Gluten free mixes and Wow, who knew?? Hello, Bloomfield Farms

Who is not on the gluten-free bandwagon?

So much talk, talk, talk and real evidence that perhaps including foods rich in gluten in your diet may not be the way to go. Beyond those who suffer from Celiac Disease (of which I have many friends, in addition to up close and very personal experience with the journey) many of us who have decided to give gluten free a try are now enjoying remarkable results.

Glue- ten. It is in the name. Glue. Ten. It can break down icky and sticky in our systems. And yet, who is really ready to give up bread, cookies, cakes, crackers ... stretchy to crispy pizza dough?

Not easy.

Having a daughter with severe autism made the decision to remove the gluten easier. Parents who had already removed gluten from the diets of their non-verbal children were finding them starting to communicate. Calm down. Respond. Hmmmmmmm. Not rocket science. And yet, not possible when your child is living in a residential school. And then, she graduated and came home to us and our journey began.

I found my first Bloomfield Farms mix at Home Goods. Reasonable price. Give it a try. And we LOVED it! For the most part, using the All-Purpose baking mix is like using one for one traditional Bisquick. A few things that gluten free mixes will not replicate, but for the most part - WOW!!!! I began baking for Stephanie, but everyone in the family was eating my treats, unaware that there was zero gluten. LOVED!!! I reached out the the family owned Kentucky-based company and the rest is history.

I have made cakes, cookies, pizzas, cornbread, brownies with great success. And the mixes are delicious enough to use for our commercial catering business. Nary an event passes where we do not have at least one guest request gluten-free. Last week we catered a huge Oktoberfest party for a Philly bank and the 12 Black Forest gluten-free brownies I made were the first to go. Before anything else.

My latest creations? A fresh apple bundt cake with a caramel glaze and a pumpkin Halloween pizza.