At The Balanced Platter we’ll help you navigate the gluten-free, whole foods lifestyle. You’ll also learn easy and effective ways to give yourself and your family wholesome, allergy friendly food and tips for bringing balance to your life through food and lifestyle. The best & brightest food bloggers will be your guides.

Stop by The Balanced Platter and subscribe to our RSS or email feed so you never miss a post. Make sure to ‘Like’ us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, too.

In celebration of The Balanced Platter, we’re hosting a month long event called Balanced, Healthy, and Gluten-Free in 2012. Every day this month, your favorite bloggers will be sharing their top recipes and tips for staying balanced and healthy. They’re making it easy-peasy for you to kick off the New Year the right way.

On February 1st, we’ll be giving away Balanced Platter Baking Gift Packs so you can use some of our favorite items and ingredients at home.

To make it simple to follow this event we’ll be sharing posts every day on Facebook & Twitter:

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter

Here’s a schedule of this month’s incredible event:

• Monday, January 2nd – Deanna Schneider at The Mommy Bowl
• Tuesday, January 3rd – Heather at Gluten-Free Cat
• Wednesday, January 4th – Kalinda at Wheat Free Meat Free
• Thursday, January 5th – Stephanie from Gluten-Free by Nature
• Friday, January 6th – Vicky Rockcliffe at Gluten Free SCD and Veggie
• Saturday, January 7th – Glutenista at Glutenista
• Sunday, January 8th – Valerie at City|Life|Eats
• Monday, January 9th – Zoe at Z’s Cup of Tea
• Tuesday, January 10th – Megan Ancheta at Maid in Alaska
• Wednesday, January 11th – Wendy Kaho at Celiacs in the House
• Thursday, January 12th – Brittany Angell at Real Sustenance
• Friday, January 13th – Karen Morgan at Blackbird Bakery
• Saturday, January 14th – Amber Husten at The Tasty Alternative
• Sunday, January 15th – Alexa Croft at Lexie’s Kitchen
• Monday, January 16th – Gigi Stewart at Gluten Free Gigi
• Tuesday, January 17th – Kimberly Bouldin at Gluten-Free is Life
• Wednesday, January 18th – Pat Yarbrough at Elegantly Gluten-Free
• Thursday, January 19th – Silvana Nardone at Silvana’s Kitchen
• Friday, January 20th – Cara Lyons at Cara’s Cravings
• Saturday, January 21st – Erin Smith at Gluten-Free Globetrotter
• Sunday, January 22nd – Carolyn Ketchum at All Day I Dream about Food
• Monday, January 23rd – Melissa McLean Jory at Gluten Free for Good
• Tuesday, January 24th – Heidi Kelly at Adventures of A Gluten Free Mom
• Wednesday, January 25th – Carrie Forbes at Ginger Lemon Girl
• Thursday, January 26th – Iris Higgins at The Daily Dietribe
• Friday, January 27th – Erin Smith at Gluten-Free Fun
• Saturday, January 28th – Emma Galloway at My Darling Lemon Thyme
• Sunday, January 29th – Amie Valpone at The Healthy Apple
• Monday, January 30th – Shirley Braden at gfe
• Tuesday, January 31st – Rajashree Karwa at Flip Cookbok
• Wednesday, February 1st – Balanced Platter Baking Gift Packs Give-Away at The Balanced Platter

Want to add The Balanced Platter badge to your website? Just copy and paste the code below:

<a href=”http://www.balancedplatter.com”><img src=”http://balancedplatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/TBP-logo-in-circle-e1324336971767.jpg”>

Much love,

Amy

© janel2011 for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us

When I find a new gluten-free product I like, I’m always excited to share it with you. One of the foods that I find hardest to buy at the store are snacks. I like to make sure I’m eating something that’s balanced and will keep me going until my next meal.

Perfect Foods Bars have done this for me. The bars have just the right amount of sweetness while containing protein and fiber so your blood sugar and energy stay stable.

They’re made with real foods, just like you’d make for your family. Ingredients include organic peanut butter, organic almond butter, honey, and over 20 nutrient dense, organic whole foods supplements.

