I’ve always found you really have to develop a taste for gluten free breads, but good chocolates aren’t usually to difficult to find.   Have you ever thought about combining the two?

Gluten Free Chocolate Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup flax seed flour (I ground up the seed in my coffee grinder. Worked like a charm)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons unsweetened chocolate powder (I used Green & Blacks)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup rice milk (or goat milk)
• 4 Tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil…tasty)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (make sure it is not distilled by a grain alcohol)

Directions:

1. Mix wet ingredients.
2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.
4. Pour into small greased loaf pan.
5. Bake in 375° preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.
6. Test with a toothpick to make sure thoroughly cooked.
7. Let cool on wire rack.

[Recipe Courtesy of Phoenix Island]

Ever needed a gluten free Christmas cake?  Here is a gluten free Christmas recipe that you may find useful.

Gluten Free Christmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 850g dried mixed fruit
• 1 cup brandy
• 150g butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup gluten-free plain flour
• 1/4 cup gluten-free self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup apricot jam

Directions:

1. Place dried fruit and 2/3 cup brandy in a large airtight container. Mix well.
2. Cover and stand overnight or preferably for 1 week, stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat oven to 150°C.
4. Lightly grease a 7cm deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan.
5. Line base and side with double layers brown paper and baking paper (see note).
6. Using electric beaters, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
7. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Sift flours and spices over butter mixture.
9. Add fruit mixture and stir until well combined.
10. Press mixture into pan. Smooth surface.
11. Decorate top with almonds.
12. Bake cake for 2 to 2 1/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
13. Pour remaining 1/3 cup brandy over hot cake.
14. Allow to cool completely in pan.
15. Place jam in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl.
16. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 30 seconds or until warm.
17. Remove cake from pan and brush top with warm jam. Allow to set. Serve.

[Recipe Courtesy of Taste.com.au]

Have discoveries been made with researchers who study Celiac Disease?  According to Resurrection Health Care, it looks like some progress has been made.    Here is an excerpt from their post:

The research team found that gliadin, the part of gluten that causes the most trouble for those with celiac disease, binds to the CXCR3 receptor. This results in the release of zonulin, a human protein that lowers the intestinal barrier to make it more permeable. While this effect is temporary in most people, the barrier stays down for long periods of time in people with celiac disease, causing disruption in the body’s system.

The finding may help in research on the cause and treatment for other autoimmune diseases, Fasano said. People with type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis may experience a similar condition in which offending antigens enter the body through this gateway in the intestines.

“For the first time, we have evidence of how the foreign antigen gains access to the body, causing the autoimmune response,” said Fasano, who is also a pediatric gastroenterologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “Further study is needed, but this could allow us to intervene before the zonulin is either released or activated, preventing the immune response altogether.”

You’ll want to click over to read the entire post.

If you are looking for gluten free condiments, here is a list I’ve collected from a bunch of internet sources, then combined them into one post for your use.   If you have any condiments to add, please contact us!

Collection of Gluten Free Condiments

Gluten Free Ketchup

• 365 Organic Ketchup
• Annie’s Organic Ketchup
• Wholemato makes Agave Organic Gluten-Free Ketchup and Agave Organic Spicy Gluten-Free Ketchup
• Nomato makes a tomato-less Gluten-Free Ketchup.
• Organicville Ketchup

Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce

• Cattlemen’s Barbecue Sauces
• Lea & Perrins Original, and Bold and Spicy Barbecue Sauces
• Bone Suckin’ Sauce in Original, Hot, Thicker Style, and Hot Thicker Style
• Mr. Spice Honey Barbecue Sauce and Marinade
• Nomato Barbecue Sauce (tomato-less)
• Annie’s Original and Smoky Maple Barbecue Sauce
• Organicville Original and Hot and Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Gluten Free Mayonnaise

• Walden Farms Mayonnaise and Salad Dressing
• Spectrum Mayonnaise (all)
• Follow Your Heart Veganaise
• Nasoya Nayonaise

Gluten Free Dessert Sauces

• Whole Treat Creamy Caramel and Dark Chocolate dessert sauce
• Walden Farms Calorie Free Chocolate Syrup, Strawberry Syrup, and Blueberry Syrup

