Top Ten Posts (Plus Two) in Year One

January 5, 2010 · Filed Under GAHIGF, bread, breakfast, crockpot, crustless, dairy free, dessert, easy, entree, flourless, gluten free, ice cream, pizza, pumpkin, recipe, slow cooker, sugar free, treats · 48 Comments

One of Key West’s cuter street “performers”

I’ve been trying to write this post since I returned from Key West, but I’m having “re-entry” problems. You know the issues you have when you come home from vacation and you just can’t get into the home-work-every day life groove again? This transition is not being helped at all by the weather. Only a few days ago I was in Key West wearing short sleeves and skirts, and walking bare legged in sandals. Now I’ve got the wood stove roaring, I’m sitting here in a thick turtleneck sweater and pajama pants, with big fuzzy socks on. Plus, I’m under a Scottish wool blanket (properly called a rug I’m told), and I’m still freezing. It really wasn’t that cold here before we left. What happened?

Anyway … while we were away, a significant milestone passed here at gfe. I celebrated my one-year anniversary of blogging. It still sounds funny to even say I am a blogger. But, on December 30 of last year, I wrote my very first post, Waiting, and nervously hit the Publish button. After months of planning and pondering starting my blog, I had actually done it! That was a great moment. I’m still proud of that post, this blog, and the gfe mission. Just over a year later, it’s 95 posts (rats, why didn’t I plan ahead so I could have had an even 100?) and 2,900 comments later. Okay, about half of those comments are mine (as Mr. GFE always says, I really do like to have the last word), but even that number makes me happy. I love chatting with my gfe readers.

From the comments readers leave and the emails I receive, I know that there are many who find the typical guidance on eating gluten free to be sorely lacking for their needs. Some initially are not even sure why they feel that way; they just know the traditional gluten-free approach is not working for them. This blog will continue with a focus on real food that is naturally gluten free (and recipes made using real gluten-free food), some mainstream processed foods that are gluten free, and few gluten-free specialty foods. Discussions will continue on who should get tested for gluten issues, who should consider a gluten-free diet, how to live gluten free with grace and ease, and everything in that general realm. The approach can keep our gluten-free lives simpler, less expensive, and, most importantly, healthier. But, if you’re a regular gfe reader, you already know about the gfe approach, so let’s turn the focus to you. Thank you for being here at gfe. I appreciate your readership, subscriptions, and I greatly appreciate all of you who take the time to comment and email me. It’s both heartening and humbling to know that gfe is truly helping you to live gluten free easily. Any blogger will tell you that the feedback we receive makes a huge difference in being sure that we’re going down the right path. Just knowing that someone is listening—i.e., someone cares and finds what you, the blogger, are sharing is of value—well, that’s huge! So, again, thank you so very much for being here! Really, my only regret this year with gfe is that I have not been able to share all the recipes, information, and discussions that I would have liked. I am never short of ideas and words (sometimes there are about 10 posts at a time rattling around in my head), but I am often short of time to properly share them all. So now you know I have enough material to last a few more years!

Many of my blogger buddies are posting 2009 wrap-ups and 2010 “launch” posts. I have really enjoyed reading them. Some have shared their Top 10 recipes of the year. Karina, the Gluten-Free Goddess, shared her Top 10 here and has graciously invited others to leave a link to their gluten-free top 10 post in comments. She’ll update her post to include them all! Check them all out. (Some of gfe’s favorite bloggers already have their lists included.) Iris, of The Daily Dietribe, even included a recipe shared here at gfe, Crustless Pecan Pie, in her list of favorite 2009 recipes—thanks, Iris! I like that she also listed the top 10 recipes that she wants to try this year, too. Who doesn’t have a list like that? Write it down, make it happen, right?

Here are my Top 12 Posts (10 Recipe Posts Plus 2 Discussion Posts) from Year One at gfe. Of course, tomorrow or next week, I might choose a different set depending on my mood, the weather, etc. (You’ll notice that I couldn’t bring myself to include an ice cream recipe, even though I purchased an ice cream maker this summer and made some amazing ice cream and sherbet, like POMerdoodle and Honeydew.) In no particular order, the top posts are as follows.

Top 10 Recipe Posts:

~Crustless Pumpkin Pie—Every bit as good as any pumpkin pie with a crust. Some folks say they like it better because it’s not as “wet” as other pumpkin pies. I get that.

