With the average wedding in the USA running about $25,000, I was determined to have a beautiful wedding at a reasonable cost. I wanted to have it in a beautiful church, on a beautiful day, with 250 of our closest friends.

I had heard about and now experienced the phenomenon of The Wedding Tax. At the mention the word “wedding,” most (not all, but most) merchants’ eyes seem to glaze over while gentle smiles float over their faces, and the price of everything skyrockets beyond all reason!

For example, the quotes my husband got for a limousine ride from the church to a local hotel were over $1,000! So, we both went to work. It became our mission to beat the system. And, God chose to smile on us.

We discovered that a friend at church owned a limo service. As a wedding gift, he gave us an incredible deal. With a little shoe leather, I found the perfect dress at a reasonable price. 

It had rained all month, but on the morning of our wedding day, the clouds parted. It was a spectacular day.

Early on the previous morning, my groom went flower shopping at several “wholesale club” stores. After emptying her stock of cream flowers, a florist gave him the phone number of a local flower supplier, who he called immediately on his cell. The dealer said he was standing in the wholesale flower market and just happened to be looking at 200 of the largest, most beautiful creme-colored roses he had ever seen. The price was so low, my husband ordered them all, and they were delivered to the church before he arrived with several hundred more flowers. My lovely girlfriends decorated the church and reception hall with flowers.  

As I mentioned above, I cut costs by baking 30 GF cheesecakes using the recipe I developed below. It freezes very well. So, a few months earlier, we bought a freezer to store them in using a fraction of the money we would have spent on a professional wedding cake. I still adore the extra storage space a deep freeze offers.

We hired a fabulous choir from a sister church. Their beautiful voices made the wedding even more memorable. Another dear friend, an events planner, was our excellent wedding coordinator.

Even now, years later, friends still occasionally tell me about the wonderful time they had at my wedding, which makes me feel so good.

If you are a lover of rich, dense, and creamy New York Style cheesecake (I am too), then think of this as a different dessert. It’s still rich and creamy, but it’s as light as the fluffy white clouds that adorned the deep blue sky on my perfect day.

I hope this helps to make a day perfect for you.

Dreamy Wedding Amaretto Cheesecake Recipe (Light and Airy)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325° F (160° C).
2. Brush bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan at least 2.25 inches (6 cm) deep with butter or cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
3. Wrap the entire outside of the pan with two unbroken sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
4. Mix crumbs and butter and press crumbs evenly over the bottom of the springform.
5. Place pan in large roasting pan.
6. Bring kettle of water to boil for water bath.
7. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in a large bowl with electric mixer until smooth.
8. Gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
9. Saving the egg whites, add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until just incorporated. Scraping down the bowl after each addition will prevent lumps.
10. Add almond extract, Amaretto, and vanilla extract. Beat until just incorporated.
11. Gently mix in cream.  
12. Beat egg whites to soft peaks, and gently fold 1/3 of the whites at a time into the cream cheese mixture until all are incorporated.
13. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
14. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to reach about halfway up side of springform pan.
15. Bake until perimeter of cake is set, but center jiggles slightly when pan is tapped, 50 to 60 minutes (150º F /65º C on an instant read thermometer.)
16. Turn off heat and leave oven door ajar for 1 hour or longer to cool the cake slowly.
17. Remove springform pan from water bath and cool to room temperature.
18. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, (at least 4 hours – or up to 4 days.) Or freeze it (up to 1 month) .

Banana Cream Pie

Note: Double recipe for a deep pie pan

1. Prep or prepare the pie crust of your choice.
2. In a medium saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, milk and cream. Bring to a boil stirring constantly (should thicken) and let boil 1 minute.
3. Off heat stir in chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla.
4. Add 1/4 of the pudding mixture to the bottom of your pie pan. Top with sliced bananas. Repeat this process two more times. Top with remaining pudding and smooth the top of the pie.
5. Chill for at least 3-4 hours.
6. Whip cream and sugar and top pie when cool. Serve and enjoy!