Gluten Free Mustards

• Bone Suckin’ Mustard
• Mr. Spice Honey Mustard
• 365 Organic German Mustard and Dijon Mustard
• Annie’s Organic Honey Mustard
• Atomic Horseradish Creamy White Mustard
• Natural Value Organic Dijon, Horseradish, Stoneground, and Yellow Gluten-Free Mustards.
• Whole Kids Organic Yellow Mustard

Gluten Free Sauces and Marinades

• Lea & Perrins Hp Steak Sauce and Steak Sauce in Traditional, Garlic Peppercorn, Sweet N’ Spicy and New Sweet N’ Spicy flavors
• The Wizard Sauce Wheat-Free Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce.
• Mr. Spice Garlic Steak Sauce and Marinade
• 365 Organic Tartar Sauce
• Wegmans (A Grocer serving New York, Pennsylvania, And New Jersey) Tartar Sauce, Horseradish Cream Sauce, Prepared Horseradish, Remoulade Sauce, Mustard Sauce
• Wild Thymes Tropical Mango Lime Sauce
• Mr. Spice Indian Curry Sauce and Marinade
• 505 Organic Red Chile, Green Chile, and Chipotle Honey Roasted Green Chile Sauce

Gluten Free Hot Sauce

• Bone Suckin’ Sauce Hiccupin’ Hot Habenero Hot Sauce
• Franks Original Red Hot Sauce, the manufacturer warns that product specifications are subject to change
• TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce, Green Pepper Sauce, Habenero Sauce, and Garlic Pepper Sauce.
• 365 Organic Hot Sauce
• Edward and Sons brand The Wizard’s Organic Hot Stuff
• Tangy Bang! Hot Sauce and Hot Wing Sauce and Marinade by Mr. Spice
• Soland Chili Sauce

Gluten Free Salsa

• Bone Suckin’ Salsa and Hot Salsa
• 365 Organic Hot, Medium, and Mild Salsa
• Amy’s Medium and Mild Organic Salsa
• Muir Glen Mild and Medium Salsa
• Naked Organics Tomato Chili Coriander and Lime Salsa
• Esparrango Mild and Zesty Asparagus Gluten-Free Salsa, Zesty and Mild Asparagus Guacamole Gluten-Free Salsa
• 505 Organic Salsa and Chunky Salsa
• Kroger Thick and Chunky and Traditional Salsa, and Picante Sauce

Gluten Free Salad Dressing Brands

• Bragg’s
• Lettuce in Love
• 365 Organic
• Annie’s Naturals
• Walden Farms
• Drew’s
• Nasoya Foods
• Newman’s Own
• Organicville
• SASS

Pickles, Olives, and Green Chilies

• 365 Organic Baby Dill Pickles, Bread & Butter Pickle Chips, Kosher Dill Pickles, Reduced Sodium Kosher Dills
• Great Value Green Olives, Black Olives and canned Green Chilies
• Hans-Jurgen Pickles
• Wegmans Refrigerated Kosher Dill Pickles
• Kroger Black, Green, and Pimento Stuffed Green Olives
• 505 Organic Roasted Green Chile

Gluten Free Soy Sauces and Stir-Fry Sauce

• Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• SanJ International Organic Wheat Free Tamari Soy Sauce and Organic Wheat Free Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
• Spiral Foods Genuine Tamari and Mirin
• Abundant Earth Organic Tamari
• Kikkoman Tamari Soy Sauce
• Mr. Spice Sweet and Sour Sauce and Marinade, Thai Peanut Sauce, and Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce and Marinade
• Bone Suckin’ Yaki brand teriyaki sauce
• Premier Japan brand Organic Wheat-Free Hosin and Organic Wheat-Free Terriyaki
• Eden Select Ume Plum Vinegar

Are multiple people in your family on gluten free diets?  Or maybe sometimes you get sick of all the homemade cooking that is required for a gluten free diet and just want a break?  No matter what your situation is, there is a new service now available that I think pretty much all of us can find a good use for.

The service is GFMeals.com, and they specialize in providing you frozen, ready-to-cook, entrees, sides and baked goods that are both gluten free and casein free.  That means their service is designed to cater to families dealing with autism, aspergers, ADHD and of course celiac disease.

If you’re interested in purchasing some gluten free food ahead of time to keep on hand for times when you need it, I definitely recommend Gluten Free Meals!  They also allow you to purchase by the case if you prefer to buy in bulk.