Looking for a trendy, GF snack?  Well, look no further!  Popcorn Indiana, one of my favorite sweet-salty snacks is being found in the hands of celebs.  Why do celebs gravitate toward this yummy treat?  Well, it’s delicious, satisfies cravings, is low in calories and doesn’t contain a lot of processed junk.  Compare the ingredients to a bag of Doritos and it looks very different…no dextrose, monosodium glutamate or malic acid in these popped kernels of goodness.  And it’s naturally gluten free!

Guiliana Ranic loves Popcorn Indiana

I’ve been eating Indiana’s Popcorn Kettlecorn for a couple of years so maybe I’m just a trend setter…

If you haven’t tried this popcorn yet, it’s a must!  I pack it in my lunch, grab a handful for a snack, and even take it with me on airplanes.  I almost always have it with me.  In fact, I’m chomping away as I write.

Whether you’ve not yet sampled this treat or you’re a long time fan, you should enter my Popcorn Indiana Giveaway.  If you leave a comment on this post, you’ll be entered in a random drawing.  There will be TWO winners, each of whom will receive THREE bags of Indiana’s Popcorn delivered to their door.

Seriously, if AC Slater loves this stuff, it’s gotta be good…

Leave a comment before noon on Monday, August  22^nd and you could be a winner!

I’m a sweet and salty girl.  I love granola for that reason.  Maybe it’s because I’m indecisive, so when I’m searching for a snack, I can’t decide if I want something salty or something sweet.

For that reason, chocolate covered pretzels are one of my favorite items from my gluten-eating days.  Any time I went on a road trip, chocolate pretzels were my treat.  I’m pretty creative in the kitchen, but I’ve never tried to make gluten-free chocolate covered pretzels.  Honestly, it seemed like more work than results, to make this delicacy from scratch.  And David doesn’t share in my love of chocolate covered pretzels; it’s not as much fun to make things for just me.

On a recent trip to the Howell Mill Kroger, I was perusing their natural food section (which has some of the best selection of gluten-free products) when my heart nearly skipped a beat, as an unfamiliar bag caught my eye…Glutino Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

What a day!  I immediately grabbed the bag, only hesitating for a second, when I saw the staggering price tag: $5.99 for a less than large bag.  But the price didn’t stop me as I immediately justified the purchase in my mind: One Starbuck’s scone costs almost $3 and this bag of pretzels was way more food than one measly baked good.  (Yes, that’s how my mind works…constantly justifying purchases.)

I had barely paid for my treat when I tore into the bag and sampled my discovery.  I was not at all disappointed.  I’ve always been a huge fan of Glutino’s pretzels so I wasn’t too nervous about how the gluten-free version of chocolate covered pretzels would translate.  Perfect crunch, saltiness, sweetness and texture.  And the chocolate, oh so good.

I love these pretzels.  In fact, they might be my favorite gluten-free packaged good right now.  Confession: I’ve already been back and bought another bag, as well as a bag of their yogurt covered pretzels.

Have you found these chocolate covered pretzels at any other stores in the Atlanta area?  Are there any other brands that make this item, that I just don’t know about?  Happy snacking!

On a recent trip to Starbuck’s, something caught my eye.

No, it wasn’t the fact that the calendar had barely reached November, and they were already serving hot beverages in holiday cups.

Really? It's not even Thanksgiving! I do love the holiday cups though.

Nope, I wasn’t salivating over their pumpkin scones, the most missed item from my gluten-eating days.

It was that little basket in the corner where Starbuck’s keeps their pre-packaged, and sometimes, gluten-free snacks, like Lucy’s Cookies.  In that little basket I noticed the Food Should Taste Good chips that I love so much.  But there was something new sitting next to the sweet potato chips…a new variety of Food Should Taste Good chips: “White Cheddar.”  How have I not seen this flavor before at Kroger or Whole Foods?

White Cheddar: Made Exclusively for Starbuck's

I then looked closer at the bag and saw Exclusively Made for Starbuck’s on the label.  Genius.  Marketing genius.  So of course, I bought a bag.

While the Sweet Potato Chips will always be my favorite (now that they no longer make cinnamon), I must say the white cheddar were a nice afternoon snack and a good change to my usual salty snacks of choice.  Paying $1.50 for a small bag of chips is a bit pricey, but since the white cheddar are only being sold at Starbuck’s, my guess is that I won’t find a more economical price.

Fall reminds me of many things:  My Dutch oven, Roasted Veggies, Chili,  and all things Pumpkin…

But the cool weather also makes me think about granola.  Don’t ask me why I make the connection between a specific season and granola because I pretty much eat this yummy snack year round.  I heart granola, in a big way.  I’ve had my go-to granola recipe for awhile, but while David was away last week, I was itching to try out a new recipe.

