Some items to note: 1) Cadbury's Creme Eggs don't have gluten listed in their ingredients this year. Yay! 2) The original Reese's peanut butter eggs and even the small size do not have gluten in the ingredients. However, there is wheat flour in the the Reese's miniature candies that are foil-wrapped, including the mini Reester Bunnies. Boo!

I've done my best to make accurate updates, and will continue to do so as I find more this month. If you happen to find a mistake, or question the gluten safety of the candy, please add a comment below so everyone can read and benefit from the discussion. Thanks, and have a Happy Easter!]

So I’ve been shopping at our local discount and grocery stores for gluten-free Easter candy. You’ll find my list of Safe and Unsafe Candy below. My determination of “Safe Gluten-Free Candy” and “Unsafe Candy” is based solely on me reading package labels at the stores in my area. After each “unsafe” candy, I have noted why I chose to consider it unsafe. Whether it has gluten in the ingredients or the possibility of trace amounts due to cross-contamination,  you can decide for yourself. Please keep in mind that products do vary their packaging and labeling, so it’s always best if you read the labels yourself. However, I know sometimes that isn’t always possible, especially this time of year when our kids are going to community egg hunts. So, here’s what I found in our stores. I hope it helps and gives you peace of mind while you enjoy the “Safe” Easter candies.

Safe Gluten-Free Candy

Jelly Beans

• Gimbal’s Jelly Beans
• Jelly Belly Jelly Beans (including original and sour flavors)
• Just Born Jelly Beans (including original fruit flavored, licorice flavored (black), berry flavored, and spice flavored)
• Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans (including fruit smoothie flavors)
• Lifesaver Jellybeans
• Mike and Ike Jelly Beans
• Nerds Bumpy Jelly Beans (Wonka) (Be careful. This had cross-contamination warnings on the packages I found last year.)
• Russel Stover Pectin Jelly Beans
• Spree Jelly Beans (Cherry, Lemon and Green Apple)
• Starburst Jellybeans (original, tropical, and red fruits)
• SweeTart Jelly Beans (Be careful. This had cross-contamination warnings on the packages I found last year.)
• Teenee Beanee Jelly Beans (including Island Breeze, Americana Medley, and Country Retreat flavored packages)

Plastic Eggs Pre-filled with Candy

• Bee Flowers and Fairies Egg Hunt (includes Smarties, Super Bubble bubble gum, Taffy Werks, Jelly Bean Werks, and Lemonheads)
• Bee Sport Ball Eggs (includes Smarties, Super Bubble bubble gum, Taffy Werks, Jelly Bean Werks, and Lemonheads)
• Bee Noah’s Ark Easter Egg Hunt (includes Smarties, Super Bubble bubble gum, Taffy Werks, Jelly Bean Werks, and Lemonheads)
• Bug Collector Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Mmmm…Cupcakes Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Red Hots, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Peace and Love Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Red Hots, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Dress Up Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Farm Friends Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Game Time Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Red Hots, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Nighttime Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Outdoor Adventure Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Pet Shop Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Rainforest Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Speedster Cars Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
• Wonka Egg Hunt with a Golden Egg (includes Nerds, Laffy Taffy, and SweeTarts)
• Wonka Egg Hunt Zero Gravity (includes Nerds, Laffy Taffy, and SweeTarts)
• Wonka Egg Hunt Hard 2 Find (includes Nerds, Runts, and SweeTarts)

