Dempsey Bakery

As I have been traveling around the United States and have had some extra time on my hands while my husband is at work I try to find a local gluten free bakery of some sort.
Most recently we were in Little Rock Arkansas. One of my friends told me about this organic restaurant that her and her husband had recently tried and she was very pleased with the food that they served. She also mentioned that they had some gluten free options. Once she said that I knew I had to go try it. So we went. The restaurant is called The Roof Cafe. I got an egg salad sandwich.




The bread was more like a hamburger bun. The texture of the bread was amazing! It never feel apart. It tasted so good that I really questioned if it was really gluten free. We asked where they get the bread from and it was from a gluten free bakery called Dempsey Bakery which was in down town Little Rock. We weren't too far away from it. So we went and checked it out.







I love it when I see this sign outside. For the simple reason that I feel like you can trust anything they have in there and they really do care about and understand the gluten free lifestyle.


They had so many choices I didn't know where to start. They had a lot of different choices of cookies, cheese cake, lava cake, cinnamon rolls, breads, pizza crusts, cakes, cupcakes, pies. I was very impressed with the wide selection that they offer.















They also have a full lunch menu. I ate at The Roof Top right before coming to Dempsey Bakery so I didn't eat anything off it the menu. Although I tried the roasted red pepper bisque soup. It was good but had a little bit of a kick to it. I'm not one for spicy stuff unless I'm in the mood for it.



Our of the many options that they had I tried the cinnamon roll. It was very good. Although I thought it tasted more like a donut with the glaze that they used on it. The texture was great! And it didn't crumble at all!



I also tried the chocolate raspberry cheese cake. It was very good. Although I thought it would have tasted better without the chocolate drizzle.




The staff at Dempsey Bakery was very friendly and knowledgable. I highly recommend this gluten free bakery. If you are ever in the Little Rock area it's worth your time and money as is The Roof Top.



Happy eatings!!

Gluten free flours

When Dusty and I first got married I went through a phase where I wanted to cook and bake everything I could to be gluten free. After all... "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach"... Right?

Well I went onto amazon to find the gf flours that I would need to bake the recipes that my cookbooks called for. At the time they had an AWESOME deal going on and so I bought 4 or 5 different flours. Each flour came with 3 or 4- 22 ounce bags. Being only two of us we didn't go through all that flour fast enough. And As time went on I realized that I didn't know anything about these flours whether they needed to be in the freezer or fridge or how long their shelf life is.

Recently I did some research on gf flours to know for myself how long they last and how to store them. Maybe this info will become useful to all of you.




Potato starch-
doesn't require refrigeration or freezing. 3 year shelf life open or unopened.

Cornstarch-
1 1/2- 2 years max shelf life

Brown rice flour-
4-5 months in refrigerator.
Up to 1 year in the freezer.
May become rancid if stored improperly or if stored for an excessive length of time.

Sorghum flour-
4 months in freezer, if stored in a sealed container or tightly wrapped.

Soy flour-
5-7 months, store tightly wrapped or tightly sealed in the refrigerator or Freezer.

White rice flour-
Store in a right covered container in a cool dry location and it will last indefinitely.

Tapioca starch/flour-
3years- If stored in a cool, dry area.

Bean flour-
18 months- Store in air tight container in a cool and dry area.

Almond flour-
6 months in refrigerator.
12 months in freezer.





Happy eatings!!

Qwackers

I recently found these 'Qwackers' at The Gluten Free Store in Layton Utah. Last night my husband was eating golf fish crackers and so I decided to pull these out to give them a try. He compared them to the goldfish crackers. At the first taste he said that the texture was so different. And the second taste he says that these are a lot more cheesy tasting. (He hates cheese.) But from what I can remember from so many years ago, I would compare the texture and taste to cheese nips. They have a bit of a crunch to them and you can definitely taste the cheese flavor. I found them enjoyable. I love the size of the package also. Enough for one sitting and not having to leave an open bag and having to eat them before they get stale. Highly recommended!


Happy eatings!!

Donuts

I LOVE DONUTS!!!!

My all time favorite kind of donut is the maple bar. I have tried multiple times to make a gluten free maple bar, they turned out ok... But I'm still on the hunt to find a good enough recipe to publish. Which will mean it will be regularly made in my kitchen. :)

But until then I'll buy these donuts.










