The Gluten-free Consumer World

Now I know statistics is math, and it's summer, but I thought this was so interesting! GlutenAway shared it (go check out his blog), and it's quite an informative poster on what's going on now in the consumer world :). Gluten-free has gone much more mainstream since I was diagnosed (9 years ago!) It's nice to be able to go to a grocery store and see plenty of gluten-free items to choose from!

-Sema

Gooseberry Jam!

It's the season for berry jam, and one of my favorite berries is the gooseberry. It grows in our backyard, so whenever it's gooseberry season, we always have a good supply of it. We had so many that we didn't really know what to do with all of it. That's when we decided to make jam! My mom and I found that this recipe was actually super easy, so it can be enjoyed by many!

Gooseberry Jam Recipe

6 cup gooseberries (¾ ripe (red), ¼ under ripe (green)

1 ½ cups water

4 cups sugar

1. Wash berries, place in saucepan with water, and bring to boiling.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until gooseberries are soft, approximately 15 minutes. 

3. Remove from heat and measure pulp (about 4 cups) add sugar and boil 7-9 minutes. 

4. Remove from stove, skim off foam and pour into hot, sterilized jars.

5. Seal with two-piece canning lids and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!
-Sema

One Year Anniversary as a Gluten-free Blogger!

This week marks the one year anniversary of my blog! My blog's goal is to make sure that whether you are a teenager or an adult, you navigate the gluten-free lifestyle easily. Going gluten-free does not just mean eliminating something from your diet, it is also a lifestyle change. I'm here for recipes and information and I'm also your gluten-free friend. There are so many alternatives out there, and I want to make sure you find them.

Thank you to all my readers and supporters, I honestly could not have come so far without you :').

4th of July Treats!

Well, tomorrow is the 4th of July. You know what that means? FOOD. When I think of the 4th of July, I think of barbecues. I of course wanted to make my food patriotic, so I found two VERY simple desserts that you can make.

The first dessert is my favorite: spice cupcakes. The Namaste spice cake mix is one of the best cake mixes that I know of.

 

1. Add 4 eggs, 2/3 cup oil, and 3/4 cup water to a bowl, and mix it together.

2. Add the Namaste spice cake mix, and mix it all together until it turns into a liquid-like mixture.

3.  Add the mixture to a cupcake pan (which should be lined with cupcake liners.

4. Now here's the fun part! DECORATING :D. Add red, white, and blue icing to make it patriotic!

Now this second dessert is a bit healthier! All you're going to need is plain greek yogurt (store bought or homemade), strawberries, and blueberries. You must have a pretty-looking glass to put it all in, as that always 'spices' your food up. 

1. Add the plain greek yogurt to the bottom of the glass, about half-way full.
2. Cut the strawberries in thin slices, and gently lay them on top of the plan yogurt.
3. Add the blueberries on top of the strawberries.
4. Voila, you have a dessert that is patriotic and healthy!

To add to the patriotic feel, I went to Michaels and got some glittery star-thingies!

Enjoy!
-Sema