Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Newspapers.

I think of  Sunday mornings,  reading the comics, clipping coupons, drinking coffee and eating breakfast.

Although I don’t have the time to read a newspaper daily, I do somehow always find the time to browse the recipe section.  As if I really need one more recipe, right?

I love the fact that the recipes are often submitted by local folk; tried and true family recipes.

This recipe was featured in a section called NC State Fair Recipes and it is soooooo good.  It truly tastes like a peanut butter and banana sandwich.  Imagine that? 

I hope you like it as much as me.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

• 1  3/4 cup Pamela’s Baking Mix
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter(I used Jiff)
• 1 cup mashed bananas(about 3 whole naners)
• 2 eggs
• NOTE: if you are using a gf baking mix that doesn’t include baking powder/baking soda, you will need to add 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf or mini-loaf pan.

In a bowl mix Pamela’s with sugar. Cut in peanut butter until mixture  resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and bananas until just blended. Spread evenly in pan(s). Bake ~ 25min for mini loaf pan or ~1hr. 10min. for large loaf pan.

Source: The Herald Sun

I hope our technology absorbed society doesn’t drop the production of newspapers and rely only on internet reading.

There is something so wholesome about holding and reading the newspaper.  Black fingertips and all.

-eRiN

Custom Choice Cereal

Custom Choice Cereal  is a company that completely warms my heart and I couldn’t be more willing to review their cereals on my blog.

Not only does the company offer customized gluten free cereal mixes, the production facility is located in Durham, NC AND the owners developed their business plan while studying at UNC’s School of Business, AND they even incorporated carolina blue in their logo, as a tribute to the tar heels.  Raised in Chapel Hill how could I not be a supporter? Ha.

I have tried two cereal mixes and both were winners.

First up was Ernie’s Flakes(Ernie is my nickname).  It contained Corn Flakes with dried pears, dried cranberries and chopped pecans. 

Second up was Erin’s Mixalot. A combination of Good Morning Flakes, shredded coconut, sliced almonds and dried cherries.

Both arrived made to order and both contained fresh ingredients.

A great alternative to my stock of Chex cereals.

My only suggestion?  Expand the cereal base choices.  

Even if that idea isn’t in the company’s plans,  you can bet I’m a dedicated customer!!

Thanks Hajo, Patrick and all of the other Custom Choice Cereal staff.

GO HEELS!

-eRiN

Under the Weather

Don’t be jealous.

A headcold has surfaced at my house.

Be back soon.

-eRiN

Baba Joon’s Chocolate Chewies

Baba Joon’s   is a baking company housed in Eugene, Oregon which makes gluten free and dairy free cookies called Chocolate Chewies.

For a $2.95 shiipping & handling fee,  the company will send you  a chewy sample package, flavor of your choice.  I couldn’t resist the offer.

Yesterday I received some chocolate friends in the mail.

My sample choice:  peanut.

Three to a sample pack, gone in ~three minutes.

My thoughts:

A light and airy cookie,  filled with peanut bits and a mild chocolate flavor.

Not overly sweet.

Reminiscent of tea cookies. 

A different texture than expected.  Not really “chewy” per se…more along the lines of a soft inside with a thin layer of sugary crunch on the outside.

With no flour, no cholesterol and no preservatives….I’m a fan.

As a previous small business owner myself,  I’m all about supporting other small businesses….especially when they offer tasty gf products.

Visit the website  and sign up for a sample.

Thanks Baba Joon’s for supporting us gluten freeERS!

-eRiN

Tuesdays with Dorie-Gluten Free Allspice Crumb Muffins

 

This week’s TWD brought a few baking lessons.

Thanks to Kayte at Grandma’s Kitchen Table for choosing the recipe.

Lesson #1:  Don’t overmix crumb mixture. The buttery, brown sugar will melt into the muffins and the crumb topping will become invisible.

Lesson #2:  Don’t photograph hot muffins.  Muffins will fall apart and fingers will get burned.

Lesson #3: Don’t add leftover crumb mixture to top of baked muffins, trying to improve the photograph.  The “crumb topping” will only look like wet sand.

Lesson #4:  Not my favorite TWD recipe, but good enough to eat two muffins.

You can find the recipe here. 

-eRiN

Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Credit for this lovely loaf goes to Mr. Bob’s Red Mill and his GF Cinnamon Raisin Bread Mix.

Credit is due when credit is due, right?

My thoughts………

Pros:  

• Easy peasy to make.  Dissolve the yeast in some water, add some oil, an egg and throw in the flour mix.  Mix for about 2 minutes and spoon into a baking pan.
• Smells fabulous while baking.  Smells fabulous while baking.  Smells fabulous while baking.
• Fresh out of the oven, you don’t even need butter, pb, honey, cream cheese, etc.  It feels, it tastes and it looks like REAL bread.

Cons:

• You have to wait about an hour for the batter to rise and then it takes another hour for the bread to bake.
• Dries out very easily. I made the loaf last night and by morning, I could taste a dryer texture.

Would I buy this again? Most definitely.

Despite the dryness, I discovered a solution to maintain the freshness.

I simply cut the loaf into individual slices, wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them in the freezer.  This afternoon, I took one slice, microwaved it for about 30 seconds, toasted it and then topped it with honey walnut cream cheese. YUM. 

I’m such a carbo-lover.

