Gluten Free Doesn't Have to be Boring!

  Just because it's a Jungle out there in Gluten Free Land doesn't mean you can't enjoy it!

This amazing (and delicious) cake was made for our son's Blue and Gold Banquet by Shelia Cafferty of Gluten Free Living Now.  The theme for the banquet was a Jungle theme and hence all the animals on the cake.  The cake was intricate in all it's glory right down the signage of Pack 114 made with a Glutino pretzel and sugar paste.  The adults and kids alike were dazzled and impressed with this cake.  Everything on the cake was edible so there are NO plastic anmial replicas used here. 

The bottom layer of cake was made with Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Cake Mix and the frosting was cool whip, powdered sugar and caramel.  It had a wondeful taste and texture.  The frosting was just the right compliment to the cake.  The second and third layers were chocolate made from King Arthur's Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix.  We had people asking for seconds who weren't normally chocolate fans.  The chocolate cake was amazingly moist with a lighter chocolate taste.  The frosting was a vanilla creme that was the perfect accent to the cake.  The top layer of cake was once again King Arthur's Chocolate with chocolate icing.

The animals were made from sugar paste so totally edible.  The kids didn't want to eat the animals, they wanted to keep them forever.  It was fun to watch how excited the kids were over getting to keep a giraffe or a lion or monkey. 

Look at these great animals! Lions, Monkeys and a Giraffe Oh My!

I had no idea you could make a Lion's Mane using a Garlic Press. 

   

   

 

It was great that nobody could tell the difference from the old gluten filled cake.  There was even a newly diagnosed Celiac child there that was having trouble finding good gluten free foods and she was so excited that she could actually have a good birthday cake for her birthday this coming weekend. 

I know most of us can't make these types of creations but we can certainly use the cake mixes from Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur to make cakes taste like they used to before we all became gluten free. 

Gluten Free Product Review - Sandwich Petals, Nacheez, Cheese Ups, and King Arthur Flour

Gluten Free Product Review     Being involved in the gluten free community has yielded some great opportunities. Getting to try some great gluten products has been one of those benefits. I do try to share as much as I can when we have our gluten free outings.    Here are some products that I got to try recently and just love!!   Sandwich Petals Wraps Nacheez Cheese Ups/Wellaby's King Arthur Flour      Shelia Cafferty Co-Founder Gluten Free Living Now     Nature's Pharm will be carrying this product sometime before the gluten free expo. Sandwich Petals  These are dairy free, soy free and nut free. Reminiscent of a corn tortilla....but it is really so much more!! Packed full of flavor it's really hard for me to decide what my favorite is. They come in 3 flavors, Spinach and Garlic. Agave Grain and Chimayo Chile. If I absolutely had to pick one, it would be the Chimayo. These make great quesadillas, sandwich wraps, burritos and enchiladas(please do follow the heating instructions on the package, otherwise they may fall apart) These are low in calories, only 100 calories per petal, and they are high in fiber. Made with corn flax, sesame, buckwheat, brown rice, sorghum, millet, quinoa, teff and amaranth. Also included in the petals are Omega 3's and prebiotics. The petals are lower in carbs and diabetic friendly. Glad to have Sandwich petals as one of our gluten free vendors at the Gluten Free Living Now Expo coming up this Oct.  Visit their website at  sandwichpetals.com.     Nacheez Very recently, I discovered that when I eat dairy, my seasonal allergies are worse and I have increased nasal congestion.....okay that's TMI.....sorry. Although, I find it difficult to give up dairy altogether, there are products that make living dairy free a little easier. Nacheez is one of those products. This product is gluten free, dairy free and soy free. It is cashew based. It comes in two cheesy flavors...mild and spicy. I prefer the spicy, my husband likes the mild. We actually prefer it to regular cheese sauces or spreads, the flavor and texture is great!! Easy to like a product that is less fat and calories than regular cheese and cheese sauces. Also has a high source of Vitamin B6.         Visit their website at www.nacheez.com.  I hope to see this product at Nature's Pharm soon.   You can vist their website at www.wellabys.com.  Meijer's on Carmel Dr. sells these in their gluten free section.  Cheese Ups/Wellaby's These are hard to put down.....I swear I could eat a whole bag! They are that good!! These little crackers remind me so much of a lighter version of the cheese nip. These are not dairy free, but they are so incredibly good!! Made in a nut free factory, higher in protein because they use real cheese to make this product. Light, salty, crunchy and cheesy....it hits all the right notes! Comes in parmesan and cheddar, I am definitely a cheddar fan. Glad to have these folks as one of vendors at the gluten free expo too.         King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix   This is my favorite gluten free chocolate cake mix so far. It's light, moist and has the perfect texture for chocolate cake. It's gf, soy free and nut free. Also there is no dairy in the mix. Perfect for making mult-layered cakes or cup cakes....people will be asking for your perfect gf chocolate cake recipe. Visit their website at www.kingarthurflour.com Meijer's on Carmel Dr. has this in their regular baking section.   Hope you get to try some of these products.  Let me know when you do!