Red Velvet Cake - revisited

I made a red velvet cake this weekend...well technically I made two...but only one wasn't GLUE! I hate it when I make something and it doesn't come out right, it tends to be a pricy "try" especially with prices of everything going up. I tried to use Domata flour and follow the recipe I had from the Gluten Free Cooking School. I now know what I did wrong...

 

The cake its self was tasty. I will say that it did turn out okay, not as good as the first time I made it, but it was definitely enjoyed by all. It's a forgiving recipe.

 

Mistake #1 -- I deviated from the recipe. I used Domata Flour in place of the brown rice and sorghum flour mix. I was mixing away and had added 1 TABLESPOON of both Baking Soda and Xathan Gum...I couldn't figure out why the heck it was so thick much like GLUE -- that was causing my mixer to have major issues. It then dawned on me that I had used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon...oops!

 

Mistake #2 - I tossed out the glue ball and remeasured everything - it was a costly mistake if you know how expensive Domata flour is you know I cringed! I started mixing and again added Xathan Gum - this time only a tsp...forgetting Domata already adds Xanthan gum to their flour. Dangit! It was thick again, but I thought I could salvage it, not wanting to use my last two cups of Domata flour on a cake I still hadn't gotten right!

 

I baked them, they were a little dense. I frosted them...we ate...and ate....I took it to work, where I continued to eat it...no one complained, but my husband eloquently put it that it was just "thicker" than the last cake, it didn't taste bad, but he liked the first cake better.

 

So lesson learned...I will not deviate from the Gluten Free Cooking School Recipe-- it was perfect the first time!! Highly recommend it - even screwed up it was very tasty!

I'm on KINDLE

Now you can get my updated blogs right on your kindle with a blog subscription.  It's pretty exciting that its out there for everyone to know about just by a little search under blogs on the kindle site. You can go directly to the site from the link below.

Gluten Free QC Blog on Kindle

Aleia's Gluten Free Foods - Breadcrumbs

Tried the Italian breadcrumbs from Aleia's tonight. My Hy-Vee on West Kimberly Rd carries them. I used them to make baked chicken in the oven. They were pretty tasty. My whole gluten eating family gobbled them right up and never questioned if it was gluten free or not, which is my book is a good product! The container has more than enough for several meals. It requires refrigeration after you open the package. Definitely a versatile product worth trying for all your breadcrumb recipes.

KINDLE

I just published this blog on Kindle. It will be available on Amazon's Kindle Blog section in the next couple days. Check it out if you have a kindle and want to stay updated.

Eco Planet Instant Hot Cereal

This was my least favorite hot cereal to date. It is better texture than regular old oatmeal, but the flavor is not great. It's not so bad that its not edible, but its not great. Imagine being on a farm and putting up hay bales all day into a hot barn...the taste that's left behind in your mouth is hay dust from the day. That exact same taste is what I get from this cereal.I tried the Maple Brown Sugar flavored cereal. I even added a package of Truvia. It didn't help. I am going to try it again tomorrow morning with Almond Breeze unsweetened milk, maybe that will help give it some other flavor, I'm not convinced, but its only fair I give it another shot.

Glutenfreeda Granola Cereal/Snack

I tried this a couple days ago at work for breakfast, it was so good I had two servings. I ate them with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I didn't need to add sweetener, it was good just the way it came out of the package.  Definitely will buy this product again! Thank you Hy-Vee W Kimberly for giving me the chance to try this product!

Nature's Valley GF Granola Bars

I had heard Nature's Valley had created a gluten free granola bar, but hadn't seen it yet. I found it today at Target. It is wonderful. It's the Roasted Nut Crunch bars. They are fantastic - sweet and crunch, but salty too. I am so excited to have tried these. I will definitely buy them again.

