Gluten-Free Sale : Scratch-n-Dent Cookbook Super Discount

If you have wanted my Gluten-Free & Wheat-Free Gourmet Desserts recipe book for gluten-free and Celiac-safe-diet dessert recipes, and were hoping for a chance to get a copy at a serious discount, now is your chance.

Since I self-published this gluten-free recipes book, and since I personally box and ship every book sold, I am able to make sure each and every cookbook I ship is in perfect condition when it leaves my location. When I encounter any books that have imperfections like a bent-corner, scratched cover, or bent-spine from where the original shipping-pallet banding-straps went around cartons of books too tightly, I have put them aside. I have finally accumulated enough of these slightly damaged books over the past year to make it worth promoting them with a mega-discount sale program.

The Scratch and Dent Sale Details
These books are otherwise new, and have not been handled by others, but have imperfections caused during packing by, and shipping from, the printing company to me. The worst of the "dents" any books have are spines that are bent slightly from the pallet-band-straps being too tight and putting too much pressure on a box of books, bending the spine on the topmost book. And, I am not selling anything even close to being "destroyed", but the books don't meet my normal criteria for perfect condition.

OK, so you probably just want to know how big of discount there will be for some imperfections, right? How's this sound: 70% OFF - which is $21.00 OFF a book, bringing the Gluten-Free dessert recipes book price down to just $8.95 (plus Shipping & Handling, which is $4.50 here in the USA).

To get the discount, use the COUPON-CODE: SCRATCHDENT
on this web-page: http://www.gluten-free-desserts.com/purchase.aspx

NOTES:

• First-come-first-serve basis, with quantities limited.
  
• Limit of one discounted book per order, so as to give as many people as possible a chance to obtain the book at a very low price.
• If you try to use the coupon-code and you are informed that "SORRY, INVALID COUPON CODE PROVIDED", that indicates that no more scratch-and-dent books are currently available (though, try back in the future, since there will likely find more while unpacking more cartons).
• I am not offering a money-back guarantee on these, since they are being marked down substantially, and below my cost. But, I am confident that you will find them worth the price. You may even find yourself looking for the "damage" that made me put them aside. Post a comment here with your experience after buying one if you want, as I'm sure you'll find them worth the investment and that the discount is perhaps even more than merited for the level of imperfections.
  

I hope that by offering this discount program, I am able to help anyone that wanted my book but found their budgets otherwise pinched by inflation lately, with high food and gas prices competing for your hard earned cash. I personally save a LOT of money by baking nearly all items in my gluten-free diet (MUCH cheaper than buying pre-made gluten-free foods if you have time to bake). Actually, I better reword that statement a bit: my WIFE bakes most all the gluten-free foods I eat :)

Have a great Gluten-Free Memorial Day! I am personally hoping to enjoy some of those great Gluten-Free Desserts (a cake, pie, and/or some cookies) for the event. Seems like a good excuse for some delicious treats!

International Shipping Inflation

If you did not yet notice, the United States Postal Service (USPS) increased shipping rates again early this week. I knew the prices for domestic shipment postage increased slightly (standard 1-ounce letter rate went from 41 cents to 42 cents) since that had been in the news. Now, this tiny increase sounds reasonable, and in-line with what the government keeps saying "core inflation" is; i.e., roughly 2.5-3%. But, this doesn't tell the whole story of real inflation, which as we all seem to witness in food and energy prices especially, that is much higher.

Upon further examination, I noticed that yet again the cost of shipping my gluten-free desserts recipe cookbook has increased another 15 cents domestically (which, again, I am just going to absorb as to not contribute any more to this seemingly endless cycle of inflation). This is the second time in less than a year, and I have seen domestic postage costs rise 15%+, while not passing any of that increased cost along to my customers.

Oh, but wait... there's more! I started checking out international shipping rates. My first reaction was: "those can't be the right numbers!?" The USPS flat-rate Priority International Envelope I use to ship my gluten-free cookbook to Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and the rest of the world has soared in price by nearly 20% just with this current increase! And this is on top of a similar increase on May 14th of 2007! In just over a year, my international shipping cost has increased 35%!

So, I am sad to announce to my international gluten-free book buyers: I have to raise the standard charge for shipping a book. I am a bit reluctant, though I sure hope the weak USA Dollar helps make up for the increased price. I can hold the line on domestic shipping charges for now, but that 35% increase for foreign gluten-free book shipments is a bit rough. I sure hope this is the last postage/shipping increase we will all see in a while, but I can not help thinking it a sign of things to come.

I also can not help wondering, if in the unlikely event oil prices fall considerable, will the USPS cut its rates. lol! (I think this is a case where "what goes up, must come down" will never apply - I can not see the USPS lowering shipping rates once they raise them)

Gluten-Free Blogging Backlog

I had the lovely misfortune of a computer failure that has kept me offline for a while - and my Gluten-Free Blog posting frequency shows it. But, my computer is now sporting a new graphics card, motherboard, and power-supply, and I am back in business. I'm glad it was at least under warranty, though I would have preferred a bit quicker service.