Other Easter Candy

• Almond Joy Eggs
• Andes Creme de Menthe Thins
• Brach’s Jelly Bean Nougats
• For Butterfinger candy, look under Nestle
• Cadbury Caramello Bunnies (as found Mar. 2009)
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bunny
• Cadbury hollow milk chocolate egg filled with Cadbury mini-eggs
• Cadbury mini-chocolate eggs – Royal Dark and Dairy Milk Chocolate
• Cadbury Creme Eggs — This year, the regular and mini eggs I found did not have gluten listed in the ingredients. (Last year “Glucose (wheat)” was listed in the ingredients. Many Celiacs consider the glucose, even from wheat, to be gluten-free due to all the processing.)
• Cadbury Caramel Eggs — This year, the regular and mini eggs I found did not have gluten listed in the ingredients. (Last year “Glucose (wheat)” was listed in the ingredients. Many Celiacs consider the glucose, even from wheat, to be gluten-free due to all the processing.)
• Cadbury Orange Creme Eggs
• Carousel Bubble Gum Eggs
• Carousel Easter Egg Surprise Lollipops (as found Mar. 2009)
• Charms Blow Pops and Blow Pop Minis
• Cry Baby Eggs
• Dairy Good Easter bunnies (chocolate flavored, foil-wrapped)
• Dairy Good Easter eggs (chocolate eggs)
• Dairy Good Chocolate and White Chocolate Crosses
• Disney Princess plastic eggs with candy and stickers inside
• Dove Chocolate Eggs (including milk chocolate, milk chocolate almond, peanut butter, and dark chocolate varieties)
• Dove Fairy Bunny hollow milk chocolate
• Dove Solid Chocolate Bunnies (both milk chocolate and dark chocolate varieties)
• Dove Truffle Eggs
• Dubble Bubble Eggs (egg-shaped bubble gum) and Speckled Bubble Gum
• Easter Bunny Egg-head family filled with Power Candy
• Farley’s Kiddie Mix includes Now & Laters, Jawbreakers, Super Bubble bubble gum, Tootsie Roll Midgees, Sassy Tarts and Smarties
• Florida Natural Healthy Treats fruit snacks eggs (as found Mar. 2009)
• Frankford Marshmallow Chicks and Bunnies
• Fun Dip (Wonka)
• Gimbal’s candies, all varieties (see allergen statement)
• Hershey’s milk chocolate eggs
• Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate eggs
• Hershey’s milk chocolate hollow egg with candy-coated milk chocolate eggs inside
• Hershey’s milk chocolate hollow Bunny
• Hershey’s candy-coated milk chocolate eggs
• Hershey’s Bliss milk chocolate eggs with a meltaway center
• Hershey’s Bliss dark chocolate eggs
• Hershey’s Bliss Hollow Milk Chocolate Bunny
• Hershey’s Solid Milk Chocolate Speedy Bunny and Princess Bunny
• Hershey’s Kisses
• Hershey’s Kisses filled with Caramel
• Hershey’s Kisses with Almond
• Hershey’s Marshmallow Eggs
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bunnies, Springtime Flowers, and Crosses
• Lifesaver hard candies – Original and Pastels
• Lifesaver Eggsortment (including jellybeans, gummies and pops)
• Lifesaver Gummies – Original, and Bunnies and Eggs
• Lindt white and dark chocolate bunnies as well as Lindt Chocolate Carrots did not have any gluten listed in the ingredients, but are at risk of cross-contamination. (See Lindt listing below.)
• Melster Chocolate Flavored Marshmallow Bunnies
• M&M’s — original, peanut, Speck-tacular Eggs, and Bunny Mix
• Mounds Eggs (as found Mar. 2009)
• Nestle’s Nest Eggs (Nestle’s Crunch Nest Eggs are not gluten-free.)
• Nestle’s milk chocolate Nest Eggs
• Nestle’s creamy caramel Nest Eggs
• Nestle’s Butterfinger chocolate Nest Eggs
• Nestle’s Butterfinger Creme Eggs
• Palmer’s Bunny Bites foil-wrapped eggs (includes both soft caramel and peanut butter flavors)
• Palmer’s Baby Binks hollow milk chocolate bunny
• Palmer’s Bunnyettes (milk chocolate)
• Palmer’s Butter Cream Flavored eggs
• Palmer’s Carrot Patch Pete (solid milk chocolate bunny)
• Palmer’s Fudge Filled Big Ears (foil-wrapped bunnies with big ears)
• Palmer’s Hollow Bunnies (milk flavored and milk chocolate flavored)
• Palmer’s Little Beauty milk chocolate bunny
• Palmer’s Milk Chocolate Flavored and premium milk chocolate eggs
• Palmer’s Peanut Butter Filled  chocolate eggs
• Palmer Poppin’ Rockin’ Egg (hollow egg filled with Pop Rocks)
• Palmer’s Soft Caramel Cups
• Palmer’s Super Sports Balls
• Palmer’s Quax hollow milk flavored candy duck (“The Yummy Ducky”) — Be careful with this one. In one store, this statement was included on the boxes: “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter and other tree nuts.” In other stores, this statement was not on the boxes. Made in different facilities?
• Peeps (all shapes and colors) — “Gluten Free”
• Peeps milk chocolate covered marshmallow
• PEZ candy
• Pixy Stix Green Grass (Wonka)
• Giant Pixy Stix (Wonka)
• Pop Rocks in plastic egg
• Reese’s Easter Assortment Eggs (including peanut butter eggs, white peanut butter eggs, and miniatures) – This does not include the foil-wrapped mini eggs, which do have gluten.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup minatures
• Reese’s Pieces Pastel Eggs
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs – large and small size, but not the foil-wrapped mini eggs (see Unsafe list below)
• Reese’s Reester Bunny — large size only, but not the mini-sized (see Unsafe list below)
• Ring pops
• Sixlets
• Skittles eggs and fun-size
• Smarties candy rolls “Contain none of the following: gluten (from wheat, barley, oats and rye), milk, egg, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soybeans.”
• Snickers mini’s
• Sour Patch Bunnies
• Starburst fruit chews – funsize
• Swedish Fish Eggs soft and chewy candy
• Sunny Seed Drops chocolate covered sunflower seeds
• Tootsie Rolls (including midgees and fruit rolls)
• Tootsie Pops
• Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper Eggbreakers
• Wonka Giant Pixy Stix
• Wonka Hoppin’ Nerds
• Wonka Runts Freckled Eggs
• York Peppermint Patties
• Zachary real chocolate Marshmallow Eggs
• Zachary solid milk chocolate Bunnies
• Zipperz Lollipops (as found Mar. 2009)

Unsafe Candy (may contain gluten)

Jelly Beans

• Brach’s Jelly Bird Eggs (includes classic, black, orchard fruit, and premium tiny jelly-bird eggs) — “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein.”
• Brach’s Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans — “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein.”
• Sour Patch Jelly Beans — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, wheat, milk, soy, cashew nuts.”

