MInty Treats

B's Gluten Free 

Peppermint Bark Cookies

1 1/4 c. Garbanzo Bean Flour

1 c. Coconut Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. salt

1 c. Butter (two sticks)(softened)

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

 3/4 c. Light Brown Sugar

3/4 c. Granulated Sugar

2 c. smashed up Peppermint Bark (or a mix of white and semi sweet Chocolate Chips mixed with smashed up Candy Canes)

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla.  Next add salt, baking soda and flours. Mix for about a min or so. Lastly add the peppermint bark or homemade choc mix from above. Mix for another min. Then using a teaspoon, spoon out batter onto a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for about 5 to 8 mins. While letting them cool make yourself a cup of hot coco and you have the perfect holiday treat to get you through the long hours of holiday wrapping. Enjoy!!

-B

                                               

                                

                              

                                                                                                             

Retro Krew

Whats old is new again. Nothings cuter than a retro styled kid!! 

Here's some style inspiration for your littles!

S T /\ T Y  G O L D E N

-B

Sidenote: Photos used for post are from Parenting , Baby Dior & Pinterest

Song of the Day

Sunday Funday!! Song of the Day!!

Always Like This - Bombay Bicycle Club

Check it out at iTunes or HERE!!

~*~
-B

Sidenote- This Post was from Sunday Sept 30, 2012

Song of The Day

 Grouplove - Chloe

Every time I hear this song it makes me smile!  Heres to a happy song ending a perfect Fall(more like summer) day!! Grab it HERE!

~*~

-B

Manimals Animals

Just a quick little post.  I just found these sweet little booties at Manimal and wanted to share.  They are cutest booties I have ever seen and I'm dying over the lemon yellow!!

~*~

-B

P.S. While you are there, check out the rest of their stuff. It is all equally as amazing!!

Little Littles!!

How cute is this Little Marc Jacobs collection! From the adorable P.J. Onesies for the Littles, to the cutest Varsity Jacket I have ever seen, for the bigger Littles, this collection will be hard to forget.  The prices are a bit steep(around 75$ & up) for something they will obviously grow out of so quickly, but the pieces are so sweet it's hard to say no.  Check them out HERE!

                     ~*~
       -B

Killin' it with Kuteness!!

Well it's that time of the year again and the cold air is creeping in slowly!! I've been searching for some new cold weather duds for the krew and found that Zara has killed it (once again) in the kiddos outerwear department!! The best part is everything is 75.90 and under!

       ~*~
       -B

What's for Dinner Tonight?!?!?

Hunny loves me tonight!! Stuffed Baked Potato with Corn, BBQ Chicken and Colby Jack Cheese! Sunday comfort football food at its finest!! And but of course it's GLUTEN FREE!!
Have a great rest of the weekend!!

~*~
-B

Pumpkin Butter

Found this great recipe on Pinterest the other and wanted to share it with you.  Just in time for that crisp autumn air and the food filled family holidays.  Enjoy!!

~*~

-B

P.S. Oh and of course its GLUTEN FREE!!

Pumpkin Butter

  (found on Oh She Glows)

Ingredients:

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree, approx. 3 1/2 cups or fresh
3/4 cup apple juice
1/2-1.5 teaspoons ground ginger (optional, sometimes I omit)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice


Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil, covered with lid ajar (I prop it with a wooden spoon). Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer, covered with lid ajar, for 35-45 minutes, stirring frequently. Be careful as the mixture bubbles and pops!

2. Remove from heat and let it sit for a few minutes before removing lid. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice. Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Makes enough to fill one large mason jar or about 3.5 cups.

Rockin' Ranch Chicken

So it's been awhile since my last post (it's been a busy, but fun summer). I'm sorry for  being gone for so long but, now I'm back with your soon to be favorite fall/winter dinner. I can't take full credit for this recipe, but I can say that I definitely made it fully gluten free! My neighbor was telling me about this recipe that she made for dinner the other night and told me is was amazing. So amazing, there wasn't even left overs for tomorrows lunch. Its super easy and only takes a few ingredients and a crock pot(what an amazing invention)to make. Alrighty so let get down to the  list of things you will need:

1. A Crockpot
2. 4 or 5 Boneless Skinless chicken breasts
3. 1 whole red(looks more purple to me) onion(cut into pieces)
4. 5 potatoes (any kind you like, but we chose russet since they make great smashed potatoes)( peel or not to peel doesn't matter just cut in 1/2s then 1/3s)
5. Garlic( Again any kind you want to use is fine. I used 4-5 cloves of a bud of garlic and pressed it through the garlic press thingy)
6. 1 cup or so of water( on the heavier side if you would like some extra dipping sauce — my hunny says this is a must)
7. And I saved the best for last the Ranch Dressing( I used hidden Valley Ranch Homestyle(never had a reaction and company says its GF. But you can really use any kind you would like — let me know if you found any great GF ones) about half a regular sized bottle is what I used, but based on preference you can go as little or as much as you would like.


