The Wisdom of the Gaucho

I've always been of the opinion that granola should be eaten sparingly, a half a cup in the morning with yogurt and some fruit, or maybe for a small mid-morning snack. Consequently, my favorite granola recipes have been those that aren't necessarily "healthy", but are darn tasty and are best consumed in moderation. This is my favorite granola recipe, but it's by no means health food, it has butter and sugar in it, and it's the kind of granola that makes no excuses for itself. This recipe is another family heirloom from my Mother In Law. She does have a real name, but we usually refer to her by her nickname, Mama Bear. Given her upper Midwest farmhouse upbringing, Mama Bear is a heck of a cook, and this recipe is hers, so this is her appropriate acknowledgment. Here's the recipe for (Mama Bears') Gluten Free Golden Crispy Granola: 3/4 Cup Organic Butter 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1/3 Cup Water 2 Tablespoons Vanilla 4 Cups Gluten Free Oats (We...

Cooking and baking for a person with Celiac Disease has required a lot of adjustments in the kitchen and modifications to recipes - some big changes, some very minor. More than eight long years of culinary tinkering has shown me that certain recipes have been easier to make gluten free than others.  My personal quest for the perfect gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe finally led me to the following recipe that is both delicious and reliable. It has been tested and retested, and my waistline will attest to the fact that it produces a soft, moist chocolate chip cookie that is so good, you wouldn't know it was gluten free. The following recipe for gluten free chocolate chip cookies uses Pamela's Baking Mix as a substitute for a gluten free flour mix. Pamela’s Baking Mix is a little bit pricey, but when the cookies come out moist and delicious, and everything that you would expect from a chocolate chip cookie, you won’t care. Warm and gooey out of the oven with ...