It's About the Give and Take...

There is one negative to having a recipe blog. In order to know that the recipes I'm posting are up to the standard I want them to be... I have to actually make them and taste them. Now, if that recipe happens to be an experimental dinner dish, there's no problem! We must eat dinner, so no harm done.

But what if the recipe is for something like cake or cookies? I can't just slap a recipe concept on the blog that hasn't been tested, tweaked or sampled! That just wouldn't be right.

Today is one of those problematic recipes. You see, two days ago I made another recipe for the blog that I haven't posted yet... mainly because my current recipe brought on the question I am about to ask.

How can someone maintain a blog full of yummy gluten free goodies, conduct a taste test on them, and then have a batch of said goodies in the house and not end up with thighs the size of Mount Rushmore?

Currently, I have a plea post out on Facebook... begging local friends to stop in a grab a goody. I probably sound like one of the snack vendors in sporting arenas: "Free goodies, get your free goodies here!"

But what I do, I do for you. It is for you that I will sacrifice myself and expose myself to the extra calories. It is I - your gluten free blogger friend - who will continue to nibble and snack and tweak recipes and nibble again to present to you a gluten free goody worth posting on my blog.

Because that's what relationships are about - give and take! I give you the recipes and I take the calories. I give my thighs permission to take over more space and I take full responsibility for their expansion.

In all honesty, I know the answer. The answer is to have one bite of the goody and one bite only. Then, I just need to bring the batch of yumminess to a meeting, or to church... or send them to work with my hubby! The problem lies in showing complete restraint from the time I bake them to the moment they leave the house.

But I suppose that's more about self-control than it is about blogging.

Maybe I should start a new blog... a support blog for recipe bloggers with thighs that are beginning to take over new territory.

Gluten Free Glazed Doughnut Muffins 

(adapted to gf from original recipe at www.sweetpeaskitchen.com)

Muffins:
1/2 cup veggie or canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

1 cup milk (I used 1%)

Glaze:

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp hot water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers or spray pan with non-stick baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. With the mixer on low, add in baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Beat to thoroughly combine.

Alternately add the Pamela's Mix and milk, starting and ending with the Pamela's Mix, Combine thoroughly.

Pour batter into muffin cups. Fill almost to the top (leave an 1/8 of an inch). Bake for 15-17 minutes until slightly golden and springy to the touch, rotating the pan halfway through the baking.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove muffins to a cooling rack. 

In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and hot water for the glaze. Whisk together until smooth.

While the muffins are still slightly warm, dip the crown of each one into the glaze and allow glaze to drizzle down the sides slightly and harden. If desired, dip crowns again once muffins have cooled.

Makes 12 muffins.

The Snack of Perfection

Super Bowl Sunday.

A day for friends, football and food. Good food. Football food!

This year, we invited a bunch of dear friends over to have dinner and watch the game. I love the sound of my living room full of people that I consider family, laughing, cheering and snacking. I get a thrill out of knowing I've filled their tummies full of yummy food and provided a night of fun for them. From the planning stages to the very last moments of the night... I love it all!

Football food is fun. It's very casual and should be able to be eaten with just your hands. For example, dinner consisted of meatball subs, baked buffalo wings, fruit kabobs and chips. All can be easily eaten without silverware!

I'm not sure why Super Bowl food needs to be hand held... perhaps it helps us feel more connected with those larger, grunting men who are pushing and shoving each other to get their hands on the ball. They get their hands on the ball, we get our hands on our food.

In any case, this year's Super Bowl snacks were also finger foods. I presented my friend with these ridiculously good kielbasa bits that are cooked all day in applesauce, brown sugar, dijon mustard and garlic (*drool*... that's a post for another day), a popcorn mix that causes one of my friends to turn into a raving lunatic who lunges at any hands that attempt to grab a kernel (again, another post for another day)... and Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels.

Ah yes, salt and sweet, sweet and salt. A match made in heaven, as far as I'm concerned. And these babies only require 4 ingredients, one being the actual pretzels.

You'll be a Party Snack Queen (or King) with these... and I'll give you the recipe, if you promise not to divulge just how easy they were to make.

Deal?

Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

1 (14-16 oz) bag gluten free pretzels (I used Glutino brand)
2/3 cup canola or veggie oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Dump the pretzels into a baking pan, jelly roll pan or roasting pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the pretzels, then toss to thoroughly coat. Bake for 30 minutes, removing from the oven every 10 minutes to stir. Let cool completely before serving.