Saturday, October 29, 2011

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie/Milkshake (whatever you want to call it)

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I've seen quite a few recipes going around for pumpkin pie smoothies and milkshakes, so I thought I would try it out.  I did mine based on what I had in my fridge...an opened can of pumpkin and some coconut milk creamer.  So this is what you get...it definitely did taste like pumpkin pie in a glass, though.  :)


Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup So Delicious Coconut Creamer
1/2 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
8-10 ice cubes

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.  Makes 2 servings (or one really big one, if you're like me and don't share). :)

Weekly Menu (10/30/11-11/5/11)

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Weekly Menu (10/30/11-11/5/11)
Sunday:
Breakfast: Cereal and Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Lays Potato Chips
  • Baby Carrots and Apple Slices
Dinner

Monday:

Breakfast: Cereal and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch 
  • School Lunch:
    • Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
    • Chips
    • Grapes
    • Milk
    • Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (It's Halloween after all!)
Dinner  
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk 
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Grilled Cheese Sandwich
    • Lay's potato chips
    • carrot sticks
    • Piece of Halloween Candy
Dinner:
  • Coconut Shrimp
  • Rice
  • Fresh Veggie Spring Rolls (it'll probably be cucumber, cabbage, carrots, and rice vermicelli rolled in the rice paper)
  • Pomegranate seeds
Wednesday:
Breakfast:

Lunch:
  • School Lunch: 
Dinner:
  • Brats with Udi's Hotdog Buns
  • Salad
  • Chips
  • Pear slices

Thursday:

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • School Lunch: 
    • Ham and Cheese Sandwich
    • Chips
    • apples slices and caramel
    • Piece of Halloween Candy
Dinner:
  • Breakfast for dinner
    • French Toast
    • Hashbrowns
    • Sausage
    • Grapes
Friday:
Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
Dinner:
  • Sloppy Joes with Udi's Buns
  • Onion Rings
  • Cole Slaw
  • Carrot Sticks
Saturday

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and Milk
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Chips 
  • Bananas
Dinner:
  • Pizza
  • Salad and Carrots sticks

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Classic Fried Chicken

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So, I was having some odd dreams last night...mostly consisting of the typical, I'm back in High School and I can't remember my locker combination or which classes I have, etc.  But then, I had a dream that I was at work and my coworkers went and got KFC and they ate it in front of me!  I was not a happy camper. Honestly, I haven't even thought about KFC in ages, but this dream really had me wanting some fried chicken, so what was I to do? I fried me up some chicken!


Classic Fried Chicken

2-3 lbs meaty chicken pieces (I used drumsticks, because that is what most of my family prefers)
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup gf flour blend or brown rice flour
canola oil

Directions
Remove the skins from the chicken (unless of course, you like the skin, I don't, so I skin them).  Combine the milk and the eggs in a large bowl or baking dish and add the chicken.  Allow to sit in the mixture for ~30 minutes.

While the chicken is resting in the milk.  Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside.  Place the flour in a shallow baking dish and set aside. Add canola oil to a deep, heavy Dutch oven to reach 1 1/2 inches.  Heat the oil to 350F.

While the oil is heating, remove the chicken from the milk and dredge with flour. Dip the chicken again in the milk, then liberally season with the spice mixture and follow that with another dredging in the flour.

Add the chicken to the hot oil.  The oil temperature will drop, when you add the chicken, keep an eye on it.  You want it to stay right around 325F.   Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the coating is golden, turning once.  It should take about 15-20 minutes, depending on type of meat.  Also, check the temperature of the meat: breasts should be 170F and thighs and drumsticks should be 180F.

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags, it won't stay as crispy that way. And enjoy!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

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Weekly Menu (10/23/11-10/29/11)
Sunday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Lays Potato Chips
  • Baby Carrots and Apple Slices
Dinner

Monday:

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch 
  • School Lunch:
    • Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
    • Chips
    • Apple Slices and Caramel
    • Udi's Snickerdoodle Cookie
    • Milk
Dinner  
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk 
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
Dinner:
  • Pork Tamales
  • Nachos
  • Chili Beans (mostly for my little one who won't eat tamales)
  • Apple Slices
  • Carrot sticks
Wednesday:
Breakfast:

Lunch:
Dinner:

Thursday:

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • School Lunch: 
    • Ham and Cheese Sandwich
    • Chips
    • apples slices and caramel
    • fruit snack
Dinner:
  • Breakfast for dinner
    • French Toast
    • Hashbrowns
    • Bacon
    • Bananas
Friday:
Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
Dinner:
Saturday

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and Milk
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Chips 
  • Bananas
Dinner:
  • Pizza
  • Salad and Carrots sticks

Friday, October 21, 2011

Pumpkin Bars

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One of my favorite pumpkin desserts is pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting...it's been a while since I've had them, so I set out to make my own version of them...these ones even have chocolate chips.

