Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger: Chocolate Covered Katie

Snickerdoodle Blondies and Chocolate Chip Blondies

I discovered healthy dessert blogger, Katie at Chocolate Covered Katie, on Pinterest in November when I made her irresistible Chocolate Pumpkin Pizookie! When it came time for the November Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, hosted this month by Kalinda at Wheat Free, Meat Free, I knew I was going to adopt Katie. While Chocolate Covered Katie is not a gluten-free blog, the blog is easy to search for gluten-free recipes.

I have a huge sweet tooth and am intrigued by all of the healthy dessert recipes Katie posts. My experiences trying her recipes have always been positive. I indulge my sweet tooth, knowing that I'm eating healthier desserts without tasting it!

I recently made two of Katie's healthy blondie recipes - Chocolate Chip Blondies and Snickerdoodle Blondies. The Chocolate Chip variety tastes heavenly and like a classic blondie should. The Snickerdoodle variety is more fudgy than the Chocolate Chip variety, but it tastes equally as delicious!

Once you take a bite of either of these blondies, you'll have no idea that they are gluten-free, low calorie, and high in omega-3. Or, that they are flourless and the secret ingredient is white beans! I've used both garbanzo beans and great Northern white beans, which both work fantastically.

I have a few more recipes from Katie pinned to try someday, including Gooey PB&J Blondies, Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies, and Cookie Dough Dip. I'm confident they will all be amazingly delicious!

In previous Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger events I've made:
·Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen - Black Bean Cupcakes
·Shirley at Gluten Free Easily - Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits
·Carol at Simply...Gluten Free - Cherry Cola Ribs
·Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures - Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread

·Elana at Elana's Pantry - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

·Brittany at Real Sustenance - Chana Masala, Lemon Zested Carrot "Fries," and Thai Peanut Noodles

·Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom - Power Truffles and Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

·Jeanine at The Baking Beauties - Wonderful Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger October 2011 Roundup

I enjoyed hosting the October 2011 event of Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger. This was a great month of adoptions with a wide variety of delicious gluten-free recipes including bread, beverages, desserts, and lots of pumpkin!


"...this bread was divine."

Kalinda of Wheat Free Meat Free adopted Diane of Gluten Free Foodie Heaven and made Parmesan-Herb Focaccia.

Recipe: Parmesan-Herb Focaccia



"...it's better than Udi's!"



I at As Good As Gluten adopted Jeanine of The Baking Beauties and made Wonderful Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread.

Recipe: Wonderful Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

"Make this pumpkin butter!"

Heather of Gluten-Free Cat adopted Shirley of Gluten Free Easily and made Pumpkin Butter. Which was then used as the main ingredient to make Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars and Velvety Pumpkin Spice “Latte”.

Recipes: Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars

Velvety Pumpkin Spice “Latte”

"perfect to add to your Holiday sweets..."

Gretchen of The Gluten Free Edge adopted Elana of Elana's Pantry and made Cranberry Orange Biscotti and Cinnamon Coffee Cake.

Recipes: Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe is from Elana's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

"it's every bit as satisfying..."

Lexie of Lexie's Kitchen adopted Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs and made Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Nog.

Recipe: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Nog

"...love the easy approach to Horchata."

Valerie of City Life Eats adopted Debi of Hunter's Lyonesse and made Horchata and Pumpkin Pie "Milk" Shake.

Recipe: Horchata and Pumpkin Pie "Milk" Shake

"...loved this recipe."

Sea of A Book of Yum adopted Kalinda and Larissa of Wheat Free Meat Free and made Not their Grandma's Tomato Pie.

Recipe: Not their Grandma's Tomato Pie

We had one more adoption this month, Shirley of Gluten Free Easily adopted Hallie of Daily Bites. Shirley apologizes that she couldn't get her adoption post up in time due to travel. So, we'll stay tuned for it in November.

For the November Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event, the host is Kalinda of Wheat Free Meat Free. I recently discovered Kalinda's blog when she started occasionally featuring me in her weekly Gluten-Free, Vegetarian Roundup. Every week it covers a wide variety of delicious recipes from fellow bloggers. I encourage you to check out Kalinda's blog and stay tuned for her to post the adoption sign-ups.

