I'm so excited!!

I am so excited that I am going to the Gluten & Allergen Expo in Chicago April 20-21!! This year I am part of the official Chicago GFAF Expo blogger team! (Can you tell I'm excited?!)
I had a blast last year and I'm sure this year will be just as fun. I loved the ability to talk to both companies that I am familiar with as well as new companies selling gluten free items. Many companies have samples that you can try of current and new products. I loved the fact that I was able to try out so many different products free! I also brought my boys with me and I loved that I was able to have them try out products. This saves wasted money on buying products that they won't eat.
It was also great to be able to see and try new products. I was then able to request that my local stores carry the new products. While some products have taken almost a year to make it to stores near me, it was worth the wait. Can you say allergy friendly pop tarts! My kids are in heaven and enjoying their treat.
One unique treat of having so many companies in one place is the ability to talk to the companies. It was so beneficial to talk face to face to different companies and ask questions. This year I will be asking about GMO's, how they are preventing cross contamination in their factory and how can I get some of their products to you.
Another great benifit to coming to the Expo is the speakers. These are people who know what they are talking about when it comes to what we are all going through. I learned so much last year from the speakers and I am excited to learn even more this year. You can follow the Gluten & Allergen Expo on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date on speakers, what companies will be at the vender fair and which bloggers will be there.
I can't wait for the Expo and I hope to see you there!

Wonderful Wednesday - Orange Brownies

This summer Angela from Angela's Kitchen and myself have been doing a gluten free camping series. I have also teamed up with Bob's Red Mill to work on a camping series with them as well. (I camp all summer so this is what we really eat!) Today's recipe/technique is a bit different but is tons of fun. We are going to bake our brownies in an orange. Yep an orange and it really turns out yummy.

Orange Campfire Brownies
What you need:
1 Bob's Red Mill gluten free brownie mix
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp orange extract
1 egg
3/4 cup melted butter
12 - 14 oranges

Directions:
Cut the top off an orange and run a knife around the inside edge of the orange. You want to get most of the orange out because that is what we bake in. There will be some left in the bottom that you can't easily get out and that is alright. You can also try a grapefruit spoon but it works about as well as the knife does. After you have the orange hollowed out place the lid back on the top and repeat with the rest of the oranges. When all the oranges have been hollowed out make the brownie batter as directed on the package, substituting the orange extract for the vanilla. Fill each orange almost full with the brownie batter and tap gently to help batter settle in. Top with the top slice of orange peel and wrap with foil, making sure to keep the orange upright. Next place the oranges around the coals of the fire and turn every 2 1/2 to 5 minutes depending on the heat of your fire. They bake 12-20 minutes depending on the heat of your fire. They will still look wet on top of the brownie but that is from the orange top. Let cool a few minutes and enjoy!

They were voted as yummy.