Free Book Friday Giveaway--Gluten Free Made Easy

Congratulations who won a copy of Fabulous Freezer Meals by Jenny Stanger.

Keeping with the cooking theme, this week's free book is Gluten Free Cooking Made Easy: Delicious Recipes for Everyone by Susan Bell.





Gluten Free Cooking Made Easy is available from Deseretbook.com, amazon.com, and your local LDS bookstore.

Entering is easy, but you must be done by MIDNIGHT MST THURSDAY, February 24th. Winner will be announced February 25th.

To enter, leave us a comment with the answer to the weekly question. Make sure to include your email address if it isn't found on your blog profile.

The weekly question is
"What's your best wheat allergy/celiac disease advice?"

*****
People with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity need to own a copy of this book. It is a great resource presented in a beautiful way. The recipes add diversity and nutrition to a diet that frequently lacks these important components. Amy Yoder Begley, celiac Olympian

Think you'll never be able to eat your favorite foods again? Afraid you'll never again taste a delicious muffin or slice of bread? Gluten-Free Cooking Made Easy: Delicious Recipes for Everyone is the solution you've been looking for. Peter HR Green, M.D., author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic

No more preparing two separate meals at dinnertime - one for family members with celiac disease and one for those without it. With Susan Bell's kitchen-tested recipes, you can serve meals your entire family will love. In this book, you'll find delicious breakfasts, breads and muffins, main dishes, soups and salads, side dishes, desserts, drinks, and even home-canning recipes. This informative cookbook also features:

* Gluten-free kitchen basics
* Tips for eating out
* Shopping lessons and warnings
* Main-dish meal planning

With Gluten-Free Cooking Made Easy: Delicious Recipes for Everyone, you can eat your favorite foods again!

First Chapter Wednesay--Gluten-Free Made Easy



People with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity need to own a copy of this book. It is a great resource presented in a beautiful way. The recipes add diversity and nutrition to a diet that frequently lacks these important components.

Think you'll never be able to eat your favorite foods again? Afraid you'll never again taste a delicious muffin or slice of bread? Gluten-Free Cooking Made Easy: Delicious Recipes for Everyone is the solution you've been looking for.

No more preparing two separate meals at dinnertime - one for family members with celiac disease and one for those without it. With Susan Bell's kitchen-tested recipes, you can serve meals your entire family will love. In this book, you'll find delicious breakfasts, breads and muffins, main dishes, soups and salads, side dishes, desserts, drinks, and even home-canning recipes. This informative cookbook also features:

* Gluten-free kitchen basics
* Tips for eating out
* Shopping lessons and warnings
* Main-dish meal planning

With Gluten-Free Cooking Made Easy: Delicious Recipes for Everyone, you can eat your favorite foods again!

Pumpkin Muffins

8 eggs
1¾ cups cooking oil
29-ounce can pumpkin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups brown rice flour
1½ cups tapioca flour
½ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup corn flour
½ cup potato starch
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
12-ounce package milk chocolate chips (optional)
  1. This recipe is large enough to make both bread and muffins. The bread and muffins freeze well.
  2. Combine eggs, oil, pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, mixing well.
  3. Add brown rice flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, corn flour, potato starch, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix only until combined.
  4. To make bread, grease pans (8½ x 4½ x 2¾ inches) and bake at 350°F for 60 minutes.
  5. To make muffins, spoon into greased muffin tins, about ¾ full. Bake for 26 minutes at 400°F.

Makes 24 muffins plus 2 small loaves of bread
Tip: The following pan sizes are recommended for gluten-free bread recipes (measurements refer to the inside of the pan at the top edge): 8½ x 4½ x 2s inches or 7¼ x 3s x 2¼ inches.

