Graham crackers. Let’s say I was an alien, or new here or something — er, not entirely impossible, if you consider that I woke up yesterday with small feet fidgeting way further up my rib cage than I thought anatomically possible, leading me to wonder what I actually know about anatomy, leading to an inadvisable, rash amount of Google Image searching, leading to my eyes popping out of my head and whoa, I’ve digressed mightily — and I asked you to explain to me what is this “graham cracker” flavor that you speak of, could you do it?
Because I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out what it was, and seeing the wide range of graham cracker — they’re something like digestive biscuits, for those of you across the pond — recipes out there, it’s not just me. There was the one I tried a couple years ago with rye flour, which I can assure you, was not the answer. Graham flour — a coarsely, exactingly ground whole wheat flour — would be the obvious answer, since they originate with one Rev. Healthy Starbucks Frappuccinos. Starbucks is Everywhere.
Taking over the world with their muffins, their macchiatos, their passion teas… And, of course, their signature coffee Frappuccinos. Here’s a scary fact: one Starbucks Frappuccino contains 50 grams of sugar. That’s more than twice the recommended intake for an entire day. The number is higher for a venti, and it doesn’t even include whipped cream. (According to the Starbucks website, even their lite Frappuccino somehow contains 23g of sugar.) So here is an incredibly-realistic copycat Starbucks Frappuccino recipe that is both cheaper and much healthier: (Serves 2) 2 cups milk of choice1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract2 tsp instant coffee (I use Mt. Homemade Starbucks Frappuccino recipe: Mix the ingredients together in 1 or 2 shallow plastic containers. Click for: Starbucks Frappuccino Nutrition Facts. Also, I calculated that this recipe makes eight drinks for the price of about $3! Healthy Recipes. Homemade Coffee Creamer. My friends tell me the one thing they can’t give up is their flavored coffee creamer.
I can understand. Creamy, sweet, smooth, with all sorts of different flavors to choose from. The problem is the ingredients. Have you ever read what’s in those bottles? They are full of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. So if you’re hooked on store-bought creamer then today’s your day. Next time you have friends over for a gathering, make a few batches of homemade coffee creamer, put them in cute bottles and have a coffee bar. A great alternative to regular coffee is herbal coffee.
*Since posting these recipes in September 2010, I have developed a few new recipes: Caramel Coffee Creamer and Honey Vanilla Coffee Creamer, Sugar Free and Dairy Free Coffee Creamer **Teeccino contains barley, so if you need to avoid gluten an organic decaf would be a better option. Homemade Coffee Creamer: Cinnamon Strudel Ingredients.
Springy, fluffy marshmallows. The first time I made marshmallows, well, I don’t think saying “it was a mess” adequately describes it.
Oh, the marshmallows were successful; they even looked and tasted like marshmallows, but yours truly? I ended up in a tangled web of marshmallow strings. It all went south when I couldn’t resist the urge to scrape down the paddle and bowl (anyone else an obsessive bowl scraper? I cringe when things go to waste). The paddle was gunked to the bowl and the scraper was glued to the paddle and then — and it is my duty to implore you not to do this at home — you think, “well, I’ll just wipe off the paddle with my index finger” and then your index finger gets knit to the scraper and then you think “well, let me use my other finger to wipe this one off” and all of a sudden, you’ve got strands of marshmallow strung from each finger to the bowl, the mixer, the paddle, the scraper, each corner of the pan, your shirt, the floor and then your husband comes home just as you’re pleading “help!
Crescent Rolls and Cinnamon Rolls: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free. Hehehe…Score 2 in my new adventures of gluten-free, dairy/casein-free and egg-free baking!!
This is my submission for The Gluten-Free Baking Challenge which Shauna and Danny Ahern are hosting over at Gluten-Free Girl.com, so be sure to pay them a visit so you can see all the amazing gluten-free baked goods being shared across the web for Thanksgiving. There has been so much to be thankful for in our gluten-free community this year and I am one very proud glutadoodle! :-D One thing in particular that I am thankful for this year is Shauna and Danny’s amazing new cookbook, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes (which I highly recommend, it is a great teaching cookbook and I’ve already bought 8 copies of it for my friends!). You can read my review of the cookbook and see a few of Shauna and Danny’s creations I’ve made here.