~Flourless Pizza—The crust is made from eggs and cheese, then topped like a regular pizza. It’s a well-loved recipe. One of my son’s favorite.

~Flourless Chocolate Cake—Still the cake that can take any event up several notches. No unusual ingredients required. No separating of eggs or folding in of egg whites. Heavenly death by chocolate. (Those who don’t do sugar or dairy will want to check out the Flourless Chocolate Banana Honey Walnut Cake instead.)

~Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies—Not the recipe that’s everywhere on the interwebs. These cookies contain brown sugar versus white, plus baking soda and vanilla extract. These three ingredients makes a huge difference in flavor and texture. These are my “go-to” quick cookies, which everyone loves.

~Crustless Apple Pie—A recipe that will make anyone a baked apple lover, as well as a tribute to my mom on Mother’s Day.

~Popovers (titled Better than Sliced Bread for a reason)—Popovers, muffins, and biscuits will always have my heart … and stomach. Everyone loves these popovers.

~Volcano Pancake—This one is in my Valentine’s Day party post, so you can skim until you get to the recipe. It’s one that everyone erupts over. Sorry, but it’s true—in a good way. People are always telling me that they make this recipe for special breakfasts, dinners, or just a decadent afternoon snack.

~Special Turkey Breast—Unusual ingredients to make a very tasty turkey breast in your slow cooker. By the way, I also liked Erin Elberson’s (Gluten Free Fitness) take on this recipe.

~Surprise Stuffing—The easiest way I’ve found to make gluten-free stuffing. Those who’ve tried it have found it very tasty. It can happily serve the whole family or you can adjust to make enough for one or two. By the way, I can’t wait to tell you what I made with my leftover stuffing.

~Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten Free for July—Make Me A Happy Camper—I’m a big fan of Naomi’s (Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried) gluten-free blog carnival, so it was a great treat to host last summer. We had quite the event on our riverside property in the mountains. You’ll find a wide variety of recipes in the roundup!

Plus Two Discussion Posts:

~Stop the Madness!—This post still captures my feelings on one of the biggest benefits of eating gfe. Sadly, the madness continues in my opinion. This post inspired some lively discussion in the comments section. I’m sure the discussion isn’t over, and I welcome comments, but ask you to consider the gfe approach to stop the madness.

~Educate, Not Eviscerate—Another discussion post. I still believe we have a long way to go in this area to ensure that our needs our best met when dining out.

To continue with this year’s plans for gfe, certainly there will be more of the same type of simple recipes that satisfy everyone in the family. My recipes will always be gluten free, but I’ll continue to share many that will be dairy free as well. Hopefully, there will be more recipes that are refined sugar free (certainly one of my own goals for healthier eating), soy free, and more. So many readers have those needs. As a support group leader, I get to actually “field test” these recipes while allowing my members with additional intolerances to still enjoy favorite dishes and baked goods. (I love that.) And, of course, there will be more discussion posts. Some of the other posts that I have wanted to share (and have not had an opportunity to yet) are ones presenting information from some great speakers that I have heard this year. I’ll plan to catch up on those. I won’t worry that I won’t be able to do them justice. I’ll just put out as much information from these individuals as I can, as best I can.

Heads up … there will be some housekeeping type changes here at gfe. I’ll be adding a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, accessible as a “tab” below the gfe header. (Most of you who read gfe regularly will know the answers to those questions before you even read them.) I’ve already updated my blog listings on the side bar. Some of my favorite bloggers have moved on to other endeavors, or their blogs have not been updated for a long time. I feel it’s my responsibility to my readers to provide links that are current. If your blog is in that inactive state and I’m a fan, I’ll gladly reactivate the link once I see that you are posting again. (Hope you understand. I would expect you to do the same if I went on hiatus.) I’ll be going back to earlier posts and tweaking them as needed (e.g., ensure that all recipes on gfe are printable). Unfortunately, these changes may trigger them to go out via my feed again. So, I’ll apologize ahead of time in case that happens.