Coupled with the distraction from the beautiful Spring weather, and the construction of our new super gluten-free vegetable garden (deer-proof too I hope!), I have developed quite a backlog of gluten-free recipes and other articles I need to write and post here. I hope all my readers are having a nice Spring thus far, and perhaps getting their gardens ready as well. I don't know about you, but with the price of vegetables at the store, both my wallet and my gluten-free diet can benefit from raising some homegrown crops - tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, squash, beans, peas, and much more!

I will post a picture or two of the garden when it is done, which is nearly the case. The main defining feature is the nearly 8-foot high fence around it that is needed to keep the white-tailed deer from getting in and consuming all the plants. In addition, we've implemented a no-till organic garden solution that I am really looking forward to seeing how productive this method will be.

Oh, another thing that may be of interest to some people: I am planning a "scratch and dent" sale on some of my gluten-free dessert books, since I have accumulated a few that have slight imperfections - like a scratch on the cover, a bent corner, or so forth. I only have a few of these that are otherwise new, but just not perfect as I like them to be when I ship them out to people. So, if interested, stay tuned, and I will post a coupon-code for a serious discount on them - first come, first served basis. I may limit to one per person, though not sure about that yet. Either way, it'll be a great way to get the book for a huge discount.

Gluten-Free Cake Recipe Variation - Dairy-Free Black Forest Bundt

We are getting around to adapting even more of our Gluten-Free Desserts to be dairy-free (in addition to wheat-free / gluten-free) in hopes that we help as many Celiac sufferers as possible find great dessert recipes they can enjoy. Pictured above is one of the latest variations that my wife has created - a variation on our Gluten-Free Black-Forest Bundt Cake (from pages 36-37 in our book), which has now been modified to no longer contain any dairy products in this latest variation.

You will also notice that we were out of cherries when we baked this particular cake, so we cheated a bit and used Strawberries instead (which you can see inside the cake and one on the surface). The results were still quite delicious!

Hopefully, if you are dairy-free, you can still enjoy soy in your diet. I realize there are a few people that also have gone soy-free out there, and none of our original recipes in our cookbook use any soy. We made a conscious decision to avoid soy in the book since it seemed that a fair number of people considered it an allergen or dietary ingredient to avoid. But, we also realize the benefits that soy protein can offer to the majority of people that still consume soy as a part of their gluten-free diet. So, with this cake recipe variation, we tried for a happy medium: dairy-free, but with soy ingredients.

This particular recipe variation made use of soy-protein, in the form of soft Tofu (the kind that comes in those little 12 ounce "boxes"). The tofu replaced the sour-cream we originally used, thus bringing some additional protein into the mix and lowering the fat content a bit while, of course, removing that dairy / casein containing item. We also replaced the butter with margarine, making the whole cake dairy-free. If you own our cookbook, and want to try baking this dairy-free variation, just see this gluten-free cake recipe-variation link for all the details of the remaining few minor modifications we made.

The soy protein (i.e., tofu) makes for a really nice result: it gives the cake a wonderful texture while also enhancing the "shelf life" of the cake from my experience -- I was eating this cake for a few days and had it just sitting out on the counter with a bit of plastic wrap over the top. The tofu seems to make the gluten-free cake retain moisture well over time, and thus be less susceptible to drying out if left exposed to the elements.

As with any gluten-replacement strategy, using soy-protein to replace the wheat-protein (i.e., gluten / gliaden) is one approach to gluten-free baking that can be helpful. Other (gluten / protein) alternatives that can be helpful include dairy and egg proteins, which in this case we have opted not to use the dairy-protein side of the equation. Along similar lines, my wife created a wonderful soy/tofu waffle variation that is quite nice too! I'll publish that full recipe soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the latest gluten-free dessert recipe / variation!

Eat Chocolate for Science : a Dream Come True

I was just reading a Reuters news item about how volunteers were needed for a year-long study that were willing to consume a chocolate bar per day for a year. Oh, gee,... twist my arm! :)

Chocolate is one of my favorite gluten-free treats (i.e., gluten-free when not tainted with gluten-containing ingredients or exposed to gluten in a production facility). And, multiple research studies have previously shown dark chocolate seems to have some ability to lower blood pressure, improve the function of blood vessels and reduce heart attack risk.

So, sign me up for the new study! But, sorry, not so simple... I can't get in on this chocolate study because 1) it is taking place in Britain, and 2) the test-group being recruited is initially just women. Bummer! All I can do is hope some local medical research facility decides to follow suit - perhaps the Cleveland Clinic or University Hospitals (both are rather active in medical research). I'd surely volunteer in a second for a study on the health benefits of chocolate and flavonoids, especially if I have to eat chocolate constantly.

