Coaching Cooking

If you get hungry for Spicey living enjoy! Photo by Mary MacIntyre

The ALternative Cook always has new ideas and ways to keep us and the kids healthy. Enjoy!

July 1st, 2009 by Jean Duane
http://alternativecook.com/askjean/
What a week! Attendees at the Great Gluten Escape Camp engaged in many fun activities including horses, several different crafts, archery, canoeing, swimming, calf roping, low ropes and cooking. The cooking sessions were conducted by yours truly and what we made depended on the age group. Thank you to Kelly LeMonds who knows what kids like – because our choices were hits with each age group. The youngest made fruit pizzas which consist of a sugar cookie iced and topped with fresh fruits. They were really good! We cut them out into cowboy shapes (a cactus, a cowboy hat, a boot – the most popular with the boys because it was the biggest; and a horse – the most popular with the girls, because, well… it was a horse!). Everyone got to put on as much icing as they wanted, and decorate with chopped fruits. Kelly derived this recipe from one of her mother’s classic recipes. She spread the dough on two cookie sheets and baked it and then when the ‘campers’ came to the session, we cut them out with the cookie cutters.

GFCF Sugar Cookie
2 C Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Gluten-Free Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
6 T butter substitute
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1 Tbs. rice milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Fruit Pizzas
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter and oil for 30 seconds; add sugar and beat till fluffy. Add egg or egg whites, rice milk and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating till well blended. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Working with 1/2 the dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 minutes or till done.

Ice with purchased icing, or make some by combining ½ cup butter substitute with 2 cups of powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. (If you need to thin it, add a little rice milk.)

Here’s a little history about the camp written by Cheryl Gainer the Camp Nurse: The Great Gluten Escape originated in 2005 as a Gold Award project by two sophomore High School Girl Scouts, Tara and Grace. The adult advisors that worked with these two young Girl Scouts were so impressed with their work and the resulting camp; they collaborated to create a non-profit 501 (c) (3) called the Great Gluten Escape Camp, Inc. which ensures the camp continues as an annual event. Monetary donations help reduce the cost to campers and their families so that more children can afford to attend this special needs resident summer camp. Donations are completely tax-deductible and can be sent to: The Great Gluten Escape Camp, Inc.,1416 Tascosa Court, Allen, TX, 75013. For more information check the website at http://www.greatglutenescape.org

Great Gluten Escape Camp 2009
Here is a photo of the campers this year. Stay tuned… I’ll write more about the food we made in the cooking sessions in subsequent blogs. ©Alternative Cook, 2009. All Rights reserved