Announcing a contest (and a giveaway from me!) from MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker

Hold the gluten, grab your apron and start your ovens! Betty Crocker is hosting its first-ever gluten-free recipe contest, the Baker´s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest, and we want you to be a part of it!

I am pleased to share the word about this contest from Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark (who provided me with a sample of the prize).  I am excited to share some of the products with one of my new gluten-free friends. But I'm also going to use them to try to create a winner in this contest.

Details?  Here you are!

We know baking in a gluten-free world poses its own challenges - as well as sweet rewards - so we want to give you a chance to show off the creative solutions and tasty treats that you´ve created for your family and friends. 

Now through June 30th, visit www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge  for the chance to win a Grand Prize of $5,000. The grand prize winner will also have the chance to be featured on a Betty Crocker^® Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick^®Gluten Free baking mix package and/or be featured in a Betty Crocker publication! All you have to do is submit an original gluten free holiday-themed appetizer, bread or dessert recipe, using any Betty Crocker Gluten Free dessert mix or Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix. 

Recipes will be judged on five key categories: taste, creativity, ease of preparation, consumer appeal and appearance. Plus, we want you to keep baking deliciously, so if you´re one of 10 selected finalists, you will receive a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking gift basket filled with baking items and Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes. Even more exciting, finalists´ recipes will be featured on www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge and voted on by the Gluten Freely community to determine the Grand Prize Winner! 

For great recipe tips, ideas, and suggestions, visit www.glutenfreely.com to help get you started and learn more about the Baker´s Challenge Gluten Free Recipe Contest. 

In addition, through the end of June, you can save 20% on the purchase of any of the five Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes. Visit www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore to buy yours today! www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore www.glutenfreely.com/bakerschallenge  www.glutenfreely.com/ourstore 

I can't wait for the recipes to be posted, and I also can't wait to see the winners!

Are you entering? Leave me a comment below before with category *don't give away your recipe, ok?* by the June 30 deadline.  I will pick a random winner who will receive a choice gluten-free cookbook from the real "Mom" of gluten-free cooking and baking, Bette Hagman. The book is from my own personal collection!

So let's do this, people.  It's gonna be GREAT.  And you KNOW how I love a contest and a giveaway. 

Much love, and bake away!

Ging

Mainstream GF from Betty Crocker!

I've been meaning to post this product post for a couple of days now, but power outages have plagued my internet use.

This is in praise of that gluten giant, General Mills, and its new attention to Gluten-Free Products. So mainstream it is it has garnered the attention of the Wall Street Journal!

It hasn't been too long since Gluten Free Rice Chex showed up on the market, and now we have GF Corn, Honey Nut, Chocolate and Cinnamon Chex to go with it. (I made a fool of myself with the Honey Nut Chex. Seriously....)

And now, Betty Crocker has produced FOUR GF mixes that show up on the main baking aisle at the store. And it's promising more to come!

Somebody pinch me! When you lack the baking gene as I do, you live for this kind of thing! I can rock a cake mix!

True, they're a bit pricier than old BC mixes (I paid $3.49 for the Devil's Food Cake Mix) but in terms of ease and taste, this is wonderful. Sure it only makes one layer, but it's easy -- cut that layer in half, either long ways or across, and frost. You either have a two layer cake or half a two layer cake. Either works fine!

I made the Devil's Food Cake round Sunday night in my convection oven. It took about 32 minutes (instead of 43) in my rubber pan. I let it cool and frosted it with Pillsbury GF Reduced Sugar Chocolate Fudge frosting. We ate it while it was still warm.

And it was delicious!

I kept it in the microwave (tell me you don't use your microwave as a bread box, now really) without covering it for three days (yes, it lasted that long!) and it was still moist and delicious as I scraped the final crumbs from the plate.

Licked, really.

I will still be a patron of the gluten-free companies (Bob's Red Mill, Pamela's, and Gluten-Free Pantry all come immediately to mind,) as those as my mainstays) that have served our community so well--I'd hate it if a company that has been so dedicated to the GF community lost business because of this -- but I am seriously thrilled to see these products on the mainstream shelf. Somehow having this on the main baking aisle seems so.....normal.

Betty Crocker, I thank you from the bottom of my gluten-free tummy -- and heart.

Much love, and pass the cake!
Ging