Here's the goal of the chocolate / flavonoid study, and how they will assess the impact of chocolate and other related diet / dietary compounds:

The trial starting in June will explore whether compounds called flavonoids found in chocolate and other foods can reduce the risk of heart disease for menopausal women with type 2 diabetes, the researchers said on Monday.

Half the women in the year-long study will eat a super-charged chocolate bar containing 30 grams of flavonoids found in soy, cocoa and other fruits and vegetables. The others will get chocolate without the active compounds.

It will be interesting to see what the outcome of a longer-term study on chocolate and flavonoids yields. I am always looking for an excuse to consume more chocolate, so I hope the outcome proves that cocoa and/or chocolate are helping me in some way. I found the study quite timely, since I just wrote a gluten-free blog posting about eating raw cocoa beans as a gluten-free treat for serious chocolate addicts (like me!)

Raw Cocoa Beans : only for Serious Chocolate Lovers

Raw Cocoa Beans are another recent gluten-free snack and diet food I found at Whole Foods Market recently. But, before you grab a bag of these to start stacking on, I warn you: eating raw cocoa beans may only be enjoyable if you are a serious chocolate fanatic - they are a bit harsh to say the least.

The flavor is intense, and borders on bitter, since there is no added sugar or cocoa butter (or butter) as you are most likely used to when you consume commercial chocolate products. Basically, eating pure raw cocoa beans is even a step more harsh then consuming unsweetened baking chocolate. But, if you are into such things, give them a try.

Being just cocoa beans, these should certainly be safe for your wheat-free, dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free diet. Because of their flavor intensity, the cocoa beans can make for a great low-calorie chocolate "fix" that packs enough punch to satisfy any cravings. And, I have found that I can just pop a couple of these beans into my mouth and chew on them for as much as a half hour while still getting flavor out of them. The consistency may be a bit like that of roasted coffee beans. So, if you like roasted coffee beans (a popular form being chocolate-covered espresso-beans), you may well enjoy these cacoa beans.

Now, just because I eat them plain does not mean they are not useful in other ways. I love my gluten-free desserts, especially chocolate ones and/or chocolate-accent ones, and these beans can be used as a neat addition or garnish to various gluten-free desserts. You can crack them into small pieces and sprinkle them onto things as cocoa nibs (which I noticed were rather popular on top of chocolate bars in the UK). I like them on ice-cream, and sometimes I'll just eat some with a piece of a dark-chocolate bar for a quick enhanced texture and flavor experience. There are quite a few possibilities for these delicious gluten-free treats... even if you can't tolerate the flavor intensity in their pure form, they make a wonderful accent. Enjoy!

Sorry the Gluten-Free Blog articles have slowed down the past few weeks. My wife and I have been busy creating a vastly expanded vegetable garden for the summer, and that has been taking a lot of time. But, I have more gluten-free recipes coming soon including some Soy/Tofu variations of glutenfree cakes and GF waffles that are quite fabulous. Perhaps when the next rainy day forces me indoors I will have time to post the recipes, but for now, I have to take full advantage of the great Spring weather while it lasts.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Tortilla Chips

I can not believe I didn't try these chocolate tortilla chips earlier - they are WONDERFUL! I love chocolate, as any of my readers fully know by now, and the subtle chocolate / cocoa flavor in these certified gluten-free tortilla chips makes for an extra-special snack. They are made by a company called "Foods That Should Taste Good (tm)" in Massachusetts, and my first thoughts upon tasting them include: "wow" that is a great tasting quality product with fantastic texture and mouth appeal.

I found these gluten-free chips at Whole Foods Market earlier today, and I have since tried them plain, and with a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano I also purchased today as a treat. I enjoyed these considerably both ways. The one problem is the fact I could eat a whole bag of them in one sitting, which probably isn't the best idea for a diet, though it could be enjoyable. They are labeled as a possible dessert item too, and I concur.

In addition to chocolate tortilla chips, they have a few other varieties of wheat-free and gluten-free chips with interesting flavors I am looking forward to also trying: varieties including Jalepeno tortilla chips, olive tortilla chips, and even a gluten-free multigrain tortilla chip. And, here's a quote from their website regarding their gluten-free certification:

Are any of your products gluten-free?

Yes! All of our chips have been tested and certified gluten-free, and all are processed on machinery that that does not process any items with gluten. (If you are concerned about the oat fiber in the multigrain chips, don't be! The fiber is extracted from the oats, and does not contain any gluten.)

I am always pleased to encounter such wonderful gluten-free products, especially novel ones that are especially standouts in the crowd, that I can recommend to others. These definitely get my full "thumbs up" gluten-free product recommendation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!