Saturday October 29th-Gluten Free Halloween Treats!

Join us Saturday October 29 for our gluten free Halloween party! We'll be sampling gluten free cake balls made from gluten free cake mixes, Yummy Earth gluten free lollipops, and gluten free kettlecorn from Popcorn Indiana. Stop by and try some of these delicious holiday treats!

Saturday from 11-4

Gluten-Free Tuesday! Pumpkin Bread

If you come to the store, you may recognize me as the girl practically glued to a space heater and completely wrapped up in warm clothing. Needless to say, I am not a fan of the cooler months of the year. However, there are advantages to putting up with the chill and one of them is the vast amount of PUMPKIN! Pumpkin lattes, pies, candles... and, of course, bread. And everything tastes and smells so amazing. Luckily, there is a delicious recipe for gluten-free pumpkin bread that tastes so good, anyone can enjoy it!

Happy cooking!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
15 oz canned pumpkin
2 c gluten-free flour blend (see note below)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Gluten-Free Flour Blend: 1 1/2 c white rice flour, 1 1/2 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 c tapioca flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp xanthan gum
Directions:
-preheat oven to 325º, lightly grease bread pan
-cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well after each one.
-add vanilla and pumpkin; mix until well blended
-in a seperate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture- DO NOT OVERMIX!
-pour into a prepared pan
-bake one hour to one hour and ten minutes

Gluten-Free Eggnog Brownies

Here's a yummy recipe that I can't wait to try!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 package Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix
• 2 eggs
• 7 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 C sugar
• 2 Tbsp brandy (or 2 tsp GF brandy extract)
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Line 9" x 13" pan with foil or parchment paper; brush with vegetable oil
3. Prepare brownie mix according to package
4. In a seperate bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese, sugar, brandy and nutmeg
5. Spread half of brownie batter in pan; drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mix over batter; pour rest of brownie mix on top and smooth with spatula
6. Draw tip of knife 3 times lenthwise through batter, then about 5 times width wise to make marbled pattern
7. Bake 35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean
8. Cool completely, then remove from pan by the edges of the foil/parchment.
9. Enjoy!

Notes:
You can use any gluten-free brownie mix you'd like, so long as it can be used in a 9" x 13" pan. If you use another mix, make sure to change the amount of eggs and butter! Further ingredient substitutes may be made (e.g. egg whites or other egg substitutes, vegetable oil for butter, etc.).

The Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix is on sale this month for $2.99!

Vegan Wednesday!

Gimme Gummy! One thing I've always missed as a vegan is gummy snacks. Sometimes I just want something chewy and sweet, but preferably without that pesky gelatin! Thankfully Tasty Brand has come out with these delicious organic, gluten free, fat free, and VEGAN gummies. They contain NO artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They're made from REAL fruit juice and are a great source of vitamin C. Tasty Brand gummies are a great snack for you or your kid's healthy school lunch. Stop by Food For Thought today and pick some up!

"Healthy" Root Beer!

I'll just go ahead and say it. I hate eating raw greens. Unless they are covered in salad dressing or there is dip available. But by themselves....not happenin'. So when I discovered "Cellnique's Root Beer" I got a little giddy. I can drink my greens and...get this, they taste GOOD too!

Cell-nique is a "Super Green Vegetable Base Drink made from a blend of 31 USDA Organic Super Foods containing: super vegetables, super fruits and super plant botanicals that support and promote nourishment, cleansing/detoxing, alkaline-forming and rejuvenation of your cells by bathing them in pure phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants".

We carry 6 flavors including: Pomegranate, Berry Grape, Dark Chocolate, Citrus Vanilla, Tropical and Root Beer. They are gluten free, vegan, low-glycemic and packed with protein that nourish, cleanse and alkalinize the body. They are also low in calories and contain no fat or added sugar.

"Made with organic Super Green foods such as Spirulina, Chlorella and Blue-green algae as well as cereal grass juices and sprouts like barley, wheat, oats and afalfa, Cell-nique also contains the high anti-oxidant Super Fruits like Noni, Goji berry, and Acai.