Other Easter Candy

• Brach’s Chocolate Bunnies — “malt extract” is listed in the ingredients. “Manufactured on equipment that also manufactures products containing peanuts, tree nuts and wheat.”
• Cadbury Creme Eggs — “Glucose (wheat)” is listed in the ingredients, but many Celiacs consider the glucose to be gluten-free due to all the processing.
• Cadbury Caramel Eggs — “Glucose (wheat)” is listed in the ingredients, but many Celiacs consider the glucose to be gluten-free due to all the processing.
• Child’s Play Easter Mix — “Packed on equipment that also manufactures products containing peanuts, tree nuts and wheat.” (as found Mar. 2009)
• Chick Feed sunflower seeds “May contain wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts.”
• Ferrero Rocher candy — “wheat flour” in ingredients
• Frankford Cookies and Creme Eggs — “wheat flour” in ingredients
• Frankford Crispy Eggs (milk chocolate flavored) — “malt extract, milk and soy” listed in ingredients. “Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts and wheat.”
• Frankford solid milk chocolate bunny — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
• Galerie Edible Easter Grass (imported from Germany) — “May contain wheat.” on label
• Hershey’s miniatures — “malt” listed in ingredients. “Allergy Information: May contain wheat.”
• Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme eggs — “wheat flour” in ingredients
• Kit Kat Bunny Ears and Kit Kat minis — “wheat flour” in ingredients
• Lindt Chocolate — Lindt US website addresses the question of gluten with this note: “Unfortunately, at this time we cannot guarantee that Lindt chocolate is gluten free. Our white and extra dark (70% cocoa and above) chocolate products by nature do not contain barley malt. However, because they run on the same production lines as other products there is a chance of cross contamination.”
• Lindt Lindor Truffles Eggs — “malt powder” listed in ingredients
• Lindt Assorted Chocolates with smooth filling — “barley malt powder” listed in ingredients
• Lindt milk chocolate bunnies (Gold Bunny, wrapped in gold foil) — “barley malt extract” listed in ingredients
• Lindt Bugs & Bees — “wheat and barley malt powder” in the ingredients.
• Lindt mini eggs, mini lamb, lamb, and mini chicks — “barley malt powder” listed in ingredients
• Mayfair Kid’s Play basket stuffers (including Fuit Chews, Teaberry Gumballs, Spout Bubble Log, Atomic Fireballs, Super Bubble bubble gum, Easter Pops, Jawbreakers, Airheads, Lemonhead, and Smarties) — “Packed in a facility that processes peanuts, nuts, milk products, soy protein, wheat, eggs and sesame seeds.”
• Mighty Malts Speckled Malted Milk Eggs — “malted barley and wheat flour” are listed in the ingredients.
• Milky Way minis — “malted barley” in ingredients
• Milky Way Bunnies — surprisingly, no gluten was listed in the ingredients; “Allergy Information: May contain peanuts, tree nuts, egg and wheat.”
• Nestle Butterfinger Egg with pieces in chocolate (this does not include the foil-wrapped eggs or the fun-size butterfingers) — “Made on equipment that also processes nuts and wheat.”
• Nestle Crunch Nest Eggs — “Barley Malt” listed as an ingredient. “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts and wheat.”
• PAAS eggs — “malt” listed in ingredients
• Palmer’s Double Crisp chocolate candy (including Bunnies, Bunnyettes, Pops, Chick a Dees, Bunny Munny and Eggs) — “barley malt” listed in ingredients
• Palmer’s Lil’ Crispy chocolate bunny — “malt” listed in ingredients. “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter, and tree nuts.”
• Palmer’s My Little Bunny — “barley malt” listed in ingredients; “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter and tree nuts.”
• Palmer’s Cookies ‘n Creme Eggs — “bleached wheat flour” is listed in ingredients. “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter, and tree nuts.”
• Palmer’s Crispy Peanut Butter flavored eggs — “malt” listed in ingredients.
• Palmer’s Eggbert Double Crisp — “Barley malt” listed in ingredients.
• Palmer’s Quax hollow milk flavored candy duck (“The Yummy Ducky”) — Be careful with this one. In one store, this statement was included on the boxes: “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter and other tree nuts.” In other stores, this statement was not on the boxes. Made in different facilities?
• Peter Rabbit real milk chocolate bunny — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
• Peter Rabbit hollow milk chocolate bunny — “Manufactured on shared equipment that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, wheat and egg.”
• Reese’s milk chocolate and peanut butter eggs (mini eggs foil-wrapped individually) — “wheat flour” listed in the ingredients
• Reese’s mini-Reester Bunnies — “wheat flour” in ingredients
• Russel Stover chocolate candy — With the exception of the jelly beans, every RS product I looked at had a similar statement of cross-contamination: “Products have been produced on shared equipment with peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and wheat.” Some of their products had additional allergens listed to those above.
• Snickers Eggs — “Allergy Information: May contain tree nuts, egg, and wheat.”
• Snickers Creme Sports Eggs — “Allergy Information: May contain tree nuts, egg, and wheat.”
• SpongeBob Squarepants Eggs plastic egg with sour candy and stickers — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds and wheat.”
• SpongeBob Squarepants gummy Krabby Patties — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds and wheat.”
• SweetTart Gummy Bunnies (Wonka) — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
• Trolli Gummi Bunnies — “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein.” (as found Mar. 2009)
• Twix — “Wheat Flour” listed in ingredients (as found Mar. 2009)
• Twizzlers Tweeters — “wheat” listed as an ingredient (as found Mar. 2009)
• Twizzlers Rainbow Twists — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
• Twizted Strawberry Blast pull-n-peel candy — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
• Twizzlers Strawberry Mini Bars — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
• Whitman’s Sampler — “Allergy Information: Products have been processed on shared equipment with tree nuts and wheat.”
• Whoppers Robin Eggs (includes mini-Robbin Eggs, too) — “barley malt and wheat flour” in ingredients
• Wonka’s eggs — “oat flour” listed as an ingredient; “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts and wheat.”
• Wonka Easter Nerds Rope — “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.”
• Wonka Mix-Ups (including SweeTart chews, Laffy Taffy, SweeTarts, and Nerds) “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.”

