Even though I do enjoy baking, I am like any ordinary mom with hectic, busy days and sometimes I need to get a meal or a dessert ready in a hurry. So, in the 9+ months we’ve been gluten free I have tried my fair share of mixes….and it hasn’t been pretty.

First of all I must ask, who are the kitchen staff, taste-tester, recipe contributors etc that actually tastes these products and states “hey, this is so good we should package it and sell it?”

Seriously, someone tasted this stuff and thought it was delicious. I think not. Overall, gluten free mixes are disgusting, bland, and just plain weird.

Truthfully, I think people in business suits sit in a board room and say, “how can we make a killing in the gluten free market.” And proceed to simply put together anything edible that might sound appealing to consumers.

So, like all other picky gluten free bakers I must find a solution to this dilemma. Thankfully for me I picked up Gluten Free Baking Classics and read how the author suggest you make up your own mixes with the dry ingredients. BRILLIANT!!!!!

I have been trying to list my recipes with the dry ingredients separate from the wet ingredients so making up mixes will be easier; however, you can also do this to many of your favorite recipes.

I find it easiest to store the dry ingredients in a resealable plastic bag with the recipe name and date marked on it.

A couple things to keep in mind. Yeast should always be added with the wet ingredients. And recipes that require creaming butter/shortening with the sugar are typically not suited to breaking down into mixes, for this reason, I choose not to make cookie mixes.

Here are some of my favorite recipes to make mixes out of: Hamburger Buns, Banana Muffins, Banana Bread, Pizza Crust, Sandwich Bread, Cornbread, Pancakes, Chocolate Cake, Pumpkin Cake, and Hummingbird Cake.

I think spending a little bit of time in advance really helps my gluten free kitchen run smoother during my busy weeks. I hope making up mixes at home saves you time and money too! Happy gluten free baking.

Gluten Free Basics, Kitchen Essentials making gluten free mixes at home

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I thought I would make a list of some of my favorite gift suggestions for moms that love cooking.

However, if the mom in your life hates spending time in the kitchen, I would steer clear of all things cooking related and stick to things you know she’ll love

I tried to keep the items practical and around the $20 price point. Most of these items can be picked up at any local kitchen or housewares store, but a few are specialty items.

Cast Iron Tortilla Press

I love making tortillas at home; they are so easy and quick to make, not to mention so much cheaper and healthier than the store bought variety. I would really recommend a metal or cast iron one, I had a thick plastic one break. Finer kitchen stores or Mexican markets should carry these.

Instant Read Thermometer

Every home cook really needs an instant read thermometer. If mom doesn’t have one, do her a huge favor and buy her one. Make sure the end is pointed though, allowing her to pierce meats. These are available for under $20 at kitchen store and places like Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Immersion Blender

I put off buying an immersion blender for years, but I finally purchased one after having hot soup go all over my kitchen in a blender incident. They can get pretty expensive, but I have a sub $20 one and it works fine. They are great for hot soups or vegetables you want pureed and cleanup is a snap. Also great for making smoothies.

Food Steamer

A food steamer is a great gift for a new or expecting mom that wants to make baby food at home. I know steaming foods isn’t that difficult, but this makes it that much easier; paired with a food processor or immersion blender, making baby food will not be such a chore.

Silpat Mat
Seriously, if Mom doesn’t own one of these, get her one. These make baking so much easier. Make sure you buy her a size that will fit her baking sheets though.

I find these the most practical pans in my kitchen. They are used for everything from roasted veggies to cookies. Try to stay clear of the really dark pans, as they will over-brown baked goods. These are available everywhere kitchen stuff is sold.

Silicone Rolling Pin

Ok, so I don’t have one of these, but if you have ever tried to roll out a gluten free crust or cookie dough you’ll know what this would be a really useful tool. If mom bakes a lot gluten free, this would help her.

Cast Iron Pans or Griddle

I love my cast iron. I really recommend you get the pre-seasoned variety, it will save  some work. For tortilla making I love my 10-inch griddle, but my skillet gets a lot of use; it is hard to go wrong with cast iron, whatever you choose, I am sure it will years of use. (One note though, cast iron is heavy, so they aren’t the best pans for everyone)

Magnetic Knife Rack

I got a magnetic knife rack from Ikea a few years ago, and I love it. If you have an Ikea nearby, it is hard to beat their price.  I really wanted to get my knives out of my drawer because I had an active toddler who liked to get into things and this does the job.