Again, thanks for a very exciting and fulfilling year here at gfe. I’m looking forward to spending 2010 with you all!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Tags: bananas, bread, brown sugar, camping, chocolate, cookies, crockpot, easy, GFE, gluten free, go ahead honey, muffins, recipe, slow cooker, turkey

A Canoe with a View

September 17, 2009 · Filed Under camping, easy, entree, gluten free, potato, recipe · 24 Comments

We squeezed in a stop at our mountain property over Labor Day weekend. Monday morning we slept late, had a very light breakfast, and then headed out in the canoe. The Shenandoah River flows north. It’s one of the few rivers in the world that does. We headed south—paddling against the flow—weaving our way between the rocks (this section of the river is called the maze) and leaving as little of our canoe’s “hide” behind as we possibly could while doing so. We paddled as far south as we could (we don’t portage for such outings) and then crossed the river and turned north, to float back to our property. Around each bend of the river was another postcard view … the river itself, mountains, wildlife, and many other sights–scenes that are always comfortingly familiar, yet always surprising us, too.

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Sycamore in sepia …

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One of a pair of great blue herons … always just far enough away to avoid a great photo …

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There are caves at the top of this rock face … we love visiting them, especially with new folks.

Below, Mr. Green Heron on the hunt …

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This smallmouth bass only “visited” for a minute or two (we “catch and release”) and then he was off after bigger fish—hopefully, ones with no hooks …

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The turtles reappeared for the first time since spring …

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Shooting “our” rapid …

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And, then we enjoyed lunch … hash made from leftover ham and sweet corn from dinner the night before, and diced potatoes (skins on), to which I added a little olive oil, cayenne pepper, and onions. The burned bits are the onions. Clearly, I added them too early in the cooking process. I forgot how long the diced, but raw potatoes would take to cook. Usually, I use leftover potatoes that have already been baked in the campfire. Since we had a long trip from North Carolina and Mr. GFE’s college reunion the previous day, we had prepared a very simple meal the night before–grilled ham steaks and grilled corn on the cob; there had been no time to get an adequate bed of coals for baking potatoes. The burned onion bits weren’t bad (I often rather like that flavor–just a little beyond caramelized, if you will), but they weren’t exactly the most photoworthy. Hash like this is a great meal though … so easy to make. I don’t even use a pan. I just make mine on foil on the grill. How do you use your leftovers like these? Do you make ham hash, steak hash, or just great hash browns by themselves? Or maybe something else?

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We’re headed to our property again this weekend. It should be a lovely camping weekend given the weather forecast—70s during the day and high 40s at night. Some friends of ours, a couple, will be joining us. Each has a kayak, so we’ll all be out in the water doing a mini float. This trip might be our last camping for the season at our property because next weekend I’ll be heading to the BlogHer Food conference in San Francisco (which I’m really looking forward to, because I’ll be meeting so many of my online buddies in person!) and October is pretty unpredictable for mountain weather. But, we have had Indian Summers that allowed us to camp through October before. One year we even enjoyed a balmy Halloween weekend there—complete with a spooky jack-o-lantern!

Fall officially begins on Tuesday. I’m definitely ready. It’s my favorite time of year … that edge of coolness and freshness in the air, long-sleeved comfort, chasing away the overnight chill in the house by baking, building the first fire in the woodstove … that all just sounds so good. That last one, building the first fire in the woodstove is far from here yet, but it’s part of fall to me. I know we’ll certainly have a big campfire blazing tomorrow night in the mountains. Mr. GFE is already talking about his special “hot fire” wood that he has stashed at our property. I trust him, but I’m still taking a hat and gloves and the makings for hot cocoa … oh, and gotta have my alternative S’mores. That, of course, leads me back to baking. I’m making flourless chocolate cookies to use as a base this time, so maybe I’ll just skip adding more chocolate in between. Two rich chocolate cookies with a perfectly-roasted marshmallow in the middle … that sounds like a lovely S’more to me.

Hope you all have a great weekend planned!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Tags: breakfast, camping, crockpot, dairy free, gluten free, ham, recipe

Go Ahead Honey “Make Me A Happy Camper”

August 1, 2009 · Filed Under appetizer, breakfast, camping, dairy free, dessert, discussion, easy, entree, flourless, gluten free, hiking, picnics, potato, recipe, salad, soup, treats, vegetarian · 47 Comments

The following is a scenario that I created to share this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! entries for the “Make Me A Happy Camper” theme. Just like Naomi originated GAHIGF, she also first demonstrated this fantasy summary concept back in her April canape post. I don’t think it would take too much to imagine these events really happening. Oh, what fun that would be!