.

Notable Links:

• More information about Jelly Belly candy.
• Information on allergen-free Easter candy can be found at Sure Foods Living.
• Gluten Free Is Life also has a list of Easter candy safe for the gluten-free diet.
• Check out the recipe for making Chocolate Eggs in a Cookie Basket.
• More gluten-free candy lists for Halloween Candy and Valentine Candy.

This week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap is being hosted at Asparagus Thin. Manda chose the theme of Red Carpet Specials. I can only assume that she was thinking of meals and dishes appropriate for a celebration of the Academy Awards. Well, since I have small kids who were in bed before the ceremony even started, I’m thinking more about after-dinner cocktails and desserts. So, I am offering recipes for Chocolate Martinis and Raspberry Meringue Tarts.

Thanks to Cheryl of Gluten Free Goodness for continuing to organize this fun and helpful event. If you’d like to find out more about the Gluten Free Menu Swap, host future events, or check out past round-ups, visit the current GF Menu Swap headquarters on her site. Last week, Cheryl posted a giveaway of gluten-free food items to encourage more hosts to participate, so go ahead and enter and join us for GF Menu Swap!

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

Monday – Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
Using my flank steak marinade to season sirloin strips. Then cooking up with broccoli, cabbage, garlic, water chestnuts, etc. Serving over rice.

Tuesday – Pork Chops with Black Beans
Pork Chops pan-fried with salsa and black beans. Serving with leftover rice and green beans.

Wednesday – Cheeseburgers
We’ve really been enjoying the cheese bread rolls with our burgers. If you haven’t tried them yet, you should really give them a try. They’re really pretty quick and easy to make.

Thursday – Leftover Buffet
Time to clean out the refrigerator. Everyone gets to choose their own meal.

Friday – Chicken Tikka Masala
I made this a couple weeks ago and it was so good I couldn’t stop thinking about it for two days. I had originally planned to make it with spinach, but tried this simpler recipe instead because my spinach had gotten slimy. My husband thought it was great, too, but he said he still prefers the Chicken Vindaloo. Both are too spicy for the kids so they get to eat plain chicken instead. Serving with basmati rice.

Saturday – Pizza
If I can find a zPizza, I’ll be checking out their gluten-free pizzas this weekend.

Sunday – Fish
I found so many good-looking fish recipes last week, I think I need to try one this week.

Need more menu ideas?

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

So how were they? Good. Really good. But perhaps not perfect because I think I erred a little bit. I tried my best to follow the recipe exactly, but did have to make a couple substitutions. I did use teff flour and almond meal as instructed for the high-protein flour. But, I had to substitute brown rice flour for the white rice flour. I didn’t realize I was out of white rice flour. (Actually, I think I quit buying it.)

Another problem I had, the recipe calls for 1-1/4 tsp of yeast. When I tried to proof it, nothing happened. So, I added another teaspoon of yeast to the mixture. That seemed to do the trick. Now for the big mistake: I put the dough into the warm oven to rise, but I didn’t cover the bowl. Oops! By the time I got the dough out, it hadn’t really risen much. And, the surface of the dough got a little dry and crusty in spots. But, I was determined to make it work. So, I got it out and worked with it a little and pressed on. I didn’t find the dough to be very sticky at all. Perhaps it got too dry in the oven. But, I actually found it to be fairly easy to roll it out and shape into pretzels.

The baking soda and water mixture was a lot more than I needed to brush on the pretzels. But, it is definitely necessary for the taste and texture of the crust of the pretzel. As the pretzels came out of the oven (Oh, what a wonderful smell!), I brushed them with melted butter and sprinkled a mixture of coarse Kosher salt and coarse sea salt on them. The flavor is just what you would expect for the pretzels. The texture was good, too, however I would prefer a lighter, airier pretzel. I think the combination of letting the dough dry out in the oven and then kneading the dough probably deflated the necessary air pockets from the dough.

I was hoping to get a chance to make another batch of pretzels before posting this, but I ran out of time. I will definitely make these again! Even with the denser dough product, these were really good. The flavor was right-on and they were soft and tender. Even the next day, they still tasted good. My husband heated one up in the toaster oven two days later and said it was still good.

So for my next batch, I will use 2-1/4 tsp yeast and cover the dough before putting into the oven to rise. I would also say that for the baking soda solution, you can use 1/2 cup hot water with 1 tsp baking soda. That should be more than enough to brush onto the pretzels. And, my husband would say, “Don’t forget the mustard!” I prefer mine plain, with just a little salt.

My thanks to Sea at The Book of Yum for creating this fun and productive blog carnival. It’s great motivation to learn about some fellow gluten-free bloggers, and try some new gluten-free recipes. Thanks also to Thomas of The GFCF Experience for hosting the event this month. And, thanks to Sophie for sharing so many wonderful gluten-free recipes. I know I’m not the only one who appreciates your tasty recipes!

Notable Links:

• This month’s round-up for Adopt a GF Blogger at The GFCF Experience.
• The recipe for Soft and Chunky Gluten-Free Pretzels at Flour Arrangements.
• The Book of Yum’s Adopt a GF Blogger Event description and links to past event round-ups.

The bad news about making this soup is that my kids won’t eat soup. The good news is that knowing my kids weren’t going to eat it, I felt free to add in the jalapeños to give it a little heat. And more good news: I absolutely loved it. I mean, I like chicken enchiladas, so why wouldn’t I like it as a soup? My husband liked it too. And now I have a new way to use up my leftover Mexican chicken. In the past I’ve used the chicken for rice bowls, salad, taquitos, quesadillas, nachos, and tacos. Now I can add soup to my list, too! I kept the soup pretty simple, but I can see making this again in the future with some corn and black beans added in before the final simmer.

Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 tomatillos (about 1 lb.), husks and stems removed, and quartered
2 (4 oz. cans) diced green chiles
3 jalapeños, stems removed, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp salt
4 Cups chicken broth (added 2 cups at a time)
2 Cups leftover shredded Mexican chicken

For topping:
1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
6 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
corn oil for deep frying the corn tortilla strips

Directions:

1. Using a 4-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender. Then, add in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, or until aromatic.
2. Pour 2 cups chicken broth into the pot and add in the quartered tomatillos, chopped jalapeños, diced green chiles, and salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until the tomatillos are tender.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersible blender to purée the soup.
4. Return the pot to the heat and add in the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the shredded chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. While the soup is simmering, deep fry the corn tortilla strips in hot corn oil (375° F) about 2-3 minutes, or until crispy.
6. Serve the soup with some cheddar cheese and crispy corn tortilla strips on top.
7. Makes 4-6 large bowls of soup.

Additional Notes:

• If you don’t have an immersible blender, you can use a traditional blender to purée the soup. You may want to let the soup cool down a little before pouring into the blender.
• I used fresh tomatillos, but you can also use canned tomatillos. The canned tomatillos will not need to cook very long, and will purée quite quickly.
• If you don’t want to fry the tortilla strips, you can simply top the soup with some crushed tortilla chips. Or even just serve the soup with warmed corn tortillas.

Notable Links:

• Celiac Family’s Slow-cooked, shredded Mexican chicken recipe
• Celiac Family’s Chicken Enchiladas recipe
• More gluten-free soups at The Gluten-Free Homemaker’s What Can I Eat That’s Gluten-Free? soup challenge
• Don’t want to deep fry the corn tortilla strips? Consider Gluten-Free Girl’s recipe for baking the tortillas instead.

“Give me back my filet o’ fish. Give me that fish!” I was wakened with this whispered greeting from my son the other morning. Apparently, he inherited my gift affliction of singing advertising jingles. (Any wonder why I spent many years in advertising?) Well, McDonald’s isn’t the only one who starts advertising their fish sandwich during the Lent season. Wendy’s has been pushing their fish fillet sandwich, too. And, in case you’re wondering, both fish sandwiches are breaded or battered with gluten ingredients and then placed on a bun with gluten, so we don’t eat them.

But it has got me thinking about fish more. Fish continues to be promoted as a great source of protein, vitamins, nutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids. Most dietitians recommend eating fish at least once a week for all of its health benefits. So, as I offered to host the Gluten-Free Menu Swap this week, I thought it would be a good idea to make the theme fish. I really only have a few fish recipes that I make on a regular basis, so I’m hoping everyone has a fish recipe they can share. My kids aren’t big fish eaters, but on good days my daughter will eat it willingly and my son will try at least one bite. So, if anyone has a recipe that seems kid-friendly, please send it my way.

And if you really want to get that silly jingle stuck in your head, too, you’ll find it on YouTube.

Celiac Family’s menu this week:

Monday – Cheeseburgers
My daughter is feeling cheated because I’ve left cheeseburgers off the menu the last two weeks. So, I’m making it again with the wonderful cheese bread rolls. If you haven’t tried them yet, you should really give them a try. They’re really pretty quick and easy to make.

Tuesday – Baked Salmon
In this recipe, I bake salmon fillets with a balsamic glaze. I’ll serve with rice and asparagus.

Wednesday – Chicken Enchilada Soup
I use leftover Mexican chicken, added to a green chile and tomatillo sauce to make this soup. Topped with shredded cheese and fried corn tortilla strips.

Thursday – Leftover Buffet
Time to clean out the refrigerator. Everyone gets to choose their own meal.

