Author Archives: Cherylanne Skolnicki

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Blondies

Okay, my gluten free friends, it’s your lucky day! These peanut butter chocolate chip blondies are delicious AND gluten free! The secret is that they omit flour altogether…so you get an incredibly rich little bite that everyone will love without gluten.

Now if you’re not living gluten free and you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, here’s the scoop. Gluten is a substance found in cereal grains (especially wheat) that gives baked goods their elasticity. It’s what gives French bread that amazing texture we love. There’s nothing inherently bad or dangerous about gluten, unless you’re someone who has an immune-mediated wheat allergy or celiac disease  – in which case the consumption of gluten can trigger harmful reactions. For the rest of us, it’s take it or leave it when it comes to gluten. But for the people with these conditions (diagnoses of which are on the rise), it’s a substance to be avoided. Gluten free goods are popping up everywhere you look, but many of them are poor substitutes for their gluten-containing cousins.

Not these.

If you’re hosting a gluten free guest and don’t know what to serve for dessert or a little treat, these will do the trick. I also think they’d make a great playdate treat as long as you’re not also hosting a child with nut allergies. Peanut Butter, Honey and Chocolate – I mean how can you go wrong?

My only caveat is that these little babies are super-rich so I like to cut them into bite sized pieces to encourage a bit of discretion when it comes to portion size.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Blondies

makes 9-12 blondies

Ingredients:

1 cup natural creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted peanut butter)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, honey, egg, salt and baking soda until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Pour the batter into your pan and spread out evenly. Smooth the top with a spatula.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown.

5. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Food, Recipes on by .

Shoebox Letters – Daughters to Dads

When’s the last time you wrote a letter? Not an email or a text, but an honest to goodness old fashioned letter?

My friend, Clay Brizendine, recently compiled a collection of letters from daughters to their dads for publication. He asked me to be a contributor and I happily obliged.

In a moment of perfect synchronicity, his request came just before my dad’s 70th birthday. I accepted the nudge to thank my dad for the role he’s played in my life so far. Here’s how my letter began:

Dear Dad,

Your 70th birthday has given me a good reason to reflect on our relationship at this stage of my life, and on what your role as my dad means to me.

I’ve thought back over your unfailing presence in my life – the days and weeks and years through which you’ve fathered like a steady heartbeat – dependable, rhythmic, never missing a beat. I’ve recounted the million hours of playtime, the thousands of tuck-ins and kisses goodnight, the countless chauffeured car trips. I’ve remembered the mended broken things and books read aloud and the meals shared. I’ve relived the moments for which you were there – no matter the sacrifice of work, leisure, or sleep. I’ve thought about the emails sent from your office and the phone calls made from the car, the advice dispensed in person. I’ve recalled the hours of grandparenting and home improvements and family dinners that have filled our recent years…

 

Writing was easy for me because I have a great dad and a lifetime of happy memories on which to reflect.

Not so for all of Clay’s contributors to Shoebox Letters – Daughters to Dads. Unlike mine, some of the letters unmask deep hurts and brokenness. Not all father-daughter relationships are alike but in the end each one reflected some aspect of deep and abiding love from child to parent, daughter to dad. In fact, Clay learned so much about the textured relationship between dads and daughters (he has two of his own!) that he was able to extract some key themes around which to organize the book.

I think even more importantly than what he learned about dads and daughters, Clay confirmed his hunch that there is magic in the written word – magic we’re losing in the technological shorthand of today that can be reclaimed by putting pen to paper and sealing an envelope.

At the end of the book, Clay encourages everyone to write a letter of their own – I’d urge you to do the same.

Whose day could you make by writing to them from your heart? Dig out that stationery and let the magic unfurl.

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Lifestyle on by .

Kale Salad with White Beans and White Tuna

Something tells me that some of you just may be looking for fish recipes right about now…so here’s one that’s a little off the beaten path. Super clean, super easy, super healthy. The homemade vinaigrette makes this dish, so take the time to prepare it – trust me when I tell you it’s worth the time!

Kale Salad with White Beans and Tuna

adapted from Bon Appetit

serves 1

Ingredients:

4 cups kale, stemmed and rib removed, thinly sliced (can also substitute spinach)

3 oz. can water packed albacore tuna

3/4 cup white beans (such as cannellini), rinsed and drained

1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry Vinaigrette (see below)

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine kale and sherry vinaigrette. Massage dressing into kale for up to 5 minutes to help break down the fibers and reduce its bitterness. Add tuna and beans and toss to combine. Sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Sherry Vinaigrette

makes 3/4 cup

Ingredients:

1 medium shallot, minced

2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar (or preferred vinegar – just not straight sherry!)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

1. Combine shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard in a small bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Very slowly whisk in oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. If desired, add a splash of lemon juice to freshen it up after a few days.

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Food, Recipes on by .