Update: Andrea is our lucky winner! Please contact me so that I can ship your winnings! (Winner selected using random.org)

As many of you may have discovered, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is now available from Betty Crocker at your local grocery store. As an added bonus you can print coupons on the Betty Crocker website for great gluten free mixes.I made these cookies according to the package directions and found them to be chewy (even days later) with plenty of chocolate chips. However, I did find that there was a slightly gritty mouthfeel. I made my next batch according to the directions, but with the addition of 1/2 cup of almond butter. This seemed to eliminate the gritty mouthfeel. Other nut butters could be substituted as well. I would love to know if you have tinkered with enhancing this cookie mix (or other GF cookie mix).

Mom was known for making bread. Big batches of whole grain wheat that she ground herself from hard winter wheat that she purchased in 50 pound bags stored in the deep freeze. Mom was devoted to making wholesome, whole grain bread for our family, friends and neighbors. In fact to this day when I run into friends from those years growing up, they will often comment on how they miss the occasional gift of bread.

Mom had perfected her recipe through trial and error. It was evenly textured, nutty tasting, barely sweet, and as light as one could hope for in whole wheat bread. She allowed it to rise at least twice on Fridays while she cleaned the house in a marathon of effort. I vividly remember the enveloping scent of freshly baked bread and a clean house upon walking in the door after school. Her other hallmark was the fact that she baked her 6-7 loaf batch in greased coffee cans. This often embarrassed us kids when we took sandwiches to school because ours were oddly round shaped.

This recipe for pumpkin bread is a labor of love and Mom would be proud. It is somewhere in between cake and bread because it is sweet enough to pass for dessert and hearty enough to use as a breakfast or snack bread.  This bakes up very moist and with a lovely crumb. I challenge anyone to guess its gluten free origins. I prefer to avoid cinnamon and substitute allspice, but I have written the recipe with the traditional cinnamon included, my substitutions are noted in parentheses below. Please feel free to top with your favorite glaze if you wish to take this in a dessert direction. I also love this sliced warm and dressed with butter.

Enjoy!

Mom’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread/Cake  Recipe

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) two 9×5 bread pans. Or you may use one bunt pan for the entire recipe.

In a large bowl whisk eggs together. Add oil and whisk vigorously to emulsify. Add sugar and mix again. Then add vanilla, yogurt, pumpkin puree, lemon juice and whisk together.

In a separate bowl measure flours, flax, salt, baking powder, baking soda, Xanthan Gum, spices, and nuts. Blend dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to the liquid mix gradually and whisk until blended.

Divide batter evenly into 2 bread pans or place all the batter in one bunt pan.

Bake one hour at 350°F/180°C. Turn pans half way through cooking time. Bake until center of loaf reads 195°F/90°C on instant read thermometer or when a toothpick tests clean with slightly moist crumbs.

Cherrybrook Farms has made a very good version of sugar cookies in their Cherrybrook Farms Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix. Even if you choose to follow the instructions to a “T,” you will end up with a very credible gluten-free, peanut-free, dairy-free, egg-free sugar cookie. The back of the box instructs you to add 1/2 cup melted margarine (or butter), 1/4 cup rice milk (or soy or dairy milk), 2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla, and the contents of the mix. The final product will look a little different from traditional sugar cookies in that this cookie bakes up more like a mounded tea cookie. I will detail the substitutions and techniques I used to achieve the familiar flattened and sugar-coated treat I like best.I added 1/2 cup ground almonds to the batter to eliminate the slight grittiness that I detected in the final product. If you have nut issues or are worried about the extra fat/calories, feel free to leave it out. I also tried substituting vegetable oil during one of the trials for the margarine/butter with success. Next, I formed balls with about a tablespoon of dough and rolled them between my hands. I added about a 1/4 cup sugar into the bag the mix came in and tossed my rolled balls in one at a time for a brief coating in sugar. Next I placed about 1 dozen sugar coated balls on my cookie sheet and pressed each with the bottom of a drinking glass. Press these flatter than you normally press cookies, because these cookies do not spread while baking, although they will puff slightly.Enjoy these cookies just as they are or slather with homemade or purchased gluten free frosting or glaze. You could also add cinnamon to your sugar coating and turn these into snicker-doodles. They keep well when stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days (if they last that long : ).  These cookies pack up well as lunch bag delights.

