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Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

gluten free s'mores, a serious indulgence



















I recently saw a very inciting photo of homemade s'mores on the blog cooking with my kid, and decided to see how I could make it gluten free! the two primary ingredient obstacles are graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallow fluff. I had actually never heard of marshmallow fluff so I had to google it. apparently it is something you can buy, but I had no idea if it was gluten free, and honestly I wasn't even sure I could find this type of product in a store in Vancouver as I was reading an American blog.

I searched online for recipes and when I found one I was happy to discover that the ingredients in the marshmallow fluff are gluten free already! as for the graham crackers, most websites suggested substituting them with crushed gluten free cookies, like shortbread, or even almonds. so, I went to the store intending to buy Pamela's shortbread cookies, but while I was cruising the cookie aisle, I found Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers, which they call S'moreables. they are gluten free obviously, but also nut and dairy free.

for those with egg or dairy sensitivities, the ingredients in the smore's and marshmallow fluff recipes include eggs and butter. however, these can easily be substituted with an egg replacer like Ener-G's egg replacer which is gluten free. instead of butter try Earth Balance's non-dairy butter spread. I like the 'red' container as it is also soy free. I have used both butter and Earth Balance spread for this recipe, and found real butter worked much better, and resulted in a tastier s'more. the marshmallow fluff requires corn syrup, but brown rice syrup works too, Lundberg makes one. 

the gluten free s'mores taste just as amazing as they look, and each time I've made them, the whole batch is gone within hours!


let’s make it gluten free!


s’mores ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature, I like Avalon’s organic butter because it contains no color, try Earth Balance for an non dairy alternative
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar, I like Roger’s organic sugar
  • 2 large baking chocolate bars, I used Camino’s semi sweet baking chocolate, it comes with two bars but I only used one because they are very thick
  • 1 large egg, or use Ener-G egg replacer
  • 1 ½ cups marshmallow fluff (see recipe below)
  • 1 tsp vanilla, I use Simply Organic’s vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose gluten free flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
  • ¾ cup graham crackers processed fine. I used Kinnikinnick’s gluten free S’moreables graham style crackers, half a box makes approx. ¾ cup. a food processor works great for this, or a simple rolling pin will do.
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

s’mores instructions:
  • preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • grease an 8-inch square baking pan
  • using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
  • beat in egg and vanilla
  • set aside
  • in another bowl whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt
  • slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined
  • divide the dough in half and press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom  of the prepared pan
  • spread the marshmallow fluff over the dough
  • break the chocolate bar into squares and place evenly on top of the marshmallow
  • place the remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff , this can be tricky as the dough is kind of sticky, and so is the marshmallow! (one of the original blog post commenters suggested rolling it out on wax paper first the flipping it over and placing on top of the chocolate, a fabulous idea!)
  • bake for 30 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • cool completely before cutting into squares, makes 16

marshmallow fluff ingredients:
  • 3 egg whites, room temperature (I never knew how important this was, cold eggs will not fluff!) use Ener-G egg replacer for an egg free version
  • 2 cups of light corn syrup, or Lundberg’s brown rice syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted, I like Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade certified organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, I like Simply Organic’s vanilla extract

marshmallow fluff instructions:
  • in a large bowl of an electric mixer, or a regular bowl if you are using a hand mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt
  • mix for approximately five minutes on high, or until the mixture is thick and the volume has almost doubled, it will look like fluff!
  • on low speed add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended
  • add the vanilla extract and mix until well blended

note:
you only need to make half of this recipe to complete the s’mores recipe above. if you make the whole amount, you can keep the extra in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

you will love these s'mores, and they won't taste gluten free! warning, they are very addictive, and very sweet! happy baking, Andrea.


kinnikinnick smoreables   |   camino semi sweet baking chocolate   |   ener-g egg replacer   |   earth balance dairy free spread



Tuesday, May 31, 2011

celebrating a milestone: gluten free red velvet cake


we are very very pleased to announce that our blog has recently reached over 100,000 page views, and to us that is something worth celebrating! we started our blog in late 2009 in the hopes of sharing our gluten free lifestyle experiences with anyone and everyone. we had virtually no help at the beginning of our diagnosis in 2005 and really had no idea where to turn. our blog was created out of our desire to help even just one person overcome the challenges of a Celiac Disease diagnosis. over the years we have come to realize that living with Celiac Disease is not just about cutting out gluten, but rather integrating this new diet into a normal and enjoyable lifestyle, and this is the focus of our blog.

to celebrate we would like to share with you an awesome Red Velvet Cake recipe adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. this recipe was easy to follow, and most importantly turned out well without any drama! and the cake was delicious! all of the recipes in Pascal's book are dairy free, soy free, nut free, and of course, gluten free!


first you need to whip up Pascal's gluten free flour mix:
4 cups of superfile brown rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
2/3 cup tapioca flour


and here is the cake recipe:
2 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix (see above)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was sweetened, and I used it anyway)
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking power (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of hemp milk/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar (I use Bragg apple cider vinegar)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tbsp rice milk (I used eggs and hemp milk)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)
1 oz bottle red food coloring (Pascal recommends Seelect Natural Food Coloring, order online)


•preheat your oven to 350° F. grease two eight inch round cake pans. Pascal recommends lining each with parchment paper, greasing again, then dusting with cocoa powder. I did this and it really helped get the cakes out.

•whisk together the flour mix, the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

•combine the rice milk and the apple cider vinegar, and set aside.

•using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, which takes about two minutes. next add the food coloring and mix until all the ingredients are combined. sift the flour mixture into the mixing bowl in three batches while alternating with the rice milk mixture. beat until smooth, this takes about thirty seconds. scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

•divide the batter into the two pans and smooth down the surface using a spatula.

•bake in the center of the oven for approximately thirty-five minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. rotate the pans half way though the baking time.

•let the cakes cool on a rack for thirty minutes. then flip the cakes onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, then flip back right side up and let cool completely.

•once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of the cakes. frost with velvet frosting (see recipe below).


velvet frosting recipe:
1 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
pinch of salt
3 cups confectioners sugar (I use Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade organic sugar)
3 tbsps of hemp/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 tbsps of freshly squeezed  lemon juice (I buy all my organic produce from SPUD)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)


•in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and salt on medium speed for one minute.

•add the confectioner's sugar in three batches.

•add the rice/ hemp milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, takes about five minutes.

•frost your cake and enjoy!


don't think we would let our milestone pass by without a giveaway to thank our readers, we have an exciting giveaway coming very soon, stay tuned for the announcement!  Andrea.


celiac disease   |   the allergen-free baker's handbook   |   follow us on twitter   |   follow us on facebook



Sunday, May 8, 2011

happy mothers day!

photo credit janis nicolay
we would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy mothers day! this is a very special day for our mom, and we have a lot to be thankful for this year. our mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago and after a very brave surgery and long recovery, she is healthy and cancer free all thanks to early detection from a mammogram. we all have a lot to celebrate! 

our mom raised Andrea, and our other sister Heather and I to be strong women and has taught us that we can overcome any challenge that comes our way. she has also been our biggest supporter when it has come to the difficulties of living with celiac disease, and we love her very much.

if you are looking for some great gluten free recipes to cook for mom, here are a few that we recommend from the Canadian House & Home website! 


enjoy! Robyn + Andrea





Saturday, April 23, 2011

happy easter!

easter eggs by cygnus921















it's a gorgeous weekend here in Vancouver, and we would like to wish all our readers a happy Easter! if you are looking for some gluten free brunch ideas, try one of these great recipes featured on the Canadian House & Home website!


roasted potatoes
spring pea puree
arugula, beet, & goat cheese salad
panfried lamb with spices
honey & lemon grilled nectarines
pecan roulade with lemon marscapone cream


back next week with some great restaurant reviews!  Andrea + Robyn.


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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.


ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud



Sunday, December 12, 2010

easy gluten free cupcakes

if you are looking for an easy fail-safe cupcake recipe, then this post is for you! many of you might be considering baking for the holidays, a birthday party, a baby shower, or just for fun. if the last thing you have time for is baking, then this is definitely the recipe for you because you can whip these up in under an hour! 

this recipe is also great because it uses minimal ingredients. for those of you who are not celiac, or gluten sensitive, but you want to bring gluten free baking to a party where there are celiac and/ or gluten free guests (good for you!), then this recipe makes perfect sense, since it uses minimal ingredients. many of the complaints I hear from the non-bakers, and especially non-celiacs, is that gluten free baking requires many ingredients that might not be available at common grocery stores, or used again in your baking; ingredients like sorghum flour, xanthan gum, double acting baking soda, etc. if you are not gluten free yourself, and you are baking for someone else, remember to keep your baking area and baking utensils clean from any gluten, follow our entertaining best practices guide here.

the cupcakes are made with Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix, and a cream cheese frosting recipe I found on the Canadian Living website. the best part is that I actually found decorative sprinkles that are gluten free too! here is the recipe for the cupcakes, shown in the photo, which I made for my daughter's first Christmas pageant!


vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (with colorful sprinkles!)

cupcakes:
1 package of Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix
3 large eggs
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup of water

-follow package instructions
-mix together until smooth, and fill cupcake liners 3/4 full
-bake at 350 degrees for 18-28 minutes
-makes approximately 14 cupcakes

frosting:
1/4 cup (50ml) of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup (50ml) of butter softened, try Avalon Dairy's organic butter, it contains no color
1/2 tsp. (2ml) of vanilla, read here for more information on vanilla extract and gluten free
1-1/2 cups (375ml) of icing sugar, try Wholesome Sweetener's organic icing sugar

-in a bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth 
-beat in the vanilla
-add in the icing sugar in two additions and then beat until smooth
-makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes
-add natural colors for fun!

I frosted the cupcakes with a pastry bag that I bought at Yokoyaya for less than five dollars, and it came with four tips. it couldn't be easier, and they look so pretty! I found the gluten free sprinkles at Choices Market in Yaletown, but I am sure they are available at all the Choices Markets. the brand is Let's Do...Sprinkelz which makes three flavours: confetti (shown in photo), chocolatey, and carnival. they also make gluten free ice cream cones and sugar cones!

enjoy!  Andrea.





Thursday, December 2, 2010

udi's gluten free pizza crust

I recently discovered Udi's Gluten Free Foods pizza crust in the freezer section of my local grocery store, and I am crazy about them. I love thin crust pizza, and these are just that! they come frozen two per package, and they couldn't be easier to use, and they make great pizza in my opinion. as we all know the combinations of what you can potentially put on your pizza are endless. I even sometimes use ingredients like strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and papaya. be creative and find something unique and delicious. 

I used to use the Kinnikinnick frozen pizza crusts a few years back when they were really the only gluten free pizza crusts I could find. they were ok, especially when you have no other choice, but I found them to be too doughy and thick for my taste. I have heard that Boston Pizza uses Kinnikinnick pizza crust for their gluten free pizza, and they taste pretty good in my opinion, but they are obviously cooked in commercial ovens, which makes a difference. I could never get them nicely baked in my oven at home. 

Udi's pizza crust is a welcome alternative. they cook really nicely, and take just minutes to prepare. I found mine at Nesters Market Woodwards, more on this great store to come soon, they have a good selection of gluten free products! here is one pizza recipe you can try, it's a little on the salty side due to the salami, it would pair well with a nice cold gluten free beer!


gluten free salami pizza with tomatoes and olives

1. set your oven to 450 degrees celcius (this is what the package recommends, but I cook everything at 350!)
2. remove the pizza crust(s) from the package and place on your baking sheet, they will defrost while you prepare your toppings
3. spread one large tablespoon of tomato sauce all over the crust, I use Western Family Organics tomato sauce
4. place the salami slices over the tomato sauce, I used about 6-7 slices. use your favorite gluten free salami, I used Freybe gypsy salami, it's gluten free
5. quarter cut fresh organic cherry tomatoes, I get all my organic produce from Spud.
6. add your choice of olives, I used fresh calabrese olives, I used a sharp knife and sliced the meat off from around the pit
7. add your favorite cheese, I used Okanagan's Choice Cheese shredded mozzarella, it doesn't contain modified milk ingredients
8. place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes
9. enjoy!

I am going to try ham and pineapple next, my all time favorite pizza!  Andrea.



udi's gluten free foods   |   kinnikinnick   |   freybe



Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

gluten free s'mores, a serious indulgence



















I recently saw a very inciting photo of homemade s'mores on the blog cooking with my kid, and decided to see how I could make it gluten free! the two primary ingredient obstacles are graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallow fluff. I had actually never heard of marshmallow fluff so I had to google it. apparently it is something you can buy, but I had no idea if it was gluten free, and honestly I wasn't even sure I could find this type of product in a store in Vancouver as I was reading an American blog.

I searched online for recipes and when I found one I was happy to discover that the ingredients in the marshmallow fluff are gluten free already! as for the graham crackers, most websites suggested substituting them with crushed gluten free cookies, like shortbread, or even almonds. so, I went to the store intending to buy Pamela's shortbread cookies, but while I was cruising the cookie aisle, I found Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers, which they call S'moreables. they are gluten free obviously, but also nut and dairy free.

for those with egg or dairy sensitivities, the ingredients in the smore's and marshmallow fluff recipes include eggs and butter. however, these can easily be substituted with an egg replacer like Ener-G's egg replacer which is gluten free. instead of butter try Earth Balance's non-dairy butter spread. I like the 'red' container as it is also soy free. I have used both butter and Earth Balance spread for this recipe, and found real butter worked much better, and resulted in a tastier s'more. the marshmallow fluff requires corn syrup, but brown rice syrup works too, Lundberg makes one. 

the gluten free s'mores taste just as amazing as they look, and each time I've made them, the whole batch is gone within hours!


let’s make it gluten free!


s’mores ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature, I like Avalon’s organic butter because it contains no color, try Earth Balance for an non dairy alternative
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar, I like Roger’s organic sugar
  • 2 large baking chocolate bars, I used Camino’s semi sweet baking chocolate, it comes with two bars but I only used one because they are very thick
  • 1 large egg, or use Ener-G egg replacer
  • 1 ½ cups marshmallow fluff (see recipe below)
  • 1 tsp vanilla, I use Simply Organic’s vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose gluten free flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
  • ¾ cup graham crackers processed fine. I used Kinnikinnick’s gluten free S’moreables graham style crackers, half a box makes approx. ¾ cup. a food processor works great for this, or a simple rolling pin will do.
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

s’mores instructions:
  • preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • grease an 8-inch square baking pan
  • using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
  • beat in egg and vanilla
  • set aside
  • in another bowl whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt
  • slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined
  • divide the dough in half and press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom  of the prepared pan
  • spread the marshmallow fluff over the dough
  • break the chocolate bar into squares and place evenly on top of the marshmallow
  • place the remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff , this can be tricky as the dough is kind of sticky, and so is the marshmallow! (one of the original blog post commenters suggested rolling it out on wax paper first the flipping it over and placing on top of the chocolate, a fabulous idea!)
  • bake for 30 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • cool completely before cutting into squares, makes 16

marshmallow fluff ingredients:
  • 3 egg whites, room temperature (I never knew how important this was, cold eggs will not fluff!) use Ener-G egg replacer for an egg free version
  • 2 cups of light corn syrup, or Lundberg’s brown rice syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted, I like Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade certified organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, I like Simply Organic’s vanilla extract

marshmallow fluff instructions:
  • in a large bowl of an electric mixer, or a regular bowl if you are using a hand mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt
  • mix for approximately five minutes on high, or until the mixture is thick and the volume has almost doubled, it will look like fluff!
  • on low speed add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended
  • add the vanilla extract and mix until well blended

note:
you only need to make half of this recipe to complete the s’mores recipe above. if you make the whole amount, you can keep the extra in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

you will love these s'mores, and they won't taste gluten free! warning, they are very addictive, and very sweet! happy baking, Andrea.


kinnikinnick smoreables   |   camino semi sweet baking chocolate   |   ener-g egg replacer   |   earth balance dairy free spread



Tuesday, May 31, 2011

celebrating a milestone: gluten free red velvet cake


we are very very pleased to announce that our blog has recently reached over 100,000 page views, and to us that is something worth celebrating! we started our blog in late 2009 in the hopes of sharing our gluten free lifestyle experiences with anyone and everyone. we had virtually no help at the beginning of our diagnosis in 2005 and really had no idea where to turn. our blog was created out of our desire to help even just one person overcome the challenges of a Celiac Disease diagnosis. over the years we have come to realize that living with Celiac Disease is not just about cutting out gluten, but rather integrating this new diet into a normal and enjoyable lifestyle, and this is the focus of our blog.

to celebrate we would like to share with you an awesome Red Velvet Cake recipe adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. this recipe was easy to follow, and most importantly turned out well without any drama! and the cake was delicious! all of the recipes in Pascal's book are dairy free, soy free, nut free, and of course, gluten free!


first you need to whip up Pascal's gluten free flour mix:
4 cups of superfile brown rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
2/3 cup tapioca flour


and here is the cake recipe:
2 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix (see above)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was sweetened, and I used it anyway)
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking power (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of hemp milk/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar (I use Bragg apple cider vinegar)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tbsp rice milk (I used eggs and hemp milk)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)
1 oz bottle red food coloring (Pascal recommends Seelect Natural Food Coloring, order online)


•preheat your oven to 350° F. grease two eight inch round cake pans. Pascal recommends lining each with parchment paper, greasing again, then dusting with cocoa powder. I did this and it really helped get the cakes out.

