mbrookes

Thanks for the laugh!

My new go-to flour is Cup-4-Cup by Williams Sonoma. It is expensive, but I can make my old pre-gluten-free pie crusts and cheese straws. It has really worked for everything I have tried.

I can't wait! My husband,my two children, their spouses and all four grandchildren will be here. I am doing allthe cooking, so I don't have to worry about being poisoned. There will be turkey, cornbread dressing, oyster dressing, spinach casserole, sweet potatoes, squash casserole, Chebe rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, caramel cake and pecan pie. Did I say I'm excited? There is nothing I like better that having all my family gathered together.

I am a WASP (white, anglo-saxon protestant) and from the deep South (Mississippi) which makes me a member of the only group in America that it is still acceptable to make fun of. Somehow, we don't care.

The area that I live in is an historic district and really is like a small town. We know our neighbors and can safely walk around at night.

This is where Southern Hospitality originated. Strangers are greeted and treated like frends.

I want to emphasize that the racial troubles that we are so famous for are greatly exaggerated. I don't even know anyone that I would think is a racist. There is no denying our trobled past, but we have come a very long way.

I have to brag here. Our food is the very best. Fried chicken, fresh garden vegetables,barbeque, all manner of sweets. Hooray for Southern cooking!

Thanks for the link, BabsV. Big help. The most common ones here are Butterball and Honeysuckle White. Sounds like I'll be safe with either of those.

Hate to keep harping on this (and NO, I do not work for that company), but today I made really good cheese straws using my old recipe. I made no changes except used Cup-4-Cup flour. Whoopee! Cut out cookies will be next!

Like sa1937, I toast the bread first by putting it in a 300 degree oven until it starts browning. Then put in blender or food processer.

Try this: I do pork cutlets by dipping in milk then bread crumbs and refrigerating for about an hour. I don't know why, but this makes the crumbs stick better.

samie, for your green bean casserole, just use the old standby with Pacific gluten-free cream of mushroom soup. For the onion topping try flash frying match stick leeks. They get really crispy and have a mild onion flavor,

I am going to try making cheese straws (something I have REALLY missed) with cup-4-cup and see how that goes. The other flours I have tried turned out gritty and crumbly. If this works, cut out cookies will be next.

Here is the spinach casserole:

2 pkg frozen chopped spinach

1 med onion, chopped

1 stick butter

1 pkg Pacific gluten-free mushroom soup

1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 can artichoke hearts

salt & pepper to taste

gluten-free bread crumbs

Cook and drain spinach. Saute onion in butter. Pemove from heat and add spinach, soup, cheese, S&p. Arrange artichoke hearts in bottom of casserole. Cover with spinach mixture and cover with bread crumbs. Dot with butter and bake at 300 degrees until bubbly.

I am such a traditionalist. I will make fruit salad, roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, oyster dressing (only thing I can't eat) sweet potato casserole, spinach casserole, relish tray (olives, pickles, cranberry sauce) Chebe rolls, pecan pie and caramel cake.

In addition to my husband and me, my daughter, son, and 4 grandcildren will be here, I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

I finally tries the Sonoma Cup-4-Cup. I made an apple pie. For the crust I used my old, non- gluten-free recipe (2 c. flour, 2/3 c shortening, 5-7 T ice water.)It is the best crust since giving up gluten. It is fairly flakey, not gritty and the dough was really easy to work with. It is a REAL pie!

I'm going to try biscuits next, I think I may be in liove.

Me: I can eat anything except wheat, rye and barly.

Friend: Can you eat rice?

Me: Yes. It isn't wheat, rye or barley.

Friend: Oh. I guess a baked potato is out.

Me:ARGHHHHHHH

For fast food, I get Wendy's baked potato and add their chili. A baked potato and a small chili costs $3.05 here, and I can't imagine a cheaper lunch.

For the pumpkin pie, try making a crumb crust using gluten-free ginger snaps. It is great with sweet potato pie, which is very similar to pumpkin.

I have a couple of recipes that call for Stuffing mix. I found a gluten free one once, but the texture of the final product was off. I think the problem is that gluten-free breads do not absorb liquids like the poison ones. I have given up on those recipes.

Fortunately, my dressing for turkey is made of cornbread.

I agree. The danger lies in the level of sensitivity of the individual, and this is something you only learn by experience.

I am fairly sensitive, but generally do not have problems with stuff manufactured in the same facility as gluten. I do steer clear if it is on the same macines.

Trial and error seems to be the only way to clarify this.

Kareng makes a good point. Once we identify gluten as the culprit, many of us blame everything on gluten. Sometimes other things I eat or drink "disagree" with me. That certainly does not mean they contain gluten.

I just went to get my gluten-free Bisquick coupon and found two more I can use: $1.10 off two boxes of Chex and $1.00 off Philadelphia cooking creme. Thanks for the tip.

Oops. I read that as Add. I thought it was a math quiz. Does that answer your question?

I'm a list maker.

List the things you need to do. Then prioritize them. Cut the list from the bottom. Then you have left what absolutely must be done. Do the rest IF you feel like it.

Be sure the top of the list includes some pleasant stuff..(sort pictures of grandchildren is a good one for me).

I sometmes eat a bowl of ice cream as a reward for finishing a task.

I think this is just another example of the loss of manners in today's society. Actually, it is very rude not to reply. The message is "you and your party are not important to me". As to what to do, I would call the non-responders. Ask if they got the invitation. Maybe it will embarass them into answering future invitatons.

I just noticed the date of the earlier posts. Never mind.

You are all so lucky to have a choice. Mississippi has such wierd laws about alcohol that Red Bridge is all that is available. You know how that goes...if it's all you can have , it's pretty good.

NO!!! Good old soft nutrient free white bread or a really good Croissant (like from Croissant d'Or in New Orleans) are about the only things I still miss. I've been Gluten free for 5 years, so my mind may be exaggerating how good those things are.

If you aren't determined to be healthy, try frying them in deep fat like regular French fries. Then sprinkle with a little brown sugar. I suppose that is the Southern way, since we fry everything we possibly can. Anybody want to guess why Mississippi is rated the fattest state?