Product Review ~ Glennys Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

After a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend, it's been really COLD and really RAINY here in Upstate NY. Ugh. I so want the sun to come out. Yes, I know, we need the rain. Can I help it if I prefer sunny days in the 80's?

Well, with all of the rain, it's been a good week for shopping. I took a trip with my mom to The Christmas Tree Shop in Colonie Center in Albany, NY. Boy! Did I ever hit the jackpot on gf food! Who knew? I had no idea how many gf goodies they stock! I bought many items that I haven't ever seen before.

I opened the first item while we were still in the store parking lot!

"Glennys All Natural, Non-Dairy, Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies". The box reads "Moist & Chewy" and they definitely are that. These little gems taste like homemade oatmeal cookies. I purchased the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip version and they are so good I'm sorry I didn't pick up a box of the Oatmeal Raisin to try! The only problem I had with these cookies is that they are small and there aren't enough in the package! LOL! I picked up these babies for the bargain price of $2.99. I think there were a dozen cookies in the box...to tell you the truth, I forgot to count them before I inhaled several of them! I will definitely be going back to CTS to get more of these soon!

I will be reviewing some of my other gf purchases in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I've been meaning to post this for over a week now, but things have just been so busy that it took me that long to get the photo out of my camera on to the computer! A good friend of mine came for dinner a couple of Fridays ago and I served Mr. Food's Flourless Chocolate Cake. Mr. Food has a cooking spot on our local news at noon here in the Albany area. I saw him demonstrate this recipe and knew that I would just have to try it! Well. It was awesome. Very, very, very rich. If you are a true chocoholic, you will love it. It's oooey, gooey! Kind of like a cross between fudge, chocolate pudding and brownie. This is what it looked like fresh out of the oven. The center doesn't set all the way and you have to refrigerate it for a while so that it will firm up.

And here is the finished product...all decorated with whipped cream and strawberries.

If you are looking for that chocolate "fix", then try this easy to make chocolate cake!

An Attitude of Gratitude

Happy first weekend of May! It's a little chilly here in the Northeast, 60 degrees but cloudy and breezy. Still, everything is blooming (especially my allergies!) and the grass is really, really green! I logged in this morning to find that Kimberly of Gluten-Free Is Life had nominated me for "An Attitude of Gratitude" award! Wow! Thank you Kim, you really made my day. It makes me happy to think that maybe, just maybe, someone gets some enjoyment out of what I write. I was nominated along with nine other great Gluten-Free bloggers. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in November of 2007 and have been living gluten-free ever since. It was very hard at first. Especially because I had always loved to dine out in restaurants. What the heck was I supposed to do now? No fried food. No burgers on a bun. No stopping in the mall food court for a slice of pizza. Oh no, is there gluten in the movie popcorn? Would my family have to suffer because of my new "disability"? I was so confused at first. Then I began to find wonderful bloggers who were gluten-free and seemed to have it all down to a science. I realized that it could be done and that it even could be fun. Learning how to cook new meals. Learning what restaurants had gluten-free menus. I'll never forget baking my first loaf of gluten-free bread! It smelled and tasted wonderful! I wish to nominate the following Gluten-Free bloggers for Attitude of Gratitude Awards: (in no particular order) Easy Gluten-Free Baking - Elizabeth Barbone, author of "Easy Gluten-Free Baking" has a wonderful blog with recipes, reviews and tips. And, well, her recipes are to die for! Kat's GF Kitchen - Kat gives great GF product and restaurant reviews. A Year of Crockpotting - Stephanie "The Crockpot Lady" has wonderful, easy recipes. All are or can be made gluten-free! Dust off your crockpots and have a ball! A month after I had been diagnosed, I began having trouble with the discs in my neck and found that I needed surgery. I've had my ups and downs with recovery and am still trying to find my way through life with aches and pains I've never had before. During this time, I have found hope and inspiration reading the following blog that I also wish to nominate: Live Love Laugh - Blogger Lacie Heiser's inspiring journey through Chiari surgery. I have known Lacie personally for several years. I have great respect for her strength and spirit. She is always reaching out to help others who are dealing with their own challenges. Thanks, Lacie. Your instructions are: * put the logo on your blog or post * nominate at least 10 blogs that show an an attitude of gratitude (*note* I was only able to come up with four, but they are a fantastic four...don't you think?) * link to your nominees within your post * comment on their blogs to let them know they’ve received this award * share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award * tell us how you’ve come to have an attitude of gratitude

When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Lemonade!