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Gluten Free Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Restaurant eating is one of the toughest things to maneuver when you are eating gluten free. We are usually left with few choices such as a meat with no sauce, a salad and plain veggies. As gratifying as it is to be able to eat in a restaurant with a gluten restriction, it is nearly excruciating to sit and watch your wheat eating friends devour the rolls, bread or biscuits! My mind won't stop thinking about that beautiful brown bread or the mouth-watering garlic cheese rolls and I have to bake some upon arriving home!
If your gluten free restaurant adventure leaves you feeling desperate for bread, try my much-requested, easy recipe for these soft, cheesy, garlic buttered biscuits!
You will need a food processor. There are many adaptations of this recipe on the Internet.
This is my version with the main flour ingredient being brown rice for nutritional value. If you have never baked gluten free, you will have to make a trip to the health food store for the flours and zanthan gum (made from corn and in many foods you've eaten like ice cream, sauces and salad dressings). Your initial purchase may seem a bit on the expensive side, but you will be able to create so much more than just one batch of these delicious biscuits. This flour mix can be used to make many gluten free breads and cookies! You'll find it is a much better value than trying to satisfy your gluten free bread desires with the pre-made versions on the shelves which come with an expensive price and a taste reminiscent of buttered cardboard!
Gluten Free Garlic Cheese Biscuits
½ cup potato starch
¾ cup brown rice flour
1 ¾ teaspoons Xanthan Gum
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup cold butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes (or favorite margarine substitute)
¾ cup buttermilk (or substitute by adding 1 tbsp white vinegar to ¾ cup regular milk and let sit 5 mins)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup butter (or favorite substitute)
¼ tsp garlic powder
While oven is preheating at 375 degrees F, spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray.
Using a regular blade on your food processor, pulse together the potato starch, brown rice flour, Xanthan Gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar; eight pulses, one second each.
Place butter pieces over the mixture and pulse processor 15 pulses or until mixture resembles large crumbs.
Pour buttermilk or substitute over the mixture. Pulse eight times or until dough rolls into a soft ball.
Add shredded cheddar cheese. Pulse 3 times or until cheese is distributed.