Our Favorite Rolls


½ cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ cup milk
½ cup buttermilk (or 1¼ cups soy or almond milk)
2 cups brown rice flour
1½ cups tapioca flour cup sugar
2½ teaspoons xanthan gum
½ cup dried potato flakes
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cooking oil or shortening
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
  1. Preheat oven to 170°F or warm setting.
  2. To make yeast mixture, pour lukewarm water into a small bowl, then sprinkle yeast and sugar across the top of the water. Set aside. (To be sure the water is not too hot, put a couple of drops on the inside of your wrist.)
  3. Microwave milk and buttermilk for about 1 minute, or until hot.
  4. Combine flours, sugar, xanthan gum, potato flakes, and salt in a large bowl.
  5. Fold yeast mixture, hot milk, oil, butter, and eggs into dry ingredients. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes. A heavy-duty kitchen mixer is recommended.
  6. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Spoon dough into muffin tins, around ¾ full.
  7. Set muffin tray on open oven door to rise, with oven preheated to 170°F. Let rise for approximately 20 minutes for rapid-rise yeast, and 30 minutes for regular yeast.
  8. Place rolls in oven and turn heat up to 375°F. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes.

Makes 16 to 18 rolls
Tip: Rolls can be frozen if wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a sealed freezer bag.

Best Waffles


3 eggs, separated
1¾ cups milk, almond milk, or soy milk
½ cup cooking oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons melted butter
¾ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup potato starch
⅔ cup tapioca flour cup corn flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup butter
  1. Heat waffle iron.
  2. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
  3. Place egg whites in a glass bowl and beat until stiff.
  4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, cooking oil, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix well.
  5. Add the dry ingredients and mix gently. Fold in egg whites.
  6. Spray waffle iron with nonstick spray. Cook waffles according to waffle-iron directions.
  7. Tip: To fold beaten egg whites into the batter, use a rubber spatula and make gentle circles in the batter while rotating your wrist.
Serves 5 to 7

Pineapple Chicken Lo Mein


1 can pineapple chunks
1 pound chicken, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium green pepper, chopped (optional)
16-ounce package Tinkyada® Spaghetti Noodles
3 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
⅓ cup gluten-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking oil
  1. Drain pineapple, reserving ⅓ cup juice. Set aside.
  2. Cook chicken, garlic, and ginger in oil until chicken begins to brown. Add carrots and green pepper. Cover and cook until vegetables and chicken are done.
  3. While vegetables cook, boil spaghetti. Drain.
  4. Add noodles and green onions to chicken mixture.
  5. Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, and pineapple juice with 1 tablespoon oil. Stir into chicken and noodle mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Add pineapple and additonal soy sauce to taste.
Serves 6 to 8

Curried Chicken Rice Soup

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (may use canned chicken)
2 cups cooked long-grain rice
2 large carrots, grated
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 small onion, chopped
¾ cup butter or margarine
½ cup brown rice flour
1/8 cup corn flour
1/8 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free seasoned salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
three 12-ounce cans evaporated milk
4 cups gluten-free chicken broth
  1. In large saucepan, sauté carrots, celery, and onions in butter until tender.
  2. Add dry ingredients. Gradually add evaporated milk and chicken broth. Stir well.
  3. Add cooked chicken and rice. Simmer until soup is thickened to desired consistency. Add more chicken broth if soup is too thick.
Serves 9 to 10

Get to know you Monday--Susan Bell

Today, we are getting to know Susan Bell author of

1. What is your favorite food? Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy…but I also love Mexican food. Yum!

2. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream? How can I resist CHOCOLATE?! Even better, add some peanut butter to it.

3. What is one food you despise? Liver. (Apologies to my mother since I wasn’t easily persuaded to eat it when I was young, even though it was rich in iron.)

4. What was your favorite childhood picture book? Mr. Pine’s Purple House, because Mr. Pine knew that life was too short to have a purple house like everyone else in the entire neighborhood. He broke with tradition and painted his house a different color.

5. What is your favorite song? “Every Season” by Kenneth Cope.

6. What one place would you like to visit that you haven’t? Israel.

7. What is your favorite thing about yourself? The joy I possess within my soul because of service to others.

8. Do you like to sing? Yes! I love to sing alto, but I am taking voice lessons and found out I am a second soprano. I want to expand my horizons and to learn to get the volume out since I have been far too quiet in the past. I hope my teenagers won’t mind when I start “belting it out” during our next family sing-a-long. :)

9. Do you like to dance? Yes! Well…I used to dance before I got so rusty. Now I watch my daughter and reminisce as she performs with a ballroom dance team. However, every once in a while my husband will grab my hands and we will do “the swing.” It just kind of hurts ‘cause we are at middle age and already have aches and pains.

10. Do you play a musical instrument? Yes—I play the piano. Middle age is clearly becoming a theme here, because I am taking piano lessons again. I just have to get that Chopin Fantaisie-Impromptu figured out before the arthritis starts to set in!

11. What was a favorite adulthood event? Besides marrying my awesome husband and having our six children, it has been exciting to finally graduate from college.

12. Do you prefer sweet or salty foods? That is a tough choice, but salty foods win out as long as they are mixed with sour flavor. This might make you pull a face, but I love, love, love green apples with salt, lemons with salt, and rhubarb with salt. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Dill beans and dill pickles are also big favorites.

13. Are you a collector of anything? The very best, most delicious recipes! My family loves the gluten-free recipes in my cookbook, and most of them don’t have celiac disease and can eat a regular diet. Buy my cookbook…you will love it! :)

14. What book are you reading now? To the Rescue, by Heidi S. Swinton

15. What was the best decision you’ve ever made? To marry my incredible husband. He is awesome!


WHY I WRITE
For many years, Susan Bell suffered from stomach problems, but she thought it was just part of life. In 2003, her sister found out that their mother’s celiac disease was genetic, and the mystery of health issues began to be solved with a diagnosis of celiac disease for Susan, her sister, and several other siblings. When Susan got tired of living on tortilla chips, she began converting her favorite recipes into gluten-free recipes. She found that with a great cookbook and a menu plan, family mealtime could be a happy experience, and that her attitude made all the difference in how her children handled their own celiac disease. She and her sister started a support group to help others cope with the disease. Susan enjoys learning from others and can be contacted at gfcookingmadeeasy@gmail.com.





Susan learning how to cook
When I was learning to cook, my Mom was in the other room when I was attempting to make cornbread. I came to a part in the recipe that stated something like, "stir the ingredients in by hand." I left the kitchen and asked my Mom if I really was supposed to stir the ingredients by hand, and she assured me that it would keep the cornbread from having a tough texture. I shrugged and hesitantly went back into the kitchen and stuck my hand right in and started stirring! My Mom came in and started laughing with gusto and grabbed the camera for this photo. She then explained that "stirring by hand" meant to use a spoon instead of a mixer with beaters. Any children and adults who have read Amelia Bedelia stories will understand. :)
Teenage Susan

Wedding Day

Dearly Departed Blog Tour


Ida Mae Babbitt rides again!
Ida Mae Babbitt may be a reformed woman, but trouble just can't stay away. Follow the blog tour for Dearly Departed by Tristi Pinkston and learn about Ida Mae's latest adventure.


We will be giving away THREE copies of Dearly Departed . One GRAND PRIZE winner will win this fun scrap booking pack.


It's easy to enter.
1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why you're excited to read Dearly Departed. Remember to include your email address.
2. For an additional entry become a follower of Walnut Springs Press blog, Tristi's blog, or any of the fabulous reviews blog. Leave a comment letting us know who's blog you now follow.
3. If you tweet about the blog tour, or post about it on your blog or facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an additional entry for each post.


Good Luck! Entries close at midnight (MST) on March 6th.

***
Ida Mae Babbitt has done her community service and is a reformed woman - no more law-breaking for her. But when Arlette's granddaughter Eden discovers a mystery in a fancy nursing home, Ida Mae - with the perfect excuse of a broken wrist and a broken ankle - checks herself into the place. After all, it is for the greater good. Soon she's buzzing around in her motorized wheelchair, questioning the residents and swiping files from the office. She's bound and determined to get to the bottom of this case. But can she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?

****
February 16th
Starcrossed book reviews (Nichole Giles)

Febraury 17
Inksplasher
(Karlene Brown)

February 18
Heather Justensen

February 21
Elizabeth Muller

February 22
LDS Women's Book Review (Shanda Cottam)

February 23
Rachelle Writes (Rachelle Christensen)
Sometimes Hard But Oh So Worth It (Kimberly Coates)

February 24
Fire and Ice (Heather Gardner)

February 28
Cheryl's Book Nook (Cheryl Koch)

March 1
JDP News (Joyce DiPastena)

March 2
Teri Rodeman

March 3
Why Not? Because I Said So (Sheila Stayley)

Free Book Friday--Fabulous Freezer Meals

Today's free book is

For mores freezer meal tips, visit Jenny's website


Fabulous Freezer Meals is available from Amazon.com, Deseretbook.com and your local LDS Bookstore


Entering is easy, but you must be done by MIDNIGHT MST THURSDAY, February 10th. Winner will be announced February 11th.

