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Archive for the ‘Ceramic Baking Dishes’ Category

Need a gluten-free gift for a friend or loved one? Here are some recommendations for giving a great gluten-free gift for any special occasion.

- Ways to Transport Food -

- Lunch Containers

Since we need to prepare all our own food to completely avoid gluten, leftovers are a very important part of our GF (Gluten-Free) lives. So dedicated ways to bring our meals with us (such as bringing lunch to work or our dinner to a friend’s get-together) are invaluable to successfully staying GF. Items such as a plastic divided plates with lids, insulated thermos containers and bowls or plastic containers with freezable tops may seem boring, but are wonderfully helpful on a GF diet and will be greatly appreciated.

- Leftover Storage

The pores of old plastic containers can contain tiny bits of gluten which can cause cross-contamination. A set of assorted-sized plastic containers is a great gift for a newly GF household. If the household is mixed (if some people are still eating gluten) glass containers are preferred over plastic. Glass isn’t as porous so it doesn’t contribute to cross contamination as easily as plastic.

- Insulated Food Carriers

Since we’re always traveling with our own food, we really appreciate stylish and safe ways to carry it. Insulated carriers come in all shapes, sizes and styles, so you should easily find one that matches the personality of the lucky recipient. And we can never have too many of these: I have 5 different sizes and I use all of them at different time. Bringing food for the whole family on a day trip, lunch for just me to the office, dinner and snacks for a day at family gatherings… having different sizes is immensely helpful.

- Reusable Ice Packs

A great gift-topper or stocking stuffer! Coming in many shapes and sizes, ice packs of any type can be useful.

- Gluten-Free Food Gift Baskets -

Gluten is in many pre-prepared foods. It takes a lot of time and effort for someone new to the g-free diet to find safe foods. So new GF food ideas and new brands will always be welcomed. So you really can’t go wrong with a special assortment of g-free foods arranged in a gift basket (or other container). Be it a “make their own” basket filled with GF ingredients or a “take a break from cooking” basket filled with pre-made food items, you can get really creative with your GF basket items. Themes and whimsy can make all the difference when making a food basket. Set your creativity free and have fun with it!

And don’t worry about availability of g-free food. Whereas once GF shopping meant visiting specialty health food markets, new g-free foods are becoming more readily available at regular supermarkets. Now most national chain markets have many options, often in a single section. Ask at Customer Service for help finding the gluten-less items (many large chains have lists, both in-store and online).

There are many great blogs and websites which review and list the best g-free brands and specific foods. Within a few minutes of surfing you can find great first-hand lists of the best (and worst!) GF foods out there.

- Gluten-Free Books -

Regardless of the stage of your gift receiver (from just beginning to a 30-year veteran) books always make a great gift. We can never have too much information: the more we know about being the diet, the better we can cope.

There are many books on Celiac Disease (a condition that dictates all gluten be eliminated from a diet) as well as being gluten-free due to Gluten Intolerance, Sensitivity, Allergy or simple dietary preference. Cookbooks, medical books, baking books… you name it, there’s a book for it. Hundreds of books, in fact. Some books work and some don’t, so the best way to choose your gift book is through the experience of others. There’s an abundance of GF book reviews online. With just a little time surfing, you’ll soon get a sense of which are best. (Just remember, since many people start accumulating their own library of books soon after beginning the diet, always get a gift receipt, just in case!)

- New Utensils, Baking Pans, Dishes and Bowls –

Unless they already have glass or ceramic, all of their old utensils, baking pans, dishes and bowls may be cross-contaminating them with gluten every time they’re used. (And there’s nothing worse than preparing all your own GF food only to have gluten symptoms mysteriously occur!!) It’s best if they can donate all of old stuff to a charity and start from scratch. Speaking of scratches…

- Metal Baking Sheets, Pans and Dishes

One tiny little scratch in a previously used metal cookie sheet can contain gluten. Porous cast iron, non-stick surfaces and even stainless steel can all be contaminated. A new cast iron skillet or a new pasta pot (stuffed with bags of GF rice & potato pasta) can be a welcome addition to any g-free kitchen.

- Plastic Utensils & Bowls

If plastic was used for gluten-containing food in the past, the pores could still contain gluten, even after going through the dishwasher many times. Utensils are cheap enough that it just makes more sense to start fresh. So a countertop set of utensils or a stack of mixing bowls can make a great gift.