-Lauren

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger: The Baking Beauties

Wonderful Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

I'm very excited to be hosting this month's Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event. One of the "privileges" of hosting is having first dibs on who I'd like to adopt. I had the perfect blogger in mind...Jeanine of The Baking Beauties. I really enjoy reading Jeanine's blog. Her posts are well written, her pictures are always of high quality, and her recipes are mouthwatering!

The one recipe I had to try this month was Jeanine's Wonderful Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread. I tried making her bread recipe in the spring, but it flopped because I took it out of the oven too soon. The flavor was great so I new the recipe had potential, but I had been postponing trying the recipe again. Instead, I kept buying Udi's.

This time, I learned from my mistake earlier this year and followed the recipe very closely. The only change I made is that I used more potato starch to substitute for the tapioca starch. This time, I proofed my yeast for 5 minutes. This time, I dusted off my paddle hook for my pink KitchenAid stand mixer. This time, I let the bread dough rise in a 170˚ degree oven. Look, it really did rise!! (Please excuse the poor iPhone quality and kitchen lighting picture!)

 
After baking in the oven for 40 minutes in a butter greased, parchment paper lined pan, the bread was done! Take a look again at the delicious final product.

It lives up to my standards and is As Good As Gluten. It's even as good as Udi's. Actually, it's better than Udi's - the flavor and the texture! I'm so happy to no longer have to shell out $6 for half a loaf of frozen gluten-free bread at the store.

My husband always has the best comments about the gluten-free foods I bake. After I gave him a sample, he said, "That is damn good bread. Heck, even I would eat that bread. There is no aftertaste." Since I knew how good this bread was, I only gave him a small sample. He quickly asked for another bite, in which I responded, "No, you cannot have another bite. That is MY bread. You have your gluten bread from the store that you just had to have. This is all mine!"

I've enjoyed this bread in all ways possible - straight out of the oven with butter, smothered with homemade strawberry jam the next day, and (as the name suggests) as sandwich bread. Every way was delicious.

This bread definitely earns the word wonderful in its name. It's made out of healthy gluten-free ingredients. I know what's in it, and it is not all starch and sugar. The texture is perfect; it's like REAL bread! Oh, and the flavor. The flavor is phenomenal!

I'm beyond ecstatic with this recipe find. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jeanine!

Recipe: Wonderful Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

In previous Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger events I've made:
·Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen - Black Bean Cupcakes
·Shirley at Gluten Free Easily - Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits
·Carol at Simply...Gluten Free - Cherry Cola Ribs
·Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures - Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread

·Elana at Elana's Pantry - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

·Brittany at Real Sustenance - Chana Masala, Lemon Zested Carrot "Fries," and Thai Peanut Noodles

·Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom - Power Truffles and Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Sign-Up for October 2011

I'm very excited to host the Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event this month on behalf of the event's founder, Sea at A Book of Yum. I first became aware of the event when I was by Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen in February 2011. I February, I decided to return the favor and adopt Kelly to learn what Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger was all about. I've participated almost monthly since I learned about the event, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The event is a great way to meet new gluten-free bloggers and try new recipes. For me, it's a opportunity that will hold me accountable to finally trying some of the recipes that I have pinned in my "recipes to try" file.

Below is a summary of all of the delicious recipes I've made by participating in the Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event.

·Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen - Black Bean Cupcakes
·Shirley at Gluten Free Easily - Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits
·Carol at Simply...Gluten Free - Cherry Cola Ribs
·Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures - Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread

·Elana at Elana's Pantry - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

·Brittany at Real Sustenance - Chana Masala, Lemon Zested Carrot "Fries," and Thai Peanut Noodles

·Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom - Power Truffles and Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

To sign-up for this month's Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, follow the guidelines below.

1) Pick a gluten-free blogger whose recipes you admire and adopt them by commenting on this post with your name and blog name, and the name and blog name of the blogger you are adopting.

Please note: Blogger's recipes must be all gluten-free or have a way to sort and read ONLY gluten-free recipes. Please pick a different blogger every time you participate. Please pick a blogger that has not been adopted yet this month!