Even better is what’s not in them:

• Preservative-free – keep them refrigerated to maintain freshness. I’ve thrown the bars in my purse when I’m out and about for the day and they’re just as good as they are right out of the refrigerator.
• Soy-free – for those wanting to avoid soy because of possible hormonal imbalances, food intolerances, and digestive issues (The Carob Chip bars contain soy lecithin.)
• Gluten-free – for those with Celiac or other gluten and wheat intolerances
• Refined Sugar-free – it’s digested more slowly by your body than refined sugar so you won’t crash
• Contains no GMOs

Five tasty flavors include:

• Peanut Butter
• Fruit & Nut
• Carob Chip
• Cranberry Crunch Lite (my favorite!)
• Almond Butter

The story behind Perfect Foods Bars resonated with me because this product was born out of a dad’s love of feeding healthy foods to his children. Isn’t that what we all want to do? His at-home creation has morphed into a family-owned business that is sharing nutritious food across the nation.

I’ve recently seen Perfect Foods Bars at my local grocery stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts. You can check out their Store Locator to find them at a store near you or order online.

The Give-Away (contest closed 12/19/11 – Congrats to Jen T., Susan G., & Sara!!)

Perfect Foods Bar is giving-away 1 mixed box of their nutrition-packed bars to three different SS&GF readers.

To Enter:

• Leave a comment – yes, it’s that easy!

For Additional Entries (leave a comment for each):

• Follow Perfect Foods Bar on Twitter
• Like Perfect Foods Bar on Facebook

Contest open to continental US residents only. Must be 18 years or older to win. Contest ends on Monday, December 19th at 8:00 am CST.

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 259 comments | Add to del.icio.us

iHerb.com recently started carrying my book and wanted to announce it by giving you the opportunity to stock up on baking supplies, all of which are used in my book.

Three people will win the following gift pack:

• 1 copy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free: 180 Easy & Delicious Recipes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less
• Sweet Tree Organic Coconut Palm Sugar, 1 (16 oz.) bag
• Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo & Fava Bean Flour
• Bob’s Red Mill Sorghum Flour
• Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch
• Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour
• Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour (so you can make my socca pizza crust)
• Eden Organic Juice-Sweetened Dried Cranberries (perfect for throwing into carob chip cookies at the holidays!)

A Special Discount

If you’re a first time customer at iHerb.com, you can use my referral code: SIR086 and get $5 off your initial order. If you haven’t ordered a copy of my book yet or if want to share it with those you love at the holidays this is a great time to order!

To enter just leave a comment!

Contest Closed; 12/11/11 – Congratulations to Jessica C., Alissa, & Anita!

Give-Away Guidelines

This give-away ends on December 11th, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST. Winner must be 18 years or older. International winners are responsible for customs duties and additional taxes/fees. Winner must be registered with iHerb.com.

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 377 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Behind the scenes we’ve been working hard to create meaningful sessions and line up dynamic speakers to make sure this conference will help you create the blog you’ve been working toward.

Who should attend?

- Any blogger in the gluten-free/allergen friendly arena
- All aspiring bloggers
- Anyone who wants specific tools and strategies to take their blog to the next level
- Bloggers who want to build their network

Some of our presenters include:

- Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food and founder of the same-named blog
- Susan Voisin, author & food photographer at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
- Silvana Nardone, editor-in-cheif of Easy Eats Gluten-Free Magazine; former editor-in-cheif of Rachael Ray Magazine
- Cybele Pascal, allergy-free food expert, author of The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook
- Karen Morgan, recipe developer, blogger, and author of Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free

For a list of all presenters, visit our Presenters page.

A sampling of session topics:

- Evoking Emotion Through Food Writing
- Creating a Strong Blog Brand
- Savvy Recipe Development
- Beyond Gluten-Free: Cooking for Other Food Intolerances
- Get Press! Making the Media Notice You
- Publishing Your Work: Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Formats
- Food Photography: Your Food is Delicious, What About Your Photos?

It’s Easy to Enter!

Hop over to the Nourished blog for all the details!