•whisk together the flour mix, the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

•combine the rice milk and the apple cider vinegar, and set aside.

•using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, which takes about two minutes. next add the food coloring and mix until all the ingredients are combined. sift the flour mixture into the mixing bowl in three batches while alternating with the rice milk mixture. beat until smooth, this takes about thirty seconds. scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

•divide the batter into the two pans and smooth down the surface using a spatula.

•bake in the center of the oven for approximately thirty-five minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. rotate the pans half way though the baking time.

•let the cakes cool on a rack for thirty minutes. then flip the cakes onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, then flip back right side up and let cool completely.

•once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of the cakes. frost with velvet frosting (see recipe below).


velvet frosting recipe:
1 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
pinch of salt
3 cups confectioners sugar (I use Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade organic sugar)
3 tbsps of hemp/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 tbsps of freshly squeezed  lemon juice (I buy all my organic produce from SPUD)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)


•in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and salt on medium speed for one minute.

•add the confectioner's sugar in three batches.

•add the rice/ hemp milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, takes about five minutes.

•frost your cake and enjoy!


don't think we would let our milestone pass by without a giveaway to thank our readers, we have an exciting giveaway coming very soon, stay tuned for the announcement!  Andrea.


celiac disease   |   the allergen-free baker's handbook   |   follow us on twitter   |   follow us on facebook



Sunday, May 8, 2011

happy mothers day!

photo credit janis nicolay
we would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy mothers day! this is a very special day for our mom, and we have a lot to be thankful for this year. our mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago and after a very brave surgery and long recovery, she is healthy and cancer free all thanks to early detection from a mammogram. we all have a lot to celebrate! 

our mom raised Andrea, and our other sister Heather and I to be strong women and has taught us that we can overcome any challenge that comes our way. she has also been our biggest supporter when it has come to the difficulties of living with celiac disease, and we love her very much.

if you are looking for some great gluten free recipes to cook for mom, here are a few that we recommend from the Canadian House & Home website! 


enjoy! Robyn + Andrea





Saturday, April 23, 2011

happy easter!

easter eggs by cygnus921















it's a gorgeous weekend here in Vancouver, and we would like to wish all our readers a happy Easter! if you are looking for some gluten free brunch ideas, try one of these great recipes featured on the Canadian House & Home website!


roasted potatoes
spring pea puree
arugula, beet, & goat cheese salad
panfried lamb with spices
honey & lemon grilled nectarines
pecan roulade with lemon marscapone cream


back next week with some great restaurant reviews!  Andrea + Robyn.


follow us on facebook   |   follow us on twitter


Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.


ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud



Sunday, December 12, 2010

easy gluten free cupcakes

if you are looking for an easy fail-safe cupcake recipe, then this post is for you! many of you might be considering baking for the holidays, a birthday party, a baby shower, or just for fun. if the last thing you have time for is baking, then this is definitely the recipe for you because you can whip these up in under an hour! 

this recipe is also great because it uses minimal ingredients. for those of you who are not celiac, or gluten sensitive, but you want to bring gluten free baking to a party where there are celiac and/ or gluten free guests (good for you!), then this recipe makes perfect sense, since it uses minimal ingredients. many of the complaints I hear from the non-bakers, and especially non-celiacs, is that gluten free baking requires many ingredients that might not be available at common grocery stores, or used again in your baking; ingredients like sorghum flour, xanthan gum, double acting baking soda, etc. if you are not gluten free yourself, and you are baking for someone else, remember to keep your baking area and baking utensils clean from any gluten, follow our entertaining best practices guide here.

the cupcakes are made with Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix, and a cream cheese frosting recipe I found on the Canadian Living website. the best part is that I actually found decorative sprinkles that are gluten free too! here is the recipe for the cupcakes, shown in the photo, which I made for my daughter's first Christmas pageant!


vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (with colorful sprinkles!)

cupcakes:
1 package of Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix
3 large eggs
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup of water

-follow package instructions
-mix together until smooth, and fill cupcake liners 3/4 full
-bake at 350 degrees for 18-28 minutes
-makes approximately 14 cupcakes

frosting:
1/4 cup (50ml) of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup (50ml) of butter softened, try Avalon Dairy's organic butter, it contains no color
1/2 tsp. (2ml) of vanilla, read here for more information on vanilla extract and gluten free
1-1/2 cups (375ml) of icing sugar, try Wholesome Sweetener's organic icing sugar

-in a bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth 
-beat in the vanilla
-add in the icing sugar in two additions and then beat until smooth
-makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes
-add natural colors for fun!

I frosted the cupcakes with a pastry bag that I bought at Yokoyaya for less than five dollars, and it came with four tips. it couldn't be easier, and they look so pretty! I found the gluten free sprinkles at Choices Market in Yaletown, but I am sure they are available at all the Choices Markets. the brand is Let's Do...Sprinkelz which makes three flavours: confetti (shown in photo), chocolatey, and carnival. they also make gluten free ice cream cones and sugar cones!

enjoy!  Andrea.





Thursday, December 2, 2010

udi's gluten free pizza crust

I recently discovered Udi's Gluten Free Foods pizza crust in the freezer section of my local grocery store, and I am crazy about them. I love thin crust pizza, and these are just that! they come frozen two per package, and they couldn't be easier to use, and they make great pizza in my opinion. as we all know the combinations of what you can potentially put on your pizza are endless. I even sometimes use ingredients like strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and papaya. be creative and find something unique and delicious. 

I used to use the Kinnikinnick frozen pizza crusts a few years back when they were really the only gluten free pizza crusts I could find. they were ok, especially when you have no other choice, but I found them to be too doughy and thick for my taste. I have heard that Boston Pizza uses Kinnikinnick pizza crust for their gluten free pizza, and they taste pretty good in my opinion, but they are obviously cooked in commercial ovens, which makes a difference. I could never get them nicely baked in my oven at home. 

Udi's pizza crust is a welcome alternative. they cook really nicely, and take just minutes to prepare. I found mine at Nesters Market Woodwards, more on this great store to come soon, they have a good selection of gluten free products! here is one pizza recipe you can try, it's a little on the salty side due to the salami, it would pair well with a nice cold gluten free beer!


gluten free salami pizza with tomatoes and olives

1. set your oven to 450 degrees celcius (this is what the package recommends, but I cook everything at 350!)
2. remove the pizza crust(s) from the package and place on your baking sheet, they will defrost while you prepare your toppings
3. spread one large tablespoon of tomato sauce all over the crust, I use Western Family Organics tomato sauce
4. place the salami slices over the tomato sauce, I used about 6-7 slices. use your favorite gluten free salami, I used Freybe gypsy salami, it's gluten free
5. quarter cut fresh organic cherry tomatoes, I get all my organic produce from Spud.
6. add your choice of olives, I used fresh calabrese olives, I used a sharp knife and sliced the meat off from around the pit
7. add your favorite cheese, I used Okanagan's Choice Cheese shredded mozzarella, it doesn't contain modified milk ingredients
8. place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes
9. enjoy!

I am going to try ham and pineapple next, my all time favorite pizza!  Andrea.



udi's gluten free foods   |   kinnikinnick   |   freybe



Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
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gluten free vancouver: dining & lifestyle blog by Gluten Free Vancouver is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

gluten free s'mores, a serious indulgence



















I recently saw a very inciting photo of homemade s'mores on the blog cooking with my kid, and decided to see how I could make it gluten free! the two primary ingredient obstacles are graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallow fluff. I had actually never heard of marshmallow fluff so I had to google it. apparently it is something you can buy, but I had no idea if it was gluten free, and honestly I wasn't even sure I could find this type of product in a store in Vancouver as I was reading an American blog.

