There is quite a bit of difference between almond FLOUR (even differences between commercial brands - some are coarse, some more fine, some include the skins, others are blanched and skinless) and almond MEAL (ground almonds at home), and the third choice, almond flour made from the dehydrated pulp leftover from making almond milk (the perfect 2 for 1 product). I use all of them - it just depends on the recipe and results I want. My preference is to use almonds that I sprout and dehydrate first because they are easier to digest and it's also MUCH cheaper to make my own than to purchase commercial almond flour. But saying that, I always have a bag of Honeyville Grain Almond Flour in the house. I also avoid white and brown sugar and high-glycemic starches and flours common to many gluten-free cookbooks. If you find recipes that use rice flour you can mill your own, but use short- or medium-grain rice (white or brown - your choice) instead of long-grain rice. Long-grain rice is fine for a thickener or dredging, but not for baking. If you want to make cookies (or other baked goods) with almond flour, I'd suggest checking out Elana Amsterdam's web site - www.elanaspantry.com. The recipe for Pecan Shortbread Cookies linked below is a favorite recipe. Elana Amsterdam suggests using Honeyville Grain Almond Flour, and for her recipes I agree that's the best choice. Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't cut it - it is much coarser and you'll get a grainy finished product, or you will get a lot of crumbling by using coarse almond flour. BTW, I was baking with almond flour long before we went gluten-free because it's low-glycemic. Same with coconut flour, another low-glycemic choice. Honeyville Almond Flour is one of the finer grinds you can find commercially. When you make your own almond flour using whole almonds, you chance making almond butter by the time you get the fine grind similar to Honeyville Grain Almond Flour. You may need to add sugar to the almonds while grinding. I get a much finer grind using pulp from almond milk made in the Vitamix compared to pulp from almond milk made in the Ninja blender. When completely dehydrated, I give the pulp a whirr in a small Ninja food chopper to break up the clumps - or run a rolling pin over it. I also get less pulp using a Vitamix. It's not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to texture provided by the different almond flour/meal products. When it comes to cookies, this one\-bowl recipe is by far the easiest. I often make this recipe when I have one ripe banana and bake them in my solar oven or in the convection/microwave oven on a pizza pan. SUPER\-SIMPLE BANANA COOKIES 2\-3 mashed bananas (2 large bananas or 3 small) 2 c. gluten\-free oatmeal 1 c. chopped dates (can use any dried fruit, or a mixture of dried fruit and mini\-chocolate chips, cacao nibs, finely chopped nuts, etc.) 1/3 c. coconut oil 1 t. vanilla 1/8 t. of salt (can omit) Preheat oven to 350\-degrees F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper, or use ungreased baking sheets. Mix all ingredients well and drop by teaspoonful (I use a \#50 portion scoop) onto baking sheets. Lightly press the dough until it is about 1/4\-inch thick and form into rounds. Bake 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. You can bake these cookies until soft or lightly crunchy \- your choice \- depending on how long you bake them. I like to use dried blueberries or dried apricots snipped into 1/4\-inch cubes using kitchen scissors. Dried cherries (snipped into smaller pieces) and mini chocolate chips makes a nice combination. Using one banana: 1 mashed banana 1 c. gluten\-free oatmeal 1/3\-1/2 c. dried fruit or mini chocolate chips (or combination) 2 T. coconut oil pinch of salt PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH COOKIES Melt together: 1 stick butter 3/4 c. peanut butter In a large bowl add butter/peanut butter mixture and the remaining ingredients. Mix with an electric hand-held mixer. 1 t. baking soda pinch of salt 2 eggs 1 c. unsalted dry-roasted peanuts 1/2 c. raw or roasted sunflower seeds 1/2 c. almond flour 1/2 c. palm sugar 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut 1/2 c. cacao nibs (optional) Cover two baking sheets with parchment. Use a #50 scoop for dough portions (note: make small cookies as this dough spreads). Bake in a 375-degree oven for 12 minutes. BLUEBERRY COCONUT PECAN BREAKFAST COOKIES These cookies are similar to Super\-Simple Banana Cookies. http://www.kumquatblog.com/2012/03/blueberry-coconut-pecan-breakfast.