Betty Crocker Goes GF

Yesterday I had to make a run to the grocery store to refill my water bottles and get some last minute amenities for the arrival of my friends this afternoon (They're staying with me for the weekend because we're all participating in the marriage of her cousin). I live in a small town and I know the ladies at the grocery store pretty well, one of them especially since she cooks GF for her family as well, Debbie is her name, and we're usually caught up in conversation about new products and other things on the shelves that might be of use to me.

Honestly I don't get a lot of my food from the traditional super market, unless it's meat, or veggies. Now that it's summer the Farmers Market's here are in full activity, so I utilize those until the fall, when sadly it is to cold and rainy to enjoy the open air market. Or I go to the Food Co-Op in Mt. Vernon. It's a little bit of a drive, but they have a large variety of things for me to choose from unlike someplace like Safeway or Albertsons, that have a arsenal of deadly prepackaged "food" that is ready to shoot the GF strides that I've made in my life down, like a gate runner fleeing at 25 miles an hour (yes that's an homage to my favorite post thus far).

But I digress.

I entered the store unassumingly enough, when I know what I'm shopping for I'm all business and do little browsing since I want to get in and out, so I made my bee line for the water dispenser in the back of the store. Before I knew what was going on Debbie stopped me and told me to make my way over to the baking isle because Betty Crocker had come out with GF cake mixes and that since they weren't in the computer yet she would give them to me for the same sale that the other ones were on, 3 for $5. Hey, I'm all about a deal so after I filled up my water bottles I strolled over to the baking Isle and got the GF Brownie mix, the Chocolate Cake mix, and the White Cake mix (If I had seen the cookie mix I might have gotten those as well).

In all honesty I enjoy more of the baking from scratch these days. Messing around with different flours to get the right consistency. Knowing that I'm making something that my body will be able to digest (not necessarily thank me for, which is why I have a gym membership). Baking, even cooking for that matter, are two creative mediums where noone can really tell you you're wrong. The only judge is your taste buds. I've always found baking to be relaxing and when I'm stressed out that's what I like to do. There were many batches of chocolate chip cookies the year my parents got divorced, and if I had had an oven in Sicily you can bet that I would have been baking up a storm there too. Cooking is also something that nourishes the body and senses. I love walking back into room, that I had previously left, to smell the aroma of the spices blending together. It's very comforting. I think that if more people cooked for their families, instead of ordering Pizza or running out for fast "food" (I mean can we really justify calling it food) that not only would they be healthier, but they'd probably all be able to communicate better as well. Food just has a way of doing that. Think about it the next time that you gather for a family feast like Christmas or Thanksgiving.

The mixes were not something that I had planned on purchasing, but they will come in handy the next time that I'm in a pinch for something to make for a VIP fellowship or SPG get together. These mixes also work out well for those that may not know to look for Bob's Red Mill or have ready access to his products as well.

Happy GF baking folks!