Gluten-Free Gifts for the Holidays

Gift guides are popping up all over the blogosphere, so let's talk about some gifts ideas for people with food intolerances. I'll share with you my own holiday wishlist, as well as some other ideas for food intolerant people in your life. Some of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you do purchase something by clicking over from my site, you will be helping to maintain and expand this site at no cost to you. I hope these ideas are helpful to someone out there who's looking for a way to support a friend or family member with celiac disease or food allergies during this holiday season.

Here is what I want for Chanukah:

What's missing most from my kitchen is a Factory-Reconditioned KitchenAid RRK150WH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer (preferably in Glacier Blue, but beggars can't be choosers). Because of health issues it is painful for me to stir, knead, etc and my muscles fatigue easily. This would open the door to much more bread-baking and other culinary endeavors that are just too much work right now.

The most highly acclaimed bread machine for gluten-free bakers is the Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine. Every post about bread machines on the gluten-free bulletin boards I read sings its praises. Other models entice buyers with a gluten-free cycle, but this seems to be the one that actually delivers. I'd end up saving quite a bit of money by baking my own bread rather than buying all that overpriced, disappointing packaged gluten-free bread at the store.

Let's be honest, I don't need both a bread machine and a mixer. A mixer would probably do the job just fine. But hey, when I have the kitchen of my dreams there will be room for endless kitchen appliances!

Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix - Pack of 6
Yes, I pride myself on making my own flour mixes from scratch. But there are times when convenience is everything, and this mix really does the job, with no added sugar or other unnecessary ingredients.

Being a total cookbook junkie, there are a number of titles on my wishlist right now:

• The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman
• Exotic Ethiopian Cooking by Daniel J. Mesfin
  
• Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts
• Cooking Free: 200 Flavorful Recipes for People with Food Allergies and Multiple Food Sensitivities by Carol Fenster
• Vegetarian Cooking for Everyoneby Deborah Madison

But enough about me... Let's talk about some other gifts that will make your loved one/s smile!

For someone who has recently discovered that they have to avoid gluten for the rest of their lives, the book Living Gluten-Free For Dummies by Danna Korn is a thorough guide to understanding what you can and can't eat, how to cope, and how to navigate grocery stores and restaurants.

Food shopping is stressful for people with celiac disease. You can take the stress out of it with a subscription to the frequently updated downloadable Gluten-Free Food & Drug Product Lists. They can be downloaded to a Pocket PC, laptop or desktop computer, or Palm Pilot for easy reference while at the grocery store - Some come with subscriptions that allow you to update the list on a regular basis. This is a great way to keep a loved one safe and healthy.

If there's a little one in your life who's too young to advocate for their own dietary needs, how about a child's allergy awareness t-shirt or bib? And for the grown-ups, Karina the Gluten-Free Goddess has a line of very cute and stylish t-shirts at her shop Mucho Gusto that feature colorful graphics and messages.

Last, but not least, tasty treats make a great gift! There are gluten-free cookie gift baskets, and even a special gluten-free gift-basket just for kids.

What's on your wishlist?

Chocolate-Dipped Apricots: A Gourmet Approach to Chanukah Gelt

As a child we played dreidel with chocolate-wrapped coins, called Chanukah gelt. Money given to a child by a parent on this holiday is also referred to as gelt. Here is a tastier take on Chanukah gelt, inspired by a recipe in this month's Martha Stewart Living. I used Ghirardelli bitterwsweet baking chocolate bars. These morsels make a great holiday gift, too. After you make the chocolate-dipped apricots, read up on how to play dreidel and use the candies in place of coins.

APRICOT GELT (CHOCOLATE-DIPPED APRICOTS)

Makes about 4 dozen

1 pound dried apricots
1 pound dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Foil candy wrappers (optional)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Heat chocolate over a double-boiler. Allow the water in the boiler to get hot but not fully boil. Use a plastic spatula to scrape chocolate away from the sides. Remove from heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. If you prefer to use a microwave, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl in short intervals, stirring well with spatula.

Immediately add all the apricots to the pot melted chocolate, and stir gently until they are all coated fully. Carefully lift each piece out of the pot with a fork, allowing some of the excess chocolate to drip off. For a more sophisticated look, you can also try holding each apricot by one end with your fingers and dipping only half of it into the chocolate.

Place carefully on parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until the chocolate has become firm (20-30 minutes). Store in ziploc bags or wrap in foil wrappers.



This recipe is part of the Festive Food Fair blog event.