I searched online for recipes and when I found one I was happy to discover that the ingredients in the marshmallow fluff are gluten free already! as for the graham crackers, most websites suggested substituting them with crushed gluten free cookies, like shortbread, or even almonds. so, I went to the store intending to buy Pamela's shortbread cookies, but while I was cruising the cookie aisle, I found Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers, which they call S'moreables. they are gluten free obviously, but also nut and dairy free.

for those with egg or dairy sensitivities, the ingredients in the smore's and marshmallow fluff recipes include eggs and butter. however, these can easily be substituted with an egg replacer like Ener-G's egg replacer which is gluten free. instead of butter try Earth Balance's non-dairy butter spread. I like the 'red' container as it is also soy free. I have used both butter and Earth Balance spread for this recipe, and found real butter worked much better, and resulted in a tastier s'more. the marshmallow fluff requires corn syrup, but brown rice syrup works too, Lundberg makes one. 

the gluten free s'mores taste just as amazing as they look, and each time I've made them, the whole batch is gone within hours!


let’s make it gluten free!


s’mores ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature, I like Avalon’s organic butter because it contains no color, try Earth Balance for an non dairy alternative
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar, I like Roger’s organic sugar
  • 2 large baking chocolate bars, I used Camino’s semi sweet baking chocolate, it comes with two bars but I only used one because they are very thick
  • 1 large egg, or use Ener-G egg replacer
  • 1 ½ cups marshmallow fluff (see recipe below)
  • 1 tsp vanilla, I use Simply Organic’s vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose gluten free flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
  • ¾ cup graham crackers processed fine. I used Kinnikinnick’s gluten free S’moreables graham style crackers, half a box makes approx. ¾ cup. a food processor works great for this, or a simple rolling pin will do.
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

s’mores instructions:
  • preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • grease an 8-inch square baking pan
  • using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
  • beat in egg and vanilla
  • set aside
  • in another bowl whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt
  • slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined
  • divide the dough in half and press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom  of the prepared pan
  • spread the marshmallow fluff over the dough
  • break the chocolate bar into squares and place evenly on top of the marshmallow
  • place the remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff , this can be tricky as the dough is kind of sticky, and so is the marshmallow! (one of the original blog post commenters suggested rolling it out on wax paper first the flipping it over and placing on top of the chocolate, a fabulous idea!)
  • bake for 30 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • cool completely before cutting into squares, makes 16

marshmallow fluff ingredients:
  • 3 egg whites, room temperature (I never knew how important this was, cold eggs will not fluff!) use Ener-G egg replacer for an egg free version
  • 2 cups of light corn syrup, or Lundberg’s brown rice syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted, I like Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade certified organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, I like Simply Organic’s vanilla extract

marshmallow fluff instructions:
  • in a large bowl of an electric mixer, or a regular bowl if you are using a hand mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt
  • mix for approximately five minutes on high, or until the mixture is thick and the volume has almost doubled, it will look like fluff!
  • on low speed add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended
  • add the vanilla extract and mix until well blended

note:
you only need to make half of this recipe to complete the s’mores recipe above. if you make the whole amount, you can keep the extra in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

you will love these s'mores, and they won't taste gluten free! warning, they are very addictive, and very sweet! happy baking, Andrea.


kinnikinnick smoreables   |   camino semi sweet baking chocolate   |   ener-g egg replacer   |   earth balance dairy free spread



Tuesday, May 31, 2011

celebrating a milestone: gluten free red velvet cake


we are very very pleased to announce that our blog has recently reached over 100,000 page views, and to us that is something worth celebrating! we started our blog in late 2009 in the hopes of sharing our gluten free lifestyle experiences with anyone and everyone. we had virtually no help at the beginning of our diagnosis in 2005 and really had no idea where to turn. our blog was created out of our desire to help even just one person overcome the challenges of a Celiac Disease diagnosis. over the years we have come to realize that living with Celiac Disease is not just about cutting out gluten, but rather integrating this new diet into a normal and enjoyable lifestyle, and this is the focus of our blog.

to celebrate we would like to share with you an awesome Red Velvet Cake recipe adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. this recipe was easy to follow, and most importantly turned out well without any drama! and the cake was delicious! all of the recipes in Pascal's book are dairy free, soy free, nut free, and of course, gluten free!


first you need to whip up Pascal's gluten free flour mix:
4 cups of superfile brown rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
2/3 cup tapioca flour


and here is the cake recipe:
2 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix (see above)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was sweetened, and I used it anyway)
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking power (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of hemp milk/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar (I use Bragg apple cider vinegar)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tbsp rice milk (I used eggs and hemp milk)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)
1 oz bottle red food coloring (Pascal recommends Seelect Natural Food Coloring, order online)


•preheat your oven to 350° F. grease two eight inch round cake pans. Pascal recommends lining each with parchment paper, greasing again, then dusting with cocoa powder. I did this and it really helped get the cakes out.

•whisk together the flour mix, the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

•combine the rice milk and the apple cider vinegar, and set aside.

•using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, which takes about two minutes. next add the food coloring and mix until all the ingredients are combined. sift the flour mixture into the mixing bowl in three batches while alternating with the rice milk mixture. beat until smooth, this takes about thirty seconds. scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

•divide the batter into the two pans and smooth down the surface using a spatula.

•bake in the center of the oven for approximately thirty-five minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. rotate the pans half way though the baking time.

•let the cakes cool on a rack for thirty minutes. then flip the cakes onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, then flip back right side up and let cool completely.

•once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of the cakes. frost with velvet frosting (see recipe below).


velvet frosting recipe:
1 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
pinch of salt
3 cups confectioners sugar (I use Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade organic sugar)
3 tbsps of hemp/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 tbsps of freshly squeezed  lemon juice (I buy all my organic produce from SPUD)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)


•in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and salt on medium speed for one minute.

•add the confectioner's sugar in three batches.

•add the rice/ hemp milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, takes about five minutes.

•frost your cake and enjoy!


don't think we would let our milestone pass by without a giveaway to thank our readers, we have an exciting giveaway coming very soon, stay tuned for the announcement!  Andrea.


celiac disease   |   the allergen-free baker's handbook   |   follow us on twitter   |   follow us on facebook



Sunday, May 8, 2011

happy mothers day!

photo credit janis nicolay
we would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy mothers day! this is a very special day for our mom, and we have a lot to be thankful for this year. our mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago and after a very brave surgery and long recovery, she is healthy and cancer free all thanks to early detection from a mammogram. we all have a lot to celebrate! 

our mom raised Andrea, and our other sister Heather and I to be strong women and has taught us that we can overcome any challenge that comes our way. she has also been our biggest supporter when it has come to the difficulties of living with celiac disease, and we love her very much.

if you are looking for some great gluten free recipes to cook for mom, here are a few that we recommend from the Canadian House & Home website! 


enjoy! Robyn + Andrea





Saturday, April 23, 2011

happy easter!

easter eggs by cygnus921















it's a gorgeous weekend here in Vancouver, and we would like to wish all our readers a happy Easter! if you are looking for some gluten free brunch ideas, try one of these great recipes featured on the Canadian House & Home website!


roasted potatoes
spring pea puree
arugula, beet, & goat cheese salad
panfried lamb with spices
honey & lemon grilled nectarines
pecan roulade with lemon marscapone cream


back next week with some great restaurant reviews!  Andrea + Robyn.


follow us on facebook   |   follow us on twitter


Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.


ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud



Sunday, December 12, 2010

easy gluten free cupcakes

if you are looking for an easy fail-safe cupcake recipe, then this post is for you! many of you might be considering baking for the holidays, a birthday party, a baby shower, or just for fun. if the last thing you have time for is baking, then this is definitely the recipe for you because you can whip these up in under an hour! 

this recipe is also great because it uses minimal ingredients. for those of you who are not celiac, or gluten sensitive, but you want to bring gluten free baking to a party where there are celiac and/ or gluten free guests (good for you!), then this recipe makes perfect sense, since it uses minimal ingredients. many of the complaints I hear from the non-bakers, and especially non-celiacs, is that gluten free baking requires many ingredients that might not be available at common grocery stores, or used again in your baking; ingredients like sorghum flour, xanthan gum, double acting baking soda, etc. if you are not gluten free yourself, and you are baking for someone else, remember to keep your baking area and baking utensils clean from any gluten, follow our entertaining best practices guide here.

the cupcakes are made with Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix, and a cream cheese frosting recipe I found on the Canadian Living website. the best part is that I actually found decorative sprinkles that are gluten free too! here is the recipe for the cupcakes, shown in the photo, which I made for my daughter's first Christmas pageant!


vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (with colorful sprinkles!)

cupcakes:
1 package of Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix
3 large eggs
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup of water

-follow package instructions
-mix together until smooth, and fill cupcake liners 3/4 full
-bake at 350 degrees for 18-28 minutes
-makes approximately 14 cupcakes

frosting:
1/4 cup (50ml) of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup (50ml) of butter softened, try Avalon Dairy's organic butter, it contains no color
1/2 tsp. (2ml) of vanilla, read here for more information on vanilla extract and gluten free
1-1/2 cups (375ml) of icing sugar, try Wholesome Sweetener's organic icing sugar

-in a bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth 
-beat in the vanilla
-add in the icing sugar in two additions and then beat until smooth
-makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes
-add natural colors for fun!

I frosted the cupcakes with a pastry bag that I bought at Yokoyaya for less than five dollars, and it came with four tips. it couldn't be easier, and they look so pretty! I found the gluten free sprinkles at Choices Market in Yaletown, but I am sure they are available at all the Choices Markets. the brand is Let's Do...Sprinkelz which makes three flavours: confetti (shown in photo), chocolatey, and carnival. they also make gluten free ice cream cones and sugar cones!

enjoy!  Andrea.





Thursday, December 2, 2010

udi's gluten free pizza crust

I recently discovered Udi's Gluten Free Foods pizza crust in the freezer section of my local grocery store, and I am crazy about them. I love thin crust pizza, and these are just that! they come frozen two per package, and they couldn't be easier to use, and they make great pizza in my opinion. as we all know the combinations of what you can potentially put on your pizza are endless. I even sometimes use ingredients like strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and papaya. be creative and find something unique and delicious. 

I used to use the Kinnikinnick frozen pizza crusts a few years back when they were really the only gluten free pizza crusts I could find. they were ok, especially when you have no other choice, but I found them to be too doughy and thick for my taste. I have heard that Boston Pizza uses Kinnikinnick pizza crust for their gluten free pizza, and they taste pretty good in my opinion, but they are obviously cooked in commercial ovens, which makes a difference. I could never get them nicely baked in my oven at home. 

Udi's pizza crust is a welcome alternative. they cook really nicely, and take just minutes to prepare. I found mine at Nesters Market Woodwards, more on this great store to come soon, they have a good selection of gluten free products! here is one pizza recipe you can try, it's a little on the salty side due to the salami, it would pair well with a nice cold gluten free beer!


gluten free salami pizza with tomatoes and olives

1. set your oven to 450 degrees celcius (this is what the package recommends, but I cook everything at 350!)
2. remove the pizza crust(s) from the package and place on your baking sheet, they will defrost while you prepare your toppings
3. spread one large tablespoon of tomato sauce all over the crust, I use Western Family Organics tomato sauce
4. place the salami slices over the tomato sauce, I used about 6-7 slices. use your favorite gluten free salami, I used Freybe gypsy salami, it's gluten free
5. quarter cut fresh organic cherry tomatoes, I get all my organic produce from Spud.
6. add your choice of olives, I used fresh calabrese olives, I used a sharp knife and sliced the meat off from around the pit
7. add your favorite cheese, I used Okanagan's Choice Cheese shredded mozzarella, it doesn't contain modified milk ingredients
8. place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes
9. enjoy!

I am going to try ham and pineapple next, my all time favorite pizza!  Andrea.



udi's gluten free foods   |   kinnikinnick   |   freybe



Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

gluten free s'mores, a serious indulgence



















I recently saw a very inciting photo of homemade s'mores on the blog cooking with my kid, and decided to see how I could make it gluten free! the two primary ingredient obstacles are graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallow fluff. I had actually never heard of marshmallow fluff so I had to google it. apparently it is something you can buy, but I had no idea if it was gluten free, and honestly I wasn't even sure I could find this type of product in a store in Vancouver as I was reading an American blog.

I searched online for recipes and when I found one I was happy to discover that the ingredients in the marshmallow fluff are gluten free already! as for the graham crackers, most websites suggested substituting them with crushed gluten free cookies, like shortbread, or even almonds. so, I went to the store intending to buy Pamela's shortbread cookies, but while I was cruising the cookie aisle, I found Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers, which they call S'moreables. they are gluten free obviously, but also nut and dairy free.

for those with egg or dairy sensitivities, the ingredients in the smore's and marshmallow fluff recipes include eggs and butter. however, these can easily be substituted with an egg replacer like Ener-G's egg replacer which is gluten free. instead of butter try Earth Balance's non-dairy butter spread. I like the 'red' container as it is also soy free. I have used both butter and Earth Balance spread for this recipe, and found real butter worked much better, and resulted in a tastier s'more. the marshmallow fluff requires corn syrup, but brown rice syrup works too, Lundberg makes one. 

the gluten free s'mores taste just as amazing as they look, and each time I've made them, the whole batch is gone within hours!


let’s make it gluten free!


s’mores ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature, I like Avalon’s organic butter because it contains no color, try Earth Balance for an non dairy alternative
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar, I like Roger’s organic sugar
  • 2 large baking chocolate bars, I used Camino’s semi sweet baking chocolate, it comes with two bars but I only used one because they are very thick
  • 1 large egg, or use Ener-G egg replacer
  • 1 ½ cups marshmallow fluff (see recipe below)
  • 1 tsp vanilla, I use Simply Organic’s vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose gluten free flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
  • ¾ cup graham crackers processed fine. I used Kinnikinnick’s gluten free S’moreables graham style crackers, half a box makes approx. ¾ cup. a food processor works great for this, or a simple rolling pin will do.
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

s’mores instructions:
  • preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • grease an 8-inch square baking pan
  • using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
  • beat in egg and vanilla
  • set aside
  • in another bowl whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt
  • slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined
  • divide the dough in half and press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom  of the prepared pan
  • spread the marshmallow fluff over the dough
  • break the chocolate bar into squares and place evenly on top of the marshmallow
  • place the remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff , this can be tricky as the dough is kind of sticky, and so is the marshmallow! (one of the original blog post commenters suggested rolling it out on wax paper first the flipping it over and placing on top of the chocolate, a fabulous idea!)
  • bake for 30 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • cool completely before cutting into squares, makes 16

marshmallow fluff ingredients:
  • 3 egg whites, room temperature (I never knew how important this was, cold eggs will not fluff!) use Ener-G egg replacer for an egg free version
  • 2 cups of light corn syrup, or Lundberg’s brown rice syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted, I like Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade certified organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, I like Simply Organic’s vanilla extract

marshmallow fluff instructions:
  • in a large bowl of an electric mixer, or a regular bowl if you are using a hand mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt
  • mix for approximately five minutes on high, or until the mixture is thick and the volume has almost doubled, it will look like fluff!
  • on low speed add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended
  • add the vanilla extract and mix until well blended

note:
you only need to make half of this recipe to complete the s’mores recipe above. if you make the whole amount, you can keep the extra in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

you will love these s'mores, and they won't taste gluten free! warning, they are very addictive, and very sweet! happy baking, Andrea.


kinnikinnick smoreables   |   camino semi sweet baking chocolate   |   ener-g egg replacer   |   earth balance dairy free spread



Tuesday, May 31, 2011

celebrating a milestone: gluten free red velvet cake


we are very very pleased to announce that our blog has recently reached over 100,000 page views, and to us that is something worth celebrating! we started our blog in late 2009 in the hopes of sharing our gluten free lifestyle experiences with anyone and everyone. we had virtually no help at the beginning of our diagnosis in 2005 and really had no idea where to turn. our blog was created out of our desire to help even just one person overcome the challenges of a Celiac Disease diagnosis. over the years we have come to realize that living with Celiac Disease is not just about cutting out gluten, but rather integrating this new diet into a normal and enjoyable lifestyle, and this is the focus of our blog.

to celebrate we would like to share with you an awesome Red Velvet Cake recipe adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. this recipe was easy to follow, and most importantly turned out well without any drama! and the cake was delicious! all of the recipes in Pascal's book are dairy free, soy free, nut free, and of course, gluten free!


first you need to whip up Pascal's gluten free flour mix:
4 cups of superfile brown rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
2/3 cup tapioca flour


and here is the cake recipe:
2 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix (see above)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was sweetened, and I used it anyway)
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking power (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of hemp milk/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar (I use Bragg apple cider vinegar)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tbsp rice milk (I used eggs and hemp milk)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)
1 oz bottle red food coloring (Pascal recommends Seelect Natural Food Coloring, order online)


•preheat your oven to 350° F. grease two eight inch round cake pans. Pascal recommends lining each with parchment paper, greasing again, then dusting with cocoa powder. I did this and it really helped get the cakes out.

