sparkles

I just had to share this recipe. Like most of you, there are certain comfort foods that I miss. Chocolate chip cookies are one of the things that I would like to enjoy again. I have tried several mixes but they have all left a funny taste in my mouth so I decided to experience on my own. Here is the recipe that I came up with.... Cream 1 cup Crisco (butter flavored) with 1/2 c. Brown Sugar Splenda Add 1/2 tsp gluten-free vanilla and 2 eggs and blend on medium until well blended Stir in pkg of Gluten Free Pantry Muffin Mix and 1 - 12 oz pkg of chocolate chips Drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet with parchment paper Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 14 minutes They came out crisp and tasted really good. Next time I am going to try real butter as shortening sometimes makes cookies crisper than butter does and I did like the gooey chocolate chip cookies best. I used Brown Sugar Splenda because I am diabetic and don't have the real stuff in my house. I know the muffin mix has real sugar in it but I really wanted to try cookies again! If you try this recipe with real brown sugar, you will have to use a cup of the real stuff (pressed into the measuring cup)... at least that is the ratio on the pkg of Splenda.

Is this the Pizza Luce that is also in Duluth? My son used to work there and he said the food was great! Either way I can't wait to try both places. I live in Bloomington!

When I first went gluten-free, I dropped about 30#'s and was very happy. I since gained that weight back plus an additional 15#'s. I have really struggled with my weight and wonder if others who are overweight and gluten-free also struggle. I have been determined to lose weight. I have my step son's wedding in Dec in the Bahamas and want to at least NOT be confused for a beached whale at the wedding. I have lost about 20#'s but it is a real struggle. I almost completely stopped eating processed gluten-free foods and have really tried to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks. I am also diebetic so need to stick to that diet too. I would like to lose at least 10#'s more by December.... The fat cells are still there so I think that losing weight is really difficult..... any others out there like this?????

I am going to the MN State Fair on Thurs. I have avoided it several years and am now ready to face "everything on a stick...." I am not sure if other state fairs offer as much food on a stick as the MN Fair but it is rather interesting. Anyway, we used to eat our way through the fair... part of the fun of going.... BUT being gluten-free, I am wondering what is available that is gluten-free. It doesn't have to be on a stick... just GOOD Fair Food. Any suggestions???? I am not sure that watermelon on a stick counts!

Lots of homemade ice cream has flour in it... so I would not be surprised to see it in the commercially made stuff. Like everything else, it is a must to check the label and not just assume that it is gluten-free.

I have permanent neurological damage from gluten. I take B12 shots and that does help but the neuropathy in my legs and feet is still there. Some days it is worse than others but it is better with the B12 shots. Good luck.....

This looks easy.... I no longer do much baking but might be willing to give this a try. Can you make up the pizza crusts, bake them with no toppings and freeze them for later use? Just curious... if you have never tried to do this, I may still give it a try and see if they can be frozen after being baked.

The pretzels are great.... Both of my daughters like them better than the regular ones. (Neither have celiac disease). I think that they are the one thing that really tastes like the "real" thing!!!

I lost about 30# very quickly (3 months) after going gluten-free but then started regaining weight as soon as I started adding more processed gluten-free foods to my diet. Those foods were breads, desserts, snacks. When I first went gluten-free, I gave up everything except hamburger, potato, and lettuce. Needless to say, my diet was really limited. The processed foods, like all processed foods, are really high in calories and fat. I was overweight to begin with and will probably always be overweight. The thought of giving everything up again is really hard. I stay gluten-free but cannot and I guess will not give up the gluten-free substitutions that I like....

Hope that things work out for you.....

When I first went gluten-free, I was so overwhelmed by the diet that I just ate hamburger, lettuce with a lemon squeezed on top and baked potato with all the butter I wanted. I added fresh veggies and fruit after a few weeks and when I was ready about 4 months later, I started reading labels and eating foods labeled gluten-free. For me it was too overwhelming to spend hours in the grocery store reading labels, I just went with what was the easiest. I think that it helped my gut heal faster by limiting the kinds of foods that I ate. It does get easier and cheaper especially when you realize that a lot of the gluten-free foods are really high in fat and the taste is not worth the calories. There are a few I like but I really stick to the main stream foods that label their products. Make it easy on yourself. You will go through a grieving process.... but giving up gluten is the best thing that you can do for yourself.

I have Celiac Disease BUT I am not allergic to wheat.... interesting, I think....

MOST occasions I say, "Sure, we would love to come.... I will bring my own food so that you don't have to worry about my special diet requirements" and then I change the subject. I don't let them talk me into anything and I don't let them make me feel guilty. After work, perhaps you should put the ball in your husband's court and say, "I won't be able to join you tonight so after my husband takes me home, he will meet you at the restuartant." That way, if your husband wants, he can have dinner with his folks and you won't get sick. He might even get the message that YOUR health needs to come FIRST before making his folks happy.

Be sure to check your suitcase.... just in case some unwanted stowaways decide to come home with you!

Just curious, were the blisters on your hands really deep and do they develop within what seems like seconds? I used to get these all the time and just thought that I had touched something that I was alergic to but now I wonder, were these also a symptom of getting glutened? I haven't had them for years. They also really itched!