The beauty of this is that all of these foods are naturally gluten-free. One of the tastiest gluten-free snacks that my family really enjoys, that are easy to pack and easy to eat anywhere, are dried fruits and vegetables. They love apples, raisins, dates, cranberries, prunes, figs, dried peas and corn, pineapple, and bananas.

Well, maybe it was coincidence or ‘divine intervention’ but my travels this week took me to Kohl’s where I added yet another fun toy to my kitchen: a food dehydrator. I thought I could make some of these snacks from scratch, instead of buying them at the grocery store. I will explore the world of ‘the dehydrator’ and report back to you, but I did make my very first batch of banana chips and my daughter ate them! She said ‘Mom, these really taste like bananas and they are so sweet!’ I look forward to many more successful recipes in my dehydrator and what a funny coincidence that I purchased it the week of Tu B’Shvat.

In honor of this holiday, I decided to make my very favorite cookie in the world, the Fig Newton. Although these taste nothing like the ones you can buy that will last on your shelf for 3 years because of all the chemicals and preservatives they have in them, they are rich and decadent and pretty good for you too. Not only are they gluten-free, but they are vegan AND egg-free, peanut-free, chocolate-free and soy-free. This recipe was adapted from Elana Amsterdam.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Fig Newtons

Filling:
1 cup dried figs
½ cup hot water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Dough:
2 ½ cups almond flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Place figs in a food processor and blend for 30 seconds until they are well chopped
2. Add water and vanilla; process until a smooth paste results
3. In a large bowl, combine almond flour and salt
4. In a smaller bowl, combine agave, molasses, grapeseed oil and vanilla
5. Mix wet ingredients into dry, then refrigerate dough for 1 hour
6. Divide chilled dough into 4 parts
7. Between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out 1 part of the dough into a 10 x 4 inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick
8. Spread ¼ of the filling evenly down the right side (lengthwise) of the rectangle
9. Fold the dough in half down the long side –resulting in a 10 x 2 inch bar
10. “Mend” the seam so the bar is symmetrical
11. Repeat with 3 remaining parts of dough and filling
12. Transfer each bar to a parchment lined baking sheet; bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes
13. Allow to cool slightly; cut bar every 2 inches to form the fig newtons

Makes 20 cookies

When we first learned that we would have to give up those breads, bagels, and baked goods, we felt lost, confused and a little deprived. But luckily, in the 21st century, gluten free living is pretty easy.

Here are some products that we have used and enjoyed to replace our old ‘flour-laden stand-bys.’ Although today I bake most of our foods from scratch, it is not always easy to make baked goods all the time, especially for bigger families.

• Udi’s Handcrafted Foods has a whole line of gluten free products that are quite tasty. Among these are breads, muffins and pizza crusts.  Udi himself is Israeli-born. At the new Udi’s Bread Café in Louisville (185 S 104th St, #A), all sandwiches are available on gluten free bread. They also have an online gluten free store.
  
• Kinnickinnick is a company in Canada that specializes in gluten free, peanut free and tree nut free products. With over 200 products to choose from, they can be found in most health foods stores and local grocers.
• Chebe’s is a unique bread product based on the Brazilian “pao de queijo” or cheese bread. I have made bagels, flat breads and even tortilla wraps using this simple mix. It can be found in your local health food or grocery store.
• Sweet Escapes Bakery in Longmont specializes in gluten free/casein free baked goods. Their products range from hoagie rolls to English muffins to pizza crusts. Their public hours are limited, so call ahead before you visit.
• Finally, one of my favorite companies is Outside the Breadbox Bakery, located in Colorado Springs but stocked in Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers around the greater Boulder area with gluten free baked goods. They have products ranging from gluten free cheese crackers, to breads, bagels, bread crumbs, and even graham crackers.

Although I have only listed a handful, there are many more great gluten free products for you to try at home.  Please share your favorites using the comment box below!

I would like to introduce you to a bread that has become a staple in our household just within the last few months. It is a gluten free, soy free, dairy free bread that can be made in your own bread machine. This recipe was inspired by my friend and favorite Gluten free guru Alison Yacht.

White Bread for Bread Machines

Ingredients: Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you start.

3 eggs
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups plain rice milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1/3 cup arrowroot
1/2 cup potato starch
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
¼ cup almond flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Place wet ingredients at the bottom of the pan. Place premixed dry ingredients in the pan next. Then sprinkle the yeast on top. Select the sweet dough cycle. This cycle should be about 3 hours and 40 minutes. When the bread is finished, let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan. I like to slice this bread right down the middle (top to bottom). Then turn it crust side out, onto a bread board and slice each half into ¼ inch slices. I put these all directly into my freezer, and thaw out a portion when ready to eat. Yummy toasted with peanut butter or jelly, or make into your favorite sandwich!

Next week:  an overview of symptoms related to gluten sensitivities as well as a Gluten Free Pancake and/or Waffle Recipe your whole family will love.

Well, guess what…all of these items contain wheat and wheat is addictive. Most people don’t think of food as having addictive qualities, but the chemistry of wheat in your body is very real. If you have gluten sensitivity, your body does not have the ability to break wheat down into smaller building blocks in the small intestine. Because wheat doesn’t get broken down, the immune system recognizes it as a ‘foreign protein’ and attacks it, causing damage to the intestinal wall that increases over time. This constant erosion over time produces what is called a ‘leaky gut.’ Simply put, the gluten, while still intact, leaves the small intestines.

Glutens are opioid-like proteins, which means that they literally cause a ‘gluten high’ that lasts for a few hours, followed by a crash and a craving for more gluten. It is like a drug, and no matter how hard you try, your instincts are stronger, telling you ‘you need more.’ One of the ‘side effects’ for me when cutting out the gluten was that my cravings were gone.  If you have any of these reactions, you may want to try this: cut out the gluten and see what happens!

Here is an amazing Chocolate Chip cookie recipe that I use when my girls are having friends over and they want to impress them.  These are a great treat with none of the side effects.

Lisa’s Better than Nestle Cookies

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca flour
4 tbsp arrowroot
1 tbsp sorghum flour
1 tbsp potato starch
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 tbsp warm water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup carob chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two large baking sheets or line with parchment paper.  Blend brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca, cornstarch, potato starch, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt in bowl. Mix flaxseed with 3 tbsp warm water until blended together. Pour oil and both sugars into a large bowl. Add flaxseed/water mixture. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Then add the carob chips and mix again. Roll dough in your hands to make a ball. I like to wet my hands first to keep the dough moist. Place on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with palm of hand. Bake for 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack.

*The size of these cookies can vary depending on what you need them for. You can make them into bite size cookies, large individual cookies, or 2 giant cookies, which I have used to make an ice cream cookie cake!

References: What is Wrong with Wheat? By Eric Armstrong at TreeLight.com/Health