Awesome pizza crust from Namaste Foods

I just have to share my new favorite gluten free staple. This pizza crust from Namaste Foods is the bomb! Feeding a family gluten free has serious challenges. And sending the kids to school with gluten free lunches is one of them. When I discovered this pizza crust from Namaste I was so impressed with the taste and the ease of use. I had engineered my own favorite recipe for pizza crust, then dropped it for this one. The taste is awesome. I load my corner of the pizza with goat cheese, fresh basil, and sun dried tomatoes and I feel like I'm having a totally gourmet pizza. The kids load their corner of the pizza with their own favorites. I used to buy boboli for my husband and daughter so they could have their own gluten pizza. But last night I didn't have a boboli so they had to eat our pizza. My husband thinks it tastes better than the boboli. This recipe not only tastes great but it has simplified my life! I usually have what I need and it's super easy to make and not time consuming, a great last minute dinner option. I usually make an extra one for leftovers for the boys to take in their lunches. I'm not big on the gluten free mixes and I usually make everything from scratch. But this one has really been a life saver.

Here's a link to the pizza sauce I use from my absolute favorite gluten free chef! Homemade Pizza Sauce

Gluten free brownies

I get so many requests for this brownie recipe I thought I'd type it up once and for all and post it. I have this old tattered recipe card that's about 25 years old. One of the things I love about recipes is their history, every smudge and drip adds a little bit to the story. I got the original gluten-ous version of this recipe from Freda Stowers of Riggins, Idaho, a town where I did a lot of growing up. For many years this was our family favorite. When I converted to a gluten free diet this is one of those recipes that I started to experiment with. Over the years I've used a lot of different flours but I've found that the teff flour version is favored by almost everybody. I buy my teff flour from a local grower, The Teff Company. I buy it in bulk, 25 pounds at a time because I use so much teff flour in my gluten free household. But you should be able to find small bags of it at your local co-op or order the smaller bags from The Teff Company.

A little disclaimer is in order here though: these brownies are loaded with sugar! My personal needs have required me to cut out sugar, and eggs, and butter but since I have two boys who also eat gluten free I make these for them. This brownie recipe is just so scrumptious the way it is; I feel like my boys need some delectable options that rival the gluten-ous ones to keep them on their diet. So without further adieu here it is ...

Yummy gluten-free brownies

1 cup melted butter

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthum gum

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups teff flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup nuts (if desired)

1/4 cup chocolate chips (if desired)

Melt butter. Add dry ingredients, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in nuts and/or chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Drawing the line at zipper allergies ...

I have a long history of food and environmental allergies and chemical sensitivities. Unfortunately the list of allergens continues to grow. When I became allergic to zippers and jewelry I proclaimed in a moment of total exasperation "I'm drawing the line at zipper allergies!" My husband was amused at this defiant control I seemed to believe I had over my immune response. (It's obvious that I would have taken control by now if I could). He wisely quipped "What are you going to do about it? Start a line of zipperless clothing? Or maybe you should just go with 24 karat gold zippers."

I really don't have the wherewithal to now start making clothing and jewelry that meets my needs, but the truth is, he really isn't that far off the mark. My personal need is what drives my creativity in my product line. My business didn't start out that way but as my need for personal care items has grown my experimentation has grown. Whether I'm working with essential oils to create beautiful uplifting aroma that won't give me a headache (most products use synthetic components to create fragrance) or creating a body butter because I can't find a moisturizer that doesn't have chemicals in it, it's all driven by my desire to have products at my disposal that smell good and feel good without eliciting an immune response or chemical exposure.

So in a sense, I really am drawing the line. I'm drawing the line by finding substitutes that meet my needs. And for now in the clothing and jewelry departments, it's no metal. Which is a total bummer because I'm getting pretty plain Jane over here. First no make up, now no jewelry. But that's just how it is, for now ...