Diabetes - Foods To Eat And Avoid

What one eats is very important from the point of view of his health.
The chief concern while monitoring and controlling diabetes is to see that the sugar level does not cross the normal range. This means that one needs to cut down on certain types of food and consume regularly those foods, which are good at regulating diabetes.
People with diabetes should try to maintain a healthy weight and eat a diet that is:
« low in fat
« low in sugar
« low in salt
« high in fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day)
« high in starchy carbohydrate foods, such as bread, chapatti, rice.
There is no such food that people with diabetes should never eat. In addition, there is no need to cut out all sugar. But, people with diabetes should try and eat only small amounts of foods that are high in sugar, fat. So, if you have diabetes you can treat yourself to cakes and biscuits once a blue moon, as part of a balanced diet.
What foods to eat?
« A diabetic patient must eat lots of fruits and vegetables in which fibre content is very high. Such type of food lowers the requirement for insulin, the reason being it releases energy into the body cells slowly. A high fibre diet means more chromium, which is very helpful in the treatment of diabetes.
« As for vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger, radish, spinach, kale, cucumber, carrot, tomato, cabbage and cucumber are excellent in the treatment of diabetes. Moong, kidney beans which have been sprouted, and unripe banana which is cooked, are also recommended.
« Fenugreek seeds which have been soaked in water are good for diabetic patients.
« For fruits, take guava, Indian blackberry (jamun), fig, kiwi fruit, apples, citrus fruits and pomegranate juice. Let these things be a part of your morning breakfast. Since, fruit juice is high in fructose (fruit sugar) and can cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly, it's best for diabetics to drink fruit juice with a meal and avoid having more than one small glass a day.
« Replace white sugar with palm sugar, dates and honey, if you want to have something sweet.
« Unpolished rice, sprouted grain should be taken in moderate quantity.
« Fats like olive oil and peanut oil are good in diabetes.
« Drink plenty of water, at least 8 to 10 glasses per day.
« Single helping of fish or seafood, as it provides omega 3 fatty acids.
« Condiments such as pepper, chilli, mustard, herbs and spices.
« Raw vegetables need to be taken in large quantity, as cooked food raises the level of blood sugar fast.
« Eat non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese, plain yoghurt, avoid cottage cheese a sit is high in carbohydrates.
« Some herbs and vegetables are specifically prescribed for diabetes, like Bitter Gourd and bitter melon juice.
What to avoid?
« Processed foods, white sugar, white flour and junk food, must be totally given up. Avoid sweets, glucose, fruit sugar, cakes, ice cream, chocolates, soft drinks, cream and fried foods.
« Anything that contains harmful preservatives and too much salt should be avoided.
« Avoid smoking and alcohol.
« Try and abstain from sweets, ice-creams and chocolates, including the so-called sugar-free types.
« Foods made from white flour, rye, corn, polished rice, bread, pasta, pastry, cakes, biscuits, pies.
« Starchy vegetables such as potatoes in particular; and go easy with beet, carrots, peas, beans.
« Avoid concentrated dairy products, such as khoya, kheer, cheese, cottage cheese.
« Fruits such as bananas, mango, grapes, strawberry, custard apple, date.
« Cottage cheese (except in small amounts)
« Avoid commercially packaged foods such as fast foods, chips, ready-to-eat foods, snack foods and "health foods."
« Fruit juices, as these are much higher in carbohydrates than fresh fruit. Moreover, they also lack in dietary fibre.
A few helpful tips if eating out -
· Avoid items called jumbo, combo, giant, deluxe, as they tend to have more calories.
· Choose grilled, baked roasted or steamed food.
· Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit mock tails, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks
· Avoid creamy toppings, like mayonnaise. Add flavour with pepper, tomato, and onion.
· Watch out for high-fat topping salads, dressings, cheeses, and croutons.
· Choose a thin-crust pizza with extra vegetable toppings. Limit yourself to one or two slices. Keep off the extra cheese, which add calories, fat, and sodium.

Cheese and Crackers Gift Baskets - Gifts For Any Season

Snacking good, cheese and crackers gift baskets are delicious anytime. But, if you are looking for a gift for a special someone, they become scrumptious gift giving ideas.
Not only are cheese and crackers gift baskets tasty gifts for guy friends, they are gift ideas for mom and dad, best friend gift ideas and a family gift idea. They are also gifts for someone you just met, leaving a lasting impression of good taste.
Why are cheese and crackers gift baskets and food gift boxes, gifts for guy friends?
  • They are birthday gifts for your best guy friend.
  • Think of them as tasty snacks for hunting, fishing, backpacking trips and tailgate parties.
  • They are gifts of appreciation for a job well done.
Cheese and crackers gift baskets are fine gift ideas for mom and dad. The cutting boards that many of these food gift boxes come with are ideal for the mom and dads who gave up their backyards for RV living. Smaller gifts that can be utilized in tight spaces are complimentary to our gift giving needs.
Cheese and crackers gift baskets are well received by most anyone. Grandparents or moms and dads enjoy snack foods and these quality gourmet food gifts are a special way to send your love for any reason.
Delicious gourmet cheeses are best friend gift ideas. Showing special friends you care with quality gourmet gifts for birthdays, holidays or get well messages, keeps you in the good graces of your best friends.
The nice thing about cheese and crackers gift baskets are the solidity of the gift. Cheese has been a favorite food through the years. We use it as snacks for parties, family gatherings, and snacks for outings. They are a sure-fire hit for a family gift idea.
If you just met someone who helped you out of a bad situation, or you simply want to leave a good impression, cheese and crackers gift baskets are given in good taste. They make fine gifts of appreciation.
The tasty edible delights of cheese, sausage and crackers make gifts giving ideas easy. They are gifts for any season and for any reason. Jewel of a gift idea!