The Smiling Heart

Hello all! Well, I have been wanting to write this post to my blog for some time but have had trouble finding the time to just sit and do it. By now most of you should know about the Betty Crocker Gluten Free products. Probably, most of you have tried them already, too. But just in case some of you haven’t I wanted to give you my opinion of this line. I LOVE it! This particular post will be about the Devils Food cake mix though. I loved this mix! The mixture was easy to make… just add a couple items. It was as if I had stepped back into pre-diagnosed time for me and was making a cake. I was so pleased! The batter was not riding up the beaters driving me insane with it’s thickness and super adhesive powers that most gluten free cake mixes seem to have. It was a thin batter and extremely easy to work with in every sense. It baked up light and fluffy and super moist! As with all gluten free cake mixes though 1 box will only get you one layer on a double layer cake so be prepared to buy 2 boxes for the traditional 2 layer cake. It is well worth it though! The cake was delicious, moist, and easy to make! I will not be using any other cake mix from this time forward. I love it that much! Try this cake with my cream cheese frosting recipe that I have under my “Recipes” page above. Be sure to let the frosting sit in the refrigerator and chill slightly before using though. If you haven’t tried this gluten free cake mix yet you should run out and get one right now! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed at all! Happy Eating!

This is SOOOOOOO good! I only make these once a year at Thanksgiving because they are obviously not healthy being very high in sugar and calories but a couple little  squares a year is okay and well worth the wait every year!

I list the brand names I use to make this recipe gluten free but please keep in mind that you absolutely MUST read all ingredients on all items priot to ingesting them. Food manufacturers will change recipes in a heartbeat to go with the ingredient that is cheapest at the moment so please use my suggestions as guidelines only. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

GLUTEN  FREE  PUMPKIN  GOOEY  BUTTER  CAKES

This recipe is from Paula Deen. I have simply revised it to be gluten free.

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time:  50 min
Level:  Easy
Servings:    6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker GF mix/GF Pantry)
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted (Land O’Lakes)

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (Libby’s)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted (Land O’Lakes)
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar (Domino)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (McCormick)
1 teaspoon nutmeg (McCormick or whole fresh nutmeg that’s grated)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

I came up with this recipe on my own. It has proven to be very good and I get lots of compliments anytime I make it. It is not a precise science though. It may take a little more time to thicken or a little less. You may need to add more cornstarch or rice flour to thicken to your taste. A gravy is at it’s  perfect consistency when it covers a spoon which has been dipped into it. An even coating that stays on the spoon is just right.

Tricia’s Gluten Free Turkey Gravy

Ingredients

This frosting is SO delicious I use nothing but this frosting now. It’s so fast and easy to make! It can run a bit thin so let it set in the fridge for a little bit before you use it. You may even be able to add a little bit of cornstarch to help thicken it if it’s too thin for your taste. I have not tried this myself because letting it set in the fridge for a a short time has been good enough for me. I love this frosting. It makes a lot… more than enough for a double layer cake. If you are making cupcakes you can pipe this frosting very easily to frost the cupcakes and they come out beautifully! Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

This stuffing recipe comes out much drier than the Southern Cornbread Stuffing I posted previously. It is a different texture, too, being very crumbly. I LOVE this stuffing so much! It is so easy to make I even use this recipe throughout the year! I list the brand names I use to make this recipe gluten free but please keep in mind that you absolutely MUST read all ingredients on all items priot to ingesting them. Food manufacturers will change recipes in a heartbeat to go with the ingredient that is cheapest at the moment so please use my suggestions as guidelines only. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

GLUTEN FREE CORNBREAD & SAUSAGE STUFFING

Makes 12 servings, scant 1 cup each

Ingredients
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage (about 4 links), casings removed (Johnsonville is GF)
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 ½ cups finely chopped celery
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 12 cups) (Gluten Free Pantry or recipe that follows)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 ½-3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (Kitchen Basics/Emeril is GF)

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and celery; cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornbread, parsley and sage.
3. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup over the stuffing mixture and toss gently (the cornbread will break into smaller pieces). Add as much of the remaining broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing feels moist but not wet. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared pan and cover with foil.
4. Bake the stuffing until thoroughly heated, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing Tips
Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Just before serving, bake at 350°F until hot, about 30 minutes.

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing Nutrition Information
Per serving: 237 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 48 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 3 g fiber; 609 mg sodium; 153 mg potassium.
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 medium-fat meat

This recipe comes out very moist! I LOVE this recipe! It is a bit of work but it is so worth it!

I list the brand names I use to make this recipe gluten free but please keep in mind that you absolutely MUST read all ingredients on all items priot to ingesting them. Food manufacturers will change recipes in a heartbeat to go with the ingredient that is cheapest at the moment so please use my suggestions as guidelines only. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

GLUTEN FREE SOUTHERN CORNBREAD STUFFING

Prep Time:
30 min
Cook Time:
1 hr 20 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Cornbread, recipe follows (or I use Gluten Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread if I don’t want to make it myself)
7 slices oven-dried bread (I use Bread from Anna, Original )
1 sleeve saltine crackers (I use Schar Table Crackers – 2 sleeves ) there are 3 sleeves per package
8 tablespoons butter (I use Land O’ Lakes butter)
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups chicken stock (I use Kitchen Basics or Emeril)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage (fresh is the best!)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
5 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Crumble the cornbread, bread slices and crackers.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines; set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Hi all! Well, Thanksgiving is right around the corner so I thought I would share some of my personal favorite recipes that I make every Thanksgiving. Are you a newly diagnosed Celiac? Have you been dreading Thanksgiving thinking that you won’t be able to have that wonderful dressing you love? Well, cheer up and put a smile on your face! Even if you’re an old hand at this gluten free stuff and have indulged in dressing on the holidays before you should really give this recipe a try!! It is delicious!! But, of course, you need a good solid foundation for the two dressing recipes I have for you and that would be cornbread….. so first off I’ll share a wonderful gluten free cornbread recipe:

GLUTEN FREE CORNBREAD

1 TB butter
1 cup corn meal
½ cup soy flour
½ cup brown rise flour
½ tsp salt
2 TB brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the butter in a  9×9 square baking pan or in a small cast iron skillet. Put the pan in the preheating oven until butter is melted. Remove from oven and tilt the pan back and forth to coat. Set aside.