Friday – Tilapia Parmesan
This quick and easy dish is broiled with a creamy Parmesan sauce. I’ll serve with angel hair pasta and broccoli.

Saturday – Pizza
I’ve got a mix of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Sunday – Pupusas and Spicy Slaw
Making pupusas filled with beans and cheese. Serving with spicy slaw.

Here’s what some gluten-free friends have on their menus this week:

Kim at Gluten Free Is Life is hoping this week that March’s spring weather will melt away the snow. I think a lot of people are thinking that this year. This week she’s having Spaghetti and Marinutta (a high-protein marinara sauce with almond butter and flaxseed meal). Check out her menu this week for more great gluten-free meal ideas.

I guess this week’s GF Menu Swap was too last minute for some people, so I did some looking around myself. I found so many great fish recipes, I don’t know which one to try first. I hope no one minds that I’ve added them here:

Wendy at Celiacs in the House has Cod Cakes on her menu this week, as well as a Tamale Pie with black beans and chicken. Sounds good to me. I found her recipes for Fish Cakes and Salmon Chowder that she posted earlier this year.

Angela of Angela’s Kitchen has sick kids this week, so she didn’t get a menu plan posted. But I was happy to find these fish recipes on her blog: Roasted Fish and Salmon and Sweet Potato Cakes.

No menu plan from Manda at Asparagus Thin this week either. But I knew I could count on her to have some intriguing fish recipes on her blog. How about Broiled Chilean Sea Bass with Pistachio Butter Sauce, Catfish Vindaloo, Chinese Black Salmon, and Salt Baked Salmon with Horseradish Dill Sauce?

Elizabeth at Modern Gal didn’t post a menu this week, but she has quite a few fish recipes on her blog, too: Salmon Fried Rice, Fish Tacos, and Salmon Potato Cakes to name a few.

Diane of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang has Whole Roasted Fish on her menu plan this month.

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?

Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness continues to manage the headquarters of Gluten-Free Menu Swap. There you will find the rules, the current and upcoming schedule, and links to past roundups. For this week, email the link of your gluten-free menu to me at celiacfamily[at]gmail[dot]com.

Need more menu ideas?

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Attune says their chocolate bars are “packed with more beneficial probiotic cultures than yogurt (with less sugar than most brands), are low in calories (with 100 or fewer) and have calcium and fiber for better health on the go.” You’ll find more specifics on the nutritional content at the Attune Foods website.

I was told to put these into the refrigerator when I received them. They contain probiotics, so putting them into the refrigerator insures that the probiotics will stay alive and well. (“Un-refrigerated cultures begin to decline within a month.” is what it says on the box.) I did as I was told, but I was really excited to try them so I took one out and read the packaging. I know I was told that they were gluten free, but it was new to me and my habit is to read the labels. I was surprised and disappointed to see a cross-contamination warning about being made in a facility where wheat is processed. So, I put it back into the refrigerator and there it sat until I finally got around to asking the company about this.

I was very happy with their response: “We take the issue of cross-contamination very seriously…. Attune uses only gluten free ingredients in making their Probiotic chocolate bars, but as stated on the packaging, the bars are made on equipment that also processes wheat. At this time, we do not have the ability to manufacture our products in a gluten-free facility but want you to know that every batch of Attune bars is tested by an independent lab called Silliker to verify that the bars meet the gluten free standard of testing less than 5 parts per million of gluten.” Considering that the proposed standard to the FDA is 20 ppm, 5 ppm sounds good to me.

So, I decided to give them a try. They come in seven different flavors:  Dark Chocolate, Coffee Bean Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Dark Chocolate, Almond Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Crisp, Mint Chocolate and Blueberry Vanilla. I started with the dark chocolate and moved on from there.

How do they taste? Like a chocolate bar. I suggest before eating them, that you take them out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature first. Chocolate is always best at room temperature, don’t you think? They are like small, thin chocolate bars. Not exactly smooth and creamy chocolate, but yummy just the same. I saved the blueberry vanilla flavor for last. It, too, was very good. My only problem with these is that I want to eat more. But, I kept to one a day, and they were soon all gone.

Where do you find them? The email I received said they are kept in the refrigerated yogurt section of more than 3,000 retailers across the U.S. such as Safeway, Whole Foods, H-E-B, Hannaford, Wegmans, A&P, and Bristol Farms. I looked in the yogurt section at our local Wegmans week after week, but couldn’t find them. I should’ve asked for them at Customer Service, but always forgot to do that by the time I got around to the front of the store. It wasn’t until recently that I finally found them. They were in the refrigerated section within their Nature’s Marketplace area. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? They are being kept beside the organic yogurts and other allergen-free, dairy-type products. I had the option to buy one chocolate bar for 99 cents or buy a box of 7 for $6.69. I went for the box.

They only had one flavor to offer: Milk Chocolate Crisp. That was alright with me. Normally, I would choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate, but I actually enjoyed the Milk Chocolate Crisp best. It reminds me of a Hershey’s Krackel or a Nestle Crunch bar, both of which are not Gluten Free. Attune puts the rice crisps in the chocolate bars, but they are flavored with molasses instead of the gluten-containing barley malt. So now I can eat a crispy chocolate bar and feel like I’m doing my body good by eating probiotics, too. What a great find. I love having these for an afternoon snack. I pull one out of the refrigerator in the morning, and then have it after lunch when I’m feeling that afternoon slow-down. If you are having a hard time finding these at your local grocery store, you can also order them online at www.attunefoods.com.

