Searching for "katz"

A Gluten Free Breakfast With Mommy, Daddy, Baby, And Winnie The Pooh Too!

Not a cloud in the sky, in fact a cool breeze started our 5th day in Disney as we approached the boat to head over to Magic Kingdom for an early breakfast. We hadn’t done this breakfast before so we super excited to get into Magic Kingdom before park opening and enjoy some food with friends. With the streets pretty empty we just had to snap a picture of our little girl all by herself in front of the castle with her favorite balloon! 

Our little girl, so happy to be in the happiest place on earth!
Our little girl, so happy to be in the happiest place on earth!

Once we sprung her from her stroller, she was off and going, just so happy to be able to run around and roam Main Street on her own; and then we were able to capture this moment! She really is the light in our life! After we took a few more pictures we made our way over to the Crystal Palace, where we couldn’t wait to enjoy good food with Winnie the Pooh and some of his friends too. We checked in, and just as we were unloading the stroller we were called to be seated. As were getting our cameras out, settling little one into her high chair, and ordering our drinks, we saw the chef approaching. He told me that they had gluten free Vans waffles (sadly, no Mickey waffles here) and donuts along with traditional breakfast staples. I decided to go with scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast and to also try the donuts that they had, way too much food for myself but just had to try a bit of everything. Also, the chef did say that I could get the eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns from the buffet as they were gluten free, but I instead opted to have the chef put together my dish in the kitchen to prevent any cross contamination. While waiting for my food, the characters started circulating and first up was Eeyore.  

My love and her love. She just loved each and every one of the characters!
My love and her love. She just loved each and every one of the characters!

As you can tell, my daughter absolutely LOVED Eeyore! Just as she was with all of the other characters we had visited, she couldn’t stop hugging him. Some moments, she would just close her eyes and smile as she wrapped her tiny arms around his nose and he squished her back! After Eeyore and Pooh had passed by, Dan visited the buffet to pick out a plate for himself and our little girl. While he was doing that my plate arrived!

Crystal Palace Breakfast
Crystal Palace gluten free scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon.
Crystal Palace Breakfast
Crystal Palace gluten free donut and toast.

Between scrambling around to meet the characters and feed our toddler who was too distracted to really eat, I’ll be honest I didn’t really enjoy too much of my breakfast. But, I was sure to try each item on my plate, especially the donut! The scrambled eggs and bacon were pretty good, just what I was in the mood for, especially with a side of toast! The hashbrowns were okay, really not my favorite; I prefer a shredded potato kind of hashbrown, like the one at Chef Mickey’s Breakfast. Finally the donut, it was pretty good, a bit too cakey, but it was just nice to add something sweet to a gluten free breakfast for a change. I believe the donuts that they have here are Kinnikinnick, which are kind of tiny and more cakey; I definitely prefer a Katz donut which is a bit more dense and also a little bigger too!

All in all, breakfast at Crystal Palace for the experience was fantastic, a little too much fun as my little girl wasn’t keen on the sitting down and eating part of the meal, and food wise it was pretty good. I would definitely eat here again, more so for the fun of getting into the park early and enjoying some close up time with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore than for the actual food though. Keep an eye out for another Be Our Guest lunch that we managed to squeeze in! 

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay

Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Breakfast Muffins

During my pregnancy, breakfast was always one of my most difficult meals of the day. My non-pregnant breakfast menu usually consisted of a bowl of cereal or either a regular or Greek yogurt both accompanied by a piece of fruit. Unfortunately, this regimen couldn’t stand up to my increased appetite during pregnancy. To bulk up my first meal of the day I turned to gluten free smoothies, Katz bagels, muffins, toast, and occasional treats of donuts. I only wish that I had come across this recipe for these delicious muffins during that time. Muffins are a perfectly filling breakfast item that can be incredibly tasty and very healthy to boot! After making these gluten free Banana Chocolate Breakfast Muffins, thanks to Sarah at Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats, I know my breakfasts during my future pregnancies will be filling and also incredibly satisfying.

These muffins are deliciously moist with just the right amount of sweetness, not to mention they treat you to a little bit of chocolate! They are fantastic for breakfast, especially when paired with a piece of fruit or a smoothie. You can even indulge a little and eat a whole or a half of a muffin for a late afternoon snack. Be sure to add this one to your recipe book as you’ll be making these over and over during both your pregnant and not pregnant days!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup and an extra 1/4 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 bananas mashed
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup canola oil (I used Smart Balance)
  • 1/4 cup pure honey (I used Groeb Farms)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (McCormick)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey)
Ingredients
Ingredients for these delicious Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Breakfast Muffins.