2) Pick one (or two!) of your gluten-free blogger's recipes to try.

3) Make the recipe, photograph it, and write a post in your blog introducing the blogger and his/her recipe.

Please note: Follow the recipe as written, as closely as possible. And, please don't print the blogger's recipe on your post - just provide your reader a link to the original blogger's recipe. Provide a link to this event announcement page in your adoption post.

4) Email me at asgoodasgluten[at]gmail[dot]com with your photo of the recipe, the URL of your post, name of the recipe, and the URL of the original blogger's recipe post. Please size your photo to be a maximum of 500 pixels wide.

5) After your post is published, post your post's URL in a comment to this post. If possible, please try to visit two other blogger's posts that are posted here (and comment!). The goal is to make this event more interactive and fun!

Deadlines:

Sign-up BEFORE October 28 (loose deadline; late sign-ups are ok)

Post your review and email me before November 4 (firm deadline)

If you don't have a blog, you are still welcome to adopt a gluten-free blogger. Sign-up to adopt a blogger, write a review of one of his/her recipes, including your name (or pen name), the recipe URL, and recipe title. Then, take a photo of the completed recipe (if you can) and EMAIL ME the review and photo. I will create a special page just for our non-blogging participants and post it for you.

Now for the fun part, the adoption sign-ups!

Adoption Sign-Up Sheet:

1. Jeanine of The Baking Beauties (adopted by ME - Lauren of As Good As Gluten)

2. Diane of Gluten Free Foodie Heaven (adopted by Kalinda of Wheat Free Meat Free)
3. Kalinda of Wheat Free Meat Free (adopted by Sea of A Book of Yum)
4. Elana of Elana's Pantry (adopted by Gretchen of The Gluten Free Edge)
5. Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs (adopted by Lexie of Lexie's Kitchen)
6. Debi of Hunter's Lyonesse (adopted by Valerie of City Life Eats)
7. Shirley of Gluten Free Easily (adopted by Heather of Gluten-Free Cat)
8. Hallie of Daily Bites (adopted by Shirley of Gluten Free Easily)
9. You pick!

I'm looking forward to seeing all of the adoptions this month!

- Lauren

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger: Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom

Gluten-Free Power Truffles

Click here for recipe
A few months ago, Shirley of Gluten Free Easily adopted Heidi of Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom for the Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event. Shirley turned Heidi's Gluten-Free Power Sticks into Gluten-Free Power Truffles. When I decided to adopt Heidi for September's Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event, I knew I had to try this recipe.

Not only are these Gluten-Free Power Truffles quick and easy to make, they are nutritious and satisfying. I have to agree with Shirley that these truffles taste good before they are frozen, but they taste even better after they are frozen. I packed some Power Truffles for lunch one day (for one of those super busy, work through lunch type of days), and I was shocked to find myself completely full after only 5 or 6 truffles.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Click here for recipe

I've finally accepted that fall weather has arrived. Fall is one of my favorite seasons (as well as spring and summer), but I dread what comes after fall - winter. Now that I'm no longer in denial of fall's arrival, I'm taking full advantage of cooking fall recipes (and loving every minute of it). 

Heidi's Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal was a great breakfast for a cool, fall morning. To save on cooking time, I cut the recipe in half and cooked it on high in a 2.5qt slow cooker for one and a half hours. I enjoyed this flavorful and hearty breakfast; however, I thought it could be sweeter. I stirred in some brown sugar before serving to balance out the flavors. 

In previous Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger events I've made:

·Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen - Black Bean Cupcakes
·Shirley at Gluten Free Easily - Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits
·Carol at Simply...Gluten Free - Cherry Cola Ribs
·Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures - Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread

·Elana at Elana's Pantry - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

·Brittany at Real Sustenance - Chana Masala, Lemon Zested Carrot "Fries," and Thai Peanut Noodles

Adopt a GF Blogger: Real Sustenance

I love Brittany's Blog Real Sustenance and frequently participate in her Seasonal Sundays recipe link-up. Seasonal Sundays is my favorite recipe link-up; I've tried a lot of great recipes that are featured. What I love about Real Sustenance is that Brittany writes and posts delicious and trustworthy recipes. Trustworthy may sound like an odd word to describe recipes, but I know that Brittany puts a lot of effort into the recipes she writes, trials, and posts.

