When the Chips are Down....

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker website

OK, I never post about food, I'm sure of it. I love to eat, but for those that know me, you know I am a super picky eater who finds something she likes & eats it over & over & over again rather than risk trying something new that does not suit my taste. I'm completely BORING when it comes to food, unlike many of my foodie friends. I would likely die of starvation if I was in another country (other than Mexico) because I would be afraid to eat. BUT, in all my pickiness, I am a HUGE fan of bread. I don't think I have met a bread I did not like. Well, that's not entirely true -- I once tried Ezekiel bread & it was horrible! My granny used to think I'd make a good prisoner since I could EASILY survive on bread & water alone!!! Of course, bread is not the best thing for us.... as I age & weight tends to stick to my bones more easily, those "bad carbs" just are not my friend. *sigh* That being said, we have tried to cut back on our intake of the evil gluten we often hear about. Mike is now a believer that the stuff bloats you, makes you crave more of it & hence, you can pack on pounds with little effort -- I tried telling him for years that bread is worse than eating a piece of cheese, despite the fat content. We are trying to not eat gluten much, if at all anymore. We still get burgers & chili dogs on occasion, but NO bun. No more sandwiches unless they are wrapped in lettuce versus bread, etc.

In our quest for yummy things that are gluten-free, I was surprised at how much good stuff is out there, sans gluten. I am NOT a cook so I really am clueless about all this, but I stumbled upon gluten-free baked goods and pre-packaged cake & cookie mixes that also gluten-free. Could they be any good??? Low & behold, they can be! I purchased the Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix, gluten-free, of course. You just have to add butter, vanilla & an egg. The batter is rather dry & crumbly looking, but the cookies tasted pretty darn good once you get past the weird appearance of the raw dough -- we polished them off rather quickly. I'm impressed. Mike was impressed. Who knew? I bought the brownie mix, as well, but have not had time to bake that up just yet. Stay tuned!

It's difficult to find these Betty Crocker gluten-free mixes in your average grocery store. I found mine in Gelson's, but have also seen them at Howe's Market. I'm sure they are cheaper at Howe's. I paid $4.99 per box at Gelson's which is a bit steep, but in the end, the yummy cookies made it worthwhile!

Whole Foods has lots of gluten-free items & baked goods, as well. I sampled some chocolate cake, which was more like pie than cake....not sure what was in it, possibly apple sauce???...but it was good, as were their gluten-free peanut butter cookies.

So, if you are in the market to flatten your tummy a little, I suggest cutting down on your gluten intake.... and these gluten-free baked goods are much yummier than one might expect for when that pesky sweet tooth gets the best of you!

Happy Shopping!