These waffles taste of the holidays with warm spice and mellow pumpkin..the additional bonus is that this recipe allows for guests to get up at different times and prep their waffle from the batter…OR the recipe is moist enough that you can make the waffles ahead of time (store in the fridge or freezer)…then just reheat in a low oven, toaster, or in the microwave.

Of course this is also the perfect recipe for a day off or weekend brunch. To make it even more special you can serve with special syrups (homemade or purchased), a selection of fruit toppings, or just a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffle Recipe (Great For Holidays)

Makes 8-12 waffles. (serves 4-6)

Preheat waffle iron to desired heat setting.

Place dry ingredients together in a bowl and combine.

Beat wet ingredients together in a separate bowl with electric hand mixer or whisk. Add dry ingredients to wet gradually. If mixture is too thick adjust by adding additional water.

Grease or spray waffle iron. Load batter into waffle iron using a spoon. Underfill as the mixture will rise and spread (our iron takes about 5 heaping Tablespoons). Bake until golden brown. Makes 8-12 waffles. Serve with your favorite syrup and toppings.

As many of you may have discovered, Gluten Free Bisquick Mix is now available from Betty Crocker at your local grocery store. Yes! As an added bonus on the Betty Crocker website you can print off coupons for discounts on those great gluten free mixes.

In honor of the holidays I am sharing my own version of the gluten free Bisquick pie crust recipe found on the Betty Crocker website.  The Betty Crocker website recipe calls for (1 cup Bisquick® Gluten Free mix, 5 tablespoons cold butter, and 3 tablespoons water). My favorite crust recipes contain cream cheese and a touch of vinegar…trust me it helps enormously with texture and taste.

See below for my tested recipe version. I am very pleased with the taste, tenderness, and convenience of this recipe. Of course to make it even more convenient you could make multiple batches and freeze the dough. This pie crust will make enjoying your favorite pies and desserts possible for everyone.

Gluten Free Bisquick Cream Cheese Pie Crust

1. Preheat oven 400°F. Grease pie plate with spray or butter.
2. Use food processor, pastry cutter, or fork (or pull 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions) to work the butter and cream cheese into the Bisquick mix until the texture resemble course crumbs. Add the vinegar and water and stir until dough comes together. Shape with hands and press into pie pan.
3. Press dough in bottom and up sides of pie plate. Protect crust with pie shield or strips of aluminum foil. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned at edges. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Fill with your favorite pie filling and chill or bake according to the directions.

December 4, 2010: Our gluten-free prize package winner is Tina! 

Winners are selected by listing entrants in the order they are received and by using a random number generator. Every qualified entrant has an equal chance of winning.

I love winning prizes, and I can tell you that it is even more fun to award them! Stay tuned for future contests.

Jean Ann

I am still in love with the idea of this affordable convenient brownie mix…so I shall have to get to work on a version that mutes the intensity of the chocolate slightly. Any brilliant ideas on doing that?

I had to modify the cookie recipe quite a bit to enable it to taste great gluten free. I am VERY pleased with the results. In fact the recipe I will detail further down is my new sugar cookie recipe for holiday cooking and when shaped cookies are desired. I find I like them best unfrosted or frosted very sparingly…for the sake of the challenge and for all of you I experimented with royal icing and decorating. This is not something I have any experience with…so please look kindly (and not too closely ; ) at the final results. I miss my friend Jessica who used to live close enough to tackle projects like this together. Decorated sugar cookies just begs for family or friends to collaborate/make a mess, doesn’t it?