Now for the easy part… you throw it all in the crock pot (minus the ranch dressing) and cook on low for 8 hours. An hour before its done add the dressing.  When its finished I took the potatoes and onions out and made smashed potatoes as a side(a little butter & milk in the mixer or by hand), or you could just serve the potato pieces as is, either way its delicious. Lastly add some salt to the potatoes and chicken if you would like.

This meal was so easy and the best part was that it is entirely Gluten Free! Not one thing left over for lunch, thats for sure.  My family now claims this as the best dinner ever. Lets see if I can change their mind the next meal I cook up.  Hope you all are enjoying your summer!!

-B                                                       

Mixin' it up

So recently, my lil sis (she also has celiac disease) has started really exploring the whole world of gluten free cooking and baking. She has really motivated me to start trying some new options. I haven't done much since I was diagnosed and have kept it very simple with my eating habits. So since things are slowing down on the home front, I think I might take a stab at it! To start off on my own baking and cooking exploration, I decided to start with the basics. First up different mixtures of flours to replace the glutenous flours of my past. Here are a few I recently found online. Try them out and let me know which you liked best or even if you found the holy grail, ALL PURPOSE MIXTURE, that can be used for everything and has the same taste and texture of regular flour!

-B

P.S. The beautiful illustration is from - Deliciously G-Free By Elisabeth Hasselbeck

3 c brown rice flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
3 c corn starch
2 c soy flour, sorghum flour or garfava flour
1 c masa harina

http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/archives/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour-mix/

2 c rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/1471/gluten-free-flour-blend

2 1/4 cups superfine rice flour

1/4 c potato starch

2/3 c tapioca flour

3/4 c sweet rice flour

1/3 c cornstarch

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

http://glutenfree.wordpress.com/my-gf-flour-blend/

1 ½ c sorghum flour
1 ½ c potato starch or cornstarch
1 c tapioca flour
½ c corn flour or almond flour or bean flour or chestnut 

http://glutenfree.wordpress.com/carol-fensters-new-flour-blend/

1 c rice flour
1/2-3/4 c potato starch
¼ c tapioca starch/flour

or

3 c garfava bean flour
2 c potato starch
2 c cornstarch
1 c tapioca flour
1 c sorghum flour

or

2 c rice flour
2/3 c potato starch
1/3 c tapioca starch/flour

or

 2/3 c garfava bean flour 
 1/3 c sorghum flour
 1 c cornstarch 
 1 c tapioca starch/flour

                                                                             or

                                                                    1 c rice flour
                                                                    1 c cornstarch
                                                           1 c tapioca starch/flour
                                                           1 Tbsp. potato flour

                         http://www.csaceliacs.info/gluten_free_flour_formulas.jsp

Go, go, going!!

I'm on the go constantly and there are times we have to grab some fast food on the go. For me that can be super tricky, since my biggest fear is getting sick all over again. So more often then not my family gets to eat and I'm sitting there starving till we get home. About a month ago my friend found these bars called think thin(not what your thinking they are not a diet product) they are gluten free, natural, meal replacement type bar that you can grab and keep in your bag or car for those times that you are starving. They taste great especially the peanut butter, high in protein and fill you up! These have saved me so many times, from a BBQ with no GF options to running errands longer than expected! So next time your out pick up a few they are lifesavers!

~*~ 

-B

All dat and a bag of chips

Tortilla chips are one of my favorite snacks, especially Tostitos Restaurant Style.  Each bag says it is gluten free, as well as the Frito Lay website.  But after some research I found out that not every bag is.  Depending on the plant where they were made, they can either be comlpetely gluten free or be made in a plant that also processes wheat based products.  Apparently (according to a celiac.com community member ) after calling Frito Lay she found out that based on the code under the price stamp that you can see if your bag had been processed in a plant that also processes wheat products.  If the 2nd or 3rd numbers in the series of numbers is a 71 or 45 they have been made in a plant containing other wheat products.  So there you have it Tostitos unraveled.  If you still are alittle weary with the Tostitos, try Gaden of Eatin' Yellow corn tortillas, I usually get them from Whole Foods but I have seen them at BJ's Wholesale and Stop n Shop too.  They are amazing!! Also visit www.celiac.com, this website is filled with info to answer any question you may have.

