I decided to make a completely homemade this. I was inspired when I saw a youtube video of Ben Starr (those who watched will know who he is) making a pumpkin pie using nothing from a can. I was mesmerized as I watched him and knew immediately I must tackle this project!

1. Gluten Free Products At Publix

Today I set out to buy a pumpkin. According to Ben Starr you can use either a large pumpkin or a pie pumpkin for his recipe.I drove to at lunch to find not a single pumpkin. I knew there was another Publix a couple of miles away so I drove over to that one, but again no at all. I was frustrated so I asked the manager to check to see if they had any in the back. He called his produce manager who said he had been trying to order them, but no luck in getting them. I had about given up and was heading to Whole Foods because I figured if anyone would have them they would. I happened to pass one more Publix on the way and decided to try them one last time.

To my delight when I walked into the store there was a small basket centered around some hay bails containing 7 pie pumpkins. I grabbed two of them and hurried to the cashier with my bounty. Who knew it would be so difficult to find pumpkins after Halloween? Was there some sort of pumpkin shortage I didn’t know about? I remember they were scattererd all over the stores in October, but apparently those who want them in November to make pumpkin pie are on a wild goose chase to find these beauties.For those that want to traverse the stores in search of pumpkin here is the recipe I’ll be using this year (revised to be gluten-free).To make pumpkin puree preheat oven to 350F. Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and strings.

Place pumpkin cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and fill pan with 1/2 c water. Bake for 30 minutes for sugar pumpkins and up to 90 minutes for larger pumpkins.

When it is ready the pumpkin should look collapsed and should be soft when you touch it with a wooden spoon. Remove the pumpkin and let cool.

Scrape flesh out with a spoon and puree in a food processor until smooth. Pour puree onto a clean towel and pat down gently for 5 minutes with towel to remove excess water.Crust (enough to make 2 crusts):2 1/2 c gluten-free or flour blend1 tsp1/2 tsp salt1 T3/4 c shortening1T rice vinegar4T ice water1 large egg slightly beatenMix flour, salt, xanthan gum and sugar in a bowl.

Cut in shortening until coarse crumbs form. In another bowl beat vinegar and egg with a forkd. Add ice water and then stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until dough forms a ball.

Work with your hands to obtain a smooth texture and add more ice water if dough is still too crumbly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight. Divide dough in half and roll each ball between 2 sheets of wax paper until it is about 2 inches wider than a deep dish pie plate. Remove top layer of wax paper and place your pie plate onto your dough. Gently flip your dough over so it rests in the pie plate.

Flute the edges of the crust with your fingers. Prick bottom crust with fork and then prebake in 450F oven for 10-15 minutes.

Put crust in fridge while you make the filling.Filling Ingredients:2c pumpkin puree1 1/2 c heavy cream1/2 c firmly packed dark brown sugar2 large eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk1/3 c granulated sugar1/2 tsp salt2 tsp cinnamon1 T ground ginger1 T ground cardamom1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg1/2 tsp ground cloves1/2 tsp ground allspicePresheat oven to 425F. Whisk filling ingredients together until smooth. Pour filling into unbaked crust and bake in center of oven for 15 minutes. Lower your oven to 350F and continue baking for 40 minutes. If crust begins to brown too much cover it with foil.

Test the pie center with a knife and if it comes out clean it is ready. If you get any streaks on your knife continue cooking for 5-10 minutes longer. Once done let pie cool completely and then refrigerate overnight. Let pie come back to room temperature before serving with a dollup of whipped cream! I have always loved english muffins. The way the butter seeps into the little crevices and softens the inner muffin while the outer muffin retains its crispy crunch has always been a special breakfast treat.

I’ve tried one other before and was not pleased with the texture, but thought I would give it a go again. I bought the variety today at. I had contacted Food for Life directly a while back and they sent me a package of manufactuers coupons to use on any of their products so after coupon these muffins were only $2.50 which is a great bargain for gluten-free bread items.Will these muffins meet up to my standards? After defrosting one in the microwave for about 30 seconds I separated it and put it in my toaster. The muffin didn’t get very brown in there, but maybe I should have tried to toast it longer.

I smothered it in butter and strawberry jam and tried my first bite. I was pleasantly surprised. The muffin tasted very similiar to what I had remembered an english muffin should taste like. One warning though.there are little sprouts sprinkled throughout the muffin so the texture of those is different.Happy Happy Joy Joy! I found a decent english muffin! My daughter is turning 5 years old in a few days so this Saturday is her birthday party. She wanted a cake with pink roses and strawberries.