Directions: 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add 12 paper liners to a muffin tin or spray tin with nonstick cooking spray. 
  • First, combine most of the dry ingredients including 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a 1/2 tsp salt. To mix well and also break up any clumps in the mixture, I like to use a whisk.
Dry Ingredients
Mix some of the dry ingredients first. 
  • Peel and mash two bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Mash bananas
Mash two bananas.
  • To the bananas, mix in 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup oil, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 tsp vanilla. 
sdfsd
Banana mixture.
  • To the wet ingredients, add in the flour mixture and stir to combine.
  • Now you’re going to split the batter into two by removing 1 1/2 cups of the batter and pouring into a separate mixing bowl (I just added this to a larger measuring cup). With these separated batters, you’re going to prepare a chocolaty version and a banana version to eventually mix in the muffin tins. 
Divide banana batter into two.
Divide banana batter into two.
  • To the new batter, mix in 1/4 cup additional gluten free flour until all is combined.
  • To the original bowl of batter, add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and mix well to combine. 
Banana and chocolate batters.
Prepare the banana and chocolate batters.
  • Add 1 tbsp banana batter to all of the muffins (you’ll have just enough for 12 muffins). This should fill each muffin about halfway. 
Muffins 3/4 full
Muffins filled about halfway with banana batter.
  • Similar to banana batter, add 1 tbsp of chocolate batter on top of each muffin.
Add chocolate batter on top and swirl.
Add chocolate batter on top and swirl.
  • Using a toothpick, swirl batter through muffin. 
sfds
Banana and chocolate swirled together.
  • Place muffins into the oven and bake for about 15-17 minutes. To make sure they’re done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean. 
sfsdf
After only 15 minutes, muffins are puffed up and ready to go!
  • Remove all of the muffins to cool and store them in a container.
ghf
So yummy!
  • Enjoy!
fdsfs
Banana chocolate muffins perfect for a breakfast or snack.

I made these for the first time on a Sunday morning with my little one and husband Dan in the other room. And the aroma that filled the house while these were baking was intoxicating, making each one of us salivate waiting for our first taste. When I pulled them out of the oven and let them cool a bit, it was just in time for lunch. Dan eagerly grabbed a muffin while I cut one in half for my little girl and I to enjoy. Needless to say, the reviews on this one were fantastic from both the gluten free and non-gluten free diners, as evident by the quiet sounds of chewing and empty plates remaining. In fact, my little one’s new thing is to make a “mmm” sound while she eats, but not for everything, just her favorites like a few dinner and dessert items and apparently these banana chocolate muffins as well! It was so sweet watching her handle the muffin half and shovel in bite after bite, each eliciting that ”mmmm” stamp of approval and a huge toothy smile. As you can see, these were a hit for us and will certainly be making many more appearances in the years to come!

Just a note, these muffins are also dairy free too! I have a nephew who has milk, egg, nut, gluten/wheat, and fish allergies so I’m always searching and experimenting with recipes to make tasty options for him. The poor thing is 7 now and has grown up with a very limited selection of foods that unfortunately are not the most tasty and appealing, especially in the dessert area. So I passed one of these along to my sister to share with him and it received rave reviews from this extremely picky 1st grade food critic! It was so exciting to hear how much he enjoyed the little treat that I sent over, assuring me that these muffins that are gluten and dairy free are truly just as fantastic as I thought they were! So whether you’re pregnant or not pregnant or following a gluten free, dairy free, or even regular diet, give these try! They are truly magnificent and will not disappoint!

TIP: To keep these fresh and moist, store them in an airtight container. I kept them in a large Ziploc container and they were finished within the next 5-6 days! 