~*~ 

-B

Sugar and Spice, some COOKIES would be NICE!!

After scouring in internet looking for Cookie Recipes I finally found one that was delicious from the The Food Network. It's a pretty easy cookie base.  If need be you can probably add things like peanut butter and such, and get the same results.  Enjoy and I hope you having a amawazing Memorial Day Weekend!!

~*~ 

-B

 SIDENOTE: Thanks The Food Network!!

      

                          

                    The Chewy Gluten Free Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 11 ounces brown rice flour, approximately 2 cups
• 1 1/4 ounces cornstarch, approximately 1/4 cup
• 1/2-ounce tapioca flour, approximately 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
• 10 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract - make sure its GF (kirkland brand from costco is)
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips - make sure they are GF (try Trader Joes Brand they are GF)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour. Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.

Pasta, Pasta…

So for my first Blog Post on The Beautyus EATS, I feel like I should start with one of the hardest hits for me when I went GF(Gluten Free).  I am  big on Pasta, fresh bread, cookies, cake,... the list goes on.  So when I started this journey one of the first things I started looking for was pasta.  I think I may have tried every one out there with no luck.  Until one day my friend went shopping at Trader Joes and picked me up some of their Corn Pasta.  AMAWAZZZZZING!  I swear it is the closest thing to the real stuff!!  I gave it to my husband and he couldn't even tell the difference.  He also said he liked it better because he didn't have that heavy stomach feeling after, like with regular pasta.  I feel the same way!  Now every time I go to Trader Joes this is my main stock up item.  I hope it helps! ENJOY!

~*~
-B

Here we go……………

So a few months ago, I heard this jazzy lil tune by The Griswolds called Mississippi! Since then it has been in permanent rotation on my playlist during my workouts every morning. Its super fun and has this way of putting you in a great mood! It is always stuck in my head all day(in a good way) and I love it.  A couple of weeks ago I found another song by them, Heart of a Lion. I thought it couldn't get any better then Mississippi but they blew me outta the water with this one! It makes u want to get up and dance with its beachy sound and crazy great hook!! For sure this will be my favorite song of the summer! Hopefully they will play NYC soon. I would live to see them live!

Check 'em out HERE!!

S T /\ Y  G O L D E N

~*~ 

-B

SIDENOTE: Grab these tunes up at iTunes (99 cents each and worth every pennie!!!!)

Also these images came from bandcamp.com/thegriswolds

Shakin' it

                                                        


I heard about Alabama Shakes about this time last year, and have been dying ever since to see them play.  It seems like every time they come to town I'm on vacation. Their debut album came out in early april (a must listen).  Between that and the songs I got my hands on a while back, which have been on permanent repeat in my house,  they have got me jonesin' to see them even more!  They are absolutely AMAZING and I'm sure they are even better live!  Good news people... They are playing The Summer Stage in The Park next month.  June 24th @ 3p-7p in Central Park and now for the best part........IT'S FREEEEEEEE!! WOOT WOOT! See Ya There!

~*~
-B

SIDENOTE: Photo is from The Shakes website

The Beautyus ROCKS

The Beautyus ROCKS

 

The Beautyus ROCKS

                                               

Sunny Days Are Here Again!!

                                

We are a big beach family and spend most of our time there. Wether its August or February that's where we are! So when it comes to sun protection it's a necessity! It's been a while since I found a product I truly loved. While in Whole Foods a couple months back, I came across this sun block by Kiss My Face. Holy AMAZING!!! It is absolutely perfect. It is very light and airy. It soaks into your skin with out the greasy remnants of other sunblocks. It also smells faintly of mintiness and not the normal strong sunblock smell! It stays on wonderfully, with better protection than any of the other run of the mill sunblocks we have tried! I found this in Whole Foods, but it is also sold online at places like amazon.com and drugstore.com. Oh boy and I almost forgot, its gluten free for all my Celiac PEEPS!!!!!!!!!

S T /\ Y  G O L D E N
~*~
-B

Well, Helllllo Summer!?!?!!

Hello my lil' lovelies! Sorry it's been so long! I hit a few snagz with the starting up of this blog and have finally figured it out! (well most of it) Since my last post it seems summer is here in full force and when the craziness dies down over here there will be lots more posts! So sorry for the slow start!
Hope your getting out there and enjoying this amazing start to the summer!!

S T /\ Y  G O L D E N
~*~
-B