I can still cook gluten-free

We just finished a short-term Treehouse experiment with gluten-free meals.

Compared to our experiences three years ago, I think gluten-free food is not only easier to come by than it was then, but in general it tastes better.  That may also be because I'm a better cook or because I approached it differently this time, but still.  Three years ago, we didn't have Stephanie O'Dea's cookbooks and blog, with her nonchalant approach to gf cooking. [Clarification: I don't mean she is nonchalant about her family's gluten intolerance, just about her cooking style.] And all the other blogs and resources out there...I mean, even three years ago gf was becoming the "new black" for food in this region, as I discovered around that same time when I had to go looking for low-sodium instead.  ("Low-sodium baking powder? No, we never carry that.  But we have lots of gluten-free foods...")  But I think it's even better now.

Since it was only an experiment and not a matter of life and death, I didn't balk at scooping gf pancake mix and all-purpose flour mix from the bins at the bulk store.  (For some people, the risk of cross-contamination would make that a very bad idea.)  The pancake mix turned out to be very tasty, and, in fact, it also made a good base for these sugar cookies.  We also discovered the Duinkerken brand of gluten-free white bread mix, and baked it according to Stephanie's directions in the slow cooker.  Much easier than some of the bread-machine failures I had last time, and it tasted all right too.  (Although what kind of bread mix requires you to add your own yeast? Just saying.)

The pasta situation doesn't seem to have changed much in three years:  the cheaper Canadian brand of rice pasta still cooks up mushy and tasteless, but there's always Tinkyada if you want to spend a bit more.  (I liked their little shells.)

A commercial package of "breakfast bars" reportedly didn't taste that great, so I made a gf version of Breakfast Cookies.

The pièce de résistance was supposed to be a slow-cooker version of Triple Chocolate Mess, which is in the More Make it Fast, Cook  It Slow book (with a gf variation) but is not on the Year of Slow Cooking Website except as a link.  As far as taste and mouthfeel went, there was no problem; the bulk store also sells a gf chocolate cake mix which worked fine, and I honestly don't think anyone would notice that it was gf.   But considering the expense of the ingredients and the end result--gf aside--I had a couple of eaters say that they actually preferred our usual, much plainer slow cooker chocolate dessert. (Note: that one is from Canada's Best Slow Cooker Recipes, by Donna-Marie Pye.)

Go figure.