Sincerely,

Lindsay

 

Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Breakfast Muffins
Yields 12
Write a review
Print
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 cup and an extra 1/4 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour)
  2. 1 tsp baking powder
  3. 1/2 tsp baking soda
  4. 1/2 tsp salt
  5. 2 bananas mashed
  6. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
  7. 1/2 cup sugar
  8. 1/3 cup canola oil (I used Smart Balance)
  9. 1/4 cup pure honey (I used Groeb Farms)
  10. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (McCormick)
  11. 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add 12 paper liners to a muffin tin or spray tin with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. First, combine most of the dry ingredients including 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a 1/2 tsp salt. To mix well and also break up any clumps in the mixture, I like to use a whisk.
  3. Peel and mash two bananas in a large mixing bowl.
  4. To the bananas, mix in 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup oil, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 tsp vanilla.
  5. To the wet ingredients, add in the flour mixture and stir to combine.
  6. Now you're going to split the batter into two by removing 1 1/2 cups of the batter and pouring into a separate mixing bowl (I just added this to a larger measuring cup). With these separated batters, you're going to prepare a chocolaty version and a banana version to eventually mix in the muffin tins.
  7. To the new batter, mix in 1/4 cup additional gluten free flour until all is combined.
  8. To the original bowl of batter, add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and mix well to combine.
  9. Add 1 tbsp banana batter to all of the muffins (you'll have just enough for 12 muffins). This should fill each muffin about halfway.
  10. Similar to banana batter, add 1 tbsp of chocolate batter on top of each muffin.
  11. Using a toothpick, swirl batter through muffin.
  12. Place muffins into the oven and bake for about 15-17 minutes. To make sure they're done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean.
  13. Remove all of the muffins to cool and store them in a container.
  14. Enjoy!
Adapted from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats
Adapted from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats
Gluten Free Mom To Be http://www.glutenfreemomtobe.com/

The Holy Grail of Gluten Free Donuts

There’s nothing worse than a nagging craving that you can’t fulfill, especially while pregnant. While living a gluten free pregnancy, this is bound to happen. There were many days during my pregnancy that I couldn’t stop thinking about eating a donut, especially the chocolate frosted and sprinkled kind from Dunkin Donuts. Much to my dismay, these donuts are full of gluten and totally off limits in my diet. After scouring food stores and searching online I did find several brands of gluten free donuts, unfortunately after trying them I learned they didn’t resemble a regular donut in neither price nor texture and taste.

After a quick trip to a local health food store I stumbled upon the holy grail of gf donuts. The brand to which I’m referring is Katz Gluten Free. You’ll soon learn that this is truly one of my favorite brands of gf products. In fact, their site boasts that they accommodate to a number of food allergies so if you face any other dietary restrictions you might just be in luck. While they are known for producing a number of products, today I’ll highlight the donut.

My personal favorite, that I purchased first, was the chocolate frosted donuts. I literally was in heaven when I took my first bite and I certainly was a happy mommy-to-be. They are a perfectly textured cake donut, not too dense and not too crumbly, very reminiscent of Entenmann’s donuts.

Defrosted chocolate frosted donut.
Chocolate frosted donut after defrosting.
Donuts have a perfect texture, not too dense or crumbly.
Donuts have a perfect texture and are very moist.

Katz donut selection certainly does not disappoint ranging from glazed to custard filled. Each variety is as delicious as their non-gluten free competitor. Take a look here to browse their entire selection and pick out which ones you’d like to try, you won’t be disappointed!

Most of their products, including the donuts, are stored in the freezer, and can be kept upwards near 10 months. The best method to prepare the donuts is to thaw them at room temperature; it doesn’t take long at all for these to become soft enough to eat. I would recommend to take one out of the freezer when you first get up in the morning, leave it out at room temperature while you get ready, and by the time you’re done you’re morning prep it would be perfect (if you prefer a warmed donut, you can always zap it for a few seconds in the microwave at this point). If you’re in a hurry and you forget to defrost one you can certainly try microwaving, however you want to be very careful as these heat up very quickly with very little heating, and especially those with frosting as they’ll melt completely. I would say to microwave between 5 and 10 seconds to start and see how tender it is at that point and go from there.

Price wise, Katz products are definitely comparable if not cheaper than a majority of the  other brands that offer gluten free donuts. Depending on variety, Katz donuts will end up costing anywhere between $4.49 to $6.99 per box. The chocolate frosted that are my favorite cost $6.99 for a box of six.

Katz chocolate frosted donuts.
Katz chocolate frosted donuts.

Depending on location, Katz products can be hard to find in store though. In my area, I have only been able to find them in a local, privately owned health food shop. That being said though, you can always order online from their entire stock of products with an affordable standard flat rate shipping fee of $7.99. Also, they even offer a sample package for free with a promo code to first time customers which contains several types of breads and pastries, all for only the price of shipping, if you’re interested check it out here!

TIP: Katz offers deals very frequently on their products so sign up for their newsletter today here and you’ll surely receive an offer that’s too good to pass up!

Sincerely,

Lindsay

 

1 2