Homegrown Bunny Fruit Snacks
- Ocean Spray Craisins 100-calorie Packs
- Simply Fruit Fruit Rollups
Rice, Granola, or Energy Bars:
- Bakery On Main Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Can Do Kid Bars
- EnviroKidz Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars
Communicate with the teacher! It’s been my experience that most teachers are familiar and comfortable with this arrangement. However, I strongly suggest that you discuss it with the teacher before sending a small care package of food to school. This may not work in all classrooms or for all teachers. Along with the package of food that I provide to the teacher, I like to attach a brief note to remind the teacher what it is for, and to please let me know if at any time during the year it needs to be replenished.
Make it easy on yourself. Our family is fortunate to live in an area with gluten-free snack items available at our grocery stores. If this isn’t the case for you, you can order some items online. A single box of the Schar sandwich cookies with your student’s name clearly written on it would do the trick. Or, perhaps a small bag of your child’s favorite candy would work for you.
More occasions to use a gluten-free care package. All of these items would also be great gluten-free additions for a gluten-free lunch, a gift to send to college students, and for a travel pack.
Do you do something similar? Please feel free to add any other ideas in the comments.
MI-DEL Cookie Winners Chosen
Posted by: | CommentsThe three winners of MI-DEL cookies were selected, contacted, and confirmed.
Congratulations to
Thanks for entering the giveaway. Your MI-DEL cookie coupon is in the mail!
Mi-Del’s Gluten-Free Cookies and Giveaway
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This giveaway is now closed.
We have a little more than three weeks before my kids head back to school this year. So, thoughts of packing snacks and lunches for my kids is on my mind. I’d like to tell you that I only make homemade gluten-free cookies and snacks for my kids. But the truth is I also purchase gluten-free snack products at the stores. Sometimes we just need something quick and easy.
Mi-Del sent me some coupons to review their gluten-free cookies. Mi-Del gluten-free cookies are not new to my family. In fact, Mi-Del’s Arrowroot Animal Cookies were the first gluten-free cookies I purchased when my son, a toddler at the time, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. With no gluten-free goldfish or graham crackers to eat, we used these arrowroot cookies for snacks on a regular basis. Then, after moving to a new state, we couldn’t find them in the stores near our house, and so we adjusted to other cookies and brands.
Last year, we found something new from Mi-Del: We found this cute little box of individual packs of S’mores Cookies. We love these! The box contains five individual 90-calorie packages of little bite-size cookies. They are chocolatey and crunchy with a little marshmallow flavor baked in, too. It’s really nice to have some snacks that you can just grab and go, but it’s even better for having shelf-stable treats that the kids’ teachers can store in their classrooms for unexpected needs. (Unexpected classmate birthday celebrations and class food projects that aren’t gluten-free do come up during the year.)
Since Mi-Del sent us some coupons, the kids and I went looking for some different Mi-Del cookies to try. We wanted to try the Chocolate Caramel and the Chocolate Sandwich cookie varieties listed on the Mi-Del website, but never found them in our local stores. We did, however, find the Pecan Flavored Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Ginger Snaps. And the kids were happy to be the taste testers.
My son’s favorite was the Pecan flavored cookies. This was my first time trying Mi-Del’s Pecan flavored cookies, and my first thought about them was that they reminded me of vanilla wafers. They certainly aren’t the same as Nilla® Wafers (which aren’t gluten-free), but if you are looking for a gluten-free substitute, I suggest you give these a try. They are about the same size, but perhaps not as crisp, and a little darker in color with a mild taste of pecans and molasses. They make great cookie sandwiches. Just add some peanut butter, frosting, or ice cream between two of them.
I knew that my daughter’s favorite would be the Chocolate Chip Cookies. Like me, she is a lover of all that is chocolate. Honestly, these are not my favorite chocolate chip cookies, but we do buy them on occasion. I prefer to make my own chewy chocolate chip cookies.
And what about the Ginger Snaps? Well, Mi-Del makes really good ginger snaps. My nieces and sister-in-law (who don’t follow a gluten-free diet) love them. I think the flavor is a little too strong for my two cookie eaters’ sensitive taste buds. I personally think these, as well as their Cinnamon Snaps, are great for making crusts for pies, tarts, and cheesecakes. Just crush them up and use them in your favorite recipes.
Allergens and Ingredients. Mi-Del states that their “Gluten-Free products are routinely tested using the ELISA method to ensure gluten-free status as determined by the World Health Organization.” I know many Celiac Family readers are also sensitive to other grains and allergens, so you may be interested to know that the gluten-free flour used for these cookies is a mixture of corn flour, soy flour, potato flour, rice flour, corn starch, potato starch and xanthan gum. The Chocolate Chip and Pecan Flavored cookies also contain egg and milk. The Ginger Snaps contain egg, but have no dairy ingredients listed.
My final thoughts on the cookies. These small cookies are perfect for snacks. They aren’t chewy nor too crispy, but somewhere in between with a tender crumb. They don’t break too easily, so you can pack them in lunches without getting a lot of broken pieces. And the price is reasonable for purchasing gluten-free cookies in the stores. The S’mores bite-size cookies are a little more pricey because of the extra packaging. If you are not familiar with Mi-Del cookies, please be aware that Mi-Del does make cookies that are not gluten free. So, make sure you are purchasing the cookies that are clearly marked “Gluten-Free” on the packaging!
This giveaway is now closed.
FREE Cookies Giveaway. So, now that I’ve told you what my family thinks of them, what do you you think? Do you want to try them yourself? Mi-Del gave me some coupons to offer to Celiac Family readers. Each coupon is good for one FREE Mi-Del product. Mi-Del’s website also has a product locator that can tell you where to find their products near you.
- To enter, simply leave a comment below saying which product you would purchase with the coupon. Check out Mi-Del’s gluten-free products on their website to see all the varieties they make gluten free.
- You can receive bonus entries for letting your friends know about the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Just be sure to come back and leave an additional comment below letting us know where you mentioned it.
- Make sure when you’re leaving a comment, that you put your email address in the appropriate box so that I can contact you if you win.
Three Winners will be chosen using a random generator. Each winner will receive one coupon to redeem at your local store for any Mi-Del product up to $4.00. All comments/entries must be received no later than 11:59 pm EDT, Friday Aug. 19. The winner should respond within 48 hours after being contacted by email. If I’m unable to contact a winner, another winner will be chosen. Good Luck!