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Welcome to week one of A Gluten-Free Holiday 2011! This week we’re sharing tips and recipes for staying healthy through the holidays and I’m giving away 2 autographed copies of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free. Mark your calendar – next Thursday we’ll be sharing Thanksgiving Favorites at Cook It Allergy Free.

Instead of a new recipe, I’m sharing my favorite tips for healthy baking.

1. Add Nutrient Dense Foods & Flavorful Ingredients
Get creative. Rethink some of your favorite recipes – instead of adding more sugar how can you get more flavor into the dish? Add nutrients with spinach, zucchini, avocado, blueberries, raspberries, and apples. Citrus juice and zest adds interest to cookies, breads, and chocolate. Dried fruits such as raisins, dates, blueberries, and juice sweetened cranberries add nutrition and enhance sweetness. Cranberry Walnut Bread is a perfect holiday example.

2. Try Flax Meal and Chai Seeds

These tiny seeds are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients, and dietary fiber. Flax meal can be used as an egg replacer, too, for those that are sensitive to eggs. These Chunky Banana Flax Muffins have taste great and are healthier than your average breakfast muffin.

3. Try a Bean-Based Recipe

Beans are a great source of fiber and phytochemicals. They’re easy to bake with, too. Everyone does a double-take when I tell them they’re eating brownies made with black beans. In the cooking classes I teach, my students are often a little nervous to bite into one. But, once they take a bite they argue over who’s taking home the leftovers.

4. Reduce Fat with a Fruit Puree or Low-Fat Plain Yogurt

Notice I didn’t say fat-free. Fat helps us to feel full and causes our food to be digested slower. And, baked goods without fat are often dull and lifeless. Try unsweetened applesauce or yogurt to reduce the overall fat content by 25 – 50%. Other options include light sour cream, pumpkin or squash purees, and prune or date purees. Look at this Almond Butter & Jelly Cookie recipe for inspiration.

5. Toast Nuts Before Baking to Add Flavor

By toasting nuts before hand, you can increase the flavor and decrease the total amount used. Nuts are full of great nutrition but they’re also calorie dense. Moderation is key, so this allows you to get just as much flavor without as many calories. This Cranberry Walnut Cookie recipe uses toasted nuts.

6. Try Lower Fat Dairy Products

Try 2% milk, Neufchatel, or ‘light’ cream cheese, 2% cottage cheese, and part-skim ricotta instead of their full-fat counterparts. The difference is usually unnoticeable, like in this Baked Quinoa Pudding that uses 1% milk.

7. Use Healthier, Whole Grain Flours

Whole grains add fiber and nutrients. Even if you don’t need to be gluten-free, try adding one of the whole grain flours to your usual baking flour. Teff, quinoa, amaranth, oat, and garbanzo-fava bean flours are all nutrient dense and add interesting flavors and textures to baked goods. Try quinoa flour in this Orange Quinoa Muffins with Currants recipe.

Notice that I’ve never mentioned perfectly healthy – instead focus on eating healthier. There is no perfect, only progress. If you’re new to healthier baking, start small. Pick one tip that seems the most doable to you and implementit in your holiday baking.

More Healthier Through the Holidays Tips:

• 4 Most Important Ways to Stay Healthy this Holiday from Cook it Allergy Free
• Hummus Burgers from She Let Them Eat Cake
• Low Carb Date-Free Squares from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs
• Tips for Holiday Moderation from Tasty Eats at Home
• 5 Ways to Feel Your Best this Season from Daily Bites

What are your favorite ways to stay healthier through the holidays?

Give-Away (closed)

Congrats to Therese and Ashley, the winners of this give-away!

Two people will each win 1 autographed copy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.

Do Any of the Following to Enter:

• Link up your favorite healthy holiday recipe or best tips for staying healthy through the holidays.
• Leave a comment below.
• Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Leave a comment for each time you’ve shared.

Contest ends Wednesday November 9th at 11:59 pm CST. Winners will be contacted via e-mail. Contest open to continental US residents and Canadian residents only.

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 145 comments | Add to del.icio.us