Best of the Best: Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-free

I had the inspiration to ask my favorite bloggers about their favorite recipes, and thus “Best of the Best” was born!  This edition is on one of my very favorite blogs, Simply Sugar and Gluten-free.

I’ve followed Amy’s blog since close to her start, and have particularly enjoyed Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, because it’s always such a nice roundup of the newest treats.   I can totally appreciate and share her fondness for balancing good nutrition with good taste, and also her enthusiasm for doing good for others, like her  recipe collection to benefit St. Jude’s (which you can still purchase as a donation to St. Jude’s…hint).  I can totally relate to Amy’s journey.  Even though weight wasn’t one of my motivators, I lost 40 lbs when I first started having gut issues.  Once I changed my diet, very little of the weight came back, and neither did my cravings. 

And, of course, I am delighted that Amy’s new book is out very soon, and you can pre-order it on Amazon.  I’m very much looking forward to receiving that.

So onto the questions!

Starting off with the most important, I asked what she’d recommend to someone new on her site.  She was kind enough to offer both fun food and “real” food options:

“I love to bake, so naturally, I’d offer up my favorite baked good first.  These Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting are moist, flavorful, and so simple to put together.  The batter makes a great cake, too.

(Cheryl’s note) and even the picture above, which is Amy’s, is to die for…

If you’re looking for a simple dinner, this Chicken, Brown Rice & Leek Casserole is always a hit. It’s one of my husband’s favorites and it freezes well.  I freeze half for a night when I’m too busy to cook.  All I have to do is defrost it and throw it in the oven.

Cheryl, I thought I might mention my favorite Green Smoothie, and as much as I love it I’ve been juicing lately.  This Carrot-Beet Juice is one I’ve been making often.”

Personally, I think her granola bars are the biggest hit in our house.  Unlike most, they stick together perfectly as they should, and there are just endless fruit and nut combos.

I asked about her favorite recipes from others, and of course she said:

“I could never pick just three!  There are so many talented gluten-free bloggers out who have been pushing the limits of what gluten-free ‘should be’ and are creating  food that would please even the pickiest eater.  I have a list of blogs I respect and admire on my blog roll. It’s divided into gluten-free & sugar-free blogs and then blogs that are gluten-free. I’d recommend that your start there and decide which blogger best fits with their needs and cooking style.

And of course, the most fun question!  It’s clear Amy loves blogging from the time, energy and love she puts into her posts.  When I asked about the best part, she said:

“You’d think I’d say it’s the joy I experience form creating food people love that enhances their lives.  I’ve had people e-mail me and say they hadn’t had cake on their birthday for years until they found my blog and tried my recipes.  But that’s become secondary.  It’s really the relationships I’ve developed with my readers and other bloggers which, of course, stems from our common desire to eat fabulous food.”

So many of my readers have become good friends, which is something I never expected.  Likewise, I never thought I’d have blogger friends all over the country. I’m presenting at The Gluten-Free Allergy-Free Expo in Chicago at the end of April and I’m finally going to get to meet Shirley from Gluten-Free Easily, Stephanie from A Year of Slow Cooking, Silvana from Dish Towel Diaries, and Hallie from Daily Bites – among so many others.  It’s exciting just thinking about it!!”

And I absolutely agree!  I started blogging as a way to simply put my recipes somewhere.  And yet, to my great surprise, the best part is the interactions with fellow blogging buddies.  Who knew?

Please also check out my first “Best of the Best” post on Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs.