This week is an interesting one. For one of my classes, we have to wear insulin pumps to simulate having diabetes. This means I’ve had a device attached to my stomach for the past couple days, and I have to test my blood sugar before each and every meal and dose myself properly with “insulin” for the amount of carbs I’m eating. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve had no discomfort, compared to a few of my friends complaining of itching and pains, but it’s definitely weird. Working out when you think something is going to just rip out of your skin is kind of…scary. I definitely give major props to anyone that wears one of these pumps all the time, although I have gotten used to it as time goes on!
It’s also been a pretty busy week, so I made sure to have some yummy snacks on hand. I finally got around to testing out a gluten free version of the very popular homemade cheez its, and buckwheat flour had the best result. It has the same texture and crunch as regular wheat flour, although the color is definitely kind of strange. The flavor is so spot on, though!
Cheez Its are definitely still one of my favorite bad for me snack foods, although I don’t buy them anymore. It’s way easier to make them at home with ingredients I can pronounce. AND I can make them with whatever cheese I want! This time, I went with smoked gouda, because it’s one of my absolute favorite cheeses. SO good. Sharp cheddar is perfect, too. Classic.
I’m hoping to play around with different spices soon, but you can always check out the comments from the first gluten filled post for some ideas, as many people have tried different cheeses and spices! Now, I’ve got to go test my blood sugar so I can eat some more of these crackers!
What is your favorite snack food that isn’t exactly considered healthy?
- 1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded (use cheddar for classic Cheez Its; I used smoked gouda)
- 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
In a food processor, pulse all of the ingredients together until it forms a ball (about 2 minutes).
Place the ball between two pieces of wax paper, and roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick.
Using a pastry wheel or small cookie cutters, cut into squares (I cut them about 1 inch by 1 inch). Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart from each other – they puff up a bit. Poke each cracker with a fork or skewer so that they don’t puff too much. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
Bake at 350ºF for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size/shape of your crackers), until lightly browned on the edges. Cool on the baking sheet, and store in an airtight container (if they last that long).
adapted from my Homemade Cheez Its