Mr. GFE and I love to share our mountain property with others. So, when I told him that I wanted to host a gathering for my gluten-free blogging buddies, he was completely on board. We usually go up on Saturday mornings and stay until the next evening, but sometimes we head up on Fridays. This time we wanted to have a few days to allow as many folks as possible to participate, so we took off on Friday and told people to come any time from Friday through Sunday. He wanted to get there early to have the grass all mowed so our property would look its best and the hard work would be out of the way. That would allow him to meet and visit with folks and provide any extra attention they would need: help in setting up tents, taking some people out in the canoe, placing Tikki torches by individual tents for subdued lighting, etc.

Saturday was expected to be the “core” day as some people in the group do not camp, so they just agreed to come for the day … to enjoy a picnic in effect. Some of them planned to head off to local hotels and bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) when they left our place. Others were veteran (or at least eager) campers and most of them planned to stay overnight on Saturday. However, the folks coming from the farthest distance planned to come in on Friday to visit and/or camp with all of us, but to also take advantage of visitor opportunities in the area (e.g., hiking, taking scenic drives, exploring nearby attractions).

Friday arrived as a gorgeous day. Mr. GFE and I had packed as much as possible up the evening before so we left home early and arrived before lunchtime. Mr. GFE had the grass cut in record time and was very pleased. The dock was in place (no rescue operations this time LOL) and our neighbor had just bush hogged our field. I dug out the fire pit as I always do to ensure that we’d have a deep bed of coals later for roasting potatoes, corn, or even onions. Mr. GFE gathered firewood that had fallen from recent storms and soon had a huge pile to whittle on with his chain saw. There would definitely be plenty of wood to ensure hot coals for baking in the campfire and for blazes sufficient to warm and brighten the darkness later.

By evening all the Friday arrivals were there. After initial greetings and “tours” of our spot, everyone started inquiring on the dishes that had been brought and what we might eat for each meal. While we were happily speculating on meal possibilities (remember we didn’t know them all since everyone had not yet arrived), Tracee of Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes shared her Pimento Cheese Spread on some nice crunchy gluten-free crackers. Tracee told us that pimento cheese spread is a requirement for any proper Southern gathering and with our mouths full, we all mumbled our concurrence.

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In fact, Tracee’s spread and crackers were quickly devoured, so we moved on to Ali’s (of Ali and Tom at Whole Life Nutrition) Nori Rolls with Sticky Brown Rice with Ginger Plum Sauce. Ali told us these work best kept whole for physical activities like hiking, but we were all hanging around the picnic tables under the pavilion, so she sliced them into one-inch pieces for our sampling. While we ate, we quizzed her and Tom about the preparation and the nutritional benefits of nori and the other ingredients.

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Finally when we were all ready for our meal, Jenn of Jenn Cuisine stepped over to my one-burner stove and whipped up a variation on her father’s beef stroganoff. Jenn is quite the enthusiastic camper. While she was cooking, she told us just how much camping with her family had meant to her when she was growing up and even now looking back. Although all present were not campers, everyone shared the sentiments on love of family and the importance of those special times together.

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After dinner, we thought we were stuffed, until Brian (of Fire and Salt) unveiled the graham crackers he had made and suggested S’mores. We greatly admired his handiwork … right down to the little perforations that graham crackers always have. These graham crackers were really works of art, but frankly, it was that final rich graham cracker/marshmallow/chocolate combo that made us the happiest. One S’more was all that was needed! We sat around the campfire chatting and getting better acquainted. We also talked of plans for the next day and who would be joining us then. We were all tired from our day of travel, so everyone turned in fairly early.

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Before the children had gone off to bed, Mr. GFE had tasked them with starting the fire in the morning. He explained there would be very hot coals remaining under the ashes and advised them to just keep adding the small sticks and twigs that littered the ground. After they got a little fire going, he told them they could add larger pieces of firewood they found. He told them to stay out of the firewood pile … that wood would be saved for the evening. We awoke in the morning to the kids trying unsuccessfully to be quiet as they successfully got a small fire going, and then the slam of car doors as more folks arrived. Many happy faces greeted us as we exited the tent—the very proud firestarters and the newly arrived blogging buddies and their families.

I started a pot of hot water for the hot tea drinkers and made honey hot chocolate for others. A coffee lover in the crowd got a pot going for the relieved java junkies. Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe was definitely greeted warmly because she had shown up with a large basket of her freshly made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. Johanna stated emphatically that she is not a camper, but she loves a good picnic. Mr. GFE piped in that camping at our property is just “going on a picnic and then spending the night.” She laughed appreciatively, but remained unconvinced. She said she’d be heading back to her B&B after our evening meal.