Mix corn meal, soy flour, brown rice flour, salt, brown sugar and baking soda together. Add the egg, milk and melted butter. Combine with a few strokes, not over beating. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Hello, everyone! I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about a recent outing I took to Outback Steakhouse. In case you don’t know, Outback has done alot of work with the GIG (Gluten Intolerance Group) and have worked hard to make sure their restaurants have trained staff. At the very least, that they are familiar with Celiac and the difficult issues we face when eating out. I stopped by my local Outback for dinner a couple of months ago. They had a GF menu ready to hand to me and my waitress knew what I meant and needed when I told her I was a Celiac and needed to eat gluten free. I didn’t get sick and it was a lovely evening! About two weeks ago I found myself away from home much longer then I had anticipated and needed to get some substantial food to hold me over so as to not suffer any ill effects from the Juvenile Diabetes. I went to the closest Outback which was at a different location then my previous visit had been. This hostess clearly didn’t know what I meant when I asked for a GF menu but assured me she would have the manager look into it. About 5 minutes later the manager came to my table with a print out of their GF menu from the webpage and apologized profusely for not having an actual menu. He assured me he would check my food himself and I would be safe. I asked my waitress if she was familiar with Celiac and the gluten free diet and she said she wasn’t. I asked if she would sit with us for a moment while I told her some important things about it. She very happily sat with us and I gave a quick, short lesson. She seemed sincerely interested and grateful. I went on to have a wonderful small lunch and did not suffer any ill effects at all. So I can wholeheartedly recommend Outback Steakhouse to all my fellow Celiacs out there. Go out and enjoy a nice steak dinner!! Allow your food to be cooked for you and be served to you! You deserve it! If you haven’t ventured out yet don’t be afraid. I know it’s easier said then done. I’m in that same small boat with you but you won’t regret it. I believe you will be well taken care of at Outback and it’s time you went out and had a nice dinner in a restaurant. Here are the links to their webpage and GF menu:

 http://www.outbacksteakhouse.com/ 

 http://www.outbacksteakhouse.com/foodandmenus/pdf/glutenfree.pdf

  Thought I’d take a picture of the new GF Honey Nut Chex box. I have read a lot of conflicting things on the blogs out there. The new boxes DO have the “Now Gluten Free” image on the front despite what General Mills is showing on their page. There is NO MALT FLAVORING in the ingredients list. I was at the Super Walmart that’s just down the road last night. I thought I would check the cereal aisle just to see if they had the new Chex cereals on the shelf. Sure enough, just as pretty as a picture, there they were!! I was surprised how excited I felt. I LOVE cold cereal, don’t get me wrong. I have other health problems though. I, also, have Juvenile Diabetes and because of this I have stayed away from a lot of cereal. Cereal would send my blood sugar through the roof and I would be sick all day long. No matter how much I loved cereal it was not worth the cost. So I would avoid it until the memory faded and then I would give in thinking it must not be that bad only to suffer miserably for my failing memory. After I was diagnosed with the Celiac I quickly put two and two together and thought perhaps it was the gluten that was having such a profound affect on my blood sugar. Sure enough, I can manage my blood sugar levels much easier now while eating gluten free cereals but the lessons of a lifetime do not fade away quite so easily. So I wasn’t expecting to be as excited as I was when I turned that corner and saw the Rice, Corn, Cinnamon, and Honey Nut Chex cereal boxes sitting there with those three beautiful words on them! I think I may have heard angels singing in the background, too. =) It was a sight to behold and then my eyes moved down and I saw the price tag on the shelf and I’ll admit I let out a tiny scream of elation. It said $2.58!! $2.58 for a whole, big box of cereal that I could find on the regular shelf in any grocery store no less!! Oh, it’s these small moments in life that bring happiness. String them all together and soon you have a large moment embracing a certain area of your life. This small moment was added to the small moment when I discovered Tinkyada pasta and knew I would never, never have to go without a good spaghetti dinner even if I was a Celiac. I’m still working on my large moment but I have no doubt it will get larger as Celiacs lose our special power of invisibility and the world has to deal with us. Eat up, friends!! Eat up!

In fact, I am so new I just accidentally deleted the 600+ word post I just wrote!! Just wanted to say I am new to this blogging thing and still trying to wrap my head around it. I know this blog is pretty empty right now but I have plans to input a lot of information in the pages on the left hand side. Of course, the categories will fill with time. I have started to add some links so perhaps my blog can be of some help while I work on getting it going. I will be blogging about my life in general along with any thoughts or opinions I may have about what’s happening in the world. I will, also, be blogging about my cats which are huge part of my life, my life with juvenile diabetes/celiac/pernicious anemia/thyroid disease/rheumatoid arthritis, my devotion to God, and my inability to have children and how I have coped. Please check back in later as I hope I’ll be working on this blog daily. =)