•whisk together the flour mix, the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

•combine the rice milk and the apple cider vinegar, and set aside.

•using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, which takes about two minutes. next add the food coloring and mix until all the ingredients are combined. sift the flour mixture into the mixing bowl in three batches while alternating with the rice milk mixture. beat until smooth, this takes about thirty seconds. scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

•divide the batter into the two pans and smooth down the surface using a spatula.

•bake in the center of the oven for approximately thirty-five minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. rotate the pans half way though the baking time.

•let the cakes cool on a rack for thirty minutes. then flip the cakes onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, then flip back right side up and let cool completely.

•once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of the cakes. frost with velvet frosting (see recipe below).


velvet frosting recipe:
1 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
pinch of salt
3 cups confectioners sugar (I use Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade organic sugar)
3 tbsps of hemp/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 tbsps of freshly squeezed  lemon juice (I buy all my organic produce from SPUD)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)


•in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and salt on medium speed for one minute.

•add the confectioner's sugar in three batches.

•add the rice/ hemp milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, takes about five minutes.

•frost your cake and enjoy!


don't think we would let our milestone pass by without a giveaway to thank our readers, we have an exciting giveaway coming very soon, stay tuned for the announcement!  Andrea.


celiac disease   |   the allergen-free baker's handbook   |   follow us on twitter   |   follow us on facebook



Sunday, May 8, 2011

happy mothers day!

photo credit janis nicolay
we would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy mothers day! this is a very special day for our mom, and we have a lot to be thankful for this year. our mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago and after a very brave surgery and long recovery, she is healthy and cancer free all thanks to early detection from a mammogram. we all have a lot to celebrate! 

our mom raised Andrea, and our other sister Heather and I to be strong women and has taught us that we can overcome any challenge that comes our way. she has also been our biggest supporter when it has come to the difficulties of living with celiac disease, and we love her very much.

if you are looking for some great gluten free recipes to cook for mom, here are a few that we recommend from the Canadian House & Home website! 


enjoy! Robyn + Andrea





Saturday, April 23, 2011

happy easter!

easter eggs by cygnus921















it's a gorgeous weekend here in Vancouver, and we would like to wish all our readers a happy Easter! if you are looking for some gluten free brunch ideas, try one of these great recipes featured on the Canadian House & Home website!


roasted potatoes
spring pea puree
arugula, beet, & goat cheese salad
panfried lamb with spices
honey & lemon grilled nectarines
pecan roulade with lemon marscapone cream


back next week with some great restaurant reviews!  Andrea + Robyn.


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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.


ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud



Sunday, December 12, 2010

easy gluten free cupcakes

if you are looking for an easy fail-safe cupcake recipe, then this post is for you! many of you might be considering baking for the holidays, a birthday party, a baby shower, or just for fun. if the last thing you have time for is baking, then this is definitely the recipe for you because you can whip these up in under an hour! 

this recipe is also great because it uses minimal ingredients. for those of you who are not celiac, or gluten sensitive, but you want to bring gluten free baking to a party where there are celiac and/ or gluten free guests (good for you!), then this recipe makes perfect sense, since it uses minimal ingredients. many of the complaints I hear from the non-bakers, and especially non-celiacs, is that gluten free baking requires many ingredients that might not be available at common grocery stores, or used again in your baking; ingredients like sorghum flour, xanthan gum, double acting baking soda, etc. if you are not gluten free yourself, and you are baking for someone else, remember to keep your baking area and baking utensils clean from any gluten, follow our entertaining best practices guide here.

the cupcakes are made with Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix, and a cream cheese frosting recipe I found on the Canadian Living website. the best part is that I actually found decorative sprinkles that are gluten free too! here is the recipe for the cupcakes, shown in the photo, which I made for my daughter's first Christmas pageant!


vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (with colorful sprinkles!)

cupcakes:
1 package of Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix
3 large eggs
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup of water

-follow package instructions
-mix together until smooth, and fill cupcake liners 3/4 full
-bake at 350 degrees for 18-28 minutes
-makes approximately 14 cupcakes

frosting:
1/4 cup (50ml) of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup (50ml) of butter softened, try Avalon Dairy's organic butter, it contains no color
1/2 tsp. (2ml) of vanilla, read here for more information on vanilla extract and gluten free
1-1/2 cups (375ml) of icing sugar, try Wholesome Sweetener's organic icing sugar

-in a bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth 
-beat in the vanilla
-add in the icing sugar in two additions and then beat until smooth
-makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes
-add natural colors for fun!

I frosted the cupcakes with a pastry bag that I bought at Yokoyaya for less than five dollars, and it came with four tips. it couldn't be easier, and they look so pretty! I found the gluten free sprinkles at Choices Market in Yaletown, but I am sure they are available at all the Choices Markets. the brand is Let's Do...Sprinkelz which makes three flavours: confetti (shown in photo), chocolatey, and carnival. they also make gluten free ice cream cones and sugar cones!

enjoy!  Andrea.





Thursday, December 2, 2010

udi's gluten free pizza crust

I recently discovered Udi's Gluten Free Foods pizza crust in the freezer section of my local grocery store, and I am crazy about them. I love thin crust pizza, and these are just that! they come frozen two per package, and they couldn't be easier to use, and they make great pizza in my opinion. as we all know the combinations of what you can potentially put on your pizza are endless. I even sometimes use ingredients like strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and papaya. be creative and find something unique and delicious. 

I used to use the Kinnikinnick frozen pizza crusts a few years back when they were really the only gluten free pizza crusts I could find. they were ok, especially when you have no other choice, but I found them to be too doughy and thick for my taste. I have heard that Boston Pizza uses Kinnikinnick pizza crust for their gluten free pizza, and they taste pretty good in my opinion, but they are obviously cooked in commercial ovens, which makes a difference. I could never get them nicely baked in my oven at home. 

Udi's pizza crust is a welcome alternative. they cook really nicely, and take just minutes to prepare. I found mine at Nesters Market Woodwards, more on this great store to come soon, they have a good selection of gluten free products! here is one pizza recipe you can try, it's a little on the salty side due to the salami, it would pair well with a nice cold gluten free beer!


gluten free salami pizza with tomatoes and olives

1. set your oven to 450 degrees celcius (this is what the package recommends, but I cook everything at 350!)
2. remove the pizza crust(s) from the package and place on your baking sheet, they will defrost while you prepare your toppings
3. spread one large tablespoon of tomato sauce all over the crust, I use Western Family Organics tomato sauce
4. place the salami slices over the tomato sauce, I used about 6-7 slices. use your favorite gluten free salami, I used Freybe gypsy salami, it's gluten free
5. quarter cut fresh organic cherry tomatoes, I get all my organic produce from Spud.
6. add your choice of olives, I used fresh calabrese olives, I used a sharp knife and sliced the meat off from around the pit
7. add your favorite cheese, I used Okanagan's Choice Cheese shredded mozzarella, it doesn't contain modified milk ingredients
8. place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes
9. enjoy!

I am going to try ham and pineapple next, my all time favorite pizza!  Andrea.



udi's gluten free foods   |   kinnikinnick   |   freybe



Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

gluten free s'mores, a serious indulgence



















I recently saw a very inciting photo of homemade s'mores on the blog cooking with my kid, and decided to see how I could make it gluten free! the two primary ingredient obstacles are graham cracker crumbs, and marshmallow fluff. I had actually never heard of marshmallow fluff so I had to google it. apparently it is something you can buy, but I had no idea if it was gluten free, and honestly I wasn't even sure I could find this type of product in a store in Vancouver as I was reading an American blog.

