The BEST flourless cookies

One of the first things I worried about when Freckles was diagnosed with Celiac was how I would bake goodies that the whole family would enjoy. With a house full of little ones (and a hungry husband!), I had always turned to baking as a fun, inexpensive way to fill up tummies and spend meaningful time together. We would bake cookies on Sunday afternoons, cinnamon rolls at Christmas time, and brownies for family get-togethers. We loved delivering these goodies to neighbors and friends from church.

With our new lifestyle, baking overwhelmed me. Things often tasted different baked with gluten free flours. I tried making 2 different kind of cookies at the same time...regular & gluten free, but that was so much work and left my kitchen a disaster. Finally, I tried a recipe that my mother-in-law (my mentor on gluten free cooking!) had given me. It was a FLOURLESS cookie recipe. Thats right...no flour. No wheat flour. No rice flour. No potato starch, corn starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, or any of the other flours that had invaded our life and pocketbook. I made them and they were delicious. The best part about these cookies is that everyone loved them. From my little celiac to my handsome husband, they were gobbled up. The concept of flourless baking put my home bakery back in business, and we are loving it!

I stumbled across this recipe here. I tweaked it a tiny bit, but it is such a great recipe. The cookies are soft and delicious, and nobody would even know that they have absolutely no flour in them. Even if you are not on a gluten free diet, try these...you won't be sorry. Happy baking!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 eggs
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) jar smooth peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1 c. chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, but I think these would be yummy with PB chips, butterscotch chips, milk chocolate, anything!)
2 t. baking soda
4 1/2 c. oats

Beat eggs and sugar together. Add salt, vanilla, pb, and butter. Beat. Stir in chips, soda, and oats. Bake for 10 min. @ 350 on parchment paper. Let stand 3 minutes on the pan before removing, cookies will be very soft when warm.

Anna's Lunch List

Sending school lunches for a kid with Celiac is a little tricky, since a sandwich is the staple of a typical sack lunch. The bread is either expensive, or you have to make it (which can be inconvenient), or sometimes it even falls apart! GF bread is also small (it doesn't get big and fluffy like a typical loaf of bread), so even when a sandwich is available, its kinda tiny.

So, with sandwiches being a "sometimes but not always" option, Anna and I sat down at the end of the summer and created a list of yummy lunches to send her. Hopefully these ideas will help another family who has a Celiac kid who is brown bagging it...and even kids with normal tummy's too!!

GF Lunch Ideas
Tuna Salad & a rice cake (she will pile the salad on top of the rice cake)
Chicken Salad & a rice cake or crackers
Egg Salad & rice cakes
Ham & Cheese roll-ups (see previous post)
Ham & Cheese Kabobs
Ham, Cheese, & Rice Crackers (homemade lunchables!!)
7 Layer dip & chips
Pasta salad w/ cheese cubes & pepperoni
Soup (in a thermos)
Go-gurt, hard boiled egg & GF muffin
Chef Salad (topped with ham, cheese, & hard boiled egg)
Grilled Chicken Tenders w/ ranch dipping sauce
Peanut Butter with crackers, celery & apples to dip

Along with these main dishes, Anna always gets a fruit or veggie, and sometimes gets some kind of goodie. She can have fruit snacks, pudding cups, I even keep GF brownies in the freezer to pull out whenever I need something sweet. Planning ahead has really helped us make lunch making a snap. Hallie can't wait until next year when she gets a packed lunch too...even if it is GF most of the time :).


Ham & Cheese Kabobs, Apple Salad & rice crackers, stackable container from the Disney Store

Anna's Favorite "Sandwich"

When Anna was first diagnosed, she really did not like the gluten free bread options. We would make her a sandwich, or toast, or ANYTHING with bread and she would spit it out. It definetly has a different texture than normal bread and she could tell the difference. So, after much searching on GF blogs, I found the idea to do roll-ups instead. These are her favorite and she lived on them in school lunches for the first few months.

Ham & Cheese Rollups
Corn tortillas (warmed until pliable)
Cream Cheese
Ham
Cheese, sliced

Spread the cream cheese on the tortillas. Place a piece of ham and cheese on the cream cheese. Roll tightly. Enjoy!

**Anna has now adjusted to the textures of GF bread. She will eat any kind of sandwich.

Freckles' story...

In October of 2009 our oldest daughter came down with a stomach bug. She had diarrhea all day for about 2 weeks straight. Our initial visit to the pediatrician was futile...we were told it was a virus and would pass. Our 2nd trip to the pediatrician was just as futile...we were told her intestines were probably just bothered by the virus. She did improve, a little, but it seemed that every 2-3 days she would have another bout of diarrhea. At this time as well she started breaking out in skin rashes along her arms and torsos. She spent a lot of time laying on the couch, with no energy to move or play. Her silly, crazy self became mellow, tired, and in constant stomach pain. Finally, after 4 months of waiting for her diarrhea to end, we decided to have her tested for Celiac disease (it is an autoimmune disease that runs in my husbands family). She tested positive, with blood levels greater than 100 (anything under 10 is considered normal).

To treat her celiac disease we have had to cut everything that contains gluten out of her diet. Wheat, rye, and barley are off limits...and anything else that could contain these ingredients. These drastic dietary changes have cured her stomach problems and her skin rashes. She is back to her old self...happy, healthy, crazy and fun.

This whole experience has been a life changing journey for our family. The strength of our little girl has been amazing...her willingness to forgo gluten filled goodies at parties and social gatherings has taught me so much. She is a fighter for her health. I am so proud of her.

I hope this blog can help others enjoy the gluten free lifestyle and find their health again.