I like the simple design and it is so practical for the busy cook. I have a pretty tile backsplash, so we used heavy duty double-sided tape to hold mine in place; no drilling required.

There are lots of sizes available, just make sure to get a length that will work in her kitchen.

I love my inexpensive digital scale, it is so easy to weigh out exact measurements for recipes,  but if your mom has a retro kitchen this Paula Deen one at Walmart is too cute.

Message Cookie Cutters

These cutters from William Sonoma allow you to create custom messages on your cookies. Any mom who loves to bake would find these unique cutters great!

Whoopie Pie Pan

I love my Whoopie Pie pan; very similar to a muffin-top pan, but it has 12 spaces (some have 20), which I think makes it more practical. You can make so many things in this: mini quiche, oven pancakes, hamburger buns, coookies, and of course whoopie pies.

They are available at finer kitchen stores such as William Sonoma, Sur la Table and Crate and Barrel. Prices seem to range from $12-20.

Spring-Loaded Cookie Scoops

These are so nice for making uniform sized cookies, meatballs, drop biscuits etc. Any cook could use a few of these in different sizes; they should be available everywhere housewares are sold.

Baguette or French Bread Pan

Great for the mom that bakes her own bread, these pans allow us to get that classic French bread or Italian baguette shape at home.

If you do buy a pan with perforation, it will be necessary to line it with parchment of foil for really wet doughs, such as gluten free.

Ceramic Baking Pans

These are a great size for casseroles and cobblers and with handles! I think any mom would love one of these beautiful dishes. And with this sale at Sur la Table, the price is hard to beat.

I hope you enjoyed my list and that you got a few ideas for Mom (or maybe yourself). Happy cooking and Happy Mother’s Day.

Gluten free baking necessities, Gluten free kitchen essentials, Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras gifts for mom under $20

I love my cast iron pans. Okay, so they are heavy and a bit of a pain to “season,” but they last forever, are oven safe, distribute heat evenly, and they have a non-stick surface that will outlive you. Seriously, you should be able to give your grand kids these pans.

Cast iron does need some maintenance. It  needs seasoned, or cured. This is a process of baking oil into the pores of the cast iron to prevent it from rusting and also makes it non-stick. This process is restorable, so if you find an old, mistreated cast iron pan or you don’t take care of yours, there is still probably hope the pan can be re-seasoned and saved.

To season, you basically take a new or scrubbed and cleaned pan, and rub the surface with oil or shortening and bake it in a hot oven (somewhere in the 300-400 range), making sure to place the pan upside down with another pan or some foil underneath to catch any drips. Let the pan cool. With enough seasoning the pan will get that characteristic black sheen to it and will be very non-stick.

There are a few things you need to know to care for your cast iron.

Never place it in the dishwasher. Soaps and detergents break down the oils on the surface. Don’t tell the kitchen police, but I do wash my pans out briefly with soap and hot water on occasion, never soaking them though. I know others will disagree here and swear that soap should never touch cast iron. Restaurants must use some soap, I can’t imagine they are just wiping out their cast iron pans and reusing them. Maybe they are……maybe it’s better not to know.

If you have food stuck on, you can scrub your cast iron with a firm bristled plastic scrubber or kosher salt. If it gets rust spots you can use steel wool. Always take your washed pan and place it on a hot burner until it is completely dry, you can also throw it back in a warm or hot oven.

It is suggested that you season after every cleaning, but as long as you place your cleaned pan in a warm oven or hot burner (to remove any excess water) I find that older pans can go quite a few washings without actually seasoning them, but this isn’t the recommended approach

And although I am not sure why you would want to, I better mention that you can’t store food in cast iron. It will most likely ruin the finish and make the food taste metallic.

If you are going to acquire cast iron, especially if you have never owned it before, I suggest you go with the pre-seasoned pans. Lodge makes some reasonably priced pre-seasoned pans and they have been making cast iron pans for over 100 years. They are available in most department or home stores, I have even seen them in the outdoor/camping department.

I own several pieces of cast iron and two enameled cast iron dutch ovens. I must warn you, although the enameled pans are far easier to clean and don’t require seasoning, they chip, crack and stain; basically they have some major drawbacks. Considering the cost and longevity I would definitely just stick to plain old cast iron if I had to do it over again. My enameled pans are not going to last more than a couple years and cost about twice as much.

Cast iron pieces are seriously worth the small investment of time, money and effort that they require. So grab grandma’s heavy pan, dust it off and get cooking. I think once you try it you’ll be searching for more cast iron pieces to add to your collection.

Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras, Kitchen Tips cast iron care, cooking with cast iron

Sur La Table, my very favorite store. This is a Seattle based company specializing in all things kitchen. The company originated as in the 1970’s, specializing in hard to find kitchen wares imported from France. If you need a special kitchen item for yourself or a gift, Sur La Table is the place you’ll find it.

So, last week I stopped by my local store to buy a cast iron tortilla press, my plastic one broke. Not only did I find my tortilla press, but I found a Whoopie Pie Pan. It is very similar to the Chicago Metallic Gourmetware Original Muffin Top Pan that seems to be very popular right now.

I chose the Wilton Whoopie Pie pan because it is nonstick, has 12 spaces, and was less expensive than the very similar, smaller, muffin-top pans.

I must confess, I have never even had a Whoopie Pie. I am planning on trying to adapt the recipe that was included to make it gluten free though.

I have successfully used my pan to make uniform hamburger buns. If you have ever made gluten free hamburger buns or rolls, then you know that they need something to give them shape. I have used mini-tart pans and mini-disposable foil pie plates, but the whoopie pie pan was so much easier!

The pan makes a dozen cute little rolls, perfect for a sandwich, sloppy-joe, or hamburger. Now, I must warn you, these aren’t going to be those huge, gourmet style buns bakeries and grocery stores sell. These will be more modest, but adequately sized rolls.

A roll I made with my whoopie pie pan makes a cute sandwich

Individual-sized frittatas I cooked in the whoopie pie pan

I also baked frittatas and cookies in the pan. Gluten free cookies have a tendency to spread, this pan solves this problem and makes the cookies a perfect size for ice cream sandwiches.

I think this pan could also be used for mini-quiches, souffles, brownies, and of course whoopie pies or muffins. If you are looking for an inexpensive solution to gluten free baked goods spreading, you should consider buying a whoopie pie or muffin-top pan.

Kitchen Essentials, Kitchen Extras Whoopie Pie pan

I had a cheap rice cooker once and I was never quite satisfied with it. It ended up in the garbage and for years I made rice on the stove top.

Well, we went gluten free and I had to rethink this. First of all, we eat a LOT more rice now. We also eat almost exclusively brown rice, which takes a long time to cook, so someone has to be in the kitchen for way longer than reasonable, watching the rice. And perhaps the most important reason, I want really good tasting rice, rice with nice texture, cooked to perfection, and if the rest of the meal isn’t quite ready, it needs to stay warm.

Well, apparently what I needed all these years was a fancy, programmable rice cooker; one that had setting for both brown and white rice and had a warming feature. I had no idea rice cookers had come so far.

When I saw a programmable rice cooker Aroma ARC-1000 Professional Rice Cooker/Food Steamer at Costco for around $30 I threw it in my cart and I have been thankful ever since.

I really think any family could use a nice rice cooker, but it truly is essential for a gluten free family.You can cook a large batch of rice with very little effort and keep it warm until needed. You’ll have leftovers for breakfast, lunch or dinner the next day, which is so convenient.

The texture and taste are far superior to anything I ever produced with my cheap rice cooker or on the stove top. Just read the directions, the little measuring cup that comes with it is not equivalent to our 1 cup measuring cup, so be sure to keep it. I also cook quinoa on the white rice setting and it turns out perfect every time.

Having a programmable, reliable rice cooker may not solve all our gluten free cooking woes, but it does make living and cooking gluten free a lot easier. A programmable rice cooker is definitely a gluten free kitchen essential. Does anyone else have a kitchen item they find essential since eating gluten free?

Gluten Free Basics, Kitchen Essentials aroma rice cooker, Gluten Free