Case in point - Brittany's recipe for Easy Gluten-Free/Vegan Quick Bread Base with Endless Flavor Possibilities. She made 10 loaves in 24 hours in order to perfect the recipe! Once she posted it, I immediately went into my kitchen and made Brittany's Banana Chai GF Quick Bread. And, it was perfect - the aroma was mouthwatering, the texture was moist, and the flavor was delicious.

When the July Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event opened up, I was excited to finally get a chance to adopt Real Sustenance and try some of Brittany's recipes I've had bookmarked for awhile. All three recipes I tried were fantastic!

Chana Masala (Chickpea-Tomato Indian Curry)
Click here for recipe

All I can say about this recipe is WOW!! It's incredibly healthy and packed full of wonderful, delicious Indian-inspired flavor. I served over brown rice, and it's a new meal I frequently crave.

In May's Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, Kalina at Wheat Free Meat Free adopted Brittany at Real Sustenance and made Chana Masala (Chickpea-Tomato Indian Curry). It looked absolutely delicious, despite the fact that I haven't eaten a lot of Indian food before and had no idea what flavor to expect. I was so intrigued by the recipe that I immediately bought the ingredients and made Chana Masala (Chickpea-Tomato Indian Curry) for dinner the next night. WOW!! This recipe is so incredibly good and packed full of wonderful flavor and spice.

Orange Lemon-Zested Carrot "Fries"
Click here for recipe

Mike didn't care for this recipe as his exact words were "Carrots aren't meant to be French Fries." I, however, think this recipe has great potential if you follow the recipe completely (oops!). I forgot to broil the carrot fries at the end of the baking time, so some of my carrot "fries" were chewy. But, the flavor was excellent and reminded me of sweet potato fries! I made two substitutions - I used lemon zest instead of orange zest and extra virgin olive oil instead of coconut oil.

Thai Peanut Noodles
Click here for recipe

A-MAZ-ING!! I had to pull myself away from the pan to prevent myself from eating the entire batch in one sitting. I love the sweetness from the peanut butter, crunchiness from the peanuts, and the hint of heat from the chili sauce. I added sliced green onions on top that complemented the dish well. Next time I make this, which will be very soon, I'm going to try mixing in shredded chicken and diced bell peppers or zucchini. If you try this, I promise you'll absolutely love it. As an added bonus, it only took 15 minutes top to prepare!

In previous Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger events I've made:
·Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen - Black Bean Cupcakes
·Shirley at Gluten Free Easily - Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits
·Carol at Simply...Gluten Free - Cherry Cola Ribs
·Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures - Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread
·Elana at Elana's Pantry - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger: Elana's Pantry

For the June Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, hosted by Celiacs in the House, I adopted Elana at Elana's Pantry. Not only does she have a top-notch blog full of a wide variety of delicious recipes and gluten-free information, but she is also (according to me) the Queen of Gluten-Free Cupcakes with a new Gluten-Free Cupcakes cookbook available. Many well-respected gluten-free bloggers have reviewed Elana's cookbook and tried a few of her recipes, and they all have had nothing but great things to say.

Since I love flourless recipes and the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, it was only fitting that I chose to bake Elana's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (which only require 7 common pantry ingredients, bonus!). I substituted honey instead of agave and omitted the salt because I used salted roasted peanuts.

My batch of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes baked perfectly with great flavor and texture. As you can see from the non-frosted cupcake in my picture, my gluten-free AND flourless cupcakes did not sink (yay!!)! These cupcakes remind me of my all-time favorite candy - Reese's. I frosted my cupcakes with a Chocolate Powdered Sugar frosting - absolutely delectable!

