Gluten Away Virtual Expo

Go check out the Gluten Away Expo that is currently going on right now! There are so many great products. Most, if not all, companies are doing giveaways of their products. Many of these companies also include coupons on the site. There are sample kits that are already created for only $5.00 plus tax that include a good variation of products. Also, you can buy a sample pass for $5.00, $7.00, or $10.00 and choose which samples you'd like to try. The sample kits and sample passes are definitely worth the money you are paying for.

There are also a ton of giveaways that you can easily sign up for by clicking on the booth pages. 

Check out the creators blog at Gluten Away. Taylor Miller is a high school students who is living with Celiac Disease, POTS, and an adrenal disorder. He is one of the first blogs that I started following when I transitioned to gluten free living. His blog includes great recipes and helpful information! 

xoxo,

Jade

Cran-Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

I have to admit, I have always been a huge fan of bread pudding; however, I have a weird texture issue so I was quite worried about creating a gluten free recipe. OH MY GOSH. It was so delicious. Filled with fresh apples, craisins, raisins, and cinnamon, it was a hit. The texture was great, so I am glad it turned out well on the first try. (NOTE: Every time I try a new brand of bread and don't like it, I freeze it in cubes. I don't like to waste them, so I use them for stuffings, breadcrumbs, etc. It also included the "butts" of the bread because I don't eat those.)

• 5 cups of gluten free bread (cut in 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1/2 stick butter (melted)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups of milk
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup craisins
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup fresh apple (diced into 1/2 inch cubes)

1. Pour bread cubes into a 9-inch square baking dish. 
2. Pour butter over the bread and slowly toss to coat the bread. 
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Once mixed, stir in the remaining ingredients. 
4. Pour over the bread cubes. 
5. Cover with foil and refrigerate for two hours. 
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake covered for 50-60 minutes. The center should be set and the top of the bread pudding should be golden brown. 
7. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. 
8. Enjoy! 

xoxo,

Jade 

Half Way

So I am half way through my first semester as a transfer student at Texas A&M University. I love everything about my school. The campus is gorgeous. The people are amazing, and my courses are exciting and enjoyable! I haven't enjoyed school this much in so many years.

On another note, I am going on week three of having a daily headache. I was glutened about three weeks ago (from Papa Murphy's new Gluten Free Pizza) and I am not sure if it's from then or if I have been glutened since. I have been extremely busy since school started, so I am trying to be much more careful  in hopes this headache will end soon.

About Papa Murphy's... The pizza was delicious! My gluten free pizza was loaded with artichokes, olives, spinach, alfredo sauce, chicken, and bacon, but I regretted it later... Although I really enjoyed eating their gluten free pizza, it was definitely contaminated with gluten. I will stick to making my own homemade pizzas, rather than eating from Papa Murphy's or Domino's Pizza.

I am working on my Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe and will post it soon!

Have a fantastic week,
xoxo
Jade

Krusteaz Gluten Free Fudge Brownies Review

Last week, I was shopping at Sam's Club and a box of brownies caught my attention with the huge "Gluten Free" lettering that was on it. I had to buy them. There are three brownie mixes in the box and I paid $6.48. It was a pretty good deal. Over the weekend, instead of studying, I felt like cooking, but there wasn't anything I could make. I decided to bake some brownies to get my mind off of studying and school stress and I am so glad I did! These brownies were so delicious!! :) I mixed in a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and 1/4 cup of shredded coconut. It is a great, fast dessert for busy nights. I have a feeling it will be gone really fast. My brothers have already eaten a good portion of it.

(I just looked at all the assignments that I needed to be

working on while I sat and enjoyed my brownie and ice cream.)

I have been packing a healthy lunch the past couple weeks, so I will gather up some ideas and do a lunch post for college students sometime soon. :) Until then, make some brownies and get rid of all the college stress that's starting to build up!

xoxo

Jade 

Quick Review: WOW Baking Products

As my mom was walking the aisles of our local Target's new grocery section, she spotted some gluten free bagged cookies. The next time we went to the store, I picked up the WOW Baking Chocolate Chip cookies. I may have opened the bag while still shopping, just to try them. Oh my gosh, they were so good! Super moist, not too crumbly, good texture.... I was hooked. I must admit that I had to limit myself to two of the cookies each day. They are quite small (maybe an inch and a half diameter?). The bag lasted me a while, probably a month or so. Throughout the month, the cookies never went stale and I kept them in my pantry. Once I ran out, I came across a bag of the Peanut Butter cookies at my local Ross for around $4.00 so I thought I'd try them as well. They tasted great, but were pretty crumbly. I'd like to think that it could be from being dropped or something. There were still a good amount of full cookies in the bag, but many were broken in pieces.

 (Images from WOW Baking site)

(I forgot to take pictures of my bags!)

Either way, it is great for traveling or when you need a quick treat. I think that this would be a great product for children to have in their backpacks on days when there is a school party or event. They don't have to be left out and they will still have a great dessert. I have packed a bag in my purse for social events at school so that it wouldn't be obvious that there was NOTHING for me to eat. :) 

Check out your local grocery stores and Target to buy this great product!

xoxo
Jade

Loaded Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice is probably a meal that I could eat everyday and not get sick of it, but we don't eat it that often. Sometimes we make it 100% homemade but we also like to keep a box around the house for a quick meal. Tonight, I made Zatarains Dirty Rice and added my usual extra ingredients to it. 

All you need is:

-1 box of Zatarain's Dirty Rice (we like the low sodium one best) 

-1lb meat of your choice (sausage, ground beef, turkey sausage, turkey, chicken, shrimp, etc)

-1 can of black beans

-1 can of corn

-1 can of Rotel 

-shredded cheese

-onions, mushrooms, & bell peppers (optional) 

First, cook your meat with the onions and bell peppers. Once the meat is done, cook the Dirty Rice according to the package (in the same pan) and throw in some fresh sliced mushrooms. When the rice is done, drain the corn, Rotel, and black beans. Mix them into the dirty rice. Top the dirty rice with shredded cheese and enjoy! 

It is a great one pot meal & super easy! It is just as good reheated and eaten as leftovers. 

xoxo

Jade