Cook Book For Beginners (or Experts)

It goes without saying that I love to bake.  It was very hard for me not to be able to bake when I found out that my daughter had a wheat intolerance.  That is when I started this journey.  The only problem was that I found most recipes in books and online were not on par with taste or texture.  I spent a lot of money before I found Bette Hagman's books.  Bette Hagman is the author of The Gluten-Free Gourmet book line.  It is wonderful!  The instructions are easy and the product actually tastes like it is supposed to taste.  So if you are in the market for a great gluten free book look no farther. 
Note: When she calls for corn starch just substitute for potato starch.

I got my books off of Half.com.  It is a bit less expensive then the retail stores.  Enjoy!

Smokey Mountain Pizza and Pasta

Well, I haven't been here for over a week!  Life really got busy.  So busy that I took my kids out to lunch, which we rarely do.  This week we went to Smokey Mountain Pizza and Pasta.  They have gluten free pizza.  The size is 10.5 inches and you pay the medium, 12 in, price on any pizza.  The crust is nothing fabulous.  It is like any other crust that you would buy.  It is a rice based dough with corn in it. (check with your server to make sure of the complete ingredients, they can change at any time).  Yet for a fun time out with a child who has to shun normal pizza it is pretty good.  They are also selling gluten free pasta options as well.  So enjoy a slice!

Hot Cocoa

I love hot cocoa.  The real stuff!  Yet I don't want to have to heat up my milk each time and make it.  So I have found a short cut for when I just need a quiet time and chocolate.

The Mix:
1 cup dried milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa

Mix in a glass jar.

Boil water and add about 4 Tablespoons per cup.
You can add this to your morning coffee too!

This is more like dark chocolate.  Add more sugar to your mix if you want it sweeter.

Don't just stop at hot cocoa.  You can add up to a tablespoon of cocoa to recipes to add a subtle chocolate taste.  Just reduce the amount of flour by how much cocoa you use.  For a breakfast treat I add cocoa and brown sugar to oatmeal!  So go ahead and experiment with cocoa.  It is good tasting and good for you!