Banana oatmeal nut muffins

This is one of those recipes that you kinda make up when you're bored and procrastinating and need to use stuff up, like a packet of oatmeal and a really ripe banana.

Makes a hearty muffin that's just barely sweet. You might want to add another 1/4 to 1/2 c. sugar if you're feelin' a sweet muffin. The banana flavor is subtle because I only had one banana, so feel free to add another one and leave out the applesauce. You can't really tell there's oatmeal in there; it blends right in. It's got kind of a crunchy top and a soft middle. Perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee or as a snack.

Banana Oatmeal Nut Muffins

1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. corn starch
1/2 c. sorghum flour
1/2 t. xanthan gum

1/8 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon

1 packet Gluten Freeda's Banana Maple Flax oatmeal, made according to package directions (or 1/3 c. cooked GF oatmeal. I like Gluten Free Oats)

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 T. olive oil
1 T. maple syrup
1 T. unsweetened applesauce
1 mashed, really ripe banana
1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Mix the dry ingredients together, then mix the wet ingredients together. Mix everything into a big bowl, then add the walnuts. Put into muffin tins either greased or lined with princess frog liners. (They don't show up in the picture but they're so CUTE!) Sprinkle a few oats on top just to make them pretty.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the tops start to brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

Pamela's Peanut Butter Cookies

picture links to product info

This box of cookies came in a gluten free gift basket of goodies I got for Christmas. This is the first time I've tried Pamela's cookies. I usually make my own because they're so simple, but sometimes it is nice to have cookies without any waiting or dishes.

I was excited because peanut butter cookies are my favorite.
So how did I like them? To be honest, I didn't. Not at all.

I didn't like them for two main reasons.

1. They were chewy, but a little -too-chewy. The texture wasn't pleasing; something was a little off, like I was chewing on candy or something other than a cookie.

2. They didn't taste enough like peanut butter. It was more like a hint of peanut butter. I like my peanut butter cookies to have that rich peanut butter taste.

So, the extra-chewy texture combined with the so-so peanut butter flavor didn't really rock my socks. It may be that I'm just a picky peanut butter cookie person, but I wouldn't spend my money on them.

Does anyone disagree, or have any other Pamela's cookie products they recommend?

Haiti & Celiac Teen

Lauren at Celiac Teen is gathering submissions for an e-cookbook which will be used to help Haiti.

"Send your favourite, most loved recipe that makes you feel at home with an email subject line of "Haiti Ebook" to mail (at) celiacteen (dot) com {replacing the (at) and (dot) with applicable characters!}. Please also include a picture! The recipe does not have to be gluten free. It can be a baked good, a meal, a breakfast, a treat, anything. Whatever it is though, make sure it makes you think of home. They lost theirs, so a comforting dish is the best way in my eyes!"

I think it's a great idea and it takes just a few minutes to send her an email with your submission.

Enjoy Life Granola- New and Improved

picture links to product information

The first time I tried this stuff, I was very fresh off the diagnosis train and thought it was horrible. Terrible. Worst cereal I'd ever tried. Clusters that were dry and strangely moist at the same time, with a terrible fake fruit and bitter taste. I threw it away with a sinking celiac heart.

Fast forward to a few days ago, when my mom saw a few gluten free things on sale and bought them just because they were on sale. This granola was part of that purchase, and I cringed when I saw the bag.

But, I decided to open it just for kicks. When I looked inside, I noticed that it looked different. So I tried some and oh my gosh, it was good! Nice and crispy like granola should be.

I don't know if the first box I tried was bad or what, but this granola is very much New and Improved. It's a completely different cereal and I really like it, especially on yogurt. The bag says there are pieces of freeze dried fruit, but they are not really noticeable. Either way, Yum.

German Pancakes

I was looking through some old cookbooks of my mom's and I found this recipe written on a piece of paper. It looked very simple, so I tried it out. It reminds me of a dutch baby, and has a flavor that is reminiscent of french toast. I really like it, and I'll probably be making it again.

German Pancake
1/3 c. flour (a mixture of corn starch, sorghum, and brown rice flour, a little of each just kinda spooned into the measuring cup)
pinch of xanthan gum
1/3 c. milk
2 eggs
1/2 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt

Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and milk together, then whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour it into a greased 8-inch pan and bake it at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until it's slightly brown on the edges and done all the way through.
Top it with powdered sugar. (I used syrup as well)

Makes 1 big pancake, enough for 1 person if that's all you're eating, or 2 people if you're eating other stuff with it.

I think it might be neat to try making it savory, with cheese or something.

P.S. Make sure you grease the pan really well because mine stuck.

chocolate chip muffins

Hey, I'm alive! It's been a while since I've posted. Semester 1 of CLS school is DONE! I gotta say, it was a lot harder than I thought it'd be, but I did it. (As a matter of fact, I did quite well.) Now that we get a break, I get to get back into the kitchen (and catch up on sleep). Hopefully I come out with something tasty.

Since I -am- a student and therefore broke, I plan on charming my friends with delicious baked GF goods and a few other homemade items that I can't post yet- otherwhise they'll know what they're getting for Christmas... if anyone reads this blog anymore, haha.

I really wanted cinnamon rolls this morning but I was too lazy to make them. They are a little bit of extra work, but when I actually get to doing it, it's not that bad. It's the getting started part that's always hard.

Muffins seemed easier, but my sweet tooth was aching. Easy solution? Throw in some chocolate chips. I figured I'd go easy on the chocolate, but if you're feeling it, add as much as you want. They're pretty yummy.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 egg
1/4 c. milk, non-dairy milk, or water
2 T. oil (or applesauce)
1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. corn starch
1/3 c. sorghum flour
1/4 t. xanthan gum
1 t. baking powder
1/8 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/4- 1/3 c. chocolate chips

Beat the egg in a bowl, and mix in the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients together, then mix them into the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean, they're done.

Makes 5-6 muffins.

-Really good with a cup of coffee, a purring kitten, and a magazine that has nothing to do with hematology or chemistry :o)

Assorted product reviews

Over Thanksgiving, I went to College Station and visited Village Foods. Oh my gosh that store has a great GF selection. I was practically giddy. One of the things I picked up was these mini waffles. I normally don't prefer Van's waffles, but these minis looked cute and I was on a GF shopping high.

Surprisingly, I like them. They aren't as dry as their regular waffles and they toast up perfectly. I will probably get these again.

I also picked up a couple packets of Road's End Organic Vegan Golden Gravy mix.


I know, I know. Gravy from a mix. I was a big "gravy from a mix" kind of girl before Celiac, so I was really interested and excited because it's hard to find any that are gluten free.
It mixed up pretty simple and quick. I don't think I liked it very much, though. It was very heavy on the garlic. I think I might use this to thicken sauces or add flavor, but I won't make it as straight gravy; it was just a little too much.

I also found instant oatmeal from Gluten Freeda. Instant oatmeal! Two years ago I never would have thought that instant oatmeal would be a novelty. I tried the variety pack.

I like this stuff a lot, especially because it's quick and nutritious in the morning. I added extra flaxseed meal and almonds to get a little extra out of it. I wasn't a huge fan of the banana flavor, but I have an idea to add it to banana nut muffins that I think will work really well.

The man insisted that I get Gillian's Garlic Croutons.

I have to say, it's been a long time since I've eaten a crouton. I think they're pretty tasty and it was a nice treat. Since croutons are only easy to make if I've made bread and I've kinda given up on that for a while, these were very convenient and I might actually buy them again.

So, I had a very fun time trying out all these new-to-me products.