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Fruit, avocados, and nuts were available for breakfast as well. But, some of us convinced Melissa of Gluten Free for Good that she didn’t need to hang on to all of her namesake Mile High Trail Mix for her hiking adventures on Old Rag mountain after breakfast. (Heather and family planned to go as well and do some of the shorter trails nearby.) Melissa informed us that she often tweaked her recipe just a bit to make a wonderful granola and graciously shared some of her trail mix with us.

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Similarly, Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free agreed that a piece of her Fresh Apple Cake would also be quite fine for breakfast and we were very grateful. She told us how her mom had made a fresh apple cake for their camping adventures when she was growing up, and this recipe was her own variation.

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As planned, after breakfast, Melissa left with her crew and Heather and family followed to check out the Blue Ridge Mountains up close and personal. The rest of us donned bathing suits and water shoes, and applied sunscreen. Mr. GFE, still acting as head camp counselor, headed off in our canoe and Son’s kayak with Tom and some of the children for a paddle up to the cave nearby. The cave is not huge, but it does have more than one room and it does house a few cute bats and diminutive stalactites and stalagmites. Visiting it is always a fun experience and the kids were quite excited.

Some of the children stayed behind to swim in our little lagoon, snorkel, and wade around doing their best to catch crawdads and hellgrammites. We told the crawdad hunters that we’d steam any “dads” that they found for an appetizer for dinner. In the end, they saw many, but didn’t have much luck in catching them. (This time of year crawdad catching is made much more difficult by the long grass that grows in the river and offers quick hideouts for all the river inhabitants.) They still had fun though.

Hours later, everyone reconvened for a late lunch with “tales of strength and daring.” We were all hungry. A food inventory revealed a wealth of delightful salads and appetizer food. Someone joked that we should have a taste test contest to see who had made the best salad, but you could just look at these dishes and tell they were all terrific. Heather of Life, Gluten Free shared a delightful Summer Salad with fresh corn as the main ingredient. The salad also included dill, which inspired a discussion on when “to add dill” and when “not to add dill.” (For the record, I think the dill-ites outweighed the non-dill lovers like myself. LOL)

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Christine of Without Adornment actually had made two salads, Carrot Salad and Vegetable Lover’s Pasta Salad. Both disappeared quickly. There’s something about good food being placed in small dishes in small bite-sized pieces that makes it especially irresistible.

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Linda of Kitchen Therapy presented us with a colorful and flavorful Garlicky Green Bean Potato Salad. Everyone enjoyed this salad, too, but the garlic lovers among us were especially happy. By the way, Linda didn’t hesitate to tell us that she does not look back fondly on her previous camping days, so she only stayed for a few hours before leaving for other non-outdoors adventures and we kept her close to the campfire to ensure the few pesky mosquitoes steered clear.

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Kim of The Food Allergy Coach made Quinoa Salad with a Kick—and a nice little kick it was. A few folks had not yet tried quinoa and were surprised how much they enjoyed this dish. Kim was tickled as she loves to introduce others to new foods.

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Emilia of A Gluten-Free Day shared her Potato Salad. This dish was as tasty as it was lovely, and it was very lovely. (Note: I can’t view Emilia’s entire post on her blog. I can just see the photo, but she and others can see her post in its entirety, so, hopefully, it’s just a gfe-unique issue and you can view all with no problems.)

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As much as we liked the salads, some of us were ready for more protein, so were happy when Friedl of Kitchen Fun passed around her plate of Rice Salad and Salmon Rolls—buckwheat crepes filled with rice salad and smoked salmon. Now, you know they were both good and good for you! Friedl is another non-camper, but she loves a nice picnic.

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Immediately after lunch, the crew scattered again. Some families embarked for town to check out Luray Caverns (caverns of spectacular proportions) and the Luray Zoo (known as a rescue zoo and formerly a reptile center, so much there for all to see). A bit later, a storm rolled in with little warning—a common summer occurrence in the mountains. Those of us at the campsite gathered under the pavilion. We re-hydrated and munched on some cut-up fruit and veggies, and I think the lids on the cookie tins were popped off at that point. Thankfully, the storm passed quickly and swimming, fishing, and all the other fun stuff resumed.

Night in the mountains, even during the summer, is always much cooler (think sweatshirts, jackets, and sleeping under blankets), but the added dampness from the rain brought a special chill. So we were all looking forward to hearty, warming dishes for supper. Again, we talked Melissa into sharing her food intended for backpacking with the rest of us. This time it was a very creamy, bisque-like Garlic Potato, Kale, and Chicken Backpacking Soup. Melissa explained that because this soup is dehydrated, it’s great for being “out in the wild” and it mixes up quickly because all the work is done before leaving home.

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Carol of Simply … Gluten Free also shared her Bean & Veggie Chili, a vegetarian dish with a secret ingredient. All of us were trying to guess the ingredient, and some came close, but nobody got it exactly right. LOL We all loved the addition of the avocado slices.

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Naomi of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried and, of course, the founder/”mother” of Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! whipped out her seasoned 8-inch cast iron skillet and made a Courgette (Zucchini) Tortilla. Later, as we ate and made sounds of approval, she explained how to properly “season” a cast iron skillet and why using one is beneficial. Some of us joked that we might need another demonstration on the merits of cast iron cooking. Naomi chuckled, but little did we know that she’d later oblige our request.

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While the others cooked on multiple-burner stoves, to satisfy the carnivores in the group (Mr. GFE and a few others), Mr. GFE and I grilled a Lovely London Broil. I also had a pot of artichokes steaming and by this time potatoes, corn on the cob, and Vidalia onions were baking in the coals and, in fact, almost ready.

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After dinner, Naomi pulled another cast iron skillet out of her camping supplies, this one 6 inches in diameter. We all looked on with delight as she made a Hazelnut and Apple Pudding Cake. We grabbed spoons and had small exquisite tastes once the cake cooled enough. But the children were clamoring for S’mores again in the background (uh, some of those children looked pretty old! LOL), so we asked her to save the rest for Sunday’s breakfast.

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We had eaten all of Brian’s homemade graham crackers the previous night, so I suggested that we make my alternative S’mores using my brown sugar chocolate chip cookies and flourless peanut butter cookies. Everyone agreed, trying to make the right decision on which type of cookie to use … some finally giving up on this difficult decision and making one of each.

The night air was getting even cooler, so Mr. GFE added several large logs to the fire, turning up the heat and the light. Finally, with full bellies, we sat back in our chairs around the campfire snuggled up in hoodies and the like, and quite content. Mr. GFE entertained us with stories on his college reunion we’d held at our property years ago and some ghost stories from his parents’ home that was built in 1802. The children in the group were listening with an equal amount of pleasure and uneasiness at the mention of ghosts. Some edged just a bit closer to their parents. The youngsters finally headed off to bed and most of us who remained enjoyed a final glass of wine or nightcap as we chatted. At one point there was a lull in the conversation and we heard the eerie sounds of the resident screech owl. The campfire experience is always lovely, and sharing it with our new friends made it especially so. But, finally, we all called it a night.

The next morning we got up grateful for another beautiful day and being with each other again, but a bit sad that we’d soon be parting ways. Breakfast and lunch for the day ended up being leftovers of one’s choice—a veritable smorgasbord. Activities were more of the same, until gradually folks started leaving for home. Smiles and hugs were exchanged with talk of a follow-up get together next year. The non-campers in the group put in their bids for other places to meet—places without “wilderness” and bugs. (The campers in tthe group laughed, but no promises were made.) There were even mentions of possible gluten-free dishes that could be shared at our next meeting. (We do love our gluten-free food, don’t we? Deprivation? … none present, and did you notice that almost all the dishes were naturally gluten free or made gluten free easily. The exceptions were treats that would be worth making for the occasional wonderful indulgence.) Finally, Mr. GFE and I packed up and headed home, pleased that we’d been able to host such a wonderful event with everyone’s terrific contributions.

Note: If you’ve enjoyed reading this Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! roundup and others from the past, and have always wanted to participate, but haven’t yet, take a look at the listing of hosts and themes for the next year here. Kim of The Food Allergy Coach will be hosting for August. Her theme is “Chill Out”—dishes that beat the summer heat (no cook and/or served cold). How appropriate is that theme for these “dog days” of summer? Read more here. Check out the other themes as well … there might be some that particularly suit your fancy! Just mark your calendar for the month(s) of your choice and you’ll be set to participate. Thanks so much to the lovely and always clever and creative Naomi for coming up with GAHIGF! It’s always such fun and I’m constantly amazed at the quality of the recipes shared, not to mention the award-quality photos. Participants for this roundup, please update your post to include a link back to this post so everyone can find all these terrific recipes. And, no camping is required for all you readers … just click on the links and spend a few minutes enjoying all these great recipes that made me a very happy camper!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!