To make the cream cheese, I took reduced fat philly cream cheese and added honey & chopped walnuts  to taste. Easy peasy, just like mixing the bread.

Here’s something ironic.  Before I was diagnosed with Celiac, I was pretty much a cake/muffin/cookie/bread mix snob.  I considered myself a true baker and preferred to make breads/desserts/goodies from scratch.  Now post Celiac diagnosis, I find myself relying A LOT on gf mixes or all purpose type baking flours.  I guess it’s the working mom coming out in me…convenience, convenience, convenience.  It is just easier to buy a bread mix than take the time(that I don’t have) to buy 3-5 different gf flours and experiment.  At least I know gf mixes don’t have all of the preservatives and filler ingredients like “regular” mixes. 

Your thoughts?

Sweet dreams,

eRiN

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Hi friends!

It feels pretty weird posting after how many weeks?  Five?  Whoa. Gracious.

I won’t bore you with my blog break reasons,  just know that parenting can be one tough job. Period.

 

Onto the yummy eats.

It really seems that pumpkin is a common theme around the blog world these days. For good reason.

Tonight was my chance to join in the Fall fest and bake up a batch of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies.

This was adapted, gluten free, from my dear…dear…dear friend Wendy’s recipe.  Thanks Wen.  They were as good as I remember.  And Wen, if you’re reading, I do think your neighbor should give them a try.

 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

 

• 1/4 cup(2 oz.)butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup gf flour mix(I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Mix—my new favorite)
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin(good ol’ Libby’s)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3 oz chocolate chips (or pecans or raisins or whatever the heck you want to toss in….direct quote from Wendy. ha.)

 

Cream butter and sugar; add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.  Mix well.  Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips (or other add-in).  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 for about 12 minutes. 

 

It actually feels like Fall in Houston.

How long it will last? Who knows.  I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.

See ya soon,

eRiN

Bread by Gluten Free Houston

Howdy folks!

I ventured to the other side of Houston on Saturday to scope out A Moveable Feast, the cute little hippie health food store/restaurant that sells Gluten Free Houston’s products(if you missed my review of Randi’s muffins, check it out here).

Why is it that I can refrain myself from over-indulging in somthing lke clothes or shoes but I have ZERO restraint when it comes to food, let alone gluten free food?  I ponder.

I couldn’t pass up this loaf of dough, staring at me in the freezer section.  I immediately dreamt of fresh, hot bread from the oven.  A nice diversion from my frozen gluten free bagels that need defrosting in the microwave and toasting in the toaster.

The dough went from the freezer at A Moveable Feast, to my kitchen counter for about 3 hours, to my oven for 30 minutes…..

to this…….

to this…….a ham, muenster cheese, spinach, avocado, & mustard sandwich.

Us gluten freeERs know that most gf breads, in order to be edible,  need toasting.  While I usually fall into that category, I actually preferred this bread un-toasted.  The soft, buttery crumb was enough to hold its own.  I can’t even express to you the excitement. It was deeelish. 

The bread, with its smell and texture, brought back such good memories of my baking days at Eatzi’s….mixing and shaping Pan Au Lait. 

Thanks Randi.  You have done it again!

-eRiN

Monkey Pops

What started as a kids afternoon activity quickly turned into a mommy only activity.

To Leah and Alex, the arrival of a neighborhood friend sounded much more interesting than dipping bananas into chocolate.  

Oh well.  I tried.

Despite the lack of child assistants, I enjoyed my twenty minutes of solitude.

Funny how once the food project is over though, little bodies change their mind and come rushing into the kitchen, ready to eat.  

That’s ok.  That’s what moms are for(to the tune of That’s What Friends Are For).  Smile.

For the pop-a-roos….

I simply halved bananas and poked them with a popsicle stick.  I then melted semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave(about 30sec-1min), dipped the bananas in and topped them with toasted coconut and pecans.  Viola, monkey pops!

The pops completely covered with chocolate were too rich for me, which is why I switched to the half-dip and chocolate drizzle methods.  Much better in my opinion.

UPDATE: freezer monkey pops are the way to go!!  After the pops are dipped and topped, place them uncovered, in the freezer for a couple of hours.  They are stinkin’ good.

Eat ‘em up monkeys!

-eRiN

Gluten Free Houston

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to meet, Randi, a Celiac pioneer, who is working diligently to open a gluten free bakery in Houston.  So exciting!!!

Randi currently operates a gluten free catering business , called Gluten Free Houston, where she supplies items such as muffins, breads, and lasagna to A Moveable Feast.    While she is the supplier of these goodies, it is her hope that she will open a store front in the near future where she will provide gf goodies to go and gluten free breads & pizza dough to restaurants.   You go girl!

She was gracious enough to bring some samples of her blueberry and cinnamon coffee cake muffins  for my eating satisfaction.  OMG! They are wonderful. She has the texture  DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.  She even gave one to the Starbucks barista(who didn’t know what gluten free meant) but who ate the entire thing and commented how good it tasted.   He couldn’t resist that sugary, cinnamon muffin top.

Randi’s blog can be found here.  Spread the word.

P. S. I’m secretly hoping that, in the future, she will need a gluten free baker.  Specifically a gluten free baker by the name of Erin.   It would be beyond wonderful to return to my baking/bakery roots and also help the Celiac/gluten free community.

Thanks again Randi.  You have 100% of my support.

eRiN