Gross Food Facts

I heard some gross food facts today.  First, as many of you know, all of the food dyes that they put into our food are FDA approved even though they are known carcinogens.   Some doctors think they are linked to food allergies, behavioral issues, autism and other diseases.  I have a friend whose child had ADD like symptoms until she removed all of the products with food dyes from his diet.  He is now a brilliant child with perfectly normal behavior.

Another gross fact relates to those “cream-filled” packaged treats that are available and which many of us grew up on.  You know the ones I mean, the chocolate cupcakes (Hostess I think?), Twinkies and similar “baked goods” that are filled with preservatives.  Well, the “cream” in them has NO cream in it.  It is made from lard and beef fat!  That’s disgusting!

You probably also know that manufacturers must list the ingredients on their labels starting with the highest amount down to the least amount.  The first 5 ingredients generally tell you what is in the majority of the product.

Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Cookies for Easter, Holidays, Birthdays, Fun

I’m making lots of shape cookies these days to show people just how easy it is to use our cookie dough to make cut out cookies.  It’s so easy – NO MIXING, NO MESS, just GREAT FRESH-BAKED COOKIES in your own home every time!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Take our Sensational Sugar Cookie Dough and thaw it in the refrigerator or on the counter until soft.

Spread some rice flour onto a flat surface.

Take a hunk of cookie dough out and roll it around in the flour.

Roll out the cookie dough using a rolling pin until it’s the thickness you like.  I usually roll it out to about 1/4 inch. You might need to add a little more flour during this process.  I’d suggest adding a tablespoon at a time so you don’t over do it and make it hard to work with.

Take your favorite cookie cutters and start cutting out shapes.  Once you’ve cut up as many as you can, roll the leftover cookie dough into a ball and start again.  I add in more of the unused cookie dough to keep it moist, and I add enough rice flour to allow the rolling pin and cookie cutters to work without getting stuck.

Place the cut out cookies onto a baking tray that is lined with parchment paper.  Bake them between 8-15 minutes depending on the thickness and size of the cookies.  A shorter bake time will yield softer cookies; a longer bake time will yield harder cookies.  Oven temperatures vary, so adjust as necessary.

Cool and decorate if you’d like.  We also like to eat them plain.  They taste like regular sugar cookies.  My kids and their friends love using the dough and eating the cookies, and they don’t have any food allergies.

One pound of our Sensational Sugar Cookie Dough made 80 small cookie stars, about  1/2 inch in length and width.

 

The “Autism Diet”

I came across a couple of interesting articles about the “autism diet”. Some pros, some cons in these articles. My customers and friends with children on the autism spectrum have had positive experiences with this diet. They have told me that their children have increased ability to function and improved behavior when they remove wheat and dairy from their diets.

What have been your experiences?

http://www.autismweb.com/diet.htm

http://blog.beliefnet.com/roddreher/2010/05/is-the-autism-diet-really-ineffective.html