I am so excited to be doing my first post for Feature Me Fridays. In the spotlight this week is Cinde from Gluten Free Taste Of Home and Vanja from Emma’s Lunch. I interviewed Cinde and Vanja and found some interesting things about them. Cinde is a mother of three children, freelance writer, and the author of two blogs. Be sure to stop by Gluten Free Taste of Home for some great gluten free recipes for the entire family.Vanja is a working mom with a a two year old that is her inspiration for her blog, Emma’s Lunch.She has many creative recipes.I really enjoyed reading her blog and I know you will to.
Cinde
Cinde’s Biography:
“I have been running a 100% gluten free household for nearly 3 years, ever since receiving my youngest child’s diagnosis of Celiac Disease. It was definitely a struggle to adapt to the gluten free lifestyle in the beginning. Each member of my family had to “mourn” the passing of our favorite gluten filled foods. What helped us to adapt was my almost obsessive need to seek and prepare as many gluten free recipes as possible.”
I also ask Cinde the following questions:
What is your favorite recipe?
That is a difficult question to answer because like most foodies I have many
favorite recipes. On busy weeknights, I tend to gravitate toward easy
recipes that are flavorful but can be prepared quickly, like my Gluten Free
Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe featured in this interview.
How long have you been blogging?
About a year and a half (my, how time flies!)
What inspires you?
My children, nature and the four seasons, and Celtic folklore.
What is your favorite cookbook?
Another hard question to answer, as I have hundreds of cookbooks! I would
like to share that my recipe for Gluten Free Vegetarian Spring Rolls was recently published in The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook; (released October19, 2010 by Andrews McMeel Publishing). It is the first cookbook with recipes and stories from (100) bloggers from around the globe! It is such a really cool concept, and definitely worth checking out. 
Who taught you to cook and at what age?
My mother is also a foodie and avid cookbook collector, and she taught me to
cook as a young child. Making “popcorn trees” out of sugar ice cream cones,
a super-sticky green colored corn syrup concoction, popcorn and red hot
candies is my first vivid cooking memory from childhood. This became a
family tradition; we made “popcorn trees” and gave them to our friends and
teachers as gifts each Christmas.
Cinde’s Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake
1 box gluten free yellow cake mix, one layer size (I used Betty Crocker
Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 slices canned pineapple rings
6 maraschino cherries, without stems
“My name is Vanja Savva (pronounced Vanya), I moved from New York City to Cyprus 5 years ago. I’m a working mom to a wonderful 2.5 year old girl, Emma. I spend my time playing with her, crafting with her, cooking fun meals for her . This is one of the reasons I started my blog “Emma’s Lunch”. To document all our fun activities and share them with the world. I love to cook, throw parties, and explore with Emma.”
I ask Vanja the following questions:
What is your favorite recipe?
Hmm…. I don’t think I have a FAVORITE recipe…. I like a lot of them… this one is one of the top. I love to bake, so I also have lots of favorite cake recipes. There is a great one I discovered recently, Red Velvet Cake Pops. I posted that recipe on my blog already so you can check it out if you like.
How long have you been blogging?
I’ve been blogging since my 32nd birthday, end of July that is.
What inspires you?
What inspires me? Depends for what, my daughter inspires me to go the extra mile and do all the crafts and games, special lunches and parties for her. Other people & things inspire me for many other things in my life…
What is your favorite cookbook?
Ainsley Harriott’s Meals in Minutes, great for working moms! Also Low Fat Meals In Minutes is great as well.
Who taught you to cook, and at what age?
My mom taught me to cook…. just before I got married 5 years ago!
Vanja’s Meatballs with Zucchini & Roasted Peppers
Ingredients:
4 tbsp bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
Olive oil
400ml passata
salt &pepper;
Instructions:Mix 1 pepper and the chopped onion with the mince, zucchini, paprika, breadcrumbs and garlic. Season well and shape into even-sized balls. I got around 24 balls.Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and brown the meatballs. Carefully turn them to brown evenly. Push them to one side of pan, add the sliced onion and the remaining roasted peppers and cook for a few minutes. Add the passata, season, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes or wedgies and salad.
Photo Credit: Emma’s Lunch
