snacks & dips / gluten free / book review

gluten-free almond coconut bars

This recipe is from the hilarious new book Gluten is my Bitch: Rants, Recipes and Ridiculousness for the Gluten Free, by April Peveteaux.

If you’ve been recently diagnosed with Celiac disease and are feeling sorry for yourself, this is a must-read. If you’re like me and you deal with other food sensitivity issues, you’ll have a good laugh reading April’s stories because you totally “get it.” And because she is just so freaking funny.

My favorite part has to be the chapter about traveling as a gluten-free person. It’s called “Paris doesn’t have to suck, but it might.”

I had the pleasure of meeting April in person a few months ago. I hadn’t read the book yet, but we immediately joked about how the two of us should never go to Paris together. (As a vegetarian lactose intolerant person, I survived Paris almost solely on baguette).

It’s hard to talk about why a book is funny (especially since I am much less funny), so I thought I’d just share some of my favorite lines:

April, on air-travel:
“The fact is every time you get on an airplane you’d better pack snacks – whether you’re gluten-free or just like to eat food to live.”

on paris:
“Although the Italians are all over gluten-free pasta and bread, the whole UK area practically invented sprue, France is filled with a delicious gluten-plus attitude. Which means I absolutely had to get there, and fast”.

on getting “glutened” in paris:
“I came to Paris and wanted to act like I was just a normal, if not exceptionally cool, gal traveling around Europe by herself. I was NOT stoked to cultivate the image of the American lady with food issues.”

on traveling with her non-gluten-free husband:
“If you love that brioche so much why don’t you marry it?”

quote on the back cover of the book:
“Can someone please send me some freaking gluten?”
– Aaron, author’s husband

Recipe note: this one is technically in the “Paleo” section of the book, however I’m pretty sure I un-paleo-ed it by adding chocolate.

gluten-free almond coconut bars

  PrintAuthor: Ingredients
  • 1 cup chopped almonds
  • ½ cup coconut flakes
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup honey (vegan: sub agave syrup)
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
  • Preheat the oven to 400. Prepare a 6x6 inch pan (or equivalent size), with parchment paper. (don't forget the parchment like I did, they will stick)
  • In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients together.
  • Using another piece of parchment paper, flatten the mixture to evenly distribute.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes (check them around 12 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
  • 3.4.3177

    adapted from Gluten is my Bitch, by April Peveteaux, published by Abrams. Posted with permission.

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