- Bread Machine -

If your loved one already has a propensity for baking, a bread machine dedicated to making gluten-free bread is a wonderful gift. Baking from scratch can take too long for busy lifestyles. But a bread machine can use pre-made, store-bought GF mixes. Simply dump them in (plus a few other ingredients), set the machine and it will mix, rise and bake a great g-free loaf of bread.

But if your gift-receiver isn’t one to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I’d skip this gift. GF bread is starting to get better and better (Udi’s Bread is my newest obsession).

Whatever gift you decide to give, know that your interest in their gluten-free diet and the thoughtfulness you’re showing by seeking out a G-free present is a wonderful gift in and of itself. Your lucky loved one is sure have a wonderful special day when they receive your considerate gluten-free gift.

Slow cookers are the convenient way to enjoy home cooked meals with a minimal amount of effort. They are ideal for people that work long hours, or two-income households that don’t always have the time to cook healthy meals. For nearly four decades the slow cooker has helped feed families across the country.

Slow cookers are called such because they are designed to use a minimal amount of heat to slowly cook a variety of food. The basic design uses a ceramic container (called a crock), which sits inside of a metal housing unit. An electric heating element sits between the metal housing and the crock. Once turned on, the heat from the element is transferred through the ceramic to the water and food inside the crock. When the lid is in place the heated water vapor condenses, forming a mild seal.

There are generally two settings on a slow cooker, high and low. The low setting is usually set around 160 degrees, while the high setting is normally around 250-280 degrees. Between these two settings, the food inside is kept at a high enough temperature to make it safe to eat.

The beauty of these devices is that they can be used to cook food while nobody is at home. Because water is an essential part of the cooking process, there is no chance of burning your food (unless an inadequate amount of water is used). Furthermore, most of slow cookers take several hours to completely cook a meal, which means that if you start it before leaving for work, you’ll have a hot meal waiting for you when you get home.

These appliances are also the ideal way to cook tougher pieces of meat. The slower cooking process effectively breaks down the harder connective tissue, thereby making the meat much more tender and palatable. And because slow cookers are designed to cook a meal in one pot, there are fewer dishes to be done at the end of the day.

There are, however, disadvantages to using slow cookers. Vegetables are often drained of many trace minerals during the slow cooking process. To overcome this, many people recommend saut

For a long time now, many people have been using the ceramic grills because of all the advantages it offers them. One of the most important is that they can use the grill for carrying out different cooking techniques such as smoking, baking and grilling. All these can be carried out without any problem because these products have been designed to produce good results efficiently and effectively, regardless of the type of method used.

When it comes to grilling these products, ceramic grill comes with the ability to get to very high temperatures and therefore can be used to prepare different types of foods. The high temperatures will not hinder the user to come up with good looking steaks with crust that are rich brown color. In contrast with other types of grills, these devices will allow the user to prepare the dishes over an open flame comfortably and indirect heat without having to worry about the outcome of their food.

Homeowners who fancy smoked foods have nothing to worry about because they can use these ceramic grills for the same purpose. With the heavy ceramic wall of the vessel, they maintain the heat at a low ad stable temperature. The advantage is that the user can also regulate the temperatures as they wish In order to come up with the signature classic barbecue. They also have the chance of smoking different kinds of food such as fish, pork butts and vegetables. The other advantage when it comes of smoking is that the device will retain the heat for a long time without forcing the homeowner to keep adjusting or regulating it and from adding fuel as they are smoking. They also have the option of smoking to the bone or just having the hint of the smoke to their dishes as they wish.

When it comes to baking, these products function just as well. The homeowner will have to set the damper top an inch or so and the draft door half of the ceramic grill an inch in order to obtain the appropriate baking temperatures. After this has been set, the user will not need to adjust the heat in order for the target time of baking to be achieved. The nature of the ceramics facilitates this process because they allow for effective circulation of heat as well as its retention.

Homeowners can also use these products when it comes to broiling. They are designed to get to as high temperatures as 400 degrees and above. Since the process needs heat and flames, the homeowner would need a kiln-like structure that will maintain the heat without the risks of flare ups. The advantage of using this is that the cooking time is usually less than with the other types of grills. The broiled foods would be crusty without the chat from the flames and the homeowners will be treated to great taste because all the nutrients are retained.