I searched online for recipes and when I found one I was happy to discover that the ingredients in the marshmallow fluff are gluten free already! as for the graham crackers, most websites suggested substituting them with crushed gluten free cookies, like shortbread, or even almonds. so, I went to the store intending to buy Pamela's shortbread cookies, but while I was cruising the cookie aisle, I found Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers, which they call S'moreables. they are gluten free obviously, but also nut and dairy free.

for those with egg or dairy sensitivities, the ingredients in the smore's and marshmallow fluff recipes include eggs and butter. however, these can easily be substituted with an egg replacer like Ener-G's egg replacer which is gluten free. instead of butter try Earth Balance's non-dairy butter spread. I like the 'red' container as it is also soy free. I have used both butter and Earth Balance spread for this recipe, and found real butter worked much better, and resulted in a tastier s'more. the marshmallow fluff requires corn syrup, but brown rice syrup works too, Lundberg makes one. 

the gluten free s'mores taste just as amazing as they look, and each time I've made them, the whole batch is gone within hours!


let’s make it gluten free!


s’mores ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature, I like Avalon’s organic butter because it contains no color, try Earth Balance for an non dairy alternative
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar, I like Roger’s organic sugar
  • 2 large baking chocolate bars, I used Camino’s semi sweet baking chocolate, it comes with two bars but I only used one because they are very thick
  • 1 large egg, or use Ener-G egg replacer
  • 1 ½ cups marshmallow fluff (see recipe below)
  • 1 tsp vanilla, I use Simply Organic’s vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose gluten free flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
  • ¾ cup graham crackers processed fine. I used Kinnikinnick’s gluten free S’moreables graham style crackers, half a box makes approx. ¾ cup. a food processor works great for this, or a simple rolling pin will do.
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

s’mores instructions:
  • preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • grease an 8-inch square baking pan
  • using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
  • beat in egg and vanilla
  • set aside
  • in another bowl whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt
  • slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined
  • divide the dough in half and press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom  of the prepared pan
  • spread the marshmallow fluff over the dough
  • break the chocolate bar into squares and place evenly on top of the marshmallow
  • place the remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff , this can be tricky as the dough is kind of sticky, and so is the marshmallow! (one of the original blog post commenters suggested rolling it out on wax paper first the flipping it over and placing on top of the chocolate, a fabulous idea!)
  • bake for 30 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • cool completely before cutting into squares, makes 16

marshmallow fluff ingredients:
  • 3 egg whites, room temperature (I never knew how important this was, cold eggs will not fluff!) use Ener-G egg replacer for an egg free version
  • 2 cups of light corn syrup, or Lundberg’s brown rice syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted, I like Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade certified organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, I like Simply Organic’s vanilla extract

marshmallow fluff instructions:
  • in a large bowl of an electric mixer, or a regular bowl if you are using a hand mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt
  • mix for approximately five minutes on high, or until the mixture is thick and the volume has almost doubled, it will look like fluff!
  • on low speed add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended
  • add the vanilla extract and mix until well blended

note:
you only need to make half of this recipe to complete the s’mores recipe above. if you make the whole amount, you can keep the extra in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

you will love these s'mores, and they won't taste gluten free! warning, they are very addictive, and very sweet! happy baking, Andrea.


kinnikinnick smoreables   |   camino semi sweet baking chocolate   |   ener-g egg replacer   |   earth balance dairy free spread



Tuesday, May 31, 2011

celebrating a milestone: gluten free red velvet cake


we are very very pleased to announce that our blog has recently reached over 100,000 page views, and to us that is something worth celebrating! we started our blog in late 2009 in the hopes of sharing our gluten free lifestyle experiences with anyone and everyone. we had virtually no help at the beginning of our diagnosis in 2005 and really had no idea where to turn. our blog was created out of our desire to help even just one person overcome the challenges of a Celiac Disease diagnosis. over the years we have come to realize that living with Celiac Disease is not just about cutting out gluten, but rather integrating this new diet into a normal and enjoyable lifestyle, and this is the focus of our blog.

to celebrate we would like to share with you an awesome Red Velvet Cake recipe adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal. this recipe was easy to follow, and most importantly turned out well without any drama! and the cake was delicious! all of the recipes in Pascal's book are dairy free, soy free, nut free, and of course, gluten free!


first you need to whip up Pascal's gluten free flour mix:
4 cups of superfile brown rice flour
1 1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
2/3 cup tapioca flour


and here is the cake recipe:
2 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix (see above)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was sweetened, and I used it anyway)
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking power (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of hemp milk/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar (I use Bragg apple cider vinegar)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tbsp rice milk (I used eggs and hemp milk)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)
1 oz bottle red food coloring (Pascal recommends Seelect Natural Food Coloring, order online)


•preheat your oven to 350° F. grease two eight inch round cake pans. Pascal recommends lining each with parchment paper, greasing again, then dusting with cocoa powder. I did this and it really helped get the cakes out.

•whisk together the flour mix, the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

•combine the rice milk and the apple cider vinegar, and set aside.

•using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, which takes about two minutes. next add the food coloring and mix until all the ingredients are combined. sift the flour mixture into the mixing bowl in three batches while alternating with the rice milk mixture. beat until smooth, this takes about thirty seconds. scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

•divide the batter into the two pans and smooth down the surface using a spatula.

•bake in the center of the oven for approximately thirty-five minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. rotate the pans half way though the baking time.

•let the cakes cool on a rack for thirty minutes. then flip the cakes onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, then flip back right side up and let cool completely.

•once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of the cakes. frost with velvet frosting (see recipe below).


velvet frosting recipe:
1 cup vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance's shortening, which contains soy)
pinch of salt
3 cups confectioners sugar (I use Wholesome Sweeteners fair trade organic sugar)
3 tbsps of hemp/ rice milk (I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss unsweetened)
1 tbsps of freshly squeezed  lemon juice (I buy all my organic produce from SPUD)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)


•in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and salt on medium speed for one minute.

•add the confectioner's sugar in three batches.

•add the rice/ hemp milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, takes about five minutes.

•frost your cake and enjoy!


don't think we would let our milestone pass by without a giveaway to thank our readers, we have an exciting giveaway coming very soon, stay tuned for the announcement!  Andrea.


celiac disease   |   the allergen-free baker's handbook   |   follow us on twitter   |   follow us on facebook



Sunday, May 8, 2011

happy mothers day!

photo credit janis nicolay
we would like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy mothers day! this is a very special day for our mom, and we have a lot to be thankful for this year. our mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago and after a very brave surgery and long recovery, she is healthy and cancer free all thanks to early detection from a mammogram. we all have a lot to celebrate! 

our mom raised Andrea, and our other sister Heather and I to be strong women and has taught us that we can overcome any challenge that comes our way. she has also been our biggest supporter when it has come to the difficulties of living with celiac disease, and we love her very much.

if you are looking for some great gluten free recipes to cook for mom, here are a few that we recommend from the Canadian House & Home website! 


enjoy! Robyn + Andrea





Saturday, April 23, 2011

happy easter!

easter eggs by cygnus921















it's a gorgeous weekend here in Vancouver, and we would like to wish all our readers a happy Easter! if you are looking for some gluten free brunch ideas, try one of these great recipes featured on the Canadian House & Home website!


roasted potatoes
spring pea puree
arugula, beet, & goat cheese salad
panfried lamb with spices
honey & lemon grilled nectarines
pecan roulade with lemon marscapone cream


back next week with some great restaurant reviews!  Andrea + Robyn.


