A Bakers Dream

It's a little known fact

 that Pamela's makes the best gluten free brownie mix!

But this brownie pan is a dream come true for a diabetic-celiac.  Let me tell you why.  First of all, gluten free recipes can often be crumbly and hard to cut evenly.  This makes it hard to accurately divide brownies into perfectly cut portions to calculate the carbohydrates to ensure a correct insulin dosage.  This pan solved both problems!  I found the 9 X 9 size pan at Bed Bath and Beyond.  It cost 20 bucks minus the 20% off coupon. 

I simply poured the batter into the pan, then placed the divider on top.  The brownies came out perfectly proportioned and slid right off the pan.

We all scream for...icecream!

We got a Cuisinart Ice cream maker for Christmas this year.  

There are several recipes for slushies, yogurts and icecream.  We chose to make mint chocolate chip icecream.  The recipe called for super simple ingredients:

1 cup whole milk (I used skim because that's what we drink)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (added the last 5 min)

several drops green food coloring

The kids loved watching the liquid turn into icecream in about 30 minutes.  It melted fast in their cups when we dished it up, but we just couldn't wait to let it set up in the freezer for any longer.  It tasted fantastic and so fresh.  This was a fun treat to make and enjoy together!

Cheese Bread Mania

I saw a story in the paper about this company and had to try it for myself.  They make Brazilian Cheese Bread dough that is gluten free.  I found this at my local Harmon's grocery store.  HERE is a link to their site if you are interested in ordering or finding it at a store near you.  They were a little pricey at 10 dollars for a box of 24.  I would love to try the other flavors they offer. 

PAO DE QUEIJO (Brazilian Cheese Bread)...

Delightfully crispy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside, kind of like a cheesy cross between a popover and a dinner roll, pão de queijo can be found daily in almost any bakery, bar, café, or luncheonette in Brazil. It is gluten-free, and offers a bit of a playground for experimentation with different kinds of flavors. Great for breakfast, delicious for mini-sandwiches and fantastic for munching with drinks.

Coconutty Sweet Chex Mix

This was my favorite new treat of the past holiday season.  I seriously couldn't get enough of it!  Doubling the recipe is a must for me!

Ingredients

1 c butter
1 c white Karo (light corn syrup)
1 c sugar
3 c rice chex
3 c corn chex
1/2 c coconut
slivered almonds
Directions

In large bowl combine cereals, coconut and almonds In saucepan combine butter, sugar and Karo Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes Pour over cereal mixture Spread on wax paper till slightly dry to touch Separate into bite-sized clusters

Pacific Cream of Chicken soup

I make quite a few recipes that call for cream of chicken soup and have always used the Health Valley brand as my staple, but I tried this one and enjoyed it just as much.  The consistency was much thicker and made for some yummy enchilada's!  I found it at my local Smith's/Kroger store.  Still a bit pricey, but equal to the cost of Health Valley's soup. 

A New Treat!

I was thrilled to spot these boxes on the grocery store shelf.  I found them on the aisle with the granola bars and fruit snacks.  Brittany was happy to have something new and different in her lunches.  The box says gluten free right on the front and they are only 90 calories.  My Smiths (Kroger) store had them for 2.99 a box, but Walmart's price was only 2 bucks.  And there was a coupon for 1 dollar off 2 boxes in the paper recently.  I'm stocking up on this happy find!