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COCONUT OATMEAL COOKIE BARS (which are cookies, not bars) (Source: The Everything Coconut Diet Cookbook) Makes 24 1/2 c. coconut flour 1/2 c. coconut sugar 1/2 c. rolled oats 1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut 1/2 c. coconut oil 1 egg 1 t. baking soda Preheat oven to 350\-degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine coconut flour, sugar, oats and shredded coconut. Melt coconut oil; add egg and baking soda. Mix well into dry ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet; bake for about 10\-12 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack. \[Grainlady Note: I generally double the recipe. Use a \#50 portion scoop and press the cookies down before baking.\] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are my original recipes I developed for a local sorghum mill..... NUTELLA WHITE SORGHUM FLOUR COOKIES 1/2 c. Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread 1/2 c. butter (softened) 1/4 c. white sugar 1/4 c. brown sugar 1 egg 1/2 c. white sorghum flour 1/2 c. dried potato flakes 1/4 c. flaxmeal 1/2 T. cornstarch 1 t. baking powder 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt Preheat oven to 325\-degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl beat Nutella and butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg just until mixed. In a medium bowl, combine the white sorghum flour, dried potato flakes, flaxmeal, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix by hand, only until ingredients are incorporated. Using a portion scoop, make dough into 1\-inch balls. Place on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12\-minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheets for 2\-minutes, then remove to a wire rack to completely cool. Makes 65, 2\-1/2" cookies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHOCOLATE CHIP/COCONUT SORGHUM FLOUR COOKIES 1/2 c. butter (softened) 1/4 c. white sugar 1/4 c. brown sugar 1 egg 1/4 c. sour cream 2/3 c. white sorghum flour 1/3 c. dried potato flakes 1/3 c. flaxmeal 1/3 c. unsweetened coconut 1 t. cornstarch 1 t. baking powder 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips Preheat oven to 325\-degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl beat butter until light and creamy. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and sour cream just until mixed. In a medium bowl, combine the sorghum flour, dried potato flakes, flaxmeal, coconut, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix only until ingredients are incorporated. Using a small portion scoop, make dough into 1\-inch balls. Place on prepared cookie sheets. Bake about 10\-12 minutes. remove cookie sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheets 2\-inutes, then remove to a wire rack to completely cool makes 44 two\-inch cookies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHITE SORGHUM PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES 1/2 c. natural peanut butter 1/2 c. butter (softened) 1/4 c. white sugar 1/4 c. brown sugar 1 egg 1/2 c. white sorghum flour 1/2 c. dried potato flakes 1/2 c. flaxmeal 1/2 T. cornstarch 1 t. baking powder 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt Preheat oven to 350\-degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl beat softened butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg just until mixed. In a medium bowl, combine the white sorghum flour, dried potato flakes, flaxmeal, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. By hand, mix into peanut butter mixture, only until ingredients are incorporated. Refrigerate dough for 20\-minutes. Using a portion scoop, make dough into 1\-inch balls. Place on prepared cookie sheets and press with a fork dipped into coarse sugar. Bake 8\-10 minutes in a pre\-heated 350\-degree F. oven. Remove cookie sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheet for 1\-2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to completely cool. \-Grainlady This post was edited by grainlady on Tue, May 27, 14 at 8:43

