Author Archives: Adrienne

Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Posted by Adrienne on May 1, 2013 – 9:09 PM
Filed under Home Cooking + Recipes

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve been eating gluten free lately pretty much exclusively. I say “pretty much” because I’m also a restaurant writer (partially the reason for my serious slacking in posting here), and there are times I can’t avoid gluten. I feel better not eating gluten, and who knows, maybe one day I won’t be eating any gluten at all.
I’m loving it, and I’m looking forward to sharing everything I’ve been cooking here with you.

I think a big misconception about being gluten free is that you can’t eat any of your favorite foods anymore. Sure, it might take a little extra effort and planning, but your favorite foods are not off-limits simply because you’re not eating conventional bread, pasta or flour.

Take, for example, the chocolate chip cookie. Arguably America’s favorite cookie, it’s a great place to start exploring gluten free baking. I love oats in my chocolate chip cookies because it’s the way my mom and grandma always made them. Regular oats aren’t necessarily gluten free, but there are gluten free oats available, such as the ones I used. They taste the same to me.
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What I’ve been up to + Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

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Posted by Adrienne on March 2, 2013 – 8:44 PM
Filed under Home Cooking + Recipes, Leftovers

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

I’ve been a little MIA from A Big Mouthful lately. No excuses, but I wanted to fill you in on what I’ve been doing lately.

Earlier this year, I launched Tacoma Foodie, my other blog.

Yes, there’s someone else. I’m not normally a cheater, but this is an exception.

Tacoma Foodie is my local restaurant blog where I cover all things food in my hometown of Tacoma, WA.

So there. I’m far from done with A Big Mouthful. I’ve just added a new member of the blog family. She’s been birthed and I’m back.

Also, I’ve recently gone pretty much gluten free.

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Homemade Butter and Buttermilk

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Posted by Adrienne on January 6, 2013 – 7:51 PM
Filed under Home Cooking + Recipes

Homemade butter and buttermilk

This morning, I went to the grocery store and got everything I needed to make my favorite chili to bring over to my parents’ house to watch today’s Seahawks game. At my dad’s insistence, I also needed to make some cornbread. According to him, you have to have cornbread to go with your chili.

I’m sure you know the feeling. You go to the grocery store. Get home. Put everything away. And then…you realize you don’t have an ingredient you need. In this case, I had no buttermilk for the cornbread.

Heck no, I’m not going back to the store. Not today. Not just for one thing.

After a quick online search, I learned you can easily make buttermilk at home, as long as you have  heavy cream and a jar.

Bazinga.

And all you need to do is put the heavy cream in a jar with a lid and shake it until it separates? Really? The solids are butter, and the liquids are buttermilk? For real?

I can do that. Read More »

Happy New Year and a Marbled Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze

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Posted by Adrienne on December 30, 2012 – 4:52 PM
Filed under Home Cooking + Recipes

2012.

What a year it has been.

A year of new friends, careers began, hope and a renewed thankfulness for health, family and love.
I’ve never been the New Year resolution type. I’m in more of a constant state of self-improvement. You know, a work in progress. Though, of late, I have found it incredibly satisfying to focus less on myself, and more on improving the lives of those around me. My family, community, and friends.

If I have a goal for 2013, it’s to continue this journey of living as much for others as I do myself.

The more people I meet and the longer I’m here on this earth, I see the evidence of each person, individually, having their own unique gift to give to the world. Sure, it can be a trite saying, but it does seem to ring true. The choice, however, is whether or not to tap into these special things about us. Passions and skills should be nurtured, protected and expressed.

After all, it can be quite fun to see someone blossom into their own. Seeing a friend find her passion, and putting her all into it. Watching my love accomplish his dream and become a positive figure in a sea of negative influences. A family member standing up for what’s right and fighting for what he believes in.

These are the joys all around me. Read More »

Help a Friend by Helping Others

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Posted by Adrienne on December 14, 2012 – 1:09 PM
Filed under Leftovers

A friend and a staple in Tacoma’s community, suffered an accident, when her van carrying herself and her 9-year-old daughter was hit by a semi truck on their way to school when the truck ran a red light. At this time, the young girl is still in the hospital. My heart goes out to them and wishes them both a speedy recovery.

Also in the van were holiday gifts from her daughter’s Girl Scout troop for two needy United Way families. The gifts that were in the van are not accessible due to the accident, and may be damaged.

Although we cannot reverse this accident, please consider donating replacement gifts tomorrow, Saturday, December 15th, from 12-3p.m. at Bradley Lake Park in Puyallup, WA at 531 31st Ave SE.

Items needed include toys, winter clothes and household items. For a complete list of needed items, please email the Girl Scout troop directly at gstroop43602 [at] gmail.com. Click the above link for the news story for more information. Read More »