Related Links

• Attune Foods website and nutrition information
• National Institute of Health talks about Probiotics
• Article at Celiac.com talks about live bacteria (probiotics) blocking the toxic effects of wheat.
• FDA (Food & Drug Administration) proposed rule for labeling gluten-free foods and standard to be set at 20 parts per million. And, for an easier read, check out the Q&A on the proposal.
• Europe’s FSA (Food Standard Agency) new ruling for the gluten content of gluten-free products to no more than 20 ppm.

Radish is the theme for this week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap. Thank you to Manda at Asparagus Thin for hosting this week. I don’t eat radishes very often. In fact, I can only remember eating them raw in salads or from vegetable trays. So, join me as I head on over to Asparagus Thin this week find out more about the radish and maybe some new ideas for eating it.

Monday – Chicken Enchiladas
I still have some leftover Mexican chicken, so I’m making chicken enchiladas and serving with rice.

Tuesday – Chili
Making a tomato-based chili with hamburger and kidney beans. I’ll throw in some green chiles and corn, too. Serving with cornbread.

Wednesday – Grilled Chicken Breasts
Chicken Breasts simply seasoned and grilled. Topped with a slice of pepper jack cheese and avocado. Serving with potato farls and green beans.

Thursday – Grilled Steaks
Grilling steaks and serving with acorn squash and a tossed green salad.

Friday – P.F. Chang’s
I’m planning to try out PF Chang’s gluten-free menu this week. I just hope I’m able to finish dinner with their flourless chocolate dome for dessert.

Saturday – Pizza
Making pizza and serving with a tossed green salad. I haven’t decided what to do for the crust yet. I’ll have to check out the pizza roundup at Gluten Free Is Life. Or maybe I’ll try making one with the Cheese Bread recipe from Gluten Free Gobsmacked.

Sunday – Chicken Divan
Chicken and broccoli baked in a curry mushroom sauce. Serving with brown basmati rice.

Need more menu ideas?

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. I’ve never actually eaten a lot of beignets – only when I’ve been at the French Quarter in New Orleans. They really are a delicious treat. If you’re not familiar with them, I would describe them as a square doughnut, or bread dough deep fried into little square pillows, and topped with powdered sugar. They are so yummy! If you aren’t celebrating Mardi Gras with a Gluten-Free King Cake this year, then you should definitely indulge in these little gems.

Gluten-Free Beignet Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup warm water
1/4 Cup sugar
2 tsp yeast
3/4 Cup almond milk (Regular milk should work, too.)
1/2 Cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Cups brown rice flour (I use Authentic Foods finely ground.)
1 Cup potato starch
1/2 Cup sweet rice flour
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 liter vegetable oil for frying beignets
powdered sugar for dusting the beignets after cooking

Directions:

1. You’ll need a large pot of vegetable oil to fry the beignets. Electric deep fryers are great for keeping the temperature consistent. However, you can use a pot of oil on the stove top, but you’ll need to watch the temperature closely. You should fry the beignets between 360° - 380° F.
2. Start by combining the yeast with the sugar and the warm water (110° - 115° F is recommended but I don’t usually check the temperature.) in a small bowl. Set it aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, potato starch, sweet rice flour, xanthan gum, and salt. Add in the melted butter, milk, and eggs and mix thoroughly.
4. Now stir the yeast mixture into the flour mixture. The dough should start to pull together into a soft ball.
5. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and top with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it’s about 1/8″ thick.
6. Using a pizza cutter, cut the beignets into 2-1/2″ squares. You should be able to make 24 – 30 beignets.
7. Fry the dough in the heated oil 1 – 3 beignets at a time. Don’t fry too many at once, as it can lower the temperature of the oil too fast. Thus, inhibiting the beignets to puff up like they should. Once the beignets start to brown, flip them over using a slotted spoon or tongs. Once the beignets have been lightly browned on both sides, carefully remove them from the oil and place on paper towels to absorb extra oil. The beignets should only take one or two minutes to brown on each side.
8. Generously top each beignet with powdered sugar and serve while warm.

Additional Notes:

• These aren’t terribly sweet. Most of the sweetness comes from the powdered sugar, so you can easily adjust it to your liking. You can even drizzle a little honey on it, like my husband did,  if you have a sweet tooth.
• In case you’re wondering: I didn’t find it necessary to wait and allow the dough to rise. I simply cut them out and fried them up.
• This dough wasn’t very sticky, so you might be able to roll out the dough without using the parchment paper and plastic wrap, but I find it convenient. A little dusting of potato starch on the counter and rolling pin should work fine.
• Just roll out the dough once. I tried to re-roll the dough (balled it up and rolled it out again) to cut perfect squares. As a result, the dough fried up flat and a little tougher.
• Watch the temperature of the oil while frying. If it’s too low, the beignets won’t puff up. If it’s too high, the center won’t cook through and will be a little gummy. If you’re having trouble, try putting two pieces of dough into the oil at a time when it’s at 380° F.
• Although I don’t believe it’s traditional, I think these would be nice with a little cinnamon mixed into the dough. I might try that next time.
• In order to save time for breakfast, the traditional meal time to eat these, make up the dough the night before and keep the dough in the refrigerator. In the morning, roll it out, cut it and fry.