Ok, as a celiac person -- don't use teflon pans to cook for your son's friend -- the nonstick can retain gluten. Tacos -- use 100% corn tortilla Nacos -- again 100% corn chips Hot wings -- Franks hot wing sauce is GF BBQ -- Sweet Baby Rays sauce is GF For soy sauce I like SanJ-- a bit more expensive but good flavor and they do make a teriyaki sauce too. Lettuce wraps for sandwiches if you don't want to get GF bread -- if making corn bread -- watch the flour! Some Gluten Sensitive and Celiac individuals cannot tolerate Oats (I unfortunately am one) so while tasty find out about the oats before planning a oat streusel topping on desserts. Some lunch meats are "enhanced" by using broth containing Gluten -- Boars Head does not and a few other brands. Research! But as I read above -- making a meal based on a nice grilled or roasted meat, potato or rice and fresh veggies/salad (be careful not to add croutons and check the salad dressing) is good -- use fresh herbs rather than ground and no worry if they added gluten as an anti caking agent. (Plus, fresh is SO TASTY!) Some cheeses are not GF -- anything with mold is suspect -- esp in the US -- fast way to produce Bue is to grow molds on bread then scrape and mix in -- Gluten is retained. Mushrooms are an issue if not cleansed or grown on GF materials -- sent the study on that to a friend with Microbiology degree -- real science -- so I buy from known source of NON Gluten growing material . . . Love my mushrooms! For breakfast I saw a note about a frittata -- filling and yummy! crustless quiche . . . beware of flavored sausages and bacons but there are some normal priced brands labeled GF so just read packaging. A veggie and cheese tray, to start or for nibbles is good (and healthy option to some other types of apps) SIDE NOTE -- check on your hand and body soap -- some do have gluten and if having finger foods this could cause Cross Contamination. But most of all is is nice as someone GF to eat the SAME meal as everyone else -- so stick with basics and as I surmise you to be --be warm and welcoming and that will ensure a pleasant visit to all your guests. Too many thoughts running through my head . . . message me if you want more info Susan

I am doing pumpkin pie this weekend. Here is a great recipe for pastry: http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2008/10/gluten-free-pastry.html I change it to full lard (can't have dairy) and used more tapioca in place of corn starch and more rice flour in place of potato starch. My MIL makes it as is and really likes it. Sorry I have no say for original recipe because I have to improvise but still love it. I improvise another recipe (Company's Coming Almond Torte) to this : 1/2 cup butter (I use coconut oil but give butter to those not bothered by dairy) 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup ground almonds 3 egg yolks 2 tsp vanilla Mix all these and fold in 3 egg whites I will lay out fruit (canned peaches usually) on the bottom of a parchment lined 8x8 pan and pour batter on top. Bake at 350 for 35 min or so. Top with whipped cream. I use this one a lot. It is kind of like a sponge, I think.

Yes, PM, I do. As I said, I like them better, and they aren't as fragile, so they are easier for the kids to handle if The Princess wants to make some. They also are a bit more substantial for the spreading of Nutella/etc. I did grow some corn and grind my own meal, but I use Aunt Jemima brand too, it's the only thing available at my local groceries. I did buy some Brinser's at the local Amish grocery and liked it very much, but the kids didn't like it as well. It was coarser and not as sweet, which made great hoe cakes and cornbread, but the kids want those sweet/fluffy muffin type cornbreads. Southern cornbread that Elery grew up with has no flour, no sugar and white cornmeal. I grew up on "johnny cake" which is sweeter and has flour and yellow cornmeal. So I use his recipe and it's gluten free anyway, and the kids just put butter and honey or sorghum on it and it's sweeter, LOL. I use this recipe for the crepes. I've used coconut milk in place of the dairy successfully, but I've never tried to leave out or replace the egg. Gluten Free Easy Crepes Recipe makes 10 crepes (depends on your pan size!) Ingredients: 2/3 cup milk 1/3 cup (or 50g) cornstarch 1 egg 2 teaspoons olive oil or melted butter pinch of salt Directions: Mix (I used a small whisk) all ingredients until very well blended. Spritz a pan (small, nonstick) with olive oil. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat. Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter into the pan while swirling the pan. Continue to swirl the pan – OFF the heat! – until the batter begins to bubble and there is no longer excess batter to swirl. Cook for 20-40 seconds (the first crepe takes the longest… this time is for the quicker crepes) or until steam is puffing out the sides. Quickly and with some care, flip the crepe and cook and additional 15-20 seconds. Continue until all the batter is used. (Depending upon your pan, you may not have to spritz it with oil between crepes.) Annie