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Monday, April 18, 2011

gluten free mom: rice crispy squares!

image copyright gluten free vancouver
a long time favorite childhood treat, rice crispy squares, can now be made gluten free thanks to Dandies Marshmallows, which are gluten free and vegan! we first discovered these recently at Ed's Gluten Free Specialty's new Vancouver store, and we were thrilled to find such a unique and truly missed product! finally someone thought to make gluten free marshmallows! it was the same feeling when we found gluten free ice cream cones last year!

even though my daughter is not gluten intolerant, I still prefer to make everything gluten free for her since she is still small, 'two half' as she likes to say. she is still messy, and she likes to share what she is eating with me. so once I found these gluten free marshmallows I was now free to make her one of my all time favorite treats--rice crispy squares! well...not exactly 'rice krispy' squares since Rice Krispies are not gluten free. however, Kellogg's has announced that they will be introducing a new gluten free version of the famous Rice Krispies in June! to read more about this, click here.

since the gluten free Rice Krispies are not available yet, I chose another product—Perky's Crunchy Rice cereal, which is now part of the Enjoy Life brand. you can also use Nature's Path Crispy Rice cereal, both are gluten free. I bought the cereal at London Drugs on sale, which sells both cereal brands. if you would like to ensure your rice crispy treats are 100% vegan, then you should use the Nature's Path cereal as the Enjoy Life cereal uses honey as a sweetener. 

for the recipe, I just googled rice crispy squares, and followed the instructions. I used one package of Dandies Marshmallows, and one box of Enjoy Life Crunchy Rice cereal. making these treats brought back so many memories, I think this was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself, and now I can share this experience with my daughter! enjoy!  Andrea.


ps. Dandies Marshmallows are now available through SPUD organic delivery, and they are on sale this week for $4.99! if you are not a spud member but would like to become one, please quote my account number to receive discounts on your first four orders, worth $25! CRVAN-MCLAND. thanks!



dandies marshmallows   |   ed's gluten free specialty   |   london drugs   |   spud



Sunday, December 12, 2010

easy gluten free cupcakes

if you are looking for an easy fail-safe cupcake recipe, then this post is for you! many of you might be considering baking for the holidays, a birthday party, a baby shower, or just for fun. if the last thing you have time for is baking, then this is definitely the recipe for you because you can whip these up in under an hour! 

this recipe is also great because it uses minimal ingredients. for those of you who are not celiac, or gluten sensitive, but you want to bring gluten free baking to a party where there are celiac and/ or gluten free guests (good for you!), then this recipe makes perfect sense, since it uses minimal ingredients. many of the complaints I hear from the non-bakers, and especially non-celiacs, is that gluten free baking requires many ingredients that might not be available at common grocery stores, or used again in your baking; ingredients like sorghum flour, xanthan gum, double acting baking soda, etc. if you are not gluten free yourself, and you are baking for someone else, remember to keep your baking area and baking utensils clean from any gluten, follow our entertaining best practices guide here.

the cupcakes are made with Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix, and a cream cheese frosting recipe I found on the Canadian Living website. the best part is that I actually found decorative sprinkles that are gluten free too! here is the recipe for the cupcakes, shown in the photo, which I made for my daughter's first Christmas pageant!


vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (with colorful sprinkles!)

cupcakes:
1 package of Pamela's Products classic vanilla cake mix
3 large eggs
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup of water

-follow package instructions
-mix together until smooth, and fill cupcake liners 3/4 full
-bake at 350 degrees for 18-28 minutes
-makes approximately 14 cupcakes

frosting:
1/4 cup (50ml) of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup (50ml) of butter softened, try Avalon Dairy's organic butter, it contains no color
1/2 tsp. (2ml) of vanilla, read here for more information on vanilla extract and gluten free
1-1/2 cups (375ml) of icing sugar, try Wholesome Sweetener's organic icing sugar

-in a bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth 
-beat in the vanilla
-add in the icing sugar in two additions and then beat until smooth
-makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes
-add natural colors for fun!

I frosted the cupcakes with a pastry bag that I bought at Yokoyaya for less than five dollars, and it came with four tips. it couldn't be easier, and they look so pretty! I found the gluten free sprinkles at Choices Market in Yaletown, but I am sure they are available at all the Choices Markets. the brand is Let's Do...Sprinkelz which makes three flavours: confetti (shown in photo), chocolatey, and carnival. they also make gluten free ice cream cones and sugar cones!

enjoy!  Andrea.





Thursday, December 2, 2010

udi's gluten free pizza crust

I recently discovered Udi's Gluten Free Foods pizza crust in the freezer section of my local grocery store, and I am crazy about them. I love thin crust pizza, and these are just that! they come frozen two per package, and they couldn't be easier to use, and they make great pizza in my opinion. as we all know the combinations of what you can potentially put on your pizza are endless. I even sometimes use ingredients like strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and papaya. be creative and find something unique and delicious. 

I used to use the Kinnikinnick frozen pizza crusts a few years back when they were really the only gluten free pizza crusts I could find. they were ok, especially when you have no other choice, but I found them to be too doughy and thick for my taste. I have heard that Boston Pizza uses Kinnikinnick pizza crust for their gluten free pizza, and they taste pretty good in my opinion, but they are obviously cooked in commercial ovens, which makes a difference. I could never get them nicely baked in my oven at home. 

Udi's pizza crust is a welcome alternative. they cook really nicely, and take just minutes to prepare. I found mine at Nesters Market Woodwards, more on this great store to come soon, they have a good selection of gluten free products! here is one pizza recipe you can try, it's a little on the salty side due to the salami, it would pair well with a nice cold gluten free beer!


gluten free salami pizza with tomatoes and olives

1. set your oven to 450 degrees celcius (this is what the package recommends, but I cook everything at 350!)
2. remove the pizza crust(s) from the package and place on your baking sheet, they will defrost while you prepare your toppings
3. spread one large tablespoon of tomato sauce all over the crust, I use Western Family Organics tomato sauce
4. place the salami slices over the tomato sauce, I used about 6-7 slices. use your favorite gluten free salami, I used Freybe gypsy salami, it's gluten free
5. quarter cut fresh organic cherry tomatoes, I get all my organic produce from Spud.
6. add your choice of olives, I used fresh calabrese olives, I used a sharp knife and sliced the meat off from around the pit
7. add your favorite cheese, I used Okanagan's Choice Cheese shredded mozzarella, it doesn't contain modified milk ingredients
8. place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes
9. enjoy!

I am going to try ham and pineapple next, my all time favorite pizza!  Andrea.



udi's gluten free foods   |   kinnikinnick   |   freybe



Sunday, November 14, 2010

gluten free vancouver turns one (+ giveaway)

when andrea and I started our blog last November, our goal was to provide a gluten free resource for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance that focused on lifestyle rather than simply recipes or medical research. we knew there was little to no resources on how to live with celiac disease day to day.
it's amazing to look back on our previously gluten filled lives, such as my third birthday party, pictured here. andrea cant wait to eat the cake! we knew what we were missing when we were diagnosed with celiac disease, and it is with this perspective that shapes our discussion on topics like where to find gluten free personal care products, where to shop, and where to find great tasting gluten free food on the go.
our year in review includes some of our most favorite gluten free topics and I will start with our most popular, gluten free beer! ironically, this was also one of the first posts of 2010. we wanted to start the new year off with a sweet cupcake recipe in January and gluten free hot chocolate for Valentines Day in February. in March, we had the pleasure of working with the Wallflower Café’s Lisa Hewlett on their new gluten free menu. some long overdue taxes were finally paid in April after researching how to claim the incremental cost of gluten free food on your tax return.
May was a busy month discovering not only Homestead Specialty Baking but the most divine gluten free pancakes at Brown Dog Café. in June, I enjoyed writing celiac in the city about the challenges of dating with severe food allergies (thank you to all of our readers who provided such positive feedback on this topic!). gluten free vancouver was also featured on Global TV’s One Bite at a Time with Registered Dietician Melodie Yong. our excitement continued when we found gluten free ice cream cones in the August heat wave.
this fall we explored gastown, and found gluten free tacos at La Taqueria on west hastings, and then recently enjoyed taking an extended vacation to palm springs, california.
over this past year while working away on our new blog, we have both experienced many personal life changes. Andrea went back to work after her maternity leave, she moved into the new Woodwards building to accommodate her growing family, and recently started daycare for my niece Pilar...a heart wrenching experience for any new mom! for me, I started a new job shortly after launching the blog that has kept me busy learning and traveling. I was heartbroken earlier this year after the end of a long term relationship, and while I felt positive when I wrote 'celiac in the city' back in June, my healing process took many more months. I also moved into Olympic Village at the end of the summer, and love my new space!
Andrea and I are both in new creative workspaces, and are excited for the year ahead...we will be launching our www.glutenfree-vancouver.ca website shortly, and expanding our ideas further into the community. we also plan to make a gluten free gingerbread house next month, as well as start a weekly gluten free cookie review on the blog. gluten free giveaway...
to celebrate the success of our first year of gluten free vancouver, we want to offer one of our favorite gluten free products to one lucky reader! we are giving away a desert essence organics unscented body wash and shampoo! all you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on our blog and tell us what challenges or obstacles you face living gluten free day to day. the entry deadline is midnight on tuesday november 30th. the winner will be announced on the blog on wednesday december 1st.
together, and through our blog, we hope to create more awareness of celiac disease and hopefully make gluten free foods more accessible to those that need it most.
thank you for supporting our blog! Robyn + Andrea follow us on twitter | follow us on facebook