Notable Links

• I did eventually find another recipe for gluten-free beignets. This one by Teri Gruss at About.com uses a cake mix for the flour.
• There are more tips for cooking beignets at Cafe Du Monde .
• I’m linking this to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays because I only used 1/4 Cup sugar in the dough and I reduced the lactose content by using almond milk.
• For more gluten-free recipes, visit The Gluten-Free Homemaker at this week’s edition of “What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free?“
• Know a fan of Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog”? Here are some coloring/activity pages my daughter has enjoyed.

Monday – Grilled Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta
Starting out the week with a lemon chicken grilled and served over angel hair pasta.

Tuesday – Gumbo
To celebrate Mardi Gras, we’ll be having a hearty gumbo with chicken, shrimp, sausage and okra poured over rice. I’ll make some cheese bread rolls to serve with it.

Wednesday – Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Finishing up the leftover pulled pork by serving it on leftover cheese bread rolls. Serving with red potato and green bean salad.

Thursday – Leftovers
We have a busy day and evening planned, so leftovers will make it an easy dinner night.

Friday – Chicken Tacos
Slow-cooking chicken breasts with Mexican spices and serving with corn tortillas, chopped lettuce, shredded cheese, sliced olives, etc.

Saturday – Chicken Tikka Masala
I’m looking forward to trying Patak’s Tikka paste to make Chicken Tikka Masala with Spinach. Serving over basmati rice.

Sunday – White, Chicken Chili (aka Chili Blanco)
I’ll be using leftover chicken from the chicken tacos to make a white chili with chicken, white northern beans, and green chiles. Serving with leftover rice and corn tortillas.

Need more menu ideas?

• SOUP’s On! It’s a great time of year for eating warm soups, and Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness chose soups as the theme for this week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap. She has some wonderful soup recipes on her menu this week. At CeliacFamily, we’re having Easy, Hearty Gumbo and White, Chicken Chili this week, but you may also be interested in my recipe for Clam Chowder.
• Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there. Laura has also started indicating on her weekly menu what she plans to fix for her son to accommodate his food allergies (dairy, gluten, eggs, fish and nuts).
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans.

Easy Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nuts

Ingredients:

Whole Raw Macadamia Nuts
Dark Cocoa Candy Melts

You’ll also need a Truffles Candy Mold.

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate candy melts in the microwave. Start by melting at half power for about two minutes. Then, put in for another minute at a time to finish melting.
2. Fill about a third of each candy truffle mold with the melted chocolate. Push a nut into the melted chocolate in the mold. Then, finish filling the candy mold with more melted chocolate. Tap the mold on the counter to release any air bubbles.
3. Place the mold in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Then, pull it out of the refrigerator, turn it upside down and pop the candies out.

Additional Notes:

• The candy melts are so easy to work with, and they make very pretty, shiny candies. However, it isn’t as tasty as using good chocolate. (That doesn’t mean they didn’t disappear as quickly as I made them.)
• For melting the candy melt discs, I used a plastic squeeze bottle.  It made it easy to melt the candy  and fill the candy mold. You can keep the bottle in a bowl of warm water to keep the chocolate warm while you’re filling the candy molds with nuts. Or, just pop it back into the microwave for a minute or two, if necessary.
• You can, of course, melt the chocolate on the stove with a double boiler. Just be careful not to get any water into the chocolate, as it can make the chocolate seize.

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Delicious Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nuts

For an even better tasting candy, instead of raw macadamia nuts, I used Elana’s recipe for candied macadamia nuts at Elana’s Pantry. It’s a pretty quick and easy recipe, and is a very tasty treat by itself. But, the sweetness of the agave nectar combined with the salt, and then roasted in the oven gives this chocolate candy another tasty layer which is delicious!

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Best Tasting, Addictive Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nuts

For the best tasting chocolate covered macadamia nuts, use the candied macadamia nuts and use real dark chocolate! Using real chocolate just makes these even better. In order to get the best looking results, too, you’ll have to temper your chocolate. I’m still trying to perfect the tempering process, but even if it doesn’t work for you it will be delicious! It just may not be as pretty. Un-tempered chocolate also has a tendency to bloom at room temperature. So, if you don’t temper your chocolate, eat them right away or store in the refrigerator.

Valentine’s Day Treats
So, for Valentine’s Day, I made some of these with heart-shaped molds. I couldn’t find any candy molds that were deep enough to accommodate the macadamia nuts, so I used these silicone gelatin/ice cube molds I found at the dollar store.

Related Links:

• Elana’s Pantry Candied Macadamia Nuts recipe and directions.
• Diane made Chocolate Macadamia Nuts without using candy molds at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.
• Detailed directions of Tempering Chocolate is at Cooking For Engineers.
• The Giver’s Log has great tips for buying chocolate and melting and tempering chocolate.
• For more gluten-free recipes, visit The Gluten-Free Homemaker for What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free?