I do feel I have been particularly brave and daring. This is a longer process than I anticipated. Thankfully this recipe can be made in stages. I made the dough one day…wrapped it in plastic wrap and stored it in the fridge.

Next day I rolled and cut out the cookies using powdered sugar. I placed cookies of the same shape together on separate cookie sheets so that they would bake evenly. I refrigerated the cut cookies for at least an hour and then baked for 8-11 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies).

I packaged the baked cookies in an airtight container and a couple days later I began the decoration process.

I made the royal icing (flavoring with almond extract) and then colored the icing with gel concentrated colors (I bought the primary color set of 4). I recommend that if you are doing multiple colors that you get #3  piping tip or other tip of your choice for each color and make up all the colors before you begin decorating your cookies.

Don’t dawdle…royal icing sets up and dries rather quickly depending on the humidity in the air. Outline the edge of the cookie and then pipe in a circular fashion to “flood” the middle. I mostly experimented with marbling. Which means that I came in with a second color while the flooding was still wet and made dots and dashes. Then use a toothpick to swirl in the direction of the leaves veins or in and up and down pattern for other shapes. I was aiming for multicolored hues of all leaves that abound in our yards and on our trees.

Do you have any memories of decorating cookies to share?

Sugar Cookies to Decorate

1. Cream butter/shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
2. Mix flour with salt and xanthan gum.
3. Add flour gradually and mix until combined.
4. Form into disc and chill in fridge at least 1 hour
5. Roll out to ¼ inch thickness (or slightly thicker) and cut out cookie shapes.
6. Refrigerate cookie shapes before baking (or they will spread in oven.)
7. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350° for 8-15 minutes (depending on size of cookies) until golden around the edges. Rotate pans halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven when done and allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.
8. Cool cookies to room temperature and frost (royal frosting) / or store until ready to frost (and eat) in airtight containers.

Royal Icing

1. Beat egg whites with lemon juice until combined. Tip: It’s important that the bowls/spoons/spatulas and beaters you use are thoroughly cleaned and grease free.
2. Sift the icing sugar to remove lumps and add it to the egg whites. Tip: 2 amounts of icing sugar are listed, the lesser amount is good for a flooding consistency, and the larger amount is for outlining, but you can add even more for a much thicker consistency good for writing. If you add too much icing sugar or would like to make a thinner consistency, add very small amounts of water, a few drops at a time, until you reach the consistency you need. Beat on low until combined and smooth.
3. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container. Tip: Royal Icing starts to harden as soon as it’s in contact with air. Cover containers with plastic wrap while not in use.

Our household is officially sick of zucchini bread. The version you will benefit from here is the last of a several week odyssey…chasing a taste memory from childhood. Our neighbor from across the street occasionally would gift us with a loaf of just the best zucchini bread. I began with a recipe I found on the web…great texture but not quite right..it lacked sweetness and spice. I did get my hands on the recipe from childhood(thank you MB!), but of course that was only the beginning of translation into a gluten free loaf. Multiple batches were necessary in order to achieve the correct level of moistness, spice mixture, texture and oil/flour/sugar/zucchini ratio. A moist loaf with the ability to hold together along with the flavor was an elusive prize. This reincarnation nails the spice, moisture level, and texture. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Recipe 

Ingredients:

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° and grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) two 9×5 bread pans. Or you may use one bunt pan for the entire recipe.

In a large bowl whisk eggs together. Add oil and whisk vigorously to emulsify. Add sugar and mix again. Then add vanilla, yogurt, grated zucchini, lemon juice and whisk together.

In a separate bowl measure flours, flax, salt, baking powder, baking soda, Xanthan Gum, spices, and nuts. Blend dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to the liquid mix gradually and whisk until blended.

Divide batter evenly into two bread pans or place all the batter in one bunt pan.

Bake one hour at 350 degrees. Turn pans half way through cooking time. Bake until center of loaf reads 190-195° on instant read thermometer or when a toothpick tests clean with slightly moist crumbs.