These ingredients have MORE nutrients than common fruits, vegetables and grains. One serving of Cell Nique contains the equivalent nutrients found in 6 to 8 servings of fruits and vegetables! Take that, raw greens!

The cost of one bottle is around the same price as a grande frappuccino from Starbuck's but has about the same amount of calories as THE WHIPPED CREAM ALONE!!!

Try one bottle of Cell-nique every day for a week and "become aware of an improvement in Stamina, Focus, Energy, Balance, Calmness, Mental Clarity, Strength Building, Bowel Regularity, Cravings, Confidence, Sleep, Mood, & Skin".

Gluten Free Tuesday!

One of the most frequent laments I hear from people recently diagnosed with Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance-- aside from believing they will never be able to enjoy Italian again-- is that they won't be able to enjoy an ice cold beer without subjecting themselves to the associated discomforts inherent to the intolerance. And I am happy to tell these people that not only can they have their beloved pastas and pizzas, they can have their beers too. Main stream breweries are developing gluten-free (GF) options and restaurants are catching on to the importance of carrying beers so their GF patrons are not limited in their drink selections while out with their friends and families. Click "more" for some yummy options for you that, while they are not available at Food for Thought, are available in Wichita. 

This Week's Sweepstakes Winner!

Congratulations to Erin!!!

She won the Gluten-Free Goodies sweepstakes!!! Make sure to check back on Monday morning and enter for your chance to win the next sweepstakes!

Gluten-Free Tuesday!

As I was trying to figure out another delicious recipe to post for those of us trying to lead a gluten-free (GF) lifestyle, it occurred to me that many people don't even know about gluten, gluten intolerance, and why GF foods, cookbooks and other products have seemed to explode over the past few years. So this, my friends, is a very brief introduction to gluten, Celiac Disease, and, of course, your options for a GF lifestyle, regardless of if it is necessary or not.

Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. It exists only in grass grains, most notably wheat, rye and barely. Gluten gives dough its elasticity when kneading, makes breads chewy, allows it to rise and stabilizes the shape. Because it is such a wonderful source of protein, gluten is frequently added into low-protein foods (hence why it is in almost EVERYTHING now!).

Unfortunately, many people are allergic to or have an intolerance to gluten. It has also been suggested that even people who are not gluten intolerant should adapt a GF lifestyle (you would, ideally, be consuming more fruits and vegetables, since most processed foods contain gluten).

Celiac (Coeliac) Disease is the most severe form of gluten intolerance, and is also considered the most under-diagnosed disease affecting Americans today. It is a chronic and inherited disease. In short, foods containing gluten damage the villi in the small intestine (and trigger the disease). Then, when more foods containing gluten are consumed, there is further damage to the villi and no nutrients are absorbed from the food. Instead, it is passed along quickly through your intestines...

Food for Thought Giveaway: Gluten-Free Goodies!

Enjoying your gluten-free food but wanting to try new flavors and foods? Check out our Gluten-Free Sampler goodie bag! It features Bob's Red Mill gluten-free whole grain steel cut oats and whole grain oat flour, Boulder Canyon's rice and adzuki bean chips, Mary's Gone Crackers chocolate chip cookies, and Dowd & Rogers artisan dark vanilla cake mix (it's delicious and easy to make!!!).

Interested? Enter your name and email address in the comment section of the blog! Winner will be drawn Saturday, May 1st! Good luck!

Food for Thought Giveaway: Indian Cuisine by Tasty Bite

Can't afford a trip to India? Take your tastebuds on one! This yummy goody bag includes: Tandoori Pilaf, Bombay Potatoes, Kashmir Spinach, Good Korma simmer sauce, and Tikka Masala simmer sauce! All of the products are all natural vegetarian and preservative, gluten, and MSG free! Interested in all of this yumminess? Leave a comment in our blog's comment section with your name and e-mail address! Drawing will be held on Saturday, April 3! Good luck!