To enter, leave us a comment with the answer to the weekly question.
Make sure to include your email address if it isn't found on your blog profile.

The weekly question is
"What's your best cooking tip?"

****
Fabulous Freezer Meals is a collection of over 200 recipes for dishes that can be frozen, then reheated and served later. Each recipes uses everyday ingredients and includes easy-to-follow instructions for food preparation and freezing. With the unique ideas in this book, you will quickly and easily stock your freezer with delicious meals, ensuring that you always have a handy meal in an emergency. Best of all, you can create convenient meals that are healthier than fast food and pre-packaged frozen foods.

Fabulous Freezer Meals will help you:

*Reduce food preparation and cleanup time.
*Package meals according to your family size and preferences.
*Cut down on trips to the grocery store.
*Save hundreds of dollars every month on your grocery bill.

Fabulous Freezer Meals will improve your lifestyle by saving you time, money, and sanity!

For additional information about freezer meals, visit Jenny at freezerdinner.com.

Weekend Happenings

Chocolate Lovers Unite! What could be better than books and chocolate? Nothing! Join Donna Hatch, author of Queen In Exile February 4 and 5 at the Chocolate Lovers Unite festival in historic downtown Glendale, Arizona (Murphy Park, 58th and Glendale avenues). Festival hours are Friday 5-10 pm and Saturday from 10 am-10 pm. If you want more information about the festival you can find it here or you can get more details on Donna's blog.

Authorpalooza! With over 45 authors, Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen, author of Trapped and Missing, will be in good company Saturday, February 5th at the annual Authorpalooza at the South Towne Barnes and Noble (10180 S. State Street, Sandy, UT) and Noble. The fun will be taking place from 1-4 PM, so stop by and say hi to Ronda and all of your favorite Utah authors-Brandon Mull, Jessica Day George, James Dashner, Lisa Mangum, and so many others.

Odgen Costco! Don't you love the free samples that Costco gives out on Saturdays? While Carole Thayne Warburton won't be giving out free samples, she will be giving out free bookmarks AND signing copies of Sun Tunnels and Secrets on Saturday, February 5th from 1-4pm.

First Chapter Wednesay--Fabulous Freezer Meals

For mores freezer meal tips, visit Jenny's website


Fabulous Freezer Meals is available from Amazon.com, Deseretbook.com and your local LDS Bookstore

Why Freezer Meals?


  • Freezer meals save both time and money because you shop less, eat out less, and waste less food. How much money can you save? Depending on the size of your family, you could save up to $300 per month!
  • Freezer meals are healthier than fast food and pre-packaged frozen foods.
  • With freezer meals, you can cater to your family’s tastes, and you can determine the portion sizes yourself.
  • Freezer meals are convenient to take to friends who are ill or unable to cook for their family.
  • Freezer meals can save you stress and last-minute trips to the grocery store when you need to prepare a meal for company.
  • Freezer meals help ensure that your family eats at least one meal together each day, which can help strengthen family relationships.
White Chocolate-Chip
Macadamia-Nut Muffins
Yield: 24 muffins

3½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1½ tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 bag (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
1 small bag (4 ounces) macadamia nuts, chopped
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and milk. Stir into the dry mixture until moistened. Fold in the chips and nuts.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups q full with batter. Bake at 400ºF for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan, then transfer to a wire rack. When muffins are cool, glaze them ½ cup white, semisweet, or milk chocolate chips, melted, combine with 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream. Then place muffins in a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze.

To Serve
Defrost muffins on high in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Breadstick Twists
Yield: 2 dozen breadsticks

3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tablespoon salt
1½ tablespoons instant yeast
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon dough enhancer
1 tablespoon gluten (optional)
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups warm water
24 wooden skewers

Combine flour, salt, yeast, sugar, dough enhancer, and gluten.