Glutenfreeda Oatmeal

I was a little reluctant to try this today after trying a different brand yesteday that left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). I will review that one when I have had another chance to try it.  Anyway, my breakfast today is the Glutenfreeda Gluten Free Oatmeal. I choose the Banana Maple with Flax flavor thinking it sounded different. I did add a packet of Truvia because its never sweet enough for me right out of the package. It was easy enough since I could pop it in the microwave and one minute later breakfast at work. It has the right amount of banana flavor without being over powering. It it good texturally and leaves no bad aftertaste. I will definately buy this product to use at work since its easy to take with me each morning and cook later when I'm hungry. I got it at my Hy-Vee, but I'm sure you could purchase it online too. Give it a shot!  Here is a link to their site: Glutenfreeda

Gluten Free Networks

Check out this site - it offers giveaways of gf products by companies we love!! It's a social site where you can meet others who are also gluten free. I am signed up as dispatchergurl, find me and friend me on there.
Gluten free netWorks

The sister site with info on tons of things gf can be found here:
Gluten free Works

Aleia's Gluten Free Foods

Teresa from my Hy-Vee (West Kimberly) hooked me up with some samples of Aleia's products this week. They are a new product line that is being brought into the huge GF section at the Hy-Vee W Kimberly. If you haven't stopped over to that Hy-Vee I highly recommend it, they have so many options and are getting new products regularly!

Anyway - Aleia's has quite a few things that us GF people often must live without. They offer GF Breadcrumbs, GF croutons, GF Almond Horns (cookies), GF Macaroons and GF Stuffing.  So far I have tried the macaroons and the almond horns.

The macaroons require their own paragraph :) They are packaged in a bag - they are moist little marcaroonie goodness. It's absolutely impossible to eat only one, so its a good thing they are small. They are fantastic! They are kind of pricey, but what isn't these days! They are good enough to justify the occasional splurge!

The almond horn's are good too. I was under the impression they would be like a donut or macaroon - soft and moist. They are not. They are more like a cookie. They are good with coffee or tea. I shared one with my hubby and he liked it too. I also sent a little "care package" to my fellow gf friend Patti (she liked them too).

Their products have promise!! I will be purchasing them more often now that I got to try them and found they taste wonderful!!

Popcorners

These have become a huge hit at my house with my whole family. The are one of the tastiest popcorn chips on the market. Was told that I have to try the kettle corn version, but my HyVee was out the day I stopped in. Definately worth the $2-$3 a bag. The bag empties fast!!

QC Celiac Group Meeting

The next meeting of the QC Celiac Group will be on Monday night at 7pm.  We will meet at  our usual location. Genesis West Medical Center, Pav. 2, Conference Center.

Topic of Discussion:  GF Flours and baking.   Please share your baking experiences or ask questions about gf flours, baking or the gluten-free diet. 

Blogger is back up

Blogger has been down for a couple days, so as soon as I get my ducks in a row you can look forward to posts on new "popcorn" chips as well as Aleia's almond horns...Those should both be posted by the end of the day today.  Enjoy the blog!

Blue Diamond Nut Chips

I finally have some new stuff to blog on!!! I went to see my girl Theresa at "my Hy-Vee" (West Kimberly) where they have lots of new Gluten Free items!! YAY! I tried Blue Diamond Nut Chips today - omg they are so good. They are very similar to a Dorito minus the MSG. I had the nacho flavored ones they are addictive.  I will buy a bag of these weekly. I can use them in a taco salad or I could inhale the bag for dinner all by itself which I did tonight. You have got to try this product!! Two Thumbs way UP!

I'm at a loss...

I seem to be stuck in a gf rut. I don't really have anything new to try and I'm anxiously awaiting the opening of a new restaurant in Davenport that promises possibilities for us gf folks. I will of course blog on it as soon as I get to try it.

I tried the Front Street Brewery yesterday and had nachos because they seemed the safest...I was wrong. I got sick. So I won't be going that route again.

I seem to be eating the same things and I'm very bored with it. Anyone have any new suggestions??

Celiac Awareness month is upon us...

May is the nation's Celiac awareness month. I am getting lots of updates from companies like Rudi's GF bakery that they are doing events all over in honor of Celiac awareness month. Of course none of those events are in Iowa, but it's good to know that people everywhere are being educated about the disease.