My boys absolutely loved these, polishing off an entire pan themselves...so this Thanksgiving, I'll make pie for me and these bars for them.  This post is also featured on the November Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free: Thanksgiving Dishes Round Up. :)


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars with Yogurt Frosting

2 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups GF flour blend
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a half sheet pan (13x18x1) and set aside.

Mix together the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, and oil.

In a separate bowl, combine flour blend, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

Fold in chocolate chips and pour the batter into the greased pan.

Cook at 350F for 30 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting (recipe below).


Mock Cream Cheese Frosting (i.e. Yogurt Frosting)

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix together shortening, yogurt, and vanilla.  Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Gluten Free Wednesday, and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Pumpkin Pie

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I have been in a pie mood, if you haven't been able to tell from my past posts.  I'm the only one in my little
family that likes pumpkin pie, but I wanted to make sure I could make a dairy-free/soy-free pie before Thanksgiving, so that we'd be set when we get together with my family.  This recipe is based off of Libby's recipe that is on the back of their canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 15 oz can pumpkin
3/4 cup So Delicious Coconut Creamer
1 unbaked gf pie crust (I make a batch of 3 crusts and freeze my unbaked ones, then thaw as needed)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425° F. Mix sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Stir the pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture into the eggs. Gradually stir in the coconut creamer.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell.

Cover the crust with foil, to prevent over browning. Bake at 425° F for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F and bake for ~50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with non dairy whipped cream before serving.

The post is featured on Gluten Free Wednesday.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Banana Cream Pie

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My husband's favorite pies are razzleberry, apple, and banana cream.  I think, actually, those are the only types of pies I've ever seen him eat. I've successfully have made both the razzleberry and apple pies since our diet change, so it was only time before a gave a try to the banana cream.  I should have done it sooner. The pie lasted all of a day, so amazingly good and just like an old fashioned banana cream pie.  We even had 'whipped cream' to go on top.  I discovered Mimic Cream Healthy Top Non-Dairy Whippable Cream, which uses cashew and almond cream--so incredibly good, it made the perfect topping to a pure comfort food dessert. One container makes about 4 cups of whipped cream, the nice thing, though is that you can freeze what you don't use.

Banana Cream Pie
adapted from here

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)
3 cups So Delicious or Silk Coconut Milk Beverage
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 bananas

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 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 and vanilla.  Let the mixture sit until lukewarm.

When the mixture has cooled, slice bananas and scatter two-thirds of them in the pie shell, and the other third to the warm mixture.  Pour the mixture over the bananas in the pie shell.  Allow to chill in the fridge before serving with your non-dairy whipped cream.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Weekly Menu (10/16/11-10/22/11)

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Weekly Menu (10/16/11-10/22/11)
Sunday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Lays Potato Chips
  • Baby Carrots and Apple Slices
Dinner
  • Grilled Steaks
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Steamed Broccoli
  • Baby Carrots and Grapes

Monday:

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch 
  • School Lunch:
    • Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
    • Chips
    • Apple Slices and Caramel
    • Udi's Snickerdoodle Cookie
    • Milk
Dinner  
  • Pork Tamales
  • Nachos (dairy-free for the little one and me)
  • Chili Beans
  • Carrot sticks with Ranch or Almond Butter (my little one and I prefer the almond butter) 
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk 
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
Dinner:
Wednesday:
Breakfast:

Lunch:
  • School Lunch: No School! Fall Break, he'll be eating lunch at the sitter's.
Dinner:
  • Chili Frito Pie (my family loves this, and a make a big batch of the chili and freeze it, so it's really easy)
  • Salad
  • Grapes

Thursday:

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • School Lunch: No School! Fall Break, he'll be eating lunch at the sitter's.
Dinner:
  • Breakfast for dinner
    • One-Eyed Sandwiches
    • Hashbrowns
    • Sausage
    • Bananas
Friday:
Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • No School! Fall Break, he'll be eating lunch at the sitter's..
Dinner:
Saturday

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

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

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I have been meaning to make chocolate muffins for a long time, since my little one is obsessed with the Udi's Chocolate Muffins, but never have gotten around to it.  Tonight changed that.  I have a counter full of bananas that needed to be used up, and as I was getting ready to make some banana chocolate chip muffins, it occurred to me to make it a chocolate batter instead...holy cow they are good!  Also, I was out of eggs, so these ones are egg-free, too!

