Saturday, December 31, 2011

Weekly Menu (1/1/12-1/7/12)

Yum
Happy New Year's, Everyone!


Weekly Menu (1/1/12-1/7/12)

Sunday:

Lunch
  • Ham sandwiches on Udi's bread
  • Chips
  • Carrot sticks and Almond Butter

Dinner:
Monday:
Breakfast: One eyed sandwiches
Lunch 
  • Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
  • Cashews
  • Chips
  • Clementines
Dinner 






Tuesday


Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Peanut Butter Sandwiches
    • Clementine
    • Chips
    • Fruit Snack
Dinner
  • Hamburgers using Udi's Buns
  • Oven Fries
  • Carrot Sticks and Almond Butter
Wednesday:
Breakfast
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Ham and Cheese Sandwich
    • Carrots
    • chips
    • Fruit Snack
Dinner:
  • Tacos
  • Salad 
  • Rice and Beans
Thursday:

Breakfast:
  • cereal and milk
Lunch
  • Pancakes
  • Chili Beans
  • Rice
  • Grapes
Dinner:
  • Pancakes
  • Bacon
  • Hashbrowns
  • Clementines
Friday
Breakfast:
Lunch

  • School Lunch:
    • Pepperoni and Cheese on Schar Crispbread
    • Chips
    • Clementine 
Dinner:
Saturday

Breakfast:
  • Cereal
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Chips 
  • Clementines
Dinner
  • Beef Stew
  • Schar Table Crackers
  • Salad

Friday, December 30, 2011

Strawberry Cookies 'n' Cream Rice Crispy Treats

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So, this week I have off of work and should be cleaning and organizing my house...but instead I'm attempting to keep the messes of my children under control...it's amazing how much trouble they can get into in the time it take me to make them their lunch. 



We are also without a car during the day (we are a one car family, and my hubby has been taking the car to work), so we've been taking the bus around town when we want to get out of the house.  On one of these adventures, we went off to Walmart. As we walked past the marshmallows it occurred to me that I had never made rice crispy treats with strawberry flavored marshmallows, so of course I bought a bag. 

 

By the time we got home, I had envisioned the rest of my treat...adding in gluten free oreos and topping with melted chocolate and they tasted as good as I imagined.  Thank goodness for bus rides that let your mind wander. They are easy and fast to make, but your kids will probably still have enough time to write all over the walls and/or dump all of their toys all over the family room. ;)




Strawberry Cookies 'n' Cream Rice Crispy Treats

1/4 cup dairy-free margarine
1 (10 oz) package strawberry flavored marshmallows
4 cups gluten free rice crispies (I use Erewhon crispy brown rice cereal)
2 cups broken up pieces of gluten free oreos (I use Kinnikinnick kinnitoos)
dairy free chocolate (as much as desired), melted

Directions:
Melt margarine over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add in marshmallows, stirring to coat.  Heat until marshmallows are melted and mixture is nice and smooth.  Pour in cereal and cookies and mix to evenly coat with marshmallow mixture.  Place mixture into a greased 8x8 cake pan, patting down with greased spatula.  Drizzle melted chocolate on top and allow to completely cool and set up.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Turkey Noodle Soup

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I made us a turkey on Tuesday, it's a cheap way to cook meat just once for the whole week. So, yes, we'll be eating turkey all week.  Tuesday night I also made the stock for my turkey noodle soup using the turkey frame and it worked amazingly well for the soup we had last night.


This soup is pure comfort food for me...I had three helpings of it and can't wait to eat the leftovers. My nonveggie eaters at least ate the turkey and noodles out of their bowls. :)





Turkey Noodle Soup
1 meaty turkey frame
8 cups water
1 medium onion, quartered
1 gluten-free chicken bouillon cube (I used Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cubes, because they have it right on the box that it's gluten-free)
1 bay leaf
Chopped turkey (total amount needed is at least 2 cups)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups gluten-free dried pasta
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Break turkey frame into pieces.  Place in an 8 to 10 quart dutch oven.  Add water, onion, bouillon cube, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

2. Remove the turkey frame.  When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones.  Discard bones and skin.  Cut meat into bite-size pieces, if needed add enough chopped cooked turkey to equal at least 2 cups, set the meat aside.  Discard bay leaf.

3. Strain the broth, discarding solids. Skim fat from broth. (Since I did this the night before, I placed the broth in a tupperware container in the fridge, by the next day the fat was very easy to skim off the top). Note: If you are making the broth the day before, this is when you would store everything in the fridge until you are ready to make the soup.

3. Place the broth in a large saucepan, or back into the same dutch oven. Bring the broth to a boil.  Stir in carrot and celery.  Reduce and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.  Add in the pasta and cook until tender, but firm, time will depend on the type of pasta you are using, mine took about 7 minutes.  Stir in turkey and parsley and heat through. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Barbecue Beans (i.e. Famous Dave's Wilbur Beans)

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Before our diet change one of our favorite restaurants to frequent when visiting my mother-in-law was Famous Dave's.  I know they have gluten-free options, but we still haven't been back since the diet change.  My favorite side dish from there is one I'll never be able to enjoy there again--their Wilbur Beans.  But, there are a ton of copy cat recipes out there, and modifying them is quite easy.  And that's exactly what I did, so we could enjoy them with our Christmas dinner this year.  And really, these beans could be a meal on their own, with a bit of cornbread, you'd definitely have a meal. Also, they get better each day, really these are the best leftovers ever!



Gluten-Free Barbecue Beans

8 oz thick sliced bacon
8-16 oz sirloin steak (depending on how much meat you want in your beans, we used 16 oz)
Steak seasoning for the steak (I use Famous Dave's Rib Rub Seasoning)
8 oz smoked sausage (just check and make sure it's gluten-free)
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon diced jalapeno
2 (28 oz) cans Bush's original baked beans
1 (20 oz) bottle barbecue sauce (find one you really like the flavor of, because that's what your beans will taste like, I use Famous Dave's Texas Pit Barbecue Sauce)

Directions:

Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings.Cruumble bacon and set aside.

Sprinkle steak with seasoning and grill over high heat until cooked to medium. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside.

Slice sausage length wise into quarters and then into cubes, set aside.

Saute onions and jalapeno in reserved bacon drippings in a skillet until tender. And in sausage and cook for a few more minutes.

Stir in bacon, steak, beans and bbq sauce. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasinally. 

The flavor is enhanced if stored covered in the refrigerator for at least 8 to 10 hours and reheated just before serving.

No Salt Playdough

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My boys got playdough in their stockings for Christmas this year.  We really needed some new playdough, and I found a recipe for one that made fantastic rubbery playdough without me needing to modify it at all. If you want to add color or scent, add it to the mixture at the beginning.  I added red food coloring and peppermint extract to one batch so it would be candy cane playdough.



No Salt Rubbery Playdough
2 cups baking soda
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
food coloring, etc.


Directions:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a saucepan until the mixture is smooth and one solid color.

Bring the mixure to a boil over medium heat, and stir until very thick and smooth.

Place the mixture on waxed paper and allow to cool.

Store in an airtight container.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Weekly Menu (12/25/11-12/31/11)

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Merry Christmas, everyone!  I hope you have a happy and safe holiday!

Weekly Menu (12/25/11-12/31/11)
Sunday: CHRISTMAS!!!
Breakfast: Pancakes, Bacon, Sausage, Eggs, Hashbrowns and Fruit....we are feasting. :)
Lunch: We are going to my Mother in law's and will be there through Monday.

Dinner:
  • Leftovers from lunch, of course!
Monday:
Breakfast: Bacon and Eggs
Lunch 
  • Sandwiches (choice between Ham and Peanut Butter) using Udi's bread
  • Chips
  • Fruit
Dinner 
  • Red Robin...do you know that all of the Red Robin's in Utah and several, if not close to all, across the country are now carrying Udi's buns?  They also use a separate fryer for their fries, so you can enjoy those, as well!

Tuesday

Lunch:
  • Peanut Butter Sandwiches
  • Carrot Sticks
  • Chips
Dinner
  • Roast Turkey
  • Sausage Stuffing (I froze our leftover stuffing from Thanksgiving, so we'll use that)
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Rolls (I have some of these in the freezer, too)
Wednesday:
Breakfast
Lunch:
  • Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Udi's bread (I'm having Turkey and Daiya Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese, using the leftover Turkey)
  • Tomato Soup (we use the Imagine Brand)
  • chips
    • clementines
    • cashews
      Dinner:
      Thursday:

      Breakfast:
      • cereal and milk, grapefruit for me
      Lunch
      • Nachos (dairy-free ones for me and my little one, mine will be Turkey and Daiya Pepper Jack, hopefully I can convince my boys to add meat to theirs, too)
      • Chili Beans
      • Rice
      • Grapes
      Dinner:
      • Pancakes
      • Sausage
      • Hashbrowns
      • Clementines
      Friday
      Breakfast:
      Lunch

      • Hot Dogs
      • Chips
      • Carrot sticks with almond butter 
      Dinner:
      Saturday

      Breakfast:
      • Cereal
      Lunch:
      • Sandwiches
      • Chips 
      • Clementines
      Dinner
      • BBQ Turkey Sandwiches on Udi's Hamburger Buns
      • Oven Fries
      • Salad

      Thursday, December 22, 2011

      Holiday Oats

      Yum
      I love my overnight oats, I have them as often as I remember to make them the night before. ;) And usually I chop up fruit and add in a little honey or agave and that's it.  But this holiday season has gotten me changing up my oats a bit, and I'm quite enjoying the change.  So, I thought I'd pass my favorites along to you.
       

      Gingerbread Nog Oats
      1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
      1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
      1 tablespoon chia seeds
      1 cup dairy-free Egg Nog (I like Silk Nog and So Delicious Coconut Nog, the coconut nog is soy-free)
      1 gingerbread cookie

      Directions
      The night before, mix together oats, flax seed, chia seed, and nog in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

      The next morning, crumble the cookie over the top and enjoy!