In previous Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger events I've made:
·Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen's Black Bean Cupcakes
·Shirley at Gluten Free Easily's Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits
·Carol at Simply...Gluten Free's Cherry Cola Ribs
·Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

For the May Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event (hosted this month by Z's Cup of Tea), I decided to adopt Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures.  I've had a wide variety of Lynn's recipes bookmarked ranging from main dishes to desserts.  I love Lynn's blogs because she showcases a wide variety of delicious recipes that are easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and packed full of flavor. In May, I made Lynn's Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Mexican Chicken Lasagna, and Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread. Each one of these recipes is delicious!

Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Click here for recipe

You won't find a boxed pudding that is more flavorful than this homemade pudding recipe. I served over a layer of bananas with a spoonful of whipped cream on top for a delicious Faux-Banana Cream Pie Pudding Dessert.

I had no idea you could make homemade pudding from scratch until I came across Lynn's recipe for Homemade Vanilla Pudding. Even though it does take a little longer to prepare than boxed pudding, it is worth it for the natural ingredients and great flavor. Plus, it only took us 10 minutes - start to finish. I didn't have any cream, so I used all skim milk for the liquid and it still turned out well. I also used pure Mexican vanilla, which added a great vanilla flavor.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna
Click here for recipe

My husband and I love Mexican dishes, and this is a new favorite for us! We love the mild spice from the green enchilada sauce and the great texture and flavor of the chicken, black beans, and cheese layer.

When Lynn posted her recipe for Mexican Chicken Lasagna in March, I immediately bookmarked it. It sounded absolutely delicious, and it combined quite a few ingredients that I love. I'm so glad I decided to try this recipe because it is fantastic. Mike even agreed - "This is good. Really, really good actually!"

Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread
Click here for recipe
I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sunday

There aren't too many cornbread recipes that I like, but this cornbread recipe is really, really good! It's moist and flavorful with corn, cheese, and green chilies.

Last week, we had a cold, rainy day. Mike made Steak 'n Shake Chili with Venison, and I made the perfect accompaniment - Lynn's Green Chili and Cheese Cornbread. We both really liked the cornbread, and it will now be our go-to recipe for cornbread. Next time I make it, I'm going to increase the heat level by adding chopped jalapenos in place of the green chilies.


This month, I cooked my way through a few of Lynn's recipes I've been wanting to try. However, I didn't get to them all and have the following recipes on my list for another time: Nut Free Homemade Granola, Mounds Bar Pie, Homemade Peppermint Patties, and Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal.

In previous Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger events I've made:
Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen's Black Bean Cupcakes
Shirley at Gluten Free Easily's Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits
Carol at Simply...Gluten Free's Cherry Cola Ribs

Adopt a GF Blogger: Simply...Gluten-Free's Cherry Cola Ribs

When I came across Carol's recipe for Cherry Cola Ribs in January, I bookmarked the recipe and immediately challenged my mom to another Cooking Showdown (you can check out the outcome of our Ultimate Rib Cooking Showdown here). We decided to wait until Easter to have the official Rib Showdown, and the timing worked out perfectly for the April Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Event hosted by Sea at Book of Yum.

If you haven't already, you must visit Carol's blog - Simply...Gluten-Free. Carol's recipes are delicious and her photography is beyond phenomenal. Her photos alone will have you drooling! I love Carol's recipes because they are semi-gourmet, yet simple and budget-friendly enough for the everyday person to make.

Cherry Cola Ribs
click here for recipe 

Carol's Cherry Cola Ribs are truly phenomenal! These ribs didn't last more than a few minutes with my large family - we all absolutely loved them. And, this recipe even beat my mom's awesome rib recipe in our Rib Cooking Showdown (sorry, Mom!). The flavor profile is sweet and the cherry cola flavor comes through quite well, and there is even a bit of a kick to it. It's only been a few days since I made these ribs, but my family is craving them again. This award-winning recipe is most definitely a keeper!

I followed Carol's recipe as closely as I could, but I did make a few modifications. First, I used boneless ribs because it's what I prefer. Second, I searched 3 grocery stores in 2 different states for garlic chili sauce, but I could not find it. For a substitution, I added tomato paste, chili powder, and minced garlic to the glaze. I didn't keep track of how much of each substitute ingredient I added, but I kept checking the flavor and adjusted the ingredients to taste. The outcome was fantastic!

