Bring the Beach To You

Eating gluten free can sometimes mean extra budgeting. Extra budgeting  an also mean more staying home and less trips away. Staycations are cool but bringing the beach right into your own home can be even better. No, WAIT! I meant to say that having your beach and eating it too can be fun, delicious and just the right way to have everyone in the family enjoy a gluten free summer. Dare I say, a safer summer?

No Need To Avoid the Water

It's a bummer when you get to the beach only to find out that there are signs posted warning you to stay out of the water because of sharks. It's not your first choice but nobody wants to be the actual scene from Sharknado. So I say, if you are afraid of the sharks, bite them back! These are the only foolproof way to have gluten free sharks that will end up in your belly and a smile on your face (as opposed to the real beach where a shark warning may leave you with no face....no face means no eating..).

Make these NOW- watch here

Shark Bites

1 Box Glutino Sugar Cookie Mix

Vanilla frosting of your choice

Blue food coloring

Glutino Frosted Blueberry Toaster Pastries

Bake Time:          12 Minutes

Assemble Time:  10 Minutes

1. Prepare the Sugar Cookie Mix as directed and let them cool completely* 
2. Using a pastry bag, frost the cookies with your choice of vanilla frosting. I recommend using the pastry bag to make the waves look more realistic.  
3. Add a few drops of blue food coloring onto a plate. Dip one end of a toothpick into the color, then use that to make the wave swirls. 
4. Cut a Glutino Frosted Blueberry Toaster Pastry into small triangles, making sure the ends expose the blueberry inside (do not use the edge of the pastry).  
5. Insert one triangle into the frosting of each cookie.
6. DON'T throw away those extra pieces of Frosted Blueberry Toaster Pastry! I have an easy 3 ingredient recipe for that too- click here for the recipe 

Serving sizes vary

* Are you egg free? Great news- the Glutino Sugar Cookie Mix can be made egg free! Add 2 teaspoons Ener-G Powdered Egg Replacer into the dry mix and stir. Then add 1- 4 oz. applesauce into the mix. 

Sharks Avoided, Now Put Your Feet Up

Phew! No biting except what is being done by you so now it's time to relax. Even when you are not at the beach, most of us think summertime means sandals and walks on the beach. Nothing beats the feeling of sand between your toes- or, does it? How about if the beach was made of Chocolate Covered Pretzels? And what if you could eat your sandals too? 

Easy tutorial here

Sandals on the Beach

1 Box Glutino Decadent Chocolate Cake Mix

Glutino Chocolate Covered Pretzels (ground or crushed)

Vanilla frosting of your choice

Glutino Lemon Wafers

Surf Sweets Sour Worms

Bake Time:          12-18 minutes

Assemble Time:  5 Minutes

1. Prepare your Glutino Decadent Chocolate Cake Mix as directed in a cupcake tin and let cool completely.
2. In a mini chopper, add your Chocolate Covered Pretzels and pulse until you reach desired texture
3. Frost each cupcake with your choice of vanilla frosting
4. Sprinkle the crushed Chocolate Covered Pretzels onto each cupcake and set aside
5. Using a cutting board, cut one Glutino Lemon Wafers in half (1 wafer will provide 4 sandals)
6. Using a sharp knife, gently carve out a sandal shape
7. Very gently cut the sandal shape in half, keeping the wafer texture side up
8. SAVE those extra Lemon Wafer pieces! I have an extra recipe for those too! Go here
9. Take one Surf Sweets Sour Worm and cut it lengthwise in half
10. Leaving the top intact, begin to cut each half in half as well 
11. Place each on one sandal, trimming the top and side of the Surf Sweets Sour Worm to fit on each sandal but still wrap around to the back
12. Place each sandal onto your frosted cupcake
13. Optional- top with a small umbrella 

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

Gluten Free is a Health Choice, Not a Food Choice

Being healthy can be fun, it should be fun! There is no reason to fear your gluten free products. Can eating and preparing gluten free recipes be tricky? Yes but never, ever stop trying. Let your mind think about new ways to utilize your gluten free products and see where it leads to. What's the worst that could happen? You may wind up loving your foods even more ~