Monica's Goes Grocery Shopping and We Get Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I started my week with a trip to the grocery store.  Yup, the regular ol' grocery store: SuperFresh.  They don't have a large selection of specifically gluten-free products, but they do have my weekly staples.

I write the items on my list in the order in which I will walk around the store; it helps me to avoid the unnecessary purchases (like candy and potato chips).  Also, since I've started to walk to and from the store, I like to make the trip as quick as possible.

 

So here it is:  The list...

(Directly from my hot pink post-it note):

• Soy milk (I still cannot drink cow's milk.  Thank you, gut...) -- Silk brand (I've tried other brands and for me this one tastes the best.)
  
• Rice Pudding -- Kozy Shack
  
• Yogurt -- Dannon or Yoplait brands are labeled Gluten Free!
  
• Cream cheese--Philadelphia
  
• Corn tortillas – Pepito
• Eggs
• Lunch meat – Oscar Mayer (Lucky me!  It's on sale this week!)
• Canned Black beans -- Goya or Hanover
• Tomato Soup -- Pacific
• Canned tuna -- Chicken of the Sea
• Canned chicken – Valley Fresh, read the label, it should say GF, if it doesn't, err on not trying it.
• Rice Chex Cereal -- General Mills
• Peanut Butter--Jif Brand, but I also have 'natural' versions of peanut butter that are just as delicious and w/o the extra stabilizers and stuff, but Jif is the best to make my favorite cookies!
• Banana
• Pear

There are plenty of items that I already have in the pantry and freezer that I can add to this week's staples for my meals.  What's already in the pantry and freezer:

• Frozen broccoli and spinach -- store brand
  
• Whole Foods Bakehouse -- pizza crust and sandwich bread
  
• Glutino bagels
  
• Canned diced tomatoes (usually less expensive and won't spoil) -- store brand
  
• Bag of potatoes
  
• Bag of onions
  
• Fresh garlic and ginger
  
• Corn meal – Quaker
  
• Premade polenta – Sun of Italy
  
• Brown Rice
  
• Rice noodles (found in the Asian section of the store)
  
• Pasta -- DeBoles Corn or Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta products
  
• Grits – store brand or Quaker
  
• Marinara sauce – Rinaldi original or marinara
  
• Goya's canned tuna stuffed olives (I love Goya!)
  
• Cook and serve pudding – jello
  
• Tortilla chips – Utz, Tostitos
  
• Salsa – many kinds, Mrs. Renfro’s is my current favorite (read the label, it should say GF, if it doesn't, err on not trying it.)
  
• Tofu – NaSoya
  
• Canned pineapple -- store brand
  
• Ground flax seed -- Bob’s Red Mill
  
• Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch (It's a new find for me and it's a great price, compared to other bars)
  
• Lara bars -- all the flavors are good
• Carnation Instant Breakfast (dark chocolate, all flavors but malt are ok)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. Peanut Butter

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 Tbs. GF vanilla flavoring -- McCormick

4 eggs

1 bag chocolate chips -- Nestle

 

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together. Drop 1" spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned. Cool and Enjoy.

 

We baked these cookies at Christmas and I took them to my Super Bowl party. No one knew the difference. It was fun to see the reactions of family and friends when I told them the cookies were gluten free!

 

Gluten Free doesn't mean that you have to give up what you really love. It gives you a license to be creative!