      'Hot' Cocoa Oats
      1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
      1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
      1 tablespoon chia seeds
      2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix (this is my dairy-free mix)
      1 cup dairy-free milk
      a handful of small marshmallows

      Directions
      The night before, mix together oats, flax seed, chia seed, hot cocoa mix and milk in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

      The next morning, top with marshmallows and enjoy! You can always heat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, if you want it hot. I just like mine cold, it's more of a texture thing then a heat thing. :)






      PB&J or 'Nutella' and Jam Oats
      1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
      1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
      1 tablespoon chia seeds
      1 cup dairy-free milk
      1-2 tablespoons peanut butter or dairy-free Nutella (I use Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter)
      drizzle of jam of choice

      Directions
      The night before, mix together oats, flax seed, chia seed, and milk in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

      The next morning, top with the nut butter and jam and enjoy!

      This post is featured on Allergy Friendly Friday.

      Saturday, December 17, 2011

      Weekly Menu (12/18/11-12/24/11)

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      Weekly Menu (12/18/11-12/24/11)
       
      Sunday:
      Breakfast: cereal, overnight oats for me with Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter mixed in
      Lunch:
      • Ham Sandwiches (we use Udi's bread), I'll have mine as a lettuce wrap (we got butter lettuce in our bountiful basket and it's my favorite for lettuce wraps)
      • Lays Potato Chips
      • grapes and carrot sticks with almond butter
      Dinner:
      • Slow Cooker pot roast with new potatoes, carrots, celery and parsnips
      • Corn on the Cob 
      • Watermelon
      • Dinner Rolls (I'm going to try adding in a tablespoon of ground flaxseed for some added nutrition)
      Monday:
      Lunch 
      • School Lunch:
        • Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich (with Udi's bread)
        • chips
        • grapes
        • Milk
        • Fruit Snack
      Dinner 
      Tuesday
      Breakfast: Cereal and Milk, grapefruit for me
      Lunch:
      • School Lunch:
        • Ham and string cheese roll-ups
        • Lay's potato chips
        • Clementine
        • Milk
        • Fruit Snack
      Dinner
      Wednesday:
      Breakfast
      Lunch:
      • School Lunch:
        • Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Udi's bread
        • Lay's potato chips
        • grapes
        • Milk
        • Fruit Snack
      Dinner:
      Thursday:

      Breakfast:
      • cereal and milk, grapefruit for me
      Lunch: We are out of school (and work) until after the new year!
      • Nachos (dairy-free ones for me and my little one)
      • Chili Beans
      • Rice
      • Grapes
      Dinner:
      • One-eyed Sandwiches
      • Bacon
      • Hashbrowns
      • Clementines
      Friday
      Breakfast:
      • Cereal and milk, overnight oats for me
      Lunch

      • Hot Dogs
      • Chips
      • Carrot sticks with almond butter 
      Dinner:
      • Spaghetti with Jovial Pasta
      • Breadsticks using my bread recipe, and piping them onto a cookie sheet
      • Salad and Carrot Sticks
      Saturday

      Breakfast:
      • French Toast
      Lunch:
      • Sandwiches
      • Chips 
      • Clementines
      Dinner
      • Pizza shaped like Christmas Trees, pepperoni as ornaments. :)
      • Salad and Carrot Sticks

      Thursday, December 15, 2011

      Facebook and Pinterest

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      For those of you that haven't noticed, I'm now on Facebook and Pinterest.  Join me. :)  It's fun and definitely worth it.  I give little tidbits that I come across, that wouldn't be enough for a blog post themselves, but are very helpful nonetheless.

      So, look to your right and you will see button for both, so go ahead and click them. :)

      Tuesday, December 13, 2011

      I'm in the paper!

      Yum
      Our local paper published an article on cooking gluten-free, and I was asked to help with it.  It was so much fun, I worked with Annette Bryner, who is one of the ladies over our local gluten-free support group and Christina Davis who has an awesome gluten-free cookbook and blog.  It's nice to be able to share a few recipes with the community and let them know that you can still have great food on a gluten-free diet.

      Here's the link to the article online: Locals talk about cooking healthy, tasty meals while eating gluten free.

      Saturday, December 10, 2011

      Weekly Menu (12/11/11-12/17/11)

      Yum
      Weekly Menu (12/11/11-12/17/11)
      Sunday:
      Breakfast: cereal, overnight oats for me with Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter mixed in...it's amazing.
      Lunch:
      • Ham Sandwiches (we use Udi's bread)
      • Lays Potato Chips
      • grapes and carrot sticks with almond butter
      Dinner: My husband is going to be gone for dinner, so I'm making it more kid oriented than a usual Sunday dinner. :)
      • Chicken Nuggets
      • Carrot Sticks, Grapes, Pineapple, and Kiwi
      • Roasted Asparagus
      Monday:
      Breakfast: one-eyed sandwiches
      Lunch 
      • School Lunch:
        • Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich (with Udi's bread)
        • chips
        • grapes
        • Milk
        • Fruit Snack
      Dinner 
      Tuesday
      Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
      Lunch:
      • School Lunch:
        • Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
        • Lay's potato chips
        • Clementine
        • Fruit Snack
      Dinner
      Wednesday:
      Breakfast
      • Udi's Bagels with Jam
      Lunch:
      • School Lunch:
        • Ham and Cheese Sandwich on Udi's bread
        • Lay's potato chips
        • grapes
        • Fruit Snack
        Dinner:
        Thursday:

        Breakfast:
        • cereal and milk
        Lunch
        •  School Lunch: 
          • Grilled Cheese on Udi's bread
          • Lay's potato chips
          • Clementine
          • Fruit Snack
        Dinner:
        • Pancakes
        • Bacon
        • Hashbrowns
        • Orange Slices
        Friday
        Breakfast:
        • Cereal and milk
        Lunch

        • School Lunch: 
          • Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
          • Chips
          • Clementine
          • Milk
        Dinner:
        • Chili (I have some in the freezer)
        • Baked Potatoes
        • Fritos
        • Carrot sticks with Almond butter
        • Clementines
        Saturday


        Breakfast:
        • French Toast
        Lunch:
        • Sandwiches
        • Chips 
        • Clementines
        Dinner

        Seasoned Black Beans

        Yum
        We have beans and rice a lot in my house, because it's easy and because my little one will actually eat it.  He's not a picky eater, he just wasn't eat a lot...but rice and beans he will, so I like to see him eat a nice full plate at least once a week. :) This week I had some peppers I needed to use up, so I threw them in, along with some cumin and such and they turned out so good.



        Seasoned Black Beans
        2 tablespoons olive oil
        2 T chopped onion (or more, depending on how much you have)
        1 bell pepper, finely chopped
        1 jalapeno, finely chopped
        1 clove garlic, minced

        1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
        1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
        1/2 teaspoon salt
        2 tablespoons or more chicken stock
        chopped green onions, optional

        Directions
        Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add in onion and the peppers, cook for 3-5 minutes, or until softened.  Add in garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in black beans, cumin, salt, and the chicken stock.  Cover and simmer until ready to serve. Top with chopped green onions.

        Wednesday, December 7, 2011

        Pita Bread

        Yum
        Our church's Christmas party is this Saturday and after looking over the menu and felt a little overwhelmed, at least for a minute.  There is a reason why I love to cook and eat at home every night, it's because I know what I'm eating is safe and my boys and I won't get sick.  I really leave my comfort zone when I venture out to someone else's cooking.  Well, anyway, the dinner at the party is going to consist of foods reminiscent of meals from Christ's time, and one of the menu items was pita bread.  I thought about taking the easy way out and bringing corn tortillas for my family, it's a flat bread and will work just fine...but, dang it, I want pita bread now!  So, I had to make it. I looked at least 7 or 8 pita recipes online and liked certain aspects of each, so they got conglomerated into this one...I love it.  It's really easy and they turned out so good that I ate it straight up with nothing on it...you can't say that about regular pita bread, can you?  Really, it's so good, I'm definitely going to have to bring enough to share with the other gluten-free people at Church. :) Everyone deserves good bread!

        This bread would also make an incredible naan replacement...in fact, I think that's what I'll use from now on.

        And what makes this bread even more amazing is that its free from the top 8 allergens and is refined sugar-free, if you want it to be vegan, just sub agave syrup or brown rice syrup for the honey.




        Pita Bread
        1 1/4 cup warm water
        1 tablespoon fast-rising yeast
        1 tablespoon honey
        2 tablespoon olive oil
        1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
        3 cups GF flour blend
        1 teaspoon salt
        1/4-1/2 cup additional warm water

        Directions:
        In a small bowl mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for 5 minutes to proof.

        In a stand mixer, combine flour and salt.  Add in the yeast mixture and mix on low until combined.

        Add in enough additional water to make the dough sticky but stay together as a ball.  This won't be the typical gluten-free bread dough which is a thick, sticky batter.  It's does actually resemble regular bread dough, but is quite a bit sticky. I added in just over 1/4 cup to get mine to the right consistency.

        Once the consistency is right, mix it on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

        Turn the dough out on a floured surface and divide into 8 pieces.

        Flatten each piece with your fingers and the palm of your hand, shaping it into a round.  Each pita should be about 5-6 inches.  Place the rounds in a warm place (I placed mine on parchment paper on top of my range...it's always the perfect temp for rising breads, especially if you're preheating the oven at the same time). and cover them with a towel.  Let rise for 30 minutes or until they start to get puffy.

        Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500F.  Spray the dough rounds lightly with water right before placing them in the oven. Bake each pita for 4-5 minutes, or until the bread puffs.  Make sure to keep the other rounds covered while the pitas in the oven are cooking.

        Remove the pita from the oven and place in a brown paper bag and seal it to steam and soften the bread. After they've steamed for at least 5 minutes, place in Ziploc bags to keep them soft. When you cut them in half, if there isn't a hole in the middle, go ahead and slice down inside of the bread to make one.

        The bread should keep for a couple of days in the fridge or for about a month or two in the freezer.

        This post is featured on Allergy Friendly Fridays and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

        Tuesday, December 6, 2011

        Christmas Treats and Gifts

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        As a society we celebrate occasions by eating.  When have you ever gotten together for a social event and not had food there?  The holidays seem like even more of that.  So, below is a few treats you can make to keep or share for the holidays.


         

        Peanut Butter Balls  and GF oreo truffles...for soy-free truffles, use buttercream frosting instead of cream cheese (the blog post was for Halloween, you can either cover them in fondant or dip them in dairy-free chocolate)









        

        Saturday, December 3, 2011

        Weekly Menu (12/4/11-12/10/11)

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        Weekly Menu (12/4/11-12/10/11)
        Sunday:
        Lunch:
        • Ham Sandwiches (we use Udi's bread)
        • Lays Potato Chips
        • apple slices and carrot sticks with almond butter
        Dinner
        • Spaghetti using my Aunt's recipe and Jovial Brand pasta
        • Homemade Breadsticks (this is the directions for rolls, to make them breadsticks, pipe them onto a greased cookie sheet using a pastry bag.  I like to put a little garlic salt on them after baking, too.)
        • Steamed Broccoli
        • Steamed Corn
        Monday:
        Breakfast: cereal and clementines
        Lunch 
        • School Lunch:
          • Ham and Cheese Sandwich (with Udi's bread)
          • chips
          • clementine
          • Milk
          • Fruit Snack
        Dinner 
        • Navajo Tacos
        • Apple Slices, Carrot Sticks, and Almond Butter
        Tuesday
        Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
        Lunch:
        • School Lunch:
          • Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
          • Lay's potato chips
          • Clementine
          • Fruit Snack
        Dinner
        • Chile-Lime Chicken
        • Black Beans and Avocados
        • Basmati Rice
        • Nachos (we use Daiya Cheddar Shreds for the non-dairy ones)
        • Carrot sticks, apple slices, and almond butter
        Wednesday:
        Breakfast
        • Cereal and Milk
        Lunch:
        • Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
        • Lay's potato chips
        • Clementine
        • Fruit Snack
        Dinner:
        Thursday:

        Breakfast:
        • French Toast and clementines
        Lunch
        • Grilled Cheese on Udi's bread
        • Lay's potato chips
        • Clementine
        • Fruit Snack
        Dinner:
        Friday
        Breakfast:
        • Cereal and milk
        Lunch:
        • Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
        • Chips
        • Clementine
        • Milk
        Dinner: The hubby and I are going out to my hubby's work Christmas party, so this is what the boys are having:
        • hot dogs (choice of whether or not to have a bun, sometimes they want one, sometimes they don't)
        • Carrot sticks with Almond butter
        • Clementines
        Saturday


        Breakfast:
        • One-eyed Sandwiches
        Lunch:
        • Sandwiches
        • Chips 
        • Clementines
        Dinner:
        • It's our Church's Christmas party, with dinner included. I'll post what it'll be and what we will do (whether we will supplement with our own food, etc), once I find out. 
        • UPDATE: The church party is serving shredded beef, pita bread, red potatoes, and a salad with lettuce, apples, grapes & walnuts. The dressing for the salad is mayonnaise, lemon juice & honey. Also, boiled eggs and olives. The dinner is part of the theme of being back in Bethlehem. 
          • So, I might attempt to make pita bread for us with this recipe (converting to dairy-free, of course) or this recipe, if I feel like I have the time this week. Or we may just bring corn tortillas. ;) 
          • They are also serving red velvet cake and I will be making one for those of us with allergies using Cybele Pascal's recipe from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook.
          • Still no word on the ingredients of the shredded beef....

        Monday, November 28, 2011

        Gluten Free Churros for Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger

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        This is my first Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger event I've participated in and I've had fun with it.  Kalinda at Wheat-Free Meat-Free is hosting the event this month. I chose Heidi from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom because her blog is definitely one that I follow and has been so helpful since our diet change a year ago.  She has tons of kid-friendly foods and because her family has multiple intolerances like mine, I don't have to figure out substitutes.  She has her recipes organized so you can easily find recipes that are dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, etc. Which makes it so much easier for those of us who have extra restrictions. 

        I decided to make her Gluten Free Churros because (1) they looked absolutely divine (2) I've really missed churros and (3) These are dairy-free and soy-free!

         Before our diet change I never would have thought to make something like this, I would have assumed it was too hard...but, my word, these came together so fast and were quite easy to make.  The dough, of course, is quite sticky to work with, so I did find that it helped to pipe the churros out onto smaller pieces of parchment paper that could then be used to transfer the churros to the hot oil. I was basically picking up a piece of parchment paper that held 2 or 3 churros and turning it over and letting the churros drop into the oil.

        These were amazing freshly rolled in the cinnamon sugar, but if you don't finish them all in one sitting (because you actually have self control, unlike me), then reheat them in the oven at 350F until they are hot.

        Thanks, Heidi, for such fantastic recipes on your website!

        Saturday, November 26, 2011

        Weekly Menu (11/27/11-12/3/11)

        Yum
        Weekly Menu (11/27/11-12/3/11)
         
        Sunday:
        Lunch:
        • Ham Sandwiches (we use Udi's bread)
        • Lays Potato Chips
        • apple slices
        Dinner
        • Barbecue Chicken
        • Homemade Rolls (I have some in the freezer, that I'll thaw and heat in the oven for a few minutes)
        • Baked Potatoes (a sweet potato for me, I just like 'em better)
        • Green Beans and Yellow Squash Saute
        • Clementines (my boys absolute favorite type of orange, mainly because it's there size)
        Monday:
        Breakfast: French Toast (using Udi's bread) and an Oroblanco (mix between a grapefruit and a pomelo) for me
        Lunch 
        • School Lunch:
          • Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich (with Udi's bread)
          • chips
          • clementine
          • Milk
          • Pumpkin Bar
        Dinner  
        • Chili Dogs using Udi's Hotdog Buns and the Pioneer Woman's Chili (I make a big batch and freeze it)
        • Lay's potato chips
        • Apple Slices, Carrot Stick, and Almond Butter
        Tuesday
        Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
        Lunch:
        • School Lunch:
          • Grilled Cheese Sandwich
          • Lay's potato chips
          • Clementine
          • Pumpkin Bar
          • Milk
        Dinner
        • Pork Tamales
        • Chili Beans
        • Basmati Rice
        • Nachos (we use Daiya Cheddar Shreds for the non-dairy ones)
        • Carrot sticks, apple slices, and almond butter
        Wednesday:
        Breakfast
        • Cereal and Milk
        Lunch:
        • Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
        • Lay's potato chips
        • Clementine
        • Fruit Snack
        Dinner:
        Thursday:

        Breakfast:
        • French Toast and clementines
        Lunch
        • Ham Sandwich on Udi's bread
        • Lay's potato chips
        • Clementine
        • Fruit Snak
        Dinner:
        • One-eyed Sandwiches
        • Sausage
        • Hashbrowns
        • Bananas
        Friday
        Breakfast:
        • Cereal and milk
        Lunch:
        • Schar Crispbread with Cheese Slices and Pepperoni
        • Chips
        • Clementine
        • Milk
        Dinner:
        • Pizza (everyone gets their own pizza and we top it how we like: tons of veggies and no cheese for me, Daiya cheese for me little one, and pepperoni and cheese for my hubby and older son)
        • Carrot sticks and Apple slices with Almond butter
        • Clementines
        Saturday


        Breakfast:
        • Cereal and Smoothies
        Lunch:
        • Sandwiches
        • Chips 
        • Clementines
        Dinner
        • Crepes with fillings: peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, jam, bananas, ham, eggs...basically whatever they want to fill them with
        • carrot sticks and almond butter

        Friday, November 25, 2011

        Coconut Cream Pie

        Yum
        I made the pies this year for our family's Thanksgiving feast (at least for those of us that have restricted diets). So, I asked my sister what pie she would like to have, and I knew the answer before she gave it to me:  Coconut Cream Pie.  Her family absolutely loves coconut, and of course, coconut cream pie.  I absolutely love it, too, but my little family absolutely hates coconut (funny thing, because we have a lot of coconut in our diet, I guess I just disguise it well).  So, I was thrilled to make this pie and share it with my sister and her family and I hope they get to make it often, because I'll only get to make it when I can find someone to share it with.


        Coconut Cream Pie

        1  8-9" pie shell, baked (instructions are below, for baking the pie shell, also the recipe for the pie crusts makes 3 single crust pies...I make a full batch and freeze what I don't need)
        1 can coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen)
        1 1/4 cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk
        3/4 cup sugar
        1/3 cup GF flour blend
        1/4 teaspoon salt
        3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
        2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
        1 teaspoon vanilla
        3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

        Directions
        Have the baked pie shell ready.  To bake my pie crust, prep it as outline here. Once prepped and in the pie tin, prick the bottom ~8 times with a fork.  Cover it with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 5-6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool on a cooling rack.

        In a saucepan, scald the coconut milk and non-dairy milk.  In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt.  Gradually whisk in the scalded milk.

        Cook for medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Cover and cook for two more minutes, stirring occasionally.

        Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks, to temper them, then add the yolks into the hot mixture.  Cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

        Remove from heat and add in the margarine, vanilla, and coconut shreds.  Let the mixture sit until lukewarm.

        When the mixture has cooled, pour the mixture into the pie shell.  Allow to chill in the fridge before serving with your non-dairy whipped cream.

        This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

        Saturday, November 19, 2011

        Weekly Menu (11/20/11-11/26/11)

        Yum
        Weekly Menu (11/20/11-11/26/11)
        Sunday:
        Breakfast: Cereal and banana chocolate chip muffins
        Lunch:
        • Sandwiches (we use Udi's bread)
        • Lays Potato Chips
        • apple slices
        Dinner
        • Chili
        • Homemade Rolls
        • Baked Potatoes (sweet potato for me, I just like 'em better)
        • Green Beans
        • Orange Slices
        Monday:
        Breakfast: One-eyed sandwiches (basically toast and a fried egg), and an Oroblanco (mix between a grapefruit and a pomelo) for me
        Lunch 
        • School Lunch:
          • Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
          • chips
          • apple
          • Milk
          • Brownie (I freeze my cookies, so they can be packed into lunches...by lunchtime they are thawed and perfect)
        Dinner  
        • Pork Tamales
        • Chili Beans
        • Basmati Rice
        • Nachos (we use Daiya Cheddar Shreds for the non-dairy ones)
        • Carrot Sticks and almond butter
        Tuesday
        Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
        Lunch:
        • School Lunch:
          • Grilled Cheese Sandwich
          • Lay's potato chips
          • apple
          • Fruit Snacks
        Dinner
        • Hamburgers with Udi's buns
        • Oven fries
        • Fried Green Beans (or just steamed green beans, depending on my mood)
        • carrot sticks and apple slices with almond butter
        Wednesday: School is out and I'll be prepping stuffing and pies for Thanksgiving.
        Breakfast
        Lunch:
        • Tomato Soup
        • Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, with Udi bread and Daiya Cheese
        • Lay's potato chips
        • carrot sticks and apple slices with almond butter
        Dinner:
        • Waffles
        • Bacon
        • Scrambled Eggs
        • Orange Slices
        Thursday:

        Breakfast:
        • French Toast and orange slices
        Lunch
        • Thanksgiving!  We'll be at my parent's, we'll be eating all the usuals: turkey, sweet potato caserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, stuffing, pies, etc.  For ideas you can look at this post or this post.
          Dinner:
          • Leftover thanksgiving food, of course!
          Friday:  If we end up not going to my mother-in-law's, this is what we'll be doing:
          Breakfast:
          • Cereal and milk
          Lunch:
          • Turkey sandwiches (hopefully, if we get leftovers) using sweet potato biscuits, because I've been craving them. :)
          • Leftover sides, at least the stuffing, since I'm making it. :)
          • Pear Slices
          Dinner:


            Saturday


            Breakfast:
            • Cereal and Smoothies
            Lunch:
            • Sandwiches
            • Chips 
            • Bananas
            Dinner

            Wednesday, November 16, 2011

            Thanksgiving Ideas

            Yum
            As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought I would pass along some ideas for food. Last year, I had Thanksgiving at home and made everything, and it was fantastic. Here is last year's menu.  This year we'll be at my Mom's and I'm bringing stuffing and pies. So, it'll probably be Grandma Tolman's Stuffing and at least pumpkin pie, razzleberry pie, and either banana cream pie or caramel apple pie.

            Turkey is basic, and easy to do, just make sure you have a gluten-free turkey.  Some companies inject flavorings into the bird, or have gravy packets in the bird...so check and make sure it's safe.

            For sides, I have several great recipes:







            For mashed potatoes, I boil cubed potatoes, then just eyeball the margarine, non-dairy milk, salt and pepper to add.

            For gravy, you can either use rice flour and make a roux, and add in drippings and chicken stock to make the gravy, or add cornstarch to the drippings.
            For dessert:







            Raspberry Peach Crisp (or apple, peach, or any other fruit crisp, for that matter)

            Sunday, November 13, 2011

            Tiny Spicy Chicken and Homemade Sambal Chili Paste

            Yum
            I love reading recipes, they give me ideas and inspiration...especially when I'm in a rut.  I found this recipe for tiny spicy chicken and knew I had to try it.  It was an easy conversion for our diet...the only problem was I didn't have any sambal chili paste in my house, and I'm trying to be good and only go grocery shopping once a week.  So, what was I to do?  Well, I went looking for a recipe to make it and I happened to have the ingredients or at least equivalents of the ingredients, so I made my own chili paste and we had our tiny spicy chicken.  The chicken wasn't as spicy as it could be, I toned it done so our kids would eat it, so add more chili paste if you want more heat.



            Tiny Spicy Chicken

            1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks and sprinkled with garlic salt
            1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
            1/2 cup cornstarch
            1 egg
            canola oil


            Combine the garlic salt and cornstarch in a bowl.  In a separate bowl beat the egg.  Heat oil to 350F.  Dip chicken in the egg and then in the cornstarch, and fry until golden brown. Place chicken in a 9x13 pan and cover with sauce (recipe below).  Bake at 375F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

            Sauce:
            1 cup sugar
            1 cup white vinegar
            1/2 cup ketchup
            2 teaspoons coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce, if you can have soy
            1/2 cup chicken broth
            1 teaspoon (or more) Sambal chili paste (homemade recipe below)
            1/4 cup brown sugar

            Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, cook until sugar dissolves.


            Sambal Chili Paste (adapted from here)
            1/4 cup sugar
            1 small onion, chopped
            2 tablespoons white vinegar
            1/2 cup dried Thai or Japanese chilies
            2 cloves garlic, chopped
            1/4 water
            1/2 teaspoon salt

            Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth.  Place the mixture in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture has reduced to ~1/2 cup.  It should take about 10 minutes.

            Banana Chocolate Milkshake

            Yum
            We have had a lot of very ripe bananas lately, which makes for fun in the kitchen...muffins, smoothies, milkshakes...yeah, my little ones are happy. :)



            Banana Chocolate Milkshake
            3 ripe bananas
            1 pint coconut milk icecream
            1 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk
            1/2 cup chocolate syrup (Hershey's Genuine Chocolate Syrup is safe, and we only use it for treats, like this)
            6-8 ice cubes

            Directions
            Combine ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

            Weekly Menu (11/13/11-11/19/11)

            Yum
            Sorry I'm late posting this, we had a wedding yesterday, and my brother and sister-in-law had their baby, too, so I've been preoccupied.  The menu was planned, just not up on the blog. :)
            Weekly Menu (11/13/11-11/19/11)
            Sunday:
            Breakfast: Cereal and Smoothies (Banana, Blackberry and Kiwi)
            Lunch:
            • Sandwiches
            • Lays Potato Chips
            • Grapes
            Dinner
            • Tiny Spicy Chicken
            • Basmati Rice
            • Sauteed yellow squash
            • Corn
            • Grapes

            Monday:
            Breakfast: Cereal and Smoothies (probably another Banana, Blackberry, Kiwi one)
            Lunch 
            • School Lunch:
              • Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
              • Chips
              • Grapes
              • Milk
              • Death By Chocolate Cookie (I freeze my cookies, so they can be packed into lunches...by lunchtime they are thawed and perfect)
            Dinner  
            Tuesday
            Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
            Lunch:
            • School Lunch:
              • Grilled Cheese Sandwich
              • Lay's potato chips
              • Banana
              • Fruit Snacks
            Dinner: I'm making dinner for my brother and sister-in-law, so they can just enjoy their new little baby boy...
            Wednesday:
            Breakfast
            Lunch:
            Dinner:
            • Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
            • Basmati Rice
            • Sauteed Squash
            • Persimmons
            Thursday:

            Breakfast:
            • Cereal and Oroblanco Grapefruit
            Lunch:
            Dinner:
            • Breakfast for dinner
              • One-eyed Sandwiches
              • Hashbrowns
              • Grapes
            Friday:
            Breakfast:
            • Cereal and milk
            Lunch:
            • School Lunch:
              • Turkey and Swiss Sandwich
              • Fritos
              • Banana
              • Fruit Snack
            Dinner:
            Saturday

            Breakfast:
            • Cereal and Smoothies
            Lunch:
            • Sandwiches
            • Chips 
            • Bananas
            Dinner
            • Bacon and Corn Chowder
            • Rolls
            • Salad

            Monday, November 7, 2011

            My little one is 4!

            Yum
            Today is my baby's birthday.  He's four! Where did the time go?  Well, I'm going to go enjoy the day with him, so enjoy this picture of his cake and the cupcakes I took to the sitter's.  (Yes, we are on an angry birds kick.)


            Saturday, November 5, 2011

            Weekly Menu (11/6/11-11/12/11)

            Yum
            Weekly Menu (11/6/11-11/12/11)
            Sunday:
            Breakfast: Hot Cocoa, Cereal and Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
            Lunch:
            • Sandwiches
            • Lays Potato Chips
            • Baby Carrots and Grapes
            Dinner
            • Rosemary-Lemon Chicken with Fennel
            • Roasted Potatoes with Fresh Herbs
            • Steamed Broccoli
            • Blackberries

            Monday:It's my little one's birthday--4 years old!

            Breakfast: Hot Cocoa, Cereal and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
            Lunch 
            • School Lunch:
              • Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
              • Chips
              • Grapes
              • Milk
              • Cupcake
            Dinner  
            • Pizza
            • Salad and Carrots sticks
            • Apple Slices
            • And Birthday Cake, of course!
            Tuesday:
            Breakfast: Cereal and Milk 
            Lunch:
            • School Lunch:
              • Grilled Cheese Sandwich
              • Lay's potato chips
              • carrot sticks
              • Fruit Snacks
            Dinner:
            • Tamales
            • Nachos
            • Chili Beans
            • Carrot Sticks and Strawberries
            Wednesday:
            Breakfast

            Lunch:
            Dinner:
            • Crepes with various toppings (veggies, ham, scrambled eggs, peanut butter, jam, etc.)
            • Apple slices

            Thursday:

            Breakfast:
            • Cereal and milk
            Lunch:
            • School Lunch: 
              • Ham and Cheese Sandwich
              • Chips
              • apples slices and caramel
              • Reese's Cup
            Dinner:
            • Breakfast for dinner
              • Pancakes
              • Hashbrowns
              • Sausage
              • Grapes
            Friday:
            Breakfast:
            • Cereal and milk
            Lunch:
            Dinner:
            Saturday

            Breakfast:
            • Cereal and Milk
            Lunch:
            • Sandwiches
            • Chips 
            • Bananas
            Dinner: The boys will be at Grandma's, so they'll probably have hot dogs or sandwiches.

              Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix (Dairy-free, of course)

              Yum
              I am a Hot Chocolate (or Cocoa) fanatic.  Really, before our diet change, it was my nightly drink before bed.  But, since then, I haven't had it, closest thing has been heating up my Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk...but, it isn't the same.  So, I decided I just needed to make my own, it is snowing after all!  I found this recipe from Martha Stewart and didn't really have to change it, just sub in non-dairy milk for the whole milk...easy, peasy! So, without furthur ado, I give you Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa!



              Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa Mix
              3 1/2 cups sugar
              2 1/4 cups cocoa
              1 tablespoon table salt
              Non-dairy milk for serving (We've used both the So Delicious Coconut Milk and the Silk Almond Milk, and both are fantastic with it)

              Directions
              In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, and salt, and whisk to combine well.  Store the mixture in an airtight container.


              For individual servings, heat 1 cup of nondairy milk in the microwave on high just until hot.  Place 2 tablespoons of the cocoa mix into a mug, and slowly stir in the hot milk, mixing as you're stirring (I find you have less lumps if you do it this way, then adding the mix to the milk).