She is very specific and knows what she likes! Since I am a horrible I opted to go with the vanilla cake loaded with.I didn’t want my Mom and I to be left out of the birthday sugar experience so I instructed my hubby to pick up one of the cake mixes so I can make some quick cupcakes. I just simply don’t have time to make a homemade gluten-free cake this time with everything that is going on and it is OKAY in my mind sometimes to take a shortcut if needed. I’ve tried these cake mixes before and they are good to use in a pinch.I’m also having my hubby pick up some ready made frosting and then I’ll dust them with some fun candy sprinkles.Sometimes life is busyrelax, and go with a box when you need to! As a member of I get to try new products and report back on my honest opinion. Since both my hubby and I have been exploring new lately I jumped at the chance to be part of this BzzAgent Campaign.

A few days ago I got my Black Box Wine kit in the mail which contained several rebate offers, magnets and some plastic wine glasses so I was all set to try this. My husband and I are no wine snobs. We are typically drawn to bottles of sweet wines like or Wise & Heimer’s Sweet Red (found at ) which are under $10 per bottle.After reviewing the types of wines Black Box offered we decided to try the; however my trip to yielded no Reisling since this kind was not on the shelf. I opted to try the for $23.99 per box instead. I have really enjoyed other Pinot Griogios by other wine makers so I had high hopes. After we let the wine chill for 24 hours we decided to try it out.My husband immediately made a sour face at his first sip so it was up to me to trudge through a complete glass before giving my opinion.

The box promised aromas of, pear and a dollop of fresh peach with juicy flavors of citrus and apples that lead to a finish that is bright and delicious. After I finished my glass of what tasted like watered down bitter wine, I was not impressed. The packaging had a nice pour spout with a button and one box is supposed to be equivalent to 4; however I was very disappointed in the lack of flavor and what I did taste was unappealing.The good news is wine is always gluten-free.the bad news is I wouldn’t purchase this one again. What is your favorite wine for under $10 per bottle?

Several weeks ago when my was acting up I started looking into foods that can aggravate it. It seems that there can be many triggers that can cause your tummy trouble like, and dairy. Since I don’t really ingest much caffeine and there was NO way in hades that I was giving up chocolate I decided to cut out of my diet. I had become accustomed to having a glass of the cow juice every morning with my breakfast either in a bowl with cereal or in a glass by itself. I had tasted soy milk before and I gotta say.NOT a fan! I decided to try some of this that I had been hearing so much about.

The “original” did not impress me. The smell and lack of flavor did nothing to win my over so I tried the “vanilla” flavor next. Okay.I can deal with this! It was creamy and I loved the hint of vanilla flavor. I have been drinking this brand now for a couple of weeks and I am happy to say my stomach has not had any bad reactions. As a matter of fact, my colitis hasn’t acted up in a while now.YIPPEE!I’m not sure if I have found the solution to all of my stomach issues, but for now I am loving the almond milk. I buy the Blue Diamond brand because it goes on sale quite frequently at and and coupons are usually very easy to find.

If you haven’t tried it yet check it out and let me know your thoughts.I just have one question though.do those little nuts have udders? I don’t know how they get the milk out of them, but my stomach is thankful! I was thrilled to see that is offering these bags of chips for $1.84 this week and with my $1 off coupon found in the 8/7/11 Red Plum newspaper insert.these puppies are just $.84 per bag!What is even better is that when I researched Kettle I found that these are in fact so I can enjoy them too! This is what their website states: Are your products gluten free?All Kettle Brand® Potato Chips (including our Kettle Brand® Baked, Organic, and Krinkle Cut™ Potato Chips) are gluten free and processed in a gluten free environment.There are many varieties to choose from including Sea Salt, Buffalo Blue and Classic Barbeque. My husband is fond of the Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper flavor.This gluten-free product deal is great cause to celebrate so head over to Publix armed with your coupons and get some bags before the sale ends on 9/21/11! I miss regular laden.

I miss the smell, texture and taste of it. I admit it.I was a lover of carbs. Muffins, biscuits, rolls, sandwiches were huge staples in my former gluten filled life. It was such a shock when I first tasted gluten-free bread. This is not the moist, soft bread I was used to.

Gluten Free Products At Publix

I tried the tapioca bread and the rice bread, but they tasted so dry and the slices tended to leave my stomach longing for something more.Finally I discovered Udi’s bread and bagels!This has been the best bread by far that I have come across. This bread is carried by Whole,. You will usually find in the health/organic section or with the frozen breads. So now I can enjoy a grilled cheese or a bagel slathered in cream cheese and strawberry jam! I have tried a couple of their muffins, but I find the ones I can make at home are more moist.Tell me your favorite gluten-free bread?