Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars from the Living Luxe Gluten-free Cookbook

When you go looking for recipes, it's not very different from shopping for clothes. When you look in a magazine and see a shirt you like, you'll probably want to buy it. So, when you look through a cookbook and see a recipe you like, more often than not the food will be laid out in an enticing way.
I love browsing books and magazines that contain beautiful foods. Yes, I just called food beautiful! When I looked through the Living Luxe Gluten-free Cookbook this afternoon, what really drew my attention was the pictures. Honestly, gluten-free has never looked better :). Today, I am sharing a recipe with you with the permission from the author of  Living Luxe Gluten-free Cookbook,  Michelle Lee (She has over 110 recipes that are both gluten and lactose-free!).

These chocolate chip oatmeal bars are easy to make as well as delicious to eat!

Ingredients
1 tbsp. softened butter (lactose-free if needed)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 lightly beaten egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 medjool dates without pits that are finely chopped
Optional: gf vanilla protein mix (I didn't use it.)

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

2. Mix butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in egg, vanilla extract, and salt. Slowly stir in oats, chocolate chips, dates, and protein mix (if using).

3. Lightly grease foil with a touch of butter. Spread oat mixture evenly on foil, creating a 1/2-inch deep rectangle measuring about 4-by-8-inches. Bake until edges are browned, about 10 minutes.

4. Remove fro oven and allow mixture to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice into four snack bars, each measuring about 4-by-2-inches. Serve immediately or store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Voila! You have homemade chocolate chip oatmeal bars! Click here to buy Living Luxe Gluten-free on Amazon. Michelle has done a wonderful job in the layout of the book and on her choices of recipes.
Enjoy!
-Sema

Easy Gluten-free Tomato Soup

Today I was in the mood for tomato soup, so for lunch that's exactly what I made :). This recipe is very easy, and you can easily impress your friends with your culinary abilities! So here it is, the easiest, most delicious tomato soup recipe! *drum roll please* (I have also included a DIY bread sticks recipe!)

The Soup
Ingredients
1 can tomatoes (I used our own canned tomatoes.)

1.5 cup broth (I used chicken broth.)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parsley/basil for garnish
Optional: 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in about a 1/2 cup water

Procedure
1. Mix the broth and tomatoes in a medium saucepan at medium heat.
2. Once it starts bubbling, add the heavy whipping cream.
3. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes and season with salt and pepper!
4. Use a hand-held blender and puree the soup.
5. Garnish with parsley or basil (I used parsley).

The Bread Sticks
Ingredients
2 slices of gf bread
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Shredded/sliced cheese (I used chedder.)

Procedure
1. Toast the bread until has a golden color. While you're doing that, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Slice the bread into thin slices.
3. Chop up the garlic and add it to the bread slices.
4. Drizzle each slice with olive oil.
5. Add the cheese, covering each slice.
6. Bake until the cheese is melted. I let it bake a little after that to make it crunchier.

I ended up making two batches, because my younger brother loved it so much!

Voila, you have bread sticks and tomato soup!
Enjoy!
-Sema

LOOK AT THIS DELICIOUSNESS

Easy Gluten-free Apple Crisp

Today is a cold and rainy day, so I decided to make apple crisp! I think that the best way to counter a gloomy day is with wonderful food, a good book, and a delicious cup of tea. This apple crisp is SUPER easy to make and will surely make your mouth water!

Ingredients
1/3 stick of butter
2-3 apples
1 cup certified gluten-free oats
1 tbs of cinnamon
A handful of walnuts
1/3 cup of brown sugar

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Slice and peel the apples.
3. Put the oats into a blender to make your own flour. Blend them until they reach the consistency of    flour.
4. Crumble the butter in the oat flour.
5. Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts into the mix.
6. Add the mix to the apples.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the apples are soft and tender.

Voila, you have a dessert! I added a little cream to the side, but you can substitute the cream with ice cream or yogurt!

Enjoy!
-Sema

How to Bake a Pizza in 3-5 Minutes

School is starting again tomorrow, so that means that my life is going to get super busy again! Sometimes you don't have time to spare-even when it comes to baking a pizza! That's why this trick comes in VERY handy during those busy days ahead of us (and it really works on thin crust pizzas)!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put a large frying pan in (make sure that it has no plastic/wood components in it.)
3. Heat the frying pan until it becomes REALLY hot.
4. Take out the frying pan and add your homemade/ready made pizza crust.
5. Put the oven on 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Add your favorite toppings to the thin pizza crust! I like to saute onions, mushrooms, and turkey sausage before I add it to the pizza. My pizzas usually contain as many vegetables that can fit on them.
7. Put the frying pan back into the oven.
8. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until it's done.

Voila, your pizza is finished! The best part about it is the fact that the middle of the pizza won't be gooey or uncooked, because the frying pan does a good job of heating the whole crust!

Enjoy!
-Sema