I found a granola recipe in Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day cookbook that implements a distinctly different cooking process than Mark Bittman’s, which I’ve followed in the past.  I was intrigued by the use of maple syrup, and cooking the ingredients on a baking sheet instead of the roasting pan.  (I didn’t feel like digging the roasting pan out of the back of the cabinet.)

This recipe might be my new favorite and I plan on making a big batch when David’s family comes to Atlanta for Thanksgiving.  Perfect for a simple breakfast on a day where there will be much eating in the later hours.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, but stuck to the basic methods.  It is delicious, crunchy, and the coating of oil, syrup and honey worked really well.  I’ve been putting my granola in my cereal, on my yogurt, and my new favorite: on Breyer’s Dulce de Leche ice cream.  Amazing!

Granola Version 2 (Inspired by Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day Cookbook)

Makes about 7 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cups gluten-free oats
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (sweetened is fine too)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds, cashews, pecans and sunflower seeds)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup dried raisins

Preaheat oven to 275.

Spread the oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet with sides.  Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly toasted, but not darkened.  Stir occasionally while cooking.  Remove from oven and transfer ingredients to a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray pan with PAM.  Stir maple syrup, honey and oil together in a small bowl and pour over oat mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Spread granola greased baking sheet and bake for 22-27 minutes, until the granola is crispy and golden brown.  Stir several time throughout cooking process.

Let granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up large clumps before it cools.  Once it has cooled completely, add raisins and cranberries and toss.  Store in an air tight container or freeze.  Enjoy!

One of the foods that I missed the most when I was first diagnosed with celiac was granola.  I love granola with ice cream, yogurt, cereal, in trail mix, or simply on its own.  It’s such a yummy snack and if you’re a texture person like me, the crunch of perfectly toasted oats and nuts is just wonderful.  Oats are controversial in the celiac world because even though they are technically gluten free, they are easily contaminated, making them most likely containing gluten, unless they are tested for gluten content.  There are some brands of gluten-free ‘granola’ out there but I hesitate to refer to them as granola because they don’t contain any oats.  Usually it’s a clump of corn flakes with some syrups and dried nuts.  While it has a nice crunch, these store-bought GF granolas just aren’t the same.  Yes, certified gluten-free oats are more expensive than Quaker, but I’m definitely willing to splurge on this grain and it’s so much more economical to make your own granola and it keeps well in the fridge for a long time.

Betsy’s Granola (Created with guidance from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups certified GF oats
• 2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (I used chopped cashews, pecans, almonds, & sunflower seeds)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter (I prefer to use natural PB that still has salt though)
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• Ground flaxseed (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.  Put a 9 x 13-inch roasting pan over medium-low heat.  (I put the pan over two burners.  Add the oats and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to change color and become fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the nuts and seeds and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.  Add the coconut and cook and stir for 2 more minutes.  Add the cinnamon, salt (to taste), flaxseed, honey and peanut butter.  Stir and place in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking process.

Remove from oven, add raisins and cranberries, and cool on a rack.  Stir once in a while until the granola reaches room temperature.  Transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator.  I make it in large batches so I’ll even stick some in the freezer.

Granola continues to be one of my all-time favorite foods because it has a little bit of everything.  Sweet, salty, chewy, crunchy.  Don’t think of this recipe as a concrete set of rules.  Other things you can add to your granola are maple syrup or molasses as a sweetener or different seasonings such as nutmeg, vanilla beans or even ginger.  If you have a sweet tooth, try putting chocolate chips in your batch.  A great ice cream topping!

Good news! Rice Chex are now officially gluten free, as General Mills has replaced barley malt with molasses in the recipe. Chex also mentions on their website that they actively prevent cross contamination and have tested their Rice Chex for gluten. Thank you, General Mills!

While it’s always nice to have yet another cereal option, I’m even more excited about the fact that I can make one of my favorite and easy to makesweet snacks: Trash.

Yes, the name is a bit odd, but it’s oh so good! You may remember this chocolate, peanut butter, crunchy treat from your childhood, but if you’re not familiar with this simple recipe, you should definitely try it.

Recipe for Trash:

1 stick butter
12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter
9 c. Gluten Free Rice Chex
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 white kitchen trash bag (new & clean)

Melt butter, chocolate chips and peanut butter in 3 quart saucepan. Pour cereal into a large bowl. Pour chocolate mixture slowly over cereal. Gently fold mixture over until all the cereal is covered.

In a medium size trash bag pour 1/2 of the powdered sugar. Put cereal mixture on it and pour in the rest of the powdered sugar. Tie top of bag securely and gently shake bag until each cereal is covered with powdered sugar and chocolate. After cooling, place in an airtight container. Will keep for several weeks.

Enjoy!