My two favorites are the maple glazed and cinnamon sugar.
I usually heat them up in the microwave for 30 seconds. The texture is perfect! Only if they were a little bigger.... Although I don't feel so guilty eating them.


I recently tried the vanilla glazed donuts which are also very good. But wouldn't be my first choice. They also have chocolate glazed which I have not yet tried.


When my husband and I first started dating I bought some donuts to have at his apartment kuz there was nothing in his apartment that I could eat. He learned very quickly that my donuts are off limits! ;)




Happy eatings!!!

Lemon chicken

Since we have been married I try to make home-cooked meals for so many reasons. You get to determine the things that go into your food, the limits are endless, and it really is so much more inexpensive.
A lot of my inspiration of different foods to cook are some of the dishes we try at restaurants, Pinterest, and things that I cannot get gluten free unless I make it myself. I have only really been cooking things from scratch for the last year and a half. So I am still having to do A LOT of trial and error.
It does get frustrating when I am really craving it and then it doesn't turn out. But that's just how it goes. So along with the recipes I give out I'll give tips of things that I did do that does or doesn't help.
Like I mentioned earlier we LOVE PF Chang's. And I was lucky enough to find my favorite dish from there. After making it several times it's hard to spend the money on something that I make just as good or even better tasting. (I mean that in the most humble way. :))
This dish is one of the most commonly asked for by my husband... Which really means a lot. He is not picky in any means. He even eats my burnt meals... Which happens more than I'd like to admit. He really is a great sport about it all. :)




PF Chang's Lemon Chicken-
For the lemon sauce:
1 T. cornstarch, dissolved in small amount of cold water
1 c. chicken broth
juice of 1 lemon
3 T. brown sugar
3 T. liquid honey
1 tsp. minced ginger
Put chicken broth, lemon juice, brown sugar, honey and ginger into skillet or pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to a simmer. Stir in cornstarch mixture and simmer 2-3 minutes until thick and syrupy. Keep warm.
For the chicken:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch by 1/2 inch chunks
2 T. gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil
about 1/2 c. cornstarch
2 – 3 T. oil for frying
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
1. Mix chicken pieces, tamari, ginger and sesame oil and marinate for 20-30 minutes.
2. Spread cornstarch on dinner plate and roll chicken pieces in cornstarch until coated. Place chicken pieces on another dinner plate.
3. Heat oil on medium high heat in a large skillet until a piece of coated chicken sizzles when added, then add more pieces to fill pan without crowding.
4. Saute chicken pieces, turning a few times, until browned all over and cooked through.
5. Wipe out pan and saute remaining chicken in same manner.
6. To serve, spoon warm sauce into dish, place chicken pieces over top, and add steamed broccoli, if desired. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

This dish takes a while to make.. The first time I made it, it took me like 2 hours. But I have gotten faster the more times I make it. I usually double or even triple the recipe because it serves 2 people. It makes great leftovers and is great to serve when company is over.
Definitely worth the time and effort! :)

Happy eatings!!!

Gluten Free Cereal

Chex has gone gluten free!! Ok this might be old news but still exciting! Have you tried all of these different flavors? My favorite is Honey Nut Chex.






I once tried the Strawberry Chex, but I haven't seen them since then. :(


Here is a nice treat to make with the rice or corn Chex.



Gooey Almond and Coconut Chex Mix Recipe.

Ingredients:
1 (14oz-17oz) box of Rice OR Corn Chex cereal
1 (7oz) bag of sweetened coconut
1 (5oz) bag of almonds (about 1 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) margarine of butter
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup (like Karo syrup)

Directions:
Spray a LARGE (the biggest you can find!) bowl with non-stick cook spray Pour in the entire box of Chex cereal, coconut, and almonds. Gentle mix together.
Mix together the sugar, butter, light corn syrup, and dash of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a full boil, turn down to medium, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over the cereal mixture in the big bowl and stir evenly.
Spread cereal evenly on wax paper and let it cool (even though it's delicious to eat while warm, too!).

Once it cools, I bag it up in airtight container or Ziploc bag and it lasts for a couple of days.



Some other gluten free cereals that I have found enjoyable are...



Corn rice flakes with strawberries are tasty. Although very crunchy, my teeth are very sensitive and I have found that letting the cereal soak up a little bit of milk helps with a little less crunch.



I LOVE these corn flakes! Very comparable to regular corn flakes.



Gluten free Rice Krispies! What?
I love how convenient and available these are. I have been able to find these in most grocery stores. A





I love the Marshmallow Pebbles. My favorite cereal growing up was Lucky Charms and Marshmallow Pebbles remind me of them!




For a quick treat Fruity Pebble Treats are very convenient. I can't seem to keep these around very long when my husband gets into them! ;)




These instant oatmeal packets are made out of certified gluten free oats. They are easy and quick to make. Just calls for water and a microwave and whatever else you may like on top. My favorite is milk, cinnamon, and sugar.

As you can see we are all about quick, easy, and convenient food!


Happy eatings!!!

Betty Crocker

When Betty Crocker came out with gluten free mixes I was so excited I thought I was going to die!!
The best part of these are that they are available at pretty much every grocery store that sells Betty Crocker. Super convenient! Although just like another gluten free products they are a bit pricey.




I love love love this pancake mix!! There have been times when we are traveling and if we stay at family members houses we just take this box with us and borrow their stove to make these delicious pancakes! The recipe is on the back of the box.



Another recipe that I make with gluten free Bisquick is corn dogs! Another recipe that my husband loves and asks for frequently. Trust me, they taste better than they look!

• 1 cup Gluten Free Corn Meal
• 1-1 ½ cup Gluten Free Bisquick
• 2 eggs(beaten)
• 1 TBSP Sugar
• 1 cup Milk (you can use soy, almond, etc)
• Hot Dogs
• Sticks (optional)

Directions

Heat the oil for frying to about 350 degrees.  I used my Dutch oven.  You could use a fryer, or any method you choose.

In a bowl add Corn Meal, Sugar, and 1 cup Gluten Free Bisquick. Stir together. Whisk in 2 eggs, and 1 cup of milk.  The batter will be the consistency of thick pancake batter.  If needed add extra bisquick to thicken.

Now place the hot dogs onto sticks, or cut into bite sized pieces.  I cut my hot dogs in half to make kid sized corn dogs.  Really, it is up to you.

Once the hot dogs are prepared, roll them in batter until they are covered.  Quickly drop them into the oil and allow them to fry about 3-5 minutes until golden brown.  You may need to flip them once.

Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.  Serve.

Makes enough batter for 1 package of Hot Dogs.

-FROM: http://afewshortcuts.com

I have not used this mix to make actual cake. I use to it make banana bread.
My husband loves this recipe for banana bread. He asked for it on a regular basis and usually it's all gone before I have a chance to get to it! Haha it's just that good! :)


Gluten Free Best Ever Banana Bread

Enjoy this great banana bread recipe made using Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix - perfect for a breakfast treat.

PREP TIME: 15 Min
TOTAL TIME: 2 Hr 40 Min
SERVINGS:16

INGREDIENTS

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 9x5-inch or 8x4-inch loaf pan with shortening.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, mashed bananas, butter and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 9-inch loaf 55 to 60 minutes, 8-inch loaf 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Place sheet of foil over loaf to prevent overbrowning.) Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool about 1 hour before slicing.



I have a hard time getting the middle to not be doughy and for the outside not to burn. I use a glass bread pan and I cover it with foil while baking. I have had times where it turns out perfect and other times it turns out super dry. But we move so much and our elevation and humidity changes, that every time I make it I have to adjust. Hoping for one day I'll figure it out!




We love these cookies! It's nice to have when I don't have enough time to make a mix from scratch. Or sometimes I don't even have all the ingredients I need. This mix even comes with chocolate chips in it!
Maybe all cookie mixes do come with chocolate chips in it already.. I'm just not that familiar with them. :)




I think that this might be the best gluten free brownie mix that I have found so far. Brownie mix was one of the first gluten free products that we found that was sold in the stores back in 2003.
My husband also loves these and he asked for them on a regular basis.




I have not yet tried the chocolate cake mix. I have it in my pantry. Now just waiting for the right time to make it.

All of these mixes only call for water, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract depending on the mix.



Happy eatings!!!