In a glass liquid measuring cup, warm the water in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the oil to the water mixture and pour onto the flour mixture. When combined, mix the dough for 2 minutes. Add more flour if dough is too sticky, more water if dry. Let mixer knead the dough for 8 minutes so that bread will rise properly.

On greased countertop, roll dough into a large rectangle, and, using a knife or pizza cutter, slice into 1-inch strips.

Wrap dough strips around the skewers (leaving 3 inches at the bottom of the skewer for a handhold) and place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 1 hour or until dough is frozen. Then wrap breadsticks in plastic wrap or place in large zip-top freezer bags until ready to serve.

To Serve
Place frozen breadsticks on a greased cookie sheet and let them rise overnight. Or set them out to rise a few hours before needed. When they have doubled in size, preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake twists at 375ºF for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. While breadsticks bake, make breadstick topping (recipe follows). Do not brush on the seasoning until after breadsticks are baked. Remove from oven and brush with the butter seasoning. Serve breadsticks warm standing up in a large vase.

Breadstick Topping
6 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dill weed
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Mix all ingredients together. Brush on baked breadstick twists while they are hot.

Grasshopper Ice Cream Cake
Yield: 10 servings

1 bag (32 ounces) cream-filled chocolate cookies
¼ cup (2 stick) butter, melted
4 cups mint chocolate-chip ice cream, softened
4 cups cookies-and-cream ice cream, softened
1½ cups hot-fudge ice cream topping

Reserve 3 of cookies. Crush rest of cookies in a zip-top bag or a food processor. Reserve ¼ cup crushed cookies for topping. Combine cookie crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan, two 9-inch pie pans, or a 9 x 13-inch pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Heat fudge topping in microwave on high until pourable (15 to 20 seconds). Spread on top of the frozen cookie crust and place cookies around the sides of the pan, then freeze for 15 minutes.

Spread cookies-and-cream ice cream over fudge topping; freeze for 30 minutes. Spread mint chocolate-chip ice cream over vanilla layer; sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cookie crumbs. Cover with plastic and freeze 1 hour or until firm. May be frozen for up to 2 months.

To Serve
Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie
Yield: two 9-inch pot pies (6 to 8 servings each)

4 cups cubed chicken (or ham, turkey, or beef)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups sliced carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1½ cups milk
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
pastry for two double-crust 9-inch pies, or use biscuit/baking mix to make crust

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes. Boil potatoes and carrots in a large stockpot. Meanwhile, in another pot, boil cubed chicken for 8 minutes. Drain vegetables and chicken and set aside.

In a large skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender. Add flour, salt, thyme, and pepper, stirring until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken, peas, corn, potatoes, and carrots. Remove from heat.

Crust Option 1
Line two 9-inch pie pans with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of pan. Fill pastry shells with chicken mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pies. Cut slits or decorative cutouts in pastry. Place over filling; trim, seal, and style the edges. Bake one pot pie at 425ºF for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Crust Option 2
Mix together 2 cups biscuit/baking mix, 1¼ cups milk, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and ½ teaspoon celery seed. (Mixture will be thin.) Spoon over top of chicken pot pie. Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cover and freeze remaining pot pie for up to 4 months.

To Serve
Cover edges of frozen pot pie with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for 70 to 80 minutes longer, or until crust is golden brown.

Mini Calzones
Yield: 8 calzones

1 pound frozen bread dough
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
(any cheese will work)
½ tablespoon dried oregano
pizza toppings

Defrost frozen bread dough for 10 seconds in the microwave. Slice frozen bread dough into 4 sections and then cut each section in half to create 8 sections of dough. Roll out each piece into a 4- to 5-inch circle.

Mix egg yolk, oil, oregano, and cheese, then spread on dough. Place toppings on half of each dough circle, then fold over other half of circle and seal. Brush top with egg whites or butter and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Individually wrap leftover calzones in plastic and freeze.

To Serve
Take calzones out of the freezer as needed. Remove plastic and heat calzones, one at a time, in the microwave for 2 minutes, turning over after 1 minute. Top with warm pizza sauce.

Whitney Finalists


Congratulations are in order to all authors who became a Whitney Finalist. But we especially want to congratulate Laurie Lewis for Oh, Say Can You See? for becoming a Whitney Finalist in the historical category!