In previous Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger events I've made:
Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen's Black Bean Cupcakes
Shirley at Gluten Free Easily's Flourless Pizza Crust AND Garlic Cheese Biscuits

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sundays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger: Gluten Free Easily

Last month was my first month participating in the "Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger" event. It was a lot of fun and “introduced” me to more fantastic GF bloggers! This month’s adoption is hosted by the creator of this great event – Sea at Book of Yum. I was anxiously awaiting the announcement of the March adoption because I knew exactly who I wanted adopt – Shirley at Gluten Free Easily (GFE). 

I've been following (and admiring) Shirley's blog and great recipes since I first became GF. I also recently nominated Shirley for the Versatile Blogger Award. To understand why I nominated her, all you need to do is look at her GFE Recipes page. I definitely have Shirley to thank for my Super Easy Pie Crust recipe. I only made one slight modification to her No Roll Never Fail Press in GF Pie Crust recipe, which is such an easy, delicious, and versatile recipe!

I've had fun making Shirley's recipes, and they all definitely live up to her name - Gluten Free Easily!

Flourless Pizza
click here for recipe

I’ve had Shirley’s Flourless Pizza recipe on my list to try for a few months. When I first saw the recipe, I was intrigued but hesitant to try Flourless Pizza crust. I finally got around to making it last weekend and am so glad I did. I made a sausage and onion Flourless Pizza and it tastes fantastic; definitely As Good As Gluten!

I loved Mike's quotes as he was eating a slice. After his first bite, he said "Oh my gosh, this is amazing!" After he was done, he exclaimed "That was delicious! Good work!" I must say that I feel the same way!

Here’s what the crust looks like after baking it in the oven for 20 minutes.

And, here’s what the final Flourless Pizza looks like after the crust has cooled and has been baked again with the toppings.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits
click here for recipe

Another GFE recipe I’ve had on my list is Garlic Cheese Biscuits. My husband loves Red Lobster, but I think we’ve only been there once together (there are limited options for someone like me who is GF and not a big seafood fan!). Mike’s been making fish for Friday night dinners during Lent, which provided a great opportunity to finally make Garlic Cheese Biscuits. I followed Shirley's recipe and took her advice in her "notes" section by adding the minced garlic to the biscuit batter before baking and omitting the extra butter.

These Garlic Cheese Biscuits are so flavorful, moist, and delicious!! And, of course, As Good As Gluten. This recipe is definitely going to be a new staple in our home, as there are so many dishes these biscuits would go well with!

I've also shared this recipe on: Seasonal Sundays

Gluten-Free Blogger Adoption - Black Bean Cupcakes

I recently learned about "Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger," and this month I was excited to be adopted by Kelly at 18 Hour Kitchen. Honestly, I was shocked, excited, and truly honored to learn someone in blogger-world adopted me! I hadn't heard of Kelly's blog until she adopted me. So, I quickly checked it out and decided I was going to adopt Kelly in return. I love the recipes on her blog and was anxious to try a few.

I love flourless dessert recipes, so when I saw Kelly's recipe for Black Bean Cupcakes I knew this was the recipe I just had to try. You can visit Kelly's blog - 18 Hour Kitchen - by clicking here for her Black Bean Cupcake recipe.

I only made one modification - since I'm not sugar-free, I used regular sugar. I frosted my cupcakes with chocolate cocoa frosting, and let me tell you these cupcakes are SO rich, moist, delicious, and chocolaty. I was hesitant to bake with black beans, but you can't even taste them! They even passed my as good as gluten test - my husband said they were good!

Unfortunately, my cupcakes sunk in the middle. I think this is because I either whisked the batter too long or didn't cook them long enough. But, there is a silver lining to sunk cupcakes! It makes a nice little pool where you can add even more frosting! Who doesn't love extra frosting?!

Have you ever baked with black beans? If so, how did your dessert turn out?
 In case you're wondering, what is Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger? Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger, hosted this month by Lexie's Kitchen, is a monthly online event where you adopt a GF blogger who's recipes you'd like to try, try one of her recipes, and then blog about it.