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups GF flour blend
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 T baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, or 1 T egg replacer mixed into 1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup mashed banana
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Line muffin tins with paper cups and set aside.  In a mixing bowl combine the flour blend, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

While mixer is running add in the wet ingredients through the canola oil.  Stir in mashed banana and chocolate chips by hand.  Using a 1/4 cup scoop, spoon batter into each of the prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Immediately remove from muffin tins and cool on wire cooling rack.


Sunday, October 9, 2011

Weekly Menu (10/09/11-10/15/11)

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Weekly Menu (10/09/11-10/15/11)
Sunday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Lays Potato Chips
  • Baby Carrots and Grapes
Dinner
  • Navajo Tacos (Fry Bread topped with refried beans, ground beef, cheese, lettuce, etc.)
  • Homemade Tomatillo Salsa Verde
  • Corn on the Cob
  • Grapes

Monday:

Breakfast: Probably cereal again (I'm struggling with getting my older son to eat breakfast before school, and after our daily struggle, it's usually cereal that he'll finally give in to and eat)
Lunch 
  • School Lunch:
    • Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
    • Chips
    • Apple Slices and Caramel
    • Pamela's chocolate chip cookies
    • Milk
Dinner  
  • Chicken Nuggets
  • Roasted New Potatoes
  • Grapes
  • Carrot sticks with Ranch or Almond Butter (my little one and I prefer the almond butter) 
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk 
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Ham and Swiss Sandwich 
    • Lays Potato Chips
    • Carrot Sticks and Ranch
    • Pudding
Dinner:
  • Tacos
  • Grapes
  • Carrot sticks
Wednesday:
Breakfast:

Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Schar Crispbread
    • Pepperoni and Cheese Slices
    • Lays Potato Chips
    • Apple slices and caramel
    • Milk 
    • Envirokidz Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Bar
Dinner:
  • Pizza
  • Salad
  • Grapes

Thursday:

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Grilled Cheese
    • Cheetos
    • Milk
    • Apple Slices and Caramel
Dinner:
  • Breakfast for dinner
    • Waffles
    • Hashbrowns
    • Bacon
    • Grapes
Friday:
Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • No School, so both of my boys will eat lunch at the sitter's.
Dinner:
Saturday

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and Milk
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Chips 
  • Bananas
Dinner:
  • Barbeque Chicken
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Salad and Carrots sticks

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Chocolate Chip Rice Crispy Cookies

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Okay, I've been doing a bit of experimenting with the Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice cereal, mainly because they are having recipe contests for the next three months.  This recipe I'm going to enter into December's contest.  This is the only cookie I've ever had that is actually better once it's cooled.  When it's hot the cereal is kind of chewy, but once it's cooled the cereal crisps back up and the texture it gives the cookie is amazing, these are now one of my favorite cookies.

Chocolate Chip Rice Crispy Cookies
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dairy free margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup gf flour blend
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Erewhon GF Crispy Brown Rice cereal
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Cream sugar and margarine until light and fluffy.  Add in egg and vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour blend, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and blend well.

Stir in the crispy rice cereal and the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the cookie sheet and cool completely before eating.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Chocolate Covered Maple Crisps

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Attune Foods is currently doing a contest for treats using Erewhon Rice Twice, Erewhon Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice,  or Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice- GF cereals.  So, I decided I needed to play around a little this weekend and try something new with our cereal. This candy is a lot like caramel corn, except it uses cereal instead of popcorn and maple syrup instead of caramel.




Chocolate Covered Maple Crisps

Centers:
1 cup maple syrup
1 T dairy-free margarine
1 1/2 cups Erewhon Gluten Free crispy Brown Rice Cereal

Boil the syrup over medium heat until it reaches the soft ball stage (234F). Remove the syrup from the stove, add in the margarine and mix together well.  Stir in the rice cereal and drop by small spoonfuls unto waxed paper. Let cool and harden before dipping in chocolate.

Dipping:
 
2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water.  Stir to blend.  Lower heat to maintain a warm temperature to dip chocolates.  Drop the maple crisps into chocolate and roll to coat completely.  Remove with fork to help remove excess chocolate.  Place on wax paper to set up.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Razzleberry Pie

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Before our diet change, one of our favorite pies (at least for my hubby and me) was Marie Callender's Razzleberry Pie.  Almost every time we went to my Mother-in-law's she would have one for us. And the other day as I was picking raspberries from our bushes, I realized how much I miss that pie...so I made it, and it was amazing!  So, enjoy!




Razzleberry Pie

1 recipe double flaky pie crust (recipe below)
2 cups fresh raspberries (or one 16oz package of frozen raspberries, thawed, and drained)
2 cups fresh blackberries (or one 16oz package of frozen blackberries, thawed and drained)
1/3 cup sugar
3 T GF all purpose flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.  Grease a 9 inch pie tin generously with shortening.  In a large bowl, mix fruit, sugar and flour together. Prepare pie crust as outlined below and fill with fruit. Top with second crust, in the same way, using parchment paper and flipping the crust over the pie. Flute or crimp the edges together, sealing the top and bottom layers.

Lightly brush the top crust with water and sprinkle sugar on top.  Cover the edges with aluminum foil.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Double Flaky Pie Crust

3 1/2 cups GF all purpose flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup coconut oil (chilled if it seems too soft)
4 eggs (or 6 teaspoons egg replacer mixed with 8 tablespoons water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
water, if needed (I needed an 1 Tablespoon to help bring it together)

Directions
In a stand mixer, mix together the flour, sugar and salt.  Add in the coconut oil and mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles a course meal.  Add in the eggs and lemon juice and mix until combined. It should be able to form a nice ball at this point, if it seems crumbly at all, add some water, one tablespoon at a time.

Split the dough in half and place each half onto a sheet of parchment paper. Mold each half into a ball, flatten into a disk, pinching the edges together, and top with another piece of parchment paper.  Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and about 2 inches larger than your pie tin.

Grease the pie tin generously with shortening. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper, flip the crust into the tin, pressing down with the palm of your hand.  Press around the edges to make sure the crust is totally in place and remove the parchment paper.  Patch any torn sections as necessary--this is a very forgiving crust.

To add the top crust, repeat the preparation on rolling it out between layers of parchment paper and flip it onto the pie.  Pinch the two layers together and trim and flute the edges to seal the pie together.

Depending on the size of pie you are making, you may have leftover pie crust.  This will freeze, and you can thaw it for use later.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Weekly Menu (10/02/11-10/08/11)

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Weekly Menu (10/02/11-10/08/11)
 
Sunday:
Breakfast:Cereal
Lunch:
  • Sandwiches
  • Lays Potato Chips
  • Baby Carrots and Grapes
Dinner
  • Grilled Steaks
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Corn
  • Pineapple
  • Grapes
  • Maybe some rolls, too.

Monday:

Breakfast: One-eyed Sandwiches
Lunch 
  • School Lunch:
    • Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
    • Chips
    • Grapes
    • kinnikinnickkinnitoos vanilla creme cookies
    • Milk
Dinner  
  • Tamales
  • Nachos 
  • Chili Beans for my little one, because he doesn't like tamales
  • Carrot sticks with Ranch or Almond Butter (my little one and I prefer the almond butter) 
  • Sliced Nectarines
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk 
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Ham and Swiss Sandwich 
    • Lays Potato Chips
    • Carrot Sticks and Ranch
    • Pudding
Dinner: We are getting family pictures taken, so we'll see how much time we have to actually eat...
  • Sandwiches
  • Grapes
  • Carrot sticks
  • Chips
Wednesday:
Breakfast:

Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Schar Crispbread
    • Pepperoni and Cheese Slices
    • Lays Potato Chips
    • Grapes
    • Milk 
    • Envirokidz Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Bar
Dinner: My older son's friend is very ill in the hospital, he had heart surgery and is not recovering very well from it, so we are going to a benefit dinner that night at Chili's, I've already talked to the manager about the diet restrictions, especially about the soy issues with my little one, so hopefully everyone will be able to eat.

Thursday:

Breakfast:
  • Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Grilled Cheese
    • Cheetos
    • Milk
    • Apple
    • Pudding 
Dinner:
  • Breakfast for dinner
    • French Toast
    • Hashbrowns
    • Bacon
    • Grapes
Friday:
Breakfast:
  • Choice of Cereal and milk
Lunch:
  • School Lunch:
    • Schar Crispbread
    • Pepperoni and Cheese Slices
    • Lays Potato Chips
    • Carrots
    • Milk 
    • Fruit Snacks
Dinner:
  • Chili Dogs with homemade buns
  • Oven Fries
  • Carrot sticks and Grapes
Saturday

Breakfast:
  • Muffins and Milk
Lunch:
  • sandwiches
  • Chips 
  • Bananas
Dinner:
  • Frito Chicken
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Salad and Carrots sticks