Tastebud Satisfaction: Glutino Gluten Free Lemon Wafer Cookies

September 9, 2011 / Becky B / 3 Comments

Sometimes, quality of life includes a shot of lemon zing wrapped in delicate clouds of wafer.

Glutino Lemon Flavored Wafers are made in Israel, so you don’t get all the high fructose corn syrup or sucralose or any of the other fake sugars that I’ve been wary of since companies found it cheaper to use them (the fact that they show up in something like croutons only adds to my distrust, but I digress.)

These wafers aren’t exactly health-laden either, for all they’re gluten free; the ingredients start with sugar disguised as evaporated cane juice, so you know right off that this is an indulgence.

But what an indulgence! That awesome snap of lemon crispness is so refreshing, so satisfying, that you feel like you’ve eaten a full dessert when you’ve only had a couple bite-sized wafers.

Try ’em!

Klement’s Goes Gluten-Free

July 18, 2011July 14, 2011 / Becky B / Leave a comment

shepherdexpress

I don’t know how national Klement’s Sausage Co is, but if you’ve grown up in Milwaukee, it’s practically a birthright.

I grew up with them (so to speak) and even as a mostly-macrobiotic now, I still love a good hot dog or Polish sausage or brat every now and then. You know how you can grill them until they’re just crispy enough on the outside so that you feel your teeth break the casing, and the succulent flavor covers your tastebuds? Yeah. Good times.

Among the sausage love is the liverwurst love. Liverwurst on saltine crackers, liverwurst with a big slab of tomato on a sandwich…where was I? Oh yes: We noticed recently that their Milwaukee Liver Sausage had a new label, touting gluten-free and no MSG where you can’t miss it, but it wasn’t until this article in the Shepherd Express that we realized the change was a widespread healthy makeover.

How awesome is that? I can vouch that the liver sausage tasted really good. You sure won’t miss the MSG, or the annoying nitrates and nitrites. So good for Klement’s, and good for us!

RECIPE: Crispy Rice Treats

May 29, 2011April 7, 2014 / Becky B / Leave a comment

Rice Crispy Treats are a staple of classroom events, family get-togethers and office potlucks–at least in my area. You’ve got your sugar, your marshmallow and your snap, crackle and pop all pressed together into a portable square. What’s not to love?

A lot, if you’re gluten-free or following macrobiotics. We want our sweets too, doggone it! Fortunately, there’s a whole lot of us out there who want the same thing. Grab your sweet tooth and try the Hip Chick’s Crispy Rice Treats!

Ingredients (quantities may differ from the link above):

1 cup brown rice syrup
2/3 cup peanut butter (or almond, cashew, hazelnut)
Healthy dash umeboshi (plum) vinegar (try an Asian or organic food store)
Healthy dash vanilla (optional)
3 cups crispy brown rice cereal
Cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, roasted almonds, peanuts or cashews to taste (optional)

Instructions:

In a medium pot over a medium flame, heat up the brown rice syrup, peanut butter, vinegar and your optional vanilla.
Stir constantly until the mixture is smooth, thin, and bubbling a little at the edges. Turn off the heat.
Pour cereal into the pot and blend well with a wooden spoon. A silicon spatula works quite well also. Add in your optional cinnamon, et al.
Pour into an oiled pan (square if you want fat bars, rectangular if you want thin bars) and flatten with a wet spatula if needed.
Let cool. Slice and serve.

My notes:

I put in more than a healthy dash of vanilla
I skip the cinnamon line to keep it simple
A pie server may be your friend when it comes time to pulling these sticky treats off the pan.
The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics has saved my taste buds, stomach, reasoning and sanity. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook and spiritual library.

Hall of Fame ingredients: